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Chapter Text

The Golden Apple cracked open as Gregor pierced it through with his insect arm. It stumbled and fell. Light shimmered from inside of it. Yuri felt her heart start beating faster as the light fell on her. She felt a sudden calling. She knew she shouldn’t move from her place behind the group. While she knew some of the Abnormalities that should have been here, such as the Ebony Queen’s Apple that killed Aya and the Doomsday Calendar that had finished off everyone she had abandoned in the ruins of her old workplace, this one was new. Perhaps the Golden Bough the Sinner’s were hunting made it? She couldn’t say for sure. But, the thing seemed dead now. Or at least that’s what the thoughts rushing through her head told her. Maybe she could make herself useful. She took a few steps forwards. “ I’ll check out.” She said. However, before she could make it more than a few steps, someone stopped her. “ Huh?”

“ Hang on.” Gregor told her. “ You said those things turn into eggs when killed, yeah?”

“ Uh.” Had she said that? No. Clearing her head somewhat, she knew that’s how that worked. She’d worked for L Corp, with these things, for far longer than any person reasonably should have. Of course they turned to eggs when defeated. Looking back, she saw the apple rocking gently as the light inside it glimmered. She turned around and closed her eyes.

“ I’m so stupid.” She muttered.

“ Huh?”

“ I’m sorry. That abnormality. The light it emits. It’s a draw in.” She told him. “ When someone gets close, it’s going to strike. When I saw it, I felt I needed to get closer. I… I should have known.”

“ Well none of us have a ranged weapon.” Heathcliff grumbled. “ What are we gonna do? Chuck rocks?” Beside her, Dante began ticking. Yuri looked at him blankly. She couldn’t understand what he was saying though the others listened intently. They had a connection Yuri envied somewhat. Despite their circumstances and differences, their journey through her old hell had proved that, when the chips were down, they made a good team. Of course, being able to come back from the dead was always helpful. When the ticking stopped, Ryoshu nodded. She stepped towards the apple. As soon as she got close however, the thing reared up as a rotting mass before trying to crush her. However, the swordswoman just hopped back, effortlessly dodging the strike.

“ Ew.” Rodya cringed. “ Is it rotting?”

“ I… recognise that swarm.” Yuri admitted. “ Infestation Mimic. Abnormality O-06-20-Z. It used to devour people and use their body parts to lure others in.”

“ The abnormality must have collected the Golden Bough and used it’s powers to reform itself into a stronger Abnormality.” Faust theorised. “ In such a manner, Faust will categorise it is an HE abnormality as is demanded by the Limbus Company handbook and refer to it as the Maggoty Apple.”

“ Couldn’t be a bit more imaginative, could you?” Ishmael asked, exasperatedly.

“ Imagination is irrelevant. And Faust is never wrong.”

“ If… you say so.”

“ C-Can we get back to fighting?” Sinclair spoke up. “ It… looks like it’s coming.” The Maggoty Apple lurched forwards. It caught Don Quixote with a powerful maggot-formed fist, sending her flying back into the metal wall of the facility. Dante began ticking rapidly. The other Sinner’s got in proper formation and the battle was off once again. Despite clutching her blade firmly, Yuri didn’t join them in their advance. She’d almost made a complete mess of the operation and gotten in the way. She didn’t want to do that again. So, instead, she made sure the Sinner’s could concentrate and focused her efforts in defending Dante from getting hurt.

Perhaps it was the Qlipoth Deterrent that weakened the Infestation Mimic over time like the Ebony Queen’s Apple. Maybe it was the strength of those with EGO. Maybe it was the power of the Sinners. Maybe it was a bit of all three. However, it wasn’t long until the Maggoty Apple crumpled and began to fade. Yuri smiled. “ Nice work gu-” Her words were caught in her throat. For a moment, she couldn’t understand why. Why she felt so breathless. Why she was beginning to feel colder. Shakily, she looked down. There was a blade sticking out of her chest. Her basic knowledge of anatomy told her her lung was there. There was a sudden force as the blade was pulled back and she felt herself falling. “ W-What?” She muttered.

“ YURI!” Gregor shouted. Slowly, she turned over only to see three figures walking passed her.

“ Hmm.” She heard Hong Lu say. “ That was a little uncalled for, wouldn’t you say, Jia Huan?”

“ Just clearing some of the rabble. You know Mom would be so upset at you for travelling with gutter trash.”

“ But she was nice.” His voice was becoming echoey. She brought a shaking hand over her injury and felt something damp and sticky. Oh god. That was her blood. She took a sharp, shaking breath. No. She didn’t want to die. Not like this. She had so much more she wanted to do. The others promised she could go with them. Explore the city. She wanted to help Charon learn to read a map, even if she was incredibly stubborn. She wanted to hear more of Gregor’s stories or Don Quixote’s excitable ramblings. She wanted to do so much for. Her eyes fell on the ceiling. It wasn’t fair. But, in the end, it was fitting. After all, it never was fair for her to escape this place. Maybe it was for the best her body was left in the depths of Lobotomy Corporation with the rest of her former friends. Maybe it was wrong to let herself dream.

***********************************

She didn’t expect to awake but, when she did, it involved a lot of shaking and a girl with golden hair with her face incredibly close to hers. Yuri’s eye opened at a squint but it was enough for Don Quixote to gasp, shoot up and begin shouting. “HARK! THE MAIDEN DOTH AWAKEN!” Yuri just groaned in response.

“ She is?” She heard someone, Gregor her addled mind told her, asked. His voice was part ways between excited and ecstatic. “ I can’t believe it actually worked.”

“ Of course it worked.” Faust told him. “ The manager's abilities are not just limited to the resurrection of 12 individuals. He is far beyond such meagre integers.”

“ In English?” Ishmael asked her.

“ I think Fau is just saying how she knew it would work despite all her complaints earlier.” Rodya said snarkily.

“ I never said it wouldn’t work. I was only saying that, via Limbus Company guidelines-”

“ Red Tape. Tis the greatest of foes to ones who seek truth and justice.” Don huffed.

“ Stop shouting. Give her some space.” That was a voice she didn’t recognise. As she opened her eyes, she saw all of the Sinners gathered around her, each of them somewhere between curious if she actually was still alive and relieved to see her alright. Slowly, Yuri sat up. It looked like she was at the back of Charon’s bus. That explained the rumbling. Standing over her was the familiar clock face of Dante. “ Are you alright?” She looked around. The voice was strange. It was like it was speaking in her head. Dante tipped his head.

“ Dan…te?”

“ That’s right.” He nodded. “ Sorry about all of this. It was really the only way. But you did want to come anyway, thinking about it.”

“ What are you talking about?” She lifted a hand to scratch at the bandage on her face when she noticed the large coat that was on her. “ H-Huh?”

“ Until we get to our destination and you get a proper uniform, wear that.” From the front of the bus, Vergilius called. “ I expect you to put in more work than you were hired for in District 4, Yuri.”

“ Um. What’s… happening?”

“ In order to save your life, Dante performed a procedure against conventional protocol that tied your life to his own.” Faust told her. “ As such, you are now forcibly conscripted to this vector of the Limbus Company as Subject number 14.”

“ Faust means you're a Sinner like us now.” Ishmael translated.

“ I’m… what?” Yuri blinked. “ Like… you all?”

“ Sorry. I couldn’t exactly ask. But you helped us a great deal. I don’t know why but I couldn’t stand just letting you die.” Dante told her. “ So, unfortunately, you’re stuck with us.” It took a few moments for it to sink in. She’d died. But now she was alive again. No, it’s more like she was part way between life and death. She should be dead just like the rest of the Sinners but Dante had saved her. Refused the power of death itself just to save the life of a lowly grade 8 Fixer. It all hit her at once. When it did, it overwhelmed her. Tears began to fall from the one good eye she had left. The others looked somewhat surprised as she hung her head. But then she looked back up, a bright smile on her face.

“ Thank you. I hope I prove myself worthy of your kindness someday.”

Chapter Text

Lobotomy Corporation was destroyed in a three day light show. During that time, the abnormalities in D Corp’s facility started going crazy, the Qlipoth deterrent went wild and the facility started to collapse. Everything was thrown into panic. Yuri had been a senior member of staff, holding the position of the Captain of the Information team. Everyone started screaming at her, asking her what was going on and what they needed to do, when she had just as much an idea as they did. Even the head of Information, Brigid, had no idea. Director Ayin hadn’t even suggested the protocols that were blaring over the tannoy system even existed in the rulebook he set out, let alone what to do in case it happened. It was too much.

Yuri stepped out of the control room to breath, covering her ears to block out the sound. She slowly counted to five, letting everything fade. “Ok. Ok.” She panted. “ This is fine. We’re fine.” The building shuddered.

“ Yuri?” She looked up. Looking down at her with a concerned expression was her friend and colleague.

“ Alex. Yes. I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.” She nodded slowly. “ Sorry. I… don’t know what’s happening. But with everyone screaming into their comm system all at once. I couldn’t take the pressure.”

“ Hey. No worries.” Alex told her with a smile. “ Still, this is alarming. Is something happening in the main branch to cause this?”

“ I don’t know. Brigid is trying to get in contact with them but she’s worried the widespread malfunction hit external communications too.”

“ I see.”

“ Why are you so far up the facility by the way, Alex? Aren’t you usually in Welfare?”

“ Thunderbird escaped and headed over this way. Hey, can you help. You’re good with locating Abnormalities' weak points, right?”

“ People say I am.” She shrugged.

“ You really need to work on selling yourself. Come on. We need all hands on deck to restore order.”

“ But I really should help around here.”

“ Brigid and her team are more than capable. I need your sword arm. Come on.” Yuri sighed and nodded, knowing it was better not to argue against Alex in these situations. She folded and followed her.

They found it in Control. Thunderbird was designated as O-02-101-HE, an alternate form of the abnormality Firebird that was kept in the main branch. Yuri had read the Firebird’s files. While that was mostly passive, Thunderbird was a lot more viscous and was, in essence, a natural disaster in avian form. When they got there, the room was scorched. The Control team was holding out against it. “ Loki.” Alex shouted. The Captain of Control leapt backwards to avoid a rain of lightning bolts before levelling a crossbow at the bird.

“ Alex. Yuri. Seems everything is going to hell in a handbasket, hmm?” Loki joked.

“ How can you still joke in this situation?”

“ Good practice.” Loki sidestepped to avoid another strike. “ A little help.”

“ Sure. Yuri.”

“ Thunderbird’s weakness is its wings. If we can cripple them, it should be completely immobile. Watch for strikes from unpredictable angles.” She drew her sword, watching the electricity crackling across the blade. Alex prepared her hammer, the giant mass of stone creating a hefty thud as it struck the ground. Alex’s EGO came from a TETH abnormality known as the Doomsday Calendar, a generally passive abnormality that demanded sacrifices once a week. Usually, they just tossed a minion of another abnormality into it and kept a good supply of the Calender’s own stone soldiers but, at least once a year from Yuri’s experience, they had to do a lottery to have to sacrifice one of her own. The thing's gear packed a wallop when used in the right way and seemed to grow stronger when it took in blood, something that was hardly a rarity in L Corp.

“ Business as usual. Let’s rock.” Alex leapt in the air, slamming it into the Thunderbird’s beak. The bird cried in agony before flapping it’s wings, sending a cascade of lightning bolts at them. Yuri stepped in, blocking them with her blade before discharging it into the ground. Yuri’s EGO Stormcloud came from the Thunderbird. As such, her blade, which she dubbed Tailfeather of the Storm, was perfect for drawing in and soaking up the bird’s attacks when it got loose.

“ Not bad, ladies.” Loki chuckled. He fired a spiralling bolt into the wing of the birds, which exploded into binding thorns, wrapping the wing up and dropping it to the floor. Loki’s EGO was based on a tricky abnormality known as Stuck in Heaven, an aberration of an abnormality that had to be strictly contained in the main facility for a reason no-one really knew. Stuck in Heaven itself was annoying since it necessitated constant watching lest it go ballistic, doing a lot of damage despite it’s relatively low danger grading of HE. His crossbow fired bolts of thorns that bound its target. “ Just needed the opening. You got, Al?”

“ Count on me.” Alex grinned, grinding the hammer across the ground. She brought it up to cave the bird's skull in but, as she did, a large quake ravaged the facility. Alex stumbled. Seizing the chance, the Thunderbird broke free of the thorns and released a powerful shockwave.

“ ALEX!” Yuri ran in and knocked her friend down. A searing pain struck her as everything went completely dark. As she struggled to her feet, she raised a shaking hand to her face. She was bleeding from her right eye. Her head was killing her. She covered it with one hand. In one flash of light, everything had gone to hell. The ceiling had caved in. Whether or not it was from the bird or the shaking, Yuri couldn’t tell. But she did see the light filtering down from above.

The building shook again. She looked around in a panic. Alex? Where was Alex? She saw her in a pile of dust. She ran up to her just as she sat up. “ What… happened?” She groaned. “ Yuri? Oh god. Your eye! What happened to it?”

“ I… I dunno. I think… Thunderbird shot something through it? ‘M fine.”

“ Like hell you are. You’re slurring your words and shaking like a leaf.” Alex stood up. “ Loki! We need to…” Alex screamed as she turned her head. It took Yuri a second to notice what she was panicking about. The ceiling had caved in. It had hit where the Thunderbird had been. She could see a feint, violet glow under the rubble. But then she looked to where Loki had been standing. She doubted he even felt anything. All that was left was a red smear on the floor and walls. “ No. No no no no.”

“ We gotta… get out.” Yuri told Alex. “ Place is… comin down.”

“ R-Right. Right. You’re… Of course. You’re right.” Alex nodded. She put an arm over Yuri’s shoulder to help her friend and the two started climbing the rubble. Yuri felt guilty leaving everyone else behind. She feel a faint rumbling beneath her. She just hoped others were able to make it out. She wondered why this was all happening?

Suddenly, the building shook again. She felt the rubble beneath her shake. Before she could react, she felt hands on her arms. Before she knew it, she was on the floor again and there was a wall of rubble in front of her. And, most importantly, she was all alone. “ ALEX?!” She screamed.

“ Yuri. Are you OK?” Alex’s muffled voice sounded behind the rubble.

“ Y-Yeah. But… why?”

“ You’re too good for this place, Yuri.” Alex laughed. “ If anyone should escape, it’s you.”

“ Alex. No. I… I can get you out.” Frantically, Yuri began pulling at the rubble, trying to dig her friend out.

“ Don’t worry. Leave me behind, Yuri. Please leave me and save yourself. Live for all of us. Please?”

“ Alex.” Yuri placed her hands on the wall. She felt like she could cry but, for some reason, tears didn’t come. Maybe it’s because her tears had been stolen from her by the Thunderbird or maybe she was too overwhelmed. She knew she should be crying right now but she couldn’t. Had L Corp damaged her that much? She slammed a fist into the wall. “ I’m… I’m so sorry.” She said. “ I’ll remember you all.” She limped off into the remains of the rest of the facility.

When she came outside, she had to cover her eyes with a shaky arm. There was a pillar of light shining in the distance. The whole city seemed to be blanketed in light. “ Heeeeey! Are you alright?” Yuri looked up. Running towards her were two people. One with white hair carrying some kind of gun and another wearing glasses with a crossbow at his side.

“ I… don’t…” She felt her legs fall from under her. Luckily, the female Fixer grabbed her.

“ Woah. She’s burning up, Hop. We gotta get her help quick.”

“ Firstly, what happened here?” The man, Hop, asked her.

“ L Corp… collapsed. Everyone… trapped.” Hop hummed at her words.

“ Aya. Take her to get bandaged up. If she’s from L Corp, she may yet be useful.”

“ Always gotta talk in a business sense, huh Hop.” Aya sighed. “ Ah well. I’ll carry you. What’s your name, red?”

“ Yu…ri…” Aya smiled.

“ Nice to meetcha, Yuri. I’m Aya. The grouchy nerd is Hopkins. We’re the Spark Office, so you can thank us later.” Yuri’s answer was a weak grumble before everything overcame her and her consciousness caved, just like her old work place of L Corp.

**************************

“ Hey, Yuri.” Rodya asked the girl on their way out of District 4. “ I was meaning to ask before we went into the L Corp branch, but what workshop is your sword from.” Yuri drew her blade, staring into the red metal.

“ It’s not from a Workshop. When I joined the Spark Office, Hopkins wanted me to get a new sword from Mors Industry. They got some cheap stuff from there and it’s actually where my coat came from, actually. But this is the last thing I have left from Lobotomy Corporation.”

“ Like… an EGO?” Sinclair asked. Yuri nodded.

“ It was the EGO of an abnormality known as Thunderbird. I had its suit on and this sword the day I escaped from the facility. But, overtime, the quality of it decayed. The suit was basically worthless after a few months and the sword lost it’s power, dulling from a vivid violet to what you see now. It was still good enough for the work I was doing so I kept the sword. It was probably smarter to get one from Mors but I just… couldn’t let it go.”

“ It lost power?” Rodya raised an eyebrow. “ Hmm. Now you mention it, it’s completely different then the EGO we got before this. What was the abnormality it’s based on?”

“ Scorched Girl. F-01-04-02. It was some of the only data we could salvage from the facility we found in Y Corp’s nest.” Faust explained. “ Though now we’ve fought a few more, I’m sure the lesser minds back at HQ will be able to provide us with some more.”

“ Yeah, but by the looks of it, they never had to worry about turning into a burning corpse.” Dante ticked. “ What’s up with that?”

“ The old method that Limbus’ EGO manufacturing is based off used only 5% of the Abnormalities power so that the employees would not suffer from EGO Corrosion. The Library, from the survivors' interviews, were able to harness 100% of the abnormalities power without the risk somehow. We are currently able to use up to 50% with relative stability. Anything more and EGO corrosion immediately sets in.”

“ Oh, so we only have a chance to get taken over. That’s comforting.” Ishmael sighed.

“ Speaking of EGO, those ones you all used? Were they… also from Limbus Company?” Yuri asked.

“ Nope. They’re our own. Though a device from Limbus Company forcibly awakened it in me.” Gregor said.

“ It was the same for a lot of us.” Rodya nodded. “ Though I think some of us already had them? Ishmael, Ryoshu and… Yi Sang, yeah?”

“ I did not. I just made that device.” Yi Sang said simply.

“ Wait? What?!” Rodya sat up. “ How?”

“ It would take too long to explain.” He shrugged.

“ You’ll get to experience the device’s effect first hand, Ms Yuri.” Vergilius spoke up. “Once we reach our destination.” Yuri shuddered. If it meant she’d become stronger and more useful to the team, so be it. But something from his tone didn’t make it seem like this would be a nice experience. Yuri swallowed and stared out of the window. They were entering J Corp’s backstreets now. District 10. They hadn’t gone too far from what she knew but, somehow, it felt like she was entering a new world. This was her third life now. Lobotomy Corporation. Spark Office Fixer. Now Limbus Company Sinner. She just hoped this one ended in a much kinder way. Perhaps that was too naïve to expect from a city as harsh as this.

Chapter Text

Yuri and the other Sinners arrived at the meeting place of other members of Limbus Company in J Corp, a pawnbrokers run by a ragged looking old man. There, they’d met Effie and Saude. Effie just tossed a suitcase at her and told her to get changed in the back, which she complied with. She was surprised just how well her new uniform fit. She knew the others had somewhat customised versions of the uniform, though she had to assume that was less because they’d asked for it and more they just abandoned pieces of clothing they didn’t need somewhere on their journey.

She decided before even putting them on the shoes weren’t for her. She’d never needed to tie laces before so she never learned. Her shoes as a child were all Velcro, her works shoes at Lobotomy Corporation were slip-on and she’d gotten so used to them that the boots she’d gotten were a similar type when she had to change her EGO for the Spark Office uniform. She set them to one side. Her current ones were close enough to the design so she’d just use them. The rest of the uniform, the shirt, the tie, the jacket and trousers, were like seeing an old friend again for how familiar they felt. Just like her L Corp days back when she was a new recruit. The waistcoat was the only thing that was new, but it wasn’t uncomfortable at least. The last thing she did was tie Aya’s mask to her belt. It’d saved her once just like it’s owner had in the past. It may save her again someday. So, just in case, she’d make sure it was there.

The last thing in the case was a small device. It was round and black with a button in the middle and what seemed like speakers all around the sides. She flipped it over but there was nothing on the back. Yuri rolled the small device around the palm of her hand with a thumb. This was the device that the others had mentioned back on the bus. The one Yi Sang made that gave a person EGO. She didn’t know the process behind the EGO extraction back at her old workplace but she had to assume that extracting the essence of a creature and then infusing the power into clothing wasn’t exactly a pleasant experience. The way they spoke about it, this device worked in a similar way. An EGO extractor. She swallowed. The others had gone through this too but she never thought to ask how it was. She was regretting that now. She took a deep breath. “ Don’t hesitate now, Yuri. There’s no time for that.” She whispered to herself. She steeled her nerves and pressed the button. She felt a shock. There was a sharp ringing. She doubled over as her head felt like it was about to split open.

“ Hmm. I have to admit. It was a surprise seeing someone like you being the one to call me next. That device in your hands is quite the wonder.” A voice echoed around her.

“ What?” She gasped. “ Am I… losing it?” The voice laughed. It wasn’t mocking though. In fact, it was a beautiful sound.

“ I have to ask you. You’ve suffered so hard for so long. No-one would blame you if you wanted to rest.” Yuri looked at her feet. She couldn’t say that the voice didn’t have a point. She was right. It had been a long time since Yuri could simply sit back and not have to worry about anything.

“ You may be right.” She nodded. “ But even still, I can’t just give up and resign myself to a pathetic life in the background. Maybe it would be peaceful. Maybe giving up would save me all the suffering two lives have given me. But I don’t want that. I think I can belong here with the others. They’ve shown me nothing but warmth and kindness. I want to help them as best as I can.”

“ Ha. I suppose I won’t argue against that dream. After all, you did look after my children so well.”

“ Your… children?” Yuri gasped. “ The abnormalities.”

“ In a sense. However, I believe that every being from Lobotomy Corporation was a child of mine. As one of the founders of it, I believe it is my right to do so.” The voice said whimsically. “ Well, either way, it seems you are far too set in your ways. I’m not going to try and change your mind. I think I could but It’s the responsibility of the mother to respect their children’s decisions. We both know the path you walk. It won’t get any easier. In fact, it may be the hardest one you’ve walked.”

“ I know.” Yuri acknowledged. “ I saw from the outside. The others died time and again only to get back up at Dante’s calling. And that’s the curse I bear now too. But I can handle it.” She smiled. “ Because, if I can help stop another tragedy like the one that I had to face at the end of my first life, it’ll be worth it.”

“ Yuri. You’re light shines so brightly.” The voice sounded as though she was smiling. “ Never lose that glow.” She felt the presence fade. As she did, the pain in her head returned. The pain was familiar, like a buzz of electric searing behind her missing eye. It was harsh and painful but she held onto it tightly because it was hers. Her vision went white. When she came to, the room she was in had burns streaking through it. The pain had faded. It was still there but it wasn’t as bad. She shook her head, packed her old clothes and the device into the suitcase provided, picked it up and went back into the main room to meet up with the others.

“ Hey Yuri.” Rodya grinned. “ That suits you.”

“ Thanks Rodya.” Yuri gave a weak smile.

“ You alright?” Gregor asked. “ The lights flickered a couple of minutes ago and there were some pretty loud bangs coming from the room you were in. Guess that means it worked?”

“ I… think so. My head is killing me.”

“ Don’t worry. That happened to me too.” Rodya nodded. “ It should fade after a few hours.”

“ I hope so. I feel sick.” Yuri looked around the main room. Effie’s eye was twitching and Saude was holding her head in her hands. There were three men on the floor. Yuri couldn’t tell if they were dead or unconscious. Don was standing over them, spear triumphantly raised.

“ VICTORY FOR JUSTICE!!!” She screamed. Dante just sighed.

“ From now on, no-one say something is unjust while Don Quixote is within earshot.” He said, an edge of annoyance in his tone. “ Hmm? Oh. Hey Yuri. Everything alright?”

“ I’ll be fine, Manager Dante.” Yuri said, forcing a smile through the pain.

“ Good to hear. We should probably get moving. I don’t know how long it’ll take before more reinforcements come.” He looked to Faust, expecting her to relay the measure. “ Either way, I guess it’s official now. Welcome to our little gang of crazed psychopaths, Yuri. Sorry if you come to hate us.”

“ Don’t worry, Manager.” Yuri placed a hand over her heart. “ I’ll do my best for you all.”

Chapter Text

There were days where she had felt lost. Like she didn’t have a purpose in life. Every position she’d taken had ended in her office dying in some horrible tragedy. Her parents had died sometime when she was away from her home district, dying as their roof had fallen in on them just as she’d gotten the money she promised to help renovate. In the end, people shunned her. Called her a curse. It wasn’t her fault. How could it be her fault? But it didn’t stop others from calling her that. She was lost and alone in a world that hated her. Some days she wanted to curl up and die.

That was when she met her for the first time. She was working on a mission in the area and they were marching in a glorious crusade, twenty men strong. She stopped briefly for a resupply and their eyes met. The woman came over to her and seemed to be able to know Yuri’s life story. “ You seem down.” The woman told her. “ Would you like to join us?”

“ I’m known as a curse.” Yuri told her. “ I don’t think you want someone like me.”

“ Cursed? You?” The woman laughed softly. “ Of course not. Look at you. Missing an eye but embracing the wound instead of replacing it with such filth as a prosthetic. How could anyone so pure be anything less than perfect?” Yuri felt herself blush at the compliment. While she could have gotten a replacement and her fellows had asked her too to make their life easier, she didn’t really want to. Sure, she could have gotten a fake eye from Mors with what she earned, but the idea of getting a cold piece of metal wired into her brain just felt wrong in a way she could never place. Not til she met her. “ We hunt the true curses of this world. Those heretics who shun the flesh. We’re in the middle of a holy journey to cleanse the true curses of this City from the face of the earth. Those who cause those horrific Distortions. You don’t have to partake in the festivities if you don’t want to. But I think you’d learn something if you watch. Well?” Yuri froze. She had to admit. The offer was enticing, like a golden apple after a week without food. Something about the woman made Yuri want to trust her. It was like her eyes looked right through.

“ I-I…”

“ My Lady Faust. We’re prepared.” The woman, Faust, looked over her shoulders. A man was standing there in full armour, his face covered by an iron mask.

“ Thank you, Meursault. Alright. Let’s not delay.” Faust nodded. She smiled at Yuri and began to leave.

“ W-Wait.” Yuri sputtered. “ I… Can I?” Faust stopped. She laughed softly.

“ Anyone as pure as you always is.”

It felt awkward not to be the only person not dressed in the armour of the Hammer und Nagel but Faust, or as the others knew her as, the One Who Grips, made sure she was well looked after, entrusting her to one of the officers who was happy to explain to Yuri about the order. How they were founded by N Corp in order to bring righteous retribution on the pathetic vagrants that dared to call themselves alive. How Faust, the One Who Grips, hand picked a lot of them and how words resonated with them all. They were to save this city from the corruption that inhabited it.

The place they arrived at was a small settlement in the District 7 backstreets. The people living in the area all seemed to have some robotic augmentation or another. Some replaced arms, other legs and rarely, some replaced their heads. There wasn’t a warning before the Hammer and Nagel moved in. They way they moved was so methodical that Yuri couldn’t help but be impressed. They cut through their targets effortlessly. From her own experience, the people there were likely low grade Fixers or syndicate members. Perhaps rats that sold part of their bodies for debt money here and there. They weren’t a threat. Despite this, no quarter was spared. It was a horrible, barbaric spectacle. And yet, despite that small voice that wanted her to, she couldn’t stop watching. 

In the middle of the spectacle stood the One Who Grips. She was relentless as she brought down those who tried to fight back. The way she moved was playful in a way. The rapier she held was enough to deal with any threat, sadistically picking at weak pieces of metal where she could and tearing through them. It was captivating the way she moved with such pride and confidence in each motion. Yuri could only wished she could move the same way.

Her thoughts were cut off by a figure sprinting a way to the carnage. They caught sight of her and ran at her. “ You. You’re a fixer, right?” The man spoke. Yuri took a moment to look him up from down. His tired eyes shone in desperation but both of his arms were completely metallic. It was a shoddy job. She could see frayed wires from where she was standing. One of them shot out in a panic, grabbing her by the arm. “ Please. You have to help me. I-I’ll pay anything. Just get me away from here.” Yuri wasn’t listening to his words however. Her eyes fell on the man’s hand, gripping at her shirt. A wave of disgust hit her.

“ Get off me.” She answered briskly, swiping his hand off her and pushing him back. There was a splatter of black oil left on her clothes. She scowled. Of course. She could see it now. What Faust had been saying about the true curse of the city. In a world where no-one had accepted her, Faust had called her perfect. And now, as she saw the black stain on her clothes and saw the pathetic specimen shivering on the ground in front of her, she got it. If cybernetics didn’t exist, then perhaps the city would be a saner place. Perhaps she wouldn’t have to struggle for work. Perhaps she wouldn’t have to be abandoned by people who thought nothing of letting themselves lose a limb or an eye like she had because there was a back-up. Her eye twitched as she went for her sword. From the crowd, she caught Faust’s eye. Yuri smirked, spinning her sword in hand. “ If you wanted to live, maybe you should have cared for your body more.” She raised her hand and swung.

***********************************

“ Justicar?” Yuri’s eyes fluttered open. Standing before her, she saw Rodya looking at her curiously. “ Looks like you were having a deep dream?”

“ A memory. A one from one year past when I first met her grace and learned the truth.” A faint smile grew across her lips. “ It was a good dream.”

“ I imagine. Well, are you ready? The One Who Grip’s is off to K corp. It’s up to us to keep up the good work in the meantime.” Yuri nodded before rising from the chair she was sleeping in. She threw on her cloak and grabbed the spear at her side.

“ You’re right about that.” Yuri nodded. “ As much as I wish they’d learn, those damn Heretics won’t purge themselves. It’s up to us to deal with such filthy curses.”

Chapter Text

Yuri grabbed the bandages over her eye in pain. She could feel squirming of maggoty tendrils wriggling wildly behind it. It was entirely unpleasant. Even still, she knew why she had this. The procedure was painful. She knew it turned her into something that was beyond human. But it had to be done. This was the only way to win this war. She wasn’t the only one who struggled like this from time to time. She’d seen her own comrades transform into actual, human sized insects that acted like mindless beings. She’d killed a few though the usual procedure was just to drive them into enemy territory and let them sort it out. It scared her that she may end up like them.

The situation was hellish but that was war. This war was the only one she’d ever known. The biggest uprising in almost two hundred years. There were a lot of people fighting. G Corp. L Corp. O Corp. Fixers hired by a hundred third parties for just that little bit of glory. She’d even seen masked people in the haze from the Udjat, a pretty well renowned syndicate. Yuri had to wonder what made it so everyone was gathering in this one space. It felt like the beginning of something major. Something that would alter the city forever.

Still, she knew everything would turn out OK. After all, he was with them. Corporal Gregor Samsa, the Hero of G Corp. So long as someone so incredible was on their side, she knew they had nothing to fear. They just had to wait for that hero to come and save them. Until then, they- She had to fight. Fight, hold out and never give in to the horrors here. Because he would come.

Manager Outis often said how Gregor wasn’t the person Yuri thought he was when she overheard her talking about him. She called him a useless coward who was only good for posing in posters. That, in the end, he didn’t care about that. He was a propaganda machine. If he was really involved in the horrors of war, he’d either become a killing machine that cut down anything and everything that entered his sights like the monster they had all been designed as or he’d buckle under the pressure and run. Outis had told her to stop getting her hopes up. He was never coming.

But Yuri couldn’t believe that. Corporal Gregor was a hero. Corporal Gregor was out there. Corporal Gregor would come. He would. He had too. Yuri held on to that belief. It was her life line. The one thing keeping her sane. Because she knew if she let go, she’d lose everything. She’d lose herself. And she couldn’t let that happen. So she just kept holding on. Corporal Gregor had to come. He had to so he would.

Wouldn’t he?

Chapter Text

Visiting a Casino was something that was definitely on Yuri’s list of things never to do with a migraine. But that’s where she and the other Sinners had ended up. It was J Corp, after all. She’d heard all kinds of rumours from people during her time in D Corp’s backstreets. The nest of gambling. Even in the backstreets, wagers were often used in place of agreements. People put up things precious to them, from some furniture to their home to their own life, for these gambles. Win and win big. Lose however… well, there was a saying in J Corp that the house always won. Seeing the piles of broken down cars with messages written to loved ones on them really gave that saying a new meaning. That was when she made the silent vow to never gambling ever.

The thing that caught her attention the most when she was inside the casino, in the middle of them having to fight through them and the security once their plan of disguising went south almost immediately, was the three syndicates that made up it’s main residence. The first was the Tingtang Gang they took on outside and stole their tacky shirts. Yuri had just put the shirt on over her uniform and shrugged it off happily when they were found out. Her new Limbus jacket was far more comfy. Still, the Tingtang clan was said to control their turf with a bloody fist, not letting anyone step out of line inside of it. Yuri assumed you could wear whatever you wanted so long as you were strong enough.

The next group they ran into were the Jefe de los Mariachis. They looked even more comical than the Tingtang gang had, dressed in ponchos and sombreros, fought with maracas and forcing those who seemed sad at losing at their tables to dress the part and dance the sadness out of their system. If it weren’t for the fact they’d taken out two thirds of the Sinners, including her, she’d have assumed they were the casino entertainers. Now she knew they were just as crazy as the rest of them. Luckily, Sinclair was apparently a good enough dancer to befriend them though Sinclair looked like it was the last thing he wanted to do. She’d have taken his place but she had never actually danced before unless dancing around rats during combat counted.

Finally, there was the Tieqiu, a group of massive men covered head to toe in tattoos and who even managed to out smack talk Heathcliff. They were pretty brutish and strong but slow and they certainly taught her some new words. So did Ryoshu however when she was able to show them up and give them something to write down. Yuri had to wonder where Limbus found some of her new colleagues but she didn’t really mind it all too much. In fact, the variety between the syndicates brought some questions to mind.

“ They’re all so different. Are you sure they all come from District 10?” Yuri asked.

“ Yes. They all work together as rivals to run the casino.” Saude told her. “ Though that; may be because, according to our intel, this place is run by the Thumb.”

“ Ring actually.” Ryoshu told her.

“ Huh?”

“ They’re Ring members. What? Weren’t you paying attention?” Ryoshu smirked. “HUCUB.”

“ Do I… want to know what that means?” Yuri asked.

“ How useless can you be.” Faust told her.

“ So no.” Dante said with a sigh. “ You probably didn’t.”

“ They’re all artists. You could see it in the way they presented themselves. The Tingtang Clan are sculptors. They were the ones who set up the car piles outside. The Mariachis, obviously, are musicians and performers. Finally, the Tieqiu are tattoo artists and they display that fact proudly. How’d you think they were Thumb?” Saude looked surprised by the new information

“ I… our intel said…” She began to weakly argue. Ryoshu just chuckled.

“ Well, it seems that you need better intel.”

“ Either way, you’re right in one aspect. Each syndicate carries themselves very differently.” Rodya told her. “ Even if you’re tied to one of the fingers, how each one goes about their own business tends to be entirely unique.”

“ The Kurokumo of the Thumb and the Blade Lineage of the Pinky are two good examples of that.” Ryoshu nodded. “ Both use the same instruments but their codes and styles are all unique.”

“ Hmm. So two Syndicates could use the same equipment and belong to the same Finger but one could be underhanded and one could be honourable?” Yuri asked.

“ Yep.” Rodya nodded. “ It’s pretty much like that.”

“ Huh. In that respect, I guess it’s similar to abnormalities back in L Corp. At least fundamentally, of course. Two could look similar but require different treatment.”

“ Similar to anything in life, ain’t it?” Heathcliff shrugs. “ Even twin brothers can be different blokes.”

“ Speaking of which, we haven’t seen the last Syndicate involved in tonight's game. I wonder where they are.” Effie hummed.

“ Who are they?” Heathcliff asked.

“ The Yurodivy. They’re-”

“ From District 25.” Rodya cut in. “ They’re a group that lives on the belief that all people should be treated equally and get the same amount of things. The rich should share their wealth and resources with the poor. That kind of thing.”

“ Is that… even possible?” Yuri asked. “ I mean, from my experiences, everyone just seems to look out for themselves. It's rare for Fixers to even care about the people in their own office. Even if that weren’t the case, it’s not like the Wings and the Nests are suddenly going to start showering the backstreets with money and resources.”

“ Aye. It’s a pipe dream.” Heathcliff agreed. “ Ya have to be strong enough to even get something so stupid off the ground floor and I ain’t ever heard of these whatever divs before.”

“ Yeah. You’re probably right.” Rodya nodded. “ But Sonya believes seems to believe it.” Yuri and Heathcliff shared a confused look.

“ Who the hell is-”

“ We’re here.” Effie interrupted. “ Rodion. Are you ready?”

“ Yeah. Don’t worry about me.” She nodded before heading for the room at the Casino’s top. Yuri watched, concerned. How did she know so much about this Yurodivy in the first place? Perhaps it was best not to ask. Or, if what happened in the next facility was anything like what happened to Gregor, maybe she’d find out soon. Either way, all Yuri could do was trust Rodya. It was up to her now.

Chapter Text

I guess it’s because of my experiences with them, but Ms Faust told me to write notes on the Abnormalities we’ve come across so far. If that’s what they want my role to be in the company, then I guess I can’t complain. I know a lot about the D Corp abnormalities. The three we came across were those I worked with in the past. I was surprised just to see them. It seems most abnormalities vanished when the facilities came down. Some vanished into the ruins. Some into the Library. Others were captured by other parts of the Limbus Company and bound to a place called a Mirror Dungeon, I think Ms Faust called it? I think that’s what happened to the three that the others defeated too. That might mean we may have to fight them again someday. I don’t want to think about it. I should probably keep my private log separate from main thing. The others leave some of their observation logs open and I’ve seen the comments. I’d rather they not read my private thoughts. I guess that makes this log kinda like a journal? Um. I need to get to work. Signing off.

************************

Abnormality F-04-42-W2. Name: Ebony Queen’s Apple. Oh wait. Abnormality F-04-03-04 in Limbus’ code. The Ebony Queen’s Apple is an Aberration of Snow White’s Apple, abnormality Lobotomy Code of F-04-42-W1. Both Ebony Queen and Snow White originate from the tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, a tale that is said to have originated from before the city. Where Snow White is based of the titular heroine, Ebony Queen is based off the villain and both come from the Queen’s poisoned apples. Oh uh. An Aberration is an abnormality that is an offshoot of another, already existing abnormality. They tend to be weaker but that isn’t really a rule as it is an observation. They’re all just as dangerous as any other.

The Ebony Queen and Snow White both have control over roots, spreading them out to gain control over a vector of space. While the reports we received while I was an agent of L Corp suggested that Snow White spread these vines to choke the life out of it, assuming complete control of the area until it was suppressed. The Ebony Queen is much the same except it’s far more direct in it’s take over. While it still chose an area to take over and covered it in it’s vines, it used those vines as a weapon, able to strike out from wherever they grew like sharp spears, leaving those who got caught by surprise impaled. While not as numerous as our notes on Snow White suggested, they were more deadly. Those without the correct armour to combat it could find themselves like… like Aya… S-Sorry. I need to collect myself. Signing off.

************************

Abnormality M-04-04-05. Name: Doomsday Calendar. Lobotomy Code: T-03-65-T. This was a relatively frustrating abnormality to deal with. Despite it’s low rank, it was pretty loathed in the facility because, about once every 8 hours or so, it would demand a sacrifice. If we didn’t give it what it wanted, it would start heating the air of the facility up gradually and summoning those stone masked things. They weren’t hard to deal with but they were annoying and just made a bad situation worse. At first, we drew lots but Loki, the head of Disciplinary when the facility collapsed, just tossed out of the remains of the stone masked things into the containment cell. He was just as surprised as everyone else when it actually worked.

During combat with everyone else, the demands for sacrifice were a lot faster. So was the production of it’s minions. I have a feeling it must have been starved without the steady supply of sacrifices from… Everyone. Like… Harriet and… Miles and… Alex. Oh Alex… Oh Um. A-Anyway, it didn’t seem weakened in a-anyway from the time it had been trapped b-but it was definitely eager. It’s possible it might just like the… feeling of blood.  I-I’m sorry. I’m trying. I just… need another moment. Signing off.

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Abnormality O-02-04-06. Name: Golden Apple. Lobotomy Code: O-06-20-Z. We knew it as the Infestation Mimic, an Aberration of a far stronger Abnormality known as Nothing There. The Infestation Mimic was a rather weak abnormality. It was a large number of grubs, worms and maggots that could force themselves into the shapes of other beings, usually people. Just because it was weak though didn’t mean it was safe.  It was one of the few ZAYIN abnormalities in our facility and reportedly any facility to actually breach containment from time to time. Sometimes, if people let their guard down during work, the Infestation Mimic would actually infest the employee and try and walk them around like some kind of skin suit. It was really easy to spot when it happened but… god, that was disgusting.

Um. Anyway. The Golden Apple is the result of the Infestation Mimic devouring the Golden Bough and turning into something else entirely. The golden sheen of its shell can mesmerise and draw in unsuspecting prey, something I was… unfortunate to have fallen prey to during our first encounter. If Gregor wasn’t fast enough I don’t think I’d be here right now. Um, but that’s neither here nor there. When damaged enough, the shell breaks which reveals the Infestation Mimic. It gets a lot more aggressive in its attacks and is far stronger than the old mimic. It’s truly a different abnormality. I guess the Golden Bough is really just that strong of a thing.  Well, that’s all I can really say about it. If we run into more of these things, I’m sure Ms Faust or Mister Vergilius will have me write about these things. I’ll do my best to help everyone. Sinner Yuri. Signing off.

Chapter Text

We just left the casino district of J Corp. I don’t think I’ll ever gamble after today, especially not there. We dealt with another three abnormalities so I’ll get to work compiling the data we got from them. I feel strange. My headache has subsided now but I feel… I dunno. Better, I guess. The woman who spoke with me said I took care of her children so she was doing me a favour. A gift maybe for all my work at L Corp. Well, better late than never to get a severance package. Just wish it was money and a place in the nest rather than more alien feeling powers. Is this how everyone else feels? Having your own EGO? Well, whatever. I’ll just do what I’ve been told. As long as I’m with everyone. Being with people I can trust again is… really nice. Hee hee. Signing off.

**********************************

Abnormality T-04-10-06. Name: Have You Become Stronger. I don’t have any personal experience with abnormalities from other branches of L Corp. I’ve read up on some of the data of Aberrations in our branch, but I’m not sure about these ones. Limbus’ clean up team got some notes from the branch that hadn’t been pilfered or sold off by the casino staff. Even then, they’re sparse. But I can say that Have You Become Stronger was the machine we kinda broke and not the cyborgs. Apparently, it works by taking people and forcefully modifying their body, removing arms and replacing them with giant, robotic ones for example. A forceful body modification tool.

If I had to guess from my own experience, this wouldn’t breach. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if using it too much left an agent going haywire. It seems like a ZAYIN or maybe a TETH. I doubt it was too much trouble on it’s own. It wouldn’t surprise me if it was found by the casino and forcibly used on the workers they had in the mines so they could burrow deeper or clear out any remaining abnormalities. The two massive robots we found were probably subject to more than a couple experiments. Breaking the machine which Heathcliff managed by arguing about how bad the city was with some… choice words managed to send the robots into a frenzy, so they were still linked to the machine. Either way, this was a good example that people in the city will use anything to try and gain more power. Even abnormalities. Signing off.

**********************************

Abnormality F-04-10-13. Name: Pink Shoes. We fought this one pretty close to Have You Become Stronger. I could tell from the badges they were wearing but this thing wasn’t just controlling the workers like the other one was but it was puppeteering dead agents with the pink ribbons that came from the Pink Shoes. Whatever it was, it could control a good number of them from where it was hiding. It even managed to ensnare one of the cyborgs that Have You Become Stronger created as its main host. The shoes seemed to enhance whoever it controlled but they were in a manic state. Their attacks were clumsy and aimless. Despite it’s control over it’s hosts, it didn’t seem to truly know how to use a human body.

After the robot was taken out, the shoes were left behind. They had some kind of an allure to them. D-Despite the fact I should know better I… couldn’t help myself. I don’t understand why I put them on. I just saw them and the urge took over. Putting them on felt good actually. I felt like I was part of something bigger. I was… stronger. Happier. My entire mind was in a thick pink mist. I didn’t even know what I was doing. But I do remember that bliss. I fought the others to protect the shoes though. I guess it was the spell of the shoes that made me feel the way I did. If anyone's reading this from the bus, sorry. I’ll try not to let it happen again. Signing off.

**********************************

Abnormality F-05-10-18. Name: Baba Yaga. I feel Rodya would be better to explain the circumstances behind our encounter with this one due to how personal the area we found it in seemed. I don’t know what these Golden Boughs are but it seems that they resonate with us on approach, showing our pasts like a movie projected into our minds. Gregor in D Corp and now Rodya has been affected. I can’t help but worry when my turn will be or if I’ll even get one due to how I joined everyone. Oh. Baba Yaga. Sorry. Admittedly, none of us got a good look at Baba Yaga’s true form. All I can say for certain is that it was giant and had the foot of a bird but whether that was the abnormality itself or just something it was using is hard to say. Baba Yaga is a pretty common legend around District 4. I heard it growing up. A witch of the forest that ate children with a hut that moved around in a giant pot with birdlike feet. Maybe that was all we saw.

The people who were after us seemed corroded by the abnormality. The corpses of old agents and workers in the mine. I think some of them were also some of Rodya’s neighbours from the flashes of her memory we all saw with Sonya. They seemed similar to Baba Yaga but I’m not sure if they were under its control or if it was just a by-product of the abnormality being right next to the Golden Bough, like how the Infestation Mimic turned into a stronger abnormality due to its influence. It’s unfortunate, but we really don’t know anything about Baba Yaga. I can’t even say if it’s usually that size or not for certain due to us having a giant beanstalk as an abnormality back when I worked there, so it totally could have fit inside a containment unit. Perhaps some of the other parts of Limbus Company could run some tests, assuming they even managed to suppress that monster to begin with. I suppose I’ll leave it up to one of them to make a better analysis for it. Signing off.

Chapter Text

Yuri let out a sigh. She was getting weaker. She didn’t realise just how much she had relied on her EGO back at L Corp but, now that it had fallen into a state of disrepair, she understood just how weak she really was. Her EGO suit had completely fallen apart a week ago. She was grateful that Hopkins seemed to have prepared for the outcome and supplied her with a new uniform pretty quickly. It was different to the things he and Aya wore though. Her suit was red while theirs was blue. She couldn’t help but take it as a message.

“ That was a big sigh.” Aya hummed. Yuri jumped slightly.

“ A-Aya. Sorry. I didn’t see you there.”

“ No issue. So then Urayuli, what’s on your mind?” Aya took a seat next to her, lying her body across the table.

“ I-it’s nothing. Don’t worry.”

“ C’mon. You can tell me.”

“ W-Well. It’s just… Am I really part of the office?”

“ Yes.” Aya nodded.

“ Really?”

“ Come on. You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t. Hoppy even got you your own uniform. Long time coming too.”

“ Yeah but… Well, it’s just the three of us but mine looks so different to the two of yours. And, with my EGO basically useless now, I’m worried he thinks I’m not useful anymore. EGO was all I had.”

“ Not true.” Aya told her. “ You’re amazing with that sword of yours. Just because it used to be super strong doesn’t excuse the fact you use it really skillfully. Heck, with my rifle, all I do is aim and shoot. Just have to wait for the battery to recharge between shots. It’s not like Hopkins’ crossbow where he has to manage his bolt or the wind direction to make sure he can hit things. You take even more risks but you don’t show any fear. You’re also really smart. I’ve never seen someone detect someone's weakness as quick as you do.”

“ That’s just cause I’m used to it. Back in L Corp, if you didn’t act quickly and know exactly how to suppress an abnormality, you were dead.”

“ But it’s a good skill. You’re way more seasoned than Hopkins or me. You’ve earned your stripes, Yuri. Hopkins' opinion be damned.” Aya hummed. “ Hang on.” She reached under the table.

“ Aya?” Yuri looked at her, puzzled. After a few seconds, Aya emerged from under the table with a gasp. She slammed a hand on the table along with the blue belt she had tied to her leg.

“ Forgot how tightly I have that thing on. It used to keep falling off so I knotted it. Eh heh heh.” Aya slid it across the table. “ Here you go.”

“ Huh? For me? Why?”

“ Take yours off and I’ll wear that. Then you wear mine. That way, we share colours. So you don’t have to worry about where you belong.” She grinned. “ That work?”

“ What?” Yuri blinked. “ No. I can’t just do that. Hopkins is going to get annoyed and you know it.”

“ I’ve dealt with him for a while now. You let me worry about him.” Yuri just stared at Aya for a few seconds. Then she just laughed.

“ How you’ve managed that, I’ll never know.”

“ I guess I just figured this is the best place to grow as a Fixer. Hopkins is a jerk but he’s a strategic jerk. He likes to think he’s the only capable person but, without me, he’d have been dead in a gutter when he was still a grade nine, not that he’d ever admit it.” Aya giggled. Yuri just smiled. Then she reached below the table and took the red belt on her own leg off.

“ Thanks Aya.” She said, placing the belt down. “ For putting up with me.”

“ Hey. What are friends for?”

*******************************

Yuri sighed, her hand tightening over the blue belt in her hand. She’d handed the suitcase that had her old uniform in to Vergil when they got back on the bus and he’d tossed it in some kind of storage unit in the outside of Mephistopheles. Before she had however, she made sure to retrieve something. She didn’t know why, but she couldn’t let go of this. In a way, it was like her sword. The last vestige of a life she used to live. “ What would you do in this situation, Aya?”

“ What’s that?” Yuri gasped, quickly stuffing the belt into her jacket pocket before looking up.

“ N-Nothing.” She stuttered. Ishamael raised an eyebrow before sitting down. Across the aisles, she could hear Don and Heathcliff arguing. It seems the others were occupied at the moment.

“ You don’t have to tell me.” Ishmael told her. “ I get we all have secrets. You OK?”

“ Yeah. Thanks. Just… thinking of an old friend.” Slowly, she took the belt back out.

“ Huh? That’s the thing you had around your leg, yeah?” Ishmael asked. Yuri nodded.

“ It’s… not mine. It’s Aya’s.”

“ Aya? The white haired girl who…” She trailed off as Yuri’s expression became pained. “ Sorry.”

“ It’s… fine. Back when I joined Spark Office, Hopkins got me the uniform I was wearing when I met you. You probably noticed it was a different colour to his and Aya’s.”

“ Hmm. Yeah. I just assumed it was a hierarchy thing.”

“ It probably was but the office was just the three of us. I think he was trying to tell me he didn’t think highly of me. Like he told me to my face before he left me to die with the rest of you. But Aya was different. I told I was worried I didn’t belong and she gave me this. Mine was red like the rest of my uniform so she told me to trade them. That way, if I ever worried about it again, I could just see I was wearing that and she was wearing the red one and I’d know I belonged.” Yuri let out a sad laugh. “ It was… stupid but I feel she was always there for me when I needed her. And then she died in L Corp like all the other friends I’d made in my life.”

“ Yuri…” Ishmael pulled the girl into a hug. Yuri rested her head into her shoulder and sobbed.

“ A-Am I just a curse? Is e-everyone I try to m-make friends with just going to die? Am I just d-destined to be alone forever?” She cried.

“ No. That’s not true.” Ishmael reassured her. “ After all, you have us now. OK, so maybe we’re not the best people to call yourself a part of, but if you need us, we’re here.” Then she gave a smile. “ Besides, we’re not going to die on you. I don’t think Dante is allowed to let us rest even if he wanted to.” It wasn’t all that funny of a joke but Yuri couldn’t help but laugh. Slowly, she let go of Ishmael, wiping her eyes with her jacket sleeve.

“ Sorry. I’m a mess.”

“ Please. I think what you’re going through is the normal reaction to things. Sometimes I wish the others had something resembling a sane reaction instead of-” Ishmael was cut off by Heathcliff shouting and the sound of a metal bat hitting someone.

“ What did I say about fighting in the bus, Heathcliff?” Vergilius hissed.

“ That. Exactly that.” Ishmael sighed. “ Anyway, are you going to put that on?”

“ Huh? Oh. I’m not… really sure if-”

“ Please. Don’s jacket is covered with badges and Ryoshu left half her uniform somewhere on the road to District 4. I doubt anyone will mind.” Yuri scratched at her neck.

“ OK.” She said quietly. “ And… thanks Ishmael. For putting up with me.”

“ Hey. What are friends for?” Yuri stared at her. “ What?”

“ Nothing. It’s just… deja vu, y’know?” Yuri smiled. Something about those words made Yuri’s heart feel at ease. That everything would be alright from now on. As Ishmael left to break up another fight, Yuri tied the belt to her leg. If her life was defined by the dead, then moving forwards was the best thing she could do. Move forwards and carry their memory with her. Maybe she was cursed by an abnormality without her knowledge. She couldn’t say. But right now, she was alive. She’d make the most of that for the people who couldn’t anymore. She owed that to them, after all.

Chapter Text

“ Ugh. That man gives out way too many orders.” Yuri’s ears perked up as she was walking through the Thumb headquarters at such an annoyed sigh. Silently, she made her way towards it. “ Gregor really needs to tone it down.”

“ The Sottocapo is well within his rights to give orders to us rank and file people.”

“ Sure but he could be less of a dick about it.” Yuri emerged behind the traitorous Soldat. His comrades noticed and went pale, standing straighter.

" You may want to silence your tongue.” One of them said.

“ Huh? What’s got you so scared?” They said. “ Come on, you have to admit that it’s getting a little unfair. I don’t think I’ve had a moment's rest.”

“ And the problem with that is, Soldat?” Yuri asked, her voice low. The man flinched and turned sharply.

“ A-A-Ah. Capi Yuri, Ma’am. I-I wasn’t-”

" Bad mouthing the Sottocapo. Arguing against your superiors. Attempting to lie to a Capi.” Yuri listed off the charges.

“ I didn’t mean anything bad about it, Ma’am. I swear.”

“ Is that right?” She asked. “ You’re part of the new recruits we received a month ago, correct?”

“ Yes Ma’am.”

“ Then I shall be a bit more lenient in your punishment. Know that your repeated offences should be enough to relieve you of your head. If Ryoshu was the one to find you, she would have taken it without an introduction.” Yuri placed a hand in her coat pocket. “ However, I will teach you how I was taught by Sottocapo Gregor when I made a mistake that should have cost me my life. I won’t kill you.”

“ Thank you for your mercy, Capi Yuri. I promise I won’t-”

“ You see, he only took my eye for such a grievous error. I gave him a strange look soon after I was recruited but I’ve not made the same mistake or even a similar one since. That’s why, when I relieve you of your tongue, I know you’ll follow suit.”

“ H-Huh?” The colour drained from the man’s face as Yuri pulled a knife out of her coat pocket. “ M-Ma’am? Please!”

“ I could take your head if you prefer. That option is still on the table.” The man swallowed. “ Good. Now. Could the two of you hold him steady? I haven’t done this in a while and I’d hate to miss due to him writing around.” The other two bowed and grabbed the man by the arms. The man seemed resigned to his face as he opened his mouth and stuck his tongue out. Yuri grabbed it and, with a rough cut, removed it from the man’s mouth. “ Good. I hope that teaches you to respect those above you.” The man, though on the verge of tears, just made a shaky bow. “ Dismissed.” The three left, the man being helped out by the other two. Yuri sighed, adjusting the rifle strap on her shoulder before heading off. She needed to deliver the tongue to the Sottocapo and explain herself. She hated when things got over complicated.

Chapter Text

Yuri found Don Quixote in her office. She knocked and entered as she was allowed. “ Oh. Yuri. Doth thou need something?”

“ Not particularly. I just wanted to offer you some coffee.”

“ Huh?” Her boss looked confused. Then she laughed. “ Ok. I appreciate it.” Yuri placed the mug on Don’s desk and sat down opposite her.

“ Uh. Boss Don.” Yuri started. “ Uh. Are you… alright?”

“ Hmm. Of course. Why?”

“ Oh. It’s nothing. It’s just… well, after today’s mission you looked down. I know we lost some good people today and I know how much you care. I… just wanted to make sure you were doing alright.”

“ Have no worries. I’m always great.” Don flashed a bright smile.

“ Ha ha. I suppose. But… we worry, you know? You’re always looking after us. Sometimes I worry you don’t look after yourself because of that. So… if you need it, you can talk to me. Or Ishmael. Heathcliff. Any of us. If you need it, just know we want to be here for you as much as you’re here for us. You… mean a lot to us, Boss Don.” Don looked at her like she’d grown a second head. Yuri’s gaze wavered. “ Uh. D-Did I say something wrong?” That was when Don started laughing. “ Huh?”

“ No. No, you didn’t. I just never expected to hear such words of consolation from mine own junior.” Don said before letting out a light sigh. “ I do appreciate the sentiment, however. It has… been a hard few months for us all. I do still feel much pain over failing you back then.”

“ My eye, you mean?” Yuri lightly thumbed the string of her eyepatch. She shook her head. “ Don’t worry about that. It was my mistake. You couldn’t have stopped it.” 

“ Even so it pains me whenever one of you is injured. Or worse.” Don chuckled but Yuri could see a deep well of sorrow and pain behind her smile. “ You shouldn’t worry about thine wellbeing. Please look after yourself. That’s more important.”

“ If we’re looking after ourselves, who’s looking after you?”

“ Ha. I cannot deny the point.” Don nodded. “ Very well. Then please watch over my back as I watch over yours. That way we can both be a little less worried. I trust you to pass that word to those still worried.” Yuri’s face brightened up.

“ Of course, Boss Don. I will. We all will.” Yuri gave her a confident smile. “ My swords will protect you. Just say when. We’ll all be there.”

Chapter Text

Everything hurt. Even though she’d been healed, she still felt numb. Siegfried, a supposed legendary Fixer, had taken her down with a single punch to the gut with a mechanical hand that left her vomiting blood. After feeling that, it was hard to feel bad for Don when Vergilius set upon her. Don had become a good friend despite her eccentric behaviour but she really did need to learn when to hold back instead of leaping into action.

She’d recognised the procedure that K Corp had been using almost immediately. After all, she’d been through similar procedures during her time with L Corp. K Corp must have been the ones that provided the healing generators that were settled in the central rooms of each department, spraying fine mist into the air at set intervals that soothed and healed wounds. Of course what they had was a lot more concentrated. They seemed impossible to beat. Push back, perhaps, but not beat.

Yuri watched as Charon turned the bus down a road and began driving out of the city in the center of K Corp’s nest. “ Huh? Are we going back into the backstreets?” She asked, confused.

“ Nah. This is all part of the nest.” Gregor told her. “ Some of them are cityscapes, sure, but others are basically they’re own little districts. They have some pieces of countryside, small villages along with the bustling cities. I know G Corp has a massive lake in it. Or at least it did back when Gene Corp was still a thing. Dunno if Gravity Corp kept it. Been a while since I went back home.”

“ Do you miss it?”

“ Not that much. It was nice to get away from it after… well, you saw.”

“ Oh. Sorry.”

“ Nah. It’s fine. If I never left, I’d never have ended up here.” Gregor smiled. “ I kinda prefer this life. I mean, with this arm, it’s not like I could serve coffee or anything.”

“ Home…” At that mutter, Yuri noticed the seat in front of her was shaking slightly. Yuri peered around it. Sinclair had gone pale, hugging his knees. He’d been sick earlier. Something about K Corp’s nest was uncomfortable to him.

“ Hey? Are you OK Sinclair?” Yuri asked. “ You’ve been out of it since we got here.”

“ Huh? Oh! Yuri. It’s…” He shook his head. “ No. No, I know exactly where we’re going. This old road. We’ll be there in half an hour at the speed Charon is going. I… I’m scared. I don’t want to go back.”

“ Sinclair. Hey.” Yuri moved around the seat and sat next to him.

“ Sure we could ask Dante to keep you back here if you want.” Gregor told him, moving his legs into the aisle so he was facing the boy.

“ Something tells me Vergilius won’t let that happen. No. I’ll be going. B-But I’m scared. I… I… I Just… I don’t know what to do.” He curled in on himself. Yuri didn’t like seeing him this way. She’d seen plenty of people back when she worked in Lobotomy Corp with the same look of fear and helplessness in their expression. Not everyone was mentally strong enough to handle the stress of working under the threat of death day in and day out. Some snapped and when they did, it never ended well. Different people broke down in different ways. Some lashed out. Some broke down. Some killed themselves. Sinclair was getting dangerously close to being overcome like her old colleagues had. Yuri placed a hand on his shoulders.

“ Sinclair. Listen to me.” The boy didn’t react. “ Sinclair. Emil!”

“ Huh?” Sinclair shot up.

“ Breath.” She told him slowly. “ If you can’t breathe, listen to mine and try and match it. Ok?” Sinclair nodded. They sat in silence for a few minutes. Some of the other Sinners noticed but Gregor managed to get them to keep them uninterrupted. After a while, Sinclair spoke again.

“ Thanks. And… sorry for worrying you.”

“ It’s fine. Just try not to worry. I’m sure everything will be fine.”

“ I… hope so.” Sinclair sighed. “ You know. I had a Sister. Her name was Eva and… she was a lot like you. Kind and supportive. Whenever I looked down, she was always the first person to make sure I was doing OK.” He sighed. “ I loved her. But… That just makes me feel more guilty.” Yuri furrowed her brow. Slowly, she pieced everything together. His sister died at some point which likely made Sinclair leave home. And all these nerves and anxiety he was feeling was because that’s where they were going.

“ I’m… sure she never blamed you.”

“ I… sincerely hope you’re right. I never got to apologise that I couldn’t see her as human anymore.”

“ Huh?”

“ INCOMING!” Suddenly, the bus swerved. Yuri cursed as she gripped the seat to stop herself getting launched across the bus. The windshield shattered as something was launched through it, impaling itself into the back seats.

“ Everyone alright?” Dante called back. Yuri just raised a thumbs up to him before turning to offer Sinclair a hand up. But he was stunned, staring at what had lodged itself into the bus. Yuri followed his gaze.

“ Is that… a nail?” She asked.

“ Yep. Seems like it.” Gregor nodded. “ Big ole nail. Someone’s not exactly friendly. Welp. Better go deal with… Sinclair? You good?” The colour that had only barely returned to Sinclair’s cheeks had completely vanished once again.

“ No…” He whispered. “ No. No no no no no no! It… It can’t be. Not here. Not now.” He began to panic. “ Why? Why?! Why?! Why?! She can’t be…”

“ Sinclair? Hey. Sinclair! Emil! What’s wrong?”

“ Eva… I can’t… No. I can’t…”

“ Emil Sinclair.” Yuri froze at the gravelly voice behind her. She quickly spun around to see Vergilius directly behind her, learning over the pair of them. “ You have a job to do, Emil Sinclair. Get off the bus.”

“ S-Sir. With all due respect, I don’t think he-”

“ You don’t think. That’s correct.” He cut her off. “ The only thing that matters at this current time is that you all do as you are contracted to do. So, Emil Sinclair. Get. Off. The. Bus.” Slowly, robotically, Sinclair stood up. Yuri couldn’t tell if he’d started dissociating or if his fear of Vergilius had eclipsed his fear of whoever had thrown that nail. He started shuffling to the door. “ I expect the same of you, Yuri. If you’re going to be here, you’re going to fight. Now off the bus.”

“ S-Sir.” She nodded before making her way out of the bus at a half jog. She kept her eyes on Sinclair as she moved. She was worried about him. Whatever happened here before he left had obviously scarred him deeply. She just hoped he could keep it together. She just hoped she could help him like he and the other Sinners helped her back in District 4. Whatever was waiting for them here, she’d stand by him. It was all she felt she could do right now.

Chapter Text

When it came to Kromer, Yuri knew one thing. She was insane. Utterly and irredeemably insane. It was rare for all the Sinners to agree on anything. Even if the saner members, like Gregor, Rodya or Ishmael, started talking about a reasonable plan or the smart ones, like Faust or Yi Sang, made a good point on how they should proceed, it was almost a guarantee that someone else would do something to ruin it. Heathcliff would get mad or don would go off on a crusade for justice and all hell would break loose. But standing in front of Sinclair’s burning family home, witnessing the brutal execution of almost a hundred villagers and Effie, who had been brutally disfigured, arms cut off and replaced with a crude prosthetic replacement and left to bleed out on a large, rusted nail, everyone seemed to be in agreement for once. The Hammer und Nagel were monsters, Kromer the worst of them all.

If anything, the walk through the old L Corp facility just compounded her hatred for the templar. The facility underneath the J Corp casino being used as a work prison for debtors already left her with a bad taste in her mouth. She didn’t like how a place so important to who she was had been warped into something so heinous but even it was like a child friendly play area compared to what N Corp had turned the K Corp facility into. Corpses of the villagers strung up and tied to crudely made torture chambers that had been placed in the old containment units, some of them still alive and begging either for their freedom or to be allowed to die. The Inquisitors were subjected to inhumane experiments from their own allies, warping them into little more than attack dogs due to being corroded by the EGO left behind. Even the abnormalities hadn’t been spared, having been experimented on and torn apart to get just that little more out of them. Even the agents in L Corp had never subjected them to what N Corp had. It made her skin crawl.

Perhaps she should have been more surprised that Kromer was found on top of a mountain of corpses being worshipped by her inquisitors like a god. Perhaps it should have surprised her more when visions of Sinclair’s past were beamed directly into her head by the Golden Bough, showing how she destroyed Sinclair’s life. Perhaps she should have been more surprised but instead she just felt an emotion she hadn’t felt in a long time. Not since she’d gotten used to the day by day suffering of Lobotomy Corporation. She felt hatred targeted at a specific individual.

An unfortunate truth about the world was that a person with power could get away with anything. Kromer was the strongest person they’d fought so far outside of maybe Seigfried. She was quick, nimble and relentless. She fought with a sadistic glee that made Yuri’s skin crawl. How could someone take so much pleasure in causing other pain? She worked closely with Sinclair, who seemed to have found some kind of resolve to lash out at the woman. Maybe it was a new found courage from experiencing his memories or maybe he felt the same rage Yuri did. Either way, he moved unlike Yuri had ever known him move in battle before. He clashed nail to halberd, pushing her back and swinging, earning more than a few bouts of laughter from the lead inquisitor.

She was able to take out a third of them before they got her on the backfoot. Hong Lu, Heathcliff, Yi Sang and Rodya all suffered fatal injuries to her. That was when she took a hold of the Golden Bough and was wrapped in a flash of light. It was like she’d merged with the mountain of bodies at her feet, warping into a large fleshy worm similar to one of the half abnormalities, as Faust had called them, that had been creeping around the facilities. A giant maw formed at the front of her body, an iron maiden like covering protecting it and arms waiting to grab anyone near. Kromer’s upper body was still intact for the most part but her arms had turned large and fleshy. “ Is this… a distortion?” Yuri gasped.

“ Hmm. Faust doesn’t think so.” Faust shook her head. “ It’s different. It’s more like she used the Golden Bough to power herself up and turned into a monster. It’s incomplete compared to a distortion or an EGO.”

“ Seems pretty complete to me.” Gregor said through gritted teeth.

“ For someone who doesn’t understand the fundamentals, it would. While safe to call it a distortion due to similarities, it’s fundamentally different. Perhaps metamorphosis is a better name for this.”

“ Do we really have the time to argue about what she is now?” Ishmael grumbled. “ She’s coming.” Yuri raised her sword. In the end, this was just another abnormality suppression. As Ryoshu and Don charged recklessly, Yuri’s eyes darted around the beast before her. The hide seemed soft so it would be safe to attack. The maw reminded her about stories about a magical girl abnormality that turned into a moving mouth that devoured everything in its path. Probably best to avoid that. The weak spot was likely Kromer’s upper body. If they could get past the flapping meat arms, they might be able to go straight to the throat.

“ Aim for the upper body. Avoid the mouth. Strike at the back if you get an opening.” Yuri told the others. They nodded, scattering around as Kromer’s massive maw opened and the bloodied arms grabbed Don and dragged her in, devouring her. Yuri had to wonder if those could be cut off too but it was best to stay safe.

Whatever Kromer had become, she was a lot more feral than before. Any sanity she may have had left evaporated along with her limbs. Her movements were erratic and she hit hard. Yuri felt the instincts she honed against facing many abnormalities over and over again back in Lobotomy corporation. At the end of the day, she knew she’d dealt with worse. Kromer wasn’t anywhere near the ALEPH tiers she had to deal with. Nothing like when the Knight of Avalon breached for the first time and she hung on within an inch of her life against a horde of knights. Looking at it objectively, she was barely a WAW. The Undying Admiral or Thunderbird was a lot trickier to deal with. Kromer was probably just a high ranking HE. The problem was that she was weaker than she had been back in those days. She didn’t have Eye of the Storm anymore and, even under Dante’s power, her sword was still drastically weakened. And, as she was reminded as Kromer completely flattened Hong Lu and tore Faust apart, her allies weren’t as used to fighting abnormalities as she was. They were being pushed back.

“ No more…” She heard an angry whisper above Kromer’s laughing. She turned and saw Sinclair walking towards Kromer, eyes dark.

“ Sinclair. Yes. Come to me, Sinclair.” Kromer shouted frantically. “ Embrace me! Let us become one!” Kromer’s maw flung open as red hands shot at Sinclair. Sinclair glared up at her. For a second, Yuri swore she saw a mark on his forehead just as his form flashed. Kromer screamed in pain as Sinclair cut the red hands out of her giant mouth with his EGO.

“ If I can sever it with my own hands…” He muttered, pointing the wooden halberd at Kromer. “ Kromer. I won’t run. I can’t afford to run. Not anymore.”

“ Sinclair.” Kromer laughed at his decree. “ Then come to me.” Sinclair didn’t wait rushing at her. Yuri stared as he fought with fervour she didn’t know that he had, expertly moving the axe in his hands like it was part of his own body. Then again, if it was anything like her own, he probably thought of it as such. He deflected Kromers arms and swung back, scarring the front of her maw with a hefty upwards swing. The battle was so fierce that the other Sinners stopped and watched, catching their breath as they fought. Yuri was shocked. She’d never known Sinclair to be so fierce, so determined. He’d gotten over his fear somehow but whether it was because of a new sense of bravery or his anger had simply overcome all other emotions, Yuri couldn’t say. However, after a few minutes of constant struggle, she could tell it wasn’t enough. It took a wrong dodge on Sinclair’s side for Kromer to grab him, holding him close in her arms.

“ Ngh.” Sinclair groaned.

“ You’re so strong, Sinclair. I knew it. This is destiny.” Kromer grinned manically. Sinclair struggled in her grip as her giant maw opened. Yuri felt a cold shudder. She couldn’t help but see visions of those she’d seen die at the hands of abnormalities before. Alex. Loki. Aya. She tightened her grip on her blade.

“ Sinclair!” She leapt in, driving her blade into Kromer’s arm. Kromer screamed, dropping Sinclair.

“ Damn you, interloper. You will not take my Sinclair away from me.” Yuri barely had time to raise her blade as Kromer struck, striking her straight in the chest and sending her flying. She hit the ground, ears ringing and body numb and broken. She tried to move but only managed to cough up blood. Numbly, she could hear combat in the distance as the other sinners worked to make up for her sacrifice. As her vision went dark, all she could do was wish them luck.

***********************************

She found him where she knew he’d be, in front of the ruins of his house staring down at three bodies. The LCCB had saved Dante’s life and Kromer was killed. Yuri hadn’t asked the full story but they were alive. They made it through it and won. Dante didn’t feel like it was a victory, she could tell it from his tone, but she’d lived through enough to know that coming out of a tough situation alive was a major victory in and of itself. Vergilius and Charon had driven off while the Sinners recuperated after the tragedy of Kalf. The LCCB agents were still inside the old L Corp facility cleaning up while K Corp had sealed off the perimeter. It still disgusted her that K Corp had let this happen just because N Corp was a partner company. She’d never understand how the Wings could be so dismissive of human life.

She approached him quietly. “ Hey? Are you OK?” She asked gently.

“ No.” He admitted. “ I’m… not.” He let out a mournful laugh. “ I should be though, right? Kromer’s dead. The Hammer und Nagel probably disband assuming there’s any left. Everything that happened to me. It’s all been resolved. So… why do I feel so empty?”

“ Sinclair.” She put a hand on his shoulder and offered him a small smile. “ It’s OK. After L Corp fell, I felt the same. Everyone I knew was gone. I didn’t know how to continue so I just coasted by with Hopkins and Aya. But then I met you guys and… I dunno. These things take time I guess. But, if you need to talk, I’m here for you. I’m sure the others are as well.”

“ Not all of them.”

“ Ha ha. Well, OK. Maybe not Heathcliff or Ryoshu. But I know Gregor or Rodya or Ishmael will listen.”

“ Yeah. I know.” Sinclair sighed. “ I want to bury them again. They… didn’t deserve this.” Yuri looked down at Sinclair’s family or what remained of them. Most of their robotic parts had been damaged in some way by the Hammer und Nagel. Limbs removed and the head pieces cracked open from where they were impaled and left on the balcony for all to see. “ I… feel awful. I never got to tell them I was sorry. Dad was the first to go. He got his when I was six. His arms were so cold when he held me that I thought he was a stranger when I was younger. Mom went when I was seven. Then Eva went when I was fifteen. It was a birthday gift for her 21st. In the end, they were the same people they always had been. But I just couldn’t see them as human anymore. When they promised I could get mine for my sixteenth, I was terrified. I didn’t want to lose that part of myself. I guess that’s how I fell into Kromer’s thrall to begin with.” He sighed. “ Thinking about it, I was just being selfish. I’ve had a long time to think about this.” He looked up at Yuri. “ Have you… ever thought about replacing your eye with a prosthetic?”

“ Actually, yeah.” Yuri admitted. “ Spark Office had a deal with Mors Industry and they’re pretty good with prosthetics themselves. Hopkins wanted me to get one. I guess he was worried about my lack of depth perception slowing the office down. Old man said he could get me a glass eye with a bunch of tech in it and wire it to my brain.”

“ Why didn’t you?”

“ I don’t know. It’s not like I was scared of it happening or anything it just… never happened?” Yuri shrugged.

“ Ha. My father would have been sizing you up for one if he saw you. He was that type of person. He was always so excited about his work.” Sinclair smiled at the memory. “ I have a lot of memories like that. In the end, they were always just as human as I was. I just couldn’t bring myself to see it and… I just wonder what my life would have been like if I had.” Sinclair sighed. “ I want to try and be braver. I want to try and help everyone more, like you all helped me today. I just hope that whatever life I live now is one Mom and Dad and Eva can be proud of.”

“ I’m sure it will be.” Yuri reassured him. “ Do you want me to help?”

“ No. I… I have to do this alone. I wasn’t here when they were buried the first time. I think I should be the one to bury them now. Besides, the pits are still there. I just need to push the soil back. I won’t take long. I promise.”

“ OK. I’ll see you back on the bus then, Sinclair.” Sinclair nodded and Yuri walked away. “ He’ll be alright, won’t he?” She asked the figure waiting at the bottom of the hill. Dante nodded slowly.

“ Yeah. I doubt it’ll come quickly, but at least his heart is more at peace now. Still though, I can’t shake the feeling they knew we were coming.”

“ Hmm. You have a point.” Yuri nodded. “ The fact they were lying in wait is a little too convenient. But how would they know that?”

“ Hmm. That group back in District 4. I wonder if they’re also affiliated with N Corp.” Dante folded his arms. “ It would mean they’re tracking us. Though, seeing as they recruited people close to Gregor, Yi Sang and Hong Lu, that actually seems reasonable.”

“ That’s… worrying.”

“ It’s a problem we can deal with later.” Dante shrugged. “ Either way, you did well. Everyone did. Take pride in that.”

“ Thanks Dante. I will.” Yuri smiled. She looked back up at the manor still smoking in the morning sun. If N Corp were willing to go this far, just how much further were they willing to go for the Golden Boughs? What even were they anyway? Yuri removed the thoughts from her head. It was no point thinking about them now anyway. Right now, they’d won a hard fought victory. Another shift was over. For now, she could celebrate that.

Chapter Text

N Corp. I… don’t think I’ve ever felt such strong feelings of disgust before anything before. I lived with the abnormalities for three years of my life. I… I don’t think I hate them though. There are those who took people from me that I came to see as good friends. People I loved. And I despised those abnormalities. But, at the end of the day, everyone in there knew the risks. knew that we were dealing with what were essentially animals at the end of the day. They didn’t think like we do. They didn’t care for things we humans decided were important like morals or empathy. In the end, they killed because that was their nature to them. When we lost someone as a sacrifice to the Doomsday Calendar or someone was caught up in an attack by the Ebony Queen… Even when I lost my eye to Thunderbird on that last day… I found I can’t hate something that just doesn’t understand life like we do. But N Corp… N Corp are human. The Hammer und Nagel did those things not because it was their nature or instincts but because of their own warped sense of morals. I think I could understand them if they just killed and moved on but to make such a song and a dance about it and warp their own comrades and the abnormalities like they did… To warp L Corp like they did. I just feel bad for Emil. I just needed to vent. I’ll… begin now. Signing off.

*************************

Abnormality O-02-04-12. We’re… not too sure what the original abnormality was called so this is just kind of a placeholder number like the other Inquisitors. Either way, we dubbed these ones the Crawling Inquisitors. These ones were the ones we fought the most off. They had them in packs guarding key areas of the facility like the Information department Elevator for example. I think Faust called what they had been afflicted with Corrosion. It’s a similar state to what’s happened to some of the others from time to time when they use EGO from Abnormalities. Faust said that Limbus uses EGO at 50% power, which gives them more power and merges with the person more, making the EGO unique from person to person. But, unlike the EGO we wore in L Corp, there’s a risk the abnormality takes over. According to her, the Hammer und Nagel wanted to force that. Why anyone would want their own people to turn into monsters is beyond me.

The Crawling Inquisitors were corroded by some kind of beast. We had plenty of things like that in district 4’s branch. I don’t know whether they trapped the abnormalities themselves or if they were using the EGO L corp left behind. Either way, we never saw actual abnormalities while we were there other than those Peccatulum things. They were absolutely feral though. They relentlessly slashed at us and hunted us down using numbers to swarm one person down at a time. We had to play their game to win, which resulted in a few casualties each time we fought them. I just hope they didn’t take the actual abnormality back to N Corp. I don’t even want to think about the thing that made them like this. Signing off.

*************************

Abnormality O-02-11-10. Placeholder name is the Slithering Inquisitor. Like the others, these were the Hammer und Nagel inquisitors who were corroded by an unknown abnormality. There were a few weaker ones around the place and one stronger one when we got close to Kromer’s location. Their arms were replaced by snakes. The weaker ones were just one arm but the stronger one had both arms like that. Snakes were also coming out of the armour. Rodya looked like she was ready to throw up when they were near. I think she might be scared of snakes? Uh. Conjecture aside, I think it was more like they’d become living suits of armour piloted by snakes. I hope so seeing as the alternative is the person had snakes coming out of their body from everywhere and… ew.

The snakes were venomous. Not just their bites either. We’d cut the large snakes from the main body and fumes from the blood alone would infect us with light poisoning. It just meant we had to kill it as quickly as possible to prevent long lasting damages. Luckily, our manager is a cure all for poison just like he is any other injury so no worries for our states. Otherwise, I don’t think the Slithering Inquisitors were as much of a success as the Crawling or Proceeding Inquisitor. If I had to assume why, I think it might be that this abnormality was a lower grade. Perhaps a HE? I can see whatever wolf monster the Crawling Inquisitors were made from being a WAW. And… I’ll get to that when I do the next section. Signing Off.

*************************

Abnormality O-02-09-11. Placeholder name is the Proceeding Inquisitor but… I think I can make a guess what this thing was made from. Lobotomy Code O-06-20-A. Name: Nothing There. I don’t know whether it’s the real deal or maybe another aberration like the Infestation Mimic. Either way, the Corrosion of the Inquisitors possessing it’s EGO has degraded it’s power drastically and I’m extremely grateful for it. These were easily the strongest and, thankfully, rarest of corroded Hammer und Nagel Inquisitors we faced. They just kept healing and tried copying our moves when we attacked. Their arm was turned into this gross, fleshy blade that was covered in eyes.

I just don’t understand what N Corp was after here. Experimenting on their own people with the abnormalities. Forcing EGO Corrosion. It’s like K Corp’s branch was just a massive experiment for something. N Corp were the people who stole the Golden Bough and… killed me back in my old work place too. I can’t help but worry… No, I think they are trying to use the abnormalities for their own ends, picking up where L Corp left off. However, we used them as energy. Limbus is using them for the same as N Corp though. They both see them as another form of power. They’re using the EGO in various ways. I… don’t like it. Uh. I should stop now before I say more I regret. Signing Off.

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This one is a bit unique. Distortion O-03-07-41. Her name was Kromer, former head of N Corp’s Inquisitors. I don’t think I believed evil truly existed until I met her. Abnormalities aren’t evil, unlike what some of my co-workers used to believe. You come to get that when you work for them for a long time. They’re not evil. They’re animals. Creatures. From L Corp and my work as a Fixer, I came to the conclusion good and evil don’t really exist. But I was wrong. Kromer was evil. I don’t think there’s another word to describe all the things she and her order did. To the people of Kalf. To her own men. No. Evil exists. There’s no other way to describe her actions.

Her distortion was strangely familiar. It took me a while to get why but she looks like a Lust Peccatulum. Her lower body at least. Her upper body was just Kromer with flesh sleeves. The bottom part was a giant, wormy maw. I don’t know why she took that form. Maybe she wasn’t really a distortion and the Golden Bough put her in that form or the Peccatulum are somehow formed from people in the future or something? I think it’s better not to question it. Either way, she was a complete monster. We absolutely weren’t strong enough to take her on ourselves. Sinclair said a friend of his finished her off and saved us all. Dante sees the fight as a loss, but I disagree. We’re all still alive, after all. In L Corp, survival was a victory. It’s just the same here. I’d… rather not talk about her longer than I need to so that’s all I’ve got to say for K Corp’s facility. Signing Off.

Chapter Text

Mister Vergilius took us to the Mirror Dungeon for the first time today. Well, I say took us. More like he shoved open one of the doors in the corridor and threw a device at Yi Sang who opened it in a big empty room. Apparently, it leads to a small pocket dimension full of the Abnormalities Limbus Company had managed to apprehend across the city. Faust tried to explain it. Something about a fallen Corp having the abilities to open rifts to pocket dimensions or something? She said W Corp claimed the patent for it and that Limbus Company made an arrangement with them so they could use it too. I wonder what W Corp uses it for? Maybe it’s how the WARP trains get to their locations so fast? I dunno. Never thought about looking out of a window last time I rode one. Signing Off.

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Abnormality O-02-10-11. Code name: Headless Ichthys. I’m not sure what sort of creature this thing is meant to be. It’s sort of like a fish from the fins and tail but it has arms and a bloated neck sort of like a frog. The one thing it doesn’t have is a head which does not help trying to guess what sort of amalgam of a creature the base is. I have to guess it was some kind of science project in the past but it wasn’t my facility so i can’t say it’s background for sure, unlike something like Thunderbird or the Ebony Queen. It wouldn’t be the first man made abnormality I’ve seen though. Nor the first made of someone's fears or an urban legend if that’s what this is though I can’t really say for sure.

Whatever this thing is, it’s a fierce combatant. It strikes with it’s tail and arms though can also divebomb us with it’s throat sac or fire a beam of blood from it’s… throat? I guess? Either way it’s probably the tougher of the two abnormalities we’ve solely found in the Mirror Dungeon thus far. It’s never an easy time but it’s one we’ve learned to deal with. In a sense, it’s just like dealing with an abnormality back in L Corp. It’s hard at first but the more it breaches, the better a plan the team gets til an enemy that once massacred a department can go down with minimal scratches. Adaptation is just as needed in this job as it was there. Not that working for Limbus is much different than working for L Corp. I just get to see more of the City instead of being stuck in that bunker. Signing off.

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Abnormality O-02-11-26. Code name: Backstreet Watchdog. Back alley watchdog? Alleyway Watchdog? I swear they keep changing this thing's name just to spite me. I’m just going to call it the Watchdog. The Watchdog take the form of a giant black dog, as it’s name implies. It’s impaled with telephone poles and seems to have half of a charred corpse glued to it’s back. It can generate electricity and charge it into it’s howls and claws. It’s fast and hits really hard though it’s not the strongest defence wise, which makes it simple to deal with if it’s ganged up on. It’s absolutely an HE. Strong if you let it get going. Simple to deal with if you don’t.

The Backstreet Watchdog is one of the two abnormalities we’ve only faced in the mirror dungeon. As such, I don’t know where it came from originally. With all the rumours surrounding the Library appearing over the remains of the main L Corp branch and everything that apparently happened there if what I heard from the others is to be believed, I don’t think they came from the main branch. I don’t have access to any internal files from Limbus to know either. I’ve asked in the past for some of the less hostile abnormalities we’ve got gifts from but Faust just keeps telling me it’s above my clearance level. I do have to wonder just how many L Corp facilities Limbus has dealt with without our group being involved. All of this can’t just be from D, J and K corps facilities. I-I’m getting off topic again so I’ll end here. Signing off.

Chapter Text

“ You did what?” Yuri asked, annoyed evident in her tone. “ Come on. We talked about this. You can’t just keep doing the so-called business ventures without us.”

“ I don’t see why you’re so angry about this, Yuri. It was a request from the Shepard’s Office themselves.” Hopkins defended. “ Who would we be if we turned down such an offer?” Yuri sighed. It had been five years since the Spark Office was formed. Five years since Hopkins had approached her with the plan. All three had just been getting started as fixers back then. They weren’t much better these days, only having risen up to Grade Sevens the year prior. Still, their office had a few more members than back then and eyes had fallen on them. They weren’t strong but they weren’t nobodies. However, Hopkins was the source of most of her headaches these days. He always did think he was better than he actually was. Despite the fact it was meant to be a partnership, Hopkins often did things without consulting her or Aya.

“ I get that.” Yuri admitted. “ Still. Talk to us in the future.”

“ Yes yes.” Hopkins shook his head. Yuri growled. Sensing another argument brewing, Aya cut in.

“ So then, Hoppy. What’s the sitch?”

“ We’re to work with the Shepard’s office to defeat a syndicate that’s been growing in strength of late. Ishmael believes they may have ties with the Index. Or, at the very least, admire a member of theirs. They call themselves Aurelia’s Vow.”

“ Hmm. That could be troublesome. If the Index pushes in on the backstreets…” Yuri clicked her tongue. The Shepherds were behind this plan. The Shepherds were the strongest office outside the district’s nest. It had even become an affiliate of the Tres Association, something pretty rare for a backstreets office. It was a decent size but tightly knit group run by a woman called Ishmael, a fierce fighter said to embody the unstoppable nature of a warship cutting through the ocean tide. “ But why would the Shepherds need our help?”

“ Maybe they see potential in us and wish to test our mettle.”

“ Or maybe there’s some big scary wolves they want to test on us.” Aya shuddered. “ Big guys always look down on us little guys. I don’t trust ‘em.”

“ Neither do I. But, I guess we don’t have a choice in the matter. Thanks to someone already agreeing to it.”

“ It was the correct decision.”

“ Maybe. Doesn’t change the facts.” Yuri shrugged. “ I’ll take some of the new blood and scout out the area. Tell Ishmael that if she wants to send someone to keep an eye on us.”

“ Alright.” Hopkins relented. “ I’ll send the missive. But when then this turns out to be the best thing for our office since it’s founding, don’t forget to thank me later alright?” With a weak wave, Hopkins stepped out of the room. Yuri scowled where he had been sitting.

“ Ugh. I can’t stand him sometimes.”

“ He means well.” Aya told her.

“ I know. But I wish he could go about it in a less jerkass way.” Yuri placed a hand on her hip. “ Well, never mind. If it’s a job that has to be done, it’ll be done properly right?”

“ That’s our Urayuli. Always thinking ahead.” Aya smiled.#

“ I-It’s just natural tactics really.” Yuri said, slightly embarrassed by her best friend’s praise.

“ You ever regret making the office with us?”

“ Huh?”

“ I mean, with your smarts, you could have totally joined a wing.”

“ What other life would I have lived?” Yuri shrugged. “ It’s pointless thinking of what could have been. Just got to look forwards, right?”

“ It’s a fun thought experiment. I like thinking of it from time to time. Keep my mind off icky real world things.”

“ Well, it’s not bad to dream, I guess.” Yuri smiled. “ Anyway, seems we’ve got a mission to prep for. You want to come with me? If I’m dealing with rookies, it’ll be nice to have someone I can trust watching my back.” Aya smiled brightly and nodded excitedly. Yuri felt relieved. At least she could trust one of her partners.

Chapter Text

Yuri didn’t know what to expect when the team was ordered off the bus in the middle of K Corp’s nest. Whatever she had was nowhere close to the absurdity of seeing people being attacked by raw chickens and that was before the arrived at Eubong’s and the culinary civil war began. Gregor seemed incredibly confident about his survival theme meals though Yuri had to fight the urge to cringe. She was sure it worked in the trenches of the Smoke War but this didn’t seem like the right place for it. Ryoshu was the other chef and Yuri had to worry she wouldn’t go grab a passer by in the street and use them as part of the meal.

Despite first appearances, the teams went differently than Yuri imagined. Rodya sided against Gregor, claiming they should change things up. Ishmael seemed to agree with her. Then Sinclair was coerced to her side by Ryoshu’s threats. Gregor gave her a desperate look. With a swallow, she took a small step backwards. “ I-I’ll taste.” She said.

“ Yuri?!” Gregor seemed heartbroken.

“ I’m sorry. It’s just… Well, the last time I tried to cook, I almost set the Welfare Team’s kitchen on fire. Alex told me that, if I ever wanted to help with cooking again, the best way was for me to leave the kitchen.” She scratched the back of her hair. “ Besides, this makes the teams even so… G-Good luck.” She gave a strained smile. Gregor swallowed before nodding. With that, the two teams got to work. She took a seat at a table with Dante

“ You sure about this choice?” Dante ticked. Yuri sighed.

“ No. Not at all. But I doubt they’ll be bad enough to kill me, right?”

“ If they do, I’ll bring you back.” He reassured her. Yuri laughed nervously. That wasn’t a good sign.

Gregor’s was the first meal out of the kitchen. Yuri just stared at it as he placed it in front of her. Lightly, she jabbed it with her fork. “ U-Um. What… is this?” She asked.

“ Hmm? Survivalist Stew. Military speciality.”

“ It’s… meant to be a stew?” She tipped her head. “ U-Uh. I’m sure it’ll be great.” She said quickly. She went for some of the less brownish looking parts of it with her fork, ignoring the look of concern Dante gave her. She flinched at the smell before giving another half smile to Gregor and taking a bite. She dropped the fork as soon as it entered her mouth. Her body rejected the texture completely. It was sticky and slimy and tasted somehow raw and burnt at the same time. She lurched over the side of the table and coughed it back up. “ Ack hack hack. That is… aw… Water. Please.” Sinclair ran over to her, placing a small glass down. Yuri was quick to take the cool liquid into her mouth and then spat it back out. The taste lingered.

“ Oh shit. Was it that bad?”

“ How do I put this?” Before she could answer, the chicken shaped distortion grabbed the plate and downed the whole thing in one gulp.

“ Bwak squawk bii bwak.”

“ Uh. He wants to know if you got it from the food waste dumpster out back.” Dante said.

“ You can understand it?” Rodya asked.

“ I don’t know why. It’s words just appeared in my head.”

“ Hmm. The distortion seems to resonate with you, Dante.” Faust stated. “ How curious.”

“ Whatever. Here’s mine.” Ryoshu placed her plate down. Again, Yuri couldn’t tell what she was looking at. It was vaguely chicken shaped at least. Completely blackened, but chicken shaped. There was some sauce on it that looked dangerously orange. “ Well?”

“ R-Right?” She cut a piece off the whole and took a bite. At the very least, she could swallow this one without coughing it up, an act she was sure Ryoshu would behead her for if she did it. But as soon as she swallowed her breathing got heavier. Her body felt like it was on fire. “ W-W-What did y-you put in th-th-this?” She asked. Ryoshu just grinned. “ Fwah!” Yuri sprinted out of the shop. The man that hired them raised an eyebrow

“ Oh. You guys-”

“ Ice!” She just shouted.

“ Uh. Right.” It took her fifteen minutes of sitting in Bodhisattva's Chicken’s freezer to finally feel she could return to Eubong’s and continue. She sat down, resting her head against the table.

“ Are you… alright?” Dante asked her.

“ I’m rethinking all my life choices.” She groaned. “ I think you could probably class some of these dishes as abnormalities themselves.” She glanced up. “ Did Mister Eubong eat Ryoshu’s dish?”

“ He did. He asked if the theme of her dish was Poultry Apocalypse.” Yuri snorted.

“ I’d hate to work for this guy.” The next dish that was served was made by Don Quixote. Yuri couldn’t say what she was looking at. The chicken was torn, there was orange all over the plate and chocolate smeared across the entire dish. Yuri looked up. Don was smiling, staring at her like a proud puppy. She looked back at the dish. It… didn’t look any more appealing. She sighed and grabbed her fork. Strangely, it didn’t feel that bad going down. However, the moment it hit her stomach, a sharp pain filled her entire body. She collapsed backwards.

“ Yuri!” Gregor knelt next to her. “ Yuri? Are you alright?”

“ Ah. I feel… so light…” She spoke in a distant tone. A small, blissful smile came onto her face. “ Oh. Aya. Alex. I see… you both met. I always knew… you’d get along. I have… a lot of stories now.”

“ What? Wait. No. Yuri, stay away from the light!” Gregor shouted. Before long, Yuri went limp as life faded from her body. “ YURIIIII!!!!!” Dante glared at Don before rewinding the clock. Yuri coughed and sputtered as she woke back up.

“ Huh? What happened?”

“ Don Quixote. You are never allowed near a kitchen ever again.” Dante told her.

“ Aw.” She hung her head.

“ Bwak brr bwak.” Eubong grumbled.

“ He said he’s not eating that after what it did to Yuri.”

“ Understandable.” Gregor nodded. Yuri climbed back to the table.

“ You can… stop, you know?” Dante told her. Yuri’s only answer was a groan but she gripped her fork tightly. She said she’d do this. She’d see it through to the end.

The fact that the last two chefs were Meursault and Outis after Sinclair’s untimely rage quit filled Yuri’s heart with a sense of calm. She trusted the others but from what she’d experienced from Gregor’s side and the knowledge of the backgrounds of the others, she was hopeful these two wouldn’t be anywhere near as bad as the others. That being said, seeing Outis’ being some kind of effigy of the manager made her cautious. It’s why she went to Meursault’s dish first.

The dish looked normal at least, which is more than she could say for the other dishes. Just because she was hopeful didn’t mean she wasn’t still cautious. She picked one of the square cut fried potatoes with her fork and ate it. It was good. She went for the chicken too. She rose from her seat and walked over to Meursault. “ Is something wrong?” He asked. Then she hugged him.

“ Thank you.” She said, tears in her eyes. “ Something edible.”

“ I only cooked to the specified recipe I was taught. It was nothing special.” Confused, Heathcliff grabbed one of the fried potatoes and ate it.

“ Fuck are you getting all teary eyed over. It’s nothing that tasty.”

“ Man Greg. Your stuff must have been awful if something that's just edible brought poor Yuri to tears.” Rodya said, teasingly jabbing Gregor with her elbow.

“ Gah. H-Hey. Mine wasn’t that bad.”

“ She threw it up. And Don’s killed her.”

“ Dame Rodion. Can we please not talk about such a harrowing act?” Don pleaded.

“ I appreciate you being overcome with emotions, Yuri, but if you could- Hey!” Outis was cut off as the Chicken man grabbed Outis' meal and ate a bit.

“ Bwawk!!!” Everyone looked at him. Yuri wiped her eyes.

“ What’s going on manager?”

“ He’s saying… something about his mother?” There was a sudden flash of light in the kitchen. A portal grew in place of the door leading to the pantry. “ Uh. Is this… what we wanted to have happen?”

“ Indeed. Congratulations, Outis. It would seem your meal opened the way to the heart of the Distortion.” Faust said with a smile. “ Now we need only go in and find it.” Yuri was the first to move, drawing her sword and walking.

“ Yuri?” Gregor asked in surprise. “ Are you alright?”

“ I just want to go back to the bus and sleep.” She said, voice pouty. “ That other chicken guy better make good on his promise. I want some good food after this.” She looked back at the other sinners. Her eye narrowed in anger. “ I’m never eating any of your cooking again.”

Chapter Text

Sinners allowed to Cook

• Meursault (Good, simple food)
• Outis (Mister Eubong liked hers at least)
• Sinclair (He might do better if not crowded)
• Heathcliff (With some direction)
• Hong Lu (May need some teaching by those above)
• Vergilius (I erm.. I don’t think he’ll listen if I say no anyway. And he may tear my head off if I try.)

Sinners not allowed to Cook

• DON! QUIXOTE! (NEVER AGAIN)
• Yuri (I don’t want to set the bus on fire)
• Gregor (Sorry Gregor)
• Rodya (I… don’t trust her in the kitchen for some reason)
• Ishmael (I don’t trust ship food either. Sorry.)
• Yi Sang (For Yam related reasons)
• Faust (Don’t think she would even if she was allowed anyway)
• Ryoshu (Too hot. Just way too hot.)
• Charon (I just don’t want her to hurt herself.)

I’ll remove my notes and pin the list to the front of the bus later. As long as Mister Vergillius lets me, of course. Signing off.

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I… I’m not actually sure whether Bongy counts as an abnormality or a distortion. It came from Mister Eubong’s distortion, so I think it counts as that? We don’t usually classify minions separate from the actual abnormality in L Corp but Ms Faust insisted so… Code O-01-11-28. Name… erm… Bongy. That’s it’s name. I know it sounds childish. Bongy is based off the mascot of Eubongs. It’s… a raw chicken you’d usually cook but it has googly eyes. There’s… no way I can say this and make it sound serious, huh? As I said before, Bongy was a byproduct of Mister Eunbong’s Distortion. Despite their admittedly cute appearance, they were pretty feral. They attacked fast and relentlessly and even managed to take over nearby people, including the K Corp guards and Heathcliff.

I think they just followed mister Eubong’s orders. Despite their looks, they come in three types. One is normal, one is covered in sauce and another has a chefs hat. On their own, they were pretty easy to deal with but they swarmed a lot and Mister Eubong didn’t really have a limit to the amount he could create. I don’t really have much to say about them really. But Mister Eubong did give us a plushie version of Bongy for free. A lot of the others were disappointed we didn’t get free chicken but honestly, after what I went through, I think I’ll pass on Chicken for the rest of my life. At least Charon is happy. I’ve seen her hugging it when the bus is parked. I’m happy for her. It’s been a while since i got a soft new friend like Bongy. Uh! S-Signing off.

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Distortion O-01-11-28. Code Name: Papa Bongy. This was the distortion of Mister Eubong. Um, well his mother was called Eubong and that’s who he named his restaurant after. I don’t actually know what he’s called so I’ll just be using Mister Eubong. He distorted into a giant rooster who could spawn the little Bongy minions. I think he distorted because of a rival destroying a recipe of his in a concept shredder. I didn’t even know the city had those but, honestly, I’m not surprised it can just delete concepts. Either way, his restaurant fell to ruin and he distorted in that despair. Though he only made the restaurant because he forgot something about his Mom and now he’s going to be a pizza chef? This was… really not worth dying of food poisoning for thinking back.

Mister Eubong was actually really strong. Not as strong as Kromer was but still a real challenge. Other than the little Bongys, he was really strong for someone using a ladle. I think I got a concussion from that thing before Dante healed me after the battle. Well, either way, after we beat him, we were able to turn him back to normal. I guess it’s not impossible for people to come back from that. If some of the Distortions are like Mister Eubong, troubled people who fell into despair due to everyday troubles, then I hope we can help more people like him. Of course, that’s up to Mister Vergilius and whatever orders we get from him. Though, if we do, I hope it doesn’t involve more cooking. I’m gonna have nightmares about Don in the kitchen for a few weeks. I can already tell. Urgh. Signing off.

Chapter Text

We’ve been exploring the Mirror Dungeon to get stronger. It keeps changing every time we go through. We keep running into different abnormalities. Some are familiar but others are completely new. We even had to fight the Golden Apple again once. I guess they really have all the ones we beat before down here. The strangest thing is that we also run into old human enemies we fought that shouldn’t be here either, like the casino guards from District 10. Yi Sang said it was because of an ALEPH abnormality that reflects our memories. Since we’re together, it reflects the enemies we fought. I just hope I never have to come in here alone then. I… think I might just fall prey to it if it reflected people like Aya or my friends from L Corp. Anyway, I’ve got more notes to make. Signing off.

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Abnormality T-01-23-04. Code name: Blubbering Toad. I actually feel sorry for this little guy. It didn’t feel like it wanted to actually fight us when we ran into it on the railway. It’s attacks, if you can even call them that, were just it weakly striking with its tongue or making mournful sounding croaks. It didn’t hurt us all that much but the croaks impacted our minds pretty harshly. We had abnormalities like that back in District 4. L Corp classified mental attacks as White Damage as opposed to abnormalities that tore through flesh which was called Red Damage. There were those who did both too. That was called Black damage. Finally, there was a rare subset of abnormalities that seemed to burn someone's soul. That was known as Pale damage.

I have a feeling the little guy never actually escaped. It’s a pretty weak TETH abnormality. Despite looking sad all the time, I think it’s peaceful. It’s a shame it blocked the railroad. Maybe next time we can just push it out of the way instead of hurting it. It’s rare to see such a peaceful abnormality actually. Most abnormalities seem to have it out for people as if it was part of there nature. Some pretend to be nice and peaceful but are actually malevolent tricksters. It’s either that or they’re tools that we used to increase our work efficiency but even they had some fatal side effects if used wrong. This little guy makes me want to find a shrink ray. I’m sure he’d fit right in on the bus as a mascot. Charon would love him. Eh heh heh. Oh. E-Erm. Signing off.

*********************************

Abnormality O-06-20-02. Codename: KQE-1J-23. From the code, my first thought was that this thing was another aberration of Nothing There, like the Infestation Mimic or whatever made the Proceeding Inquisitors. However, seeing as the code Limbus gave them is different, I’m inclined to believe it’s something else. There’s not really any real similarities between Nothing There and KQE after all. While the Infestation Mimic took on the form of someone or, in the case of the Golden Apple, something else like Nothing There is reported to do, KQE is just an android made of loose wires. It seems to like talking about a tour of some kind of town so it might have been some kind of murderous robotic tour guide. We had Paul- Erm! All Around Helper pass through our facility once and it was kind of the same. Maybe whatever company made Pau-Helper made KQE? It’s nice that he had friends if that’s the case. Umm… Our facility… took a liking to Helper and gave him a name. Unfortunately he transferred to the main facility shortly before the destruction of L Corp so… Uh… Getting back on topic.

KQE is some kind of tour guide but of what I can’t really tell. Some kind of town? Well, whatever it is it sure can fight. This is probably the biggest reason why I dread the Mirror Dungeon putting abnormalities in rooms resembling a natural habitat. KQE was able to merge with wires around it’s room, even enough to form a crane and channel electricity though them. If it it’s able to merge with technology, I can only imagine the havoc it could cause in a facility. That being said, if the facility was defended enough, it would probably be mostly harmless. It’s not as cute as Paul but, from our glimpses at it through the mirror dungeon, it doesn’t seem overly aggressive. Guess we just caught it in a bad mood while on the railway. Signing off.

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Abnormality M-04-04-04. Code Name: My Form Emptiness. Lobotomy Code T-03-143. It’s a giant statue of what I think is some kind of priest or monk. I have no idea how but it found a way to control the illusions made by that ALEPH and used them against us. . We had this in Central at first but had to move it to Records after a while due to the fact it managed to affect people with it’s abilities even outside of it’s containment. The more guilt someone has, the more it affects them mentally. It drains your will until you surrender yourself to it. I never understood the people who did. Everyone feels guilt or regret in a place like L Corp but I never felt more than a light ringing in my ears, like a bell in the distance. But… facing it again now. I think I understand them better now. Fighting it made me feel cold and heavy. Like the guilt I’ve been carried was writhing up inside of me. It’s… intrusive

Sometimes I wonder how long I’ll have to put up with this pain. I found my place in the city now. I’m sure of it. I thought I would be able to put my past behind me when I found my new future but… this statue brought all of that into question. I’ve been able to ignore it in the back of my mind until now but… it’s not gone away. Why… was I the only one to get out? I wasn’t the smartest, the strongest, the kindest. I just… got lucky. Alex deserved it more… I guess I should have learned from Sinclair that the past never truly goes away. It always finds a way to haunt you. Ugh. I’m… talking nonsense. I didn’t realise it got to me this bad. I need to get stronger and forget about everything that happened. I can’t be a burden anymore. I… Signing off.

Chapter Text

Seeing the back of the bus open up for the first time was a surprise to Yuri. She’d barely just become a Sinner and people were still welcoming her when Charon pulled over and Vergillius told them they were resting for the night. At first Yuri wondered if they were getting kicked off the bus to go camping in the woods of District 4 or something. When Vergilius just opened the back of the bus, revealing a long corridor that disappeared into the darkness, she couldn’t speak. Now, all these weeks later, it had just become a part of daily life.

Her room was a pretty simple apartment similar to the one she had back when she was working at L Corp. She thought it was the same apartment at first but the lack of her personal items proved otherwise. Still, the place felt like home. Vergilius had tossed the suitcase containing her old clothes in when the bus had stopped the first time after District 10. She’d carefully laid it out, flattened down the creases and hung it up in the wardrobe alongside the copies of her uniform and a pair of pyjamas that were stamped with the Limbus Company logo. She saw it every morning as a reminder of what she was. Why she was there. Who she fought in memory of. It was the literal skeleton in her closet.

She knew the others had their own rooms. She hadn’t been in any but she peaked them through the doors. Heathcliff’s room was ragged and old looking with wild winds echoing through the window. Ishmael was also old and, with the way the window seemed like it was rocking, it looked like it was on a ship. Rodya’s was simple but lavish. Gregor’s was just simple. Dante seemed to just stay on the bus the entire time. He was always there when she went to bed and was still there when she woke up. Whether he slept there or turned off there or however sleep worked for him or had a room and just left last and arrived first in the morning wasn’t something she’d asked. She didn’t like poking into others' private affairs.

One question did constantly come up though. “ What’s past the cordon rope?” She’d asked that first day.

“ No-one knows.” Rodya admitted. “ Well, Faust does. But she just keeps saying not to go past there.”

“ Has anyone tried?”

“ Nope.” Ishmael said. “ We’ve not been on the bus long enough to get that curious. Frankly, I just don’t care.”

“ It is mysterious though.” Rodya said. “ Big dark place like that. Who knows what treasure lies beyond.”

“ I doubt we’re going to get rich by poking around in there.”

“ And everything you do find is considered company property. If you ever make it back alive that is.” Faust said, passing them by. The three women just watched her go.

“ It’s hard to tell what’s a threat and what’s a factual observation with her.” Rodya had said, laughing. After that, the topic was forgotten. It was brought back up every once in a while sometimes seriously and sometimes in jest but exploration was always shut down, either by Faust or Vergilius. To Yuri, something like this was normal. There was always something she never knew in L Corp. She knew it and so did everyone else. To her, a mysterious, endless corridor was just another one of those things. She did as she always had. Pretended it didn’t exist and moved on with her day. It was just like an escaped abnormality on the other side of the facility she knew others could handle without her or an employee impaling themselves on their own sword in the halls. She’d gotten used to it. It wasn’t a good trait and she knew that but she’d gotten used to it.

Heathcliff wasn’t like her. It was clear from his brash attitude and violent behaviour he hadn’t worked for a wing like she did. He didn’t get the proper protocols that Limbus followed much like Lobotomy had before it. If something happened he didn’t like, he’d hit it. If he was an agent, he’d have died to the first abnormality he came across. She recognised the type. That’s why it probably shouldn’t have surprised her when he stood up one evening, laughed at Fausts insistent warnings he didn’t go down the corridor and then jumped the rope and ran off. About a minute later, the Sinners still in the bus heard screams and Faust ordered Dante to follow her before they vanished down the corridor too.

“ Is Heathcliff going to be alright?” Yuri asked.

“ Probably not.” Yi Sang said with a sigh. “ That was stupid even for him.”

“ Do you know what’s down there, Yi Sang?” Ishmael asked.

“ I do. I supposed it would be unideal to let someone else try this again in the future so I’ll explain in broad strokes.” Yi Sang looked down the corridor with his tired eyes.

“ Well don’t leave us in suspense.” Rodya grinned.

“ Doors.” Everyone looked at him.

“ W-Well… yeah. I guessed that.” Rodya said, her smile becoming strained as if she was resisting the urge to throttle the man. “ But what’s in those doors?”

“ That’s the wrong question. So long as you know where the entrance is and where you want to go, you’ll reach it without fail in that corridor.”

“ So why are we even using this bus then?” Ishmael asked.

“ Because use of the corridor is limited. You need to go where your going to the co-ordinate or it won’t work. You also can’t just go into the door here and come out of another door in D Corp’s nest for instance. The doors must have a prior connection and a strong link. The doors here have been modified by Faust so that you can’t wander off. They lead to a number of fixed locations which have each been tied to your mental states. Usually, it doesn’t work like that. Outside that line is the unknown.”

“ So you’re saying that, if we go passed the rope, we could get lost?” Yuri asked.

“ Without direction, everyone is already lost.” Yi Sang said poetically. “ The corridor is no different. Due to how it shifts in order to meet the needs of everyone who enters it, it makes it difficult to traverse for one who does not know their own destination or is too picky.”

“ Heath’s dead then?” Rodya asked.

“ No. Faust and the manager will bring him back. Faust has mastered control over the corridor. Vergilius knows how it works as well. After all, he was involved in granting Limbus Company access to it in the first place.”

“ Vergilius owned it?”

“ No. I suppose you could say that this technology was stolen by Limbus Company from the Ring. The patent was from an old T Corp back when it was known as the Transport Company. W Corp’s Warp trains ran them out of business, the patent fell into the hands of the Ring then, following the destruction of the Ring’s art museum in F Corp’s nest, Faust took it.”

“ How do you know all of this?” Ishmael asked.

“ I worked with the Ring in the past. While I was there, I studied the corridor.” Yi Sang shrugged.

“ You worked with a Finger? You?”

“ I did. On the same technology Limbus now uses. Them wanting to hone it is why I’m even here in the first place. But that’s getting off topic.” Yi Sang looked back to the corridor. “ The reason you shouldn’t go past there is because no-one truly knows the horrors that this place holds. Getting lost in this place… You’d lose your mind from endless wandering through a sea of doors that will never open before you’d die from the shifting. Or maybe you’d starve to death. I can’t really say for certain.”

“ Yeah. OK.” Rodya nodded. “ The rail is our friend. Love the rail. Stay on this side of the rail. Pray the rail never leaves us.”

“ We had abnormalities like that, thinking about it.” Yuri admitted. “ They were rare but some of the abnormalities that passed through the facility included a small house that fused with people and two shrimp with a vending machine that would sometimes flood their containment unit and send whoever was in there out to sea.”

“ You’re joking?!”

“ We also had a beanstalk that went into the sky. The sky came with the beanstalk.”

“ Abnormalities are insane.” Rodya said. “ Then again, that thing in District 10 was a giant castle with a bird leg. I shouldn’t be too surprised.”

“ Well, I’m going to go to my room.” Yuri said with a wave.

“ Night Urayuli.” Rodya called after her. “ Sleep well.” She smiled before heading in. After closing the doors, she sighed. A corridor of endless doors. It really wouldn’t be out of place in L Corp. If the wings could make something on that level, she worried what else was in store on their journey. With N Corp crossing their paths, she had to wonder what they could do. She shuddered. She just hoped she never had to find out.

Chapter Text

The quiet after the battle was something that Yuri had always hated. The tension rising and the emotions settling, leaving behind the weight of what had happened and the people who were left behind. Staring down at the corpse of Marile, Yuri couldn’t help but see the people she had worked with before. It was the attire the Technology Liberation Alliance had chosen to wear. The EGO from L Corp. It was fairly weak. The mass produced ZAYIN and TETH gear that the company dolled out to the agents who had passed training but hadn’t proven themselves worthy or important enough to give anything major.

These people knew what they were walking into when they entered this place. They used Ran’s hacking programs on the healing robots to force the K Corp guards to dance to their tune and then dressed in the garb of her old colleagues to give themselves enough power to deal with any who continued to resist. In the end though, there was one major difference between them and the L Corp Agents. They welcomed death.

Death to her was an acceptable outcome. No-one in L Corp ever wanted to die however those who had been there for long enough to gain a specialised EGO of a HE or WAW or rarely an ALEPH knew they could die at any moment. Caught an abnormality on a bad day, suffer from a breach, get caught of guard by an insane former fried. There was any number of ways to die on the job and they accepted that the person sitting opposite from them at the lunch table may not be there the next day. But no-one wanted to die. Every action she took back then was a step she took to make sure she survived to tomorrow. If she could save a friend, good. If they died, it was an acceptable loss. She hated that’s how she was conditioned. She hated how that’s how she still was.

These people weren’t from L Corp. She understood that. The agents and clerks who worked in K Corp’s main L Corp branch as she was sure it had been were gone. The lucky ones were probably trying to skirt by like she had been. Other than that, all that was left behind was a facility full of monsters and the clothes on their backs that the TLA had scavenged for their own ends. Whatever goal they wanted, they were willing to throw away their own lives for it. Not out of a sense of duty or blind devotion like the Hammer und Nagel but because they had a dream they were willing to die for.

“ Yuri?” Sinclair gave her a concerned look. “ Are you alright?”

“ Hmm? Oh. Y-Yeah. Sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you.”

“ It’s OK. You’ve just been really quiet for a while now. Something on your mind?”

“ Well. It’s just… I don’t get it.”

“ Don’t get what?”

“ Why someone would throw their lives away like they did.” This caused a few people to stop and look at her. “ Ah. D-Did I say something wrong? You can ignore me.”

“ You’re thinking about Ran and the others downstairs, right?” Outis asked her. Yuri nodded sheepishly.

 “ It’s just… Ran purposefully killed herself just so her allies could get a few more minutes. Shrenne was killed but she also didn’t seem like she was planning on leaving that room anyway. Then there was Marile and his people. They could have ran but… they all stood by and fought to the end. I just don’t get why.”

“ They wished to die a noble death.” Outis told her.

“ There’s no such thing as a noble death.” Gregor scoffed.

“ That depends on the soldier. Some people will gladly lay down their lives in the heat of battle so that their side may win.”

“ That makes no sense.” Yuri said. “ Isn’t it smarter to live so you can fight another day?”

“ You’ve given your life for us before though.” Sinclair pointed out. “ Like when you saved me from Kromer.” Yuri shook her head.

“ I can do that knowing Dante will bring me back. What did Mister Yi Sang call it? Poisoned Pawn?”

“ You’re not using the term correctly but I can understand what you mean.” Yi Sang said with a sigh. “ Sacrifice a pawn so another piece can win the game.” Yuri nodded.

“ Usually, someone only gets one life. When I worked in L Corp, keeping that life was paramount. Personal safety and getting the job done. I did save other people when I could. I always try too. But… there’s no point saving someone at the cost of your own life. There’s no point dying for an ideal either. If you really care for it, it would be smarter to live.”

“ I agree.” Gregor nodded. “ Martyrs are fine and all but it’s always better to have one more soldier to hold the line with. Wouldn’t you say, Outis?”

“ Depends on the person, as I said.”

“ To sacrifice yourself can be a noble effort.” Yi Sang said. “ Though I don’t believe anyone should die for an idea. It’s unideal.”

“ But… do you really think Shrenne would have killed herself like Ran did?” Sinclair asked. Yuri sighed.

“ I… don’t know.” She admitted. “ I regret not talking to her more. I guess I’ve lost so many people that I’ve grown numb to loss so I didn’t recognise what she was going through.”

“ It’s not your fault, Yuri.” Gregor told her. “ That kid was pretty damn good at hiding her true emotions. Some people are just like that.”

“ Yeah. I know that too well. We lost a few good people who tried to bottle up their emotions til they just lost the fight in the middle of a shift.” Yuri admitted. She sighed. “ Sorry. I’m feel like I’m being depressing.”

“ I asked. Don’t worry.”

“ You shouldn’t bottle your emotions either. You can talk to us about these things y’know. We’re all stuck with each other, like it or not. Might as well watch each others backs, eh?” Gregor smiled at her. Yuri couldn’t help but give a small smile of her own. Yi Sang gave a small hum and turned back to the direction they were heading. “ Geez. And here I thought we were having a bonding moment.”

“ Don’t worry Gregor. I appreciate it.” Sinclair smiled.

“ Aw. He’s such a good dad.” Rodya teased, causing Gregor to cough. Yuri couldn’t help but laugh.

“ Et tu, Yuri.”

“ Sorry.” She smiled. Her mind lingered on Ran and Shrenne. She wondered if the two saw each other as family. She wondered if that’s how the TLA thought of each other. Or was it like L Corp, where they are just colleagues working under the same goal? They were all gone now. She wished she could have spent more time to get to know them. They seemed like good people. But this City never did like good people. She looked around at the others as they all walked towards whatever new horrors awaited them at the peak of K Corp. She didn’t think she’d ever know what it was like to have something she would be willing to truly die for. But these were the people she was happy to live alongside. That was all she wanted for now.

Chapter Text

The fallout from the K Corp incident was as bureaucratic as Yuri had expected. When someone in L Corp died, their body was taken away by clerks and no-one ever mentioned them again in any sort of official manner as if they never worked for L Corp to begin with. Yuri had tried looking for information on some of them but found even their files had been erased. Officially, bad things didn’t happen. Not in regards to a Wing. K Corp was no exception. By the time they returned to the lobby, there was no sign any intruder had ever breached security in the first place. Glass was repaired, personnel was replaced and everyone moved like it was normal. Every wing was the same it seems.

When they returned from the Labyrinth of Yi Sang’s memories, they were met by ten of K Corp’s elite guards and dragged into a private office to meet with the head of the Wing. She’d seen her before in the visions produced by the Golden Bough from the resonance with what she assumed was Dongrang’s memories.  Alfonso, a woman with black hair with streaks of dark yellow and looked like she had some kind of enhanced eyes from the markings around them. She faced them all down alone, a serene smirk on her face the entire time as she talked about the situation. She drummed up an excuse on the spot about the incident being masterminded by Dongrang in an attempt to gain something from the company in order to justify his sudden disappearance. Then she ordered them to get their memory erased about the insider information they’d seen. Vergillius accepted. Yuri didn’t like it but went along anyway. At least now she understood how the Rabbits felt.

Her mind felt numb as she left. She rubbed her temple, thinking back to what she could remember. She remembered arriving, meeting Dongrang and Shrenne, venturing through the old L Corp facility and seeing Ran and Shrenne die. Then they returned here. She remembered Dongbaek’s conviction and how the upper levels twisted from the Golden Bough. Then she remembered Yi Sang and Dongrang’s memories of their time in T Corp. And then what happened at the end. There was only one thing that blurred and warped in her mind. What was at the top of the facility. All she knew is, when she thought back to it, all she could think of was a feeling of disgust. She knew she’d have to check her personal notes later. Maybe she’d had the foresight to write something down.

At least one good thing came out of all of this. As they were leaving, Yuri caught the eye of a man standing at the door. He pushed off it and gave them a lazy wave. “ And I hear I thought you’d beat me.” Samjo smirked.

“ Don’t act like such an ass.” Heathcliff huffed. “ It was yer bloody gang that forced us to be so late. Don’t even remember what the fuck I forgot.”

“ Well I guess that means it worked. I’m sure Alfonso will be elated.” Heathcliff growled. With a sigh, Ishmael put a hand on his shoulder.

“ Don’t start another fight already, idiot.” She shook her head. Yuri just smiled at him.

“ Glad to see you’re alright.” She said. He shrugged. He almost wasn’t. Even though she couldn’t remember what he was trying to accomplish or how he was going to die, Yuri did remember she saved him. He’d thrown his jacket off and stood at the edge of some kind of cliff face. But, when he was about to dive in, Yuri grabbed him by the arm and forced him back. He was shocked at the time but Dongrang had laughed, taunting her about thinking she wasn’t an altruist after her earlier conversation. Either way, whatever bad feeling she had she’d been right. Even though she didn’t know how or why, Dongrang confirmed that what Samjo would have done would have been fatal.

“ I bounce back pretty quickly. Had to debrief the particulars to the boss though. As the only one left who knows the whole story of what happened in full detail, she decided to keep me around. Someone has to try and make Dongrang’s research work so she’s hoping I can fill in the blanks. Not exactly the promotion I had in mind but hey. Take what I can get.”

“ So what did we forget then?” Rodya asked.

“ Well you see, there’s a portal to another world up there and through that portal there is a world where Fairies have taken full control of the human order. We trade there our healing serum for humans which they eat and use as knights to defeat giant monsters made of black mud.”

“ Whaaaat?!” Don gasped. “ Knights?! They must be so heroic!”

“ Don, Honey. He was lying.” Rodya sighed. “ You could have just said you can’t say.” Samjo just shrugged. Don looked disappointed.

“ What about Shrenne and Ran’s research?”

“ As far as the company’s concerned, no-one called Shrenne or Ran ever worked for K Corp. I imagine once the board is placated, Dongrang will be the same. No-one really cares about where the tech comes from just so long as it works. From his memories, I guess Dongrang never truly understood that.” Yuri gave Yi Sang a nervous look. Yi Sang just shook his head.

“ Do me a favour.” He said. “ Remember him. Even if his name is taboo, please don’t forget the man who made your life easier.”

“ Don’t worry. I won’t. It’s a bit of a burden I’ve been saddled with. The burden of the survivor. Ran and Shrenne may have been traitors and Dongrang may have acted above his station but they were all my co-workers once. And they were pretty good people, for all their flaws. I think I understand you a bit better, Yuri. It’s hard the life you live.”

“ It never gets easier. You just get used to it.” She admitted.

“ That is true.” Yi Sang agreed. “ However, the good memories help carry the bad. The vibrant colours of an artificial flower. The smiles on their faces when seeing a firework. The awe they showed when looking at a new invention.”

“ The happiness of another day we survived. Nearly burning down the Welfare kitchen. A party between the team captains on a summer’s weekend.” Yuri smiled.

“ The cool night wind after a hard day's work. A chicken dinner at Christmas time. A breakthrough after a long time of failure.” Samjo nodded. “ We had a lot of good times. I’ll miss those idiots.” He held out his hand. “ We’ll probably never meet again, sadly. You weren't bad, Limbus Company. I wish you luck with whatever crazy nonsense you get yourselves into next.” Yi Sang took the hand shake.

“ Farewell, Samjo. I hope you find your wings.” He told him before moving on.

“ Ha ha. That’s Yi Sang for have a happy life, I think.” Rodya patted him on his shoulder.

“ Take care of yourself. It was nice meeting you.” Yuri gave him a wave. Everyone passed the man by, giving him some level of farewell, from annoyed glares to friendly waves. As everyone got back to the bus, Yi Sang hummed, looking back to K Corp.

“ The burden of the survivor is to carry the memory of those you once loved and make sure they are remembered.” He said. “ Is that how you see it, Yuri?”

“ It’s a way to look at it.” She admitted. “ There was a time where I thought I was simply living for the sake of others. I thought that was my only purpose. I think there’s more to it now though. But I don’t really think I have the answers myself. Sorry if you were hoping for advice.”

“ No. I understand.” Yi Sang admitted. “ I was simply moving forwards without the ideal direction or purpose, working with others as they wished. N Corp, the Ring, Limbus Company. It was all the same to me. If I was tasked by another to end my life, I would have done so with no regrets. Before this, that was perhaps what I wished for. Someone to tell me my suffering was at an end. A malnourished reed snapping in the wind.” He shook his head. “ Dongrang and Dongbaek helped me a lot in the past. Just like Brother Young-Ji and the others. It seems once again they helped me find my way. I think I’ll resist just a little bit longer.”

“ I’m glad to hear that. You do seem a lot happier than you usually do, Yi Sang. I like it.”

“ Heh. That pleases me to hear it.” He admitted. He grabbed the rail outside the bus and pulled himself inside. “ I suppose we shouldn’t keep the manager waiting.”

“ I guess not.” Yuri nodded. Her smile wavered as soon as his back was turned. She hoped that one day she’d find the peace he seemed to have. Maybe then she could face her old friends' memories with a smile.

Chapter Text

Yuri took a step back, looking over the EGO on her workbench. She smiled and nodded, removing the eyepiece of her own EGO. “ That should be it. You’re all set, Ishmael.”

“ Ugh. It still looks… sticky.”

“ That’s just the components of Sloshed. Don’t worry. They always look worse than they wear. The company made sure of that. You should have seen some of the crap they put the newbies in back in District 4. You’re lucky your slime protects you.” Yuri was an old hand at these sorts of things. She used to work for the old L corp back in District 4. She was used to using and wearing this sort of thing to the point where she was able to help her old team mates with some issues with their own suits. RnD picked her up from being an agent. Only reasons she made it out of that place alive.

Yi Sang had picked her up after that. Yuri couldn’t fault his ideas about technology. The city had gotten to a point where it had practically lost all control of itself due to the singularities and the patents from the wings. Only the Head really reaped any benefit from it while normal people suffered. She heard horror stories of the oppressive conditions in T Corp, where even colour was a commodity, or the backstreets of District 23, where people were swept off the streets and onto someone's plate, and had lived it while working for L Corp. That’s why she was here, back to working her old trade but for a better purpose.

“ I don’t even want to think about it.” Sinclair shuddered. “ The only EGO I’ve seen in action is Ishmael’s and my own. Can’t imagine what it would have been like working with them all over the place.”

“ You say that like those eggs locked in the basement aren’t monsters beyond mortal comprehension. Trust me. They were needed. It’s just a shame I had to leave Eye of the Storm behind in District 4. Well, that Centipede thing has a good one.” Yuri admitted. “ Still, it’s a shame we have to rely on this stuff to get rid of this stuff. I’d hurl it all into the concept incinerator personally if I could. Whatever madman decided to make energy and armour from monsters deserves to get thrown in the cell with an ALEPH.”

“ That’s the… highest grade ones, right?” Ishmael asked. Yuri nodded. “ Honestly, the idea weirds me out too. I mean who decided to take a pile of talismans, a slime monster, a mechanical monster and a garbage umbrella monster, throw them all in a facility and just let them eat the employees to make energy? How was that allowed?”

“ I heard Old G Corp’s technology was human experimentation. They swapped human body parts with insects.” Sinclair said.

“ Yeah. We had a few Old G Corp soldiers that lived in the woods.” Yuri admitted.

“ God, this city is beyond hope.” Ishmael grumbled.

“ That’s why we’re here right? To make sure the City is freed from this plague.” Yuri smirked confidently. She’d make sure no-one would have to suffer like her colleagues had to suffer. If she had to use EGO to make sure this whole society came crumbling down, so be it. She’d outlasted L Corp. She was pretty confident she could outlast whatever K Corp could throw at her too. She had debts to pay after all.

Chapter Text

EGO. When I was working at Lobotomy Corporation, I never imagined anything other than an abnormality could create something like that. It was an otherworldly power to me back then. In a sense, it still is. The only real difference between then and now is that the EGO I wield doesn’t belong to anyone other than myself. My will to move forwards encapsulated in violet wings and a fierce storm. Eh heh heh. I sounded a bit like Yi Sang there didn’t I? The point is, after seeing L Corp’s EGO used against us, I realised just how weak and simple it was compared to the EGO we use. A simple suit with some form of the abnormality tuned to it. Faust once said L Corp only used an EGO at 10% power to prevent it from corroding. I guess that makes sense why they were so weak, unlike our own or Ms Dongbaek. Signing Off.

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Abnormality M-01-11-07. Code Name: Brass Bull. We ran into this thing making a wreck of the K Corp nest. Usually nests are meant to be safe but I also heard a rumour of an entire nest being burned to the ground by a Distortion while the Library was at it’s peak, so I guess that’s not always the most accurate. As the name implies it’s a bull made of brass and there was some… weird thing in it? I guess it’s meant to be a person but it’s blue, stretchy and looks like it’s melting. Uh. Actually, thinking about it, if that was meant to be a person does that mean that the Bull is a sentient torture device? Ew.

The bull is a searing hot mass that doesn’t really do much other than mindlessly attack us, usually by trying to run us down with its horns. A weird thing about the bull is that it was covered in some kind of blue water. Faust decided to call it tears. I guess, if it really is tears, maybe the thing inside of the bull was making it. In that case… I really feel even worse for that thing. Being essentially cooked alive for all eternity which makes it cry, empowering the bull in the process. That’s just horrible. Using tears of the tormented as a power source. I hope nothing like that exists in this city. Signing off.

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Abnormality F-01-11-2. Code Name: Fairy Gentleman. Probably L Corp code: F-04-83, an aberration of Fairy Festival. The gentleman is a fat being made of slime with a large mouth across its stomach. While that may seem like a being out of a germophobe’s nightmare, he’s actually real amicable. He’s one of those abnormalities that doesn’t really get annoyed or aggressive unless people make him that way. He meets new people, laughs with them and then offers them a drink. That drink is called Fairy Wine and it’s gross looking slime. Thick as it looks but a lot tastier. I had it once or twice during the mirror dungeon.

When mad, he reveals his body is indeed made of slime. He can morph himself into a blob of the stuff or just make his hand grow in size. In reality though, he’s not that big of a threat. I guess you can compare him to just a more sticky version of a regular drunkard at a bar. Happy and lively in the heat of the moment but, if you get on the wrong side of him, he starts drunkenly stumbling around. He can do a lot of damage if you aren’t careful but he’s not really too big of a deal if you have your wits about you. I wonder if Heathcliff can relate. Hee hee. Signing off.

********************************

Abnormality T-04-11-20. Code Name: So That No-One Will Cry. Personally I would have gone with Talisman Totem or something to that respect because it’s less of a mouthful. I think I’ll use that in my notes. The Talisman Totem is… well, a wooden totem covered in talisman. Well, I say totem. It’s like a wooden statue shaped like one of the Swamp Witch’s creepy dolls. Uh, Swamp Witch was an abnormality we had in D Corp. It could control people with these weird doll things and make them cause chaos. Anyway, it’s also covered in these golden talismans and it can attach them to others. Other than that, I don’t really know much about it. Like, is it just a possessed statue? Is it somehow alive? I really have no clue.

The Totem fights by applying it’s talismans to people. They release some kind of magic I think that weakens us. The more that we’re inflicted with, the worse the effects. Also, somehow, when we set the thing on fire, like with Ryoshu’s EGO or those Liu Identities some people have managed to get, it somehow links that effect to us. This thing is absolutely magic. It’s like the rumour of that skeleton man from a while ago. Apparently, he could grant wishes in return for signing your soul to him or something. Hopkins never believed the story when Aya told it but I know how abnormalities work. Maybe with EGO and Distortions running amok in the city, magic is more real than people may think. Signing off

********************************

Abnormality T-02-11-03. Code Name: Drifting Fox. Another abnormality I feel bad for. The Drifting Fox is a large fox that’s been stabbed with a lot of old looking umbrellas. In the Mirror Dungeon we learned that it was better not to take them out though. I don’t know if that means if the Umbrellas are part of it’s body or if they’re so deeply wedged in there removing it would kill the poor thing. It does use one as a weapon though so I’m actually thinking it’s the former. Some abnormalities are concepts of certain things in the human psyche, which is what Old L Corp labelled as T or Trauma abnormalities. If Limbus is the same, then maybe it represents abandonment in some way? An old umbrella thrown away in the rain when it broke. Who knows?

The fox fights with the Umbrellas. It can pull them out of itself and spin it like a top, leaving something that spits broken metal splinters out on a regular basis. The Fox itself is fast, fierce and uses the Umbrella it holds in its mouth as a kind of makeshift sword. It’s pretty hard to hit. I can’t help but wonder if it’s fighting us out of territorial instinct for us appearing in its home or if it’s trying to defend itself while thinking we’re there to kill it. This thing came from the main K corp branch which uses tears to create healing salves. I wonder if any of those tears were supplied by the abnormality as a side contract. That’s just sad to think about. Now I feel even worse for the poor thing. Signing off.

Chapter Text

[TRANSCRIPT OF REDACTED NOTES. TRANSCRIPT START.]

I wonder who has the title for the most horrific Singularity in the City. I’m going to assume the Head has to for them to have ruled it for so long. K Corp probably doesn’t rank in the top five thinking about it, but it is still weird. We used the HP Ampules back when I worked for L Corp. There were machines in the central room of each of the departments that sprayed it as condensed mist every half hour or so to heal any scrapes or bruises. Any major injuries were dealt with by using the same ampules the K Corp guards used but obviously we had less of them. To think they came from a monster like that. Frankly, a giant eyeball that cries liquid that resets a person out of existence could have been an abnormality should K Corp have collapsed instead of L Corp. It explains a whole lot though. The healing speed comes from essentially rewinding an injury instead of healing it. N Corp was allowed to riot because they needed scenes of sorrow to make the tears. I get it but I really don’t like it. Then again, when did a Wing ever listen to one of its feathers?

[TRANSCRIPT END. NOTES REDACTED UNDER REQUEST OF K CORP.]

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Abnormality T-02-11-04. Code Name: Shock Centipede. The thing is a giant robotic centipede that can generate a seemingly endless supply of electricity. It seems that some other corporation, we’ve narrowed it down to K corp due to it popping up in Yi Sang’s golden bough fueled visions and W Corp since the battery cells it fills have it’s logo on it, figured that out too because whenever we find it in the Mirror Dungeon it’s hooked up to some kind of giant power device. We can disconnect it in there as many times as we want but, in the real world, it’s probably still trapped. As much as I’d like to get mad at that, I can’t really say we weren’t doing the same. Gathering energy from abnormalities was L Corp’s goal after all.

Unfortunately, its endless power generation makes it hard to actually destroy. Even when we beat it within an inch of its life it keeps itself running with its own charge though it does deplete much faster when it does that. Other than that, it has the ability to charge a number of devices in its own body such as electrical based weapons or a barrier shield. I can imagine this thing would have been a nightmare to deal with when it breached in the company. Especially if it could interact with the facility's power and breach other things. With something like this in there, the L Corp agents at it’s facility must have been tough. Shame that none of them seem to be around anymore. Just like everywhere else… Signing off.

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Dongbaek. We don’t really have a classification number for other EGO users but Faust told me to write a file for her anyway just in case we see her again in the Mirror Dungeon or the Railway while we’re training there. Dongbaek was a friend of Yi Sang, just like Dongrang was. She was the leader of the TLA who wanted to revert the city to a time without technology by using a concept incinerator. She started in K Corp due to Dongrang though. I think she always knew he betrayed their group. She was also the first person we fought to use their own EGO like we can use.

Dongbaek’s EGO Spicebush allows her to grow and control plants. Not only could she do this out of the ground but out of us as well, using the roots and vines to bind people in place. Her abilities made her a swift and yet incredibly durable opponent to fight. In the end though, we did beat her. I wish she didn’t have to die. She seemed like a good person. We were able to see Yi Sang’s past and we saw her in the visions when she was younger. Even seeing what would make a group of close friends fall apart, I can’t quite believe it happened. I don’t know if he’d want me pitying him, especially now he seems to have accepted his past enough to actually smile for a change, but I can’t help it. I can see why he’s so down all the time. Signing off.

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Dongrang. Distortion O-04-09-47. A complicated one because he distorted initially but then managed to recover himself and awakened to an EGO like Dongbaek did earlier. Mister Dongrang was an interesting person. He wasn’t a monster like Kromer was. I think he was a victim just like a lot of other people in this city. That being said, I’m also not sure he’d agree with me. The fact he was able to transform his distortion into an EGO is a feat I don’t think many people would be capable of. He was definitely strong and had a lot of conviction in what he wanted to do.

Dongrang’s distortion took the form of a monsterous cow centaur who seemed more focused on devouring everything around him then actually fighting us. He grew these weird trees with trophies and chicken on them and seemed to hurt himself by attacking them. When he gained an EGO however, those plants he grew became a source of strength. Seeing the juxtaposition between Dongrang’s EGO and Distortion does make me wonder how each works fundamentally. It seems like one is powered by misery and one is powered by determination. Maybe that’s why Dongrang seemed to punish himself with the reminders of his failures, knowingly or not, as a distortion. I dunno. But… either way… He mentioned Ms Carmen. The Mother of L Corp. She was the one I talked to when I used the device that awakened my EGO. I wonder what her goals are. Oh. Uh. I’m speculating in my notes again. Sorry. Signing off.

Chapter Text

Doing this is the last thing I want to do right now. After matters in K Corp were over and we hit the road again, Vergilius told us that another level to the training dungeon had unlocked. Seems that the LCCA took some of the Abnormalities from K Corp’s main L Corp branch as some kind of payment. Not like it would have been smart to keep the bull there I guess. Either way, they’ve also been to other parts of the city. Now we’ve got even more skulking around. And one of them… it can’t have been until after L Corp collapsed. It’s… That thing was one of us. Does that mean Limbus is using L Corp’s singularity to make more abnormalities? The more I wonder about the people I work for, the less I find I like them. I’m here for Gregor and Rodya and everyone else. As long as I have them… I just won’t think about it. Signing off.

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Abnormality Code F-01-11-15. Code Name: Fairy Long Legs. I don’t even know what to say about this one honestly. But, since it’s my role, I guess I can try. He’s a tall, slender fae holding a clover as an umbrella and can summon an even bigger clover that… sure does something I think. The guy is cordial in appearance however it’s all a trick. The only time we’ve ever had to actually fight him was when Don accepted his kind offer of cover from supposedly dangerous rain and then almost lost her head from a surprise attack.

I think this one is somehow connected to the Fairy Gentlemen and maybe some of the other fairy abnormalities like Festival. I wonder if there’s a whole fairy society in the abnormality world. A whole society like that that just hates humanity and wants to eat us whole. That being said the Gentleman doesn’t seem to mind us so maybe it’s different depending on the fairy? Hmm. It’s something to speculate about if we ever run into any other Fairy abnormalities. I can only imagine how strong the monarchs are. Signing off.

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Abnormality Code T-05-67-05. Code Name: All Around Cleaner. Lobotomy Code: T-05-41. Oh, my dear sweet Paul. I mentioned it before but Paul, T-05-41 Codenamed All Around Helper, was a favourite of my facility for the time he was there. Despite being a HE abnormality, he was pretty easy to work with and not all too bad to take down due to being fragile if a complete menace due to his speed. Claire, one of our heads of Central, also pointed out his motions looked like he was dancing and it was such a cute idea that I couldn’t unsee it. All Around Cleaner seems to be a version of Paul if he was actually doing what he was designed for. Y’know. Helping all around.

Cleaner is a sad little gal or at least I’m assuming it’s a she from the voice. She seems to only want to be special. From speaking with her, I think she knows about the All Around Helper massacre that ended with one of them in L Corp to begin with. She’s sad about being a normal robot. I tried telling her she is special in her own way but I don’t think she listened. It’s a shame. If we could find the corp she’s being held in, I’d like to bring her with us. She’s more sentient than Paul was. Hmm. I should give her a name like Claire did. Maybe she’d like that. I’m going to call her Lucy. I hope I can convince her she’s special too. Maybe someday, Signing off.

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   Abnormality Code T-03-26-03. Code Name: Forsaken… haaa… Forsaken Employee. Lobotomy Code: T-01-54. I… hate that I feel so connected to this one. I mean it feels personal. It’s pretty obvious what it is. It’s an aberration of the Forsaken Prisoner, a pretty weak abnormality that ended up in our department not long after I joined, though didn’t stick around too long. In essence, I guess this one is the same. But it’s… I don’t know. I don’t like looking at it. It’s obviously meant to be… like us. It was abandoned and thrown away. It found comfort in whatever Enkephalin was left in its facility like I used the Spark Office and now Limbus as… I’m done talking.

    Fine. Fine, I’ll do my job. I’m pretty sure this one was formed after L Corp’s collapse somehow. It can’t have been around before because it wouldn’t make much sense. I know some people in my old workplace used to claim that Abnormalities existed beyond time, space and logic but… how could it have predicted this? And those words… How? How the hell am I meant to forget? How can I just leave you all behind. I... Alex, I’ve tried but… You were all my family. I can’t just forget you and move on. I just can’t! WHY IS THIS THING HERE?! IT’S LIKE IT’S MOCKING ME FOR SURVIVING! I DIDN’T ASK FOR THIS! I JUST… S…Signing off. 

Chapter Text

The Mirror Dungeons had started out as a place where the Sinners trained on off days. Now, however, it had turned into something to relieve boredom on the road between the city. They’d left K Corp’s nest now, the bus having parked in the backstreets. Faust had revealed an update to the system they’d used. Now the place went even further below. They’d basically scoped out what they could explore after they’d dealt with Kromer in Sinclair’s home town. Now whatever was making the visions was tossing in their new foes. The Rosespanner Fixers that Shrenne had hired or the EGO wearing Technology Liberation Front.

That wasn’t all they found either. There were new abnormalities in there with them too. Some were pretty easily connected to others they’d seen, like two hospital themed abnormalities who seemed to be a follow on of the creepy nurse thing they’d seen in their first runs through this place or abnormalities they’d seen hints off through discarded gifts that they’d only now just met. Most of them were passive, much as they’d been before, or could only be seen in gaps in the dimensions, like how they’d seen the Electric Centipede or the Fairy Gentlemen before they’d seen them in K Corp’s second facility. Some were more hostile, like the long legged fairy using a clover as an umbrella or the abnormalities from K Corp she assumed the LCCA had thrown in like the others.

When they found it, Yuri had just frozen and stared. The abnormality was a humanoid figure in a straight jacket. Nothing like that would have thrown her. But it was the area it was in and what was on it’s head that stopped her dead. The red lights flashing overhead revealed a decrepit and decaying corridor, a broken door hanging open and revealing the abnormality in it’s corner. From the colours and signs that she could make out, she could already tell it was another facilities Safety department. The abnormality itself had a box over its head, a golden fluid she’d seen far too many times covering it’s face. This thing hadn’t existed before the fall of L Corp. This thing was new.

“ Geez. Look at this poor sod.” Heathcliff said, prodding the poor thing with the tip of his bat.

“ Is it… drowning?” Ishmael asked, folding her arms. “ What is that?”

“ Enkephalin.” Faust told her.

“ As in the shit that Old L Corp produced?” Heathcliff hummed. “ Odd.”

“ Do we help it?” Gregor asked. “ It looks pretty chained up at the moment.” He looked over at Yuri but she just stared at it blankly.

“ It does look like it needs it.” Sinclair said with a frown. “ But if it’s locked up like that, maybe it’s for a good reason.”

“ Well, if it is, we can just beat it up later. Stand back. I’m gonna break it free.” Heathcliff raised his bat, ready to smash the lock off the mask to free the precious liquid within.

“ Let’s go.” Yuri said. The others looked at her.

“ Not to doubt our resident expert or anything but are you sure?” Ishmael asked.

“ That’s all it has left. Leave it be. Let’s go.” Yuri just closed her eyes and turned to go. The others looked between each other. Gregor and Sinclair just nodded at each other and went to follow her.

“ Wait. Are we actually leaving this tosser?” Heathcliff asked. “ It ain’t given us anything yet.”

“ You sound like a thief.” Ishmael shook her head. “ C’mon.”

“ Psh. Fine. Whatever.” Heathcliff relented. The Sinners began to leave. However, the rattling of chains echoed as they all left the cell.

“ You…” A raspy voice called, sounding distorted due to the liquid between it and them. “ Are… you… us?” Yuri paused at the door. She felt her heart beating in her ears. It was just as she thought. It was an allegory for the people that had been trapped by the collapse of L Corp. She closed her eyes.

“ Yes.” She admitted.

“ How… do… you… do… it?” The abnormality asked. “ How… do… you… cope?”

“ I don’t.” She answered truthfully.

“ Forget… us.” The abnormality lowered its head once more. “ Please. Forget… us.” Yuri kept walking, not stopping till the area distorted into coloured fragments again. She tried to keep her composure. Tried not to show how much it bothered her as the others followed her out. She pressed her head against a wall of flittering shards that kept them on the right path. She felt like her heart was being crushed in a vice. Don’t think about it, she told herself. Don’t let it out. Keep your composure, damnit. Don’t let it out.

“ What the hell was that?” She heard Heathcliff ask. “ What the fuck was it talking about?”

“ God, you’re insufferable.” Ishmael growled. “ Everyone, come on. Let’s make sure the area is safe. Gregor. Could you…” Gregor nodded. Before he could complain further, Ishmael had already grabbed Heathcliff by the arm and was strong arming him down the path, the others following behind her. Rodya and Sinclair gave her a worried look but kept moving. Gregor placed a gentle hand on her arm.

“ Hey. Are you good?”

“ How’d you do it?” Yuri asked. “ How’d you keep going?”

“ You mean… after the Smoke War.” Gregor sighed. “ I guess it just got easier. I felt guilty of course. I abandoned my post. You saw my memories just like everyone else. There’s a lot I wish I could’ve done differently. I just try not to dwell on it.”

“ So what? You just run away from your problems?”

“ Call me a coward if you want. I know it’s not a healthy coping mechanism but I can’t let myself stay in the past, even if I am reminded of it every waking moment thanks to dear old Mom’s surgery. But you know bottling these things up isn’t a good way of dealing with it either, Yuri. Have you talked to anyone about it?”

“ Who would I even talk to?” Yuri growled, pushing herself off the wall. “ Aya? Those machines from Mors Industry? Certainly not Hopkins. What happened in L Corp that day was my problem. I’ll deal with it in my own way.”

“ I’m not telling you not to. But I am saying you don’t have to deal with it on your own. I tried it. Rodya tried it. Sinclair tried it and so did Yi Sang. You saw what happened to us. So please. Talk to me. I’ll listen.” Yuri lowered her head. She took in a shaky breath.

“ I… I can’t.” She said. “ I’m just… I can’t.” Gregor slowly nodded.

“ That’s fine. If you’re not ready to talk, I won’t force you too. But, just know that when you are ready, you can come to me. I’ll listen.” He gave her a gentle smile.

“ You… promise.”

“ Yeah. Promise.” Yuri laughed light before wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

“ I’m a mess. Sorry for making you worry so much.”

“ Hey. We’re a team now right? A more sentimental guy might call us a family.”

“ A really dysfunctional family.”

“ The most fucked up family this city has ever known.” The two shared a laugh.

“ Thanks Gregor.” Gregor gave a confused hum. “ I needed that.”

“ Heh heh. Hey. I’m good company. I think being the one guy who Heath hasn’t tried braining yet speaks volumes.” Gregor said proudly.

“ I guess. Or maybe he thinks you’ll just sprout back without the managers help.”

“ Like a cockroach. Ha ha.” Gregor rolled his eyes.

“ We should go meet up with the others.”

“ You sure? We can stay a bit longer.”

“ Yeah. I’ll have to thank Ishmael later. I appreciate her being so thoughtful.” Yuri smiled lightly. She thought back to the Forgotten Employee. Maybe she had been like that once. Maybe she still was in some ways. The difference was that she did have people who cared about her now at least on some level. She wasn’t ready to speak about L Corp yet to anyone. She needed to get her own thoughts in order first. She thought about it a lot but she always tried to keep it separate from her present self. Sometimes, she felt she was two different people. The Sinner and former Spark Office Fixer and the L Corp employee still working on the abnormalities. She knew she needed to move on but how could she do that when she was still stuck there? One day she’d get the courage to let go and she’d talk to Gregor and let it all fall out but that day wasn’t going to be anytime soon.

Chapter Text

Yuri watched as the Mika banged away at Mephistopheles, welding another heap of scrap to it’s chassis. “ It’s… kinda boat looking.” She admitted. It was starting to take shape now. There was a rounded shape forming on the left side like the hull of a ship. At least there work wasn’t in vain. Beside her, Charon let out a small hum. “ Are you OK, Charon? I know your fond of it.”

“ I’m fine. Verg said this was needed. Mephi is levelling up. Charon is proud. Like Mephi, I shall also become seaborne. Glub glub.” Yuri giggled at Charon’s determined look.

“ Alright. Well, at least it’ll be easier to see the sun on the Great Lake. You’ve been getting better at directions lately.”

“ The destination is in Charon’s heart. But Verg said I needed to know how to read signs.” She admitted. “ Limbus Company is annoying. Charon wish I could drive wherever I wanted. It would make things easier.”

“ Yeah. It would make life so much simpler if everyone could simply do whatever they wanted whenever they wanted to. It’s a shame life doesn’t work that way.” Yuri admitted. “ Do you know how to drive a boat?”

“ Driving Mephi won’t change.”

“ I-I guess.” Yuri laughed nervously. A rustle in the trash nearby caught her attention. She was quick to put a hand on her sword, her eyes snapping to that direction. Those trash crabs had ambushed them enough times for her to become wary of the rustling of rubbish. However, she relaxed as she saw Ishmael stepping out into the open, notebook in hand. “ Oh. It’s just you. Are you OK, Ishmael? You’ve been on edge lately.”

“ I’m not on edge. I’m just getting prepared. Just like you all should be.”

“ Ishy is making no sense.” Charon pouted.

“ We’re not prepared. Charon, can you help me convince our guide we should try somewhere else? Surely V corp has a Golden Bough we can take instead. Or how about L-”

“ No.” Yuri said sharply. “ Ah. Sorry.”

“ V Corp then.” Ishmael nodded.

“ Verg does what Verg wants to do. And Charon wants Mephi to complete his evolution into floating Mephi. Glub glub.”

“ Are you serious?” Ishmael grumbled.

“ You’re worried you’re next aren’t you?” Yuri asked.

“ No. I don’t care about all of that. I just know if we go out there, that bastard is going to kill us all because we’re not ready for it and none of you are listening to me.”

“ I think you just need to calm down, Ishmael.” Yuri said, trying to be reassuring. “ We’ll get through this together just like we always do.”

“ No, we won’t. Why won’t any of you listen to me? Life on the Ocean is far, far worse than life on land. It doesn’t matter what you think you know because you’re wrong. We need time. We need to prepare and train. We need to be ready. Not scrounging for scrap or playing volleyball or roasting crab over a campfire. We don’t have time for any of it. Not that I expect either of you to get it.”

“ Ishy.” Charon pouted. “ Shush.”

“ No. I’m sick of everyone acting like nothing's wrong. It’s like I’m the only one with any sense left all of a sudden. And talking like we’re a team. Just because you’re the only one here that didn’t sign a contract, Yuri, doesn’t mean you get to pretend to be as selfless as our manager thinks we all are.” Yuri grit her teeth.

“ Then help us understand instead of acting like you are above us then.” She said, annoyed.

“ I would if any of you would bother to listen.” She snapped. “ None of you can possibly imagine what’s out there. The horrors that surpass human imagination. Just because you’ve dealt with a few abnormalities don’t think that-”

“ A few abnormalities?” Yuri cut her off sharply. “ Did you forget where I used to work? If there’s anyone here who knows horrors beyond human imagination it’s me.”

“ Those things are nothing.” Ishmael scoffed. “ Psionic storms. Giant octopi with a million eyes. Creatures who can mesmerise a person into jumping into that echoing deep. What do you know about any of that? How can you compare your cushy little wing stint with a voyage on the Great Lake? What do you know about losing-” Yuri’s hand moved before her mind could catch it. A loud slap echoed around the boatworks, earning a few eyes.

“ Don’t make the mistake of thinking you're the only one who’s lost people, Ishmael!” Yuri shouted. “ You’re right when you say the abnormalities we’ve fought are the tip of the iceberg. One WAW and no ALEPH. We’re lucky we’ve had it so easy up until now. L Corp wasn’t cushy. Every day we lost someone. Every day we had to witness things I can’t even begin to explain. I don’t understand what you went through. I’m not going to pretend I do. But don’t think I had it easy. Or would you like to remind you how I lost my eye? Or the story behind Alex?” Ishmael just stared at her, stunned and holding her face. “ Well?!” She opened her mouth to speak but then closed it again.

“ Forget it.” She turned and walked off. Yuri panted heavily as she watched her go, trying to ignore the tears stinging her good eye. She sighed and looked down dejectedly, watching the green water lap over her shoes. The placed a hand over the blue tie on her leg. She knew that Ishmael was just stressed out. She knew she didn’t mean it. But it still hurt.

“ Of all the people to cause a commotion, you were admittedly not on the bottom of my list, tour guide. Close but not quite there. ” Yuri froze at the dry voice behind her. She turned around to see Vergilius glaring down at her. She swallowed, voice suddenly stuck in her throat. “ I’m not sure if Dante relayed this information or if it slipped that clock shaped mind of his, but you were only allowed to stay so long as you pulled your weight and didn’t cause us any added problems.”

“ I-I’m sorry.” Yuri stuttered. She felt fear from that piercing red gaze. She had seen how the man operated and knew, as a colour fixer, that nothing she or any of the others could do would even phase him. If he wanted her dead and buried at the bottom of U-Corp’s Great Lake then that’s where she’d end up. Time seemed to stop as she tried to weigh up her options. Then, she felt arms wrap around her shoulders.

“ Don’t be mean to Yuri, Verg.” Charon huffed. “ Ishy was being mean.” Vergilius stared at the girl behind her, who returned it with an annoyed pout. Finally, Vergillius sighed.

“ Then I suppose I’ll need to have another talk to Ishmael about matters regarding her contract.” Vergillius huffed.

“ What… was this about a contract?” Yuri asked.

“ Hmm? Oh, of course. You wouldn’t know due to the… unique conditions of your recruitment.” The man sighed. “ Well, it’s not exactly a secret. Each of the Sinners has signed a contract. When the mission is done, they will receive something they desire. It’s as Ishmael said. No-one’s here for a selfless reason. Including you, correct?” Yuri decided not to answer that. A part of her couldn’t help but agree with him. Maybe it was selfish for her to force her ideals of a place to belong on the others. But what else could she do at this point? “ Well, I’ll be going back inside now. I expect you all will be going on another walk along the seaside soon enough. Contract or no contract, I expect you to do your best for the mission, Yuri.” With that, Vergilius headed back towards the Molar Boatworks workshop, barely making a sound even through the tides. Yuri let out a heavy breath.

“ I thought he was going to kill me.” She breathed.

“ No. Verg is a softy deep down.” Charon let go of Yuri.

“ Thanks, by the way.”

“ Yuri is a good person.” Charon said. “ Charon likes her. The most agreeable Sinner on Mephi.”

“ Eh heh. Thanks but... still though. I shouldn’t have riled her up like that.”

“ Ishy is worried about the voyage. She’ll get over it.”

“ I hope your right.” Yuri sighed. She was in a bad place right now. Ishmael had helped her in the past. It was Yuri’s turn to help her. After all, what were friends for?

Chapter Text

Some of the abnormalities we’ve found in the Mirror Dungeon aren’t hostile. Well, not always anyway. Just like they did back in L Corp, they give us gifts from time to time if we work well with them though can also just as easily hurt us if we do well. Some of them I actually recognise from my past. I worked with some of them. Not all of them, but a few like Stuck in Heaven and My Form Emptiness. I don’t think Thunderbird is here though. I dunno. My EGO channels it’s memory and I still carry it’s blade. I think I’d be able to sense it by now. Well, if it is here, I’m sure I’ll find it eventually. I think I’ll write some notes on it. Just in case. Signing off.

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Code Name: Thunderbird. Lobotomy Code:  O-02-101-W. I think out of every abnormality, Thunderbird is the one I’m closest too. Thunderbird and I entered the facility within weeks of each other and it was the first major abnormality I worked on. It was the abnormality my EGO, Eye of the Storm, came from when I was the Head of Information. I worked on it the most to the point it was the abnormality I became designated to deal with when it started getting rowdy due to deterrence meltdowns. And, in the end, it was the last Abnormality I faced in L Corp and then one that took my eye. Even now, I use the sword that came from it. Sometimes, I trace a finger over the feather designed engravings on the metal. It’s… always comforted me for some reason.

I’m… getting off topic. Thunderbird is an Aberration of the Abnormality Firebird and both are pretty much the same in power if opposites in demeanour. While Firebird creates a hostile environment while being non-malicious and even helpful sometimes, Thunderbird is hostile and hard to deal with but the atmosphere it creates helps to soothe the mind. Basically, it’s a living electroshock therapy device. The thing itself is vicious and looks like it’s made of storm clouds. It attacks with lighting and is fast and relentless. If it gets too high in the air, none of us will be able to hit it. With the area changing to fit the abnormality instead of being stuck in L Corp’s corridors, I worry that may become a real danger should we have to fight it. I… I can’t help but want to see it again. If it’s in the mirror dungeon or if it escaped and flew away to somewhere else in the city, I can’t say for sure. But… Part of me just needs to face it again. I can’t explain why. It’s just an urge I can’t explain. Ah. I should stop before Miss Faust complains about getting too personal again. Signing Off.

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Code Name: Stuck in Heaven. Lobotomy Code: O-04-72. Loki used it’s EGO Bound, which let him fire thorns into abnormalities which tried to root themself to the ground. It was a good capture tool despite it’s weak power, perfect for a strategic trickster like the Control Team’s Loki was before… A-a-anyway. Stuck in Heaven is an Aberration of the Burrowing Heaven, an abnormality that was confined to the main branch according to it’s notes. It wasn’t the only one like, thinking about it. We had an abnormality known as the Lungs of Craving that were the Aberration of one like that called the Heart of Aspiration. I wonder if they were too dangerous to be allowed to leave or something.

I didn’t work on Stuck in Heaven more than maybe once or twice but I know enough about it to know that the abnormality isn’t the person we saw when we found it. It’s the brambles that are everywhere in that room. I don’t know if the person is one of my former colleagues or one of the Limbus agents that came to pick it up but it’s not the first time someone made a mistake when dealing with it and got bound by it. It’ll eventually get broken down by Stuck in Heaven and, due to the hold it has on the body, it’s easier to just leave it then to try and pry it free. Looking at it riles it up, so it’s better to just follow its gaze and look away from it til work is over. Loki always said working with it was calming since he could get notes or other work done since looking at a clipboard or paperwork counted as not looking at it. I wonder what he’d think of all of this. Uh. Sorry. Signing Off.

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Code Name: Lost Passenger. Lobotomy Code: O-01-137. Lost Passenger was the Abnormality that gave Miles, who was the Security team captain, his EGO Dimension Shredder, a simple sword that let the user open up tears in reality and warp from one part of the facility to another, which was really helpful during high risk situations. The abnormality itself was… and I guess still is… disgusting. It’s arms are blades and it’s body is a distorted mass of flesh and teeth. The most troubling part is that it wears a ragged jump suit with the W Corp logo on it. It was a pretty widely debated subject if this one was an actual Warp Corp employee that maybe fell off the train mid transit or something or an extraction of someone who maybe feared W Corp. It’s notes, or what we were allowed to access, didn’t help either side.

We hated when this thing breached. It’s slippery. It often teleported between departments just to make our lives painful and, when it did stand and fight, slashed quickly and relentlessly. Sometimes it just opened portals to fake us out only to slash at someone from a random direction using it. The fact that it could strategise like that also did not help the debate on what the Lost Passenger actually is. I personally don’t want to believe they were once human but… well, no-one really knows how W Corp’s trains operate. I’ve only been on one a few times when I wanted to visit friends or relatives in another district and I can’t really remember much. Then again, who really remembers any uneventful ten seconds anyway? Signing off.

Chapter Text

I’m worried about Ishmael. We got into a fight when we were helping the Molar Boatworks upgrade Mephi and now she won’t talk to me. Whenever she speaks with someone after we set sail, she does it really matter of factly. She doesn’t even sit with us anymore. She just stays in her room until called for training. Everytime she looks at me or Heathcliff though, her eyes narrow and she quickly looks away. At least her voice to the rest of us is civil though. Her words to Vergilius and the Manager are full of venom. I just hope she gets better whenever we reach the Golden Bough and leave. I miss her. Signing off.

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Abnormality Code O-06-21-16. Code Name: Steam Transport Machine. It seems like its a work robot of some kind. There some kind of clock that might be it’s power source. Then again, it’s name kind of proves that inference wrong. Steam Transport Machine. It’s certainly a steam based machine from how it attacks. It had this massive steam cannon though it was pretty brittle. Despite that though, it didn’t slow down even without it. It must have specific order coded into it, like Paul and his love for cleaning. Perhaps defending it’s domain is one of those orders. Or defending itself? I can’t really say for sure. Though it’s… weird. 

The last railway we went through had certain points where we’d randomly end up back at the beginning as if time rewound or something. All our progress was reset and every enemy we defeated came back and something seemed to strengthen them. This thing might be the cause of that. Every time we passed it by, it seemed to know how we moved and adapted to it. Every loop made the enemies we faced tougher but this thing was on a different level. Maybe it was designed to guard the railroad. But who would have given it that order? Signing off.

*****************************

Abnormality code F-01-11-15. Code Name: Faelantern. Judging from it’s name and EGO, I’m guessing it’s an aberration of the Meat Lantern, Lob code O-04-84. Meat Lantern was a short-lived guest in District 4. I think it was short lived in most places. It felt like the different facilities were playing hot potato with the thing and for good reason. When it escaped, it planted itself in the ground randomly and then just ate anyone too unobservant to notice the flower poking through the metal floor. Between Ebony Queen and how much went on, it wasn’t the easiest thing to spot in the world. At least Faelantern is bigger.

Faelantern looks like an old burned tree with a glowing fairy floating around it. Of course, like Meat Lantern, its true form is hidden under the ground and is far more lethal than it initially looks. Annoyingly, this thing also has the power to mind control people into a blissful state that makes them want to approach and play with the fae. Yes, I got caught by another Abnormalities mind warping effect. Don’t judge me. Either way, the fairy is brittle and it’s pretty easy to break the core once it’s revealed. So long as not too many people get mesmerised of course. Signing off. 

*****************************

Abnormality Code O-04-21-22. Code Name: Sign of Roses. This one just frankly disturbs me. It feels like I’m trespassing something I can't really understand when I look at the sign. There’s a few abnormalities that feel like that. Symbols of some forgotten religion or something. There’s… not really such a thing as religion in the City. Sure, there’s cults. The Church of Gears or the Index are good examples of that. The difference between them and these abnormalities is that they praise something people understand really well as a form of escapism. The Index believe the City will save them in some way and the Gears believe morphing their body to fit more in line with the City will make their lives easier. I don’t get all of that but whatever makes people happy.

The sign is probably from one of those religions that died at some point in the cities history. I learned about a few of them from research gathered from other abnormalities. Taoism, Buddhism, Paganism, Shintoism, etc. Words that probably once meant a lot but now are only dead echoes that hang around these abnormalities. Did not mean to sound so poetic there. Anyway, Rose Sign. I think it’s meant to be a body wrapped in roses and thorns pinned to a cross shaped sign that seems to love collecting sins. Whatever flowers are binding it are aggressively defensive and can summon more of itself. Each rose seemed to correspond to certain sinners. Heath got the Red one, Faust got the purple one, I got a white one. Scrap the flowers, scrap the abnormality. Dunno what this thing's deal was but it felt like My Form Emptiness at times. I hope there’s not more abnormalities that pray on sinners. Plenty of them go around in this city. Signing off.

Chapter Text

The fact that they hadn’t talked much since their fight back on shore made Yuri uneasy whenever she saw Ishmael. It didn’t help that she spent most of the time in her room until they were at the borders of the first zone of the Great Lake. Her single minded compulsion was also really noticeable. She didn’t act like the woman that she’d known these last few months travelling with Limbus Company. Ishmael was aloof, sure, but she was kind and level headed. This Ishmael though moved through things as if the world was going to end in a few days time, usually ending with a murder or an attempt at one at any rate.

Yuri didn’t quite understand until they ran into the Whale of the Porpous Hand and witnessed the mermaids first hand. Seeing that made Yuri understand what Ishmael had been through. The monster was gigantic and all they saw was a single hand. The whale would have been a match for most abnormalities on record and Ishmael had called it the nice one of the five.

When she saw Ishmael leave the cabin, Yuri followed behind her. She saw her staring out at sea. “ Come on.” She muttered to herself. “ You’re better than this. We’re in reach now. Just hold out a little while longer.”

“ Ishmael?” The red haired Sinner jumped at her name.

“ Huh? Yuri?” She sighed, turning back to the ocean. “ What do you want?”

“ Just curious. You look at the sea how I look at L corp you know.” Yuri leaned against the ship.

“ I told you not to compare them.”

“ I know. But I can’t help comparing something I don’t understand with something I do. I think that’s how a lot of people cope in this world.” Yuri shrugged. “ I never left District 4. L Corp is how I know what I know. Like the Mermaids and the Whales.” Ishamael looked surprised by that.

“ You… knew about them?”

“ One of our abnormalities was known as the Undying Admiral. He was a man who was lost at sea on the Great Lake. He was trapped by the waves, unable to return to safe harbour. Cursed to drift the Great Lake forever.”

“ Oh. I know that one. It was one of the more popular ghost stories sailors told.” Ishmael nodded. “ The cursed captain Deckard rides the black waves in the Great Lake. He lost his crew but he himself remains alive but cannot return to port. The waves trap him, unable to leave. If you ever see the black, decaying ship on the horizon, pray you're not on course to meet it or you will suffer from his fate.”

“ Some abnormalities are born from popular myths and legends. It makes sense that such the admiral would be one too if the story is so popular. He told stories of his travels to those who worked with him. Some talked of the mermaids and the whales.”

“ Why didn’t you tell them anything?”

“ They were stories from an abnormality. You’ve seen how sane they are. Besides, if you told someone in a nest in E corp that U corp has sea monsters that turn people into fishmen, would you think they’d believe you?”

“ This is why I wanted you to listen. If we went to V Corp and trained harder then maybe we’d have a chance. But now I guess we just have to do what we can and hope it’s enough. So long as I can kill her then it’s fine.”

“ Her? You mean the whale?”

“ That’s part of it but it’s just a means to my true goal. The whale ate my captain. All this time, I’ve just wanted to pay her back for all the people she damned in her stupid crusade.”

“ All this was for revenge for your comrades?”

“ If you had the chance to kill the bird who took your eye, wouldn’t you?” Yuri stared out to see. She raised a hand and rubbed the bandages on the side of her head.

“ I don’t know.” She admitted. The two remained silent, simply listening to the sound of the waves of the Great Lake as they washed against the ship. Ishmael sighed.

" Don’t you feel anything for it? The beast that took your friends?”

“ That wasn’t Thunderbird. Thunderbird was just the last abnormality I faced. The one I… feel connected to. Even now, just talking about it makes my head ache. Even so, I don’t hate it. I don’t know how to put it into words.” She looked down at the waves, catching her reflection in the green waters. “ The thing that killed Alex and the others was L Corp itself. And L Corp is destroyed. The Library that grew in its place is gone. I have nothing to aim for if I wanted to avenge them. I… I’m not ready to go to District 13 yet but I know there’s nothing there for me. Heh. I guess you’re right when you say I can’t understand you, huh?”

“ Hey! You two!” Yuri and Ishmael looked back at Heathcliff’s shouting. “ You see that bloody building yet? Outis says it’s on the radar.” Yuri looked up. Shrouded in fog, she saw it. It was built high on metal scaffolding high above the ocean. Through the fog though she could see the symbol of L Corp.

“ Yep.” Ishmael called back. “ It’s there.” Yuri tightened her hand into a fist. She wondered what horrors she’d find this time. She didn’t hear of any survivors at the port ship they were on. She wondered if they'd been washed away by the tides and drowned in the sea. Perhaps that would be merciful compared to becoming a Mermaid. As Mephistopheles drew closer however, something became obvious about the facility.

" Here we go again. Wonder if there's anymore ghost stories locked away in there." Ishmael paled and began to shake. “ What… is that white stuff?” She asked.

“ That bastard…” She muttered. “ It was really here.”

“ The White Whale?”

“ The Pallid One. The one who…” Her breathing became erratic. “ It was here. It really was here just like that stupid kid said. We’re getting closer. Soon. Soon. I’ll crush it. I won’t let anything get in the way of that.”

“ You… can’t do it alone. Do you want help?”

“ You?” Ishmael raised an eyebrow. “ Why?”

“ Because we’re friends, right?”

“ Friends?” Ishmael huffed before heading back in. “ Keep that sort of sappy thought for the land.” Yuri’s mouth became thin. She hung her head back over the ship, closed her eye and sighed. No, she thought. She wouldn’t just abandon a friend in need. Ishmael was suffering. She probably couldn’t beat her back to her senses like she would if she was back in the facility but that wouldn’t stop her from helping whether Ishmael wanted her too or not. She wasn’t about to let another friend die. Not this time. Never again.

Chapter Text

Yuri watched as the Dream Devouring Sallid transformed into an egg. She breathed a calm sigh, closing her eye and sheathing her sword as Dante rewound Don Quixote, Heathcliff and Rodya back to life. “ Suppression complete.” She muttered. “ Everyone alright?”

“ Other than the three who were blown to bloody chunks you mean?” Gregor asked. “ Yeah. Fine.” Ahead of them, they heard slow clapping. Ishmael shot a hate filled glare at the sight of Ahab and two of her people stepping out into the open.

“ My, you lot are hardy ain’t ya?” Ahab laughed. “ Knew ya were good fighters but takin down a dolphin like that? Not bad.”

“ Ahab.” Ishmael growled.

“ Hey. Weren’t there more people with you?” Outis noted. She was right. Other than Starbuck and who she assumed was a kid from the height, the other members of the Pequod village were missing. Ahab chuckled, shaking her head.

“ They were useful.” She admitted. Suddenly, Yuri felt as though ice was forming in her heart at those words.

“ What… what did you do to them?” She asked.

“ You haven’t changed at all!” Ishmael shouted. “ Even now, you’re just using people to get what you want!”

“ I saved their lives. Without me, they’d be mermaids. Nothing wrong with me asking they repay that debt to get me to my target. They knew where they were going.”

“ You used your people… as sacrifices?” Yuri's face twisted into a snarl. All of a sudden, she understood exactly why Ishmael was so dedicated to murdering her. “ You have no right!”

“ I have all the right, girly. My crew must be dedicated to my goals the second they climb aboard my vessel. If not, what use have I for them?”

“ Captain’s right.” The boy said. “ She’s our only hope. Pip knows the captain will get us out of here no matter the cost.”

“ There's no… point in wor…rying about such… things now.” Starbuck hummed. Queequag just lowered her head.

“ You all…” Ishamael grimaced. “ Did their deaths mean nothing to you then?! Perth?! Tashtego?! Flask?! Stubb?! This maniac got them all killed and you’re all so willing to accept that!” There was no answer. Ishmael tightened her fist around her harpoon. “ Fine… Fine! Just get out of my way!” She shouted. As Ishmael got ready to fight, Yuri found herself stepping up with her, drawing her blade. She wasn’t alone either. Even though he’d just gotten healed up, Heathcliff was already on his feet and moving.

“ You prissy bitch.” He grumbled. “ What mad tosser would ever follow you?”

“ A poor excuse for a captain.” Next to Heathcliff was Outis, a steely eyed glare levelled on her enemy.

“ Monster.” Yuri said through gritted teeth. She meant it. The idea that someone could use her own people, people who worked for and trust her, was despicable. She’d been under the thumb of something like that once before, watching as people she came to call friends were disposed of for the sake of the company. At least Lobotomy corporation was acting to power the entire city, as much as she despised the company that damned her and the people she loved from D Corp’s facility. She hated that this woman would do the same just to kill one whale. “ What sort of selfish monster do you have to be to sacrifice so many people for so little?”

“ Now you’re understanding it.” Ishmael letting a small, manic laugh. “ I’m coming to take what you promised me, Ahab! From hell’s heart, I’ll kill you!”

***********************************

The waves were surprisingly calm as the Mephistopheles sailed back towards the City. With the Pallid Whale dead and the Golden Bough retrieved, they had no reason to remain on the Great Lake. Yuri was fine with that. She didn’t know how much she’d miss the City when they’d set sail but now she wanted nothing more than to eat some normal food and walk somewhere that wasn’t constantly swaying back and forth. It would be nice not to breath salt as well.

As she leaned over the side of the both, looking at herself in the black lake water, she heard the sound of footsteps. “ Couldn’t find a mirror?” Ishmael asked. Yuri turned around, resting her elbows on the ship’s rails.

“ Just relaxing. Not much else to do til we get back to shore. Well, unless we get attacked by another whale or something.”

“ Don’t tempt fate.” Ishmael shook her head. She rested on the rail beside the former agent.

“ You alright?”

“ Surprisingly so actually.” Ishmael admitted. “ I dunno. I spent so long of my life preparing for the moment where I’d finally end Ahab. Now that everything with her is settled though I feel… I dunno. Lighter. It’s strange.” She smiled nervously. “ Though… I was pretty rude to you and the others. I’m sorry about all that. I almost fell into the same abyss that Ahab did. Without you all there, I know I would have gone down with the ship.”

“ I’m just glad you're back to your old self.” Yuri admitted. “ It’s nice to see you smiling again.”

“ Heh. Well, it’s nice to actually smile again. It’s been… hmm… I’m not sure how long actually. I think the last time would have been on the Pequod actually. Early on in the journey before we learned how truly insane Ahab was. There was this time where me, Starbuck, Carpenter and Tashtego were playing cards. Queequag and Pip were watching to try and learn the rules. I swept them to the point Tashtego threatened to throw the deck into the Great Lake.”

“ We didn’t meet your entire crew did we?”

“ No. Even then, Pip wasn’t always as demented as he was when you briefly saw him. He was such a sweet kid when he first boarded. Then Stubb left him floating in a dingy alone. We barely managed to save him but after that… he was just never the same.” She sighed. “ Carpenter was nice. Blunt and irritable but she was nice. Tashtego was from District 14 and a killer shot. Flask and me didn’t see eye to eye on a lot of things. No-one really liked Stubb. Selfish bastard that he was. Despite everything though… we were friends. Almost family.”

“ I think I can relate to that. The team leaders were tight knit back in my L Corp days. Alex and the others.”

“ So you’ve mentioned. Heh. Guess we’re not so different after all.” She chuckled. “ Who do you think will be next then?”

“ Huh?”

“ Gregor, Rodya, Sinclair, Yi Sang and I have all had their turns. That leaves Seven. Eight if we include you. Just not sure if you’ll have a turn seeing as you were a late addition.”

“ I hope not.” She admitted. “ My past isn’t special anyway. It would just be the fall of L Corp.” Absent-mindedly, she scratched at the bandages around her missing eye. “ I relive that day enough in my dreams as it is.”

“ Well, if you ever feel down, you can talk to me. We’re friends after all.”

“ Right. Thanks Ishmael.” Yuri smiled. As she looked back out to sea, she could see the faint shadow of the city looming on the horizon. They were almost back. She didn’t know why but a sense of nervousness started filling her. They were almost back. That meant their next trial was just on the horizon.

Chapter Text

Yuri watched as the Middle thugs approached them, one leg crossed over the other and tossing a dagger into the air and catching it over and over. She watched with her sole good eye as the grinning blond girl approached Captain Gregor. He may not have been the captain officially of course but in terms of who actually kept the crew together? In her eyes, Gregor was the captain. “ Hi!” The Middle girl called cheerily. “ How art thou?”

“ Hello, Don Quixote.” Gregor sighed. “ Here for the usual?”

“ That’s right!” She grinned. Her eyes shifted in her direction. “ New pal?”

“ New Bosun. Old one got turned into a Mermaid on their last voyage. Yuri’s proven herself a few times over since she got here. Personable, reliable and a hell of a shot. That’s why I told the captain she was the best to fill the spot.” Yuri felt pride fill her when Gregor praised her like that. Truthfully, she’d not arrived here in the best place. After L Corp collapsed, she’d managed to escape the cursed rig and somehow escaped the waves til Gregor’s ship found her. He’d been the one to help her so she vowed to help him.

“ She’s cute.” Don smiled. “ Well, anyway. Thouest knows your crew is behind on the resources thine captain promised, right?”

“ Of course. Of course. Big Brother is nothing if not patient. He’s an incredibly chilled out guy. But even patient badasses like Big Brother have a limit. Unless thou art just trying to cheat us or maybe thou ist simply too inept to-” Don was cut off as a dagger flew past her, skimming her left ear and burying itself in the wall behind her. Yuri drew another dagger from her coat.

“ Don’t talk down to Captain Gregor like that!” She growled.

“ Yuri!” Gregor hissed.

“ Ooh. She’s got guts too.” Don grinned. She slowly traced her ear with a finger, stopping on a tiny cut. Behind her, the dark gaze of the little brother fell on her. “ No, Meursault. It’s OK. There’s nothing in the book about defending a friend in self defence to my knowledge.”

“ Title 7, section 49, row D, variation 2.” The man behind her recited. Don looked at him with shock.

“ Wait? Seriously?” She hummed. “ Well, alright. If she apologies now though, nothing needs to get serious.” The glow in her eyes faded as she looked back at Yuri. “Right?” Yuri recoiled slightly. The cheerful looking girl from before had become deranged. She tightened her hand around her daggers handle.

“ Yuri!”

“ Captain?”

“ I’m not your captain, Yuri. But please…” Yuri sighed, looking down. She’d screwed up.

“ I apologise for attacking you, Little Sister.”

“ See? That’s better, isn’t it? Water under the ship. We are allies in this noble endeavour so there is no need for hostilities. And as for the deal…”

“ I know where we can find something the Big Brother may find interesting. A place full of old treasures.” Yuri spoke up quickly. She made a mistake. She needed to fix it. “ Have you ever been to the L Corp facility on the Great Lake?” She offered a smile. And, if she was lucky, her old workplace would save Captain Gregor and her new crew from the Middle’s tyranny. After all, what did a leader of a city based syndicate really know about the horrors of the Great Lake?

Chapter Text

Well, I have to give Ishmael something. She was right about the Great Lake being something else. Between the whales and the mermaids, most things living in the lake could probably be classified as an abnormality in some way. Frankly, I’m surprised only the Admiral made it and that’s just a ghost story. Then again, maybe District 21 or some of the other facilities had some abnormalities like that and they just vanished. We only found three inside the Pallid Whale after all. It makes me shudder to think that some of them just fell into the lake and are now swimming around down there. Ugh. Now this voyage is over, I don’t think I’ll ever return to these waters ever again. Here’s hoping we don’t ever need to.

***************************************

Abnormality O-02-21-11. Code Name: Ambling Pearl. We’ve seen this one a few times through the cracks in the mirror dungeon so I suppose I should have guessed we’d meet it face to face on the lake. It’s a giant green clam that vomits green sludge. The sludge produces toxic gas that is dangerous to inhale. The clam also seems to survive off the sludge as it tries to eat them when it spits it out which was… gross. It’s not the worst thing I’ve seen on the job but it did make Emil throw up. 

The Ambling Pearl itself was tough to crack. Its shell caused most of our attacks to bounce off. However, when we managed to deal with the sludge piles and it ran out of juice, it collapsed and revealed its pearl. Just like a real clam, its insides were soft and it was pretty simple to suppress the thing after it opened its mouth. The real challenge is just getting to that point. Well, we always get better every time we face the abnormalities. Reminds me of how we agents dealt with the abnormalities back in the facility. Signing off.

**************************************

Abnormality T-03-21-09. Code Name: Skin Prophet. Feels weird to see something that’s main focus is fire and candles on the Great Lake though if they got some of the transferred abnormalities like we did, I suppose it makes sense it didn’t always belong here. Or maybe L Corp put it here because we’re surrounded by water. Not really sure. Either way, the Skin Prophet is pretty weird. I’m not sure what it’s even meant to be. It’s just this lanky red… thing that holds a book and writes burning letters into the air to attack us with its quill. It’s pretty simple for an abnormality in terms of how it works though.

An interesting thing about this abnormality is that it speaks in its own language. Thinking back to when we ran into it in the Mirror Dungeon, the book it wrote was written in the same strange language. It seems illegible gibberish and even hearing the words causes mental strain. I’d say this thing caused White damage in its facility either due to it speaking, writing or people reading the book. It does make me wonder if anyone actually tried translating it though. I highly doubt people who tried lasted too long though. It’s not too far apart from the Doomsday Calendar back home. Abnormalities have a bad habit of driving people insane when they try to understand them too well. Signing off.

*************************************

Abnormality T-02-21-06. Code Name: Dream Devouring Siltcurrent. I have to wonder if this thing is an allegory of some sort. It almost feels too perfect that we’re finding a whale-like abnormality that fights with blind rage while we’re inside a whale dealing with Ishmael who’s struggling with the same thing. Either way, this thing is massive. After Baba Yaga, it’s easily the largest abnormality we fought. It has the ability to swim through the air as if it was in water as well as make the surrounding air feel heavier somehow.

The way we beat this thing was turning it’s own tools against it. While we were fighting, like a lot of Abnormalities, it dropped something. This time it was some kind of broken rod that we were able to bait the Siltcurrent into attacking by hiding behind them. The rods on it’s back broke after a few charges and, with it, the air returned to normal. With the weight released though, I almost felt faster. I’ve heard of people using training weights so when they actually need to fight seriously they can do it with extra force. It was probably something similar. Well anyway, I think this may be the first proper WAW abnormality we’ve managed to take down that wasn’t weakened by L Corp’s deterrence mechanisms. I’m a little worried about that. If our foes are getting stronger than this journey is going to get harder. I just hope I’m over thinking about this. Signing off.

*************************************

Much like the other Egoists, we still don’t have a code I can use for Ahab yet. Just… number 3? I guess? Ahab is the person that Ishmael has been so focused on finding. The second we reached the Great Lake, her attitude shifted. After meeting Ahab, I can understand why. She’s one of those people who can persuade someone into doing anything. However, after hearing just how little she cared for the people who served her, I couldn’t help but feel a little bit of her rage too. I was projecting a little. I can admit that. After all, we were the same back then.  L Corp saw us all as disposable tools just like Ahab treated her own people. I just can’t stand people like that.

Her EGO was strange. It absorbed people and used their powers as her own, manifesting what may have been their own EGO as weapons for herself to use. She stored three, each from Ishmael’s old friends, and discarded their lives once they were spent. The boy’s EGO was some kind of hammer that slowed us down and made it harder to hit her. Starbuck’s EGO was some kind of bundle of spear that struck hard and fast. Finally was Queequag's, a giant harpoon that gave Ahab a very powerful defence. In the end though, Ishmael overcame her. She did the one thing Ahab had been obsessed with doing when she killed the Pallid Whale. Ahab just broke. It was a cruel mercy but Ishmael looks a lot happier now. I can’t help but wonder how it must feel to move on from your past. Ah. S-Signing off.

Chapter Text

After their unexpected jaunt into the Outskirts, Sinclair had closed himself off in his room. Yuri could guess why. If the gnomes' ramblings had been right then it was Christmas time or thereabouts. The same time when Kromer murdered Sinclair’s family. She’d notice him acting tersely while they were at the workshop, trying to keep himself together. He’d barely said a word the entire time, just tightening his hands around his weapon and fighting when he needed to fight. As soon as they were safe, he calmly entered his room and hadn’t moved from it for three days.

On the third night, Yuri once again knocked on his door. She and some of the others had tried getting him to open up but he’d refused. This time was different however. The door slowly creaked open. Yuri took that as her invitation to come in. Sinclair shut it behind her and sat on his bed. Yuri looked around the room. It was a nice place. Lavish. From the decorations and how her room manifested, Yuri had to assume this was his place from his old home. “ You good?” Yuri asked gently.

“ Sorry.” He said. “ Not in a festive mood.”

“ It’s alright. We… understand.” Yuri’s smile wavered as she thought of a joke. “ But hey. We killed Santa so you don’t have to worry about Christmas anymore.” Sinclair laughed. It wasn’t that funny of a joke but he appreciated it.

“ Thanks Yuri. For trying to cheer me up.”   

“ Hey. What are friends for?” Yuri smiled. “ Oh. Yeah.” Yuri reached into her coat pocket and took out a small white round plush. Sinclair looked surprised as she threw it at her. Looking at it, he noticed the wide smile and the beady black eyes.

“ What… is this?” He asked.

“ It’s… don’t laugh.” She blushed in embarrassment. “ Paul.”

“ Paul? That abnormality you said your facility like?” She nodded. “ Did you make this?” She nodded again, slower.

“ It’s… not much I know. But… well… I found some sewing stuff in a stall back in K Corp’s nest and used part of my allowance from what we were given after we got Yi Sang’s bough to buy it. I’m not very good at it but I figured out how to make stress balls with fluff and fabric. I know how much Charon likes these sorts of things so I’m gifting her a mini Paul as well. Just thought I’d make one for you as well. It’s… a present. D-Don’t feel like it’s… I know given the Christmassy atmosphere... If you’re not comfortable with the timing I can just-”

“ Thanks Yuri.” Yuri looked up. Sinclair was giving her a gentle smile as he held the plush toy. “ It’s… been a long time since I had a Christmas present.” Yuri scratched the side of her neck bashfully.

“ Eh heh. Think nothing of it, Emil.”

********************************

“ Here you are, Charon. You’re own Mini Paul.” Yuri said cheerfully, presenting the plush to Charon. Charon stared down at the small, round, white orb in her hands as it smiled up at her. Charon turned around and placed it next to her Bongy plush and patted it on the head.

“ Charon likes him. He’s very small.” Charon said.

“ Aw. That’s adorable.” Rodya grinned. “ We don’t get one?”

“ Sorry, Rodya. I only had enough materials to make three. I wanted to keep one myself so… I’ll make one for everyone else when we reach District 20. Promise. I-I’m sure the nest has some fancy material I can use.”

“ Three?” Yuri suppressed a flinch under Rodya’s teasing tone. “ Ooooh. So who got the third one?” Yuri didn’t answer but her eyes flicked to Sinclair who was shrinking in on himself. “ Eee hee hee. That’s so cute.” Both of them blushed fiercely.

“ Come on, Rodya. Stop teasing the poor girl. It’s nice she decided to make some gifts for her friends.”

“ T-Thanks, Gregor.” Yuri muttered.

“ Team Dad stepping up once again, eh?” Ishmael smirked. “ Though can we call this a marital spat?” Gregor made a strange choking noise as he tripped over himself trying to get a response out.

“ Aw. You think of me as your Mom, Ishy. I take that as a compliment.” Rodya grinned.

“ Heh. For the dysfunctional family dynamic this team has, sure.” Ishmael shrugged. “ With how you and Gregor act, Team Mom works well for Gregor’s Team Dad. Though, personally, I’d say more the cool aunt.”

“ I’ll take that too.” Rodya hummed. “ So that makes Sinclair, Charon and Yuri the youngest children and Heath the rebellious teen.”

“ How the fuck am I the rebellious teen?” Heathcliff grumbled.

“ You have nearly gotten us killed three times on the Great Lake alone. You’re absolutely the rebellious problem child.” Ishmael agreed.

“ You fucking-”

“ Oh. I can be the doting older brother. I was like that for my own siblings after all.” Hong Lu smiled.

“ Don’t encourage them, you twit!” Heathcliff shouted. Yuri couldn’t help but laugh at the situation.

“ LAND HO!” From outside, Don’s voice echoed. The others looked out of the windshield. The City was growing into view.

“ Home again home again.” Rodya said. “ Ah. And I was just getting used to the waves.”

“ Ah. Guess that means we have to say so long to little beak as well huh? Man, I’ll miss the little guy.”

“ Maybe he’ll decide to come with us. You never know.” Sinclair said reassuringly.

“ Heh. Nah. Couldn’t put the little guy in danger like that. He should live free.”

“ Uh. Wait. We have a problem.” Ishmael turned around. “ Vergilius. You said we were going to T Corp right?”

“ I did.” Vergillius nodded from his usual seat.

“ But… the way the skyline looks. That’s District 19’s dock.” The others looked at her.

“ Are you sure?” Rodya asked.

“ Before working with Ahab, I worked in one of the town ships. My workplace sometimes shipped me off to the mainland for supply line jobs, shifting Mermaid made items to districts the Great Lake bordered. I know the skylines of the districts by memory.” She pointed to one of the jagged structures on the heights, looking like a spire that grew from out of the city lines. “ That there is Jupiter Academy, one of the three great schools in S Corp’s nest. It’s hard to mistake it for anywhere else, especially buildings along the Great Lake.”

“ She’s right. That ain’t T Corp.” Heathcliff glared at Vergilius. “Hey. What gives? You told me just a few days ago that-”

“ Yes. I am aware of what I told you. However, situations change. This is a small detour. Nothing less, nothing more. We’ll still have plenty of time to make your appointment, Heathcliff. The Before Team found a cut and dry mission that we’re going to deal with. So long as you don’t mess it up, it shouldn’t take more than a day. Then we can cross into T Corps’ nest by the main road. Unless there’s an issue with that?” Heathcliff scowled but otherwise said nothing. “ Good. Now then Charon. Full steam ahead, yes?”

“ Glub glub.” Charon nodded. Yuri frowned. She looked out at District 19 as it came closer and closer into view. So long as the lake held, they’d be there in a few days. She took a seat and waited. As she did, she brought a hand up to her bandages. For some reason, her eye was hurting.

Chapter Text

Stepping onto the pier was a relief for all the Sinners. Rodya was the first to celebrate, stretching as soon as she stepped out of the Mephistopheles. “ Ah. It’s nice to be back on dry land.”

“ Finally. Free from the illness of the great lake.” Yi Sang smiled.

“ So this is S Corp” Yuri mused. “ Hmm. Seems lively enough.”

“ I suppose that’s one word for it.” Behind them, Vergilius emerged onto the deck of the ship. “ This isn’t a pleasure visit. According to the LCCB, there’s a golden bough that’s going to be simple to retrieve. I’m sending you all to meet with the office that claimed it.”

“ An office claimed a Golden Bough?” Rodya whistled. “ Must be impressive or lucky to brave an L Corp facility.”

“ You’ll see. Just get going. We’ll be turning the boat back into a bus in the meantime. Try not to cause too much trouble this time.” Vergilius waved at them with the back of his hands before ducking back inside.

“ S Corp huh. So that’s…”

“ District 19.” Faust cut Outis off. “ We are still in the backstreets. I believe it is under the control of the Cinq association. S Corporation has abandoned its backstreets in order to focus on the elites within its nest.”

“ It’s the district that manages Education.” Hong Lu said. “ I remember coming here when I was younger for boarding school.”

“ Why doesn’t it surprise me that you went to a rich kid school?” Heathcliff sighed. “ Welp, whatever. Let’s go.”

“ Do we even know where we’re going?” Yuri asked.

“ Not at all. But, after all that time we spent on that bloody lake, I think we earned some time off, aye? I still need those bloody dinner clothes after all.”

“ Hee hee hee. I like how you think, Heath.” Rodya grinned. 

“ Hmm. It’s fine if you wish to do some menial tasks while we’re here. Just remember that we have a mission.” Faust stated.

“ Gotta rip the fun outta everything.” Heathcliff sighed.

“ Hey. Urayuli. Where do you wanna go first?”

“ Huh? Me? Uh…” Yuri hummed. What did she want to do now she was back on dry land? “ Well, other than supplies to make the Mini Pauls… I-I guess I wouldn’t mind getting some proper food to eat. We’ve been eating fish something for three months now.”

“ Ha ha ha. Welp, there’s some stalls along the beach and the company rewarded us. Let’s eat.”

“ I’m fine with that.” Ishmael nodded. “ I remember Starbuck always saying that a good journey is never complete without a good feast.”

“ Well, I wouldn’t call it a feast exactly but we can at least get some macarons and meat skewers. Hee hee hee.” The sinners split in two. Some went down to the beach to check out the food stalls while Dante took some others into the backstreets in order to investigate their next mission.

The promenade of district 19 was a lot different than the one in District 21. The water actually looked livable unlike the putrid filth that they’d spent weeks gathering scrap in when they were there. That being said, It still wasn’t the kind of water Yuri would have wanted to swim in. The water was wild, with waves crashing against the sea wall and spraying water and foam onto the piers and pathways. Fishing boats could be seen along the water waiting for their next haul. Despite this though, some people were still walking along the waterfront and stalls were set up for people to buy food and souvenirs. It was strangely nice for somewhere in the backstreets.

Dante had given them a limit of two snacks per person. There were only six of them there. Rodya practically drooled over the stall food as she tried to decide what she wanted, Ishmael tapped her arm as she looked between the stalls, Sinclair seemed like he was waiting for someone to pick, Hong Lu just seemed happy to be there and Heathcliff let out a small yawn before heading towards the steak skewer guy and ordering two for himself. Yuri looked towards the ice cream shop at the end of the line. Standing there was a strange looking woman. She wore a black dress jacket over her shoulders but other than that she was dressed like a Halloween witch, her dress in black and blue while she wore a large, light blue hat over short pink hair. As she looked over the ice cream at the stall, a group of loud voices shouted at her.

“ Hey! Witch!” One of them shouted. “ Finally found ya.” The girl perked up, spinning on her heel.

“ Oh. Heeey guys. Been a while.”

“ Don’t you been a while me, Williams!” The lead thug growled. “ You’ve gotta lotta nerve showing up on our beachfront after the crap you pulled the last time!”

“ I didn’t do that much.”

“ You stole half our fucking funding!”

“ I did more with it than you would have. Look. My new shoes are so shiny and cute. I have to thank you for that.” In a way Yuri couldn’t quite tell if a taunt or from a genuine wish to show them off, the witch waved her foot at the two men. However, it did nothing to temper their rage.

“ I’m gonna smash your fucking head in!”

“ Whaaaaaat? Come on. Let’s not get too hasty.” The witch girl glanced over. Her eyes and Yuri’s met. At first, the witch girl looked surprised. Then a wide smile grew on her face. Before Yuri and the thugs could even react, she was gone. “ After all, you’ve got to ask my bodyguards if that’s alright.”

“ Huh?” Yuri looked over her shoulder to see the witch girl's smiling face. “ Wait, are you talking about me?”

“ Tch. So you went and got some muscle. Fine ‘en. Won’t make a bloody difference. We’ll beat yer arse all the same. No-one messes with the Arkham syndicate.”

“ What are they yelling about?” Rodya asked blankly.

“ I erm… think she just hired us.” Yuri swallowed.

“ Oh bloody hell.” Heathcliff sighed. Before they could refute they weren’t with the witch, the syndicate members charged. So much for not getting into trouble.

****************************************

“ Gah. Tituba will hear about this, Williams! Just you wait!” The lead thug shouted, holding his broken arm as he and his men ran off.

“ Phew. Good work out there, guys. We make a pretty good team, don’t you think?” The girl grinned.

“ Bollocks! You just hid behind us!” Heathcliff shouted.

“ Yeah, but I did draw them to you. I think I deserve some credit, don’t you think?” She giggled. Then, she stepped forwards, leaning closer and pressing her face into Yuri’s til they were almost touching noses. Wide gold eyes started into singular grey. “ Hey. What’s your name?” She asked.

“ U-Um. Y-Yuri?”

“ I see… Hmm. Riri then.” The girl suddenly pulled back. “ I think we’re going to be good friends, Riri. Call me Abby. If you need a guide around District 19, I’m your gal. Hee hee.”

“ I don’t think we need you.” Ishmael said bluntly.

“ Hmm? Really? I know all the best eateries or armouries or vieweries or-”

“ We said no.” Heathcliff growled. “ You pull us into your problems and suddenly think we’re pals? Get lost.”

“ No need to be so mean, Heath.” Rodya berated. “ But he is right. Sorry. Come on guys. Dante awaits.” The group began to leave. They’d had their fun. Yuri still wanted an ice cream but she supposed she could get that on the way back to the Mephistopheles.

“ Or the Golden Bough.” Every turned around at those words. Abby gave them a coy smirk. “ Ah. Now that got your attention.”

“ How do you know about it?” Sinclair asked.

“ Boss sent me to wait for you after your LCG whatever guys came calling. Ah. But I should give you guys a formal introduction shouldn’t I?” She gave a soft giggle before picking up the ends of her dress and dramatically curtseying. “ My name is Abigail Willaims, a grade 5 Cinq Association affiliate Fixer working for the Crucible Office. It’s nice to meet you.” She opened an eye and stuck her tongue out playfully. “ Let’s play nice, yeah? Hee hee.”

Chapter Text

The Crucible office was a large black building that seemed to lean into the street unnaturally. Abby cheerfully let the Limbus Company in. They’d radioed over to Dante and the others the address with the promise they’d meet up here. Apparently, Ryoshu had managed to get them in trouble with some street thieves as well so they were lagging a bit behind. On the ground floor, they were met by a middle aged woman in a dark blue suit, a black cloak over her shoulder that glittered like star light. “ You found them I see, Abby.” The woman smiled. “ Any troubles?”

“ Nope. None.”

“ Other than the fact she got us in trouble with some thugs.” Ishmael quickly pointed out. “ The Arkham Syndicate?”

“ Tituba’s gang?” The woman sighed. “ Abigail…”

“ Oh, come on Mercy. You know that they’re no good crooks anyway. Besides, Walcott’s with them. He’d never let anything bad happen to his best friends. Tee hee hee.”

“ You can’t keep antagonising them, Abby. Walcott may be an old friend but he can’t save us forever. Besides, they’re a Thumb Affiliate syndicate . What are we going to do if your actions call a Capo down on us?” Mercy massaged the bridge of her nose. “ Sorry about this. My name is Mercedes. You’re the LC-B right? We were told you’d be coming for the Golden Bough.”

“ Yep yep. Is it here?” Rodya nodded.

“ That’s… complicated. Are you the leader?”

“ No. That would be Dante. He’s on his way.”

“ We can wait for him then. I’ll get you some tea and tell our boss that you’re here.” Mercedes smiled and left them in Abby’s company. As the others sat down, Abby sat next to Yuri.

“ So, Riri. Where are you from?”

“ District 4. Why?”

“ Hmm… Is it nice?”

“ I guess. There’s a lot more trees than there are here.”

“ Ha ha. Yeah. District 19 is more of a seaside haven. Lots of fishing exports from here. We’re just one of three districts next to the Great Lake after all. I think U Corp is more the tropical resort though.”

“ Psh. Maybe for the nest dwellers.” Ishmael laughed.

“ Oh yeah. LCG guys said to expect you from the lake. How was that? See any whales?”

“ Way too many.” Rodya sighed. “ I never want to hear the word mermaid for as long as I live.” Abby laughed softly. Yuri couldn’t help but notice that she hadn’t moved her eyes off her since the conversation started.

“ Is… something the matter, Abby?” Yuri asked.

“ What happened to your eye?” She asked slowly. Yuri looked down, giving an uncomfortable groan. She ran a finger over her bandages.

“ It’s… complicated.”

“ An abnormality, right?”

“ Huh?” Yuri snapped back to her. “ How did you-”

“ Ha ha ha. I’ll let you in on a small secret, Riri” She leaned in, whispering. “ Everyone in this office is an old L Corp agent. All three of us.” She pulled back grinning. “ Us three and our old buddy Walcott but he wandered off and joined a syndicate cause, in his words, I don’t wanna be tied down by no red tape.” The last part was said in a deep, grumpy voice that Yuri could only assume was meant to mock said old friend. " We were part of a real important one too. The one in S Corp around these parts was involved in EGO research for the whole grid so you can say we're experts on the power of abnormalities. Hee hee."

“ How did you… escape?”

“ Good luck and good EGO.” She pulled at her hat. “ That’s what I’m wearing right now in fact. We managed to jack the EGO repair devices the company used. It’s how we got the Golden Bough actually. I found it in some old, run down part of the facility under Records. Must’ve been built to house it.”

“ Thinking about it, that’s around where we found it in District 4.” Yuri recalled. “ An Abnormality had managed to eat it so it was higher up but we could have probably gone further.”

“ Yeah. There were some… troublesome abnormalities on our wander down too. The Emperor, the Lovers, the Star and the Tower had stuck around the ruins. Had to beat them all to get through. Probably still there. We left the eggs.”

“ What were those?”

“ Aberrations of some main facility monsters. What was it?” Abby hummed. “ Umu… The Queen, Knight… uh… Jack and Rook? Nah, doesn’t sound right. Doesn’t matter anyway.”

“ You mean… like the Queen of Hatred?” Abby nodded. Yuri furrowed her brow. The Queen was one of those abnormalities that were notorious in L Corp. It was to the point she was one of the training examples when learning about the highest level abnormalities, WAW and ALEPH tiers. Unlike some other notorious ones, like Der Freischutz for example, Yuri hadn’t met it but she’d heard stories. She had to wonder how much trouble her aberration had been. 

“ Ain’t you worried they’d escape?” Heathcliff asked. Abby just shrugged.

“ I think your LCG guys said they’d handle it. Not our problem anymore.”

“ But… you were agents.” Yuri said, perplexed.

“ Yeppers. But, as much as I love those guys, we’re not anymore.”

“ How can you just let go of everyone who died?” Abby looked at Yuri, taking in Yuri’s words slowly.

“ You… didn’t make it out with anyone, huh?” Yuri looked away, not wanting to face the question. “ Sorry. I didn’t know. But… well… I found a new purpose in life. And I think you can find a similar one. I can help you, if you’d like.” Abby grinned. Yuri looked at her. Despite the offer being kind, there was something in the girl’s eyes that made Yuri feel uneasy. Don’t let it out, she told herself. She won’t understand.

“ I’ll think about it.” Yuri finally said.

“ All I want.”

Dante and the others arrived half way through their cup of tea. “ Good afternoon.” Hong Lu waved at them. “ How are you all?”

“ Could be better.” Gregor said tersely.

“ Glad to see everyone’s alright.” Dante said, sounding happy. Abby tipped her head.

“ Who’s that?” She whispered to Yuri.

“ Dante. He’s our manager.”

“ Hmm… I see. Interesting. I know clock face is a term for things but I never thought I’d meet a guy with an actual clock for a face.”

“ New friend?” Dante asked her.

“ Yeah she’s-”

“ Abigail. Call me Abby.” Abby stood up and outstretched a hand.

“ Energetic girl isn’t she?” Dante chuckled, accepting the hand shake.

“ He says it’s nice to meet you. Sorry. Only we can hear him due to… complications.” Abby gave her a confused look. Before she could ask anything though, a rough sounding voice called from upstairs.

“ Abigail, ya damn Clerk. Get ‘em up here.”

“ Clerk?” Yi Sang raised an eyebrow.

“ Oh, that’s just boss Putnam. He used to be our Disciplinary team leader so he’s always been a drill sergeant. Just stay on his good side and you may survive.”

“ Survive?” Dante ticked nervously.

“ Good luck.” Abby sang before shoving Dante towards the stairs. With a sigh, he led the Sinners upstairs.

Putnam was a large man in a dark green suit. He had a large shield set against the back wall as the Sinners entered the room, likely the weapon of his EGO attire. The man growled as they approached him. “ So you lot are the LC-B? Not impressed.”

“ Off to a good start.”

“ Eh? Wazzat?”

“ Dante says that it is a pleasure to meet you.” Faust interjected. “ As you can hear, he is unable to speak clearly so Faust will act as translator for you.”

“ Psh. Sure. Whatever.” Putnam hummed. “ Either way, I’ve got nothing for ya.”

“ Huh?” Outis looked in shock. “ Did you not have the Golden Bough?”

“ Did. Past tense. Said the same thing to those Before Team loons who came knocking bout a week back. They just said ya’d wanna hear it from me in person.” He shrugged. “ Told ‘em where it was too.”

“ So we’re wasting time. Wonderful.” Gregor sighed.

“ Where is it then?” Faust asked.

“ I sold it to the Cinq to get an affiliate position. Pretty sure they still have it.”

“ Then that’s where we’re going.”

“ Wait a sec.” Putnam stopped them. “ What’s yer plan? March over to the Cinq HQ and demand yer shiny weed? They’ll tear ya apart for the audacity. I got paid a nice sum to get ya a meeting with ‘em. So sit tight and let me give ‘em a call.”

“ We appreciate it.”

“ Psh. Yeah. Dunno why we’re dealing with you chumps but money’s money. Only four of ya’d last in L Corp at my guess. The Orange one, the Stoic one, the Prissy one and the Eyepatch one. Rest of ya’d be lucky to be clerks.”

" Prissy?” Heathcliff asked.

“ He means Hong Lu.” Yi Sang explained.

“ Huh? How the hell would he last in L Corp?”

“ Heh. Just got that air about him. Now then, I’ll get the phone. Go wander around for an hour or something. Go on, Clerks. Git.”

Chapter Text

Abby and Mercedes were tasked with escorting the Sinners to the Cinq association’s headquarters to meet with their contact. This had been the first time they’d actually visited an association. Don was vibrating in excitement as they entered the compound. Other than being a Fixer fangirl, Yuri wondered if it had to do with the fact she was the first who’d experienced the Cinq association through the mirror.

Passing through the gates, guarded by Cinq fixers in their signature blue feathered hats, they entered the association’s headquarters. It was a large compound, a large courtyard with a few trees and a fountain surrounded by several large buildings. Yuri had passed by the building that held the Tres association back in District 4. It was nothing like this. Then again, these guys were the southern branch of the third division. They were a lot higher rank than the Tres association branch in District 4’s backstreets.

As they entered the compound, Yuri stopped. She stared up at one of the floors on the left side. She couldn’t help but feel that there was some sort of energy coming from there. It was strange. She couldn’t help but feel a strange compulsion towards it. Her bandaged eye began to ache. “ You alright Yuri?” She gasped as she was brought back to reality. Dante was looking at her.

“ Y-yes. Sorry.” She rushed to catch up, trying to ignore the feeling and focus on the task at hand.

“ Welcome, Limbus Company.” A man approached their group, pushing off from the fountain as they approached. He was a man with shoulder length black hair and a neat goatee. His eyes were tired but his smile, though small, was kind. He wore the same uniform that Dante had come to expect from the Cinq IDs the Sinners had gained, wearing a blue cloak over a black suit and tie. He pulled off his feathered hat and bowed. “ Putnam said you were looking for us. That being said, we spoke to a few of your colleagues ahead of time. They needed access to the L Corp branch in our territory I believe. We’d locked that place down long before, you see.”

“ The Before team?” Yi Sang asked.

“ Correct. Their leader asked me to pass you a message though.” He cleared his throat. “ Nice job making it off the ship. I appreciate you not dragging Pilot into your fight. He’s a good kid. I’m looking after him.”

“ Is it from Saude?” Sinclair asked.

“ So the kid’s alright then.” Gregor smiled. “ Nice to hear.”

“ She then followed it up with ‘try not to destroy our relations with an official association. Hope to see you again in person next time’” Yuri laughed nervously.

“ That certainly sounds like Ms Saude.”

“ Anyway, as for your request. Well, it’s complicated. Please come with me.” He looked past the Sinners to the members of the Crucible office. “ Are you two coming along or are you just playing escort?”

“ We’ll be going now.” Mercedes said.

“ Yup. Coming along.” Abby answered at the exact same time. Mercedes just stared at her and sighed.

“ My apologies. Abigail is just as problematic as ever.”

“ Ha ha ha. No problem. She can come if she wants. It may actually be ideal.” The two shared a confused look. Abby then grinned, taking a wide step towards the Sinners.

“ Tell the boss I said hi.”

“ Just… don’t cause more trouble than you need to.” Mercedes sighed. “ If that’s all, sir, I shall be returning. We don’t have any jobs scheduled for the near future so if you have need of us…”

“ I’ll send you something when the matter is settled. Your office is always valued, Mercedes.” Mercedes bowed before turning to leave. “ Now then. Shall we?” The man invited them inside. As they walked, he continued. “ First, introductions. My name is Samuel. Samuel Parris, one of the team leaders of this branch of the association. I handle disputes between different groups. Usually business spats or contract clauses that weren’t clear and the like.”

“ He’s the best guy of the whole association.” Abby said cheerfully.

“ Ha ha. Just because I’m the one who tends to clean up your messes, Abby.” Parris smirked. Abby just grinned.

“ You guys seem close.” Rodya said.

“ Well, she is my niece. Her parents kicked her out when she was 16 but I was able to put in a good word at L Corp for her. So she owes me…” He whistled. “ About 37 at this point.”

“ 34 and three quarters.” Abby huffed.

“ With all the times you’ve been caught trespassing in old L Corp, you’re lucky it’s not more than 37.” Abby just stuck her tongue out at him. “ This girl… Anyway, where was I. Ah right. The Golden Bough. See, the thing is, you’re not the only people who’ve come looking for it. Got another interested party that dropped by yesterday afternoon. You’re lucky you got here when you did or I’d have to give it to them.”

“ Them?” Dante ticked.

“ Who are they?”

“ I’ll let them introduce themselves.” As he said that, Parris shoved open a large set of double doors, letting the Sinners into a room with a long table running down the middle. On one side sat a group that made the whole Sinner’s freeze up at seeing. They weren’t the same as the ones they’d met back in K Corp’s nest. Instead of the heavily armoured inquisitors of Kromer’s order, the men and women before them were dressed more cleanly in sleek white hooded cloaks and more lightweight gray and black clothing but the insignia of the Hammer und Nagel was hard to forget. Parris walked around the empty side of the table and motioned for them to sit before taking his own seat at its head. The Sinners complied. As she sat down, Yuri’s eyes flicked back to the door. That sensation she felt outside. It was moving towards them.

“ Hmm. I suppose I should not be shocked that these heretics would be the other interested party in a Golden Bough.” Across from Dante, next to Parris, was an elderly man. He was less formally dressed than the others, wearing a gray shirt with the top two buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up, revealing cars covering them. Over it, he wore a black, hooded cloak similar in design to the white ones of his underlings. A large gash tore up from under his clothes, stopping just under his left eye. The man was clearly high ranking in N Corp, possibly similar or higher to Kromer herself. From his battle scars, he wasn’t scared to show how many fights he’d won either. “ Limbus Company.” He said the name slowly, his voice low and gravely. “ I see you’ve come to get in the way of our crusade once more. If this were our nest, I’d have executed you where you sit. Especially the heretic who dares sit across from me.”

“ What brings N Corp here?” Faust asked, tone notably deeper than her usual one. “ The Golden Bough is not a toy you must understand. Especially after what happened to Kromer.”

“ Yes. We are fully aware of what happened to The One Who Gripped’s sect. While I may not have liked her vitriolic blatherings, she was nonetheless an ally. One martyr does not stop our mission however. Dame Hermann has given me an order and I am compelled to complete it.”

“ Hermann?” Gregor looked at the man. “ What is she up to?”

“ Silence your writhing tongue. That information is not for you to know.”

“ Now now.” Parris clapped his hands to bring the attention to him. “ That’s not how we do things in this house. Thomas. Dante. Let’s keep this civil.” He leaned forwards. “ This matter is a dispute for the Golden Bough found within the old L Corp facility within our backstreets. The facility and therefore the Bough is under the possession of the Cinq association. This discussion is for who the Bough will go to after today. Since you got here first, I’ll let N Corp go first.”

“ Very well.” The man rose. “ I am Judge Thomas Danforth of N Corp’s Witch Hunter unit. Our goal here is simple. We shall claim the Golden Bough as commanded of us by Dame Hermann. In return, we offer the Cinq Association support in hunting down any heretical forces they may need us for.”

“ Ok. Dante?” As Danforth sat down, Dante and Faust rose. Dante began ticking.

“ Uh? I’m Dante of Limbus company I guess? We’re just… kinda here for the Bough? Dunno why and I don’t think we have much to offer but… well, we’re better than those homicidal LARPers so you can trust us.”

“ Our Manager introduces himself and also makes a claim for the Golden Bough. I’m sure the before team has already given you our offer and reasoning so we’d rather not say in front of a hostile party.”

“ Yeah. That's the whole reason it’s a debate actually.” Parris nodded. Dante and Faust sat. “ Guessing none of you are going to back down then?” Neither side spoke. Yuri could feel the tension in the air. It was almost enough to ignore the feeling of pressure just outside the room and pretend that was the reason her heart was racing. All pretence dropped as Parris snapped his fingers. Two Cinq operatives entered the room, one holding a black case. “ We’ll decide this fairly then. Usually, I’d set up a duel, however recent events have provided an excellent excuse for a friendly competition. I cleared it with the higher ups and they agreed that it solves a problem we’re having and lets the problem solver walk away happy. Here’s your prize.” The Cinq operative opened the case. As soon as she saw the golden glow, voices echoed around her. Old voices that had haunted her ever since that fateful night in L Corp. She covered her ears and twisted her eyes shut. Despite this though, the voices continued. They overlapped and repeated over and over again as a neverending noise. It seemed to last an eternity. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t talk. She couldn’t breathe. All she could do was sit there. It was all she could do to keep it all in.

“ Yuri!” Gregor’s voice snapped her out of it. She opened her eyes. The case was gone along with the Cinq and the N Corp agents. Just the Sinners were left and they were surrounding her. Gregor was kneeling at her side. “ Just breathe, alright?”

“ W-Where… What happened?” Yuri asked, voice quiet.

“ The meeting is over. Dante had them close the case after seeing how it affected you and agreed to their terms.” He explained. “ So… I’m assuming…”

“ Indeed. It appears to be our navigator’s turn.” Faust nodded.

“ But… she wasn’t picked for this mission.” Ishmael reminded them. “ How can she even be targeted?”

“ Your links to the Golden Boughs are special; however you were not simply chosen because of those links. Faust cannot deny the links Sinclair of Ishmael had to their respective Boughs, however think back to District 4 and 11. The fact that Rodya’s old ally or Gregor’s former corp had ended up there was incidental. Your connection to the Bough is brought on by your connection to Dante heightening your personal ego. This is no different.” Yuri felt sick. She held a hand over her bandages, feeling the throbbing discomfort from her visions.

“ C-Can we just go to T Corp now and let them have this one?” She whimpered. " I can't do this."

“ You have to. It’s part of the contract.”

“ I didn’t sign a contract.”

“ And yet you are here. This is no different than any other mission.” Faust said coldly.

“ Fau, c’mon. Be a little nicer.” Rodya said warily.

“ Sorry, Yuri. If I could, I’d give you the break. We can make it through together though. Remember that you aren’t alone.” Dante reassured her.

“ Thank you Dante.” She swallowed her nerve, calming herself down as best she could. “ I-I’ll try my best. Let’s go.” A few of the Sinners looked relieved at those words. As they stepped out the room however, they were met by a smirking figure in a white hood. One of the N Corp Jurors.

“ My. To think you’d have that reaction over one shiny weed. You’re just as weak as ever, Yuri.” The man chuckled. Some of the others glared at the man.

“ The fuck are you to say that?” Heathcliff growled.

“ That voice!” Yuri gasped. The man pushed the hood down with his thumbs and shifted his glasses. Staring at them was a figure they’d long left in the past. “ Hopkins!”

Chapter Text

“ Hopkins. What are you doing here?” Yuri asked in shock.

“ After the mess in District 4, I was hired by Dame Hermann to work as an official member of N Corp. Unlike the Limbus company, it’s an official corporation. I suppose I don’t need to tell you just what it means. Except my corporation won’t fall.” Hopkins added that last part in a mocking tone.

“ Do you know what kind of psychopaths your corporation employs?” Gregor asked dryly.

“ Does it matter? I’m a juror under Judge Danforth now. And you’d better not mess it up for me, Yuri.”

“ What about the rest of the office?” Yuri asked. The spark office wasn’t especially big but there were a few members there. None of them got close to her. Yuri assumed it was the fact that Hopkins never liked her. Yuri didn’t know if it was jealousy she’d been part of an official corporation but he made sure her uniform was different from the others, bright red instead of the others cool blue. Other than Aya, the others avoided her, leaving her to do the missions she was assigned to on her own. She never blamed them though. From how they kept their heads down around Hopkins and talked to Aya, she knew they were just scared of him but were otherwise decent people.

“ They could join the Shepherds for all I care.” He shrugged.

“ You just abandoned them?”

“ I don’t need them anymore. I would have left the deeds to Aya if someone hadn’t gotten her killed by failing to tell us about that plant monster.” Yuri flinched at the reminder. She tried to argue back but couldn’t.

“ That wasn’t Yuri’s fault!” Gregor argued in her place.

“ You deny it but she doesn’t. Whatever. I just wanted to tell you that this isn’t even a contest. When we claim the bough, don’t come crying to us for charity.” Hopkins chuckled before walking off.

“ What a jerk.” Rodya huffed. “ Never thought we’d see him again.”

“ Are you alright Yuri?” Dante asked.

“ Yeah.” She said despondently.

“ Hey. Don’t listen to that guy.” Ishmael told her.

“ I’m not but…” She should have been stronger. She was only alive right now because of Dante’s kindness. 

“ You’re strong.” Yuri looked in shock at Abby as she moved to stand where Hopkins had been. Her tone was lacking the usual cheerfulness. “ No matter what a nobody like that says. You’re strong. I can tell.” She smiled. “ After all, you’re special.”

“ Ah ha. Thanks Abby.” Yuri gave a small, grateful smile.

“ Forget about him.” Yi Sang said. “ Let us focus on the task at hand.”

“ Right. Need a run down, Yuri?” Dante asked. She nodded. “ Ok. Parris offered us a game with the Witchhunters. We’re going to find and take down the leader of the Arkham Syndicate. They’ve been pressuring the Cinq association's territory so we’ve been told to make them move.”

“ Whoever can defeat the Arkham Syndicate’s leader Tituba and remove the syndicate first will obtain the golden bough.” Faust stated. “ A simple mission.”

“ The Arkham Syndicate?” Yuri looked at Abby. “ Isn’t that the group…”

“ That Walcott works for. Yep.” Abby nodded. “ Which means that I know where they are. Hee hee.” Abby grinned.

“ Abigail’s agreed to be our guide.” Gregor said. “ Not sure how good an idea that is, mind you.”

“ Less bug guy has a brighter idea, I’m here to stay.” Abby rubbed her nose. Gregor grumbled about the nickname but didn’t say any more than that.

“ Are you sure, Abby? It could be dangerous.”

“ I’m a grade five fixer, Riri. Besides this is… probably mostly my fault anyway. I have kinda been annoying the rank and file since I knew Walcott could get me off the hook. Eh heh heh.”

“ Well, we’ve got our guide.” Dante ticked. “ Come on. We can’t stick around.”

“ Right.” Abby grinned. “ Shall we?” Yuri smirked. “ Hmm? What?”

“ Oh. It’s nothing. Just something you and Dante said coincided a bit too well there.”

“ You guys can hear more than just ticking, yeah? Just we normal folk that can’t understand it?”

“ Yeah. I couldn’t understand him either when we first met so I can get if you’re confused.”

“ Just tell her I’m sorry but I appreciate her helping us out.”

“ Ah. It’s fine. I’m still happy to help you guys whenever.” Yuri giggled.

“ You did it again. I’m starting to think you can hear him.”

“ Ha ha. If only. Shame though. Got a feeling he’d be a nice conversation partner.”

**************************************

The backstreets of S Corp were a bit of a maze. The path Abby led them on felt like it backtracked on itself every now and again. Still she seemed confident in where she was going. Every now and again though, they ran into street gangs that tried to accost them for money. They didn’t have time to stop so they blew right through them. “ I thought the Cinq association would keep the crime down.” Rodya mused.

“ They do but we’re on the borders now.” Abby explained. “ Since S Corp doesn’t like us, the backstreets are split into territories. The Cinq holds where you guys docked and most of the eastern side. The south, where we’re going, is Thumb territory. There’s no official Thumb base around here but the Arkham Syndicate is closely aligned with them. It used to be the Night Awls but they got the axe around the time the Library was at its peak. Ah, that place was beautiful. I wish I could have been invited.”

“ People died there.” Outis reminded her.

“ Not forever though. So I’d have been fine even if I had been turned into a book. I wonder if I would have found my ideal future there.”

“ Your… ideal future?” Yuri asked. Abby chuckled lightly.

“ EGO is becoming pretty prominent in the city, yeah? A new power. But, at the same time, so are distortions. I feel there’s more to it than that, y’know? For example, the abnormalities. Riri knows this but we used their powers all the time. My office still does. I wonder if a human and an abnormality were to combine powers then maybe the power would match or even exceed a distortion or an EGO.” She looked back. “ It’s… just a silly theory I have but… What do you say, Riri? Think it could work?”

“ Me?” Yuri stuttered. “ Uh. Well. We do still use EGO from abnormalities in Limbus. But… taking on the power of one… I don’t think it’s a good idea.” Abby gave a disappointed hum.

“ What was the name of the one that took your eye?”

“ Thunderbird you mean?”

“ Yeah. You wouldn’t take its power if you could? Even if it meant you’d become stronger? I mean, you do use the EGO of other abnormalities. That sword’s an EGO too, yeah? Would it really be much different?” Yuri hesitated. She was acting differently than how she usually was. The joking tone was gone. It made the smile she was giving seem almost animalistic when combined with the hungry gleam in her golden eyes. Yuri glanced away.

“ I… can’t say for sure.”

“ The argument has holes.” Yuri was glad Faust was getting involved. She didn’t quite like how the conversation had gone so having someone more knowledgeable on it taking over was nice. “ The method is unlikely to work. Even working as we are now, the EGO process uses the maximum limit a human can take when sharing power with an abnormality. Fusing a person with one is unfeasible.”

“ Just because you don’t know how doesn’t make it impossible. Just call it… hee hee. Magic. And I like magic.” Before anyone could ask what she meant by it, her cheerful demeanour was back. “ And here we are. One main base of Tituba’s gang. Don’t forget to thank the bus driver on your way out the door.”

“ Uh. Ya sure?” Heathcliff looked confused.

“ Hmm? Yeah? Why?” Yuri understood the confusion.

“ Isn’t this just a beach house?”

Chapter Text

It didn’t take long for the Sinners to spot the Arkham Syndicate guarding the beach house. The house was built at the edge of the backstreets, nestled in between the safety of the sea walls. It was a large and luxurious looking place that seemed out of place. “ You like it?” Abby asked innocently.

“ Not the place I’d go for a holiday.” Heathcliff admitted. “ Why is it here?”

“ Well, it’s not Tituba’s. It was loaned to her by a friend. A mister L Craft I think his name was?”

“ Lovecraft?” Faust asked, a strange hint of excitement in her tone. “ He’s an incredible researcher. A hero to Faust. Though it is strange to hear of him funding a syndicate.”

“ Lovecraft has always been one to operate outside the realm of normality however. Perhaps this is simply another of his means to gather data for one project or another.” Yi Sang reasoned. “ Either way, it’s pointless to dwell on such things.”

“ I don’t see N Corp.” Gregor said. “ Seems we’re ahead of them thanks to the pink haired pipsqueak.”

“ I’m taking that as a compliment, bug boy.” Abby retorted.

“ Either way, we need a plan.” Outis stated. “ Perhaps we could sneak in under disguise?”

“ I mean, I am an ally.” Abby pointed out.

“ Not according to those fuckers we fought this morning you ain’t.” Heathcliff scowled.

“ OK, not to them. But I do have a friend on the inside.”

“ You think this Walcott would betray Tituba?” Faust asked.

“ Maybe. Just gotta ask.”

“ And what then?” Dante asked, folding his arms. “ Do we have to kill her?”

“ The request was just to remove her.” Yi Sang admitted. “ Perhaps, should she agree to leave, we could get the bough without bloodshed.”

“ That assumes that a syndicate would listen to reason.” Gregor said.

“ Heh. N.A.C.I.H.” Ryoshu smirked.

“ Not a chance in hell.” Sinclair translated.

“ Let’s take this one step at a time.” Faust pulled them together. “ We do not have time to think of the fine points. Let’s focus on reaching Tituba first.”

“ Then I guess I’m on.” Abby smirked. “ I need friends. Riri, who do you trust to tag along with us?”

“ Us?”

“ Yeah. When you and I go meet Walcott.”

“ Why does she get to choose our team set up?” Ishmael asked exasperatedly.

“ Cause I’m the one with a plan. You don’t like it, the front door is right over there.” Abby told her. Surprisingly, no-one took her up on the offer. She half expected Don or Ryoshu to do it out of spite. “ So, Riri?”

“ I guess… Gregor and Sinclair, if that’s alright with you guys.”

“ Sure. I’m good with it.” Gregor nodded

“ If you’re certain.” Sinclair said slowly.

“ Cool. So, while we go see Walcott, the rest of you can go round back. Once we’re done, we’ll meet you there. Good plan right?”

“ It’s… not terrible.” Dante admitted. “ Unless anyone else has a suggestion then tell her we’re good to go.”

“ Dante says it’s fine.” Yuri told her

“ Nice. Then let’s move out!” Abby punched the air laughing. Don joined her, clearly excited to be part of the mission. Yuri just steeled herself. Maybe, if they did this right, there’d be no need for her to get involved with all the same things everyone else was subjected too. A girl could dream, right?

****************************************

Walcott was large both in size and in stature. Despite this, he met them with a grin, happily welcoming them inside the Arkham Syndicate’s base at Abby’s request. Sure, she didn’t tell him exactly why they were there, just dropping by with some friends hoping to meet Tituba, but Yuri couldn’t help but think that he let them in a bit too easily. “ I hear you were a former agent too, Yuri?” Walcott said. “ What was it like?”

“ Same as you guys, I imagine. Usual boring routines of getting in, working with some monsters, watching a few people die when one inevitably broke out, suppressing it and then going for dinner with friends. Basic L Corp stuff.”

“ Ba ha ha. Too true. Too true.”

“ What EGO are you using by the way?”

“ This?” He pulled at the orangey-yellow cloak he wore. “ Gilded Crusher, EGO of The Emperor. Swords EGO too I imagine.”

“ Eye of the Storm. EGO of Thunderbird.” Yuri told him. “ Though it’s lost its power, I just couldn’t throw away the sword.”

“ I getcha. Hard throwing away something that’s saved your life, wouldn’t you say?” Walcott’s smile fell. “ Specially when the thing it saved ya from was the monsters that made it.”

“ The magical girl abnormalities?”

“ The aberrations of ‘em, yeah. They called themselves the Reverse Arcana. The Tower, the Star, the Emperor and the Lovers. Our facility was pretty much designed to hold ‘em. The only one of the Reverse Arcana we didn’t get was the Hermit which ended up in a facility… uh…”

“ I think it was W Corp.” Abby said. “ It was close with one of the actual magical girls.”

“ Aye. Course there were others. The Death was said to lead ‘em and the Fool was said to revert a world back to it’s base level when all the Arcana were gathered.”

“ We think that the magical girls are the force that fought off the Reverse Arcana but were converted into their ranks. That’s their monsterous forms that were reported.” Abby told her. “ Knight’s the Moon, King’s the Strength, Servant’s the Hierophant and Queenie is the Magician.”

“ So some abnormalities are connected like that?” Sinclair asked.

“ Yep. That’s the thing with stories. The more authors play with ‘em, the more likelihood one’s gonna get mixed with another. Same with all sorts a things in this city.” Walcott stated. “ Aberrations for example.”

“ Yuri and Faust both explained that one. Something about them being alternate versions of normal abnormalities.”

“ That’s the idea. After all, there’s never just one interpretation of something.” Abby said cheerfully. “ Abnormalities are such incredible things, aren’t they? So interesting. Never gets old thinking about what they can do. Tee hee hee.”

“ There goes our Information Captain on her creepy tirades again.”

“ Hey. It’s not creepy. It’s fun.”

“ Call it whatcha want. I say it’s weird.” They stopped at the far end of the facility, a large metal door used for deliveries sitting in front of them. “ This is yer stop. Let yer pals in and deal with Tituba, yeah?”

“ Thanks Walcott. You’re the best.” Abby hugged the large man.

“ You knew?” Gregor asked.

“ Well, ya not exactly subtle pal.”

“ We appreciate the help, bud, but ain’t you worried they’ll call you a traitor?”

“ Meh.” He shrugged. “ I can always join up with Abby and the others over at the Crucible Office. I don’t really care where the money comes from just so long as I can drink, ya feel me?” Gregor tapped his bug arm against the metal, listening as the taps were returned by their allies on the other side. With a shove, the door opened. However, they weren’t met by their allies. Not all of them. Ishmael, Hong Lu and Yi Sang stepped inside.“ Afternoon, lads.” Walcott welcomed them. 

“ Are you guys alright?” Ishmael asked. “ We had some… complications on the way here.”

“ It was Don wasn’t it?”  Yuri sighed.

“ As I said. Complications.”

“ Don Quixote could not help but notice some ill gotten gains from the Arkham Syndicate. After hearing them gloating over bashing a poor man’s head in to get the supplies they needed, Don Quixote deemed them enemies of justice and attacked. Dante went after her but made sure we came so you wouldn’t be opening the door for no reason.”

“ Guess I shouldn’t be shocked.” Gregor sighed. “ Our plans never work.”

“ Hmm. Prolly fighting through the storage bay then. Was wonderin where the others were.” Walcott hummed. “In that case, we should head out to the courtyard. Yer people are lucky Tituba likes making an example of invaders. They’ll either make it out there on their own or be dragged there by the hair.”

“ We need to get out there quickly.” Sinclair said in alarm. “ Dante and the others could be in trouble.”

“ Mister Walcott?” Yuri looked at him sharply. The man nodded.

“ Welp. Time to hand in my letter of resignation.” Walcott stretched. “ Well Abby? Ready for a suppression?”

“ Hee hee hee. Just like old time. And of course we have Riri here with us too. It’s a shame Mercy and the boss couldn’t be here. We could’ve given these guys a full L Corp style beat down.” Abby jabbed the air lightly.

They emerged onto a balcony above the courtyard to see what Yuri had been worried about. A brawl was already underway with the Sinners right in the middle of the Arkham Syndicate. From the opposite side, Yuri could see a woman with dark skin and long hair tied back in a ponytail looking annoyed. “ And what in the flying fuck is happening now?” She screamed. “ Can’t a woman nap in peace?”

“  I assume that’s her?” Yi Sang asked.

“ Yep. That’s Tituba. Most irritable lass this side of Culbert.” Walcott nodded.

“ Culbert?”

“ Head of Welfare.” He clarified.

“ You could never speak to him unless he’d had his morning… erm… tea.” Abby told the others. “ It was usually Mermaid Wine.”

“ And just like him, she’s a goddamn terror. So yeah. Good luck with her. I’ll just… watch from here and give you a heads up if any reinforcements show up.”

“ You’re hiding?” Ishmael grumbled.

“ In so many words.” Walcott grinned.

“ Aw, don’t take it personally.” Abby said cheerfully. “ Walcott’s always been the first to run from a fight. He’s a dirty coward. The smallest of mice. But we still love him for it.”

“ Damn straight.” Walcott beamed. Yuri just stared at the man. How he could accept such a label was beyond her. Then again, if it kept him alive this far, who was she to judge? There were agents like that in her facility as well. She didn’t like leaving her colleagues for dead but she understood why others could do that. At the end of the day, the selfish tended to come out on top.

“ We don’t have time to worry about him.” Yuri said. “ We need to help Dante and the others.”

“ Right you are.” Gregor nodded. “ Come on, folks. Time to give the others some much needed reinforcements.”

“ This should be entertaining. Ha ha. I’ve always wanted to do a grand entrance like this.” Hong Lu smiled, placing a hand on the rail and spinning his naginata around. “ Look out below.” With that, he leapt over the rail, plunging down on an unlucky member of the Arkham syndicate below. The others looked at eachother. Gregor shrugged before following with Ishmael taking a running leap next.

“ Are we seriously doing this?” Sinclair asked.

“ Did your Central have two layers?” Abby asked.

“ We did but it was just two floors.”

“ Aw. We had a courtyard-like area. It was a fun sniper perch and we used to love jumping on abnormalities from above.” She offered a hand and a smile. “ Shall we, Riri?” Yuri nodded, accepting the help. With a grin, Abby vaulted the rail, letting Yuri go mid air. Yuri flew forwards before striking a syndicate member in the head. With a scream, Sinclair made the drop next, hitting the ground hard.

“ Are you OK, Emil?” Yuri asked.

“ Urgh. Somehow.” He groaned, pulling himself to his feet. Yi Sang hit the ground last, deftly and silent.

“ Tch. How come you guys getta make a cool entrance?”  Heathcliff complained.

“ Stylish.” Rodya grinned.

“ Ha ha ha. That was fun.” Hong Lu beamed.

“ Everyone alright?” Ishmael asked.

“ Yep. You?” Dante asked.

“ Everything went better than expected. Guess you guys had a hand in that mind.” Gregor looked at Don.

“ VICTORY FOR JUSTICE!” She announced, pulling her lance from the corpse of a syndicate member and raising it high in the air.

“ Don’t get too excited yet.” The group looked over to see Tituba following their example, hopping over the rails from her balcony and rolling along the stone floor. “ Now who the hell do you think you are? Coming into my abode and rampaging like this? Tch tch tch. Did your mums not teach you manners?”

“ Tell her we’ve come to ask her to move. This doesn’t have to end in violence.” Dante said.

“ The Cinq Association has requested you vacate the area. This does not have to escalate further.” Faust told her.

“ Bit late for that.” Abby muttered.

“ You’re joking? You come into my house, kill my guys and then ask for a peaceful surrender? You guys are horrid negotiators. You know that?” Tituba shook her head before flexing her right hand. The air sparked as thin metal wires rubbed against each other around it. “ I’m gonna have to ask you to leave. Easy way or hard way, pals. I’m fine with each.”

“ Well, so much for that idea.” Dante sighed. “ Get ready. She doesn’t look like the patient sort.” Yuri narrowed her gaze and focused on the fight ahead. She’d deal with what happened after they got the Bough later.

Chapter Text

The battle with Tituba was rough. She was quick on her feet, easily able to evade the more predictable attackers in the group. Her weapon was wire that was both so thin it was near impossible to see and so sharp it could easily dismember someone caught in it. Both of these facts were something Heathcliff learned the hard way as she easily danced around his wild swings before slicing him apart. Not a lot of the others fared much better on their first go at it before Dante turned the clock back. It took a little bit of watching but eventually Yuri was able to notice the glints in the air and alert people to them. She still got slashed in her attempts to move around them but she was able to dodge them.

Eventually they were able to force Tituba to her knees. “ You’re cheap, y’know that?” She growled. “ How’d you keep managing to come back like that? It’s fucking bullshit. If I knew you were going to pull that bollocks, I’d have cut the clock’s face off before introducing myself.”

“ Tell her again, Faust.” Dante commanded.

“ As we said before, we’re willing to spare you so long as you and your people move away from this place.” Faust told her. “ Your business here does not concern us. However, the object we have been tasked with retrieving from the Cinq is most important. What you do after moving away does not concern us.”

“ Psh. Is that your way of saying for us to take a holiday?” Tituba laughed. “ Well, I work for the Thumb so I can’t exactly turn down an order from someone higher ranking than me. Guess I’ll give you a hand with your little con.”

“ I wouldn’t call it a con exactly.” Rodya defended.

“ Con. Scam. Pragmatic bit of give and take. Don’t care what ya call it. It’s all the same to me.” Tituba chuckled, stumbling to her feet. “ Gotta respect it.” 

“ I assume that means we have a deal?” Faust asked.

“ Yeah. We gotta-” All of a sudden, she stopped talking. Her body remained frozen with her mouth open as it was mid conversation. Then, she fell back and hit the ground.

“ What the? The fuck just happened?” Heathcliff exclaimed.

“ She’s dead.” Yi Sang hummed. “ She was shot if I had to guess.”

“ You’re quick on the mark. As expected from the man Lord Gubo speaks of in such high regard.” Everyone turned quickly. They were all at once met with the reality that they were surrounded. N Corp had taken control of their escape route on both floors of the beach house. Yuri scanned the people only to see Hopkins lowering his weapon. She couldn’t tell from the distance but it looked like N Corp had upgraded his crossbow to something similar to the energy gun Aya had once used. Danforth glowered at them from across the courtyard. “ But to think you’d attempt to reason with such filth. It would seem you are without morals as well as honour.”

“ Hey! We won this contest! She was agreeing to leave!” Gregor shouted.

“ And now she is gone. I see no issue with how things fell. And as the ones who claimed her life, the victory goes to us. Do not blame us for your own hesitance.”

“ Fraid he’s not wrong.” Leaning over the upper balcony, black case in hand, Parris spoke up. “ I asked you to get rid of her. I’d have accepted the temporary solution you were trying, admittedly, but she’s been gotten rid of now.”

“ What do we do now?” Dante asked.

“ We have to get the bough. There’s no other option.” Faust hissed.

“ D-Do we… really have to?” Yuri asked.

“ Unfortunately so.” Yi Sang nodded. “ Such a thing is in the contract. If a bough is obtainable then we must obtain it.”

“ So we just beat the assholes from N Corp and the blue man group and go on our way. What’s the problem?” Heathcliff asked.

“ I’d rather not get on the Cinq’s bad side.”

“ There is one solution.” Meursault mused.

“ What?” Dante tipped his head.

“ We declare a duel!” He announced boldly. Muttering echoed among the N Corp members.

“ Oh ho. Now that I didn’t see coming.” Parris smiled. “ Name your terms.”

“ The golden bough.”

“ Ha. Yeah. I figured. Well, Danforth. Do you accept?”

“ You pagan rats.” Danforth grumbled. “ I accept.”

“ Wonderful. I’ll give your groups time to sort out the combatants. We’ll start in ten minutes.” Danforth glared at them before turning back to his people.

“ What the hell did you just do?!” Heathcliff hissed.

“ Cinq association doctrine. If a duel is called, the Cinq association must officiate it. So long as the duel is accepted by both sides and the terms are clear then a duel can be over anything. The Cinq associations act as judges, possible candidates for fighters and officiate that the promised rewards are actually doled out to the proper party.” Meursault explained. “ It was a simple solution.”

“ That was risky.” Dante admitted. “ But well done, Meursault. It was genius.”

“ I simply do my duty to the letter.”

“ So who’s fighting?” Abby cut in. “ If you’re duelling, you gotta find that out.”

“ Can’t we all just fight?”

“ If the Cinq IDs taught me anything, it’s that a declared duel is between one party and another. One person or one group.” Dante said. “ We could all say we’re fighting. After all, we never did say how big the duel was.”

“ I… I’ll fight.” Yuri said. “ This… This is meant to be my Bough, right? Then… I guess I have to be the one to go get it.”

“ Are you sure, Yuri?” Gregor asked. “ You don’t have to if you’re not comfortable.”

“ No. I need to do this.” She managed a smile. “ I have to make myself useful somehow, right?” She looked at Dante. “ Manager. Please.”

“ Only if you’re absolutely certain. I don’t want you feeling forced into this.”

“ Don’t worry.” Abby wrapped an arm around Yuri’s shoulders. “ Riri is super strong. And with me at her side, no way we’ll lose.”

“ You by my… Abby, no. This isn’t your battle.” Yuri said, shocked by her new friend's claims.

“ What do you mean? We’re friends. Besides, no way one of these N Corp losers can be any stronger than the abnormalities. Even that big guy’s no ALEPH.”

“ Abby. I mean it.” Yuri said sternly. “ Don’t get involved.” Abby puffed her cheek.

“ Fiiiine. But remember Riri that if the going gets tough, to look inside for the power I know is within you. Ride the lightning. Hee hee hee.” Yuri gave a grateful smile.

“ Thanks, Abby.” She looked back up. “ Any objections?” The rest of the sinners shared a pensive look but no-one spoke up against her determination. Dante nodded.

“ Good luck.”

“ I’ll need it.” Yuri said with a weak laugh.

“ Alright! It’s time.” Parris shouted. He jumped down to the ground level and stood between the two groups. “ You both have a fighter in mind?”

“ I’ll be fighting for Limbus Company.” Yuri stated firmly. She tried to keep her mind off the black case in Parris’ hand.

“ Ha. Really?” She heard Hopkins scoff. She tightened her hand around the hilt of her sword. Don’t let it get to you, she thought. He’s the same jerk as ever. Bury the past. Don’t let it out.

“ I shall be your opponent.” Danforth declared, stepping forwards. “ Allow me to show you the true power of humanity.” As he said that, a faint steam began to grow around him. He raised the hood of his cloak, causing his face to become covered in shadows. His eyes gleamed underneath. One burning red and one electric purple. Yuri narrowed her eyes.

“ Begin!” Yuri moved first but she was quickly intercepted. Danforth pulled an arm from his cloak, swinging a blazing red sword. Yuri blocked but was still shoved back along the courtyard. She let out a heavy breath from her nose before pushing forwards again. She dodged to the side as he slammed the blade down only to pull a purple one that buzzed with electricity from under his cloak in her off hand, swinging diagonally. Yuri grit her teeth as it tore into her arm, leaving cutting into it. She felt a numbing  pain run down her side. She jumped back as the burning sword smashed down at her. She panted.

“ Those aren’t… normal swords.” She said. “ You’re an EGO user.”

“ Hmm. So you noticed. Indeed.” As he moved his head, Yuri could see black iron under his hood. The mask muffled his voice. “ I awoke to it after months of training against heretics. I almost lost my life to them but I refused to give up. I would not let them put me on my knees. That was when I heard a voice. She demanded that I surrender. That I kneel. She claimed my mission was folly, harming those who had done no wrong. She was a fool. I rejected her and claimed these blades as a projection of my will. Let this judge’s blades tear your sinful soul asunder.” He closed on her with incredible speed. Yuri barely had time to dodge before he shattered the concrete where she stood.

She could let herself remain on the defensive. Not when everyone was counting on her. She pushed forwards, striking quickly. Danforth moved each of his swords to match each swing. His expression never changed but each motion was deliberate. Yuri could tell that he’d been through a lot of fights before now. His speed and precision reminded her of Lin, the captain of Extraction and the deadliest fighter in the facility, but power brought Harold to mind, the captain of Records and the one with the most power behind his blows. She grit her teeth. Why was she thinking of them now? Was it the bough?

The moment she let her concentration stray even a small bit was the moment that Danforth struck her, swinging a hefty blow with his burning blade that struck her against the courtyard like a comet. “ YURI!” Gregor shouted. A light buzzing filled the air. Yuri shot out of the dust, colliding with Danforth with an arm like a bee's stinger. 

“ Don’t worry about me, Corporal. I’ll be fine.” She told Gregor firmly.

“ A simple fly to swat. Is this meant to impress me?” Danforth stuck his electrified blade in the ground, creating a field of electricity. Yuri growled as the G Corp ID was burned away. Undeterred, she rolled backwards along the ground before firing a barrage of throwing daggers. One of them found its way into Danforth’s shoulder but he barely reacted, instead swinging the burning blade at her, creating a wave of flame. Yuri raised her daggers to block, barely managing to keep standing at the cost of the Bosun’s ID. “ I see that you’re making use of the Mirror of your company. I’d heard rumours but stealing the powers of other worlds is hardly what I would call a threat.”

“ Keep watching then.”  Yuri pulled her arm back before slipping into one of her least favourite IDs, summoning a thin spear to her hand and throwing it at Danforth. He deflected it with a sword, causing it to lodge behind him. Using this, she leapt forwards, pulling herself to the spear and kicking the man in the chest. The man responded by slashing with both his blades, sending her rolling along the ground with a groan.

“ N Corp’s Justicars. An interesting approach but I am well aware of how they fight.” He raised his flaming sword. “ What have you got up your sleeves next? J Corp’s debt collectors? The Index Proselytes? How about R Corp’s Raven team? Surely you must have something that can-” He was cut as Yuri struck down hard, her bandaged eye now glowing blue.

“ Grr. That uniform.” Hopkins scowled. “ ARE YOU MOCKING ME, YURI?!”

“ Stay silent, cadet!” Danforth snapped. Hopkins swallowed. Regardless, he swung back, pushing her off him. As Yuri hit the ground however, she sped forwards, cutting into his side. Danforth spun to meet her next attack before scraping his electric sword down his burning blade, creating a vortex of flame and thunder that blasted through the area. Yuri fell back, grabbing her arm. She’d thrown what she could at the man and, despite his injuries, he hadn’t flinched once. He was certainly an imposing figure. She closed her eyes. She had some other IDs she could use. The Thumb and AEDD could puncture him in different ways but she doubted it would be enough. Look inside, Abby had said. Yeah. That would have to do it. If Danforth was going to use his EGO, she’d have to answer in kind.

Spinning her sword and dispelling the ID of another life she may have had, she channelled electricity around her. Beside the sinners, Abby’s grin grew. “ That’s it. More. Show me more of your beautiful power.” Lighting struck the ground as Yuri’s EGO awakened, the striped jacket all of the Sinner’s wore when they awakened to theirs around her shoulders to show off the familiar suit of an L Corp agent. Her sword glowed a vibrant violet like it had back in the facility while blue lighting sparked from where her eye should have been, the space it had been struck by the Thunderbird’s final attack. The electricity sparked and lifted her in the air, giving her the appearance she was flying on wings made of lighting.

“ Ah. Now you have my attention.” Danforth levelled his lighting blade at Yuri. “ Come forth, Sinner of Limbus. Show me your wrath.” He didn’t have to ask twice. Ten cerulean bolts launched themselves at Danforth as Yuri crashed down on him. The man didn’t flinch at the storm, swiping two from the air as more scorched his cloak, before striking Yuri’s blade. The resulting blast from electric striking electric was immense, shattering the windows from the resulting detonation. Some of the N Corp agents, including Hopkins, fell from their perches and hit the ground below. Then, Yuri pushed up. She flipped over Danforth’s head, her EGO dispelling itself, before landing behind him. She spun on her heel, sword swinging.

“ YURI!” The cry paralysed Yuri. The next sound she heard was of a body hitting the ground but not hers. She looked down to see Abby on the floor, a hole in her stomach.

“ Abby? ABBY!?” Yuri fell to the ground beside her. She looked around confused. That was when she saw him, crossbow raised and sneering. “ Hopkins?”

“ DAMN IT, YOU INCORRIGIBLE BRAT!” Danforth thundered.

“ S-She was going to-” Hopkins spluttered.

“ That was no reason to interrupt a duel! You insult us both as warriors with your cowardly actions!”

“ But she’s a-”

“ Heretic or no, this was a fight the both of us were putting our all into! We will discuss this later!” Yuri helped Abby onto her back. She looked up with a pained smile.

“ Y-You good…” She asked.

“ Why? Why would you do that?”

“ Your… beauty.” She smirked. “ That was… impressive. The storm… It was unleashed with… such righteous fury. I could… feel your sorrow. It was… gorgeous. But… I can’t help… but feel you… were holding something back.”

“ What?”

“ You should never… be afraid… to be strong, Riri.” Abby smirked. “ True strength… comes from embracing that power… with all your being. Letting yourself… transform into the best… you can be.” She grasped Yuri’s hand. “ Let… it… out.” Yuri’s breath shook as her hand fell. Her body shook as she rose. Her eye fell on Hopkins, standing there looking shell shocked from his verbal beating from Danforth. A small glow shone from the side. In the explosion, Parris had dropped the case. She bared her teeth, unaware of the electricity sparking around her.    

“ Yuri?” Someone called. “ Calm down.” She ignored them. She’d lost someone else. Another and another and another kept falling and falling and falling and falling and she was helpless to stop it. Too weak but always the one to be left behind, her turn to die skipped over once again. It was too much. Her breath became ragged as the cold pain in her eye wrapped around her as a storm. She pushed off the ground in a rage, reaching a taloned hand for Hopkins throat. She should have been stronger. She had to get stronger. If she could save one person, would that be enough? No. It would never be enough. So long as the people she cared for died in front of her, it would never be enough. She had to save them all. She couldn’t save them all. Her scream came out like the crowing of a savage bird as her hand tore through flesh. There had to be more.    

In that moment, Yuri finally let it out.

Chapter Text

I was just a poor girl living in the backstreets of District 4. I grew up the daughter of workshop workers. From an early age, I was surrounded by gear and the Sparrow Atelier technology. I wasn’t the best tinkerer in the world though. I’d often accidentally break things when trying to play pretend and do what Mom and Dad did. They’d never get mad but I always felt bad about it. That’s how I learned how to analyse things though. I was able to look through their stuff and notice anything that wouldn’t work. Why a gun would jam or missing threads on a coat. Simple things. Then, when I was 17, I got a letter inviting me to work at L Corp. A job in a Wing for a poor girl like me? I jumped at the chance. Mom and Dad got their own promotions too. They work in District 13 now after Mors ran the Sparrows out of the district, deciding to stay loyal to their boss. Things were going well for a time. It was like I was given a miracle. But it was just biding it’s time to show itself as the curse it really was.

****************************************

When the storm clouds parted, Dante found himself in a world of shadows. It looked like he was inside of a maelstrom. Despite that, he could very clearly make up parts of some kind of building. “ I see.” He ticked. “ So we’re inside Yuri’s now.”

“ This is just like mine and Yi Sang’s.” Gregor noted. “ We’re inside some kind of twisted delusion formed by Yuri’s mind.”

“ I’m not seeing Judge Danforth or Mister Parris.” Yi Sang noted. “ It seems we’re the only ones she let in.”

“ But… What happened?” Sinclair asked. “ After Abby died, she just… I dunno.”

“ She lost control.” Ishmael sighed. “ She’s distorted.” The Sinners watched what happened from afar. Gregor had tried to reach her but it hadn’t worked. Storm clouds seemed to burst from her missing eye and enveloped her, twisting her form into some kind of avian monstrosity. Then, she’d lunged forwards with incredible speed and drove her hand straight through Hopkins chest. None of them could say he didn’t deserve it after what he’d done, both in District 4 and here. Still, seeing their friend like that wasn’t the most pleasant of experiences to say the least.

" Hmm. Unknown." Faust admitted. " From how it worked, it looked more like some kind of advanced form of EGO corrosion."

“ Who cares what happened. She should be somewhere in here, right?” Gregor asked. “ We need to help her. Dante. Can you detect her? She’s still tied to you, yeah?”

“ She is but… it’s odd. It’s like something’s messing with her connection to me. This isn’t something I can just rewind. All I can say is that we’re far away from her. I think she’s beneath us.”

“ Beneath? This place goes deeper?” Heathcliff groaned. “ Bloody brilliant. Welp, can’t be worse than slogging through a whale.”

“ Come to think about it, haven’t we been here before?” Hong Lu mused. “ I can’t help but recognise the architecture.” The others looked around.

“ He’s… not being dumb for once.” Rodya admitted. “ I do know this place from somewhere. But it’s weird somehow. Can’t quite place it.”

“ Does it matter? We’ll figure it out eventually.” Heathcliff shrugged.

“ He’s right. Come on. We have to help Yuri.” Gregor said firmly. Dante nodded.

“ Right. Let’s find our friend.” Venturing through the storm didn’t make that nagging feeling of familiarity go away. As they headed through the narrow halls, Dante couldn’t help but wonder where they knew this place from. Before long, they entered a large, more open room. That’s when they heard echoes.

“ Hey. You must be one of the new hires right?” A cheerful voice echoed through the clouds. “ I’m Loki. I guess you could call me your Senpai. Ha ha ha.”

“ R-Right. I’m Yuri. Nice to meet you.” Yuri’s voice was nervous and less hardy than what they knew.

“ Ha ha. No need to be nervous. Just follow me and everything will work out perfect.”

“ If she follows you, you’ll get her killed. Frankly, I’m amazed you haven’t died yet yourself, Loki.” The new voice was feminine and flat, dryly mocking Loki.

“ Aw, c’mon Al. Don’t be like that.”

“ Ignore him. He’ll probably tell you to steal from My Form Emptiness if you give him enough time.” She laughed. “ I’m Alex. Welcome to L Corp, Yuri.”

“ Did she say Alex?” Sinclair gasped. “ That’s Yuri’s friend from L Corp. The one we found with the stone helmet on.”

“ So the reason this place feels familiar. It’s District 4’s L Corp facility.” Ishmael realised. “ The place we went through to get to Gregor’s Golden Bough back when we first met her.”

“ With how close to her heart this place is, I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised.”

“ Ah! From the mist!” Don gasped. From the storm, figures started to appear. They formed from clouds before hardening into shapes. Some wielded clubs made from roots and wore suits with maggots falling off of them. Others wielded thin, scalpel-like knives and wore face masks and gloves.

“ From the suit, I’m guessing that’s the EGO of that parasite thing that turned into the Golden Apple.” Gregor hummed. “ These are agents from her L Corp.”

“ The Nymph has breached.” Their voices sounded like static, echoing across the room. “ Get into position. Wait for the captain’s instructions.”

“ Nymph is that nurse thing from the Mirror Dungeon, yeah?” Rodya asked. “ That thing came from Yuri’s facility. She never said.”

“ I think there’s a reason for that.” Dante mused. “ Either way, look out. Got a feeling we’re the abnormality they’re trying to suppress.”

**********************************************

They were able to fight their way out of control from Yuri’s memory agents and move down a floor. Here, they were met with a crossroads. “ Which way did we go again?” Rodya asked.

“ The elevator’s locked down past a certain point.” Faust stated. “ It would seem that Yuri has replicated the L Corp intruder protocols into her reconstruction of her old facility.”

“ They have that?”

“ It is not designed to deal with abnormalities.” Faust continued. “ However, if a hostile invading force were to break into the facility, the elevators can be partially disabled to limit movement in order to prevent the invaders from getting too far and stealing anything important from the lower departments. The maintenance area is sealed tightly as well so getting into the walls will be an impossibility.”

“ Meaning we have to do things the hard way. Great.” Heathcliff sighed.

“ You say that like it’s any different than usual.” Ishmael snarked. “ So which door are we heading for?” There were two doors to choose from. One led into a corridor while the other seemed to lead into a larger room, likely the central room of another department.

“ Shorter this way.” Heathcliff shrugged. “ Not like we can’t turn around and head the other way if we’re wrong, yeah?” The others couldn’t fault the logic, following along behind them.

“ U-Um. Ex-Excuse me. Sorry.” As they entered, they heard a small voice echoing around. “ A-Are you Ms Yuri?”

“ Yep. Are you alright?”

“ Oh… erm… y-yes. My name… uh… I-I’m Harriet. The c-captain asked me to… Can you dr-drop some information on S-Stuck in Heaven for us please.”

“ Sure. If you need some more particle advice, Loki is the one who uses its gear so he knows how the thing functions.”

“ Th-Thank you so much.”

“ No problem. Are you new? No need to worry. It’s a rough job but if I can last this long, I’m sure you’ll do great.”

“ What are these memories?” Rodya asked. “ They seem… I dunno.”

“ These people must have been Yuri’s close friends.” Gregor realised. “ The people who she lost when L Corp collapsed.”

“ She’s kept them close all this time.” Sinclair frowned. “ I wish she’d told us more about them. They seem nice.”

“ It’s hard looking back to the past at those who are no longer with you.” Yi Sang stated. “ Especially when the times were happier than they are now. I was very much the same when it came to the League of Nine.”

“ Hmm? What is that?” Don asked curiously. Floating in the storm were two feathers, flickering with red electricity. 

“ Feathers?” Rodya raised an eyebrow.

“ Do you think… well, I mean Yuri is a bird now so…” Sinclair tried to reason. As the sinners attempted to approach, the clouds thundered violently. The electricity around them sparked and grew into human-like forms, fading into a staticy form. Before them now were two figures looking like they’d just stepped out of a TV with bad signal. One was Don’s height whose clothes didn’t look like they fit properly holding a spear that looked like a large tree branch. The other spun two familiar looking blue daggers in his hands. 

“ Man, why does Passenger have to be such a pain?” Loki’s voice echoed around them. “ Miles. You’re the things favourite. Can’t you follow it?”

“ My knives only tear small rifts when they strike something. I can’t create portals like it can.” A calmer voice called.

“ Sucks.”

“ Be careful everyone. It just left Welfare.” Yuri’s voice echoed.

“ Here it comes.”

“ Ah! Look out!” The squeaky voice of Harriet echoed. That was when the two figures charged.

“ Woah!” Heathcliff gritted his teeth as the spear wielding woman stabbed him. He manifested his Rabbit side, slashing her with his knife before firing at her when she backed off. “ What the hell is going on here?”

“ These feathers… I see. That must be Harriet and I would assume Miles.” Faust stated.

“ So they think we’re the Lost Passenger?”

“ No. They’re just like the agents. They’re just constructs fighting to defend Yuri.” Ishmael realised. “ They’re just more powerful because Yuri trusts them more than the other agents. Am I close?”

“ Faust agrees with your assessment.” She nodded, blocking a barrage of energised strikes from Miles before shoving them back.

“ The EGO is Ebony Stem and Dimension Shredder.” Outis told them. “ I believe we’re all very aware of the dangers of the abnormalities they come from due to the Mirror Dungeons. Let’s not lose our nerve now.”

“ You say that like we were gonna in the first place.” Heathcliff fired a heavy blast at Harriet, blowing clean through her guard and blowing a hole through her staticky form that quickly repaired itself but not without some distress to the feather.

“ The locks are failing?!” Harriet’s panicked voice echoed. “ What’s happening?! Yuri!?! Please! Tell us what’s happening!”

“ These… are all her memories right?” Sinclair asked as Ryoshu intercepted Miles from striking him with her own cloud-covered blade.

“ Probably.” Ishmael nodded. “ What they’re saying is jumping from memory to memory. It’s certainly not coherent.”

“ Be careful everyone. Passenger’s breached containment. Yuri. Raise the alert levels of the other floors.” Miles leapt back before crouching down, the blades in his hands glowing violently. “Commencing suppression.” Suddenly, he vanished before appearing in front of Ryoshu again in a flash. What looked like one slash felt to the swordswoman like tens of slashes. She grit her teeth as she felt her sword bend from the pressure. Then she swung hard, catching the feather in the air. As he hit the floor, she plunged her blade into him. “ We need assistance.” The feather cried before its form dissipated.

“ I-It’s alright. I’ll help. Let’s begin, everyone.” From the other side of the room, Harriet began spinning her staff overhead before plunging it into the ground. Roots began shooting out of the ground. As the others dodged for cover, Don remained undeterred. Utilising the power of the Cinq, she easily danced around the erupting vines before delivering a powerful strike to her target’s head. “ Yuri?! Please!” The figure vanished leaving behind a feather floating to the floor. Don caught it before it landed.

“ Well that was manic.” Rodya sighed. “ Yuri’s friends were pretty skilled if that’s actually how they fought.”

“ They talked like they were asking Yuri for help.” Sinclair realised.

“ Yeah. I noticed that too.” Dante admitted. “Does… anyone actually know what Yuri was in L Corp? I know she was an agent.”

“ She never actually said, I don’t think.” Ishmael hummed. “ L Corp was always a topic she hated to dwell on and no-one really pushed her on it so it never really came up.”

“ Doesn’t matter. We’ll learn in time.” Yi Sang told them before grabbing the feather that turned into Miles. “ We should return them to Yuri. I think it’s only right.”

“ Yeah. They were her friends.” Dante nodded. “ Any luck on getting the elevators moving, Faust?” Faust stepped back onto the elevator.

“ Nothing has changed. We’ll need to go the other way.”

“ Maybe we need to deal with more of the Feathers.” Gregor said. “ Ain’t the general structure of these places that there’s four departments on the upper floors, three in the middle and two at the bottom?”

“ Generally, it’s not set in stone. Take the U-04 for example. It was built sideways due to it’s place on the ocean. D-02 was built like a general facility however.”

“ How do you remember these things?” Outis asked.

“ Faust knows everything.” Faust beamed with pride.

“ Well, no use staying here.” Dante told them. “ Let’s get moving before more of those agents arrive.”

Chapter Text

I’m not sure how it happened. One day I was just an agent in the Information department, working on abnormalities and doing general observation paperwork. The next Brigid told me I was promoted to the Captain of the Information department. I knew the old one had passed after some unfortunate circumstance involving the Spiral of Contempt after he went to help out in Central but for me to be even considered let alone become the captain of a whole team? It was… honestly flattering. Of course, the extra pay from such a promotion didn’t hurt either. It wasn’t much but it made life outside the facility easier. I became an operator of sorts, informing people of breaches and movements of Abnormalities. Others came to look to me for guidance. It was overwhelming but… I liked having that role. I was important. I had a purpose. I was… for once in my life… happy.

**********************************

They dealt with more shadowy agents on the way towards the next chamber along with some Peccatum that spawned due to proximity to the Golden Bough. They stepped into a room that was a cool blue colour. The atmosphere was different here. It was somewhat calmer, the dark clouds seeming less stormier. “ Where are we now?” Outis asked.

“ The Information department.” Faust said. “ I believe we are close to where we met Gregor’s old friend.”

“ Don’t… remind me of them please.” Gregor sighed. “ Can we unlock the elevators from here?”

“ Yes. But, seeing as the systems are not real in this vision, there must be some other way. Such as the feather over there.” The group followed Faust’s gaze. Floating just over some half formed computers was another feather. Gregor walked forwards to grab it. As he did, the storm fulminated.

“ Yuri. Seems everything is going to hell in a handbasket, hmm? ” The new figure formed, one that Dante recognised as being the figure that Loki’s voice must belong too. He held a red crossbow that looked like it was made of thorns, a spiral bolt already loaded. His attire looked like it was made from the same material and formed a long coat over the usual L-Corp uniform. “ Good practice. A little help. ” As he formed, the floor shifted. Just like the agents before, a being formed from the clouds. But this one was different. This one they recognised.

“ Yuri?!” Rodya gasped. “ Are you alright?”

“ Wait. That’s not our Yuri.” Ishmael raised an arm. She was right. This Yuri was the same half formed shape the agents had been, parts of her body made from storm clouds while others were coloured as they should be. Dante recognised what she was wearing from when she manifested her EGO. Her sword was a shining violet and her uniform looking like it was made of feathers. Strikingly, she still had both of her eyes. She drew her blade from its sheath, causing it to crackle with electricity.

“ Do I need to tell you how this one works or are you just gonna shoot at it like you always do? ”

“ So cold, Ri. But you know me best .”

“ Just make sure the thing doesn’t grab you. Last thing we need is you losing your marbles more than you already have. ”

“ You wound me, fair lady .” Loki’s laugh echoed around the room. “ Come on. Let’s handle it. ” The storm cloud Yuri charged in first. Ishmael was barely able to raise her shield in time to defend against a thunderous slash. 

“ Damn it…” She growled. “ I don’t wanna have to fight Yuri.”

“ Then leave it to those who can.” Ryoshu huffed before delivering a powerful slash to her back. Storm Yuri moved away from her, the wound forming back with more storm clouds.

“ She’s right.” Dante told them. “ We may need to fight the actual Yuri later. I’d ask the people who can’t stomach that to please stay back. I won’t force you to fight.”

“ I… No.” Ishmael shook her head. “ She helped me. I’ll help her. What are friends for?”

“ Right.” Sinclair nodded, gripping his halberd tightly. He hoped forwards before his weapon switched to a long, charm-covered staff. As he prepared to attack Storm Yuri however, a crossbow bolt caught him by surprise.

“ Ah ah ah. Over here, big ugly. Keep all your focus on me. ” Sinclair and a number of the other sinners found themselves drawn towards Loki, a strange glimmering covering his weapon and body.

“ I can’t move my head to look away.” Sinclair gritted his teeth.

“ He’s using the EGO of the Stuck in Heaven.” Faust explained. “ It’s likely his mental projection that forms when she uses the EGO herself.”

“ Now that you mention it, that crossbow does look familiar.” Heathcliff admitted. “ So he’s gonna force us to hit him while Yuri hits us unimpeded like Yuri does when she uses it? Pain in the ass.”

“ It just means we’ve got to deal with him faster.” Rodya shouted before rushing forwards, attire already in the Dieci’s priest's robes as she slammed a fist into him. He slid back as she shook her hand. “ Ah. That hurt.” Across from them, the man wagged his fingers at them.

“ This guy acted like this to those monsters?” Heathcliff smirked. “ Is he bloody mad?”

“ I mean, our little Don does the same thing.”

“ That does not help his image!”

“ Ah! Look out, Sinclair!” Dante cried. Sinclair looked up sharply, just in time to see Storm Yuri driving a blade through his chest and leaving him to bleed out before retreating back out of range.

“ Forget it. Let’s just deal with him.” He eyed Ishmael who nodded. Both of them formed a drill like harpoon on their arms as they charged towards the feather who held their attention. They attacked in tandem, Heathcliff knocking the feather up before Ishmael tagged him, wrestling back to the ground and impaling him through the chest.

“ Just needed the opening. ” Loki’s voice echoed as he dissolved into electricity. Ishmael’s eyes widened but she was too slow as a blade sliced clean through her neck.

“ Suppression confirmed. ” Yuri turned to the others.

“ Was… Yuri always this strong or is her mind palace making her stronger than she should be because it’s Yuri?” Gregor asked.

“ She is only as strong as she remembers being.” Faust stated.

“ That… may actually mean Cloudian Urayuli is weaker than Yuri was knowing how she likes to downplay her accomplishments.” Rodya pointed out. As Yuri approached them, her blade began sparking. The clouds began twisting as more of the Storm Agents formed.

“ Captain. Are you alright? ”

“ Fine. I should have expected Thunderbird to find me. It always seems to. Form up and target it’s wings. If we can ground it, we’ll be home free. ”

“ Right. ”

“ Captain?” Heathcliff furrowed her brow. “ That’s one of the top agents, aye? Like those blokes from the Crucible Office.”

“ Indeed.” Faust nodded. “ The Captains are the highest level of agents, serving directly under the department heads who themselves served the branch managers.”

“ Let’s think about this later.” Dante commanded. “ We need to split up. Some of you take the agent's aggression and the others take Yuri.” The others nodded and got to work. Most of the Sinners split in two, shoving back the new agents. Yi Sang and Don however went for the throat. Don charged in, spear at the ready, distracting Storm Yuri’s attention. Yi Sang hung back briefly as he called upon Spicebush before moving around the side. As Yuri deflected Don’s spear charge, Yi Sang drove the branch like spear through her chest.

“ Captain Yuri’s been hurt!” The agent's voice echoed. “ Fall back.” As Storm Yuri staggered back, the ground back began to swirl and shudder angrily.

“ Now what?!” Heathcliff shouted as the Storm Agent’s forms dissipated and swirled together. The swirling clouds surrounded Yuri protectively before merging with her.

“ Did you really think it would be that easy to stop us? ” A voice echoed. This one was different to the others though. It felt somehow more tangible than the others and yet it sounded alien and distorted. “ I will defend her to the last. Ready or not. Here I come. ” The clouds burst and rumbled. Dante raised his hands and dug his heels in to stop himself getting blown back. When he looked back up, a towering figure stood in Storm Yuri’s place. It looked vaguely female with grey skin, red armour covering its legs and torso and large, curved shields covering both of its arms. The shield and the chestplate were adorned with clubs like he saw on the cards the sinners used while passing the time. Around it, figures formed. They were like the storm agents but their figures were bent and warped. Some had their hands frozen together into a makeshift mace while others looked like they were made of smoke, the wisps mixing with their cloudian form. They weren’t warped, Dante quickly realised. They were corroded. The EGO was all different but the way it contorted the bodies of the people that wore it was all too familiar.

“ She formed an abnormality. Never seen that one before.” Gregor said. Behind him, Faust hummed. “ What?”

“ Abnormality  O-01-59-04. Its designation is The Tower.” Faust stated. “ Faust looked over the notes from the Before Team sent to us before we docked. This was one of the abnormalities we got the data for.”

“ What’s it’s weakness?” Outis asked.

“ Unclear.”

“ Yuri usually figures that out for us.” Rodya sighed. “ Well, let’s clear it’s minions out first and figure the rest out later.”

“ S.I.C.K.” Ryoshu smirked. She drew her blade and charged in only for her strike to bounce off the wall of the Tower. The corroded Agent quickly stretched around it before slamming down with a frozen mace. Ryoshu was quick enough to dodge but moving to counter, she found her blade again bouncing. She retreated. “ It’s guarding them.” She hissed.

“ My. How noble!” Don cried.

“ Please don’t compliment the abnormalities, Don Quixote.” Yi Sang told her.

“ Meursault. We need to stop the Tower from getting in our way. Can I ask you to get in it’s way instead?”

“ As you command.” Meursault charged in, the armour of R Corp forming around him and he slammed into the Tower’s shield. The abnormality stumbled back from the heavy impact. Seeing their opening, the Sinners got to work without Dante needing to order them. However, after Heathcliff was able to gun down one of smoke agents, Dante couldn’t help but notice the shields on the Tower’s arms crack. Even as it got slowly more aggressive as the Sinners kept attacking it’s allies, Meursault refused to back down on the mission he benn given and held the abnormality back. As each of the Storm Agents fell, the cracks on the shields grew. As soon as the last one fell, the shields shattered. The Tower roared before slamming it’s massive arms down on top of Meursault, splattering his body against the ground.

“ The Tower. Upright. Unexpected change, destruction, chaos.” Outis mused. “ When reversed it can either mean aversion of disaster or fear of change.”

“ I didn’t know you were into tarot cards, Outis.” Rodya smiled. “ Do my fortune later.”

“ What I was referring to is that, now it’s allies have fallen, we may have just brought that disaster upon ourselves.”

“ Brace yourselves.” Dante shouted. The Tower charged, sending frontline Sinners flying. Ryoshu was quick to charge back in, slashing at it. The Tower madly swung as it blindly rampaged but Ryoshu was able to keep on top by dodging around it. Seeing an opening while it was distracted, Outis and Gregor drove their weapons into it’s back. The Tower screamed in pain, spinning around to try and swat the new attackers. Even with the power behind its attacks however, its slow speed made it easy to avoid though one wrong move ended with them splattered against the cloudy floors and walls as Hong Lu and Heathcliff both found out the hard way. With a final roar, it collapsed to the ground before twisting into an egg. The remaining sinners panted. Seeing his opening, Dante rewound time, bringing the dead Sinners back to life.

“ Well that was a fucking pain in the arse. What even was that thing?” Heathcliff sighed.

“ I’ve never heard of something like that from Yuri.” Rodya admitted.

“ Let us head back to the elevator. It should be operational by now.” Faust told them. The group nodded and moved on. As they began to descend further down, Yi Sang hummed.

“ What’s up Yi Sang?” Dante asked.

“ I was thinking. That abnormality belonged to S Corp’s branch, did it not?”

“ What do you mean?” Gregor asked.

“ No, he’s right. The leader of Abigail’s office had a shield on the wall that looked like the Tower’s weapon.” Ishmael noted. “ It’s from here.”

“ That’s… weird right?” Rodya asked. “ Everything else in here is from Urayuli’s memories.”

“ Indeed. I thought it was strange.”

“ Maybe it dragged some of the abnormalities from S Corp here then.” Dante suggested. “ Like the ones we saw in the dungeon formed from Yi Sang’s memories. Despite being at the top of the K Corp building, they still showed up somehow. The Golden Bough does seem to attract the abnormalities.”

“ Like how some of them chose to go with the Pallid Whale.” Ishmael nodded. “ It makes sense.”

“ Hmm. I wonder.” Yi Sang rubbed his chin.

“ Well, I suppose it doesn’t really matter.” Dante shrugged. “So long as we reach Yuri in the end.”

Chapter Text

I think it’s the case that people in the same circumstances will usually become friends. When you suffer from the same problems in a workplace, it seems like it just makes sense you’d share talents to make life easier. While there have been a few outliers to that theory of mine, it’s usually true. All the captains were like a family in the end. We all shared problems, hung out off duty, traded hard tasks in the facility to lighten each other's load. L Corp never was the best place to work or the most comfortable but… I can’t help but think of it like my home just like I loved all of them like we were family. Maybe it’s just Stockholm syndrome or something but I can’t help but look back at those days and see them as the best days of my life.

**************************************

The elevator dropped them off in a large open area. “ We’re back in Central it seems.” Gregor hummed.

“ Indeed. The first floor. If we are to descend to the bottom of this place then we’ll have to go through either Welfare or Disciplinary. I highly doubt that the floor will be broken open for us this time.” Faust stated. A few others sighed.

“ Just suck the hopes and dreams out of all of us, why don’t you.” Gregor sighed.

“ I am being realistic.”

“ Keep your chin up, Greg. At least we won’t have to get crushed by giant hands falling from the sky or handle bug mutated monsters this time around.” Rodya patted him on the shoulder. “ No offence to you of course.”

“ You could have left that last part out, you know.” As they walked through the large chamber, murmurings began to fill the air. The Sinners kept their guards up, waiting for an ambush. But the voices weren’t angry or tense or anything that Dante would have expected from the agents of L Corp. They were laughing.

“ Right. Yuri. From now on, if you want to help, please just wait outside the kitchen .” Alex sighed.

“ I said I was sorry, Alex ” Yuri could be heard whining. “ I didn’t know it would explode like that. ”

“ How do you keep making everything explode anyway? ” Loki asked. “  Every time you work a hob or use the microwave or even the kettle. Something just explodes. ”

“ I… don’t think technology likes me. Maybe it’s the EGO suit? ”

“ I for one have never had that problem. ” Loki laughed.

“ Of course you haven’t. Your suit makes people notice you easier which has never been hard for you. ” Alex jabbed at him.

“ I thought we were bullying Ri. Why am I the target now? ”

“ Because you make it far too easy. ” A new, rough sounding voice called.

“ And hello to you as well Ronan. ” Loki said, deadpan. “ What’s the matter? Let the cat out again? ”

“ The Scarred Tiger is safely in its… What do you refer to as again? ”

“ I seem to remember an incident when we were just settling in where a veteran agent accidentally tripped over a set of wires in the backrooms and breached about three abnormalities. ”

“ That… ” The man cleared his throat in a way that sounded like he was embarrassed. “ I simply was making sure that everyone was well. I heard a loud bang .” Yuri made a small choking noise. “ Hmm. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. ”

“ You two, Ronan? ” Yuri gave an annoyed sigh. “ I said I was sorry. ” The other voices laughed.

“ Is… that what Yuri was talking about back when we were dealing with Papa Bongy?” Sinclair asked. “ About not being allowed in a Kitchen?”

“ Yeah, I remember that.” Gregor agreed. “Though I thought we agreed that the chicken incident never happened.”

“ What chicken incident?” Heathcliff asked.

“ Exactly.”

“ It seems that being an agent in L Corp was more fun than I thought.” Hong Lu smiled. “ I’d have thought it all doom and gloom.”

“ Even in the darkest hell, those with hope can find some joy in life.” Yi Sang stated. “ It is… inspiring.”

“ Enough waxing lyrical. We got company.” Heathcliff pointed his bat as the clouds began to swirl.

Get out.

“ Yuri?” The sinners looked around. “ Are you alright?” Dante asked.

If you want to help then get out of here.

“ We can’t do that.” Yuri’s voice went silent as the Storm Agents began forming from the clouds.

“ Welp. So much for bein’ cordial.” Heathcliff grumbled.

**********************************

“ What are you doing, Claire? ” Yuri’s memories continued after they fought their way down to the second floor of Central. Sadly, as Faust predicted, the floor was unmarred. There were two exits from here. One red, brilliant and bright. The other was blue, faded as if it was hiding. 

“ Shh. Look .” A new, cheerful voice said. “ Look at him. ”

“ Is that the new abnormality? ”

“ Yeah. Hee hee. He looks like he’s dancing. Isn’t it cute? ”

“ Uh. ” Yuri cleared her throat. “ I-It’s not good to get too attached to it you know? Even… Why did you have to put that image in my head? ” The other voice giggled.

“ Paul’s so cute. ”

“ Paul? Wait, you named it? ”

“ Paul. That was… the thing All Around Cleaner is an alternate form of, yeah?” Gregor asked.

“ All Around Helper. Indeed.” Faust nodded.

“ Makes me wish I could’ve seen it as well.” Rodya grinned.

“ Which way are we going then?” Ishmael asked.

“ Does it matter?” Heathcliff shrugged. “ Faust. Ya said we have to go through either department, aye?”

“ That is correct.”

“ So pick a door and let’s move.”

“ I don’t think that will work.” Yi Sang shook his head.

“ Eh? And why not?”

“ Because we have to stick to the script, remember.”

“ You mean back when we were inside your mind.” Gregor asked. Yi Sang nodded.

“ Doth that mean we get to act once more?!” Don asked excitedly.

“ Sorry, honey. He just means only one of these doors is right.” Don wilted at Rodya’s words. “ Where are we going then?” The group were silent as they thought. Then Gregor began walking towards the blue door. “ Huh?”

“ Yuri’s best friend here was Alex. She ran Welfare. In that case, that’s the way we need to go.” Dante nodded.

“ That makes sense.” He agreed. “ Then let’s-”

Stop! The storm violently erupted as the Sinners began to move. Three feathers hovered in the air before bursting into three figures, two women and a man. One of the women had an excited looking expression and held a whip, her clothes looking like they were made of bloody bandages. The other was calm, her eyes clothes, and looked like she wore armour made of stone, four darts floating around a raised hand. The man was stoic, wielding a hammer that seemed to glitch and warp and wore a uniform that looked like it was made of static.

“ Good evening everyone. ” An airy sounding voice began. “ Welcome to Disciplinary. I do hope my humble office is a suitable stage for our meeting. ”

“ It’s a meeting, Leanne. You don’t have to act so formal. ” Loki snarked.

“ Cordiality is a good trait .” A rough sounding Scottish voice told him. “ You should try it some time, lad. ”

“ Ugh. Lecture me on our own time, Harold. The faster we finish this thing, the faster we can go home. Yuri. What up? ”

“ Manager received an official missive from the main branch. Apparently, they’re having a celebration soon.” Yuri said. The feathers moved on them. Leanne fired the red stone darts at them which Ishmael blocked with her shield only to get slammed backwards by Ronan’s glitching hammer. She shook her arm from the recoil. Meanwhile, Hong Lu was wrestling with Claire as she wrapped her whip around the pole of his naginata.

“ A celebration? What? Is it an anniversary or something? ” Loki asked.

“ Perhaps the Birthday of one of the three founders? ” Leanne mused. “ Either way, it’s an exciting prospect .” Ryoshu cut the whip with her sword only for the shadowy tendril to regrow itself. Gregor shot the stone darts out of the air with the Twinhooks pistols, giving the others room to push in. Don charged in first only to get caught in the stomach by a hard swing from Ronan, launching them backwards and on to the ground, coughing in pain with a few likely broken ribs.

“ Incorrect. The founder's birthdays are nowhere near this date .” An emotionless female voice echoed.

“ How’d you know that? ”

“ Lyn knows everything .” Dante couldn’t help but glance at Faust. 

“ Did you expect another answer, Loki? ” Miles asked, curious.

“ Nope but I was secretly hoping she’d surprise us. ”

“ Come on, guys. ” Yuri sighed. Meursault rammed Ronan down to the ground before pulling Guido’s nail out and attempting to impale him. The Feather avoided by rolling to the side and attempting a powerful slam that made Meursault barely flinch before he thrusted back, driving the nail into the agent’s shoulder before wrenching it free. The opening let Yi Sang and Sinclair to charge at Claire. While Gregor got a pair of the darts, the rest drove themselves into Sinclair’s chest. Yi Sang kept charging, driving Starbuck’s spear into her. Ryoshu and Faust rounded on Leanne. She snickered as she danced around their strikes and lashed back, cutting into their skin with a whip that looked like it had a mind of its own.

“ So what did the main branch want? ” Alex asked.

“ Miss Brigid said they asked for a full report on all our abnormalities .”

" And the Manager can’t handle that? ” Loki scoffed. “ Sometimes I think we’re the only ones who actually do anything in this facility. We never see the Manager, the Department Chiefs just give us their work to do, the newbies don’t do jack except die and the clerks just hide in the walls doing paperwork all day. Honestly, we should just make an office at this point .”

“ Everyone has their place. Don’t think people don’t have a role just because you cannot see how it is performed .”

“ Oh, enough with your cult nonsense Leanne. ” Harold groaned. “ No-one cares about your crappy religion or your bloody theatre talk. More importantly does this party mean a pay bonus or free booze? Cause I’ll happily get smashed on the company dime .”

“ Here here. ” Claire called happily. Hong Lu watched as his fellow Sinners tried to strike Leanne as the attire of the Tingtang clan appeared on him. As she danced one foot too close to him, he struck, slashing rapidly and tearing through her defences, sending her staggering back. Harold’s full attention was on Meursault as they matched blow for blow, Meursault’s armour taking a lot of the impact of the feather’s glitching hammer. Their duel was interrupted by Ishmael returning to the fray, striking the man in the chest with a burning palm and letting Meursault strike him to the floor with a blow to the side of the head that short circuited his form for a brief few seconds. Yi Sang kept the pressure on Claire as she kept backing up, trying to get range. Backing up, she was met with the cold barrel of Gregor’s pistol pointing to the back of her head. He fired, blasting a mass of crackling electricity forwards as the feather’s form faltered. “ Yuri. Tell Lyn on my way. Bloody hell. What a pain in the arse. ”

“ Be reasonable. ” Ronan shook his head. “ I highly doubt it will be all too major. When has a wing been anything other than self centred .”

“ Hey. We’re feathers. ” Claire reminded her partner. “ We are part of their self. ”

“ Since when have they cared for us .” Miles sighed.

“ Sad but true. ” Ronan admitted. Leanne was pushed back hard as Ryoshu and Faust both took advantage of her staggered state. However, as they closed in to end her, She quickly and violently lashed out in a hurricane of lashes that tore the two to ribbons. Further back, Hong Lu just chuckled before spinning his dagger in his hand. Across the room, Ronan was struggling from the barrage of blows, his movements weakening. Ishmael was able to break his guard, allowing Meursault to drive a nail through his throat, causing the feather to grow staticy. “ We are quickly losing an advantageous position. Fall back to the elevators. ”

“ S-So what do we have to do, Yuri? ” Harriet asked nervously.

“ Nothing much. Just some simple housekeeping. Making sure all the abnormalities are behaving as they should be. Nothing special. ”

“ Very good. Then I shall look forward to whatever this celebration may be. Let’s have fun, yes? ” Leanne said happily. Leanne and Hong Lu stared each other down for a brief moment as the battle ended across the rest of the room. With a calm smile, Hong Lu began walking forwards. When Leanne moved to attack, he broke into a sprint and slashed her neck open. The last feather fell back, its form fading away. “ I shall play that role with perfection as ever. Let’s make our last performance splendiferous. Ah ha ha.”

“ I suppose there’s nothing wrong with that. ” Yuri admitted. “ Well, I suppose it’s time to work. I’ll see you guys later. ”

I love you guys. Please don’t leave me.

“ Yuri.” Ishmael grimaced. The red door before them creaked open almost reluctantly.

“ Come on.” Dante told them, finishing off rewinding everyone’s injuries. “ I’d rather not leave her either.” With a murmur of agreement, the Sinner stepped forwards into the dark of the storm.

Chapter Text

I was admittedly suspicious when I was told of the celebration. We weren’t told what it was or why it was happening. Just to do one last major inspection of all the abnormalities inside our facility. The celebration came and there was a massive beam of light in the distance of the facility. Then, about a week later, everything began to collapse. We suffered multiple breaches in multiple sectors. Like the abnormalities themselves were revolting. And, when everything began to happen, they all wanted answers from me. I couldn’t give them answers. I couldn’t give them peace. I couldn’t give them anything. I was… completely useless. And then… And then… Alex. I’m so sorry.

**************************************

Get out! Yuri’s voice caused a crack of lightning to burst in the distance as the sinners walked down the long, dark corridor from Central to Welfare. As they did, whispers grew into shouts and overlapped repeatedly. Get out! Stay away from her! GET OUT! The Sinners were silent but none of them even suggested turning around. They couldn’t after all. Either they saved Yuri or they all died here. Dante wasn’t abandoning one of their own to suffer like this.

As they ventured down the corridor, the environment around them started to change. Even in cloud form, the other departments had looked clean and maintained as Dante assumed they would have when Yuri was working there. However, as they kept going, the place started to crack and fall into decay and disrepair just like it was when they found it. Dante braced himself. He had a bad feeling about what the next memory they were about to experience was.

Welfare was odd. Parts of it were the crumbling ruin the corridor had been but other parts of it were still sleek and new. Yuri’s mind was trying to keep it from falling apart. In the center of the room, it was obvious as to why that was. A figure stood there, vibrant and blue. Her form was more clear than the other feathers. It was almost like Alex was an actual ghost. As the Sinners saw her, she raised the hammer in her hands. LEAVE HER ALONE! Yuri’s scream was coincided by a mighty blast of wind shoving them backwards.

You broke her. How dare you? The Sinners stiffened. That voice from the first floor was back and with it the convulsing clouds. Don’t worry. I’m here. I won’t let someone as perfect as you become lost.

“ Who the bloody hell are you?!” Heathcliff demanded. Instead of an answer, the clouds around Alex burst open and formed into two figures. One looked like a young girl with pale skin and dark hair wielding two massive greatswords in golden gauntlets. The other was a taller, blindfolded woman in a star covered shawl.

“ The abnormalities of Mercedes and Walcott’s EGO.” Yi Sang mused.

“ So that would be… the Star and the Emperor?” Sinclair asked. Yi Sang nodded in response.

“ Upright, that would mean-”

“ We do not have time for another fortune telling session right now, Outis!” Ishmael shouted. “ Dante! Give us orders!” Dante nodded.

“ What the… What was that? ” Yuri’s voice echoed. All at once a flood of voices began thundering around the room. Panicked voices screaming and overlapping in such a way it made it nearly impossible to make out what any of them was saying. In it, Dante could hear some familiar lines.

“ The locks are failing?! What’s happening?! Yuri! Please! Tell us what’s happening!”

“ We need assistance.”

“ Yuri. Tell Lyn on my way. Bloody hell. What a pain in the arse.”

“ We are quickly losing an advantageous position. Fall back to the elevators.”

“ I shall play that role with perfection as ever. Let’s make our last performance splendiferous. Ah ha ha.”

“ Lyn will handle this herself. You and Claire look out for yourselves.”

“ Whatever happens, it’s been an honour to know you all.”

Outis moved to deal with the Star once she noticed it charging something. Interrupting itself, the Star drew a rapier from its starry cloak and began thrusting rapidly, the gaps caught by other blades launching out of the shawl. Outis was caught out by the sudden speed and ferocity and quickly became a bloody pile of holes and flesh. On the other side of the room, Meursault wasn’t fairing much better. Despite the size of its weapons, the Emperor was surprisingly quick in it’s attacks, using them like gymnastic equipment and using the momentum to flip around, driving the swords into Meursault and crushing him into the floor. Alex was the next to move, tightening her hand around the hammer in a way that made it bleed and slamming the energised hammer into Ishamel’s shield, splintering it in an instant. Ishmael growled in pain, clutching her arm as it hung loose and red, broken, before her head was caved in by the follow up swing.

“ It’s erm… Just… Just give me a minute. I’ll…” Yuri’s voice sounded panicked as the voices grew louder and more manic.

"  Give us information!”

“ We need orders!”

“ Please! What’s happening?!”

“ Captain!”

“ Ms Yuri!”

“ I…” The voices fell silent, replaced by Yuri’s panicked panting. I should have been stronger. Why did I run away from it? If only I’d been stronger, I’d have been able to keep them all alive. I could have given them orders. I could have helped. I shouldn’t have run away. All of it… It’s all my fault. “ Ok. Ok. ” She panted. “ This is fine. We’re fine .”

“ Yuri?” Alex’s voice echoed, sounding concerned. The Sinners pushed back after the initial poor start. Heathcliff was able to disrupt the Emperor’s rampage by knocking her off balance, deflecting one of its blows with Sunshower’s Umbrella. Don and Yi Sang worked together, zipping around while charged up to distract the Star’s attempts to assist it’s allies. Alex slammed her hammer down, narrowly missing Sinclair. Gregor knocked her back with the swipe of his insect arm. She only gripped her hammer harder.

“ Alex. Yes. I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. Sorry. I… don’t know what’s happening. But with everyone screaming into their comm system all at once. I couldn’t take the pressure. ”

“ Hey. No worries. Still, this is alarming. Is something happening in the main branch to cause this? ”

“ I don’t know. Brigid is trying to get in contact with them but she’s worried the widespread malfunction hit external communications too .”

“ I see. ”

“ Why are you so far up the facility by the way, Alex? Aren’t you usually in Welfare? ”

“ Thunderbird escaped and headed over this way. Hey, can you help? You’re good with locating Abnormalities' weak points, right?” Why didn’t you leave me behind? You could have saved yourself if you just left me behind. Faust and Heathcliff continued to weather the storm of hefty slams from the Emperor’s attacks. The monster attacked wildly, leaping around and slamming down or from the side with tricky slashes. Faust was caught out and cut clean in two by one of the Emperor’s attacks. Heathcliff struck back, stabbing an Umbrella into its side as it brutalised her corpse. The Star was proving slightly less of a challenge as Don was able to keep pace with it, matching pierce for pierce with their rapiers. Yi Sang watched it from a short distance away, waiting for his opening as he charged his daggers. Alex wasn’t handling nearly as well in her suppression of Sinclair and Gregor. Gregor was able to defend his ally well, allowing him to get slashes in with the sword of the Blade Lineage. However, the more damage she took, the more her weapon seemed to glow and the stronger it got.

“ That’s that calendar thing, yeah?” Gregor asked.

“ I think so.” Sinclair nodded.

“ Great. Yuri feeds that EGO her own blood, yeah? Glad to see that aspect carried over from her pal.”

“ Alex. Yuri. Seems everything is going to hell in a handbasket, hmm? ” Loki joked.

“ How can you still joke in this situation? ”

“ Good practice. A little help.”

“ Sure. Yuri. ”

“ Thunderbird’s weakness is its wings. If we can cripple them, it should be completely immobile. Watch for strikes from unpredictable angles. ”

“ Business as usual. Let’s rock. ” There was a horrible cry of some kind of bird. As it screeched, the thunder clouds around them crackled.

“ Not bad, ladies. Heh heh.  Just needed the opening. You got it, Al? ”

“ Count on me. ” Another screech caused another pearl of thunder. Lighting struck around the battlefield. Dante couldn’t help but notice as parts of the clean, preserved L Corp building began to crack and fell into the storm. Sinclair and Gregor continued to push Alex back. Despite her increasing strength, Gregor continued to rapidly heal his own injuries and absorbed the life force of his foe. As Sinclair moved to deliver a powerful blow with his halberd however, the abnormalities immediately moved into action.

“ Watch it, you ugly little blond thing!” Heathcliff shouted. Both Sinclair and Don reacted to the warning with Sinclair able to narrowly avoid a heavy slash from the Emperor. The Star fired rapiers at Gregor, driving a blade deep into his stomach. The two moved between the Sinners and the feather.

“ They’re… defending her” Sinclair seemed surprised. “ Why?”

“ Because Yuri doesn’t want anyone to hurt her I guess.” Dante ticked in annoyance. “ Group up. We need to break through.”

“ ALEX! ” Suddenly, there was a massive crash of thunder. The clouds split grew more manic as the storm picked up the pace. More and more of the pristine parts of L Corp broke and crumbled. The clouds turned bright red. It hurts. It hurts. It hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts.

“ What… happened? ” Alex  groaned. “ Yuri? Oh god. Your eye! What happened to it? ”

“ I… I dunno. I think… Thunderbird shot something through it? ‘M fine .”

“ Like hell you are. You’re slurring your words and shaking like a leaf. ” Alex stood up. “ Loki! We need to… No. No no no no .” Loki. Why couldn’t I save you? It should have been me instead. With the abnormalities playing defence, it allowed the Sinners to come together as a singular unit without the worry they’d get taken from behind. 

“ What’s the plan?” Gregor asked. “ Got a feeling those two aren’t gonna just let us go easily.” 

“ Alex is the key to this.” Dante noted. “ She’s the person the memory is based around. As much as she doesn’t want us too, I think we’re going to have to kill her.”

“ Are you… sure?” Sinclair asked hesitantly. “ Is there really no other way?”

“ She’s already dead, Sinclair. This memory will end one way or another.” Dante told him. “ And we know how it ends.” The Sinners seemed uncomfortable at the reminder, all except Ryoshu who simply drew her blade.

“ D.T.” She said.

“ Diversion tactics.” Sinclair nodded. “ OK.” The Sinners braced themselves before splitting up and rushing the two abnormalities. Gregor deflected the Star’s blows, letting Heathcliff and Ishmael get closer to strike at it. Ryoshu, Don and Hong Lu took on the Emperor in the meantime, Ryoshu and Hong Lu able to pretty easily get out of the way of it’s powerful strikes while Don dealt with it head on, keeping it’s focus on her as she drove her spear into it’s shoulder. This left only Sinclair to take on Alex. He swallowed. “ I’m so sorry, Yuri.” He muttered before clashing with the feather.

“ We gotta… get out.” Yuri’s voice was weak. “ Place is… comin down. ”

“ R-Right. Right. You’re… Of course. You’re right. ” Everyone stumbled as the area violently shook. Thunder threatened to split the eardrums of the Sinners and Lightning lashed out violently, striking the ground. The Star took the full force of one of the blasts and faded to ash, its egg falling through the cloud cover. STOP IT! STOP IT! PLEASE! I DON’T WANT TO REMEMBER THAT MOMENT! DON’T BRING ME BACK THERE! STOP IT! PLEASE JUST STOP! Yuri’s voice screamed in agony.

The Sinners recovered from the quaking first. Ryoshu took it as an opportunity, slashing at the Emperor while it was done. The Emperor rose with a mighty slash, cutting right across the left side of her body and head. Despite this, Ryoshu stayed determined, leaping up and driving her blade right through the abnormalities neck, dropping it back to the ground, it’s fading body slipping through the clouds. “ You alright?” Dante asked. She gave him a thumbs up. That only left one target.

“ ALEX? !” Yuri’s scream echoed around the room.

“ Yuri. Are you OK? ” Alex’s voice sounded muffled.

“ Y-Yeah. But… why? ”

“ You’re too good for this place, Yuri. If anyone should escape, it’s you. ”

“ Alex. No. I… I can get you out. ” Sinclair clashed with Alex, halberd against hammer. It was obvious to Dante that he was still conflicted. Despite that, he fought on. Eventually, despite the heavy blows, he was able to knock Alex’s weapon out of her hands. He grit his teeth and closed his eyes as he raised his axe.

“ I’m so sorry.” He said as swung, slicing cleanly through Alex’s neck and taking the feather’s head cleanly off of it’s shoulders.

“ Don’t worry. Leave me behind, Yuri. Please leave me and save yourself. Live for all of us. Please? ” The voice seemed to come both from the memory and from the feather at the same time. Above them, the Sinner’s heard Yuri’s frantic cries of grief as the storm thundered around them. The ruins of L Corp cracked and fell through the clouds, leaving them alone in an empty storm.

“ Yuri.” Sinclair covered his mouth. “ God… This is too much.”

“ I… knew she lived through the collapse but… god damn, kid.” Gregor muttered in horror. All the Sinners still up were in a similar shaken state. Yi Sang looked at the ground. Rodya grit her teeth, looking angry. Hong Lu looked forlorn. Even Don wasn’t her usual, vibrant self. Only two Sinners weren’t paralysed by the memory. Ryoshu simply shook the leftover static from her blade. Then, there was Heathcliff.

“ The fuck are you all standing around feeling bad for her for?” Heathcliff shouted. “ Ain’t gonna get shit done standing around here. We’ve got to find her and drag her out of her misery. Ain’t that right, clockface?” If Dante could have smiled, they would have.

“ He’s right. Let’s rest here while I fix everyone up. After that, we can go deeper. Yuri’s not alone anymore. Let’s make sure she knows it.”

Chapter Text

How could you ask that of me, Alex? Leave you behind? Leave you all behind? How could I do that? You were… the only thing I had. How could you… How could I let you die like that? I… I should have been stronger. I should have been stronger. I should have been stronger I should have been stronger IshouldhavebeenstrongerIshouldhavebeenstronger. Let it out. I’ll be strong if I embrace the storm. That was what you were trying to tell me. Right, Abby?

*********************************

“ Lyn will handle this herself. You and Claire look out for yourselves. ”

“ Whatever happens, it’s been an honour to know you all. ” The last two feathers were waiting for them as they reached the bottom of the elevator and were dispatched quickly and quietly. With a heavy sigh, they opened the door and continued going. As they did though, instead of the long corridor they expected, they were met with a massive field of electricity. In the distance was a large twister but between them and there was a field of floating debris. Ruins swept up in the storm that Yuri had created, all held together by lightning and clouds.

“ Hey. Ain’t that… district 4’s slums?” Gregor asked. The group looked at one of the buildings floating in the clouds. It was destroyed but they could see what it was meant to be. They spent a few hours driving through the surrounding area of L Corp’s backstreets. Some of them recognised the building. “ Is this what she saw District 4 as?”

“ It’s not just district 4.” Sinclair noted. “ That’s… my house.” They turned and looked up. A manor was floating above them, shattered and burning with a Christmas tree not too far away. As they looked around, they could pick out more familiar set pieces. The casino and pieces of a vault from District 10. A sign for Bongy’s Chicken. The lab of K Corp, a large concept incinerator and broken robots. Parts of the N Corp transformed facility under Sinclair’s house. Piles of trash and a volleyball net. Transport containers, pieces of the L Corp rig on the great lake and parts of the Pallid Whale’s stomach. Christmas presents and conveyor belts. All of it was destroyed, fragmented and floating in the storm but they recognised a great deal of it.

“ Hey. Behind the storm. In the distance.” Ishmael pointed to the gaps in the cloud. Dante could barely make it out but he saw doors. Abnormality containment cells.

“ Even now, we’re still in L Corp.” Dante realised. “ We’ve never left.”

“ A soldier never leaves the battlefield.” Outis closed her eyes.

“ So, all this time, her mind has never let herself leave L Corp?” Heathcliff asked. “ Grr. That’s fucked.”

“ You’ve never dropped that Cathy girl. Why should she be any different?” Gregor asked. “ She just hid it better.” Heathcliff scowled.

“ Uh. Guys. Problem.” They looked back. The storm was convulsing again. Forms began to rise from the clouds. In the middle of it all was another feather. Lightning cracked as the form landed on one of the buildings. She raised her gun. Around her, other creatures formed. G Corp soldiers, Tingtang goons, N corp crusaders, K Corp guards, Mermaids and a bunch of other creatures formed from the clouds.

“ That’s… Aya!” Ishmael realised.

“ So she was close enough to get her own feather?” Sinclair asked. “ That’s… sad in its own way. She also died in L Corp.” The others cringed at the reminder.

“ Take your mind off it.” Dante said firmly. “ We need to reach Yuri. Doesn’t matter how many old foes we have to go through. They’re just bad memories. Come on.”

***************************************

“ What? You want to join our office?” Hopkins looked disgusted at even hearing the offer.

“ Come on, Hoppy. It’s not like she has anywhere else to go.” Aya told him. “ Give her a chance.” Hopkins huffed.

“ I suppose that sword of yours has its uses.” He admitted. “ Fine. But you better not tell anyone you were a part of L Corp. If word gets out we have a fallen feather in our ranks, we’ll be a laughing stock the city over.” Yuri looked away. Just like that we’re useless, huh?

“ I promise.” 

***************************************

“ What?” Yuri blinked. “ No. I can’t just do that. Hopkins is going to get annoyed and you know it.”

“ I’ve dealt with him for a while now. You let me worry about him.” Yuri just stared at Aya for a few seconds. Then she just laughed.

“ How you’ve managed that, I’ll never know.”

“ I guess I just figured this is the best place to grow as a Fixer. Hopkins is a jerk but he’s a strategic jerk. He likes to think he’s the only capable person but, without me, he’d have been dead in a gutter when he was still a grade nine, not that he’d ever admit it.” Aya giggled. Yuri just smiled. Then she reached below the table and took the red belt on her leg off.

“ Thanks Aya.” She said, placing the belt down. “ For putting up with me.”

“ Hey. What are friends for?” Friends, huh? Am I… worth being friends with?

***************************************

   Yuri watched from afar as the strange group of people finished their battle. Half of their number lay dead in the street, having thrown their lives away stupidly in battle. She wondered if it was really worth Hopkins taking a contract from people like that. Then she watched in awe as they suddenly stood up, injuries healing themselves. They… can come back from the dead? But that’s…. How is that fair?! She calmed her nerves and stepped forwards. “ Excuse me… Are you the people from Limbus Company?”

*************************************

“ Ah.” Yuri’s eyes went wide as she looked at the very familiar looking vine that had driven itself through Aya’s gut. Her eyes met Yuri and she gave her a reassuring smile. “ What did I tell you? I’ve always… been a lucky girl…” 

 “ AYA!” She screamed. Aya? No… Why? Why does this damn building take everyone from me?! Am I… just cursed? 

*************************************

Yuri tightened her fists until they hurt as she listened to Heathcliff proudly theorising how Alex and the other survivors sacrificed each other. “ That can’t be! Alex wouldn’t sacrifice others just so she could live!” She wasn’t that kind of person. Not her Alex. Not the person who sacrificed herself so Yuri could live.

“ Let us be on our way.” Outis stated. “ This person will die before long.” Yuri wanted to argue. If Alex was alive, maybe there was a way they could save her. But she didn’t. Her eyes fell to her feet as she started to shuffle forwards.

“ It wasn’t your fault.” She muttered. “ You know it’s not right?”

“ Leave me behind Yuri…Please leave me.” Yuri froze at those words. Her body shook but she tried to keep herself composed. How… How could you ask that of me, Alex? Even now. I can’t just forget and move on. You were always so much stronger than me. Why was it you… How could I have just left you here? I’m so sorry, Alex. Forgive me.

*************************************

“ Um. What’s… happening?”

“ In order to save your life, Dante performed a procedure against conventional protocol that tied your life to his own.” Faust told her bluntly. “ As such, you are now forcibly conscripted to this vector of the Limbus Company as Subject number 14.”

“ Faust means you're a Sinner like us now.” Ishmael translated.

“ I’m… what?” Yuri blinked. “ Like… you all?”

“ Sorry. I couldn’t exactly ask. But you helped us a great deal. I don’t know why but I couldn’t stand just letting you die.” Dante told her. “ So, unfortunately, you’re stuck with us.” It took a few moments for it to sink in. She’d died. But now she was alive again. No, it’s more like she was part way between life and death. She should be dead just like the rest of the Sinners but Dante had saved her. . Alive? But… I should be dead. I should have died there but I still have to stay living? I don’t deserve this. Alex. Aya. What would you do?

“ Thank you.” She said, faking a happy smile. “I hope I prove myself worthy of your kindness someday.”

*************************************

“ Yuri. Your light shines so brightly.” The voice sounded as though she was smiling. “ Never lose that glow.” She wanted to ask the voice to wait but hesitated. She had so many questions but nowhere near enough time. Was it all worth it? Everyone who died for your goals? Alex? Loki? Aya? Were all our lives worth what happened? I wish you could tell me it was. Maybe I could accept it if you did.

*************************************

Seeing what N Corp had turned the L Corp facility under Emil’s house into filled Yuri with a cold yet burning rage. Yuri had never been one to believe in true evil. While some of the agents had claimed that abnormalities were evil, she disagreed. She saw them as animals. Everything they did was simply following their nature. She never could blame them for what they did. And yet this, seeing the facility turned into a twisted torture chamber roamed by crusaders purposefully twisted by the EGO she and many others relied on. It made her sick. So it’s not just L Corp that uses its workers as disposable tools. So why does no-one else see this as wrong?

*************************************

Why are they doing it? Throwing themselves at us? Don’t they care about the friends they’re leaving behind? Why can they just accept death like that? It’s just… It feels so insulting. “ Yuri?” Sinclair gave her a concerned look. “ Are you alright?”

“ Hmm? Oh. Y-Yeah. Sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you.”

“ It’s OK. You’ve just been really quiet for a while now. Something on your mind?”

“ Well. It’s just… I don’t get it.”

“ Don’t get what?”

“ Why someone would throw their lives away like they did.”

*************************************

“ They were useful.” She admitted. Suddenly, Yuri felt as though ice was forming in her heart at those words.

“ What… what did you do to them?” Yuri asked.

“ You haven’t changed at all!” Ishmael shouted. “ Even now, you’re just using people to get what you want!”    

“ I saved their lives. Without me, they’d be mermaids. Nothing wrong with me asking they repay that debt to get me to my target. They knew where they were going.”

“ You used your people… as sacrifices?” Yuri's face twisted with disgust. How can you just throw your people away like that? Were we… No, you thought of us like that too, didn’t you manager? L Corp? Damnit. It’s all the same. How can people think like that? We’re people too. All of a sudden, she understood exactly why Ishmael was so dedicated to murdering her. “ You have no right!” 

*************************************

Yuri helped Abby onto her back. She looked up with a pained smile. “ Y-You good…” She asked.

“ Why? Why would you do that?”    

“ Your… beauty.” She smirked. “ That was… impressive. The storm… It was unleashed with… such righteous fury. I could… feel your sorrow. It was… gorgeous. But… I can’t help… but feel you… were holding something back.”

“ What?”

“ You should never… be afraid… to be strong, Riri.” Abby smirked. “ True strength… comes from embracing that power… with all your being. Letting yourself… transform into the best… you can be.” She grasped Yuri’s hand. “ Let… it… out.” This was what I was trying to prevent. Why? After everything, how am I still so weak? I really am cursed. I just keep failing everyone. I don’t want to lose anyone else. Abby was… right. I never should have held it back. If I didn’t, maybe they’d all still be alive. At that realisation, her eyes began to burn. A thunderstorm was unleashed from her heart. Ah. It’s finally free. I’ll keep you all safe. Just wait for me, Alex.

*************************************

“ I’ve always… been a lucky girl. ” Aya faded back into a feather that Dante took. He held them with the other nine. The nine people Yuri valued the most in her life. The nine people she lost. Their deaths must have weighed heavily on her. He really wished he’d noticed it sooner. The Sinners approached the storm wall as it twisted wildly in front of him.

“ This is it. She’s here.” Dante said firmly. “ The Bough’s here too.”

“ If she resonated with it, then that would make sense.” Faust nodded.

“ Forget the Bough.” Gregor said. “ We can’t just leave Yuri to suffer like she is. We’ve gotta help her.”

“ Right.” Dante agreed. “ That’s the priority. We will save her.”

Chapter Text

Despite its appearances, the Sinners were able to easily pass through the storm wall and entered the eye of the storm. That was where they found her, floating in the middle of rubble and ruins. Yuri’s body was covered in storm clouds, making up large wings that wrapped around her as she hung in the air and covered her face, giving her a bird-like face. The clouds spread over the ruined yet familiar looking uniform of an L Corp agent. “Why?” She asked. “ Why won’t you just leave?”

“ We won’t just abandon you, Yuri.” Dante told her.

“ Leave me behind.” Yuri told them. “ Leave me and just go.”

“ No.” Yuri began unfolding her wings.

“ Why? Why can you refuse that request?” She asked. “ Why do you get to come back when everyone else dies? Why are you so special?”

“ It’s because you’re our comrade. Our friend. We’d never abandon you. Not when you need help.”

“ Then why did I do it? How could I forgive myself for that?”

“ Don’t judge yourself so harshly.” Gregor shouted at her. “ You’re not the only one who ran away. At least you couldn’t help. I could. Let us help you, Yuri.”

“ No.” Yuri shook. “ There’s nothing to help. I… I need this power. With it, no-one close to me will ever die again. I can protect you all!”

“ Is that really what you want? This isn’t you, Yuri. You know it.” Dante retorted. “ We can do this together.”

“ No! Just stop! How could any of you ever understand?” Yuri’s anger began to grow as the storm grew more violent. “ I’ve seen so many people die that I can’t even remember their names and faces. I failed them all. L Corp never was a place you could leave. I should have known that. After all, how could I leave it all behind knowing it was all my fault?”

“ There’s no way what happened there was your fault. You couldn’t have predicted what would happen.”

“ JUST SHUT UP!” Lightning bolts began striking the area around them as the clouds covered more of Yuri’s body. Her arms and feet formed into talons and claws. “ Of course it was me! I was the person who was supposed to know! I wasn’t strong enough and ran away! Everyone else died because of it! It couldn’t have been anyone else!” Her voice grew more distorted as she kept ranting. “ I don’t need your pity! Just… leave me alone!” Lightning bolts flew at the Sinners. As Heathcliff raised his bat to defend himself, the bolt targeting him changed its shape and clashed with him.

“ What the…!” His eyes widened. He pushed back and stared at the figure that formed. “ Oh bugger. She’s making us now.” He was right. Where the bolts had struck figures had formed just like the feathers. All of them were mirrors of one of the Sinners. Dante was annoyed at himself. He should have seen this coming. If the feathers were people she held dear to her and her reason for distorting was to gain more power to protect people, of course she’d have to have people still alive to protect. Of course it would be them.

“ Dante? What do we do?” Ishamel asked.

“ The goal hasn’t changed. We reach Yuri. Even if we have to use some light force.”

“ Just have to knock some sense into her.” Rodya hummed. “ Not exactly comfortable with this but if we have too.” As the other Sinners looked forwards, their clones matched their expression, ready to defend their comrade in arms. The other Gregor was the first to move, clashing bug arm to bug arm with the Sinners own.

“ It’s a sin. At least down here.” Gregor’s voice was distorted by static. A look of discomfort formed on Gregor’s face. He pushed back and slashed through the other Gregor’s bug arm. The clone staggered back before looking down as the arm regrew itself.

“ Damn it Yuri.” He sighed. “ It’s not a bad thing you survived. That’s what I meant that day.”

“ Charon. Like I said. The sun rises from the…” The Sinclair's clashing sent sparks flying. Sinclair shoved his clone back only for it to lunge back, it’s form twisting into his Cinq Association attire. Sinclair narrowly avoided the strike.

“ They can use our IDs too?” Rodya gasped, avoiding a sword slash from her own clone.

“ They are formed from Yuri’s memories like those other feathers.” Faust noted. “ It only makes logical sense that they can copy any ability that Yuri saw us using.”

“ Faust knows everything.” The clone Faust said proudly as if agreeing with her real self, slamming the ground with Regret as Faust dodged around it, driving N Corp’s nail into her clones shoulder.

“ Great. Even your clones’ egotistical.” Heathcliff sighed, gritting his teeth as he took a shot from his clone's rifle. “ Piss off, you tosser! Stop copying me!”

“ If Cathy’s waiting, I ain’t got a choice.”

“ Don’t sully her name with your damn mouth!” Heathcliff shouted before pulling his own rifle from the air, relentlessly shooting at the clone before rushing in for a relentless combo of slashes. From Heathcliff’s angry strikes, the clone quickly vanished.

“ Dante will revive them.” Yuri muttered.

“ Huh?”

“ MANAGER ESQUIRE! TO WHERE IN THE WORLD HAST THOU DISAPPEARED?!” The fake Don screamed as she clashed with her real self.

“ Hark! Doth thou seeth not the glory of our manager fair? Such thoughtless words are a blight to our minds.” The real Don asked, sounding somewhat insulted, slashing back with her energised blade.

“ U.I.T.G.A.A.N.” The fake Ryoshu clashed blades with her copy. Ryoshu chuckled.

“ N.O.W.B.N.O.C.” She snickered before slashing back with a powerful blow.

“ Dante will revive them.” Yuri’s voice shook a little before launching a barrage of electricity from her wings, raining it down on Sinners and clones alike.

“ Is she attacking knowing we’ll be alright?” Sinclair asked, weathering the storm.

“ Or is she talking about the clones.” Yi Sang countered. “ It isn’t easy to tell what frame of mind she’s in currently.” Yi Sang grit his teeth as he felt a long spear pierce his shoulder. He pulled a fan from his coat and waved it, sending exploding flowers at his clone that detonated on impact.

“ Dante… will… revive… them.” She was starting to sound more pained. She flew in close, slamming Yi Sang to the ground with her talons.

“ The burden of the survivor is to carry the memory of those you once loved and make sure they are remembered. Right?” Yi Sang smiled at her. Yuri hesitated before lashing out, smashing him into a bloody puddle on the cloudy floor before flying back out of reach.

Trying to keep track of both themselves and Yuri proved to be a struggle. Much like when they were fighting her storm self alongside Alex, the Feather Sinners were enough of a distraction to let Yuri strike from the shadows. Slowly however, the Sinners were able to overcome themselves. As they did, Yuri’s demeanour slowly got more manic. Her words started as reassuring to herself but grew more into desperate begging for Dante to revive her allies. In her eyes, she was losing all she cherished again and she was trying to convince herself that everything would be fine.

“ Yuri!” Gregor shouted at her. “That’s enough! Please! Just stop!”

“ Can’t stop… Have to save them…”

“ Just look at what you’re doing!” Yuri stopped, floating in the air. “ Is this what you want?”

“ I…” Yuri’s voice was quiet. “ I’m scared… I… I just… I can’t lose everyone. Not again. That’s why… I just want…”

“ It’s only natural that you want to be stronger. I… I know I’m the same.” Sinclair told her gently. “ Why don’t… we get stronger together?”

“ Emil…” The clouds surrounding Yuri flickered. “ I’m sorry… But I can’t… I just don’t want to let everyone down.”

“ You think Alex and your other friends would want you to suffer like this?” Ishmael asked. “ You can’t keep living in the past, Yuri. Trust me. I tried. You’ve gotta move on someday.”

“ I can’t!”

“ Then let us help you.” Dante ticked. “ That’s what a team is for, yeah? If you’re too weak, then we’ll be behind you to pick up the slack. The point of a team is that you don’t have to do this all alone. We’ll be strong together, yeah?” At his words, Yuri just seemed to stop. Then she landed as her breath picked up.

“ Get out…” She muttered.

“ Yuri?”

“ Get out…” She grabbed at the storm clouds over her missing eye, desperately clawing at it. “ Get out. Get out. GET OUT OF ME!” With a final scream, she pulled hard and threw something away. Dante could barely make out a single feather before the clouds around her body followed them, twisting into the form of a giant bird. Slowly, Yuri drew her blade, a red glow shining where her missing eye should have been.

“ What in the… Is that…”

“ Thunderbird.” Dante breathed. Suddenly, he felt a strange buzzing. Opening his pockets, he watched as the nine feathers they’d collected throughout Yuri’s storm flew out and towards her, forming into red lightning that coated her blade.

“ I’m tired of it. I’m tired of all of this controlling my life.” Yuri said. “ L corp. Even after escaping the building, I’ve never been able to escape its shadow. Escape that day. Escape what happened. I’m… just tired.” Behind her, the feather of Alex formed.

“ Leave us behind Yuri.”

“ I can’t do that. So I guess I’m going to just carry all of you with me.” Yuri told her. “ None of you deserved to be trapped down there. That’s why, when I leave, I’m going to take all of you with me. So please. Lend me your strength so I can keep walking with my new friends.” With a calm smile, Alex nodded before vanishing. Yuri charged. As she did, the Thunderbird shrieked. Before it could strike her however, the red lightning around her blade shot out. Nine bolts shot through the clouds that made the bird up. Dante swore they flickered to the shapes of some familiar looking weapons as they did. The azure feather glimmered in the clouds as Yuri cut through it. With a pained cry, the bird vanished as the feather burned. Yuri’s breath became heavy, the L Corp uniform fading back to her usual attire, as she fell. Luckily, Gregor was there to catch her.

“ Hey. You good?”

“ Gre…gor?” She groaned. “ I messed up.”

“ Eh. Slightly.” Gregor smirked. “ But which one of us hasn’t at this point?” Yuri laughed weakly. Above them, the storm was fading, sunlight peaking through the clouds. All seemed calm. Unfortunately, something just had to ruin it.

“ Ha ha ha… I can’t believe it. Yuri. You are… truly perfect.” 

Chapter Text

“ Yuri. You are… truly perfect.” The Sinners looked up. Gregor helped Yuri steady herself as a figure emerged from the fading storm.

“ What? Ain’t that… Abigail?” Gregor sounded shocked. “ Is she another feather?”

“ No… She’s not.” Yuri breathed. “ You’re… alive.”

“ Yep. Never better.” She sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. “ Still though. Can’t believe, after all of that work, you uncorroded yourself. You are… truly incredible.”

“ Corroded?” Dante ticked.

“ Yeah. Corroded. As in when an Abnormalities will takes over your own.”

“ Yeah, I know what… Wait! You can understand me!”

“ Pretty good actress, ain’t I Dante? I was surprised when Riri said normies can’t hear you though. Didn’t get it at first but you have a Bough in your head, right? Y’know, you were awfully close to my ideal. But you were too… simplistic.” Abby shook her head. “ Not like Riri. So close to being perfect, what with that fragment of an abnormality in her skull, but just couldn’t let herself go. She just needed that last push. That Hoppy guy was… just a perfect fool. Heh. If I’d thrown myself in front of the judge, I may have actually died.” Abby’s smile was more manic than Yuri had seen it. It was like when she had talked about her ideal future back before they raided the Arkham Syndicate.

“ You knew I’d distort?” Abby upturned her nose at the question.

“ Ew. Not distort. That’s just… ugly.” Abby shook her head. “ No. Corroded. I used your connection with that bird to make you embrace the power of the abnormality. Just like I did back when I worked in L Corp.” She walked forwards. As she did, Dante began rewinding the clock to bring the others back. “ I mentioned it before, yeah? L Corp wanted to enhance the EGO process but they couldn’t do it in their main branch. Guess they didn’t want to risk the casualties and clean up. When innovation happens out of sight, it’s easy to convince yourself that it was done ethically. But S Corp used the EGO and started bumping up the percentage of the resonance between wearer and abnormality. Tick by tick. Of course, to do that, they needed test subjects.”

“ And… you were one of them.” Sinclair noted.

“ Yep. I was the only success. Well, the only one able to get a resonance above 50% without corroding or so they thought.” She giggled. “ I was the only one who saw what corrosion truly was. A means to true power. I accepted the Lovers, took part of it into me and became… perfect. The next step in human evolution. Not like the new EGO and Distortions. I gained power from beyond the veil of anything mankind ever dreamed of.” Then she stopped. And she sighed. “ Or so I thought until today. Riri.” Her smile widened. “ You… showed me the light. I’ve been so stupid all this time. Because I let myself use that power but I stopped. I stopped before I could ever truly call it my own. Not like you. Oh. Cause look at you now.” As she approached, Yuri put a cautious hand on the hilt of her bland.

 “ Abby. Don’t.”

“ Aw… Don’t be like that, Riri. We’re friends, right?” Abby’s smirk darkened. “ You proved me right and wrong in all the right ways. I only saw the bird but you were the perfect being I knew you were. Even more perfect that I thought.”

“ What’s your goal?” Dante asked. She tipped herself.

“ Hmm? I told you, didn’t I?” Abby asked playfully. “ Abnormalities are the way humanity can evolve. I thought we had to share power but now I see it’s best just to take it. That way, we can become stronger. After that, people can put themselves in the right place. Everyone can be strong for themselves.”

“ For themselves?” Yuri repeated. “ People can’t be strong alone, Abby. I… think I understand that now. I thought I needed to become strong to protect people. That only I alone could do it. But Gregor’s right. One person can’t do everything alone. If we team up, we can do a lot more. Protect a lot more.”

“ Nah. I don’t accept that.” Abby shook her head.

“ What do you mean? What about your office?”

“ What about them? They have no potential. They won’t allow themselves to embrace the abnormalities they held onto. Believe me. I tried when I dragged them back to L Corp. Even when we found the Bough and the power was right there, they just… couldn’t see it.”

“ No-one came for you did they?” Abby was silent. “ During those experiments. You were alone and afraid. No-one came. You gave up on people.”

“ Yeah.” She admitted, her voice unusually subdued. “ It was horrible. All around me, people turned into hideous monsters and were put down like dogs. Everyday, I was prodded with needles and machinery, cut and broken and forced into these robes that were made from flesh. When their attempts failed, I was hurled back into holding cells and locked in. My skin itched from sores that grew on it. The air was cold to the point I could barely feel my own body. I begged and begged til my throat went coarse but no-one even tried to save me. Not the scientists. Not the other patients. Not even my so-called friends who worked hard with me in the facility and made an office with me afterwards. It went on for weeks and in the end, I saved myself. And I made sure the branch wouldn’t hurt any of us ever again. Wouldn’t have been better if everyone at L Corp could have had that same opportunity? What if Alex could have saved herself? What’s the problem with that?”

“ I… I can’t say there is one.” Yuri admitted. “ But even still, Abby. Relying on yourself is dangerous. So is living to spite the Lobotomy Corporation. I’m moving on. You’ve got to do that too.”

“ Heh. You’re right. I will.” Her smirk returned. “ I’ll claim the power of the Lover for my own and grow to new heights just like you have and become stronger for it.”

“ That’s not-”

“ There’s no talking her out of it.” Ishmael sighed. “ This girl is too far gone.”

“ So rude, Ishy. I’m perfectly sane. But hey, maybe we can find a whale abnormality to help you, eh?”

“ I’d rather not.”

“ You sure? I know I can pick the perfect one.” Ishmael glared at her. “ Hmph. No-one likes my taste in clothing. You know I’d prefer not to do this.”

“ Then don’t do this.” Dante told her.

“ I could.” She flashed a feral grin. “But where’s the fun in that? I wanna see it personally. That power of yours.” With a snap of her fingers, pink energy wrapped around the clouds, forming them into three figures. One held a shield, one held a rapier and another held a greatsword. As they formed, Abby’s clothes began changing colour, swapping from pink to deep red. Her  smirk turned into a feral grin. Her teeth grew fangs and her eyes shone yellow. Red, bat-like wings grew from her back and a large, spiked tail grew from her waist. She crouched low, hands sparking with red energy “ So come on, Riri. Show me your lighting.” With a sigh, the glow in her missing eye began shining brighter.

“ Manager.”

“ Yeah?”

“ I’m sorry about all of this. Please lead me again.”

“ Of course. Get ready everyone. Here she comes.”

***********************************

The clouds were replaced by smoke from heavy laser fire as Abby fell to the floor, sitting down, her monstrous form vanished with a dazed looking expression. She snickered. “ Man… Ha ha ha. Riri… You really are… beautiful. I… think I’m in love. Hee hee hee.”

“ I can’t tell if you’re joking or not.” Yuri sighed.

“ Heh. No-one can. Ain’t that funny?” Abby smirked.

“ You give up?”

“ Heh. Sure. I got what I wanted.” She folded her legs. “ You truly are something else. And to think I stopped so close to that. Ha ha. I really am foolish.”

“ You can stop, Abby. This isn’t the way.”

“ Really? You of all people would say that?”

“ I didn’t ask to lose an eye.”

“ I guess not. But it doesn’t change what you are. You can’t change your path.”

“ I know. I’m going to stop trying.”

“ Good. I truly do hope you find peace that way.” Yuri offered Abby a hand. With a smile, she accepted letting herself be pulled from the ground. “ We’ll meet again someday. When we do, I’ll become a person worthy of you.” She gave a playful wink.

“ There you go again.” Yuri sighed. “ I hope we will meet again. When we do, let’s meet as friends.”

“ Heh.” Abby scratched the back of her hair. “ I’d love that. Sadly, I can’t exactly promise it. See ya.” Like a stage magician finishing her act, Abby took her hat off and bowed dramatically. Then she vanished in a pink flash.

“ Where’d she go?”

“ I don’t know.” Yuri admitted. “ I have a feeling she’s going to try and claim the power of her abnormality though as a way to get stronger. I feel sorry for her. She didn’t deserve it.” Yuri smiled, looking over her shoulder. “ Well manager. What happens now?”

“ When we leave, the bough should manifest itself as it did previously.” Faust explained. “ So long as the N Corp Judge has left, we should have completed our mission.”

“ And if not, we just gotta bust some more heads.” Heathcliff stretched. “ Now we’re done with you, Cathy’s waiting for me. Can’t leave a lady waiting.”

“ Oooh. Didn’t take you for the gentleman type, Heath.” Rodya teased.

“ Oi!” Yuri giggled at the two. She looked up and felt the sun on her face. It was finally time to leave the facility behind her.

Chapter Text

When they returned to the real world, N Corp had long departed. Despite this, Proctor was still waiting. Yi Sang explained the situation plainly as Faust locked the Golden Bough back in the case. Proctor sighed. Abby was his niece after all. Hearing that she was an abnormality obsessed psycho was probably hard for him to hear. Regardless, he promised to make a report and handle clean up though the after team would probably deal with that better than Cinq could.

The sun was setting by the time they returned to the bus, now returned from the harbour as an actual bus. Yuri almost forgot what the Mephistopheles looked like with wheels. Vergilius got off the bus as they approached. “ Well?”

“ Mission completed with little issue. We are prepared to leave.” Faust explained.

“ Good. Glad to see this mission wasn’t a colossal waste of time.” Vergillius smirked. “ I guess that means we have no obstacles on our way to T Corp. We’ll be leaving tomorrow morning so do what you need to before getting back on.” With that, the man turned around and returned aboard.

“ Oh right. I never did get that ice cream.” Yuri realised. “ Are the stalls still open?”

“ Should be.” Rodya nodded. “ Let’s head over. Then we can get a good dinner, maybe some booze.”

“ Is money and drink all you think about?” Gregor sighed.

“ Not all of what I think about. I also like pretty things.”

“ Sounds fun.” Sinclair smiled. 

“ Hang on a moment. I just need to do something real fast.” Yuri climbed on to the bus and quickly headed back to her room. As she returned, she noticed Charon sitting in the drivers seat, looking at her two plushies. “ Um. Charon?”

“ Hmm?” Charon looked over.

“ Do you want to get ice cream with the rest of us?” Charon looked at Vergilius who just nodded.

“ Alright.” Charon nodded. “ Mephi is safely back to land form so it should be fine.” As the two left the bus, Rodya met her. She noticed some of the others had already wandered off.

“ Hey. You put your bandages back on.” She noticed.

“ Yeah.” Yuri scratched at it. “ While the feather’s gone, I am still missing an eye.”

“ But the glow looked cool.”

“ Even so, I can’t see with it.” She shrugged. “ I’d just rather not give people the wrong idea.” 

“ Right, right. Welp, let’s go shall we?” She smiled. The three met up with Gregor, Ishmael and Sinclair on the boardwalk.

“ Hey guys.” Sinclair waved. “ Oh. Charon. You're coming along as well?”

“ Yuri offered ice cream. Charon wishes for chocolate.” Gregor chuckled, patting her on the head.

“ Well, the place seems to be settling down for the night. Let’s be quick about it yeah?” He smiled. Yuri nodded. She watched the others walk ahead of her briefly before following along.

“ Yuri is happier now.”

“ Huh?” Yuri looked over to see Charon staring at her.

“ Charon likes happy Yuri better than sad Yuri.”

“ Eh heh heh. Thanks, Charon.” Yuri smiled. She felt lighter ever since she emerged from the storm. Thunderbird was gone. The facility was finally at her back. She felt strangely free. Despite that, nothing had really changed about her. She just sparked red instead of dark blue when she manifested her EGO now. Despite that, everything had changed as well. She understood how Ishmael and Yi Sang were able to smile so easily after they collected their respective bough. A weight was gone off her shoulders. She could walk in peace now. “ I appreciate it. Come on. Let’s get that ice cream before we hit the road. You know where we’re going right?” Charon nodded.

“ Mephi’s front.” Yuri laughed a little more nervously this time.

“ Guess I still have work to do regarding the map, huh?”

*********************************

Abigail watched as the bus drove off from the pier, heading for whatever adventure awaited them next. She licked thoughtfully on her ice cream. “ Y’know. I think my favourite is better than yours.” She offered the other cone in her hand to the boy who sat next to him, blue scarf blowing in the morning breeze, who happily took it.

“ Yuri, you mean.” Demian enquired. Abby nodded, taking a small bite from her treat.

“ She’s perfect.” She stated. “ She expanded what I thought was ever possible. She claimed power of another as her own. She overcame everything. Heh. And she didn’t even need someone like you to bail her out of her own problems. She’s… beautiful.”

“ Ha. Was that a jab at Emil?”

“ I met the guy. He’s nice but… what can I say? He’s a bit too much of a coward for my liking. He’s certainly got the potential for your goals but he’s useless for mine.”

“ But aren’t our goals the same at the end of the day?”

“ Hmm. I guess. There is a reason I agreed to this little collab.” She remembered the day she first met Demian. A boy introducing himself as a prince able to see through everything she’d been through and done rambling about some kind of mark she had. Something that made her stronger than normal. Abby didn’t care about the Mark of Cain or Demian’s plans. Their goals simply aligned in some ways. They both wanted what was best for humanity even if humanity didn’t want it due to the conditioning of the City. “ I think I’m done with this district. There’s nothing left for me. I’m taking off just like Riri.”

“ Worried she’ll get lost without you?”

“ Shut it, sheep boy.” Abby playfully tapped him in the side of the head. “ Unlike you, I don’t feel the need to keep looking over Riri’s shoulder.”

“ You say that like you won’t.”

“ I won’t… most of the time.” Demian chuckled.

“ We’re so different. You don’t need to see me as a means to an end, Abby.”

“ Don’t you see me the same way?” Abby retorted playfully. Demian just chuckled before taking a bite from his ice cream.

“ Then I supposed we can just use each other.”

“ Hee hee.” Abby gestured at the boy with her ice cream. “ Now that is something I can agree too.”

Chapter Text

I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life. Most minor but… I can’t excuse this one. I always thought I was too weak in the past. A lot of people died back in L Corp. Some in front of me. Some I know I could have prevented but just… didn’t. I got it in my head that if I was somehow stronger or more capable I could have saved them. Saved Alex. Saved Aya. I just… couldn’t help but things were my fault. Being around people who couldn’t actually die kinda helped but… I’ve been like that. Abby used that weakness against me. I couldn’t even tell she’d done it til it was all over. I messed up. I can’t help but feel like an idiot. Guess I just gotta not do it again. Signing off.

**********************************

Abnormality O-01-59-04. Code name: The Tower. Lobotomy Code: O-01-118-HE. I’m taking this one from second hand information admittedly. I haven’t run into the Tower myself, unlike the other Tarot abnormalities. I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before it appears in the mirror dungeon though. The abnormalities always do. Now I’ve gotten rid of the last piece of it, I imagine Thunderbird might as well someday. Well, I’ll be ready for it. I’m past that now.

The Tower is a massive armoured thing that defends its allies with two giant shields. However, when it has no allies, it launches into a blind rage in order to avenge them. In other words, defeating its allies brings us disaster. At least the name makes sense. Well, that’s what Outis said anyway. I had no idea but she’s apparently into tarot cards and star signs and stuff. Ishmael’s also into the star sign thing but insists that’s more with needing to read the stars as a sailor. I dunno about fortune telling. Seems a bit… ah. I’m getting off topic. I’d better sign off before Faust gets mad at me again. Signing off.

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Abnormality O-01-58-03. Code name: The Emperor. Lobotomy Code: O-01-73-HE. It always seems weird when you see an abnormality that looks so… human. Pale skin, dark hair, light clothing and two massive swords. The gauntlets or swords could easily be made by workshops, either increasing her strength or making the blade lighter. We had a few like that in our department. The Undying Admiral was the most human. He looked like this young man dressed in a captain’s jacket, swinging on a hammock he set up in his cell. He even spoke to us. Despite that, when he breached, he aged rapidly to an elderly man and summoned parts of his ship to tear through the facility. It was easy to see why he was there

I have to wonder if people ever thought the same way about the Tarot abnormalities or the Magical Girls I heard so many tales of from training incidents. Why certain abnormalities look so human. Others are like animals. Others are machines. And then theres the ones that seem to come from people’s worst nightmares. They're all so varied. I think Faust once said Abnormalities come from the human psyche. I can understand that. Ishmael did say the Undying Admiral was a famous tale on the Great Lake. I’m just not sure how and why they manifest as they do. Who’s idea was it to make monsters into an energy source anyway? Ah. I feel like I keep asking the same questions. I doubt I’ll ever get a true answer. Signing off.

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Abnormality O-01-57-02. Code name: The Star. Lobotomy Code: O-01-64-HE. The Star dresses like a dancer, dressed in dark blue, sparkling clothing with plenty of ribbons. She can also summon rapiers from thin air, firing at them like throwing knives. Though, to be honest, its fighting style is rather secondary to what it does. Instead, it buffs its allies, making them fight harder. An abnormality that buffs other abnormalities. The more I learn about abnormalities from other facilities, the more I think of how lucky we were.

It’s not that we didn’t have troublesome abnormalities. Thunderbird. My Form Emptiness. The Undying Admiral. If left to build up its strength, the Scarred Tiger was a nightmare. Then we had the ALEPHs, like The Frenzied Scourge. We had plenty of pain. But then I hear about things like the Star or the Dream Devouring Siltcurrent and… well… We didn’t have the worst things in the world. I wonder what else Abby’s facility had. If it was designed around making stronger EGO, then I can’t help but worry this is only the tip of the iceberg. Let’s just hope we don’t meet any of the worst ones. Signing off.

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Abnormality: O-01-56-01. Code name: The Lovers. Lobotomy Code: O-01-04-HE. Even I know about the Queen of Hatred even though she’s never been in our facility. She’s one of the training scenarios actually. So when I see pink and a snake transformation, I can tell the aberration. It’s how I can tell the other three are the other magical girls too. There’s always been four of them. Three in the main facility and one that moves around. The one that moves just changes every now and again. Never the queen though. She’s the most dangerous.

Guess it makes sense for Abby to have corroded with the Lovers with how strong she ended up being. We ran into the Lovers in the mirror dungeon. She’s got all of Abby’s old moves just without summoning the other tarot abnormalities. Fires laser beams, tries to latch on to a partner and then turns into a winged lion monster with a snake like tail when it gets mad. Seeing as this was the one Abby must have been closest with, I can’t help but wonder if it’s part of the reason she ended up the way she is. Makes me thankful the Thunderbird couldn’t talk. Signing off.

Chapter Text

Abby and the Thunderbird and whatever happened that evening. I can only remember pieces of it. I know what things were due to them being me. So… that’s cool. That being said, despite the fact I hate how I lost control of myself and let that damn bird in, I also feel… I dunno… lighter. I don’t think I can ever let them go. I know Alex asked me too but I can’t. But I also think I’m ready to stop living in the past- in the facility- with them. I can remember them without feeling regret. I think Alex would be happy with that compromise. Loki. Miles. Harriet. Claire. Ronan. Leanne. Gabriel. Lyn. Aya. Alex. And everybody else. Watch over me. I’ll tell you this story when I see you all again. Heh. Signing off.

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Egoist 04. Judge Thomas Danforth. I think this is the first EGO user we fought who we didn’t see manifest their EGO in front of us. Danforth is the leader of one of sects of N Corp. while Kromer was the Inquisitors, his were the Jurors. He was pretty cold and condescending though, despite that, he had his own code of honour. When Hopkins interrupted our fight, he actually got mad. He’s not a nice guy. I’m not about to say that he’s some misunderstood person within N Corp. He was rude, dismissive and insulting when we were duelling. But he’s not as bad as Kromer.

Danforth’s EGO has three components. A mask and two swords, one on fire and one electrified. I’m not sure how much of his power was from the EGO or just that he was naturally that tough but he was incredibly strong and fierce. Even then, he felt he was holding back a little against me. I don’t know if he was testing my limits, seeing what Limbus Company could do or was just playing with me but he didn’t seem to be giving it his all. He also got away alive so we’re probably going to meet again. I imagine he won’t be playing around should we all try and attack him and that will probably have to happen some time if N Corp keep getting in our way. I just hope that won’t be for a long time. Signing off.

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Me. Do I need to give a better classification? Ugh. Distortion T-02-101. Code Name: Yuri, the Wild Hunt. Faust has stated that I define what happened to myself as a Distortion rather than a Corrosion. Guess it’s similar enough in nature but it’s not quite… whatever. When I was corroded, I was able to control a massive storm though I’m not sure how much of that was me and how much of that was the Bough admittedly. I was able to use lightning, fly and pretty much anything Thunderbird could do really.

One unique thing was my Feathers. I… guess you could call them living memories of the people I hold closest to my heart. My old friends from L Corp, Aya and the other Sinners all manifested. Though apparently the storm also formed the agents from my old work place and a version of myself. The abnormalities were Abby’s so I’m not including them. Admittedly, I’m… only really half understanding about what happened and what I did when I was corroding. I’m embarrassed it even happened. Despite that though, I’m kinda happy too. Getting that feather out of my head felt like a necessary step to getting over everything that happened. Now I have and now I can. It’s… a relief. Eh heh. Signing off. 

**********************************

Abigail Williams. She’s unique since she isn’t an abnormality, distortion or an egoist. She’s just… kinda Abby. We don’t usually do this for normal people like Guido, Smee or Tituba for example. But Abby is… I dunno, different. I decided to make one for her. I think she’d feel honoured if I put her among the things she’s idolised. Admittedly, I feel like I shouldn’t be treating her like she’s a friend. Everything she did was just a front. She was more interested in Thunderbird than me or at least she was. I think it’s different now. In a strange way though, I can’t hate her. A part of me is grateful. If not for her, I don’t think I could have faced my past like I did. She’s… definitely close but in what way I can’t really decide yet.

Abby apparently manifested an abnormality known as The Death by summoning copies of her allies from the Crucible Office. I think she tapped into my Bough dimension somehow to do it. Anyway, she bombarded us with lasers and was able to launch blobs of acid and poison mist. She claimed she corroded back at L Corp but somehow kept her sense of self. Or maybe the Abby we knew was more of the Lovers personality. I wish I knew her beforehand. She didn’t deserve what L Corp did to her. None of us did. I don’t know where she is now but I really hope she can find happiness someday. Signing off.

Chapter Text

The alarms blared as another abnormality breached. Yuri rubbed her eyes as she woke up. She fell asleep at her desk. She’d been doing that a lot more lately. It had been a while since she left the facility. They’d gone into lockdown a while ago. Luckily, everyone was still alive. There was more than enough food in storage for all the agents to last. So they just did what came naturally. They kept working. Perhaps it wasn’t the best way to take their time but they were never escaping the facility. It just gave them something to do other then die of boredom.

“ Well Yuri. Looks like it’s in your sector.” Loki called cheerfully over the comms. “ Need a hand?”

“ Nah. Just make sure Control is locked down, Loki. I can deal with an escapee.”

“ If you’re certain.” Alex’s voice echoed. “ We’ll make sure down here is sorted out. Good luck.”

“ Hee hee. Thanks Alex.” Yuri smiled, drawing her sword. Entering into the corridor, she saw two abnormalities. They looked like glowing blue dolls, their legs and arms twisted into spikes with the heads as just round pegs. In their chests were weapons. One had a crossbow while the other had a rifle. Yuri hummed. She didn’t recognise these ones.

More and more unique abnormalities kept appearing in her department lately. She wondered where they came from. They just appeared, she suppressed them and they vanished, never to appear again. It must have been something to do with the lockdown. Maybe if she suppressed all of them, then they’d be able to leave this place. She, Alex and everyone else could finally be free. Yes, that was it. She’d just have to keep fighting. She narrowed her gaze and advanced. “ Commencing suppression.”

The two abnormalities began firing at her but they felt slow. She dodged around the shots pretty easily before shoulder slamming the crossbow doll to the ground. Before it could even try getting up, she drove her blade into its chest, discharging the electricity inside of it. As the doll went limp, she withdrew it. “ Suppression complete.” She declared, glancing at the other one. It almost seemed scared, backing away from her. She smirked. One more to go. She’d get her friends out of here. She just had to keep going.

*****************************

The forest of District 4 had become host to a new nightmare ever since the fall of L Corp. Some said it was a product of the Bright Night's and Dark Days. In some ways, they were true. Whatever had happened, it led to wild thunderstorms over the old L Corp ruins and the nearby forest. Not many fixers were willing to check it out. Those who did brave the storm rarely returned. Those who did came back ravaged, telling of a monstrous bird wrapped in storm clouds that had scorched the trees with its lighting and tore their allies to shreds.

For a low grade office like the Spark Office to venture into that storm was seen as a suicide mission. Aya didn’t like it but Hopkins, opportunistic as ever, saw it as a way to build their reputation. It was just a scouting mission. She went with him to make sure he wouldn’t get in too deep. When they arrived at the scorched ruins, they saw a figure in the center, lying inside the second story of part of the ruined building it had nested in. Clouds poured off it like smoke. It seemed like it was sleeping. She wanted to leave but Hopkins wanted to get a closer look. If he could kill the beast in its sleep, he’d be seen as a legend. That was the plan. Then the beast rose, sensing their presence. Aya could have sworn it muttered something under its breath.

All of a sudden it was in the air, leaping from the building and into the air. Hopkins began firing but the creature's speed was otherworldly. It charged right through their attacks, slamming into Hopkins. By the time Aya had even realised it was beside her, it was too late. A claw was plunged into Hopkins chest as electricity surged through the area. “Suppression… complete…” It said. Slowly, its head turned to face her. Aya stumbled back. It was a person. She didn’t realise it until it was up close but it was a girl. A girl with messy, long red hair dressed in the torn remnants of some kind of dress suit. Storm clouds had covered her body, growing and twisting around her, creating wings and talons. This… Was this the distortion phenomenon she’d heard rumours of or something else?

She turned and tried to flee only to feel a sharp pain through her chest. Shakily, she looked down to see her own heart beating faintly in the hands of the monster. Strangely, it didn’t hurt. That was… a mercy she couldn’t believe she was allowed. But, then again, she’d always been a lucky girl. Behind her, she could hear the creature mutter. “ It’s done. Is… the lockdown… still active… Alex?” It hummed as it pulled its hand free, letting Aya’s body to feel. “ Maybe next time… we can be free. Don’t worry… I’ll make sure… we live through this. Let’s… stay together… forever.”

Chapter Text

Yuri had to wonder if fate was testing her will. Walpurgisnacht’s second coming came with a new door. One that took them into a familiar corridor from a time long in the past. “ Now where the hell are we?” Heathcliff grumbled. Ever since they got on the road again, he’d been getting slowly more irritable.

“ L Corp. Control department.” Yuri said.

“ You can tell?”

“ Hmm? Have you not noticed from the few we’ve been through? The walls are lined in orange.” Yuri pointed to the lines at the top and bottom of the walls. “ See? Each department has its own colour. Orange for Control, green for Security, blue for Information, etc. Then again, seeing as the only intact ones we’ve been too was redone by K Corp, I suppose it makes sense you’d not notice.”

“ Yeah. The only ones we’ve been to not to be a ruin were under new management, covered in white and not actually real.” Hong Lu realised. “ So which facility is this?”

“ This is also not a true facility.” Faust noted. “ This was made by the memories of the City much like the IDs that are produced by the Walpurgisnacht phenomenon.”

“ Memories?” Gregor asked. “ Wait. So is this… actually L Corp?”

“ A vision of it.” Yuri went silent at that, looking around more slowly. So this was L Corp in its prime. It was a strange feeling being here especially after what she just went through mere days before.

“ You good, Yuri?” Dante asked.

“ Yeah.” Yuri nodded. “ Just… a little overwhelmed. It’s not actually that different from Loki’s department. Hmm. I wonder what abnormalities they have in here.”

“ Who’d you have?”

“ In Control? Do No Harm, Nymph, Broken Matchstick and Behaviour Adjustment. Why do you ask?”

“ Just curious what we may run into in the Mirror Dungeon later.” Dante shrugged. Above them, the speakers shuddered to life.

“ Hey. Are you new hires?” An energetic sounding voice asked. “ Welp, no time to dawdle. The Green Dawn is active. Better get to work. I’m expecting great things from you all.”

“ Green what?” Ishmael asked deadpan. That was when they heard mechanical clanking behind them. Turing, they saw a group of lanky, rusting machines lurching towards them. “ Yuri. The hell is that?”

“ I dunno.” Yuri exclaimed. “ We never had this abnormality in our facility. Maybe it’s one of those abnormalities that converts people into other abnormalities?”

“ No. Those are low grade combat machines. They were deployed by I-Corp so they wouldn’t have to use manpower in the mid stages of the Smoke war though these are the weakest of them. While those needle-like arms look blunted, they’re actually powered by what would later become G-Corp’s singularity. The deal was that the owners of the singularity would aid them win the war and, in return, they would either be hired on as a major piece of I Corp’s staff or could take over any other Corporation that fell. After the war, G-Corp was ruined financially and nominally and I-Corp made good on their deal. These machines however were scrapped following the war effort.” Meursault explained.

“ Cool. Why are they here?” Ishmael asked.

“ That I cannot answer.” Ishmael groaned.

“ Some help you are.”

“ Does it matter why they’re here? All we gotta do is smash ‘em yeah?” Heathcliff said.

“ Simple minded as ever, eh Heathcliff” Yuri teased.

“ Oh, piss off. I already have Ishmael snarking at me for everything. I don’t need two of ya.”

“ Enough squabbling, guys.” Gregor called to them. “ Whatever they are, they’re coming.” Yuri nodded, drawing her blade. Standing in these halls preparing to engage an enemy. Despite leaving the past behind, it still felt like it was trying to drag her back. She wouldn’t let it. If this was proof of her conviction, then she’d fight with all she had.

“ Commencing suppression!”

Chapter Text

At the sound of the massive amount of skittering around the corridors outside, Yuri looked up from her paperwork and sighed. Amber Ordeal. She spun on her swivel chair and stood up, stretching. The Amber ordeals were just annoying. They weren’t threatening machines like the Green ordeals or psychological horrors like the Purple ordeals. Even the Red ordeals had some nuisance later on in the shift. The Amber ordeals were just frustrating. They were just bugs. Dozens of bugs. The higher ranks were just bugs that spawned other bugs.  Outis could clear a corridor of them in one shot. They were hardly a threat. There were just too many of them. And the noise… She wasn’t the type of person to be scared of bugs, not with what was around the main facility, but she hated these ones.

She began counting on her fingers as she walked. It was day… 23? Faust claimed they had 50 days before something big happened so that meant they were just under half way there. Halfway to what she didn’t know. Faust seemed to have a clue and the manager and Angela probably did too but even as the team captain of the Information department, she wasn’t sure. She’d ask Yesod but the man was a stone cold wall of a man cynically called the viper by her fellows. He was what her father called a rules lawyer, someone who follows the rules to the letter and was quick to admonish those who didn’t do the same. He wasn’t unstable like Malkuth or apathetic like Netzach but he still had problems. She felt getting any unauthorised information from him would be like trying to get blood from a stone. It was just easier to focus on work than it was to focus on an unknowable future.

Stepping into the corridor, she saw the smaller bugs nibbling on the corpse of a few clerks who were unlucky to be there when they burrowed in. With a sigh, she launched a trio of daggers at them. Each found its mark, setting some of the bugs ablaze before reappearing at her side. This got the insects attention as they stopped chewing and turned to see the fresh meat. 

Yuri just sighed as raised a hand, her daggers floating around them. The abnormality that she’d been given a focus for was O-02-101, codenamed Firebird. It was a majestic thing but dangerous. Just being in the same room as it was difficult at times. However, it was kind too. It was a rare case of an abnormality that actually helped its captors. While the bird could render people blind due to the brightness of its flames when its feathers were lit up, it also could use its warmth to heal people that were burned by it, including restoring eyesight, something she'd needed in more than one occasion. It was strange but she liked them. She’d been warned against thinking about abnormalities this way but she couldn’t help thinking of it as a friend. Had to make your own connections somewhere in this hell after all.

As the bugs moved, so did she, firing them as a barrage before calling them back quickly and repeating. She pouted. There were more than there usually was. She swore this was only a Dawn event. Did they all just appear in her corridor?

A buzzing from behind her caught her attention. She dodged to the side just in time to see a machine spinning and tore through the bugs before crashing into the far side of the corridor. “Paul!” Yuri beamed. Paul, or All-Around Helper, was Yuri’s first assignment. He gave her first EGO gift and, before she was given Feather of Honour, it had been his suit and weapon she’d used. The little white robot held a special place in her heart even if she was now tied to the Firebird after it had been moved up from Central. She watched as the robot rose up as more bugs shuffled her way. Of course, Paul was an abnormality. He was acting as a killing machine. He wasn’t her friend. But she’d known him so long that she knew just how to use its wild strikes against her.

“ Dame Yuri! Young Helper hath broken from its container!” She heard Don call over the radio.

“ I know. Paul’s in here. He’s giving me a hand with the Amber ordeal. I’ll make sure he’s back in his cell after we’re all clear. Stay in your department, Don Quixote.”

“ Very well. I shall make sure Dame Outis is aware of the circumstances.”

“ Right.” She nodded. She shifted her body at an angle, dodging around the blades as Paul tore through the bugs. Then she launched two daggers at some of the ones that survived, lighting them up. It didn’t take long before the remainder of the bugs were a mess of flesh and organs on the ground. She smiled, petting Paul’s shell. “ Thanks for the help, buddy.” She spun a dagger in her hand before raising it. “ Now let’s get you home.”

Chapter Text

It feels strange that we were dropped into the actual L Corp just after we made tracks for T Corp’s nest. I feel as though that was the universe testing me. It’s just… too strange to be a coincidence, you know? The timing was just… I dunno… too perfect. I don’t know who that Malkuth lady was either. Maybe her name was in a report or something? She seemed like a team manager. Ours was Brigid. She was nice but a little too laid back. Still, she knew when to take the reins even if she did leave me to run everything. Hmm. I wonder what the Information Manager was like in the main facility. Maybe we’ll find our next Walpurgisnacht. Signing off.

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Abnormality O-04-20-11. Code Name: White Gossypium. Even before we fought this thing, it’s become quite a notorious Abnormality amongst the others. I know Heathcliff and Ishmael loathe the thing cause the gift it gives hinders how we can act. Sure, some of the IDs we have benefit from the thing wounding our foes pretty badly but it usually gets in the way. Ryoshu likes it cause her whole thing is painting with other people’s blood which is… really morbid now I say that out loud. Uh. Yeah.

G-Getting back to the actual flower, it’s pretty similar to the gift’s effect actually. Any heavy blow we receive just heavily wounds us instead of staggering us. While this can be a benefit because it means we can keep up the attack, it also means that we’re under constant danger of losing too much blood to continue the fight. The thing also absorbs any blood it can get its roots on, eventually turning its flowers red and becoming much more aggressive in the process. A flower that feeds on blood. I wonder what that’s meant to be an allegory for. Then again, Mister Dongrang managed to make an entire factory line of chickens using K Corp’s singularity. Maybe it’s something like sacrifices made for agricultural advancement? Heh. I was just paid to fight the things and find their weak points. I’ll leave the philosophy part of these things to Yi Sang. Signing off.

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Abnormality O-01-20-07. Code Name: Ardor Blossom Moth. Where the Gossypium tried to bleed us to death, this thing’s goal was lighting us on fire. The whole air felt like it was burning when trying to fight that thing. It was unbearable. Still, we got the job done and made it further down the Railroad though not without casualties. I was almost one of them myself. I’m glad Dante can rewind all injuries. I’m already missing an eye. I’d hate to have lost an arm to all those burns as well. Just thinking about it makes it feel itchy.

Something about how the moth acted, it seemed like it kept getting progressively angrier. Of course, it’s harder to tell how an animal gets angry, especially one without an actual face so I’m just judging by how aggressive it acted. It produced sparks from its wings that exploded into flames. I’ve heard from my dad about a workshop that produces a sort of liquid fire. Wonder if it’s a bit like this. Honestly, I’ve had quite enough aerial bombardments for one week. Here’s hoping the inevitable new abnormalities we find at Heathcliff’s girlfriend’s place stay grounded. Signing off.

********************************

Abnormality T-03-20-04. Code Name: Spiral of Contempt. I’m assuming it’s Lobotomy code was O-04-62-HE though. It feels like an aberration of the same abnormality that Loki got his EGO from. Unlike Stuck in Heaven though, which seemed to want help but was almost forced to hurt others, this thing seemed to despise our mere presence and lashed out accordingly. It looks kind of like a giant statue wrapped in golden thorns. Those thorns seemed to be made of molten gold though. The statue part of the abnormality can also send its hands to burrow underground and grab someone when they least expect it.

The spiral seems a bit of an oxymoron. It despises us but its body also seems to shift in a strange way so that it makes itself weaker to our strongest attacks. Maybe it’s just because it feels it needs a reason to hate us so it makes us able to hurt it more? I’m not sure. It was said that the original abnormality that formed Stuck in Heaven and I’m assuming the Spiral liked being watched to the point that it would only breach if it felt it was being ignored. The thorns that made up Stuck in Heaven reacted similarly but this thing seems to be the opposite. Or maybe it’s stuck in a vicious cycle. It needs to be acknowledged but hates those who stare at it. Maybe it was bullied in the past? No, but it’s a statue. Was it an idol that was forgotten then? I really need to stop thinking so hard about what abnormalities represent. Signing off.

Chapter Text

The drive through the colourless streets gave Yuri a lot of time to think. They’d just left S Corp’s backstreets and yet the drama seemed to have leaked out into District 20. Seeing one of the schools in the nest, one seemingly dedicated to swordplay from Kim’s memories, had been interesting. But what interested her more was that monolith. The black cube that caused distortions. Yuri wondered just how true that was. After all, Yi Sang’s device supposedly caused EGO manifestation yet all it really had done was called the voice. She wondered if the black cube was the same.

She sighed, leaning back in her seat. She remembered Abby’s goal. Human’s forced to corrode with the EGO of abnormalities. That’s what a distortion was at the end of the day, at least from what she could gather from Dong Rang and Kim. A corrosion of a personal EGO. Her words that day seemed to suggest she didn’t believe distortions were true corrosions however. It made Yuri’s head hurt to think about. Corrosions and EGO and Distortions and items and people that could force them to happen.

“ Are you alright?” Sinclair asked, sitting down beside her. “ You look like you’re thinking about something.”

“ Ah.” She turned quickly. He wasn’t the only one there. Rodya was hanging over the back of the chairs, a tired smile on her face as usual.

“ Ooooh. You got her, Sinclair.” Rodya laughed. “ Lay it on us, Urayuli. What’s worrying you?”

“ Well… you know how we all have a role in the bus? Faust and Yi Sang are thinkers, Heathcliff and Ishmael are our frontline, Meursault and Outis are our doers.”

“ What’s Don?” Rodya cut in. Yuri hummed in thought.

“ Uh… W-Well, most of us have an obvious role.” Rodya laughed harder at Yuri’s difficulty to answer. Even Sinclair smiled. “ C-Can I get back to my point please?”

“ Sure. Sure.”

“ Thank you. Anyway, my role is data recording. The notes I’ve been doing on the abnormalities. Well, I was thinking about Kim and that Monolith the Kurokumo clan had been guarding. It’s just… strange that there are items that can cause distortions.”

“ Is this… about Abby?” Sinclair asked. Yuri nodded.

“ Cause her goal was similar, yeah? Are you worried about what she’d do with something like that?” Rodya raised an eyebrow.

“ No, nothing like that.” Yuri shook her head. “ I was just more curious about who could even make such a thing. It can’t be naturally formed and, since Yi Sang made that device that gave me an EGO, I was curious who would make the opposite.”

“ Hmm. You have a good point. Gotta be some kind of strange wierdo to want to turn people into those monsters.”

“ Do you think… it was N Corp?” Sinclair asked. The other two looked at him. “ I was just thinking about what Kromer did back… well, you know.”

“ You mean when N Corp corroded their own people?” Yuri hummed slowly. It was hard to forget that image back when they were in Kalf and just because it came back from time to time in the Mirror Dungeons.

“ You have a point, Emil.” Yuri admitted. “ Between what they did back then, Yi Sang’s memories saying they’re researching that mirror and the worlds our IDs came from and Danforth’s actions in District 19, it is like they’re after something. It would make sense they’re researching all avenues they can to get power.”

“ You mean like our side is doing?” Rodya said, an uncharacteristically serious edge to her tone. “ You can’t deny that we’re all after the same things. We use the IDs they’re researching. The LC-A team claims the abnormalities we fight. We’re even both after the Boughs. Heck, that team Greg’s mom showed up with back in District 4 wasn’t that different from our team either.”

“ You… make a good point.” Sinclair admitted. His mouth thinned. “ Is it… weird that we’re doing all of this? We don’t even know why.”

“ You’re doing it for those contracts, right? You’re after things.”

“ Yep.” Rodya nodded. “ Thing is, Ishy just completed her goal, I'm pretty sure. You and her have no other reason to stick around. Why do you, Yuri?”

“ Heh. Like I have anywhere else to go. L corp collapsed. Aya’s gone. Hopkins disbanded the Spark Office.”

“ What about your folks? Distorted you said something about them running a workshop?” Yuri’s face twisted in discomfort. “ Not a good relationship?”

“ It’s… not that. It’s… well I left to make something of myself. I’m much more a thinker than a tinker, you know? Our last conversation was about six months before L Corp collapsed. Dad wanted me to come home. I didn’t want to. And that was that.”

“ It’s not too late, you know?” Sinclair told her carefully. Yuri felt guilty that he was the one telling her that, knowing how he never got to reconcile with his own father in the end.

“ I know. Maybe if we ever end up in District 13 I’ll drop in on them, assuming they’re still around.” She sighed. “ But first we’ve got to deal with Heathcliff’s party. Yay.”

“ Not a fan of parties, Urayuli?” Rodya asked.

“ Not a fan of rich people. Have a sinking feeling that’s all we’re going to see at Wuthering Heights.”

“ Rich people means money. Hopefully we can at least live a life of luxury for one night.”

“ I think that’s rather optimistic, Rodya.” Sinclair told her. Yuri laughed lightly as Rodya pouted annoyedly. Then she looked back out the window at the colourless streets. N Corp. Limbus Company. She wondered what they were all up to. Leanne used to say that an actor should follow the script without worrying about the writer’s plans. Perhaps she would be happier to just follow blindly. Maybe she’d be happier if she was that kind of person.

Chapter Text

I’ve been thinking since we started heading for the nest again. Rodya and Sinclair helped me sort some things out but… hmm. I can’t help but feeling that something’s happening behind the scenes and we’re just being used as pawns. Just like L Corp. Well, at least I have experience this time. There’s no pretending to be working for the greater good. Without that, maybe I can see through the cracks. Maybe I can predict it. I don’t know how secure these logs are- one of them got deleted by the company after all- but it’s the best I’ve got so bare with me. The device Yi Sang made and the monolith are supposed to trigger EGO and Distortions. But… from what I’ve seen, I do have to wonder if that’s accurate. That voice from before. She said something about usually pushing me towards something but respecting me for my work at L Corp. I think she causes Distortions. And, from what I saw from Dongrang and Ahab talking to thin air, I don’t think that’s all she can do. A Distortion is the corroded form of a personal EGO. So… maybe… Those things don’t cause EGO and Distortions. Maybe they call that voice… Carmen. But… why? Why does she react to those devices? How does she even cause those things to happen? Ah. There’s still too much I don’t know. Hmm. I need more information. Heathcliff is up next. Maybe we’ll see it again there. Signing off.

**************************************

I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to talk about the Peccatula seeing how often we see them. Seeing as they’re starting to evolve, I suppose it’s the right time. There’s six types, each with its own code. S-08-04-01,02 and 03, S-08-10-01 and So-08-11-01 and 02. That’s Gulae, Irae, Acediae, Morositasis, Superbiae and Luxuriae respectively. I can’t help but feel like we’re missing one but I digress. Faust described them as half abnormalities. Where they’ve come from isn’t something I know though Faust… apparently knows all so she probably does. That being said, trying to get information about her for these logs in the past has been like trying to bleed stone and we had an abnormality that forced us to do that once so believe me when I say it’s very hard.

I won’t go through what all six can do cause I’d be here for an hour but they all have their own unique ticks. Disturbingly though? Those ticks later became very familiar on two occasions: Kromer and Dongrang. I mentioned before but when Kromer distorted, her lower half looked and acted exactly like Luxuriae, down to the part where it’s tongue is replaced by a bunch of arms. Dongrang was more subtle. I didn’t catch it at the time but we faced his distorted form in the Mirror Dungeon and it just clicked. Between the red vines and his attempts to devour achievements, he was similar to Gulae. Not as closely as Kromer, granted, but the comparisons are there. It’s like these things… predicted their distortions somehow. I wonder… if the missing one would be like me then. Well, two is a coincidence, three is a pattern. I’ll have to come back to this if the next distortion connected directly to us happens to look like another Peccatula. Signing off.

***************************************

Distortion… uh… Well, he didn’t fully distort so he doesn’t have a code like Bongy, Dongrang or I did so… 5, I guess? Technically 4 but Faust did tell me to count myself as a distortion so… fine. Distortion 5. Bamboo Hatted Kim. Apparently, Kim was the leader of the Blade Lineage Syndicate. According to Aeng-Du, they got in trouble with the Kurokumo clan, a Syndicate under the command of the Thumb, and were forced to escape using a mysterious invitation. In other words, they went to the Library and were killed there. However, like everyone else who went missing there, they were eventually brought back. Unfortunately, instead of five districts away like some people were, they were brought back right in the middle of a Kurokumo stronghold. Everyone but Kim and Aeng-du died and it triggered Kim’s distortion.

Kim never fully distorted so it’s hard to say what he would have been like however he looked like a more twisted version of himself just covered in shadows. He could manipulate those shadows to enhance his swings. He also seemed to gain stronger the more we hurt him and turned that into damage he inflicted, tearing us to pieces with his swordplay. He was a rough opponent admittedly. His mental dungeon seemed to be one of the sword schools within the S Corp’s nest. Seems all their talk of tradition and abandoning their backstreets for the so called teaching of the chosen is all just that. Then again, what else is new? It is a wing after all. All they seem to truly know how to do is crush people who have lost their usefulness under their heel. Tearing out old feathers. Ha. Ah. Seems I started ranting again. Faust is going to chew me out for wasting company time again. Hmm. Wonder if I can edit these. Signing off.

Chapter Text

Yuri was surprised when she got pulled into Rodya’s room just after reaching T Corp’s nest. Rodya was grinning and she wasn’t alone. Hong Lu was there as well. Yuri gave the two a concerned look. “ What’s… going on?”

“ Urayuli. You’re good at sewing right?”

“ Yeah?”

“ Cool. We need your help.” Rodya reached under her bed and pulled out an old purple coat. It looked fancy. Fancier than anything she’d ever worn at the very least. “ It’s for Heath.”

“ No way you’re going to get him to wear that.”

“ Yeah. Not like this.” Rodya poked her fingers through a cut in the back of the jacket. “ We got it cheaply from a thrift store while everyone else was stocking up. Think you can help?” Yuri sighed. It was true she’d just bought some new materials for her own hobbies but she didn’t have all that much.

“ Did you buy any thread?”

“ We assumed you had some.” Hong Lu chimed in.

“ I do but…”

“ So you can help.” Rodya smiled. “ Come on. It’s for a friend.” Yuri sighed. Rodya was looking at her like a puppy expectant for a walk. She must have learned that one from Don. It was a look she just couldn’t say no too. She took the jacket.

“ I’ll be charging you for materials.” She said bitterly. Rodya just laughed.

“ Right.”

“ Good luck.” Hong Lu waved. Yuri just shook her head and returned to her room. She was starting to regret showing the others about this hobby. She liked making stress toys. She didn’t sign up to be the team’s seamstress. Still, this was for Heath. She could tell. He’d been on edge since they landed. Sure, their detour in District 19 and to handle the Blade Lineage’s distorted leader was a welcome distraction but, after that was over, it was obvious to tell he was more pensive than ever. She couldn’t really blame him. She’d probably be the same if she returned home. She stopped mid sew. How long had it been now?

Five years. It had been five years. That was when she left her home for District 4. She’d not returned after it collapsed. She didn’t want to return home a failure. She wanted to prove herself. That she could live independently. And yet, now she’d come to terms with everything, she couldn’t help but miss it. The sound of turning metal and the smell of oil from their workshop. The warmth in her mother’s voice. The teasing smirk on her father’s face. She hoped they were well.

She stepped back out and handed the coat to a giddy Rodya. That was about a third of her supply gone for this. She just hoped whatever Rodya had planned was worth it. As she and Hong Lu went off to start scheming, she entered the main bus. Looking out on the colour robbed streets of the nest, she saw it. The shadow of a large manor overlooking a hill. She found Heathcliff staring up at it. “ This was how it felt, aye?” Heathcliff asked emotionlessly. “ That twisting in your chest.”

“ Yeah. It means you're close.” Yuri nodded.

“ Well, shit.” He sighed. “ I’m not ready.”

“ You don’t want to go back?”

“ No. No, I need to.” He admitted. “ It’s just… I never saw myself back here. I left for a reason. Just thought of seeing Cathy again though.” He grimaced.

“ You’ll have to tell me what it feels like.” He looked back. “ Returning home I mean. I haven’t been home myself for a good few years now. I couldn’t bring myself too after L Corp collapsed. Didn’t want to seem like a failure. Though, now it’s all over, I think that was just an excuse.”

“ Well, at the moment, it ain’t a good feeling. Not sure if this is that golden weed or actual nerves.”

“ Wow. You can be nervous?”

“ Shut up.” Heathcliff huffed.

“ It’s not a nice feeling.” The two were distracted by Sinclair’s comment. “ Returning to a place you feel there’s nothing left for you there. Despite how much comfort it once gave.”

“ Yeah.” Heathcliff nodded. “ It ain’t. If it weren’t for this damn job, I’d never have agreed to return.” Sinclair gave an empathetic nod. “ Still, no choice now. Cathy’s waiting for me. I’ve always had a time telling that girl no.”

“ Well, if you need help…” Sinclair started.

“ You’ll be following me around regardless. Doubt I’ll have the chance. You’ll jump in regardless, won’t ya? Clock face’s orders or no.”

“ Sadly for you, you are part of the team. Never liked letting another agent die if I could save them.” Yuri smiled. Heathcliff smirked.

“ Then I guess I’ll leave it to you lot then. Guess I’ve got to prepare for a homecoming. At the very least, we can enjoy the banquet first. So long as that blond munchkin doesn’t cause a fight over some offence of justice.” Yuri and Sinclair laughed at that. Yuri looked back up at the distant manor as lightning flashed over it. A homecoming huh? She wondered if she’d ever get a chance for that. Well, that was something to worry about later. Right now, they had a party to get to.

Chapter Text

Yuri’s eye watched the storm as they ran up the stairs. It had changed. Just like the alternate Heathcliff, it had grown stronger. It was unnatural. She couldn’t help but think of the beast she’d become. The sound of scream like roaring thunder. The flashes of unwanted memories like flashing lighting. She and Matt, the Erlkonig, had eerily similar abilities. The difference was he was controlling the ghosts of the manor, not the phantoms of memory. Even so, Yuri did her best to put every lost soul she ran into to rest. The dead should stay that way. It didn’t matter what world they came from.

The idea of alternate worlds did make Yuri think though. She was so used to treating IDs like different power sets she was simply tapping into that she didn’t think about what their lives must have been like. She saw glimpses of them sometimes, like a crack in reality. She knew of the one who fell in line with Dongbaek’s group in K Corp had become an EGO engineer due to L Corp noticing her observation skills or that she had a version of herself in the world Kromer had seen where getting shunned from being part of a fallen nest had pushed her into N Corp’s grasp. She wondered if there was a world where she’d escaped with Alex and the others. Whatever world that was, it wasn’t this one.

The reached the Erlkonig halfway up the stairs, a coffin chained to his back. He pointed his blade at them from atop his headless horse. “ Why do you keep pursuing us?” He asked. “ Can’t you understand? Your Catherine is gone. She already abandoned you.”

“ Think I don’t know that?” Heathcliff shouted. “ I’m gonna change all that. So just give her-”

“ Change it?” Matt bellowed. “ Don’t be absurd. All you’ll find after this long struggle is the baneful truth that drives me. Catherine is gone from this world. At the end of every path, you will find that same answer. Your heart will never know peace. Not unless you fall dead at my feet like the others.”

“ You’re wrong! That’s not peace! Not for me!”

“ You’re a fool!”

“ Why do you want to die so badly?” Yuri asked. “ What? Are you seeking some kind of noble death? You think by doing all this you’ll make those who’ve gone happy?”

“ You.” Matt looked confused. “ I remember you. From the Oufi’s world.”

“ Huh?”

“ You were like me at the start of my path. Looking for revenge for the fallen.”

“ Yeah. There was a time where I wanted that.” She admitted. “ There was also a time I pushed on through life, trying to get stronger and thinking that’s what the lost would want. It took me time til I realised they just wanted me to be happy in the end. That’s what everyone here helped me realise. Can’t you see the same?”

“ No. That time’s past.”

“ You really think that? Chasing revenge like you are?” Ishmael asked. “ What’s left for you when that’s done, huh? You just plan and killing yourself and say that’s the job done. Damnit, Catherine wouldn’t want this.”

“ And what would you know what she’d want?”

“ Whatever it is, it’s not this.” Ishmael said sternly.

“ SHUT UP!” He growled. “ All of this is to save her! That’s why you must die, Heathcliff. And I won’t let any of you get in the way of her salvation.” With that, he charged, barreling at them atop his steed. Yuri got in the way. She let out a cold breath. 

“ EGO…Eye of the Storm.” It was as if the storm outside burst into the room, forming around Yuri as she raised wings of clouds, blocking the charge and knocking Matt from off his horse. “ If you want Heathcliff, you’re going to have to go through us.” Matt grit his teeth, glaring at Yuri as she summoned five burning knives, drawing on the power of the Information Team’s Captain. Beside her, Ishmael stepped up, energy held in the Reindeer’s staff. The other sinners were there as well, drawing on the power of the mirror just as their enemy had. Heathcliff just laughed from behind them.

“ Man, I’ve joined a whole lot of madmen.” He laughed. A speared gauntlet appeared on his wrist. “ Come on.”

“ The Harpooner. Ha. I dragged him into the Great Lake the last I saw him.” Matt scowled. “ Not just that. The Reindeer from that Rabbit’s world. The cult leader from that N Corp stooge. The leader of those luddites from that Umbrella wielders' city. Everywhere I go, you all keep showing up. Fine. Bring ghosts of the past back. See what happens.” Around him, figures began appearing. Hindley, Linton and Josephine stood by as Matt spun his blade in one hand. “ For her, I’ll happily crush each and every one of you!”

***************************************

“ Her name was Catherine.” Heathcliff stated firmly. “ And she saved me.”

“ That woman in the coffin?” Yuri asked. She felt like she’d forgotten something major. A hazy cloud over her memories. It wasn’t like when they were in K Corp and they had memories removed. They were there but it was like they’d been forcibly suppressed. Because of that, she couldn’t remember the reason they’d even gone to that manor in the first place other than to collect the golden boughs. She was certain the one that Nelly took had been the one she’d been hired to find back in D Corp. The one that belonged to her branch of L Corp. The other one turned white. What that meant she could only guess.

“ Yeah. I think… she erased herself from every mirror world. So that every Heathcliff could live happily.” He sighed. “ What an annoying idiot she is.”

“ That’s hard.” She admitted. “ But you remember her right?”

“ Aye.” He nodded. “ That’s why, if I can, I want to wake her up. I think she’s still alive in there. If not, why’d her body be left behind? Dunno what she did. But if I can, I’ll bring her back.”

“ I hope you manage it.” Yuri smiled.

“ Shame about your suit though.” Rodya said, hanging her arms over the back of his chair. “ You looked really nice.”

“ I agree. You’d fit right in as one of the servers in my family's parties.” Hong Lu smiled.

“ Shut up, you fancy fop!” Heathcliff growled. 

“ Why? Was my compliment insufficient?” Yuri just laughed. It was nice to see everyone getting along. The storm was fierce but they’d found the break in the clouds. She hoped Heathcliff could find that Catherine person. She just hoped he’d not end up like his alternate form, constantly hunting for something that was lost forever in the end. But Heathcliff’s smile and eyes filled with determination gave her hope. If anyone could do it, it was him. She’d be happy to help him if he asked as she was sure the others would too. He was, after all, her problem child of an older brother. Someone needed to keep him in check.

“ Would you shut up? Some of us are trying to relax now we’re done with your life problems.” Ishmael grumbled.

“ Can it, you soggy rag.”

“ What the hell kind of an insult was that?” She sighed. Yuri smirked. Then again, maybe Ishmael had that covered.

Chapter Text

“ So Yuri. Has Heathcliff ever mentioned me?” Yuri looked up from her dusting at Isabella, grinning up at her. Isabella was Gregor’s younger sister. She had messy blond hair, shimmering blue eyes, a bright yet gentle personality though, if she had one weakness, it was her over active imagination, usually on the idea of romance.

“ I’m not certain. Ryoshu usually pays more attention to the conversation topics of our patrons.” Yuri responded.

“ Yeah, but Gregor loves keeping you at his side during dinner dates with the Earnshaws. You must have heard some juicy gossip. Right?”

“ I’m just a serving girl, miss. I promise you I don't know any major secrets.”

“ You give yourself too little credit, Yuri. You’re my brother’s favourite for a reason.” Yuri choked.

“ I… I’m nothing of the sort.”

“ Of course you are. Hee hee. He dotes on you almost as much as he dotes on me.” Yuri blushed a little at that. She’d been hired on as a maid from a young age. It wasn’t the type of fixer work she’d thought she’d get but it was something. Ryoshu saw potential in her and that was enough. Gregor and Isabella had taken a shine to her early on as well. It was almost like being part of a family. Her own parents were negligent at best so it was kind of nice to feel that kind of love. Even so, she reminded herself of her place. She was just a serving girl at the end of the day.

“ I’m glad you think so, Miss. I don’t think I deserve the kindness you both give me on some days.”

“ Nonsense, Yuri. You’ve been great.” She grinned. “ So about Heathcliff.”

“ He worries a lot about Catherine.” Yuri told her. “ Catherine seems smitten with your brother though.”

“ So you’re telling me there’s a chance.” Isabella smirked. “ Hey. What kind of tea does he like? I want to talk with him alone but I don’t want to make a bad first impression.”

“ I’ll ask Ryoshu for you.” Yuri smiled. “ You’re a nice woman, Miss. Any man would be lucky to have you. You’ve just got to make the first move.”

“ You’re right. Thanks Yuri. I promise to let you know how it goes. Oh, but get me the tea first. Then we can start scheming.”

“ Scheming almost makes it sound illicit, miss."

" Ah yes. All part of my plans for overtaking T Corp and maybe actually making it something other than drab and boring." Isabella smirked. " Well, maybe that can come later."

" Ha ha. If it's you, miss, you could probably do it if you put your mind too it. However first, it’s almost time for your lesson.” Isabella sighed.

“ Yeah. I guess it is.” She stood up and grabbed the bow and quiver from the side of her room. “ Father said a lady needs to know how to defend herself. But I think Heathcliff will protect me, don’t you think?”

“ He won’t be by your side at every hour of the day.”

“ Yeah. You’re right. Well, that’s fine. Those backstreet rats won’t know what hit them. Later Yuri.” Yuri waved to Isabella as she ran out the room laughing a little to herself. She was such a kind soul that one. In the years that followed, she’d regret giving her that advice. But it was too late to take back words. When Gregor went hunting, she was by his side, ready to clean up any mess he may have to face. It was too late to bring the dead back. So she’d work to avenge her and keep Gregor safe. After all, it was what Isabella would have wanted.

Chapter Text

Heathcliff and I aren’t actually all that different. Born in the backstreets, moved to a nest, left that nest to prove something and then turned into a monster when confronted with our failures. Wuthering Heights is not a place I’m likely to forget any time soon. Everyone there just seemed like life itself despised them. Happiness does not exist in those walls. Hope whoever takes it next can change that but seeing what the rest of T Corp is like, I’m not confident. I’m honestly just happy to see the back of this place. Hope wherever we end up next is a lot easier on the emotions. Being depressed is… exhausting. Signing off.

*********************************

Distortion 6. Hindley Earnshaw. Yi Sang dubbed him the Reaved Lamenter which I like so that’s his name now. Admittedly, I feel like I’m missing a lot of context with judging Hindley. He’s even louder and angrier than Heathcliff which is an achievement. Apparently, he once owned Wuthering Heights but lost it to #]%^£}/* and Linton in a game of cards. He also despises Heathcliff and blames him for everything after their father brought him home instead of a violin. If nothing else, he holds a grudge. I’d have gotten over that years ago. Then again, I wasn’t so rich to live in a mansion so I guess this is something only rich people get? I guess I can ask Hong Lu later.

The Reaved Lamenter is something I can only describe as a werewolf. We were lucky enough never to get the Big and will be Bad Wolf in our facility but we did once get an Aberration that was someone in a red cloak who transformed into a wolf when they breached. In essence, Hindley fought the same. Avoid the claws and fangs, try to out wit it’s speed and ferociousness and stab it in the back where it’s claws can’t reach. The only difference is that Hindley tended to go after Heathcliff and he didn’t have that mind rattling howl that made the weaker minded employees run in terror. It’s sad that Hindley quickly became a footnote though. Overshadowed by Heathcliff even in death. Signing off.

**********************************

Distortion 7. Heathcliff the Heartbroken. Matt’s words really affected Heathcliff. He believed he was the reason why #]%^£}/* was miserable or dead in every mirror world because of himself. It must have resonated hard because it caused Heathcliff to distort. He turned into a large wolf covered in barbed wire and chains. A body was tied to his tail and protecting it seemed like his goal. When it was broken, the wolf lost its will to fight. Until then though, it tore through us ruthlessly, like a guard dog protecting its master. I guess losing #]%^£}/* was just that hard on him.

Seeing Heathcliff distort is kind of worrying actually. I mean, I corroded thanks to Abby. I get that. But that was caused by Thunderbird overcoming me in a moment of weakness and it was something I was able to somewhat control, even if it was in a state of absolute despair. This is the first time that one of us has actually fully lost themselves to their own grief and transformed. We’ve seen it from other people. I guess I thought we’d be safe from that. I guess I shouldn’t have been so hopeful. It does make me worry about the others though. There are those of us who have overcome our pasts and are working on our traumas. Yi Sang, Ishmael, me to some extent. But the others… I guess I’m worried they’d also end up here some day. I just hope I’m wrong. Signing off.

***********************************

Erlkonig, leader of the Wild… Ruler of the Storm. He’s an alternate form of Heathcliff and I’m going to call him Matt because Erlkonig is a mouthful. Matt certainly had a few screws loose. He lost someone close to him and came to the conclusion that all versions of his loved one suffer because of Heathcliff so he has to go and kill every single Heathcliff so she can be happy. Not sure I get all of that but our Heathcliff seemed to get it. Something about doing whatever you have to in order to save someone, make sure they’re happy and protected. Reminds me of Alex. It always hurt to see her in pain but it always made me happy when she’d come visit me in Information and just chat. Uh. Wait. That makes it sound like… Ah! I-It wasn’t like that! I swear! She and I were… Ah… G-Getting back on topic!

I think Matt is the only enemy we’ve killed twice so far, the abnormalities and things in the Mirror Dungeon not counting of course. Once when he was in the basement. Then Linton revived him, or resummoned him from his Mirror World is probably more accurate, and then again on the rooftop of Wuthering Heights. He led an army of the dead, phantoms of Hindley, Linton and one of the head maids along with the peccatula. Those who died within the manor apparently from every world he’d visited. In the end, he was trying to do so for someone's sake but… who’s sake was that? For some reason, the notes I wrote in the manor glitched and it’s like… I dunno. Like my memory is blanking out on certain parts. Like it’s there but my body is just refusing to remember. Was it that Catherine person Heathcliff mentioned? It’s strange. Usually my memory is better for these sorts of things. Signing off.

Chapter Text

When the glitching doors returned as Walpurgisnacht rang out again, a set of sinners remained behind. Heathcliff had been busy with something in his room. Hong Lu had decided to sit the battle out, deciding he wanted to rest a little bit more. The strangest case was Don who, in a rare moment of her not being hyper, decided she wasn’t feeling up to it either. Then there was Yuri. She decided to use this time to catch up on updating the notes of opponents they’d fought. With another mirror dungeon to explore as well, she figured they’d be needed.

She came out of her room after a few hours to get some air. Looking around, she noticed the others were still inside that place. She hoped they weren’t having too many problems. The bus was empty as she entered it. It seems Charon and Vergilius were either out or in their own rooms. That was when she spotted a familiar looking blond huddled into one of the seats. “ Don?”

“ Huh?!” Don sat up, startled. “ O-Oh. Dame Yuri. You, erm, you startled me.”

“ You alright?”

“ Quite.” She nodded. “ Nothing to be of concern here.”

“ Sure.” Yuri hummed. “ But… if there were something wrong with you in some mirror world, what would it be?” Don cringed at that.

“ I cannot hide my feelings from you, hmm?” She sighed. “ It was… Well, I was simply thinking as of late. Half of our number have had… glorious ventures around specific Golden Boughs. Gregor, Rodion, Sinclair, Yi Sang, Ishmael, yourself and Heathcliff. I was… well, I could not help myself but think…”

“ You’re worried what will happen when it’s your turn.” Don nodded sheepishly. “ Are you scared of your past?”

“ I… do not look back upon certain things favourably, I shall admit. B-But still. We are a fair ways off my homeland. I have some concerns for the sake of my comrades. We are paladins of justice so I’m sure we shall emerge victorious, no matter what turmoil we shall face!”

“ That’s the spirit.” Yuri smiled. It was odd seeing Don so serious. She was used to her bouncing off the walls, proclaiming justice from the rooftops of every district they arrived at. She wondered how much of that was real and how much of that was her hiding her feelings behind a jolly façade.

“ All I can say is that I feel better for it.” Yuri admitted.

“ Aye.” The two looked up to see Heathcliff standing in the entryway to the hall of doors. “ It does help you get your head on straight. Focus on what’s important.” Yuri’s eyes fell on Heathcliff’s bat.

“ What happened to that?” She asked.

“ Hmm? Oh.” He raised it. The word on the bat had changed. Where before it had stated Revenge it now said a different word. Remember. “ I wrote that word back when I first got this thing when I was working for Matthew. It was to remind me what my goal was. Build strength, return to the manor and deal with those rich buggers who tormented me. But now? I have no need for revenge. But I can’t let myself forget Cathy. So, while Clockhead and the others are faffing around in that glowy place, I thought I’d spruce the old gal up. It’s… my new goal.”

“ Tis a very noble thing, Sir Heathcliff.” Don said, her usual bright smile back.

“ Where do you think we’re going next?” Yuri asked. Heathcliff hummed, staring out the window at the colourless backstreets.

“ Dunno.” He admitted. “ I may have been born here but I spent my life in the nest, either with Cathy or with the Dead Rabbits. I passed through here on my way out but I didn’t stay long. Though, from the directions we’ve been taking… Hmm… Back to U Corp maybe?”

“ We didn’t do much in the actual backstreets there. Still, wouldn’t you have thought we’d gotten that bough before we headed for the great lake?”

“ Dunno. Maybe they just found a new one.” Heathcliff shrugged.

“ Unless we’re heading for a WARP train depot. We could theoretically go anywhere in that case.” Don shuddered. “ You alright?”

“ H-Hmm! Oh. V-Verily. Ha ha ha.” Yuri hummed.

“ Well, there’s no way to get a bus onto a train anyway. Maybe we’ll just pass through a familiar district to get somewhere new. It’s hard to predict where we’re going.”

“ Ha. Especially with the driver we have.” Heathcliff smirked.

“ I have tried teaching her to use a map. Charon’s nothing if not stubborn.”

“ That’s a bloody understatement.”

“ Oh, is this where we’re all meeting?” Hong Lu asked, stepping into the bus. “ What are we discussing?”

“ Just wondering where our next destination will be?” Yuri told him.

“ I’m gonna go under the assumption one of you lot can guess. Probably a place you know.”

“ Not necessarily.” Hong Lu told them. “ At this point, it’s actually still more likely for the Bough to be in a place we’ve never gone too. Only Sinclair, Ishmael and Heathcliff had to return to a place of origin, after all.”

“ He’s got a point.” Yuri admitted. “ But people related to them still seemed to gather there. It does seem strangely coincidental that Hopkins showed up in District 19 or Dongrang ended up working in K Corp, the same place Dongbaek ended up targeting just as we showed up.”

“ You think this shit is timed to our arrival or some shit?”

“ I don’t know.” Yuri admitted. “ It’s almost like… some kind of script.”

“ I wonder if N Corp and Limbus Company are connected in some way.” Hong Lu mused. “ I always did wonder how my brother ended up working with them.”

“ Those bastards were involved in Cathy’s plan. They had to have been the ones to give Nelly the mirror too.” Heathcliff growled. “ Argh. Just what are they planning?”

“ If this is planned, what does that mean for us?” The others looked over. Yuri was surprised Don was the one asking that. Noticing, she scrambled to save face. “ Ah. I-I was merely thinking that if this n-noble mission of ours has a purpose, what could it be?”

“ You were all approached and signed a contract right? You don’t know what’s going on?” Yuri asked. The others nodded.

“ From the sounds of what Vergil was saying under the manor, he’s in the same boat too.” Heathcliff said.

“ The only one who may be different is Faust. I always thought she was in a different spot to us. Like how my mother would boss everyone around before dinner to make sure we were tidy.”

“ It’s… a lot different than that. But ya make a good point. What is that woman not telling us?”

“ Hmm.” Yuri folded her arms and thought. She was an outsider to this situation. She was only on the bus and alive because of Dante and the others. She didn’t sign a contract either. Even still, she was still the target of a golden bough. If there was a script, it had changed to accommodate her. N Corp was there as well that day. If they had predicted it, did that mean they hired Hopkins solely because of her? It was a scary thing to think about. She knew from her time at L Corp the lengths the wings would go to fulfil their goals. Even knowing that though, to go as far as making sure proper pieces were at play just so to combat the Sinners was insane. To have that knowledge on them and act accordingly even before they themselves had known of the threat they were facing. Who was behind them? Why were they doing this? She sighed.

“ We won’t know and they won’t tell us.” Yuri said bluntly. “ That’s just how this city treats its people. We can only work and hope we’ll maybe hear the truth one day.”

“ That is unjust!”

“ That is life.” Yuri shrugged. “ If you don’t like it, pester Faust when she gets back.”

“ Maybe I shall!”

“ Heh. Gremlin vs brick wall.” Heathcliff smirked.

“ I am no Gremlin, sir Heathcliff!”

“ I have to agree. I’d more compare her too… hmm… What was that strange glowing abnormality we ran into in the Mirror Dungeons called?” Hong Lu asked.

“ Sunset Wayfarer you mean?” Yuri smirked. “ I can see it. I think the sheep’s more accurate though.”

“ Daaaaame Yuuuriiii.” Don winged. Yuri just laughed. And just like that, everything was back to normal.

Chapter Text

Yuri stared up at the clocktower, tapping her finger rhythmically on her arm. After spending a couple of hours in jail, she needed the air. She didn’t expect tax evasion to be what their first arrest was for. She was certain Don or Ryoshu would attack the wrong person like the incident back in K Corp but without the luck of Vergilius stepping in to wave the charges. Rodya, Hong Lu and Ryoshu sounded like they had a fun adventure in the meantime. At least Gregor had the foresight to keep a deck of cards in his jacket pocket for a time like this. She didn’t win a single game but it beat sitting around and waiting for Dante to get back.

“ I’ve decided.” She said, earning a few eyes. “ I hate this place. It’s so… dystopian. The rest of the City is bad, don’t get me wrong. But this place? It just… It hurts to think about how it runs.”

“ Why the hell do you think I left?” Heathcliff huffed. “ When I was with the Rabbits, I was working with ten hours in a single day. Was nearly impossible to live like that. Can’t imagine what the poor buggers in the factory running on minimum time live like.”

“ I believe our assistant said that the factory owner had 52 hours in a day.” Hong Lu remarked. “ That’s one for every card in a deck. Ha ha ha.”

“ Rich people always tend to have more than what they need.” Ishmael shrugged. “ I’m not surprised that it includes time.”

“ Ugh. I know.” Yuri sighed. “ Though I suppose he’d probably argue that time is money or something like that.” For everything that L Corp had put her through, her life outside the facility had been pretty nice all things considered. OK, it was the backstreets of District 4. It wasn’t a life of luxury many would think an employee of a corporation would live. But it was nice. She and her colleagues would meet up in a local coffee shop on their days off or take a walk in the woods, looking at the old ruins that nature had reclaimed. She had to keep a weapon on her for if some down on their luck thugs tried something but they were nothing compared to an escaped abnormality. She could and had in the past beat some of them off with a sturdy enough stick. District 4 had its own set of issues, like the fact the trees grew way too fast and seemed to eat parts of the backstreets or that the area she lived in became pretty run down after L Corp collapsed, but it was nothing compared to this. “ I’m never coming back here if I can help it.”

“ Nothing for us anymore anyway.” Heathcliff shrugged. “ Say, Rodya. Don’t your pals live here? Don’t want to say anything to ‘em before we head off.”

“ Huh? Oh. The Yurodivy.” Rodya gave a strained smile. “ Well, I’m not… really friends with them. Not here at least. Still, it’s… nice to hear Sonya is making waves. I’m glad he’s making changes.”

“ I still think it sounds like a pipe dream to me.” Heathcliff said. “ The City is too big and too full of assholes to form some unified front of peace and love.”

“ Well, it’s like I said back in the casino. It’s what Sonya believes. And he’s really dedicated to the cause. Far more dedicated than I realised. Heh heh… heh…” She sighed.

“ Are you alright, Rodya?” Yuri asked.

“ Who? Me? Yeah. Totally.” She said unconvincingly. “ Just… this whole thing about wasting time got to me is all. I mean, Sonya’s so busy with his goal he’s gotten called the people’s saint. Meanwhile, here I am just rolling with whatever comes. I envy you guys, y’know? Being able to face yourselves like you did. Back then, I just ran away from my past mistakes. Pretty pathetic, right?”

“ Don’t be so down on yourself, Rodya.” Gregor said. “ It’s not like you were the only one who couldn’t do that. We fucked up our first mission all because I couldn’t stand up to my mother. You’re not the only one who regrets their past mistakes, y’know?”

“ Yeah. I know. It’s just… seeing all this change that Sonya’s made in my absence. Feels like I was holding him back. Now I’m gone, he’s been doing great things. Things that are changing the city, just like he always said he would. If things keep going the way they’re going, then he really could create a new society where people don’t have to suffer. Maybe it’ll just be one district or maybe the backstreets of one but I can see it happening. It’s incredible. And… just a little disheartening.” She gave a small, downhearted laugh. “ If anyone’s guilty of wasting time, it’s me.”

“ What? Like wasting time wallowing in self pity instead of going to see your parents?” Yuri asked her. “ Trust me. I think we’ve all done plenty of time wasting. There’s a lot of moments I would do differently if I could turn back the clock.” Some of the Sinners glanced away at Yuri’s reassuring words. “ But we can’t. If there’s something we regret, all we can do is try to change it with our future actions.” Rodya stared at her for a moment before laughing.

“ Hey, when’d you become so good at inspirational speeches.” Rodya asked with a wink. Yuri blushed heavily.

“ We-Well uh… Alex really liked her pep talks to keep our spirits up so… well, her memory is important to me so I uh…it…um… yeah.” She fidgeted with the sleeve of her coat as she trailed off.

“ You’re right though.”

“ Hmm?”

“ About it being stupid to think about the time I’ve wasted.” She stretched. “ Next time I see Sonya, I’ll have a big talk with him I think. Who knows. Maybe I’ll accept his offer next time.”

“ Doesn’t that mean you’d be leaving though?” Gregor asked.

“ Hmm. I suppose it would.” Rodya frowned. “ Heh. Maybe I’ll convince him to come with us then. That’d be fun.” She grinned. “ We can recruit Heathcliff’s imaginary girlfriend if she eventually come back to life too.”

“ Cathy ain’t imaginary! You tossers just can’t remember her!” Heathcliff huffed. “ But she did say she wanted to see the City someday. Not the worst idea.”

“ So what? We’re just going to start recruiting strays?” Ishmael asked.

“ As the first stray, I think it’s a nice idea.” Yuri smiled.

“ It is also against company policy.” Faust interjected.

“ Aw, don’t be such a killjoy, Faust. Come on Dante, what do you think? Be a bit more lively with a full bus, don’t you think?” Rodya put an arm over the manager’s shoulders.

“ I’m not sure how many people I can actually link to at one time.” Dante admitted. “ Still, I guess I’m not against it.”

“ Ha ha. Manager’s approval.” Rodya grinned from ear to ear. “ Well, no time to rest then. Let’s get back to the bus. We’ve got a city full of candidates to sort through.”

Chapter Text

T Corp is probably my least favourite place we’ve been so far. It’s dark, wet and the only colour is gray. When Yi Sang talked about colour being a commodity in T Corp, I thought he was joking or only talking about the backstreets but it’s like that here in the nest too. They even have a minimum time someone can have in a day, like it’s a wage or something. It’s not just the conditions people live in but the atmosphere too. No colour, the sky is filled with smog and clouds and everything just feels so… dead. I can see why Heathcliff wouldn’t want to come back here. After everything’s said and done, I hope I never have to. I’d rather sail the Great Lake again then suffocate in this hell. Signing off.

*********************************

Abnormality F-04-83. Code name: Fairy Festival. This is a classic one though I don’t remember it being this big when it came to our facility. This is another one that was there when I was a new hire. We actually lost one of the people I was training with mid training to this one. Can’t remember his name but he visited was so enamoured by the festival he went in without permission and some fairies followed him out when he was tasked with working with another abnormality. He made to go in and that’s when the fairies attacked him. They tore him apart in seconds. I gained access to the files when I joined the information. Apparently, the cutesy appearance is a disguise it uses to be able to attract prey. When it senses another predator may kill its chosen target however, it strikes before anyone else gets a chance, devouring the target.

There was no disguise during Walpurgisnacht. It wasn’t really there long enough for me to see it’s true form but they’re really gross. Like balls of flesh with teeth serving its “queen”, a weird looking, huge fleshy thing with lanky claws. The thing will even eat the smaller fairies if it’s hungry even mid fight. Well, perhaps fight for them isn’t accurate. Mid hunt is probably the correct idea. It’s weird to think but I think this might be the most animalistic abnormality I’ve seen so far, even among the actual animal-like abnormalities we’ve fought like the Crawling Inquisitors or the Watchdog. They don’t just attack. They have a hierarchy. They hunt with purpose. They act on a survival instinct you don’t see often in abnormalities. It’s… weird. Then again, when did abnormalities make sense anyway? Signing off.

**********************************

Distortion 8: The Time Ripper. All I have about how this guy operated is from Rodya, Hong Lu and Ryoshu so I’m not entirely sure how accurate it is but apparently they could steal the time from other people. They ripped it from their body, usually leaving them a glitching, temporal anomaly all for the crime of wasting time. I suppose in a place like T Corp such a thing probably would be frowned upon. If you have time to waste when others are living on 4 hours a day, you’re probably insulting someone. Even still, punishing someone for enjoying some free time sounds a little cruel.

In reality, one body was multiple brains each with their own personality traits. It’s weird since it was definitely just one guy who distorted, not a group distorting together which, according to Faust, can actually happen. Maybe it’s just his different personality traits manifesting themselves? I don’t know. Apparently, thanks to Dante’s time tax evasion, we’re immune to the abnormality’s effects and when they were on the back foot, the different brains started fighting. Teamwork is important to every role. I learned that in L Corp. You didn’t play your part then you and others could die. As a sinner, it’s very much the same. I feel bad for them, honestly. They lost someone important and couldn’t handle the strain. There are many other people in the city like that as well. Not everyone has the support I had to move on. Ah! I’m rambling again, aren’t I? Uh. Signing off.

Chapter Text

Yuri put a stick of gum in her mouth and began chewing. It helped to calm her nerves before a major operation like this. The bus with the Sinners in it was finishing up their mission up in K Corp. Something about a village that made prosthetics. The white haired woman with highlights was connected with it in some way. Either way, another section of the LCCB had been wiped out checking it out. N Corp got in the way. Go figure.

Another section was checking out the ruins of L Corp in the lake. Another of the Sinners was a former captain of some sort. Ship had been destroyed by a whale. She was the only woman out. She’d boarded another vessel to hunt it down but the whale killed them too. Seems the upper brass was trying to give her a third attempt, or at least hope her hatred of the waves made the Bough trigger. Wasn’t her place to ask and she’d rather stick to dry land than go out there.

Their mission wasn’t quite so dangerous on paper. Then again, it never was on paper. The last mission they had was to check out an old L Corp facility in District 4. Chose her team due to the fact she was the most familiar with L Corp as a whole. She lost half they got tangled up in the vines of the Ebony Queen’s Apple or became servants of My Form Emptiness. The idiots wouldn’t listen. Of course, she was the one who had to deal with the losses. All the paperwork about losing team members on top of normal reports and possible provisions the Sinners may need. She didn’t need the stress. She chewed faster just thinking about it.

She was a former agent of L Corp from a branch in her parents nest, M Corp. Not as glamorous as she’d liked it to be. She got stressed out far too easily by that place. There was a specific abnormality that just randomly screamed when someone did too poorly on a job. Didn’t matter where you were in the facility, you could hear it. Loud, sharp and maddening. She despised the Wall Gazer. She attributed her problems with stress with it. After the collapse, it was hard to find a place so she worked as a delivery girl for her parents' workshop. Then an older woman approached her, tired eyes and dark hair, asking for her and asking if she wanted a job in a new company.

She never expected to be here, looking out at an old amusement park. The place looked like it hadn’t been used in years and yet there was reports of a Bough nearby. Here, of all places? She just sighed. It was probably tied to one of the sinners in some way. One of them used to be a rodeo clown or something? She didn’t really care. A mission was a mission. She just had to focus on that and keep on going.

“ What’s the call then, boss?” Rodya asked.

“ I’ll leave breaching for you. Head around the western side. I’ll take Ishmael’s team and see what’s around.”

“ Alright.” Rodya nodded. “ You ever get jealous of the Bus team?”

“ I’m sure it’s no luxury. They have to do the hard part after all.”

“ How hard can it be when you can’t die?” Rodya huffed.

“ One of your friends is with them, right? Sonya?”

“ Yeah but we haven’t talked in a while. At least I know he’s not dead.” She sighed. “ Well, apparently one of the guys on the bus figured out how to look into other realities somehow. Think in another world we could be sitting there?”

“ Ha ha. Probably.” Yuri smiled before blowing a bubble from her gum. “ Welp. That line can come later. Our team is climbing pretty quick. We’ll probably not have to worry about comfort again soon enough.”

“ Ah, now isn’t that the dream.” Rodya sighed. “ But first, work.”

“ Yeah. Work.” Yuri chewed faster as she reached for her radio. “ All teams. Commence the operation.”

Chapter Text

The Fourth Railroad was a strange experience. She’d gotten used to the appearance of fake copies of people like Jun and Nelly, just past memories brought back to haunt them, and the appearance of new Abnormalities was just another part of her role in Limbus Company. The strange part was the new Peccatula. The Peccatula they were used to were, according to Faust, the result of the distortion phenomena but no-one really knew yet if they were a by product of people distorting, a result of a powerful emotion or actual people who didn’t have a strong enough will to distort properly. The Envy Peccatula were the same and yet different. They were creatures much like the others. That became obvious when they died. However, until they died, they looked like them. Not just them but the IDs they could become.

The first sign something majorly wrong became apparent is when the subway they were taking stopped at a familiar spot. A burning manor. Sinclair’s burning manor from K Corp remade along the Railway. Sinclair’s body tensed as they got off but he kept walking. They’d seen this sight time and again when fighting the Inquisitors in the Mirror Dungeon. What they hadn’t seen was the shades in front of the manor. Rodya gasped as she recognised them. “ Isn’t that…”

“ The N Corp IDs.” Ishmael mused. “ I thought they were just copying us but it’s been a while since any of us used them.” Yuri’s eyes followed along the wall of bodies. They weren’t alone, of course. Just as the Sinner’s weren’t when they took to the front line. In the flames of the manor, they could see others in the backline. But it was the Seven N Corp IDs that took the front. Faust, dressed as Kromer had been, Meursault, that world’s Guido, the three soldiers, Don, Rodya and Meursault, and lastly, dressed in the white cloak of the Justicar, was Yuri herself. They looked as though they were made of shadows. In a sense, they weren’t so different from the Feathers that Yuri’s Corrosion had summoned back in District 19.

“ The heretics have arrived.” Faust declared, voice warped. “ It’s time to purge them.”

“ Yes, Lady Faust.” The other Yuri said enthusiastically. 

“ Kleinhammer. Mitelhammers. Begin.” Meursault commanded. Don, Heathcliff and Rodya immediately charged, hammers swinging.

“ Why did they have to copy N Corp?” Sinclair lamented. “ Of all the IDs, I really didn’t want to see myself as… that.” Yuri glanced over at the One Who Shall Grip. Yuri knew just how much Sinclair despised being that ID. It was the worst version of himself. A version of himself that gave into how much he hated his family’s augmentations and wanted to purge them. One that gave in to Kromer’s will. In that sense, it was like her feelings towards her Corroded EGO or Ishmael’s towards the Captain. Out of respect, Dante never ordered them to use those IDs when IDs were needed, sticking with safer ones. Sinclair’s Blade Lineage, Ishamel’s R Corp or her own ID as a leader of her old office. Even if those IDs were more powerful, Dante was kind.

They powered through the templars of N Corp and made it too another rest area after clearing through the Blade Lineage as well, Meursault’s dreaded blade techniques tearing those who went after him alone apart. “ According to the line, we’re about half way through.” Outis told them.

“ What’s next?” Heathcliff huffed. “ Shi? R Corp?”

“ God, it better not be R Corp.” Yuri said. “ The Rabbits are a nightmare. They can tear abnormalities apart in seconds.”

“ They came to L Corp?” Ishamael asked.

“ We had a contract. Any time management believed we couldn’t handle something, they could lock the department down and bring in the Rabbits. Cost them a heavy fee of energy for it but it got the job done. It only happened twice my entire time there though.”

“ I don’t think we have to worry about that.” Dante admitted. “ It may be hard to tell since you guys are the ones who use the IDs but they’ve only been using ones we’ve used in the past.”

“ Great. So the memory abnormality controlling the Mirror Dungeon is copying our memories of the IDs and projecting them onto the Envy Peccatula.” Heathcliff huffed.

“ Or maybe it’s something they can do themselves?” Rodya frowned. “ It’s weird they’re always in groups of 13 though. Just like we are.”

“ Envy does generally mean wanting something someone else has. Maybe they’re envious of everything we have so they take it for themselves, making themselves us.” Yuri reasoned. “ Am I close, Faust?”

“ You are.” Faust nodded. “ The Peccatula are made from the highest form of emotion of the person who made them. In a sense, they are consumed by Sin. These are the same. They are Envy in a sense.”

“ Welp. Enough theorising about these things. If they can be clobbered, let’s clobber ‘em.” Heathcliff grinned. “ Ready, Dante?”

“ When everyone else is.” Dante ticked. When they got back on the train, they got off in a place that made Yuri shudder. Her L Corp, the Ebony Queen’s vines crawling up the walls. In the distance, she heard the mournful crowing of a bird, lighting crackling. There she was amongst the crowd of the Envious. The worst version of herself. She grit her teeth and drew her sword.

“ Let’s get this over with.”

Chapter Text

“ So, the client wishes to get out of a contract. Hmm. It says here that trying to breach the contract earlier would mean… Ah, but this part here might be… No, that wouldn’t make sense… Maybe then it’s to do with this section here?” Yuri mumbled as she thumbed through a contract. Other people around the office gave her an annoyed look. She always did this when she was having trouble thinking and it irritated her colleagues to know end. If she wasn’t so good at her job then she would have been out on her ass ages ago. Unfortunately for them, Yuri happened to be the most meticulous person in the office. No-one knew a contract better than she did. Sadly for that talent, this was the result.

“ What’s the job?” One of her seniors asked, snapping Yuri back to reality.

“ Huh? Oh?!” Yuri sat up. “ It’s a patent conflict. The client believes he’s being scammed by the guy who leased it to him. High price. Faulty product.”

“ Hmm. That’s a familiar problem. Who’s the client hired by?”

“ Faris Industries. Why?” Her co-worker sighed.

“ Yeah. That’s what I was worried about.” Heathcliff sat down in a chair next to her desk. “ Fuckers keep people involved in trap contracts. It’s the reason we keep trying to tell folks not to sign contracts without going through a contract office first.”

“ So they’re fraudsters?”

“ Nope. Fraud is illegal and nothing they do can be charged. All they do is make their mark sign an unfair contract, hiding all the clauses that benefit them deep in the fine print. I’d still call ‘em con artists though.” Yuri went silent for a few moments as she took the information in. It seemed like this job was doomed to fail for her client. Unless, of course…

“ So they’re defrauding us?”

“ Huh? How’d you end up there?”

“ They’re making false contracts.” Yuri reasoned. “ The clients that we’re getting to go over their contracts signed them on the belief they’d be getting a product that they weren’t delivered. As such, it’s false advertising. Because the product they were sold wasn’t delivered, the contracts made by Faris Industries are therefore null and void. Under subsection 38 article 7b of the Oufi associations official regulations, this means a full refund to all parties involved with the industry.”

“ Unless they can prove the items they delivered were what was written in the contract.”

“ That requires submitting their product to the Tres association for a formal investigation.” Yuri smirked. “ They know what they’ve been giving out is a bunch of crap though. Their only options would be to give in to our demands and get sanctioned by the Tres or refund the offices they trapped in a bad contract. Either way, they’ll go bankrupt. The problem solves itself.”

“ That’s fucking evil.” Heathcliff grinned. “ Well. What are you waiting for? Bury ‘em.”

“ Then I’ll send a report to the higher ups.” Yuri stretched as she stood up, grabbing her Halberd from where it rested on the side of her desk. “ Now I just need to figure out how to send the letter. Perhaps flattery will get me more in their favour? Hmm. Perhaps I should just be matter of fact. Oh. Or I could… hmm… no, that wouldn’t work…” Heathcliff shook his head as Yuri wandered off muttering to herself. She was a sharp lass. Shame about her annoying habits.

Chapter Text

After months of asking, they’re finally giving me a proper code for the Distortions. I’m sure it’s just going to be a power scaling like TETH or WAW and I’m still going to be calling them stuff like “Distortion 117: Toaster of the End Times” but at least it’ll be something to help with my notes. Other than that, another Railroad down is another four enemy types that Memory ALEPH can use against us whenever we go train. Someday, we’re going to face that thing and, if the Envy Peccatula proved anything, we’re not ready. One of them became that damn bird ID we found I have. The one who never left District 4 and ended up corroded and wandering the woods. I hate Hopkins for everything he’s done but at least he saved me from that fate. So, dead as he is, I guess I owe him something. Signing off.

**************************************

I guess I should talk about the Envy Peccatula seeing as they were all over the last Railroads. Since they got rid of the codes for the Peccatula, I don’t actually know this one. Then again, not knowing something about the Peccatula is par for the course at this point. This one even hides its shape. The only time I’ve seen it’s actual appearance is after we’ve killed one. Any other time, it appears as a shadowy version of us, similar to what my… other self created. They talk in a distorted tone in what I’m guessing is in line with how they would act in their own world. Faust’s N Corp is still just as insane as ever. Meursault’s Blade Lineage was pretty honourable and wished us a fair fight. The assortment of IDs that fought together actually argued amongst each other while fighting. The Captain tried taking the head of Yi Sang’s Ring ID for disobedience. The only ones who didn’t were the ones under the King in Binds control who were eerily silent.

Faust and I theorised that the reason they want to be us is because they’re beings of pure Envy, much like the other Peccatula. That’s why they can take anything we have. Mainly our IDs and our EGO. They’re odd. They fight as we fight, including as a team. However, they also have to deal with Synergy just as Dante does when awakening the IDs within us. N Corp took orders from Faust while Blade Lineage worked as a cohesive unit. When random IDs were put together, there was a clash in personalities and it harmed them. They also seem to have an odd reaction to IDs. While they’re usually just as talkative as normal IDs are, the linking with an abnormality creates a weird kind of interference. The EGO comes out normally but they emit some weird sound, like a broken motor. I wonder if it’s some kind of link between sin and abnormality. We do have to awaken some kind of Sin energy to use the EGO. Thinking about it, Vergilius called that weird ring of light some people have Sin too. Hmm. I may have to ask Faust about this later. Signing off.

*********************************

Abnormality O-02-20-08. Code name: Portrait of Certain Days. It’s been a while since we’ve run into new abnormalities. It’s actually nice to be back to basics after dealing with so many distortions. The Portrait is a weird one to come back to. It was predictable they’d gotten this along with the other new abnormalities we’d run into on the railroad because Limbus sent some of us new EGO based on them. The portrait is a bit obsessive. It protects a portrait of its old master in some desperate attempt to make sure that their master is never forgotten, showing it to whoever they can. I’m assuming it was once a servant but now it’s just another monster. As for concepts, I’m guessing it’s servitude. Josephine was pretty obsessed with her own master so maybe it’s based on all the Butler Fixer’s devotion just twisted in the usual abnormality way.

The Portrait fights pretty clumsily all things considered. It slams its massive arms around in some attempt to protect what it sees as its master and its manor. The domain of the abnormality is like that. A run down manor with no-one left to serve. It’s kind of depressing actually. Also, familiar. Not being able to let go of the past and the people who’ve left this world behind. Clinging to it and lashing out against anyone who would threaten those memories. I can relate to that. Hmm. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe it’s not servitude or loyalty but denial. Denial that something is gone and can’t be brought back. It tries so hard to make sure it’s master and their manor but, in the end, it’s the last one left to defend those beliefs. Even so, it can’t accept that and fights against whatever inevitable change will or has happened, unable to accept it. Eh heh. I think I may be looking too much into it. Signing off. 

*********************************

Abnormality F-01-20-08. Code name: Dreaming Electric Sheep. Apparently, the F abnormalities are meant to be referencing some kind of story in the city but I don’t understand the reference here. Like, stories about Electric Sheep cannot be true right? Maybe it’s just meant to be a reference to people counting things to go to bed. Some people count sheep but Alex always used to say to count stars instead. Anyway, the sheep seems to have some way to produce electricity endlessly. Maybe it’s meant to be a storm cloud or something? I don’t really know. In case you were wondering what colour the electric sheep we saw was, it was greyish blue.

Defeating the sheep meant forcing it to discharge its electricity into an outlet that was thankfully provided for us. Doing so drained the sheep of its power, putting it into a sleeping state that let us suppress it far easier. In a way, it's manifested in a way similar to the Shock Centipede in that it’s used as a generator against its will. While the Centipede was a machine, the Sheep is at least a cyborg if not just a living elemental and it clearly doesn’t want to be used for what it’s being used for. Where the Centipede used it’s charge to make itself more dangerous, the Sheep seemed to generate electricity uncontrollably, eventually unleashing it as a powerful storm. In a way, I feel bad for it. But mercy isn’t something an abnormality is known to give. Signing off.

***********************************

Abnormality O-01-20-12. Code name: King in Binds. The king of the railroad this time around and it’s this one that makes me think Limbus made a deal with T Corp. The Portrait, the sheep and now the king. They all fit T Corp a little too well. The portrait is a good link to the rich investors' manors with their servant Fixers, like Josephine and Nelly, while the sheep is a good link to the factories and their workers, with both technology and the workers being abused by T Corp’s ways of life. The king is a ruler, lording over others, forcing them to fight for it and only getting involved when its own way of life is threatened. It’s the factory owners. Maybe I’m reading too much into obscure connections but when you do this long enough, you can’t help but see connections form. Even if they aren’t there, I suppose.

The King itself fought by using some of the Envy Peccatula it had bound to its service. After we dealt with our shadows, it then took us on. As it turns out, those binds aren’t quite the chains we thought it was when we first saw it through the cracks of the mirror dungeon. The King can freely stand up and it’s a devastating swordsman. It just can’t stand up for long. Whatever those binds are, they are very adamant about the King remaining seated. I suppose they could be chains of command. Not real chains but ones born from obligation. I remember a small feeling like that when I was working as team leader in L Corp. I wonder if Dante feels the same way. They're a good man. Person. Clock? Either way, I'm just worried we take their power for granted. I suppose we’re the Peccatula to his King in Binds. Bound to their will and fighting for their sake. Though, I wouldn’t call it an obligation. I owe them a lot. They saved my life, gave me a new purpose and a new fam… Hee hee. I’m getting too close to people again, huh Alex? Signing off.

Chapter Text

It wasn’t often that Dante slept, admittedly. It wasn’t that he couldn’t. He just didn’t need to. He spent a lot of his time in his room, writing a journal into the things they’d seen and experienced throughout their journey through the city. There were times he’d take a step outside the parked bus in the middle of the night, looking up at the sky. It always amazed him how every District had its own atmosphere. Some, like K Corp and S Corp had a thriving nightlife. Others, like T Corp, were almost silent other than the ticking of the clocks and the rumbling of the factory's machines. Each part of the city was unique. It was weird how everything was cultivated.

Stepping out into the bus one night however, he noticed four Sinners gathered around a table in the bus. It wasn’t unusual to see, of course. He’d gotten used to coming out early in the morning and seeing someone. Meursault was always up before 5AM for morning exercises before reading the paper. He’d seen Heathcliff up a lot during the night. Ishmael almost always was when they were on the Great Lake. This morning it was Yi Sang, Ryoshu, Rodya and Sinclair, an odd assortment in the day but not during the night. Yi Sang had insomnia, Royshu didn’t like sleeping, Sinclair had chronic nightmares and Rodya’s sleep schedule was the worst of all of them.

“ Manager.” Rodya waved as he walked past them. “ Morning.”

“ It’s 3AM.”

“ Still morning. Come on. Take a seat. The Sweepers are almost here and I’d hate for you to get caught.” Dante nodded, sitting on the opposite side of the aisle from the four.

“ What were you talking about?” He asked.

“ O.O.D.” Ryoshu said.

“ Opinions on…” Dante hesitated.

“ Distortions. And everything else really.” Yi Sang said. “ Would you like to chime in, Manager?”

“ Hmm. Alright. If I can.”

“ Alright. In that case, I believe it was Rodion’s turn.”

“ Ok. Least favourite Abnormality.”

“ M.F.E.” Ryoshu huffed. “ Bastard doesn’t let me cut him without having to go through his stupid minions. The Frog’s second.”

“ I like the frog. He’s cute in his own way.” Sinclair said. “ As for me, probably Ardor Star Moth. I’m not really good with intense heat and the thing is just… fast.”

“ No, I getcha. Too much burning and too angry. I feel you made one wrong move and that’s the whole bus up in smoke. Urgh.” Ryoshu shook her head. “ I don’t like Baba Yaga.”

“ For personal reasons?” Dante asked.

“ Partially. The other part is that we still can’t kill it. I missed not having to worry if it would appear in the Mirror Dungeon. Running is so exhausting.” She groaned. “ What about you, Yi Sang?”

“ Fairy Gentlemen. The stench and slime is unideal.”

“ Oh, that thing is gross.” Rodya agreed. “ He’s a pretty nice guy when not trying to kill us though. You’re up, manager?”

“ Well, I haven’t had the same experiences fighting them. That being said… Hmm… First time we fought the robot under the casino was pretty hard. Though I think the most times I had to rewind in one battle against one was… The bull I think.”

“ Really? The Bull?” Rodya looked surprised.

“ Hmm. I can understand that. Do you recall our first encounter with it on the streets of K Corp’s Nest? It flattened ten of our own in a short manner of time, leading to a brief retreat.”

“ That’s right, Yi Sang. Though our eventual strategy just became rewinding Ishmael since it kept attacking her due to her hair.” Rodya burst out laughing.

“ Oh man. I remember that actually. She’s just become so accepting of it now I forgot. She got so pissed off when it showed back up when we were getting the bough too.” Rodya grinned. “ Alright manager. Your turn.”

“ For what?”

“ Just say something like favourite thing we’ve fought or least favourite person we’ve met.”

“ Hmm. OK. Favourite place we’ve visited.”

“ Oh, easily S Corp.” Rodya said. “ It’s like K Corp but with a good coastline and nice food.”

“ I actually preferred K Corp.” Sinclair said. “ I’d rather stay away from the ocean after…” He shuddered at the memory. Dante realised what he meant. Sinclair had been caught in the spell of one of the mermaids along their journey, after all. Dante had saved him but he had to wonder what he saw while under their thrall.

“ I enjoyed S Corp as well. It had a nice atmosphere. The smell of the sea and the attitude of the people made it ideal.”

 “ J Corp.” Ryoshu smirked. “ It was a fun ride.” Dante turned away, remembering the casino heist.

 “ Fun may be a little much.”

 “ What about you, Dante?” Yi Sang asked.

 “ Me? Hmm. Probably District 4.”

“ Huh? Why?”

“ Cause it’s where we met. All you at first and then Yuri not long after. I’ve known all of you as long as I’ve known myself. Even though it involved us nearly getting killed to those three purple fixers.”

“ Yeah. Not my finest hour.” Rodya chuckled.

“ G.M.A.S.S.” Ryoshu smirked.

“ I’d rather not. We’re definitely stronger. I just don’t think we’re there yet.” Sinclair admitted.

“ What about you, Sinclair?”

“ Hmm. Least favourite person we’ve met. I think you know my answer.”

“ Kromer. Yeah, she was a piece of work.” Rodya nodded.

“ I personally found Caiman distasteful.” Yi Sang said. “ I appreciate her wishing to test us but her attitude was poor.”

“ Caiman was a bit of a bitch, yeah. Hopkins is my answer.”

“ The guy from Yuri’s old work place?” Dante asked. “ I can see that. He did betray us after all. Leaving us to die like that. It was pretty cruel.”

“ Josephine.” Rodya said simply. “ Too… preachy.”

“ About her old master and the manor. I really don’t know how Heathcliff put up with her as a kid.” Rodya shook her head. “ What about you, manager?”

“ Hmm. Alfonso.”

“ Who?” Rodya asked.

“ She was the head of K Corp.” Yi Sang reminded her. “ The one who had our memories erased of their singularity.”

“ I just don’t like how she operated. Using the pain of so many to fuel her singularity rubs me the wrong way. Besides, she was just kind of a pain to deal with.”

“ Hmm? Wait, do you actually remember what we forgot from K Corp?” Dante winced at Rodya’s question.

“ That’s enough games. The Sweepers are here.” The distraction was enough as they watched the black masked entities swarming past the busses window, sweeping up rubbish from T Corp’s nest. The bus shook as the swarmed past.

“ Hope no-one’s time is too low to avoid them.” Rodya said. “ Still can’t believe that’s how this place works.” It was sad, but being here wasn’t going to change that. The sooner they could leave, the better.

Chapter Text

With Wuthering Heights behind them, Dante decided to check up on the Sinners. It wasn’t something he’d done before, admittedly. At least not in an official capacity. He just checked in on people who seemed off during the mission or on the bus. He’d never brought them into his office, if you could even call it that, for a chat. Doing so let him get to know the Sinners in ways he didn’t really have the opportunity to in the past. During these consultations, he’d learned things like how Don thought the very idea of taking her shoes off was inconceivable for some reason, Heathcliff had a diary and Sinclair was surprisingly knowledgeable about both the prosthetics industry and how businesses worked which made sense when he remembered what his father was.

Yuri was the last Sinner he got too which was more due to the ordering of Sinners more due to any desire not to talk with her. After the events in District 19, Yuri was noticeably a lot more at ease and confident in herself. He’d been worried at first admittedly. Yuri wasn’t like the other Sinners after all. She wasn’t gathered by Faust and the rest of Limbus Company like the others. Yuri had joined them because he decided to save her. It meant there was things she lacked as a Sinner. She didn’t start with an EGO other than the weapon she carried, didn’t sign a contract and, as such, didn’t have an end goal. She just seemed happy to belong. Almost desperate to belong. That’s why she offered to write all the notes on the abnormalities. She claimed it’s because she was used to it but Dante figured it out eventually. She wanted to be useful so they wouldn’t get rid of her.

Dante wasn’t actually expecting Yuri to have a Golden Bough that she was tied too. The other Sinners having them made sense. They were collected after all. There must have been a reason for that. Having Yuri actually resonate with a Bough completely changed how he thought the Boughs worked. He assumed there was something special about the Sinners but if Yuri could do it then there was clearly something more. Knowing what she went through helped Dante to understand her more. It also helped her move on. She’d stopped letting her past chain her. She was still haunted but she made friends with those old ghosts and let them help her instead of holding her back.

“ What’s up, Manager?” Yuri asked. “ Anything wrong?”

“ Just wanted to see how everyone was feeling. How’ve you been?”

“ I’d be more worried about Heathcliff personally.”

“ I’ve already talked to him. He’s moving on at his own pace. How about you?”

“ I’m… doing the same.” She admitted. “ It’s a lot easier than it was. I’ve been talking with Emil about it.”

“ Sinclair?” Dante tipped his head to the side. That was a surprise. Sinclair was pretty closed off about what happened in Kalf even all these months later. He’d tried asking about it in their consultation but he’d changed the subject and they ended up talking about his old school and his time there instead.

“ Yeah. I… think it’s because we both know that, no matter how much time passes, we’re never going to get over it. It’s just going to get easier to live with but it’s always going to be there. Alex, Loki, Harriet. They’re not coming back. Emil’s family is the same. He… actually came to me to talk after everything was said and done.”

“ Guess that shows how much he trusts you.”

“ I guess so.” Yuri smiled. “ I’m actually glad about that. I mean, I was just meant to be a guide, y’know? When we met, I didn’t expect this. I actually was angry at you before I got to know you on the ride over to my old workplace.”

“ You were?”

“ Yeah. I hated you could come back from the dead when none of my coworkers could.” Yuri closed her eyes. “ I don’t remember everyone that’s died and part of me for that. You become so accustomed to death in that place faces become a blur. I told myself that it would just hurt to get attached to people but… the Team Leaders were my exception. I didn’t really care about the other agents. Even those in my department I barely knew. It’s not really that we were stronger but more that we outlasted everyone else. Because we outlasted them, we knew how to survive. Because we knew how to survive, that’s why I let myself get close to them. Heh. Not that Alex would have given me a choice anyway. She was… kinda the glue that held us all together. I still think she should have saved herself. She would have gone so much further than a Grade 8 Fixer.” She opened them again. “ Sorry. I… didn’t mean to go on that long.”

“ This is what these meetings are for. I don’t mind. I want to make sure everyone’s alright. You’re bound to me. There’s no changing that. I want to make the most of it. If we’re going to be together, might as well get along right?”

“ One big happy family?” Yuri giggled. “ You know, you remind me a lot about Alex. That was her mindset as well. I wish you’d have been able to meet. You’d have gotten along.”

“ Heh. I’m sure we would have. Well, I’m sure there’s one Mirror Universe where you and her both survived. Maybe we’ll be able to see that world one day.”

“ I… don’t.”

“ Huh?”

“ I’m sure that Yuri is happier but… I don’t want to see it.” Yuri gave a pained smile. “ I think it would hurt too much to know that could have been me.”

“ I’m sorry. I didn’t think-”

“ No. It’s a nice thought. That’s why I don’t want to think it. Because, if we find that world, I also don’t think I’d be strong enough to let it go. Kromer and Nelly were obsessed over what they saw in another Mirror World. I don’t want that to be me.”

“ I won’t let it be you.”

“ Thank you, Dante. I trust you.” She said. “ But, at the same, I don’t think you’d be strong enough to stop me either. My deepest dream is that they survived. That’s why I decided what I did after we emerged from my mind. I’m going to live for them. Because, if I do, it’ll be like they lived too. Because I can tell them a thousand stories when I see them again.”

“ In that case, I suppose we better make this a worthwhile journey. Who knows what insanity we’ll see next.”

“ Ha ha ha. Don’t worry. I’m used to preparing for the unexpected.” Yuri stood up. “ Hey, Dante. If it’s not too much trouble, can we do this again?” If Dante could have smiled, he would have.

“ I’m always happy to help a friend.” Dante promised her. Yuri gave a grateful smile.

“ Then I guess I’ll talk to you some other time. Thanks, Dante.” She gave a slight wave before stepping out of his office. Dante chuckled. He was looking forwards to their next consultation.

Chapter Text

Yuri had heard about what the WARP trains were like from the people who had IDs based around them. Horror stories of ten thousand year long voyages where the passengers couldn’t die and tended to descend into madness, each train a different horror story than the next. From that madness, it only made sense something like the Lost Passenger could be created. Hearing they were going on one had them all pale. Thankfully, they had gotten first class tickets. Of course, that never was the full story.

Something happened and they were awoken. Apparently, the cost of the tickets was dealing with anything bad that happened. Faust would be forced awake, she’d wake the rest of the Sinners, they’d handle the threat and they’d go back to being frozen. If everything went well, they’d be awake for maybe a few hours of the millennium long journey. A fair price for not losing their minds on the way to P Corp.

It didn’t take long for an actual threat to occur either. Three days according to Faust’s estimation. Didn’t take long for them to find the problems either. Passengers, bodies warped with their own blood, their eyes shining red. Despite her usual quick explanations however, Faust was oddly quiet. It was something the others caught on to. They just assumed it may have been that Faust had finally ran into something she didn’t actually know about. After all, who could predict the madness of a WARP train? But Yuri knew what these things were. If she knew, Faust had to. She watched as she talked in a hushed whisper to Dante. “ Interesting to finally meet her.”

“ Huh?” Yuri looked over to Yi Sang. He smirked.

“ Nothing. Just thinking out loud.” That just made Yuri even more confused. Was there something about Faust that she didn’t know? She hummed.

As they continued onwards, they fought more of the blood passengers. As the fight came to a close, Rodya started prodding for details. “ What are these things, Fau?” She asked. “ I’m surprised you haven’t told us yet.”

“ Ah. Of course.” Faust said, sounding unusually strained. “ Well, what do you think they are?” This earned her a few blank stares.

“ Are you saying… you want us to form our own opinion first?” Sinclair asked.

“ Now ain’t the bloody time for a thought experiment.” Heathcliff grumbled. There was a moment of awkward silence as everyone looked at Faust expectantly. She tried not to show it but she was clearly struggling. Yuri cleared her throat.

“ I… actually do recognise these things.” All eyes moved from Faust onto her. “They’re thralls.”

“ Thralls?”

“ Yeah. We had an Abnormality in our facility. One of the most dangerous ones we had actually. Its name was Nosferatu. Thankfully, it got transferred out just under a week before the facility collapsed. If not, I’m sure it would have been down there when we were looking for the bough. If it wasn’t worked with correctly, it would bite the person working on them and turn them… into that.” She gestured at one of the Thralls with her sword.

“ Wait. Are you saying there’s an Abnormality on this train somehow?” Ishmael asked.

“ I doubt that.” Yuri shook her head. “ It was transferred to the Main Facility after all. And we all know what happened to that. I think it’s what it was based on. How many of you have heard of a Bloodfiend?”

“ A what?” Don asked.    

“ Wow. Really. Don hasn’t heard of a mythological creature of intense power.” Gregor teased her. “ Colour me surprised.” The girl pouted.

“ One was killed by the Black Silence, weren’t they?” Sinclair asked. “ I remember hearing about the story when I was still in middle school. It was a Star of the City tier threat. The Blood Red Night. I think it was a few years before the Library emerged.”

“ I remember that story too.” Yuri nodded. “ It was such a major story in District 10 we heard about it. I guess it was the same for you too. Either way, Bloodfiends are creatures that drain the blood from people with a bite and turn them into mindless creatures that only exist to serve them or as blood bags for them to feed on. That’s what we’re dealing with here.”

“ A Bloodfiend.” Faust mused before catching herself. “ Of course. Exactly as Faust theorised. As expected from our note taker.”

“ Wait. Can these Thralls infect us?” Ishmael asked. “ I don’t want this to be a Mermaid situation.”

“ Ours did when they killed another employee. But Sinclair was killed by one earlier and he’s fine so it must be a different situation.” Yuri surmised.

“ Bloodfiends are a creature we know little about, unfortunately.” Faust admitted. “ However, just like everything else, there are stronger and weaker variants of them. We are in luck that this one’s thralls are so weak and unskilled.”

“ Let’s be careful.” Dante said. “ Just because they can’t turn us doesn’t mean they’re going to be easy. We know at least one group of Fixers was on this train. We should go. Don’t want to let the rest of the passengers get in trouble.” The others nodded. As Yuri was going to follow them, she was stopped by a look from Faust.

“ Thank you.” She said before following on. Yuri smiled. She didn’t know what was up with Faust but she knew she was having a hard time. She was her teammate. If she could give him some breathing room, she’d do so. If you couldn’t rely on your friends, who could you rely on after all.

Chapter Text

The Mirror of the Wuthering was the fourth time the Mirror World had become shuffled by Mimir. This time it had thrown parts of Wuthering Heights at them, along with the maids, the Ring and Nelly. Oddly enough though, he didn’t see the other Heathcliff or the Wild Hunt amongst them. As they faced more trials in T Corp however, more things were also there. They suddenly had to deal with the Yurodivy and the Time Ripper. It was annoying that as they got stronger so did the memories that Mimir created.

The abnormalities remained the same however. It started with an act of annoyance. They’d run into the Sign of Roses again. By now, Dante and the others all knew the steps to get the abnormality to like them, passing them a gift. A Crown of Roses which lashed out when enemies approached them, leaving a thorn in their enemies that caused extra pain when it was hit. However, after a particularly annoying run, Heathcliff decided to break script. “ What are you doing?” Ishmael asked him with a sigh.

“ Curious to see what else we can get from this bastard.” He said. He pulled his bat back and swung, smashing the sign with a triumphant smirked. “ There.”

“ You’re just going to annoy it.” Yi Sang said. “ There is little point to your attempt at aggression.”

“ Psh. It’s trapped in there. It’s not it’s gonna- HEY!” Heathcliff felt a tug on his coat. Thorned vines had approached while they were bickering and wrapped around his leg

“ Hmm. So they can still attack even while in this space. How very informative.” Yi Sang mused. “ Yuri, may I ask you write this down for later?”

“ Sure. I’ll add it to the work notes.” Yuri pulled her notepad out, flipping through the pages.

“ Perhaps we should help Heathcliff.” Dante told them.

“ Huh? Oh. I suppose so.” Yi Sang nodded.

This sparked something within Yuri and Yi Sang. Morbid curiosity. They next encountered the Brazen Bull, once again desperately begging for water. “ We’re going to get hit no matter what happens here.” Ishmael said, shield already raised. Yuri and Yi Sang eyed each other.

“ In that case, we should brace for impact and-”

“ Hey Meursault. Drink this.” Yuri tossed the water flask to Meursault. Without a second thought, he drank it.

“ WHY?!” Dante shouted. Before she could answer, the bull was already charging.

“ Hmm. It was as I thought. Taunting the bull does send it into a blind rage.” Yi Sang said, dodging to the side.

“ I was gonna pour it over the actual bull part.” Yuri admitted. “ Your plan worked a lot better.” Dante just got ready for battle, wondering what the two were doing.

When they approached the clam in their next venture into the dungeon, Dante nervously watched the two. “ What do you think? Try and take the pearl?” Yuri asked.

“ Hmm. No. That requires entering its maw. We know that just gets the attempter covered. I would suggest breaking the shell but Sinclair how ineffective that is. Perhaps something involving its legs?” Yi sang reasoned.

“ If you are trying to infuriate the Ambling Pearl, there is a far simpler solution.” Faust told them. The two watched as she pulled a glass vial from her belt. She used it to collect some of the sludge around the clam. Then, she walked over to it, turned the vial upside down and poured it into its mouth. The pearl writhed around as it was forced to taste it’s own produce. 

“ Huh. I thought it would be immune to it.” Yuri admitted, jotting the notes down.

“ Faust knows every outcome.”

“ What are you three doing?!” Dante asked exasperatedly.

“ After Heathcliff showed that the abnormalities can breach containment even in the Mirror Dungeon, Yi Sang and I decided to figure out how to cause it.” Yuri said.

“ Why would you want to do that?” Behind him, Sinclair was struck by the Pearl’s sludge as the others fought.

“ We assumed that, should we know how to anger it, we could stop the others from doing that by accident should we not be available.” Yi Sang said.

“ I approved the project. It helps us further understand these abnormalities, after all and defeating them in such a manor has given us new gifts.” Faust told Dante.

“ So… you three are just going to keep doing this?” Dante asked.

“ Only with the ones we know.” Yuri shrugged. “ And not to Lucy. She’s already been through enough.” Dante sighed.

“ Just… warn me when you’re going to do it next time.” Dante said. He had a feeling they weren’t going to stop even if he asked them two. Letting the researcher trio work was probably for the best right now. He turned back to the battlefield.

“ Help.” Sinclair said, coughing. “ I got some in my mouth. Ack.”

“ Sorry, Emil.” Yuri said, looking guilty about her friend's suffering. Dante shook her head. He should probably prepare for more chaos in the near future.

Chapter Text

Dante breathed a sigh of relief. They’d made it halfway through the Mirror Dungeon now. The Mirror of the Wuthering was the most advanced one yet. Instead of sending them through places they’d been too in the past, now it was segmented and mixed. It was becoming hard to predict and harder to go through. Regardless, after a few runs, Dante picked up a few things. At the end of each floor was a gate. Usually, they could pick up how things would go by the design or the colour of it. Avoid the frozen one since it led to Baba Yaga and it never got less tiring running from it through its waves of familiars. Red gates usually led to enemies who focused on rush down or burn tactics. This one had been purple and crackling, explaining the enemies who used electricity.

They’d just brought down the robot in charge of the floor. The sinners collectively agreed to refer to it as KQE. According to the notes Yuri made on it, the robotic tour guide fought by merging with the wires around the arena, forming them into various shapes, and charging itself using electricity. They’d gotten a lot better at dealing with it in comparison to the first time they’d found it on the first railroad they’d encountered. As part of Yuri, Faust and Yi Sang’s investigation, they invited Heathcliff to type something insulting in the keypad in its containment unit. Predictably, the thing had attacked them.

As the group cooled down from the battle, Dante did a quick head count, noting 10 Sinners before he noticed Yuri and Ishmael staring up at the metal crane that KQE used. He approached them, curious about what they were doing. “ How long do you reckon then?” Ishmael asked.

“ Hmm.” Yuri closed her eyes in thought for a few moments. “ I’m not actually sure. I’d like to say a few minutes but maybe it’ll just stay like that now.”

“ Ha ha. Really?”

“ I mean, KQE did use parts from this place to make it. So long as this place stays, it’s possible that it’ll just stay there too.”

“ But it’s not here every time we come through.”

“ You’re not wrong.” Yuri admitted. “ Maybe the realm returns to its normal state when the abnormality hatches? Or maybe KQE fixes it itself. It does seem to like protecting its town after all.”

“ What are you two talking about?” Dante asked.

“ Oh. Dante.” Yuri turned on her heel, with Ishmael half turning to him. “ We were just talking about the abnormality domains. Most of them aren’t all that complicated but the crane is never there when we come back through here.”    

“ Yuri’s the expert so I was just wondering how long it took for it to go back to normal.”

“ Well, these things are just recreations made by Mimir, right?” Dante reasoned. “The actual abnormality is under the watch of Limbus Company. I’m guessing this place is the same, just like the other things we’ve fought.”

“ Mimir. Hmm.” Yuri hummed.

“ What’s up?”

“ I’m just wondering what Mimir actually controls in the Mirror Dungeon. I know the enemies are that ALEPH’s recreation but I’m just wondering about the other abnormalities in here. I know some of them are from my own facility but the cracks into other abnormality’s domains can’t just be Mimir, right?” Dante shrugged. “ Let me guess. Ask Faust?”

“ Not that she’d tell us anything. Hell, we don’t even know if Mimir is real or just an excuse she made up to explain what this place is.” Ishmael sighed. “ It gets really annoying not knowing things. Not that I’m not used to it.”

“ We don’t need to know everything. Just enough to push us along.” Dante said. “ I think that’s how they’d see it. Though, I will admit. It does feel like we’re being used sometimes.”

“ Like when we have to deal with some nearby Distortion instead of doing our supposed job of collecting those Boughs, right?” Ishmael said.

“ Right.” Dante nodded. “ Well, it’s not something we should change now. We should get going and… oh yeah. I only counted 12 of us. Where’s Heathcliff?” Yuri and Ishmael looked at each other and then back to the crane. Dante followed their gaze. “ Ah.” He’d forgotten about that.

“ LET ME DOWN ALREADY, YOU TOSSERS!” Heathcliff shouted at them, still bound in the wires that made the crane up. 

“ Maybe we should leave him.” Ishmael smirked. “ At least we’d get an answer to our question then, eh Yuri?”

Chapter Text

It’s easy to forget with how used we are to dealing with them but there are things in this city that the general populace would be really disturbed to know exist. Distortions are becoming more common than they used to be but Abnormalities are largely unknown by those outside of old L Corp’s sphere of influence. Even to us though, there are types of creatures that come to mind as peculiar. The Bloodfiends and the Outskirts Creatures. The Bloodfiends live inside the city and are weird creatures that can control blood and live off it. The Outskirts things however are things no-one knows about. Leaving the City usually means never coming back, after all. It’s not an ironclad law by any means but getting in is far harder than getting out without aid from the Head themself. There are a lot of things we still don’t know about living in the City. I’m sure these notes are going to get filled with them as we go. Signing Off.

****************************************

I don’t have a code for this one but his name was Cassetti. He was a Bloodfiend, the first one we’ve ran into on our journey. Then again, not counting Nosferatu, the only other one I’ve ever heard of was the Blood Red Night the Black Silence killed a while back. All I really know from them was from Nosferatu. Even then, Nosferatu seems to be formed more from the legends surrounding the Bloodfiends and less about the Bloodfiends themselves. Compared to that monster, Cassetti was pretty simple. It made thralls like Nosferatu but they couldn’t infect us like Nosferatu’s could. It could control blood but couldn’t transform its entire body into a monster. I suppose it makes sense. Things are always exaggerated in stories.

Cassetti slipped aboard the WARP Train along with us. I doubt he intended for things to go the way they did. He was probably just trying to get to P Corp same as us. If he got as far as he did in life without causing an incident, he probably could have remained hidden for longer. Instead, he took over the train and formed what he called a kingdom. I hope that W Corp really can rewind any conditions. There were kids on board, one who complimented Don. Either way, the regeneration of Cassetti made him impossible to actually put down due to how the WARP trains work. He couldn’t die but neither could we and Dante could heal any injuries. Theoretically, we could have fought him until the WARP train came into the station though I doubt any of us would know why we were even fighting at that point. If all we’d done was fight for a millennia, maybe all we’d know was we had to fight and we’d have killed the clean up crew as well. I wonder what they do in those situations. Either way, he’s dead now. No idea how either. Maybe Charon’s right and Mephi is actually alive and it protected Dante, Don and Faust. Hmm. Maybe I should thank it in some way. I wonder what a bus likes as a gift. I should ask Charon. Signing off.

****************************************

Green Dawn. Don’t have a code for these guys but, at the same time, I feel like I should. The Green Dawn were robots of some kind. At first I thought they were just some kind of abnormality creation but Outis told me they were actually one of the types of war machines that were deployed by L Corp in the Smoke War. Perhaps the new L Corp came to own some and they were taken over by some kind of abnormality? But that would assume an Ordeal is caused by abnormalities but it just doesn’t feel that way. The Ordeals are strange. We never had them in our facility. Here, they just seemed to appear. For them to only appear at the main branch must mean they have some kind of purpose. Maybe it has something to do with why L Corp became the Library or maybe it’s just due to Walpurgisnacht.

Outis called these types of units a Militia unit. Essentially, they made up for the lack of Fixers and other support that L Corp had by employing them en masse to swarm targets. They’re very brittle but there are a lot of them. According to Outis, they came from a Factory unit that produced them. These large mechanical boxes made them from scrap metal and left over materials the corporation didn’t need, recycling them into death machines. They weren’t meant to be hard to deal with but tire the enemies out and pick them off while the more versatile Sentry units did more work with a rivet gun and saw blade. I guess it explains why they were so easy to deal with. I wonder what the Green Noon would be. Perhaps the Sentry? As sad as it is to say, I’m sure we’ll see one day. Signing off.

***************************************

Violet Noon. Again, no code for it but it feels like they should have. We dealt with the Dawn as well but the Noon was the most troublesome foe so I’ll just talk about the whole ordeal here. While the Green Ordeal could be easily identified as old war machines from the Smoke War, no-one has any clue what the Violet Ordeals are. Dawn is a giant blob of flesh that can explode. When it did, the containment units around us blared as if something was going to breach. Strangely though, nothing ever did. Whatever the Walpurgisnacht Facility is, it’s empty. No agents, no clerks and it seems no abnormalities. Just us, the ordeals and the voices of the Sephirah. I wonder if it’s meant to be some kind of memory of the facility rather than the facility itself. But who could have dreamt something like that up? A distortion of a former agent? No, I’m getting off topic.

This is the first time we faced a Noon and it wasn’t all that bad. OK, it killed us all when it first appeared in the Training Department’s main room but that was caused by it falling from a portal. Even those who dodged were taken down by the shockwave. Thankfully, Faust was fast on her feet and saved Dante or that would have been it for us. Other than the fall, it wasn’t that bad. The tentacles were creepy but it was just a giant stone monolith, the words glowing but some foreign language not even Faust could read. Whatever the Violet Ordeals are, they seem to come from another world or maybe the outskirts somewhere. I can’t even begin to speculate what they’re meant to be. I just hope whatever sent them doesn’t decide to give us a visit any time soon. Signing off.

Chapter Text

The way they angered the Fairy Gentleman was by refusing his hospitality, an opposite from the Fairy Long Legs who attacked when they tried to take shelter though that was one they knew from their first encounter with it. At Yuri’s suggestion, Ryoshu knocked away a glass the fat fairy had offered by cutting his hand off. It was beyond what Yuri had asked but it worked all the same. Dante remembered running into the Fairy Gentleman for the first time. It had been attracted and absorbed into the dimension created by the Golden Bough that Dongbaek had stabbed Yi Sang with. How it or the other abnormalities had even gotten there was a mystery. Dante assumed it was being kept by K Corp like the Bull had been, ready to be released to gather more tears if the moment revealed itself. As part of the deal involving erasing the Sinners minds of K Corp’s singularity, the After team had claimed it along with the other abnormalities K Corp had.

“ Where do you think it comes from?” Sinclair asked Yuri after the battle.

“ What? The Gentleman?” She hummed. “ I guess there’s a part of the city or maybe the outskirts that believes that fairies like them exist and they eat people. There’s three abnormalities we know of that follow the theme, after all. The Festival, the Gentleman and Long Legs. Wouldn’t be surprised if there’s some king or queen fairy that’s an ALEPH somewhere out there.”

“ That does seem possible. I wonder where it comes from.”

“ The city calls them fairy tales, right?” Dante chimed in. “ Didn’t you say it’s why part of L Corp’s abnormality coding system is F?”

“ Close. The F meant Folklore I think but those stories would be included. Myths, legends, ghost stories and, of course, fairy tales all fall under the category. Things of unknown origin were O and things that represent aspects of the human psyche were T. There was also a few marked B but uh...  we don't talk about them.”

“ Right. So these fairy things must have come from somewhere.”

“ Faust should know.” Sinclair reasoned. “ If she doesn’t, then it probably comes from the outskirts. We should ask her.”

“ Where is Faust exactly?”

“ Uh.” Dante looked past the two young Sinners at the group of sinners that had gathered near the arena’s center.

“ ROSHINANTE!” Don shouted, cheeks flushed red. “ LETSH FLYYYYYY! HEE HEE HEE!!!” Don was running around in circles, arms in the air and laughing. “ NO GIANT SHALL ESCAPE US!!!!”

“ Get back here, ya damn psychotic gremlin!” Heathcliff shouted, trying to run her down.

“ Come on, Donny. We’ll get ice cream.” Rodya tried. Don wasn’t listening in the slightest. A bit away from them, Faust was lying on the ground.

“ The value of the letter yellow is 4,672. Blue is the best condiment to put on an isosceles triangle. The circumference of the Baba Yaga is Vermillion Cross.” She blathered on, her eyes rolled back in her sockets.

“ Yup. She’s broken again.” Gregor sighed. “ How long does this usually take?”

“ She’ll be back to normal in approximately 24 minutes. Alas, Faust cannot hold her liquor.” Yi Sang lamented. Huddled in a corner was Outis, tears streaming down her face.

“ I miss Penelope.” She whined. “ Polites, when will we reach home?”

“ It’s alright, Ma’am. We’ll be back soon I’m sure.” Outis hugged Hong Lu.

“ You were always my favourite, Polites. I’m sorry I let you die.”

“ You did the best you could, Ma’am.” Hong Lu patted her on the back, letting her cry. It was weird seeing Outis so emotional but apparently that’s what Fairy Wine did to her. Yuri was the same. He remembered her refusing to let go of Sinclair’s hand because she didn’t want Alex to go away. Sinclair was a scared drunk, jumping at shadows. Bizarrely, Ishmael was a happy drunk just like Gregor and Hong Lu. Ryoshu and Heathcliff were violent. Rodya depended on her mood. Meursault and Yi Sang didn’t change all that much. Yi Sang staggered and swayed and his language began far more verbose but Meursault was the strangest of them all and remained exactly the same. Dante wasn’t sure if it was that he had an iron liver or if his emotional state was so stiff even alcohol couldn’t shift it.

“ At least it wasn’t Ryoshu or Heathcliff this time.” Sinclair laughed nervously.

“ Yeah. They’re always a mess.” Yuri admitted. “ I wonder what the manager is like drunk?”

“ I have no mouth.” Dante ticked. “ I can’t get drunk. Sometimes I wish I could though. It would have made the pain of reviving you all so much easier to manage before I got used to it.”

“ Guess we’re just going to have to wait for those answers.”  Yuri sighed. “ Well, there’s always next time. Think we can find some cold water around here?”

“ Careful to check whatever you find.” Dante warned her. “ Don’t want them getting any worse.”

Chapter Text

Jane chewed at the end of the pen as she sat in front of her computer, a number of reports on her screen. A new group had appeared that had taken T Corp by storm. A group of specialists from the new Limbus Company. Jane had been the one in charge of writing the article about the Time Ripper and the heroes that had solved the case. The clock headed person and his comrades had caught her interest after she’d interviewed them. There was the tired looking yet cheerful older woman, Rodion, the rather ditzy seeing young man, Hong Lu, and the enigmatic Ryoshu. Each of them were unique to say the least and that wasn’t including their nine other colleagues or the Red Gaze that oversaw them.

She managed to convince her boss to let her work on an expose about the team. She’d got every source she could reach to put their feelers out and worked backwards. She started by approaching the manor of the Earnshaw family. Mr and Mrs Earnshaw had been prominent investors in various businesses within T Corp in order to earn their fortune. They had two sons. One of them had left the manor in disgrace for an unknown reason. The other had lost himself to alcohol and lost the manor to the Edgar family. Now all members of both families and most of the staff had died in one night. T Corp had barricaded the manor. What truly happened was a mystery. But one fact was certain. The LC-B had been there the night it happened. Heathcliff Earnshaw was a member of the LC-B as well. It was too perfect to be a coincidence. Something happened that night. But what?

Following the facts, she headed to the backstreets of District 19. The bus had been spotted by road cameras coming from there and passing the checkpoint into the nest. Her boss gave her leave to figure out why. She met with a Fixer office Clyde, a friend of hers, had found they interacted with. She found that the Cinq Association had been cleaning up a mess at a local villa that had been owned by a syndicate of the thumb. Talking to the boss of the Fixer office for a little bit of coin, she learned that they were hired by the LC-A, another part of Limbus, in order to be their guides through the backstreets. However, one of their Fixers had taken a liking to the team and followed them there. Whatever happened, the syndicate was wiped out and their Fixer left the office and the district entirely. Another mystery to add to the pile.

With Cinq unwilling to talk, Jane took a ship out to one of U Corp’s floating towns not too far from the port. Upon arriving, she quickly noticed eyes on her. After meeting her stalkers and giving them a handy beatdown with her Baritsu skills, she was brought to meet with their leader. Smee was at least cordial and was happy to accept an information trade for the right price. She explained that the LC-B had been on the Great Lake, hunting for the Pallid Whale. It had been one of the lake's five calamities before it had been reportedly killed by the Indigo Elder. However, one of the members of LC-B had been irrationally focused on finding it, Smee showing off a large scar in her shoulder from where she’d almost been killed by the woman. The LC-B had a hand in the destruction of a calamity of the Great Lake. This story was geting crazier by the district.

Upon returning to land, she headed for K Corp’s nest. One of her contacts, Rani, had managed to get a source for her within K Corp who knew about their exploits within the nest. They met at a restaurant called Bodhisvatta Chicken. Samjo as a nice if coy young man who admitted to owing the LC-B his life and his job. They’d done three things in K Corp. They took out a distortion that threatened the area they were eating at, they had visited a village where prosthetics were famously made and defeated a group of anti-prosthesis thugs that had burned the place to the ground and they had saved his branch of K Corp from a group of anti-technology terrorists. He was her best source yet, giving a detailed account of what happened in the incidents. At the same time, she also knew there was a lot of important details he left out. She understood it. He was a feather, after all. There was a lot he couldn’t say. Still, she was grateful. He paid for her meal and made her promise to tell the LC-B he was doing well if she ever met them personally.

After leaving the white streets of K Corp’s nest, her next stop was one of the casino’s in J Corp’s backstreets. She spoke to the guards about meeting the proprietor and was accepted by a woman with a sombrero and a white coat. Aida was pretty happy to welcome her, mentioning how she actually owed the LC-B a lot in retrospect since she ended up winning everything thanks to them. She’d met Rodion in a poker game for ownership of a certain item buried under the casino. Though she’d lost, they’d ended up taking out the leaders of the two rival gangs for her, one killed and one beaten so badly he was laughed out of power. Despite losing one game of poker, she’d taken over the casino, the three gangs and gained ownership of the vault, all for the cost of the monsters that lived within that she didn’t want anyway. At least someone was profiting from the mess they left behind.

Her final stop was the first place the LC-B were reported to have visited. District 4. She met with members of the lead office in the area, the Shepherd’s Office, to discuss them. The Spark Office were hired by Limbus to help them but one of their bosses had died and the others had left, one with the LC-B. She stood outside the collapsed and gutted L Corp facility. Apparently, other members of Limbus had come in and taken everything inside of it. Now the Shepherd’s took it over and were in the process of converting it to their new base of operations. It was harder to attack a bunker than a high rise building after all.

“ Looking for something?” Jane was shocked. She didn’t notice the girl standing next to her. She was wearing a thick black coat over a blue jumper and pink and white skirt. 

“ Oh. Sorry. I’m a reporter looking for information on Limbus Company.”

“ Limbus huh? The guys on the bus, yeah?” Jane nodded. “ I’m learning about one of them myself. Apparently, they picked her up from here.”

“ You’re talking about the Spark Office fixer, right?”

“ Yuri, yeah. She’s special, that girl. I’ve been trying to learn about the company she works for. They’re doing something I’m interested in.”

“ Like what?”

“ Limbus Company has been taking abnormalities from the old L Corp facilities. Those are the monsters old L Corp used to gather their energy. However, they also used them to grant their employees the powers of the abnormalities and Limbus has figured that out as well. I’m interested in it.”

“ They’re using monsters to give people powers?”

“ Yep. And they’re also selling things to the highest bidder. Things that can create distortions. It’s all very exciting. ” The girl giggled. “ Riri taught me a lot and I’m trying to see what I can do with this new possibility. She lived a rather sad life. I hope she’s doing well for herself.” Jane hummed. There was more to this girl than it seemed. She opened her mouth to question further but her phone rang.

“ Huh?” She answered it. “ Oh. Ms Foreman. Yes, Boss. I’m just finishing off now. I’ve talked to the people in District 4. With all the intel I’ve gotten, I should be able to write a…” Her boss cut her off. “ Huh? District 16? That’s… No! No, I’ll head there immediately Ms. Foreman. It’s not a problem.” She put her phone away. “ I’m sorry. I have to go. My boss just told me the LC-B have been up to something in District 16 lately. I hope you find what you’re looking for, Ms…”

“ Just call me Abby.” The girl smiled. “ You sound busy. Don’t let me keep you.”

“ Of course. Goodbye, Ms Abby.” Jane waved before heading for the nearest WARP train. Seems the LC-B was busy over the month it took for her travels to be completed. After seeing the aftermath of their other adventures, she wondered what waited for her in P Corp.

Chapter Text

 Yuri looked between all of the different array of Fixers that were gathered. The vastly different styles of weapons and clothing. The Western Zwei’s armour and claymores. The furred cloaks of the Western Cinq association. The hard leather of the Fang Hunters. They were all so different. She wasn’t a fangirl of Fixers like Don Quixote was but there were a few impressive looking fighters on display. As she watched them, Don gleefully pointing out the different fixer groups as Hong Lu gazed wistfully at his sister, she suddenly tensed up. “ This is going to be an exciting mission, don’t you think?” A familiar voice said from behind her. “ Especially with you here. Right. Yur?” Immediately, Yuri drew her blade. It crackled with lighting as she swung it. Laughing, her target drew his own blade, a trail of flame following it. Both blades clashed, creating a small explosion of sparks and flames. The two locked blades for a few moments, enough time for Yuri to appraise his uniform. A silver suit with a black shirt with its collar raised, top button undone. Typically sloppy from him. The two swung, clashing a few times. The other sinners looked over in alarm.

“ Yuri?” Sinclair asked in alarm.

“ What’s gotten into her?” Heathcliff said, astounded that Yuri had engaged in a fight without them. After a few swings, they got their answers. Both stood panting, holding their swords at their sides. Then, Yuri began laughing. The man followed suit. They sheathed their swords before hugging each other, baffling the others even more.

“ Man, you’ve gotten better, Sis.” The man said. “ I remember when you almost fell over trying to swing something like that.”

“ Oh please.” Yuri laughed. “ You say that like you were an instant expert, Edmund. At least I could pick the practice swords up.”

“ Uh…” Dante ticked. “ Who is that?”

“ Oh. Sorry.” Yuri was shocked back to reality. “ Uh, Edmund. These are my friends. Guys, this is Edmund Pevensie. We’ve known each other since we were kids.”

 “ So this is the gang you're running with these days?” Edmund looked at them all appraisingly. “ I see. I see. Not abusing you, are they? That’s a nasty injury you’ve got.”

“ Manager Dante saved my life, Edmund. They’re the best team I’ve been a part of.”

“ Aw. Even us?”

“ We weren’t a team. We were friends. Speaking of which…”

“ Ah. Right. Guess we’re here for the same reason. The four of us formed an office in M Corp. Your folks are the ones making our stuff.” The reminder of Yuri’s parents caused her face to drop.

“ Oh. I… see.” She said hesitantly. Before he could continue, Edmund was shouted at by a tall woman approaching them. She wore the same attire as Edmund, the silver suit and black shirt but also had a red tie that Edmund seemed to have forgotten along with a large red coat hanging over her shoulders, a white bow in her hands.

“ EDMUND!” She shouted. “ Stop making a scene! Ugh. Can’t I leave you alone for 5 minutes without you running off?”

“ Sue, c’mon. I had a good reason this time.”

“ So you always…” She trailed off as she caught sight of Yuri. She gasped, her eyes widening. “ No way.” She knelt down, pressing her hands against Yuri’s face, looking her over dotingly. “ Yuri? Is that you? By the Head, it’s been years and… What happened to your eye?”

“ Hey Sue.” Yuri laughed nervously. “ I guess I should have guessed Edmund wouldn’t be capable of being left alone for a mission like this.”

“ Ha ha.” Susan smiled as she stood up. “ He can barely walk to the corner store on his own, let alone face off against a teleporting fair. But seriously. What happened to you? The last we heard you got accepted into L Corp. We know you made it out but you never came home.” Yuri scratched the back of her head nervously.

“ W-Well, I got into the Fixer business with the guys who saved me from L Corp’s collapse. They… went under but I was saved by Manager Dante. That’s how I joined Limbus Company. We’re kind of… Well, we’re not really Fixers officially? More like traveling problem solvers.”

“ Traveling problem solvers?” Sue smiled. “ Right.” She looked up at the other Sinners and bowed. “ Sorry it took me so far to introduce myself. My name is Susan Pevensie. My brother and I are members of the Aslan Office from District 13. Thank you for looking after Little Yuri for us.”

“ I’m not little anymore, Sue.” Yuri protested.

“ How’d you know her?” Gregor asked.

“ We’ve known each other ever since she moved to District 13 when she was five alongside her parents. We grew up and trained together. Then she moved out when she was 17 to join L Corp and never came back.” She said. “ It makes me happy to know you’re still doing well though. Lucy will be so happy when I tell her. She misses you a lot. We all do.”

“ I’m sorry. So much has happened and we’re moving around so much. It’s hard to send letters when you don’t know where the next post box will be.”

“ What brings you here from M Corp then?” Ishmael asked, folding her arms.

“ Same thing as everyone else.” Edmund chuckled. “ Bloodfiend hunt.”

“ You know about them?”

“ Our client informed us they would be here. We’re not here for the circus however. Merely collect samples from them. If we can track a fully developed one the better but she tells us the minions are acceptable if less valuable. The more the better.”

“ Who hired you?” Yuri asked, curious. “ Can’t be Carlo.”

“ Nah, that old bastard barely gives any fixers the time of day.” Edmund shook his head. “ It was this girl with white hair. What was her name again? Wheatley?”

“ Surely you cannot mean Lavinia Whateley.” Yi Sang asked slowly.

“ Yeah. That was the one.”

“ Edmund.” Susan gave her brother a disaproving look. Then she looked past them to the main tent. “ Ah. The meeting must be starting. Let’s catch up more afterwards, Yuri. I’d love to hear more about your journey.”

“ I’d be happy to. See you later, Sue. Edmund.”

“ Keep our sis safe, Clockhead.” Edmund said with a wave. The two headed for the tent.

“ Shall we go too?” Yuri asked. Dante nodded. As they headed there, Yi Sang stalled.

“ What are you up to this time, Lovecraft?”

Chapter Text

Susan was saddened to hear they wouldn’t get to spend more time with Yuri on the mission in La Manchaland, split between two areas. It was a shame but she trusted her team wouldn’t let her come to harm. She certainly held herself a lot better than she had when they were together in M Corp’s nest. Whatever happened in L Corp and whatever happened after, she was just happy that the girl she thought of as a second sister was safe. That was enough for her. She trusted her to stay that way as she focused fully on their mission.

“ So, miss Xichun.” Edmund began as they approached their target area. “ Your friend is part of that Limbus group too, right? Just like ours. What a coincidence we’d all come together like this. Ha ha ha.”

“ He’s not my friend. He’s my brother.” Jia Xichun said tersely. “ And he’s a moron. Let’s just focus on our mission, alright.”

“ Chill. Chill. I was just being friendly.” Edmund smirked. “ Names Edmund, by the way. Edmund Pevensie. This is my sister Susan. Your name was Jia Xichun, right?” She didn’t answer. “ What’s your office called?” Again, no answer. Edmund sighed. “ Alright then.”

“ Not everyone is as social as you are, Edmund. Leave her be.” Susan scolded him.

“ Ah. So she’s shy. Gotcha.”

“ I’m not shy.” She huffed. “ I’m focused on our mission. Just like you two should be.”

“ No point being on edge when there’s no enemies around though, right?” No answer. Edmund sighed, defeated. Susan shook her head. Why couldn’t she have been put with Lucy?

Their target turned out to be some haunted mansion attraction. An ancient manor torn to ruin. Edmund looked excited but Susan found the whole thing boring. If she was scared of some toys falling from the ceiling or costumed people leaping at her from the shadows, she wouldn’t be a very good fixer. The first Bloodfiend that leapt out at them was met with an arrow that encased it in a block of ice. Xichun followed up, shattering it to pieces with a palm strike. “ Would you mind leaving a few of them? We can’t collect blood if they're in pieces.” Susan said. Xichun huffed but nodded before carrying on.

As they passed through the manor, breaking most of the blockades that held the attraction up in the process. Eventually, they made it to the backrooms. A confessional had been set up in the back of it, like this small attic, otherwise full of spare props and old statues, was some kind of chapel. At the back, his minions kneeling in prayer around him, stood a man with a goat mask. “ Looks like we’ve found one of those attraction heads we were warned to avoid.” Edmund smirked. “ Oh no. Guess we’re going to have to fight.”

“ You don’t sound very sad.” Xichun sighed.

“ Ignore him.” Susan sighed. “He’s an idiot if you hadn’t already guessed.”

“ Hey!”

“ Don’t worry. I had.”

“ HEY!”

“ You’re all quite noisy guests.” The Priest said. “ Never mind. Do you have something to confess? I will hear all your sins if you wish.”

“ Not happening.” Xichun declared.

“ Guess you should prepare to meet that god of yours, Priest.” Edmund tightened his grip, causing the blade to ignite.

“ And quite the aggressive ones as well I see.” The priest sighed, straightening his back. Around him, the other bloodfiends started to stand up. “ Very well. If this is what you wish.” He rose his hands into a cross across his chest before tensing his claws, hardening blood around them. “ I shall tend to you in the way you seem more comfortable in.”

It was a challenging fight. The Priest showed why he was on the list of Fiends to avoid. His slashes were slow and deliberate. They carved through Xichun’s fixers like a sickle through wheat. Edmund had pushed Susan out of the way as the Priest charged at them, tearing through his left arm. He took the injury in stride. The battle ended as Jia Xichun smashed him through a row of statues. After Susan tended to his injury, that’s where Edmund found him and took the blood of the Third Kindred. Xichun pressed a button inside of the confessional, signalling their victory over the second area.

“ The blood of a Third Kindred.” Edmund grinned. “ That doctor better pay us extra for this.”

“ He said the purer the blood, the more we’d earn.” Susan reminded her brother. “ With what we’ve collected already, we should be set for quite some time after we make it out.”

“ Edmund. Susan.” Looking back to the stairs, they saw Yuri jog up to them, the rest of her company walking behind her. “ You’re both alright.”

“ Yep. Just finished up. Xichun’s dealing with the bloodfiend in charge of this place now. How was your area?”

“ It was a shooting gallery.” Yuri sighed. “ We ran into a powerful Bloodfiend though. A man in a blue top hat.”

“ Hmm. Don’t know him.” Edmund said with a shrug. “ He didn’t show up here.” Susan sighed, cursing her brother’s words. Knowing their luck, he’d just cursed them. Well, it didn’t matter. So long as they were together, the family would succeed. That was how the Aslan Office worked after all.

Chapter Text

Learning the truth behind Don Quixote was hard on all of the sinners. While Outis declared there was no way they could trust her again, Yuri thought differently. Sancho, the Don they knew, was still their friend no matter what they were. Even if some of the others didn’t see it that way, she did. The visions they saw as they passed through the hedge maze that had once been an L Corp facility, bound in thorned vines and bleeding roses, made her think back to the stories Sanson had shown them. Don Quixote saving a village, slaying a bear and claiming a legendary helmet. They were true stories but altered by the fact that Sancho had been an observer in them instead of the hero. It made the errors in those stories make more sense.

In the end, Sancho stood against them in order to defend her father from them, even if it meant fighting her friends. She was a fierce opponent, creating weapons from blood and striking in a number of different styles, keeping them constantly on their toes. Even so, it felt like she was holding back. She was a Second Kindred, the same as Dulcinea. However all the Bloodfiends in La Manchaland had been starved of blood for centuries. Sancho didn’t have that problem. There should have been no way they could have stood up to her. And yet they could. Yuri knew there had to be a reason.

As Sancho formed a spear and leapt forwards, Yuri clashed with her. With a rumble of thunder, wings of lighting formed around her as the striped coat of her EGO appeared over her shoulders. “ Don… Stop this…”

“ I am not Don Quixote!”

“ Of course you are. You’re the same person you’ve always been.” Yuri told her. “ I don’t care if you want us to call you Sancho now. You’re still our friend. The one we’ve fought side by side with. The one who killed me with her horrible cooking. Remember?” With a grimace, Sancho pushed harder. Yuri’s EGO broke as she was launched backwards. Slowly, she rose to her feet. “ The same one who accepted me. Who saved me alongside everyone else. You’re one of us!”

“ Yuri…” She muttered.

“ She’s right.” Sinclair told her. “ Your adventure isn’t over yet.”

“ It has. The dream is over. All I am is here.”

“ Says who?” He asked. “ Did you forget? You’re not the only player in this story.”

“ You can’t end it without our permission, Chiquita.” Rodya smiled.

“ After all, Don Quixote never gives up. No matter what.” Dante ticked. Sancho glanced away.

“ Don Quixote never rides alone.” Sinclair smiled. “ Don’t forget you have the thirteen of us. We won’t let you forget our story.” At that moment, Sancho wavered.

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As Vergilius and Faust dealt with the scientists from P Corp, Yuri and Hong Lu stood with the other surviving fixers. There were few of them but Yuri was happy to see Edmund and Susan were among them. “ Man, am I bushed.” Edmund sighed. “ Xichun and I had a hell of a time getting out of that maze. We found some more of the Bloodfiends and the Zwei and Cinq fixers with bloody flowers bursting from their heads and had to deal with them. Never ran into their leaders though.”

“ Camille and his companion died at our hands. Guess whoever voted for him for that fixer dinner thing are going to be disappointed.” Yuri said. “ Those were the results of an abnormality by the way. Looks like a parasitic one from my guess. Those were always annoying to manage. We once had to quarantine all of Records due to one of them.”

“ You dealt with those things for L Corp?” Edmund whistled, impressed. “ No wonder you took bloodfiends in stride.”

“ I’ve also been on the Great Lake. I don’t think I’ll see anything that can compare to either of those places. Still, life has a way of surprising me.”

“ Fate is a funny thing, isn’t it?” Susan chuckled. “ Well, at least we completed our mission. Doctor Lovecraft should pay us quite handsomely for our haul. Bloodbags, lesser fiends and a third kindred. Even Peter will have to be impressed with our work.”

“ Shame we couldn’t get some off a Second Kindred, eh?” Edmund said, trading a knowing look with Yuri. “ Well, I wasn’t going to try and jab that bitch with the umbrella. Wonder what ever happened to the carnival masters’ other kid.”

“ Probably out causing more havoc somewhere.” Yuri shrugged.

“ Be careful on your journey, Yuri. They may come back for revenge.” Susan warned her.

“ We’ll be fine. Don’t worry. Though, are you both sure you’ll be alright? I can always ask Dante if we can drive you somewhere. It might not look like it but our bus is spacious.”

“ Nah. Don’t worry, Sis. We’ll be fine.” Edmund shook his head. “ We’ve got a place set up before we head back to M Corp. Been awesome seeing you though. Shame it couldn’t be in a nice pub though. I’m sure you have a lot of stories to tell.”   

“ I’ll have more by the next time we meet as well.” Yuri told him. “ If we come to M Corp, I’ll come visit. The five of us can have a meal or something.”

“ Hey. Now that sounds like a plan.”

“ Don’t be too long. You know how bad Lucy is at waiting.”

“ Sadly, I don't control the buses’ routes. But I’ll try.” Yuri and her friends hugged each other. She watched as they walked away into the backstreets. Jia Xichun wasn’t far behind, Hong Lu waving as she and the remnants of her office left too.

“ Tis nice to have such fine fellows awaiting you elsewhere.” Don Quixote grinned. “ Verily, I hope we meet once again.”

“ Back to that juvenile way of speaking eh?” Yuri gave Don a teasing smirk.

“ Ha ha. Well, if I’m taking my Father’s name, I should act as the Fixer he wanted me to be. Our dream is out of reach but, for my siblings and him, I’ll catch it eventually.” She smiled. “ Our grand adventure is yet to cease after all, Dame Yuri.”

“ One night ends. Another morning comes.” She nodded. “ Let’s make the next one an even grander tale.”

“ Forsooth!” Yuri laughed as the two stepped into the bus. Soon it rumbled to life, leaving the shadow of La Manchaland behind them. As Don had said, their adventure wasn’t over yet. She looked towards the rising sun, wondering where it would take them next.

Chapter Text

Yuri fell to one knee, clutching her bleeding eye and panting. Ahead of her, the Bloodfiend stood with barely a scrape, smirking. “ Still up?” He asked. “ Ha. Not bad. Unlike the rest of your ilk, you’ve actually impressed me.” Yuri grit her teeth. Around her lay the bodies of the other members of her office, torn apart by the Bloodfiend. They’d managed to fight all the way to him after entering La Manchaland. They’d managed to put an end to a lot of the other filthy bloodfiends that they’d faced. Then they ran into the Priest and it all fell apart. She was the last one left, eye bleeding and the echoes of screams in her ears.

“ You damn… Fang.” She growled. “ You’ll pay for this.”

“ Heh. And even on death’s door, you show so much determination.” The Bloodfiend’s smirk turned into a grin. “ I like you, little hunter.”

“ I don’t need… a Fang’s approval.” Yuri spat. She struggled to get up only to slip. The sudden pain caused her to cough wildly.

“ Do you hunters know how Kindred’s work?” The Priest asked.

“ Why should I care?” Yuri growled through the pain. “ You freaks are the leaders right? You turn innocent people into those bloodbag zombies. Different strains of you do it different ways. This place crystallises the blood but I’ve met others that manipulate their victims' veins.”

“ Indeed. I believe that family is where the Blood Red Night came from. Now she was a monster.”

“ You’re all monsters…”

“ Regardless, that isn’t what I meant.”

“ Huh?” The Priest chuckled. He removed his mask as he did, revealing a sharp looking man with a stubbly beard and brown hair slicked back. He pulled a pair of thin glasses out of his coat and put them on, hanging his mask from his staff.

“ You see, little hunter, the way a Kindred is made is limited. We can make as many bloodbags as we want and those failed bloodfiends can go on and infect others for us. However, we can only make two living Kindred. It’s a biological limiter made by the Progenitor, or so I’m told. Pain in the ass rules but hey. Can’t break the family code, y’know?”

“ I don’t care… about your creeds.”

“ You should. After all, your group just killed one of my kids.” The Priest said. “ He was a whiney little shit but he was a good kid anyway.” Yuri felt her blood run cold as she realised what he was saying.

“ No…” 

“ Ah, you got there pretty quick.” The Priest congratulated her. “ That’s right. I have a spot open now and I really like you.” He chuckled. “ How about it? Wanna be adopted?”

“ I’d rather die than become a monster like you!” Yuri shouted. She tightened her hand around her hammer, ripping it from the old wooden floor it lay on. Slowly, she willed herself to her feet. Her breath was heavy, her boots were soggy with her own blood and her eye was gone but she was alive. As long as she was alive, she’d fight. As long as she could fight, this monster would not claim whatever twisted victory it wanted. She thought to her fallen friends. The overzealous Hong Lu and the Commander fighting their own battles in the park as she stood here, staring down one of the leaders of the Fangs in this park. “ I will hunt you.”

" Ha ha ha. Yeah. That’s right. Show me that determination.” The Priest outstretched his arms wide as if offering a hug. “ Come, my Child! Embrace me!” Yuri gripped her hammer hard. With a feral war cry, she charged into the jaws of death.

Chapter Text

La Manchaland was certainly a place. I’ve never actually been to an amusement park before but now I don’t really want to go back. Knowing what it was meant to be though just makes it even sadder. A place where human and bloodfiend could live side by side. A place filled with joy and laughter. I don’t know how Bloodfiends really work as people but it seems from what I’ve seen they have a thirst for blood that’s too strong for something like that to work. Don Quixote’s Rocinante seems to be some kind of special artifact that lets her suppress it but normal Bloodfiends aren’t so lucky. It’s a shame too. The real Don Quxiote seemed like a nice guy. Signing off.

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The Barber. Real Name: Nicolina. We still don’t have codes for enemies like this. Either way, she was one of the Third Kindred we fought in La Manchaland and the first of the major Bloodfiends we found. She was running some kind of shooting gallery though her main role was actually costume creations, both the clothes worn by the other fiends and their bloodbags as well as the masks that were sewn onto their faces. I’m also someone who likes sewing so I can tell that their craftsmanship was way above what I can do. It’s a shame she was a crazy, blood obsessed monster or I’d have asked her for some tips.

Each of the major Bloodfiends had their own way to manipulate blood in order to increase their own power. For the Barber, it was imbuing it in the giant pair of scissors she carried around with her. She uses those scissors exactly as you’d expect someone with a giant pair of scissors would use them. Overall, she’s surprisingly simple. She attacks fast, can break through things most other enemies would be pushed back from but she’s just a relentless attacker that abuses the wounds she makes on us to empower herself but all Bloodfiends do that so she’s not special there. Doesn’t make her any less of a pain to fight though. Signing off.

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The Priest. Real Name: Curiambro. Like the Barber, the Priest is a Third Kindred, one of the children of Dulcinea. The Priest is the major Blood fiend we never really got to see much of. He manned the haunted house attraction in Area 2 but Hong Lu’s sister, Jia Xichun, and my friends, Edmund and Susan, were the ones who dealt with him. He seemed to be in charge of hearing the lesser Bloodfiends' grievances and offering advice and was the one most reluctant to go through with their betrayal. In the end though, his nature got the better of him. I think he was ashamed in himself for going through with it but was also too cowardly to do anything about it. Or maybe he was scared to go back to eating blood bricks that apparently tasted of paste.

The Priest took on a more supportive role when we took him on alongside the Barber and Dulcinea, bleeding himself to heal his siblings and allowing them to use his blood to fuel their own attacks. Seeing their teamwork made me happy that we were fighting them while they were starved and weakened. Without that, we wouldn’t have stood a chance. I guess that’s what happens when you live as long as they have. It’s only natural creatures like Bloodfiends would overtake humans. Their abilities to manipulate blood is frightening. If Sanson is anything to go by, a full powered Bloodfiend would be nigh unstoppable. We got lucky this time but I’ve got a bad feeling we haven’t seen the last of Sanson after he mysteriously vanished. Who could he be? Signing off.

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Dulcinea. Real Name… uh… Dulcinea. Dulcinea is a Second Kindred and the one who made the Barber and the Priest into Kindred. I guess that makes her their mother in Bloodfiend terms though she acted more like an older sister to them. She certainly remembered Don back from her time as Sancho even if she didn’t remember her at the time. She seemed jealous. Probably since Don got to leave La Manchaland while she was sealed inside to waste away. In a way, she’s just like Alex and the others. Trapped inside a prison that was once their workplace driven to extremes to survive. Just like Don, I escaped that fate. I wonder if she was as kind as Alex once.

I suppose it’s fitting that the Second Kindred would be so much harder to defeat than her siblings. Even spending 200 years starved of blood, she was a tank. She infused blood into her parasol and crystalised it making it insanely durable and striking it head on just led to us getting hurt due to the spikes that grew from it. If not for her starvation, we’d never have been able to crack her shield. Faust suggested we take her minions out to buy time for exhaustion to kick in and it worked out. I can only imagine what’s going to happen when Mimir throws her at us later though. Well, that’s something to worry about when it happens. Signing off.

Chapter Text

Lobotomy Corp continues to surprise me. I don’t understand how they managed to get a facility under an abandoned Bloodfiend containing amusement park but that’s what we found. I don’t know if the park just absorbed it while it was teleporting around but from what the P Corp scientists told us, it seems to appear in the same spot. So did L Corp just so happen to build a facility in the wrong area or did they know something no-one else did? I suppose we’ll never really know. If Limbus knows, they won’t tell us. Well, it’s not like thinking about these things will change our mission. Maybe it’s better not to think about it. Signing off.

************************************

Abnormality T-04-16-02. Code Name: Hurting Teddy. Lobotomy Code: T-04-06-TE. We’ve known about this one ever for a long time. It was the first abnormality we ran into in our first trek into the mirror dungeon in fact. To think we’d find it all the way out in District 16. The Teddy is an aberration of one of the abnormalities used in training scenarios but I never saw it myself. A bear that you don’t want to fully ignore but also don’t want to show too much attention. This is pretty much the same but its owner was physically abusive rather than neglectful. I guess that’s why those two are Trauma abnormalities. Both seem to represent some kind of abusive relationship. It makes me wonder what happened to the toys Dad used to make for me.

The bear is strange. Being that it was obviously abused by whatever child or person owned it in the past, I guess it confused battle with play time. The way it attacked us was playful and affectionate. One of its attacks, if you can even call it that, was hugging us softly. I don’t think it was trying to actually hurt us. But, since it’s covered in nails and its claws are weirdly sharp for a kids toy, it did so accidentally. I guess it’s learned behaviour. If the people who’re meant to love you are the people who hurt you the most, maybe some people tell themselves that pain is what love is in order to make themselves feel better. This city is a dark place, after all. Signing off.

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Abnormality F-01-16-10. Code Name: Rose Hunter. This was the second of the three abnormalities from the P Corp facility that was turned into a hedge maze within La Manchaland. I think this one is tied to the two Apple abnormalities. It’s a plant monster that’s hunting an apple. It’s a pretty easy connection to make. It feels like a Fixer hunting for a target. It feels cold, like any action against someone they make isn’t personal. It’s just another job for it. I wonder how many other Fixers have fallen into that mind set. Hopkins admitted not caring about Aya and the others from the Spark Office. I know Camille only cared about his job as well when going into La Manchaland. I just hope Susan and the others don’t end up that way.

The Hunter attacked with its thorned whip, using it to ensnare us before releasing it and letting it bury itself into the ground to hold us down there. Seeing as the whip was a part of its body, I suppose it means the whips are just as alive as it is. The binds focused on keeping the person captured by it there. We had to sever the whip in order to keep going but the whip and binds both left thorns in us that served to hinder us further. I can only imagine how much of a pain it would have been when it breached. Then again maybe it was more manageable in an enclosed area. At least it would have limited the horse. Signing off.

************************************

Abnormality F-04-16-04. Code Name: Four Hundred Roses. While we ran into the central body of Four Hundred Roses in the Mirror Dungeon, we only met its children in La Manchaland. While some people theorised it was due to ego corrosion, I recognise what it did. Certain abnormalities are parasitic by nature. They don’t breach but they can infect other people and those infectees turn into extensions of the abnormalitie’s will. Some transform into monsters or have beings grow inside of them and burst out when they mature. Four Hundred Roses’ infection is the type that takes over the body by force. It causes a blood red rose to burst from their head and thorned vines to grow from their body, controlling them to attack and infect others. What a horrible way to go.

We mainly had to deal with the bloodfiends though Camille and his companion were taken over as well. Edmund said Xichun and he dealt with them as well. The flower spores felt like blades slashing at our skin. The more there were, the more painful it became. We had to tear through a forest of flowers to get to where we needed to go. I wonder where the main body of Four Hundred Roses was planted. I suppose it didn’t matter in the end. That being said, with how the Mirror Dungeon is, I’m guessing we’ll run into it at some point. I’ll probably have to make another entry when that happens. Well, I’ll worry about that when the time comes. Signing Off.

Chapter Text

It’s weird to think that the Don Quixote we’ve been traveling with wasn’t real. Hmm. No, that’s wrong. The Don we know is a real person, even if their persona was forced on them. Sancho, our Don Quixote, is the same person we’ve known all this time. At the same time, there was another Don Quixote and that was our Don’s… father I guess is the Bloodfiend term for it. But since the first Don died, our Don has become the real Don. So that means that Don… I mean our Don… Ugh. I’m confusing myself. For these notes, I’ll just call our Don Sancho and the other Don his name. It’s so much easier. Signing off.

************************************

Sinner 3: Don Quixote. Real Name: Sancho. I guess I started a trend of us having to fight our friends. Sancho is the other of the original Don Quixote’s Second Kindred and the one most loyal to him. She’s a lot different than when she was traveling with us. From what I got from seeing her memories, those running shoes she’s always wearing act as a kind of suppressor. They keep her as the silly Fixer obsessed Don we know and keep the Bloodfiend Sancho sleeping. Though, now the spells’ undone, it seems the two are one and the same. I look forward to getting to know her better.

Before she came back to us, she fought us. As a bloodfiend not weakened by blood starvation, she was a harsh opponent. If she wasn’t holding back, we wouldn’t have stood a chance. While the other three’s control over blood was great, Sancho was incredibly versatile. She had swords, spears and a bow. I’m sure she could probably make the weapons of the other three if she needed too. Luckily, we were able to get through to her before she killed us all or she had us kill her. I’m glad it didn’t come down to that. Now she can continue traveling with us and achieving her dream. I’ll do my best to help her with that. I’m sure she would do the same for us. Signing off.

************************************

The original Don Quixote. A First Kindred and the ruler of La Manchaland. From what I’ve seen from him, I kinda think he deserved what he got, as horrible as that might be to say. I mean, sure he was noble but the way he went about it wasn’t right. Maybe it comes from my own past but I sympathise with Dulcinea and the other bloodfiends. Being stuck in a nightmarish place, forced to work a job you were given rather than asked for and forced to manage creatures that wanted you dead at the end of the day. At least we were decently fed. Meanwhile, the manager gets to live the high life and live his own fantasies at the cost of hundreds of workers which were then buried and killed when the place collapsed. Seeing what happened the Alex and the others, I can’t say what would have happened to our manager if he ended up trapped with them. Bloodfiends and Humans aren’t that different at the end of the day.

Somehow, Don was able to take control of the ferris wheel he was pinned too. I’m not sure if it was the Golden Bough or his sheer determination that managed it but, after we destroyed the cars, he broke free. I’d put Don Quixote on the level of an ALEPH abnormality. If it weren’t for his pre-existing injuries and starvation, we’d have been dead. Hell, even like that he wiped us all out. If it wasn’t for Sancho, that would be the end of our story. Thankfully, we’re still breathing. Or breathing again at least. After how painful my first death was, I’ve gotten used to the feeling now. Is that bad? Well, that Don Quixote can’t come back like we can. Our Don’s carrying on his dream of adventure. I still think he deserved what he got but I can’t hate a guy with such a pure dream. It’s just a shame that dreams like that are all destined to end in tragedy in this city. Signing Off

Chapter Text

New abnormalities in the Mirror Dungeon meant more ways for Yuri to figure out how they ticked. While messing around with some of the older abnormalities yielded some result, such as getting a different picture when she tried to annoy the Portrait of a Certain Day by telling it the portrait was dusty, her main target was the Hurting Teddy Bear and Rose Hunter, the abnormalities they fought days ago inside La Manchaland. As it turned out, poking the bear was as easy as showing affection to each other, something Dante had done by hugging her, Sinclair and Heathcliff. It had taken her completely by surprise but it was nice in a way she couldn’t really understand.

The Rose Hunter was angered in a different way. Lying to it before had worked and handing the apple over was usually the best course of action, Yuri decided on a different approach. “ Where did the apple go?” It asked as always.

“ I don’t know.” Dante answered confidently. “ Are you sure it came this way?”

“ You don’t know?” The hunter scoffed. “ Then what is that trembling at your foot?” Dante ticked nervously.

“ A pomegranate?” They tried. The others just stared at them.

“ Do you take me for a bufoon?” The hunter asked. An idea came to Yuri’s head.

“ Yeah, manager. That’s clearly a tomato.”

“ What?” Dante turned to her sharply. “ No it isn’t.”

“ Well it’s too small to be a pomegranate.”

“ Have you two lost the plot?” Heathcliff asked dryly. She glanced at the others.

“ Oh.” Sinclair muttered. “ Y-Yeah. You two have to be confused. It’s an… orange.”

“ Sinclair, honey. Do we need to test you for colour blindness?” Rodya asked.

“ I can see perfectly fine!”

“ It’s neither of those things.” The hunter said tersely. “ It’s the apple princess.”

“ Are you sure?” Dante asked. “ I still say it’s a pomegranate.”

“ No, the hunter is right. I remember eating apples like this at my home.” Hong Lu said. “ Hmm. Though there was a sweet fruit that was developed in K Corp that looked like an apple but tasted like a pear. I suppose it could be that.”

“ Hmm. I hadn’t heard of such a thing. Made by one of Dongrang’s colleagues perhaps?” Yi Sang rubbed his chin. “ Such an interesting fruit. To think it would be a pear despite appearances”

“ It’s NOT-” The hunter growled.

“ Hang on, lass. Did you say it was a tomato?” Heathcliff asked. “ A tomato is a vegetable.”

“ Is it?” Yuri asked. “ I thought it was a fruit.”

“ Botanically, a tomato is classified as a fruit, however it is served in dishes and is thought by nutritionists to be on the same level as a vegetable. Cucumbers are the same.” Faust explained.

“ Cucumbers are not fruits! No fucking way!”

“ A fruit is classed as an edible plant that reproduces using seeds grown within themselves. Cucumbers do that ergo cucumbers are a fruit.”

“ Did you just use ergo unironically?” Rodya chuckled.

“ F.R.U.I.T.” Ryoshu grinned.

“ You have a name for it?” Sinclair looked at her in suprise. Ryoshu just chuckled.

“ ENOUGH!” The hunter bellowed. “ I don’t care if you think it’s an apple or a pomegranate or a darn Avocado. I’m taking-”

“ No-one said avocado.” Dante said.

“ What even is an avocado?” Rodya asked.

“ It’s a type of pear I think.” Yuri told her.

“ Thanks Urayuli.”

“ Faust is never thanked for her trivia.” Faust pouted.

“ GRAH!” Finally reaching the end of his patience, the hunter charged them.

“ Protect the Pomegranate!” Dante commanded. Yuri chuckled. They were going to die for this one.

Chapter Text

EGO corrosion was a horrible experience. It was something she’d heard rumours of from her time in L Corp, rumours Abby had confirmed had happened there before the company collapsed. That there is a small chance that someone’s EGO can transform a person into a state similar to their abnormality. She’d never seen it happen so just assumed it was a myth the employees had started to spook newcomers like she was when she was told it. Seeing that it was very much real and very much a risk of using the EGO applied to the Sinners was a shock. Luckily, the EGO Faust’s button granted them couldn’t corrode. They belonged to the sinners, after all. But those made from and tied to the abnormalities could due to the increased resonance compared to the suits L Corp gave them. They were stronger and a lot more varied than the uniforms had been but that risk was always there, right under the surface. The risk the abnormality could come out.

Dante could control it within reason. They had the ability to trigger Corrosion without any adverse effects. The Sinners corroded but they remained in control of themselves and the abnormality. It was useful when they needed a little extra power against particularly tricky foes. However, then there were times their concentration would slip. Forced into despair by the effects of certain enemies like the Gloom Peccatulum or seeing their allies dying to a seemingly unstoppable foe. When that happened, when their mind was at its weakest, that’s when the abnormalities struck, overwhelming an unstable mind and taking control, rampaging against allies and enemies alike. It usually made the situation ten times worse, especially when multiple corrosions happened at once, just like when multiple abnormalities breached back in the old days. However, just like back when two abnormalities would sometimes fight, allowing the agents to quickly put down the weakened winner, sometimes losing control was what let them overcome a fatal situation. It just came down to luck at that point.

The first time any of them saw an EGO Corrosion was against the Ebony Queen’s Apple. They’d just gotten a few test EGO to use, Rodya, Ryoshu and Yi Sang utilising Fourth Match Flame from the Scorched Girl. It was Rodya who pushed it too far in her attempts to burn down the plant like monster, exploding into flames with an ashen axe that was more interested in killing them then the abnormality they were facing, Yuri offering them advice after she and Hopkins moved Aya’s corpse away from the battle. It did manage to burn the roots away before Dante managed to bring her back so it had a benefit but Rodya was shaken afterwards. Corroding caused the abnormality to overtake a person's mind. Because of that, the Sinners could see the Abnormalities stories unfolding in front of them. Rodya told them that she was freezing, stuck in the slums of a rundown village before lighting a match. After that, she was burning. It felt like constant agony but Rodya found she didn’t care that much. Because, despite the fact she was burning, at least she was warm. For someone like Yuri who knew how Abnormalities operated, she couldn't help but feel bad for the Scorched Girl.

Corrosions were an inevitability in some fights. The sinners often shared their experiences under them on the bus after work hours were over. Don Quixote had told them of her time corroded by the Dreaming Electric Sheep, being suddenly overwhelmed by the fear of loss. She described being plugged into a machine and being stuck in a perpetual motion of building up energy and then having it robbed from her by machines around her, begging for them to stop and just leave her with what little she has left and always being refused as the cycle started again. Gregor told them of his time under the effects of the Portrait of a Certain Day, feeling abandoned in a lonely house. He was forced to maintain an old picture that was so faded he couldn’t recognise the face in it anymore as he alone walked the halls of an abandoned home, desperately trying to find someone else and reclaim a mere fragment of former glory. Sinclair told her about being under 9:2’s influence. About the memories of some kind of cult leading prophet, etching things to come and things that have passed in a book with illegible writing while condemning heretics to death by cleansing them with flames. Yuri knew the pain that must have caused him.

For her, the EGO she hated the most was Bloody Return, the EGO of the Wailing Coffin. It was an EGO she was familiar with as it had once been used by Claire, the warm and kind captain of the Upper Central Command Team. For her, it had been a red whip shaped like a hand, her suit seeming to be made from bandages. Yuri was far more abstract, the whips launching from the gaps between the bandages that created a bloody cloak over her. Claire also didn’t have to worry about losing control of her EGO. If she did, Yuri doubted she’d have been as nice considering her fear of tight spaces. Bloody Return’s Distortion was a lot more unpleasant as the bandages mummified her, binding her tightly before trapping her within the wailing coffin. She was never alone either. She felt multiple bodies in there with her, pressing her tightly against the coffin's walls.

Yuri often tried resisting whenever she corroded in some hope that maybe she could stop it. It never worked. She’d try to keep calm. Close her eyes and tune everything out. The screams from other corpses. The wild shaking. The harsh wood scraping against her. But then the memories slipped in through the cracks of her mind. The pain of being tortured. Her body was torn open, split apart by jagged tools with the wounds left bare before she dragged across the rocky ground and stuffed into a coffin with half a dozen others, nailed shut and thrown into a pit never to be found. Then came the bugs. Hundreds of little legs scampering across her open wounds, each step a needle pricking her skinless flesh and each bit tearing chunks from her body, making the pain worse and worse, all while she was stuck, the air becoming thinner and the box becoming hotter. She tried to resist it. It wasn’t her memories but it became her life. In the end, she couldn’t resist it anymore. The pain was unbearable, the heat, the bodies pressed against her. She couldn’t breathe. In the end, she began screaming, begging for release as she joined the other bodies writhing in torment, her voice becoming just another part of the coffin’s wailing. But there was never a chance of release. She was stuck here. Stuck in endless torment in a cramped abyss suffering endlessly, day by day as ancient magic refused to give her release. Refused to let her die. It was agony. She craved death. But death never came to those in the coffin. Even when it did, the spirits never noticed, trapped in their agony for all of time.

When Dante would finally free her, only minutes passed but to her it felt like days, trapped in that existence of endless torment. The first time she was released, she fell to her knees, gasping for air and vomiting. She was better after that time. It was never easier, she still needed air and her whole body burned from the memory, but she was able to regain her composure a lot better. But it was her least favourite abnormality to corrode into. Thankfully, others weren’t as bad. Some were their own nightmares but even Thunderbird didn’t compare to the torture of the Wailing Coffin. There was a reason the Sinners didn’t like talking about EGO Corrosion. It was just another necessary evil. Something else Dante could pull them back from, like death and distortions. Even so, the nightmares remained. EGO Corrosion was a truly horrible experience. 

Chapter Text

Embers floated through the air as the battlefield raged. Liu was the combat division of the associations. Whenever something majorly bad happened, they were deployed. They were to Fixers what R Corp was for the Corporations. Insurance. When Yuri first stepped onto a battlefield, it was worse than this. The air was so hot it felt like she couldn’t breathe. It wasn’t just them using fire that day but the stone angel that had ravaged V Corp’s nest that had fiercely faced Commander Xiao who was a raging inferno in her own right. That day, she saw why they were needed. What happened when monsters and villains went too far. Now she stood here once again.

Her sword flashed crimson as it cleaved the head off of a Bloodfiend. La Manchaland was a place that the Hana had tried to conquer using different fixer groups. It was led by a First Kindred. Not someone you wanted to meet in a dark alley. The Fixers fell and the park remained, growing in power both from blood and from bodies that they warped into their own servants. Bloodfiends were truly scary. But it didn’t matter what they were. Even Stars of the City could not outshine the sun.

“ To think these are the creatures to defeat the Cinq and the Zwei.” Yuri sighed. “ How boring.” She spun her sword in her hand, letting the wind remove the ashes as she walked closer to the ferris wheel at the park's center. Around them, the park burned. Tents and attractions now nothing more than kindling for the Liu’s assault. The heat was comfortable now. In a sense, the flames belong to her. Perhaps it was better to say she belonged to the flames. The more accustomed she got to her abilities, the more she felt her emotions burn away. A lot of things that had interested her in the past bored her now. It didn’t truly matter if it was her shutting herself off due to constant battles or if the flames were consuming her from the inside out. If she were to become kindling too, so be it. But until that day, she’d fight.

“ What have you done?!” A blond haired woman in a regal, soot covered clothes shouted at her. “ Destroying our kingdom. Are you insane?”

“ You made yourself a target, monster. Don’t get angry at me.”

“ All our work for nothing. Do you have any idea what-”

“ Shut up.” Yuri sighed. “ I don’t care about the history or motives of kindling.” Her sword glowed red, new embers sparking off of it.

“ Typical human.” The woman scowled. “ To think our father thought we could ever live with the likes of you.”

“ Probably could.” Yuri admitted. “ I hear there are bloodfiends who run a hotel in the backstreets of district 12. Blood’s just a service charge there. You people should’ve learned to follow suit.”

“ Do you not think we didn’t try?”

“ Do you think I care?” Yuri said dryly. “ I told you. I don’t care about the motives of kindling. You stepped out of the boundaries set for your kind and now we’re here to handle you. Right now, you’re a target. And targets of the Liu association are merely ash on the wind.” Yuri bent forwards slightly before shooting forwards, flames trailing behind her like the tail of a comet. Soon, the kindling would be no more. La Manchaland a burning crater in the Liu’s wake like so many other of their targets. One day, Yuri knew there would come a time where she would be part of that inferno. Mere kindling. Ash on the wind. But until that day, her flames would persist. All for the day her boredom could be relieved and her last ember was finally put out.

Chapter Text

Yuri rolled her shoulder as she stepped out of the testing room with Emil and Hong Lu. From Ishmael’s reaction, she had a feeling this check up wasn’t going to be a normal physical. But having to step into a burning room to face the Irae Peccatula without the manager's guidance wasn’t something she expected. Luckily for the three of them, Yuri had been through situations like this a lot in her time working for L Corp. A sudden abnormality breaching and having to manage some more inexperienced agents or the clerks was commonplace and, as the leader of the Information Department, commanding agents across the entire facility was something she was used to. Knowing her colleagues' temperaments made directing them simple. It was tiring but it came naturally.

“ Surprisingly effective leadership skills. I suppose being a member of Lobotomy Corporation’s Information team had underlying benefits.” Hohenheim said dryly. “ Alyssa, escort her out. Then we’ll continue.”

“ Where are you taking her?” Sinclair said in alarm.

“ Not currently important. She’ll be returned by the final test. There’s a matter that I require her assistance with.”

“ It’s alright.” Yuri reassured them. “ I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

“ It shall be.” Faust nodded. “ As obstinate as Hohenheim is, he is not one to discard subjects he’s not himself been given command over.”

“ You make me sound like a monster. Any sacrifice made here is done with full knowledge of the consequences.”

“ He’s right.” Alyssa admitted. Even so, it didn’t fill Yuri with a lot of confidence. Nevertheless, she left with the doctor’s assistant, out of the Peccatula holding area and into another vast section of the LC-E entirely. Looking into the new cells, she recognised the creatures within.

“ These are Abnormality Containment Units, aren’t they?”

“ That’s right.” Alyssa said. “ These cells are enhanced versions of the ones used in L Corp. We’re not aiming to make energy so we made sure to reinforce them. They’re probably a lot more rowdy inside those cells than you’re used to but we haven’t had a major breach in… OK, it was a few days ago but it was a new hire trying to cut corners with safety protocols. It’s usually not often that happens though.”

“ That’s impressive. We had daily breaches where we were.”

“ Oh, I guess you never knew the specifics of the containers, did you?” Alyssa said. “ The cells in L Corp were purposefully designed to allow breaches. The Qlipoth deterrent allowed them to be dealt with by agents relatively simply but their research showed that more energy was produced if abnormalities were allowed… exercise, I guess you’d call it.”

“ W-What?” Yuri’s eyes widened in shock. “ But… most deaths occurred from breaches.”

“ They were aware.” Yuri scowled. Somehow, that didn’t surprise her all that much. “ We still produce enkephilin in this facility but we’re not supplying a city nor do we have an unlimited supply of bodies. Anyway, you’re not here to discuss the shady dealings of old L Corp.” Alyssa led her to a certain corridor. Above them, the lights flickered. “ Mmm. I thought the Doctor managed to fix that.”

“ Light flickering isn’t a very good sign.” Yuri said. “ I’m guessing an electrical based abnormality is causing some problems?”

“ You know your stuff. We have access to those notes you write on the Abnormalities and Distortions. A bit too personal for official documents but the overviews have helped us on how to handle some of the new inmates. Not all of them though.” Yuri hummed. She looked through the windows in the corridors and noticed the abnormalities.

“ Ebony Queen’s Apple. My Form Emptiness. Infestation Mimic. Are these… District 4’s Abnormalities?”

“ Yeah. It would take too much time to sort them by category so they’re placed when they come in. All these are the eggs we got from your old work place. For a long time, a certain egg refused to hatch. We ran a whole bunch of tests on it to figure out what its deal was. But then, a few months ago, it suddenly opened up. And it’s been a headache ever since.” Yuri’s face hardened.

“ Show me.” Alyssa took her a few cells down, past a few familiar faces and some agents working on them. They stopped outside a cell where another agent was working, dressed in a suit she recognised as coming from the White Gossypium, a red suit surrounded in an armour of white fluff, with blond hair tied back in a short ponytail.

“ Is this the one?” They asked in a scratchy voice, looking up with tired, icy blue eyes.

“ Yep. Yuri, this is Lincoln. They’re one of our experts when it comes to working with the Abnormalities.”

“ It’s nice to meet you.”

“ Likewise.” Lincoln nodded, turning their attention back into the room. Yuri followed. It was dark, the lights shut off. Every now and again, blue electricity crackled, betraying the fact the room wasn’t as empty as it looked. It was a familiar occurrence. In her old work place, trainee agents made the mistake of thinking the room was empty and there was an electrical malfunction. Then they’d step in and be burned to a crisp by the living storm lying in wait for them. Yuri drew her sword. “ What are you doing?”

“ You brought me here to help deal with it, right?” She said. “ Then let me get to work.”

“ It’s alright, Lincoln. It’s not like she can die anyway.” Alyssa said.

“ You’re Yuri, correct?” Lincoln asked. She nodded. “ Alright. Go ahead.” She turned, took a small breath and exhaled deeply. It had been some time since she’d worked on an abnormality like this. The door opened and she stepped inside, letting the door lock behind her. The room was dark, even the light from the window being choked out from the storm. She felt a piercing gaze on her. Yuri stared up at the top most corner before plunging her sword into the floor and sitting down, her legs crossed. She waited as the creature landed in front of her. She stared it straight in the eyes. The Thunderbird she had faced in District 17 had been like everything else inside that place. Memories made life from the storm inside of her she’d vanquished in a single strike. Despite that, part of the Thunderbird had lived inside of her for years. It had been her main work priority, the creature that had taken her eyes and the last abnormality she’d fought before escaping the facility. Her fate felt connected to it. And here it was, alive as she was.

“ I wonder. Your feather was inside me for three whole years. Did you feel what I felt?” She asked. “ And yet, despite everything, both of us are here, working for Limbus Company. Heh. I don’t even know if you remember me. Do Abnormalities have memories?” The bird didn’t answer her, inside tipping its head to the side slightly. She smirked. It always was like this. For as much as the bird had taken from her, she couldn’t hate it. No-one else could work with the Thunderbird for long, not without lightning burns from the storm, but Yuri had managed to make the raging storm calm itself. It’s why she was given it as a focus. “ You’ve made a nuisance of yourself again. But you’re always peaceful whenever I come to visit you. Why is that?” Slowly, she reached a hand up and gently rubbed the feathers around its chin, feeling the static electricity crackle against her skin. “ Please give them a chance. I have another role. We need to move past L Corp. Like it or not, this is our home now.” The bird raised its head. Yuri nodded, standing and pulling her sword out and sheathing it. Sharing a last look, the Thunderbird vanished into its storm again, allowing Yuri to leave.

“ What… did you do?” Alyssa asked, startled.

“ Told it to give you a chance.” She said. “ It’s a wild storm, the Thunderbird. But I came to realise that it liked company. It’s angered by a lot of things. Aggression will cause it to lash out and it can detect fear. It hates weakness too. If your heart is calm then the bird will be as well. Of course, it hates being bored as well. It needs someone who will keep its attention. Some days I’d just complain about my life to it until my shift was over and that would keep it happy. You know it’s someone they’ve accepted if it lets you pet it like that. Trying without getting it’s trust-”

“ Will anger it?”

“ I told you. It’s angered by a lot of things. It’s tough to manage but, if you can find the right person to do so, It’ll listen to them.” Lincoln hummed.

“ I can try.” They said. “ If not me then I can use the criteria to find someone. Thunderbird will be looked after in our care. I can tell you’re close to it.”   

“ It’s strange how close I feel to it. If you need, I can write an in-depth report around managing it. I know I did some notes but I can be more official.”

“ That would be helpful. Thank you, Ms Yuri.” Lincoln smiled lightly.

“ Do you need any help with the other-” Before she could finish, the alarms above them started blaring. “ Breach?”

“ No. That’s a general security alarm.” Alyssa said. “ While having your input on the others would be nice, I think we’re needed back in the Peccatula Lab.” Yuri nodded.

“ It was nice meeting you.” She waved at Lincoln.

“ Safe travels.” They nodded. Yuri smiled before she and Alyssa started running back. She hoped whatever the others had done, it wasn’t too serious.

Chapter Text

Yuri turned the page of her newspaper she was pretending to read as she sat waiting. The backstreets of T Corp were as lifeless as ever. Still, at least they had colour. Not like the nest which had turned everything into a commodity. Food, colour, time. She wouldn’t be surprised if she heard that sound was next. Or light. Or heat. T Corp seemed to strip away everything piece by piece. It was one of the few districts where the nest was a worse place to be than the backstreets. Not that the backstreets didn’t have their own problems.

The Blade Lineage and the Kurokumo. Two sides of the same bloody coin. Before the fall of L Corp, they’d been separated. The Blade Lineage within the abandoned streets of district 19 where the Kurokumo commanded district 12 in the shadow of L Corp. However, after L Corp’s fall, the Kurokumo and the Blade Lineage had both vanished. One after a run in with L’heure de Loup and the other after a run in with the Thumb. When they reappeared with the rest of the Library’s victims, it had been right on top of each other in the middle of district 20. It had sparked a gang war that the Kurokumo were on the winning side of. The thumb hadn’t had a foothold in the district so were happy to let them continue their racket in their new home. That led to Yuri’s new job Mister Gregor had given her and Miss Ishmael while he and Miss Faust were busy dealing with a client, scared by the recent Time Ripper incident in the nest.

She watched as the tattooed crooks banged on the door of her client. “ Well?” She asked. Sitting on a bench behind her, pretending to feed the birds, sat her elder in the association.

“ Be patient.” Yuri fidgeted, resting her hand on the handle of the Zweihander hidden by her side. “ Be. Patient.”

“ I am patient.” She muttered.

“ We both know that’s a lie.” Yuri pouted. So maybe she was a bit too hasty to deal with people harassing her clients and blew her cover too early. But so long as the only people who got hurt were the bad guys, did it really matter? Yuri didn’t think so even if other people in the association didn’t agree with her. Her attitude was why she was always assigned someone with her, either Faust or Ishmael usually but she’d gotten along with Sinclair from the fifth division who was apparently also used to dealing with someone who lacked the Zwei’s preferred levels of patience. So she sat and waited, watching as the crooks banging on the door got more agitated by the lack of response.

“ Where’s the client?”

“ Didn’t say. It’s possible they ran off before the collection crew came in and left us to handle matters in their stead. Not our problem in that case though. They’ll pay us even if we don’t have to make a move.”

“ But what if they go after someone else? Our motto is Your Shield. What are we if we can’t protect people?”

“ That attitude is why the Stray Dogs destroyed the old office of the sixth division before that moron Walter went missing. We don’t deal with syndicates unless we have to. They’re just trouble otherwise.” Yuri grumbled. This wasn’t what she thought she was getting into when she joined the Zwei. What would Lucy think if she heard the protectors of the people she found so heroic were just as soulless as the corporations she despised? Regardless, she kept watching as the men got annoyed. One of them stepped back and started kicking the door.

“ Breaking and entering.”

“ We’re hired to protect the client. Not their property. Be patient.” Yuri grit her teeth, her hand tightening around the hilt of her blade. She stared at them, face hardening. Then she blinked. By the time the world came back into focus, the hilt of her blade was striking the temple of one of the Kurokumo clansmen. “ Damn it Yuri!” Ishmael hissed.

“ Sorry, Miss Ishmael.” Yuri said as she spung her blade around before holding it level, placing the palm of her hand against the flat of the blade and smirking at the angry men getting ready for a fight. “ But I can’t let this injustice stand. The Zwei are the Shield of the people. Come try and break my defences, you criminal scum!”

Chapter Text

Thanks to our visit to the LC-E, I finally have those Distortion codes that I’ve been promised by Faust for so long. I also have updated Limbus codes but I’ve no idea if I’ll be able to use them initially. I’ll have to see what Faust says since she’s the ones who gives me the Abnormality codes when we’re in the field. The LC-E was a familiar place. Nostalgic. I guess it’s cause of it being modelled after the branch that Doctor Hohenheim worked for in the past. While I didn’t get to talk to him much, it was nice to meet another survivor of L Corp’s collapse. Between him and Abby’s old office, it gives me some peace of mind to see other people able to move on. It’s not easy but I’m glad I’m not alone in what I’ve gone through. Signing off.

**************************************

While they may not be worth noting, I’ll still make a record of the Church of Gears. They’re not distortions, or at least they don’t seem to be. Just another group of people experimented on in some way. If the book we entered is anything to go by, their leader was a young woman called Eileen. A fixer group known as the Full Stop Office were hired to assassinate her but she was saved by the Blue Reverbation, a colour fixer who went rogue around the time of the Library incident. They’re normal people that had some kind of operation done on them. From what Faust told me, they were split between two types of people. Meat and Thought. The Thought Gears were attached to the Meat Gears to increase their effectiveness of how they think or react to things while the Meat Gears themselves are the strength of the Cult.

We fought two kinds of Meat Gears. Normal humans and ones that had their bodies modified to give them larger arms and torsos, probably for heavier lifting. I saw people who worked in my Dad’s factory when I was younger who had similar operations done. It would move cargo or heavy machinery around. Despite being a religious group, they knew how to fight. They could produce some kind of smoke from their suits. While they were a hindrance to us, the suits they wore seemed to absorb it and make them stronger. Alone, they weren’t really too big of a threat. One was nimbler than a normal fixer sure, but they weren’t stronger than one. However, they came in a large group which made them more of a pain. I do wonder if this group still exists in the City somewhere or if they just collapsed without their leader. I guess we’ll never know. Signing Off.

***********************************

Advanced Peccatula. Specifically the third stage ones. Thanks to the LC-E housing some of them, we’ve met a number of the enhanced Peccatula now. Second stage from all categories, with the exception of Envy, and the Wrath, Sloth and Gloom third stages. Going in order of when we fought them, Irae, or Wrath, is a lot bigger than its first two stages. It goes from a thin creature on four legs to a less thin creature with a spear like head to a large humanoid with arms like sickles. It’s hot to the touch and heats up the air around it making the whole area sweltering. Fighting three of these things in the basement of Wuthering Heights was almost unbearable and they kept coming. I’m glad Vergilius was able to rescue us or we’d be quite literally cooked.

Pigritae looks like a small mountain range and is about as sturdy as one too. Trying to strike it with any kind of physical attack did nothing to it. Luckily, it was still susceptible to certain ailments that our alternate identities could apply. It feels weird to think a rock can bleed but I guess it’s because it used to be a person? Gloom, or Morositasis, is a little more interesting. It’s basically just a larger version of the second stage, which is more than I can say for Wrath and Sloth. A large almost humanoid thing made entirely of water and holding a large pearl. I think it’s a pearl? It also turns into water but it uses it as a bludgeon. Maybe it’s just an extension of Pecctulum’s body. I kind of wish I asked Doctor Hohenheim for his notes on these things now. He probably knows more about them than I do. I wonder if I can get his contact details from Faust. Couldn’t hurt to try I suppose. Signing Off.

***********************************

Distortion 9: Doctor Hohenheim. Limbus Code: HE-5-SU, or at least that’s what Doctor Hohenheim said after we were able to undistort him. Learning about Hohenheim’s past made me realise that the two of us aren’t that different. At first, I was angry at him for abandoning everyone in his facility to die just to save himself. But learning someone else sacrificed himself to save Hohenheim, just like Alex sacrificed herself to save me, I felt bad for him. We didn’t get to talk at all afterwards but I wanted to. Survivor to survivor. L Corp made the both of us, just like it made Abby. In a strange way, it makes me happy to know that someone else made something out of it. I know that his distortion was a failed attempt to take his own life. He never expected Dante to be able to turn him back. At the same time though he seemed relieved he was saved. I hope that we get to see each other again some day. Until then, I hope he and I can continue walking to the same future.

Sorry. I’m getting sentimental. Hohenheim’s distortion was one split between two ideas. Data gathering and his own coping mechanisms. He was able to scan us, detect the weaknesses in our fighting styles and exploit them. At the same time, we were able to weaken him by exploiting cracks in his own coping mechanisms, weakening his barriers or countering his attacks. It almost felt like a game of chess. One of us made a move and the other reacted accordingly. In the end though, we were able to bring him back. I’m glad. No-one deserves to be stuck inside the memory of L Corp. I hope everyone who was able to make it out alive can eventually leave it behind like we have. Unfortunately, not everyone is lucky enough to have good friends like I do. Signing Off

Chapter Text

Another railroad opened up. This time, we had to take a split path and meet up in the middle. Dante went with one group so Faust was asked to manage the group we were in. She left me to analyse the abnormalities along the top path while Dante and the others apparently ran into a bunch of Envy Peccatula which Doctor Hohenheim informs me do actually have a second stage I didn’t notice. Oh, erm, Faust got me in contact with Doctor Hohenheim so we’re in regular contact now. I report to him how our opponents act in the field and he reports back what he learned about them in the lab for when we run into them in the Mirror Dungeons. I hope our partnership is fruitful for the both of us. Signing off.

***************************************

Abnormality T-03-16-15. Code Name: Sleeping Bag of a Bygone Day. Danger Level: TETH-03. I’m calling it Nebuliser because it’s shorter and that EGO gift has helped us so much in the Mirror Dungeons. Truthfully, I never really understood what Nebulizer actually was. There’s a silhouette of a man inside a rib cage of something that is topped with a wheezing skull and that skull produces smoke. I know there’s a medical condition where people struggle to breath in the city so I guess it’s based on that but… I dunno. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that an abnormality appears abstract to what it’s based on. Not everything can be as clean cut as Paul or Thunderbird.

Unsurprisingly, Nebulizer fights how we do when we’re using its gift. Certain IDs that we get are more suited to precision based fighting, using openings to strike a target's weak points. The smoke Nebulizer’s gift produces lets us abuse more openings. That worked in reverse too though. The smoke it produced made it harder to see and react to its attacks and most of its attacks produced that smoke, letting it blindside us a lot easier. Unfortunately for it, Nebulizer is a loud abnormality between the creaking and wheezing it makes so its ambush strategy wasn’t really all that scary. I guess that's why its danger level is so low. Signing off.

****************************************

Abnormality F-01-16-13. Code Name: Der Fluchshutze. Danger Level: HE-04. Lobotomy Code: F-01-69-HE. This one is an aberration of Der Freichutz, an abnormality that had a brief stay in my old facility. Our manager used to hire it in order to deal with some escaped abnormalities, particularly parasitic abnormalities that made more minions the longer it’s infection was allowed to be present. It didn’t discriminate between them and us though and could kill an entire floor with one shot if given the chance due to its rifle, something Outis is used to using now. Fluchshutze on the other hand uses a different gun that causes its bullets to spray across a large area instead of one clean shot to everything. It makes it harder to predict but easier to contain. Heathcliff has been using it’s EGO for a while now so I guess I should have known it would be thrown at us at some point.

We already came to the conclusion Fluchshutze was one of the many abnormalities born from the Smoke War and fighting it confirmed it. If the war torn buildings the lone gunman lived within weren’t a give away, Dante told me he was able to call on the G Corp soldiers. I’m thankful Gregor was with my team during the railroad. I’d hate for him to have to suddenly be faced with his old brothers in arms again. Much like Heathcliff’s EGO, he was able to use those phantom soldiers to empower his shots, blasting them to chunks to infuse its bullets with blood. I can only imagine the mad scramble everyone must have had to make to get out of the way of the shrapnel. That being said, I doubt I’ll just be imagining it for much longer. Oh well. Signing off.

***************************************

Abnormality F-04-16-04. Code Name: Four Hundred Roses. Danger Level: WAW-05 Sometimes I hate being right. We ran into the main body of Four Hundred Roses at the end of the Railway. It’s not quite as passive as the parasitic abnormalities I’m used to but I’ve also data files we’ve gotten from other facilities to know that they’re not all passive. Melting Love is a good example, who turns people into slime monsters and then breaches with those slime monsters. Still, Four Hundred Roses is rooted to the spot so I’m guessing it’s more that the Rose would have been hard to work with and infected people who did badly for good measure. Another fickle abnormality. Typical WAW.

As an entity, Four Hundred Roses had just as much a lust for blood as the Bloodfiends we fought at La Manchaland. It used its vines to imbed us with thorns that drained our blood into it. I’m guessing that’s how it infects other people but, cause we’re already servants of Dante, it couldn’t fully take root. That’s the only reason I can think of as why we didn’t end up like Camille. The thing was relentless though. I guess it hadn’t been allowed to feed since it was taken out of La Manchaland. Thinking about it, I wonder if it was intentional. Not just that it ended up there but that the grounds that the L Corp facility in District 16 was exactly where La Manchaland was sealed. I’ve wondered for a while if L Corp knew that beforehand or if it was a strange coincidence. Either way, that flower is definitely connected to those Bloodfiends whether they knew it or not. And, knowing L Corp, I’m more willing to assume that they did. Signing off.

Chapter Text

There were abnormalities that each sinner didn’t like dealing with. For Yuri, it was the Forsaken Employee. Even after facing her past at L Corp, looking at the abnormality formed from the despair of employees at her old company made her skin crawl. It wasn’t only her who felt that way around abnormalities. Gregor hated Spider Bud and the Funeral of Dead Butterflies. Any insectoid abnormality, really. Knowing about the mutations of old G Corp, she could understand why. Heathcliff always hated the Portrait of a Certain Day. Ishmael was never fond of the Siltcurrent and that only marginally changed after they’d dealt with Ahab. Even Hong Lu, jovial as he was, had something against the Star Luminary. Everyone had something.

Outis had five. The first she shared with Gregor was the 4th Front of the Smoke War. As veterans, Yuri imagined it probably brought up the same traumatic memories she experienced when they ran into the Employee. Then there was the series of abnormalities that were connected by the same underlying idea. Collectively, Yuri called them the Hospital Abnormalities. The Nymph, Centaur, Hydra and Cyclops. All of them were themed after hospitals in some way but twisted into monstrous forms. The top half of a nurse bound to a hospital bed or an IV drip. A multi headed doctor with a snake like body. A one eyed colossus with a spike rammed through the back of its head, its arms wrapped in clocks. Yuri found most of them creepy and Outis wasn’t keen on any of them. However what made Yuri curious was, out of the four, the Cyclops bothered her the most. In Yuri’s eyes, it was the one that was the least creepy and yet Outis couldn’t be in the room with it.

This time, when Outis left the room after being confronted with the Cyclops yet again, Yuri decided to go with her, stepping into the fragmented passages of the Mirror Dungeon. “ Are you OK, Outis?” Yuri asked.

“ Perfectly fine. You don’t need to bother with me.”

“ You’re our friend. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“ That’s far too familial for what we are. We’re nothing but colleagues. Soldiers on the same battlefield. Nothing more and nothing less.”

“ After everything we’ve been through, you still think of us as strangers?”

“ Getting attached to people in this city will only lead to heartache. You’re young. I don’t expect you to understand.” She frowned. Yuri expected something like this. Outis was the most distant out of all the Sinners. While she was quick to get close to Dante and behaved around them, she kept far away from the other Sinners when they got together while Dante was busy with other matters. Even Faust was closer to them, always happy to explain some obscure piece of trivia about the city when asked. Outis was happy keeping to herself, coldly blowing off everyone who tried to get her to join in. Yuri doubted she’d forgotten how many people Yuri herself had lost. It was just a mean spirited comment to get the one eyed girl to leave. But Yuri persisted.

“ Can I ask why you don’t like the cyclops?” Outis grimaced. She gently held a hand over the broken watch on her wrist.

“ Polyphemus.” She said sullenly. “ He was the leader of an enemy platoon in the smoke war. We won but I lost a good man. My closest friend. I slashed his eyes out and we escaped him. The Cyclops looks exactly like Polyphemus just in some cheap suit.”

“ I’m sorry.”

“ Don’t be. I was young and foolish. Left behind everything to go to a war that wasn’t mine to fight. Because of me, a lot of good people died. Both at my hands and at my command. I was only meant to be a medic.” She sighed. “ Something about those creatures brings those memories back to me.”

“ Abnormalities are strange like that.” Yuri said. “ They are the manifestation of parts of humanity after all. Some of them are going to feel familiar to people no matter what. It’s why all of us have abnormalities we can’t stand.”

“ I suppose so.” She said. “ Don’t tell anyone what we discussed, Yuri. I shouldn’t have told you.”

“ You prefer to keep to yourself. I get it. But… your time will come soon, you know?”

“ I’m aware I can’t keep everything hidden forever.” Outis admitted. “ But until I have to face it, I’ll keep my past to myself. You weren’t happy to tell us about L Corp before District 19 after all.”

“ I know. But… you can trust us. You know that, right?” Outis turned away.

“ We’re only colleagues.” She said. “ I intend to keep it that way.” Yuri frowned. She wanted to convince her otherwise. She felt like she’d found a new family in the LCB. She knew she was projecting to say everyone felt the same way she did but she hoped they could all be friends at the very least. She hoped one day Outis would open up to the rest of them. That she’d let them get close to her. Sadly, that wasn’t going to be any time soon.

Chapter Text

Jia Xichun sat outside the bus looking annoyed. It made sense. She’d just brokered a deal with them to be her bodyguards in the family tournament going on between Hong Lu’s family, which was bizarre even when compared to the likes of Heathcliff, only to have that deal snatched away by the sudden announcement Hong Lu was competing in that tournament despite not at all caring about the outcome. Sometimes, Yuri envied Hong Lu’s free spirited nature though now they were apparently working for him. After the last gathering at a rich person’s place they went to in search of a Golden Bough, Yuri was prepared for the worst.

“ Are you OK?” She asked, taking a seat next to her.

“ Sure. Just had my business prospects stolen away from me. I’m dandy.” Xichun huffed. “ Especially after half my office was wiped out in that damn theme park. I’m going into the Hierarchy contest underpowered.”

“ We can still help you.”

“ You don’t seem to get how things are between the families in H Corp.”

“ I understand that you seem to plot to kill each other whenever you get the chance. I’m just saying that it doesn’t mean we have to be enemies. You have alliances here too, right?”

“ Yeah. Still. I’ve learned not to count on them. Just because we’re friends today doesn’t mean we’re not going to be enemies tomorrow. Pretty literally in this case.” She leaned back. “ Still, I can’t kill you. That would break my oath.”

“ Oath?”

“ Yeah. The one I made with Edmund. Don’t think I was checking up on you because I wanted to be friends or anything.” Yuri hummed. Back when they’d been attacked by the Heishou, Xichun had come to check up on her. By that time though, she’d already slain her attacker. One of the good things about being an agent in Lobotomy Corp was that she was ready for anything at any moment. There were many abnormalities that had messed with her mentally, either with illusions, distorting her senses or putting her to sleep and that wasn’t even counting the new abnormalities this journey had taken. Waking up and fighting an opponent wasn’t all that different to fighting while drunk thanks to the Fairy Gentleman or her vision distorted from the Siltcurrent's fake sea.

“ Edmund made a deal with you?”

“ He saved my life back in that place when we were fighting this giant rose that threatened to bleed the life out of us. He played up the fact I owed him a debt when we were safe and made me promise to protect you if we ever met again.”

“ That idiot. I don’t need protection.” She sighed.

“ It was a strange request, I’ll admit. You all seem pretty strong to me.”

“ I didn’t start that way.” She admitted. “ It’s almost been a full year since we met. Thanks to them, I feel like I’ve gotten a lot stronger. Though Edmund’s always been a worry wart, even if he pretends he doesn’t.”

“ Seriously? He seems just as carefree as Baoyu.”

“ I don’t think anyone is as carefree as Hong Lu.” The two laughed.

“ Well, you’re not wrong there.” She admitted before standing up. “ Well, there’s not much more time to waste before the ceremony. Tell your manager that, if they're serious, I’ll allow a partnership. Temporarily. But I won’t count on you. As long as you serve Baoyu, we’re rivals. Got that?”

“ Alright. In that case, stay safe until whatever time our rivalry can be settled. Do that and I’ll consider Edmund’s debt to you repaid.”

“ You’re on.” Xichun said with a smirk. Yuri smiled back, trying to fight back her dark thoughts. She hoped their alliance would hold until their mission to claim the Golden Bough was complete and they could talk again as friends. Despite their luck with people the Sinners met making it out of their encounters alive. 

Chapter Text

Yuri awoke to someone shaking her shoulders. She groaned, her eye opening and ready to tell whoever it was to knock it off and let her go back to bed. Sure, there were moments she was awoken for a sudden, urgent mission, like the time Don, Heathcliff and Dante managed to end up in the outskirts, but it wasn’t like this. “ Oi! Oi! Wake up already!”

“ Emil…?” She groaned. The blond boy was still shaking her. For him to be so agitated wasn’t normal though. She’d never seen him like this before. As her vision focused, she saw him more clearly, his face twisted in an annoyed scowl that looked more like something Heathcliff would use. “ What’s… going on?”

“ Finally awake!” Emil shouted. “ Damn it. Some bloody nonsense is happening again, Clockhead. Get your head in gear.”

“ Huh?” Now that was definitely more of a Heathcliff thing. Yuri sat up, bringing a hand to her head. “ What are you… what?” She stopped as she placed a hand on a flat surface. In a panic, she brought her other hand up as well, pressing where her face would have been only to hit what felt like glass. “ Where’s my face?”

“ Eh? Fuck you mean… Oh god damn it. Not you too.”

“ Me… too? Emil, what are you talking about?”

“ I ain’t Sinclair.” Emil, or the person who looked like Emil, sighed. “ Bloody hell. This is a pain in the arse.”

“ U-Uh. Is he… OK?” Nervously, Heathcliff poked his head into the room.

“ Oi! Don’t make such a pathetic look like that with my face!” Heathcliff shouted.

“ Your face? Wait, you’re Heathcliff.” Yuri exclaimed.

“ Of course I am!” Emil shouted.

“ M-Manager. We have a situation.” Heathcliff whimpered. No, Heathcliff was in Sinclair’s body which meant Emil was Heathcliff?

“ My head hurts. What’s going on?”

“ That’s what I want to know!”

“ E-Everyone’s gathering in the main bus. I don’t think we’re the only ones like this.” Yuri stood up.

“ Do you have a mirror?” She asked. “ I don’t think I’m me either.”

“ Don’t sound like it, Clockhead. Uh… Wait, who are you?”

“ It’s Yuri.”

 “ H-Huh? Yuri?” Heath-mil said, shocked. “ Does… that mean we should be looking for your body to find Dante?”

“ Probably. I’ll head along to see everyone else.”

“ I’ll come with. Sinclair, find Dante. I need to sit down.”

“ O-Ok.”

“ And stop fucking stuterring!”

“ I’m sorry!” As Sinclair scampered off, Yuri and Heathcliff headed for the bus. Everyone was gathered as normal though something seemed different. If Sinclair was Heathcliff and she was Dante, she could only assume everyone else had been swapped as well.

“ Ah! Manager! So brilliant that you could finally join us.” Yi Sang said, rising to attention. “ As I’m sure you are already well aware, something odd has occurred. However, with your genius, I’m sure we will be able to solve this matter in no time at all. Everyone has been gathered with all due haste with the exception of Yuri.”

" Thanks, Outis.” Yuri said.

“ Ah. As expected of our brilliant manager, you managed to figure out who I am immediately. I am glad to serve under someone who knows their subordinates so well. Still, for such tardiness from our guide in such a time of need. I will have to discipline her later for such insubordination.”

“ Y-Yeah.” Yuri laughed nervously. “ I’m… erm… I’m not Dante, Outis.” Outis’ mouth dropped.

“ Wh-Wh-Wh… I-I mean… I erm…” She spluttered. “ What?”

“ It’s Yuri. Hi.”

“ I…” She cleared her throat. “ I see. Well… make sure you don’t harm our manager's body in that state, Yuri. We need them, as I’m sure you know.” From ahead of her, an unusually low toned laugh filled the bus.

“ Oh man! That was hilarious.” Meursault exclaimed. “ You completely tripped over yourself there, Outis. Ha ha ha. Urayuli! Sit with us!”

“ Oh. Rodya.” Yuri smiled, or at least felt like she was smiling, as she stepped around the shell shocked Outis. Rodya moved the larger body of Meursault across so she could sit down. “ Good morning. Strange as it is.”

“ Strange is an understatement.” Ishmael sighed, sitting over the aisle. “ I haven’t been this confused since we started this damn trip. Haaa… Things are never normal on this bus, huh?”

“ I know what you mean. I didn’t think the manager would be affected by this. You think it’s an abnormality?”

“ It could be. Maybe one that escaped District 8’s branch? Or perhaps a distortion that alters reality in an area.”

“ Unlikely.” Don said from ahead of them. “ No reports of such activities have been reported to any authority as of late.”

“ What do you think it is, Chiquita?”

“ I am not certain. Please save such inquiries until I’ve gotten a better handle on the situation.”

“ Fiiiine.”

“ Uh. Are you Faust, Don?” Don nodded. “ OK. So… Don and Faust have swapped. Me and Dante. Heathcliff and Emil. Outis and Yi Sang. Rodya and Meursault. Hmm. Where’s Hong Lu?”

“ Hong Lu went to find Sinclair. After getting angry at his body, he went into the back rooms to find his mind.”

“ Ah. Ryoshu. I see.” She looked back to Ishmael. “ Which makes you… Gregor?”

“ Yup. That I am. I tried getting a cigarette but Ishmael snatched it out of my mouth. It’s not like I was actually gonna smoke the damn thing.” She… He? Sighed. “ I’ll poach one of Ryoshu when she gets back. Or Hong Lu, I guess. Man, this is weird.”

“ What’s it like being Dante, Yuri?” Rodya asked. Yuri was stunned for a moment seeing such a wide grin coming from Meursaults face.

“ U-Uh. Not really that much different. I can’t even hear the ticking. Though it’s strange having full vision again.”

“ No new power?”

“ None that I can tell. Then again, Dante only really shows their power when we die so… Well, I just hope it doesn’t come to that.”

“ True that.” Gregor nodded before blowing some hair out of his face. The discussion was interrupted by the sound of someone hitting metal. Turning around, Yuri saw herself clutching her head in pain.

“ Ow…” She groaned. “ That hurt…”

“ Are you OK?” Yuri asked herself.

“ Yep… Ow… Kinda…”

“ Dame Yuri! You need to be careful!” Faust shouted. “ Such shaking movements aren’t safe! You’re usually more nimble footed.”

“ Faust?” Yuri’s body asked. “ I need to sit down.” Yuri stood up.

“ Here you are.”

“ Thanks… uh… huh?” Yuri stared at herself for a moment before looking horrified. “ Huh?!”

“ Don’t tell me you didn’t notice, Manager.” Rodya smirked. “ Everyone swapped bodies. It’s hilarious.”

“ And I’m Yuri. Right.” Dante nodded, taking the offered seat. “ That explains the lack of depth perception. How do you manage that?”

“ It took about a month to get used to, admittedly.” Yuri laughed nervously. “ What’s the plan, Manager?”

“ Thinking about it.”

“ If I may, I think it advisable to let Vergilius know about our current predicament.” Outis-Yi Sang offered.

“ I concur.” Faust nodded.

“ Do we know where he is though?” Gregor asked, before angrily moving Ishmael’s long hair out of his face. “ Agh! How the hell do you control this stuff?” 

“ Just tie it up better. Geez.” Ishmael shook her head. “ And I told you not to smoke anything in my body!”

“ I’m not!”

“ There they go again.” Emil sighed. “ Should we, erm, go and get V-Vergilius?”

“ I guess. On the bright side, I don’t need a translator anymore. I might as well-” Before they could move, the door slid open. The sinners all looked up to see the man himself standing in the doorway, glowering angrily at them. Then, a fter some moments of silence, he opened his mouth.

 " Driver hungry… Want candy.” If Yuri still had an eye, it would have twitched. Things were about to get a lot more complicated.

Chapter Text

Judge Danforth stepped into the meeting room of Hermann’s compound in N Corp’s nest. Following the incident at District 19, Hermann had greeted him on his return and invited him to join a special operation she had put together. From someone like her, an invitation was more of an order than anything he could properly refuse. This is how he was inducted into her special operations unit, the League of Nine. A group that had once existed at another time but had collapsed now reborn to serve her goals. Danforth would have used a new name than stealing one from the dead. In his mind, the dead deserved their rest, either people, places or groups. But this was The City. Everything was fair game so long as it had value. For some, that included those long past.

“ Hello Thomas.” Hermann greeted him with a smile. “ Thank you for coming.”

“ Hmph. You’re tardy.” Jia Huan huffed. He wasn’t the last one here but most of the team had gathered. Despite their name, there were only seven members of Hermann’s League of Nine. Hermann led the group with Gubo and Aseah being founding members and members of the former league. Then there was Jia Huan and the currently missing Ahab and Eleanor who they’d found in some ditch somewhere he had to assume from how they presented themselves.

“ I did not ask for your unwanted opinion, reject.” Danforth told him. “ I came as I was ordered in as timely a manor as I could.”

“ Still not fast enough if a simple reject beat you.” Danforth didn’t bother answering the man’s taunting, instead taking a seat at the table. Jia Huan was insufferable. The name presented him as a venerable member of H Corp’s elite, one of the four ruling families and a direct descendant of its current leader Jia Mu. Clearly, he had let such things go to his head. He was a reject from that family, like most of the other children the four families bore, but it didn’t stop him from being arrogant and condescending despite his current standing. If he wasn’t a follower of Hermann, Danforth would have long since executed him for his insubordination.

“ Must you always bicker with people, Jia Huan?” Gubo sighed.

“ Only people who get on my nerves.”

“ Oh, so everyone then.” Aseah sighed, leaning back in his seat. “ Gotcha.”

“ Tch. Shut up.” Before the bickering could get any worse, the door opened again.

“ Found her.” Eleanor said, leading a rather upset looking old woman into the room. “ She was arguing with the Justiciars in front of the wrong building.”

“ How could that be my fault?” Ahab huffed, sitting down. “ They refused to give me the right information.”

“ You were shouting obscenities at them.”

“ They should know what I need!”

“ The Justiciars are skilled but they aren’t mind readers.” Danforth said, shaking his head and making a mental note to check on them later. “ You have been in this very room multiple times in the past. How have you not yet learned the way?”

“ Pah. All these buildings look the same. There’s no landmarks. I’m a Captain. I navigate the Great Lake, not these maze-like streets. Tell the constructors to make the streets wider! Fools, the lot of them!”

“ And now we’re blaming the architects.” Eleanor sighed. “ I feel like I’m caring for children again.”

“ As fun as this is to watch, shall we get down to business? It’s time for a new mission.” When Hermann spoke, everyone paid attention. Despite her soft tone, it was something she demanded. Danforth respected Hermann but he was always wary of the woman. What she was doing here was something beyond their mission of purity. Her mission to cleanse all other worlds by purging them from existence sounded insane but she seemed to make it sound manageable. It did make him concerned that other versions of her were trying to do the same. In a sense, her existence meant that every world was suddenly in a competition for its own survival. “ Jia Huan. Explain.”

“ Of course.” Jia Huan stood. “ H Corp will soon be holding a competition between the surviving children of the four main families. Obviously, as one of them, I intend to compete. At least one of the Golden Boughs is being held by my family so we’ll be going after it.”

“ What’s the prize?” Aseah asked.

“ The position of Head of H Corp and the head of the four families. My Grandmother is stepping down.”

“ Hmm. A position like that could aid N Corp’s goals.” Danforth mused.

“ Wouldn’t that annoy the Head though?” Eleanor asked. “ I thought there was a rule about the same group not being able to own two Nests. Other than the Head itself of course.”

“ Indeed there is.” Hermann nodded. “ However, the winner of the contest isn’t the one who must ascend. They can choose to abdicate it to another. Doing so would force them into a situation where they’d have to make an alliance with us.”

“ On paper, N Corp owns one nest. In practice, we own two.” Gubo states.

“ Or maybe we could take it for ourselves.” Aseah suggested. “ N Corp has a lot of good resources, sure, but H Corp’s facility is a technological marvel. I’m sure anything we need here we could get from ruling that. Not to mention getting a singularity to play with.”

“ Are you suggesting betraying us, Aseah?” Danforth asked angrily. “ Thinking of such traitorous actions in front of a Judge. You must want to die.”

“ I have no intention of leaving N Corp.” Hermann clarified. “ While putting a puppet on H Corp’s throne would have our benefits, ultimately it’s not the end goal. There is a tool we must claim from Daguanyuan. That is all. However, I do not expect that to be without difficulty. Gubo?”

“ Indeed. We’ve had word that Limbus Company have claimed the La Manchaland Bough and are heading for District 8 as well.”

“ Heh. So those idiots want Baoyu to compete? I guess for him it’s the best outcome. Following orders without the need to choose for himself like the cowardly snake he is.”

“ I have already decided on Jia Huan’s bodyguards.” Hermann said. “ Gubo. Thomas. I will have EGO prepared for the occasion.”

“ With all due respect, I have no need for those creatures' abilities. My own power shall suffice.”

“ I must insist. As I’m sure you’re aware, Limbus Company employs the same measures. I don’t want us to lose another asset to them.” Danforth frowned.

“ Very well.” He relented. “ I shall accept your gift with gratitude.”

“ Good. You three can prepare yourselves. Gubo will fill you in on what I’ve decided closer to the time. Aseah. Nelly. Ahab. I have my own mission for the three of you. I’ll explain it once I’ve gathered the correct details. With that, I wish you luck.” Danforth bowed before rising to leave. His mind drifted back to his duel with the girl with the eyepatch he duelled before. He wondered if she had survived her ordeal after they left. If so, they would be meeting again soon enough. He would make up for his failings against her before. For the sake of N Corp’s mission, the Judge would condemn them for their sins.

Chapter Text

The slight crackle in the air was what alerted Don to the incoming attacker. She leapt forwards, pulling Xichun down a second before a coiled sword crashed into the concrete where she’d been standing, the impact shattering the ground and blowing Don, Xichun and Wei away. “ Hmm. Your reaction time has improved.” Judge Danforth rose, shaking sparks from the blade. Yuri drew her blade, her teeth bared. She’d seen him in the first trial with Jia Huan, Hong Lu’s brother who’d killed her back in District 4, and Gubo, Yi Sang’s former comrade. The man hadn’t spoken a word to them, simply offering a cold stare from behind the two. Like the others, his attire had changed from when she’d fought him in Disctrict 17. He still wore parts of his attire as a Judge of N Corp but it was mixed with familiar purple EGO. He still wore the familiar white cloak he had before, lowered to reveal his cold red eyes, but instead of the grey and black clothes he wore before, he wore a deep purple suit, the shirt charred black and the ends of his clothes fraying, his arms and legs wrapped in wire. Yuri recognised it as Telepole, the EGO as the Alleyway Watchdog.

“ Judge Danforth.” She glared at him. The man didn’t spare her a glance, instead looking at Don and Xichun.

“ You scurried away quite far, little mouse. So far you’ve met with another mischief. A shame your own lacked that instinct of self preservation.”

“ Shut up!” Xichun shouted. “ Did Brother Huan send you after me?”

“ He did.” Danforth confirmed. Then he turned to them. “ I have no orders regarding you all. Jia Huan is waiting down the path behind me. If you wish to meet with him, I have no qualms about that.”

“ You’d let us attack your ally?” Yuri asked.

“ He is not of my cohort. I don’t care for either of them. I’m simply here at Dame Hermann’s command.” Gregor scowled at the mention of Hermann’s name.

“ So you hold no love for your allies?” Yi Sang asked.

“ Your belief that they are my allies is incorrect. I am a Judge of N Corp. While it is true I have been reallocated away from my comrades to aid Dame Hermann directly, her League are not who I see as my friends. Those you met in District 19 are a different matter however. They are my comrades.” He wrenched the blade out of the stone. “ Enough talk. You have my mercy.”

“ We shall not let thee strike Young Xichun freely!” Don declared.

“ Right.” Dante nodded. “ Everyone, get ready.”

“ You idiots.” Xichun scowled. “ Did you forget? We’re enemies! You have no reason to fight him!”

“ We’re your friends too.” Yuri told her. “ Besides, I have unfinished business with Judge Danforth.”

“ Unfinished business? Ah. I do suppose we never finished our duel. Though this is hardly the time for personal interests.”

“ Maybe not.” Red sparks gathered around Yuri before she unleashed her EGO. Ten feathers floated around her before bursting into ten different weapons as wings of red lighting formed at her back. Above her shoulder, Loki’s Crossbow took aim as Yuri pointed her blade at the Judge. “ But that doesn’t mean I won’t oppose your judgement of my friend.”

“ That form.” The man mused. Everyone stopped, no-one quite sure how to act. Wei was back on his feet, moving closer to Xichun. Behind the Sinners, Daiyu readied her spear. The Sinners themselves were ready for anything. Despite that, Danforth just stared at Yuri. Then his blade vanished in a crack of thunder. “ I see. So that’s what happened was it.”

“ Huh?”

“ It’s a shame. You rejected the impurities of prosthetics and held an injury despite it’s debilitation. You awoke to a power only available to truly exceptional humans. Just by looking at that form I can tell you faced your demons and turned them into your strength. You… are an example of the true strength of humanity. The strength N Corp craves. It is a shame that the side you stand on opposes mine.”

“ I’m not going to join you either, if that was where this is going.”

“ It wasn’t. You stand by your own conviction. I must respect such things. Consider this a show of that respect.” The man turned to leave. “ Scurry home, Jia Xichun. Those without conviction should not covet the throne of a King. A lesson for you as well, Jia Baoyu” With that, Danforth returned down the darkened halls deeper into the building. With a slight hum, Yuri’s EGO vanished.

“ What was that all about?” Gregor asked.

“ I’m not sure.” She admitted. “ It seems that man has his own code of honour. I don’t think I’ll ever understand it though.”

“ Why did you do that?” Xichun asked, annoyed.

“ Sorry. Did you not want to be saved, Xichun?” Hong Lu asked.

“ That’s not it at all!” She huffed. “ Whatever. You guys should get going. That man was right. Brother Huan is up ahead. I doubt Brother Qiu is far either.”

“ I shall protect Lady Xichun. Though I doubt we’ll have to deal with anyone as troublesome as that man at this stage.”

" Daiyu. Protect that idiot, won’t you?”

“ Of course, Lady Xichun.” Daiyu nodded. She huffed. Yuri suppressed a giggle. Even in these circumstances, she found it oddly amusing that Xichun was still just as reluctant to open up as ever. Even so, she let Don pull her up before walking off with Wei.

“ Think she’ll be alright?” Dante asked.

“ If there’s one thing we know about Xichun, it’s that she can take care of herself.” Ishmael admitted. “ If she could make it through LaManchaland alive, she can make it through this.”

“ Verily.” Don nodded. “ Young Xichun is quite the powerful lady. We shall meet once more and partake in merriment once this is over.”

“ I’m sure she’s interested in partaking in merriment with you as well, Chiquita.” Rodya smiled teasingly. Don looked at her before coughing nervously, a slight blush across her cheeks.

“ W-We should keep going. Come on, Hong Lu.” Don said, practically pushing him along to escape the conversation. Yuri just laughed. Xichun would be fine. She was sure of that. Hong Lu on the other hand, she wasn’t so sure of. They knew why he was like he was now, so willing to go along with everything and cheerfully uninterested in whatever came their way. All that was left to see was if that’s the way he’d leave his home again or if he’d show a different side of himself that none of them had ever seen.

Chapter Text

Yuri’s ID shattered as she was pushed back, rolling along the bridge by Lei Heng’s intense blow. Despite Dante using their abilities to bring him down to their level, he was still tearing them apart. At this rate, they’d never survive to make it back to the bus, not to mention Xichun. Slowly, she picked herself off the ground. She looked around. Most of them were dead by now. She wasn’t the only one hanging on. Meursault was still standing. So was Ryoshu but she almost looked possessed, standing despite how heavily wounded she was. Hong Lu was on the ground but he was breathing. Finally was Rodya, resting against the wood of the bridge. Meanwhile, Lei Heng was still grinning, completely unphased by the beating the Sinners had given him. Upon seeing her standing, he whistled. “ Damn, y’all are resiliant. I haven’t fought like this for a long time. Ha ha ha.”

“ Dante…” Yuri looked back at them however they were at a loss. It was taking all their power to keep Lei Heng weakened. Above them, a faint buzzing echoed. Footsteps were making their way towards them from behind. This wasn’t good. They couldn’t handle more enemies. Not as they were now. Glancing up, she noticed a number of drones descending. Familiar drones. Ones she hadn’t seen in person for months though had fought in the mirror dungeon a few times. “ K Corp?” Behind them, someone whistled. In response the drones darted towards them. Yuri braced herself as needles struck her. However, instead of the damaging virus she was used to from them, she felt her wounds healing.

“ Well, well. You guys have certainly been through the wars.” A jovial voice said. “ Looks like my hunch was right.” Yuri gasped, turning on her heel. Entering the room were two K Corp Excision Units. They weren’t like the one from the Mirror Dungeon. Metal cylinders were attached to them. One at each shoulder and six on even intervals across their backs. Between them was a man with messy hair and a smug smirk, wearing armour similar to the K Corp security that had accosted them back in the nest. Yuri’s eyes widened in shock.

" Samjo?” The man winked at her. “ W-What are you doing here?”

“ Sorry to drop in unannounced. But Alfonso heard about this little get together of City factions and, with how close our products are, decided to throw K Corp’s hat in the ring. And, since you guys have been so good to us in the past, I figured she wouldn’t mind if I sided with Limbus in this matter. Consider us even now, eh?”

“ Right.” She smiled.

“ Hey. I forgot how good this K Corp stuff is.” Rodya said, grinning. “ Nice work Sandra.”

“ Not my name but you're welcome anyway.” Samjo put his hands in his pocket. “ Yo. Dante. Turn that clock back and get moving.”

“ You can’t beat him.”

“ Woah. I can tell from those panicked ticks you don’t believe in me. I’m hurt.” Samjo shrugged. “ Well, not like I’m going to fight that wall of muscle. Are you kidding? No. These two are.” At the snap of his fingers, one of Samjo’s comrades stepped forwards. A cylinder buried itself into them. There was a snap and a crackle before their arm launched at Lei Heng, sparking and segmenting. Lei Heng moved slightly as he blocked the blow, the hand grabbing Lei Heng’s blade before the soldier leapt forwards, it’s arm snapping back to normal as it reached Lei Heng and the cylinder popping back out. Yuri recognised Gregor doing something similar with his Shock Centipede EGO.

“ What was that?” Ishmael asked, her body finishing stitching itself back together.

“ Trade secret. But let's just say Alfonso found a way to make some use of those anti-tech weirdos’ work. What you’re looking at is the fruits of Ran and Dongrang’s work.”

“ EGO injected into the K Corp Excision units.” Faust realised. “ K Corp has made partial EGO.”

“ Partial?” Yuri asked. Lei Heng swung at the K Corp soldier, pushing it back across the ground. Before he could advance again, the other joined in, striking from above as a mass of slime. As they rose, the two of the cylinders on their lower back pushed themselves out of their body.

“ It isn’t full EGO like we can use. However, to supplement that, they have access to multiple EGO, injected in a similar manner as C Corps’ Claw and supplemented with K Corp’s ampules to counter any rejection the body may have to it. You had Limbus Company’s backing for this, didn’t you?”

“ Where Alfonso got her stuff is beyond me. I’m just the team leader. But, as the guy running the project, I was the one she got to command the field test. Pain in the ass but it’s basically a paid vacation so I don’t mind all that much.”

“ Dongrang. Dongbaek.” Yi Sang’s mouth thinned. It probably wasn’t what they wanted their work to become. Yuri knew that. Even then, they’d never be credited for it by K Corp. Still, it was some kind of legacy. Samjo had made good on his word not to forget them at least.

“ We can chat after we’re done here. Make sure the new head of H Corp knows how big a favour K Corp gave her, will you?”

“ Will do.” Yuri nodded.

“ Will you be alright alone?” Hong Lu asked.

“ Alone? Nope. But I’m not alone.” As if on cue, two more figures leapt into the fight. Jia Qu slammed his staff down, narrowly missing Lei Heng’s head and cracking the stone of the bridge. Behind him, Lin Daiyu ran in, spear ready to assist.

“ Geez. What is it? Beat poor Lei Heng day or somethin’?” The man grinned. “ Not that I mind, of course. Seems like more interesting prey has arrived.”

“ Brother Qiu. Daiyu. I see.” He smiled. Samjo chuckled.

“ What took you so long, Mister Philospher?”

“ Ask not a question you do not expect an answer to.” Jia Qiu said simply.

“ R Corp’s Rats.” Daiyu told him. “ Thankfully, the Si stepped in to let us carry on. Another gift from Lady Baochai. We’ll talk more later, Baoyu. Get to Ms Xichun. Quickly.” Hong Lu nodded.

“ In that case, look after yourselves. I shall return with Xichun do.” 

“ See that you do, Jia Baoyu. We shall be waiting.” Jia Qiu nodded.

“ Thank you.” They ran across the bridge without a word, the sound of battle echoing from behind them.

**********************************

Xichun crumpled to the table. She’d just gotten back from some rather difficult forced training from Outis to get her ready for the trials she’d face. She was a close ally of Limbus now. They got her to the top and she’d have to pay them back. Yuri felt bad for forcing the position on her. Everything had worked out surprisingly well in the end. She had gotten sadly use to leaving a place with a pile of corpses behind them, friend and foe alike. This time however the ending felt like a happy one. They’d saved Xichun from Jia Mu and the elders. Daiyu, Jia Qiu and Samjo had managed to survive their encounter with the Thumb and everyone else who’d shown up to join the battle royale and, thanks to the K Corp ampules, Wei and Zilu had made a full recovery. While N Corp had slipped away in their battle with Jia Mu, likely with whatever they came to steal from H Corp, they’d successfully defeated them without any outside help like Demian or Abby for the first time. They didn’t even have to worry about Lei Feng tailing them like Riccardo was thanks to Jia Qiu finishing him off. For the first time in a long time, it was a complete victory.

“ I’m starting to think I should retire.” Xichun huffed. “ Sister Baochai can be the heirarch. This is too much trouble.”

“ Don’t give up yet, Xichun.” Yuri cheers her on. “ New things are always the hardest at the start.”

“ You’re not alone in this either.” Don nodded enthusiastically. “ Sir Wei and Lady Daiyu shall aid you in your hour of need. And of course our own Limbus Company shall attend to you if thou hast the need. Just one call and we shall charge over as quick as a flash.”

“ And you have K Corp too.” Samjo pointed out, taking a bite from the banquet Xichun had put together as a farewell feast. “ Mmm. Once we’ve ironed out the detailsh of coursh. Til then… ha… I think I’ll enjoy the sights of Hongyuan. I’m sure this’ll be a major win for all of us.”

“ A three way alliance between K Corp, H Corp and Limbus Company.” Yuri mused. The two Wings dedicated to healing and restoration combining their might were going to cause waves across the city. Now Limbus was in both their good graces. Whatever Limbus Company truly wanted, this was likely a big step towards it. Whatever it was didn’t really matter right now though. Perhaps Limbus Company would one day take their place as a Wing of the City, replacing the corporation who she used to work for. If that were to happen she’d once again become a feather of L Corp. Not as an agent managing monsters but as a member of the LC-B, assuming they still had a need for them should that come to pass.

Noticing Hong Lu away from everyone, Yuri stood up and walked over to him. “ Are you OK, Hong Lu?” She asked. “ Or should we start calling you Baoyu from now on?”

“ Ha ha. No. Hong Lu suits me just fine.” He said with a smile. Not the faint, fake one she was used to though. There was new light in his eyes. He wasn’t pretending. Not this time. “ Everyone seems to be doing well.”

“ Yeah. I’m not used to this.” She admitted. “ Sure, when it was my turn more people lived than died but… well, it’s not like we got close to Abby’s old office or the proctors of the Cinq. Seeing all our friends alive and well. I wish every mission could end this way.”

“ I got lucky. I’m glad to see everyone smiling. I only wish things could have ended this way for Yi Sang or Ishmael. I’m sure they’d have loved to see Quequag or the League of Nine again.”

“ Yeah. Well. I just hope she’ll be alright on her own. Your grandmother took this place from the Kong. I just hope the Shi or the Wang don’t try something similar.”

“ Well, if they do, I’m sure Wei can handle things. She also has three Heishou Pack at her beck and call. Assuming it’s the same three Grandmother had, it’ll be the Chou, Chen and Shen branches. Though, due to Wei’s past connections, she could also get the Wu on her side as well. I’m not sure what will happen with the Mao now that Brother Qiu is leaving. Their ties are usually to the families, not individuals. Still, I suppose they could follow him to the Pinky if their allegiance is strong enough.”

“ Thinking about it, it’s weird that the other families didn’t employ the Heishou in the contest.”

“ Not particularly. They tend to follow the family head, you see. Since it was the children taking part, they had to use other connections. Brother Qiu using a Heishou Pack is actually highly irregular.” Hong Lu chuckled. “ Ah. I enjoy speaking like this. It’s peaceful. I think I understand you a little better now though Yuri.”

“ Hmm? How so?”

“ Your heart was shackled as well but you freed yourself from that. Everyone I saw along my path showed me different emotions. You showed me great anguish and regret and yet acceptance, the will to accept and move on. All of you helped me and I appreciate it.”

“ Hey. You helped us too. We’re a team, after all.”

“ I always found it so strange that everyone became so willing to help each other. I thought how we were at the beginning was what was normal. But I learned differantly. It’s quite nice being able to rely on someone else. I wish all my siblings can understand that feeling one day. Perhaps, now we no longer need to worry about entertaining the elders, the future children of Daguanyuan can be raised to be happy.”

“ That’s a nice wish.”

“ Hmm. It is, isn’t it?” His smile widened. Yuri couldn’t help but copy him. Hong Lu had been right. Everything had an end. It was inevitable. She’d lived to see the end of many things and people. But just because everything ended didn’t mean that people should stop caring about what happens to themselves or other people. When that end came, they’d face it together. Until then, Yuri could only hope for more moments of joy like this one as they continued on their path.

Chapter Text

“ Heirarch Candidate 13. Wang Qingshan.” Yuri took a deep breath and moved forwards. The feathers on her left arm bristled as she felt the eyes of all the other competitors on her as she passed through the curtains. She was here to make sure a promise was kept. She was once an employee of Hongyuan’s Lobotomy Corporation branch, working with monsters to provide power to the city. Her best friend was a young woman, a member of the Wang Family of H Corp, one of the Four Great Families. Once it had been five but the old leaders of H Corp, the Kong family, had been erased by the Head for some unknown taboo. Because of that, the other people working there kept her at arms length, worried they’d attract some kind of calamity from the head or the Heishou. But Yuri was different.

“ Why is a rich kid working for another corporation anyway?” Yuri had asked her.

“ I am looking for something.” She’d said. “ And I found it. A way to achieve immortality.”

“ Immortality?” Yuri raised an eyebrow.

“ I know it’s strange but one of the mandates to become the Family Hierarch is to find a way to achieve immortality. These abnormalities are one such way. No matter how many times one dies, it always returns. Please don’t tell anyone but, should I still be alive by the time the contest comes, I intend to steal an Abnormality Egg and present it to the Elders.”

“ That sounds dangerous.”

“ We children of the four families are used to danger.” She said. “ I have to become Hierarch for the sake of my family. We haven’t had power for five generations now. We’re the weakest amongst the four. The Jia Family has Six Heishou Pack, four answering directly to Jia Mu. The Xue have three and the Shi have two. We only hold the Wei branch.”

“ Sounds like you have a lot on your shoulders.” Yuri said sympathetically. “ Can I do anything to help?”

“ I… Maybe one.” She said slowly. “ If I were to perish in L Corp, please return to my family and introduce yourself as Wang Qingshan.” Yuri’s eyes widened.

“ But why?”

“ Sad as it is to say, the Families aren’t known for their care of their kin. I doubt anyone would notice if you take my place, except maybe Brother Zhao. I know it’s a hard thing to ask but… I just want to know that, if I fail here, someone will save my family.” Yuri thought for a few seconds before answering.

“ Alright. I’ll do it.” She nodded. She didn’t expect to make good on that promise. It was just meant to be words of reassurance so Qingshan wouldn’t give up hope. But that was before the collapse of L Corp. Yuri had only survived because Qingshan saved her life. She was heavily injured but somehow made it to the doors of Daguanyuan and announced Wang Qingshan had returned. When she woke up, her body had been repaired by Qingshan’s brother Dawei. The right side of her body that had been nearly destroyed was rebuilt, covered in black and red feathers with an eye-like pattern on them, covering her face and forming a cloak over her arm. She told him what had happened and he agreed to keep it a secret. From that moment on, Yuri was no more. She was Wang Qingshan now.

Placing the abnormality egg on the floor before the judges, she tossed a feather at it to trigger it. She’d dug the Centipede Apostle out of old L Corp specifically, knowing it was a weak and mostly non hostile entity. A TETH abnormality like that was easy to subdue with a typical baton. With the combined power of the Eyeball Pinion’s and the Wang Family’s Cursed Talismans, bringing it down was simple. It transformed back into an egg. “ Death and Rebirth.” She told them. “ Born from L Corp’s singularity. I trust this is enough?”

“ It is.” Jia Mu nodded. “ Congratulations, nameless agent. You carry the fervour of your namesake well.” Yuri tensed. “ Hmm hmm. Wang Qingshan passes.” Yuri nodded before stepping forwards. “ Leave the egg.”

“ Very well.” Yuri bowed and left. She returned to the crowd as the next candidate entered the tent 

“ You’re quite impressive.” Yuri glanced to her side to see who had said that. The Jade eye of Baoyu stared back at her. “ Sister… Qingshan, wasn’t it?” Yuri nodded. “ Hmm. That doesn’t seem right.”

“ It is how it is.” Yuri shrugged. “ Why? Is this a warning? I heard you wiped out your sister’s clan when she arrived. Should I be expecting the same?”

“ Oh. How do you know that was me?”

“ I have a lot of eyes.” Baoyu laughed.

“ I can see that, yes. Ha ha ha ha.” He smiled. “ No. I won’t bother you. Frankly, I don’t think you’ll have what it takes to become Hierarch. Even if you did, you don’t have the will to rule. Qingshan wished to gain her family honour. But you have no ties to them nor this place. Your views on it are a mere glimpse at the truth.”

“ You’re probably right.” Yuri admitted. “ But I can’t face Qingshan if I don’t at least try.”

“ A noble soul. I commend that.” Baoyu nodded.

“ Candidate 18: Jia Baoyu.”

“ Ah. That’s me. Perhaps, when all this is said and done, we can speak once again. Until then, Ms Yuri.” Yuri looked up with a wide eye as Baoyu walked away. How did he know her real name? She grit her teeth, the pinions over her arm shuddering.

“ Jia Baoyu.” She muttered. What a dangerous man.

Chapter Text

Should I have done notes on the Sweepers? I mean, they’re the Sweepers. We all know what they are. I mean, we run into them in the Mirror Dungeon so I probably should. But they’re only one thing. I can’t fit them…. A-Ah. I forgot the recording started. F-Forget that. We just finished up in Daguanyuan. It was eventful but we managed. Barely. Thanks to Mister Samjo and Jia Qiu. I thought we’d gotten stronger but we’re still outmatched by the best the City has to offer. Lei Heng wasn’t even a leader in the Thumb either. Whoever his boss was, I’m sure they were even tougher. Well, I’d rather focus on our victories. We beat N Corp, completely and unambiguously. After how many times they’ve gotten in our way, it feels good to be able to say that. We may not be the strongest in the city but we won the fights we needed too. That’s all that matters right now. Signing off.

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Egoist 05. Jia Qiu. Originally, his name was Kong Qiu of H Corps Kong family but, after Jia Mu had his family killed by the head, he was the last man standing. Afterwards, he left H Corp to get stronger, apparently joined the Pinky and came back to compete in the Hierarchy contest like Hong Lu did. Though, just like us, he didn’t really want to be the Heirarch. It’s more like he came back to guide someone to be the best Hierarch for H Corp. To not let what happened to his family happen to anyone else. Despite our ominous meeting in District 8’s backstreets, he turned out to be a noble soul.

Jia Qiu is tough. We struggled against him when he was holding back. We got a glimpse of what he can really do when he fought Lei Heng. He generated five light rings and obliterated Lei Heng’s head with one swing. Even Vergilius has only ever used three of those things. It’s almost scary to think there are people out there that even he can’t defeat. I think Faust called it Shin. Another kind of power a person can gain access to other than EGO. Jia Qiu, just like Vergilius, can use both at the same time so it’s not exclusive either. I wonder how someone gets a power like that. None of us can. At least not while connected to Dante. Sounds like a useful trick. Hmm. Wonder if Faust knows how to get it. Otherwise, we’d need to ask Vergilius and… well… S-Signing off.

***************************************

Lei Heng. Nothing special about him, well other than his use of Shin, but he hit like a train so he’s going in my notes. Lei Heng was a Capo in the Thumb. He was also apparently a member of the Pinky as well as one of the Ten Blades of the East. Of everyone we’ve fought so far that was above our level, he was the first not to underestimate us or be weakened by something else, at least not until Dante used their powers on him. If we fought him head on, he’d have shredded us. Heck, even with Dante’s power we almost ended up that way. Thanks to Samjo, Daiyu and Jia Qiu’s timely intervention we got saved. Still, it was a scary encounter.

For someone called a Blade of the East, his fighting style was rather simplistic. He mainly just attacked with simple slashing combos with his jet powered sword. Despite the simplicity of it, he used it with terrifying efficiency. I can see why he’s included in their number. Still, hearing about these Blades of the East got me curious. I mean, we know Ryoshu used to be way stronger than she is now thanks to being affected by Dante. Lei Heng knew her personally, calling her Yoshihide. I’m guessing that might be her real name, like Don is Sancho and Hong Lu is Jia Baoyu. Either way, he talked about Ryoshu’s sword. The one she never unsheathes but is with her in every ID she takes on. I wonder if Ryoshu was one of the Blades of the East. He also mentioned her having a daughter. I hope she’s OK but I’ve got a bad feeling something happened. It’s probably why Ryoshu is with us instead of with her. I’ve got a feeling we’ll find out the truth soon enough. Signing off.

***************************************

The League of Nine. Specifically Jia Huan, Gubo and Judge Danforth. I’ve already talked about Judge Danforth before but the trio had a unique EGO that N Corp made. I mean, partially. Judge Danforth threw his at us half way through our fight and went back to how he fought during our duel which is why I won’t talk much about him. We’re familiar with their EGO as we’ve used it before. Gubo had Fell Bullet, like Yi Sang or Heathcliff, Jia Huan used Contempt Awe, like Ryoshu, and Judge Danforth used Telepole but decided he liked his better I guess. They also had people in Fairy Long Legs EGO which we haven’t gotten. Does that mean N Corp has it? Why does it appear in the Mirror Dungeon then? Maybe it was in the same place as Mimir? I mean, I guess that explains some of the abnormalities we never found like the Watchdog or the Icthys. I really should stop trying to understand that place

A part of me was happy to be able to beat up Jia Huan. He did kill me back in District 4, after all. If not for Dante, that’s how I would have died in the basement of my old workplace. Not from an abnormality but a sword through the back. Being able to deliver some payback was cathartic. Similarly, I finally finished my duel with Judge Danforth. We’ll probably fight again one day and perhaps then we can duel properly but we won. Being able to defeat Hermann’s league is a major achievement for us. They got the upper hand in every other encounter we’ve had with N Corp but this time, we were the winners. It’s a small thing but it makes me happy. Cause it means, whatever they’re scheming, we’ll have a chance to stop them when we inevitably face off for one final time. Signing off.

***************************************

Distortion 10. Jia Mu. Limbus Code: GU-08-03. Danger Level: HE-06. Like Kromer, I’m not sure she really counts as a distortion but she has a threat number so I guess I’ve been overruled by Doctor Hohenheim. Either way, her real name is Shi Miyin who won the last Hierarch contest through intelligence over strength. Then she got a worm implanted in her brain and anything she used to be was absorbed by the elders. Looking at it that way, I kinda feel bad for her. But then I remember that she manipulated the destruction of the old H Corp and I no longer feel pity. Still, it takes a special kind of genius to use the Head itself as a weapon. From Hong Lu’s vision, that Arbiter even congratulated her for it. I can’t help being impressed by that level of ingenuity. If only she used that intelligence for good instead of her own selfishness

Jia Mu felt more a mutation from her Bolus than a distortion. At first, she could transform her body into various animal parts, like a tiger head or rooster wings, but then she transformed into a monstrosity I can’t even begin to describe. I did notice that she had a palanquin on her back though, carrying that worm that connects her to the elders of Xianren. I guess the Hierarchs were meant to become vessels to carry their lineage so her distortion just made that more literal. Unlike the other distortions we faced though, Jia Mu is still alive. She got that immortality she wanted. But now she and the rest of them are trapped in a flooded temple under a pond beneath Daguanyuan. I hope they enjoy the rest of our journey as they drown eternally. Some things deserve to be forgotten. Signing Off.

Chapter Text

Jia Huan groaned as they entered the N Corp safe house. “ Ugh. That damnable brat, Baoyu. I’m soaked through.” He tossed the Anamnaworm at one of Nelly’s subordinates. “ Store that thing properly. Hermann needs it and I’m not letting some serving girl make this week a waste of time.”

“ O-Of course, sir.” The woman nodded before rushing off.

“ I’m going to change out of this eyesore of an EGO. Next time, I’m asking Hermann to get me something nicer looking.” The man walked off.

“ That was a complete and utter mess.” Judge Danforth frowned. “ I do not understand how he can retain such a large ego. Every action he took ended in complete and utter failure. As a leader, he’s completely inept. Perhaps it’s a mercy he did not get to take control of Hongyuan.”

“ He’s certainly haughty.” Nelly admitted. “ Speaking of big egos, where’s yours gone Judge Danforth? You were given one as well.”

“ Telepole sleeps with the Xianren. It became cumbersome so I discarded it.”

“ And by that he means he threw it at the Sinners of Limbus Company.” Gubo said with a smirk. “ For a man with such an eloquent tongue, you really are just as base as anyone else, aren’t you?”

“ And for a man with such quick wit, you truly have no idea what’s going on. At least I used my own powers to stay alive instead of having to rely on a safety field. It would seem Dame Hermann doesn’t believe in you as much as you care to believe.”

“ That’s enough, boys!” Nelly snapped, clapping twice as she stepped between them. “ We got what we came here for. That’s all that matters.”

“ Perhaps.” Gubo admitted. “ But it is a sour feeling to have been bested by Yi Sang.”

“ Give them due respect. Given life by filth though they may be, their strength is palpable. It will not save them should they stand against our ultimate goal however.”

“ Do you two even know Hermann’s ultimate goal?” Nelly asked.

“ I have some ideas.” Gubo admitted. “ But that woman is good at keeping secrets. I imagine she’s got backups to her backups. She’s a schemer that one. Still, she’s also our best bet at succeeding in achieving our personal goals as well. For those of us who have them.” He gave the Judge a side glance. Danforth just huffed.

“ I suppose.” Nelly said slowly. “ Though… out of curiosity… How was Heathcliff? Did you manage to kill him at least?”

“ Sadly not.” Nelly clicked her tongue.

“ I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Resilience is one of his biggest strengths.”

“ Well, I should get changed as well. EGO corrosion is dangerous and we’ve worn these far too long.” With a nod, Gubo walked further into the base as well.

“ Insufferable fools the both of them.” Danforth said. “ My suspicions have been confirmed. They talk a big game but fumbled at the final moments.”

“ You were there too.”

“ I considered my role akin to babysitting. My role was to ensure the ultimate success of our mission and I achieved that. But they could not simply wait for an inevitable victory, instead becoming determined to seek an unneeded battle with Limbus Company and paid for their arrogance with defeat. We could have taken the Bough while they were weakened following their conflict with Jia Mu and gotten both prizes. Their foolishness cost us. I have no care for such people.” He glanced over at her. “ As for you, Eleanor, your extraction was timely and your co-ordination of your subordinates, masterful. I see you were wasted as a mere butler. You have my gratitude.”

“ Heh. I’m honoured.” Nelly smirked. “ Still, I can’t say I understand what Hermann is thinking, hiring people like Jia Huan and Ahab. I guess it’s to do with their connections with Heathcliff’s party. I suppose you and I fall into the same category.”

“ If you’re speaking of that girl, our connection is frail. She could be an example of purity but, so long as she remains tethered to that Heretic, she is an enemy all the same. So long as I am ordered to be a member of the League of Nine, I am Dame Hermann’s sword. Nothing more.”

“ You’re determined, I’ll give you that.” She admitted. “ I think most of us are expecting something from the mirrors Hermann uses. Like Ahab and her whale hunt. Do you have a goal like that?”

“ No.”

“ Really?”

“ I have no goal that Dame Hermann can assist me with.”

“ But you do have a goal?”

“ I do. But not one I am willing to divulge.”

“ I suppose that’s fair. Everyone’s entitled to their own secrets. Just make sure those secrets don’t hurt the people around you.”

“ Of course not, Eleanor.” The Judge nodded. “ Now then. We should make our report back to Dame Hermann. Come. Explaining the extent of Jia Huan’s failure to her may give you some entertainment.”

Chapter Text

Don Quixote was always cheerful. It was practically her brand. However, ever since they’d returned from their recent trip back in time, she’d been even more happy than Yuri had ever seen her, even before her shoes first came off. “ What’s with her?” Xichun asked, looking at Don strangely as she gleefully scribbled something in a notebook.

“ Don’t ask.” Heathcliff sighed. “ It was a bloody pain in the arse fight we just came back from. Maybe she hit her head or something.”

“ I doubt that.” Ishmael sighed. “ It is strange though. Ever since she met that Magical Girl abnormality, she’s been overly giddy.”

“ Magical… girl?” Xichun raised an eyebrow. “ I don’t get it.”

“ I’ve learned it’s best not to think about it.” Heathcliff said.

“ Is that your life motto?” Ishmael said snidely.

“ Oi! Don’t you start.”

“ She’s an abnormality.” Yuri said. “ Monsters made by old L Corp in order to gather energy.”

“ Like the Rose thing from La Manchaland, right? Why’d Don be so happy to meet one?”

“ This one was a lot more like a normal person than the usual ones.” Ishmael said. “ It’s weird to find one that can actually talk.”

“ Those ones are rare. Rarer that they can hold a conversation without echoing statements without meaning.”

“ We’ve seen a few of those on the Railway, yeah?”

“ Railway? I thought you rode a bus.” 

“ What did I just say about thinking about it?”

“ Right. Right. Sorry.” Xichun shook her head. “ Wait! Why am I appologising?”

“ If you want to know what she’s doing, you could just ask.” The four looked up to see Hong Lu sitting there.

“ When the bloody hell did you get here?” Heathcliff asked.

“ Hmm. Between “ Is that your life motto” and “Oi! Don’t you start”. I’m surprised you just now noticed. Ha ha.”

“ Ugh. Ponce.” Heathcliff huffed. “ Fine. I’ll go see what she’s up to then.” Heathcliff stood up and walked over to where Don was sitting.

“ Um. Are we… sure it’s a good idea to leave Heathcliff to do this? Not saying he can’t be tactful but… Well, y’know.” Yuri asked nervously. Ishmael sighed.

“ Yeah. If anyone can make Don go full Second Kindred without taking those shoes off, it’d be that moron. Come on.” She said, sounding tiredly acceptant of the chaos that was about to ensue. “ Let’s just try not to get Dante involved.” Hong Lu was happy sitting where he was and his sister decided to watch at a safe distance with him, not liking the idea of having to take on a full powered second kindred if the worst happened. As he reached her table, Heathcliff snapped Don back to reality by picking up the notebook she was writing in.

“ Gah! Sir Heathcliff!” She shouted. “ P-Prithee do not read that! It’s personal!”

“ Is this what you’ve been grinning over since we got back?” He asked, looking at the notebook. “ Eh?”

“ Heathcliff! You can’t just go looking through a ladies…” Ishmael trailed off as her eyes caught the contents of the notebook. “ Huh?”

“ Guys, come on.” Yuri said, looking over Heathcliff’s shoulder. “ You shouldn’t just…” Yuri paused, looking at the book in bewilderment. On it were pencil drawn images and notes in Don’s chicken scratch like handwriting. The drawings were interesting to say the least. Don had drawn herself dressed in a similar attire to the Queen of Hatred. She hadn’t just drawn herself either. Ishmael, Rodya and Yuri herself were drawn alongside her. It looked like she’d started a new picture next to a picture of Xichun and who Yuri assumed was meant to be Hong Lu. Judging from the half complete hair style, she assumed it was the Queen of Hatred.

“ Th-Th-That’s quite enough!” Don snapped, snatching the notebook back, her face burning red from embarrassment. “ I can have hobbies outside Fixers. Leave me alone!”

“ Are those… magical girls?” Ishmael asked.

“ M-Magical Maidens.” Don awkwardly corrected her. “ I… When I was on mine grand adventures with Father… well, there was a bookstore and it had some fantasy works and… well, there was a wondrous tale of the Magical Maidens and the Witches of Shadows and… P-Perhaps, I may have got a tad invested…”

“ Bloody hell.” Heathcliff grinned. “ You were a fanatic, weren’t you? Ha ha ha. Don’t tell me. You made a costume and everything. Oh, this is fantastic. Ha ha ha.”

“ Heathcliff!” Ishmael smacked him on the back of the head. “ Hey. It’s fine. We all have our interests.”

“ Y-Yeah. We won’t think less highly of you.” Yuri reassured her. “ We all know you’re obsessed with Fixers so this isn’t too far off from that.”

“ Right. It’s not weird at all that you're a bloodfiend with a secret magical girl obsession.” Yuri gave her a side glance. Don shrunk into herself a bit more. Heathcliff laughed even harder.

“ I have got to tell Rodya and Gregor about this. This is bloody hilarious. Ha ha ha.”

“ I’m… going to find the furthest hole I can find and crawl into it. Tis the last you shall hear of Don Quixote. Remember me for who I was. Not for who I am.” With that, Don sulked off.

“ I think that went rather well.” Hong Lu chimed in. Xichun face palmed.

“ This is your definition of going well?” She sighed. “ I hope Don wasn’t serious. There are far too many holes to hide inside in a place like Hongyuan.”

Chapter Text

It feels like it’s been a while since we last went to the old Lobotomy Corporation Headquarters but that changed today. This time we visited the Central Command Center. Like the one back in my facility, it was a larger central hub for the central floors that basically makes it two departments in one. Claire used to complain all the time of how much work it was to manage but at least everyone was close enough to help when some of the bigger abnormalities escaped. It seems it was commanded by a pair of children? A strange choice but I guess they must have been prodigies of some kind. My old employers never cease to surprise me. Signing off.

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Abnormality O-01-04. Code Name: The Queen of Hatred. This one is… certainly unique. We had abnormalities we talked to as well, don’t get me wrong, but this one… Well, let’s just say I’m not surprised Don’s newest ID is her EGO equipment. The Queen of Hatred is the abnormality that the Lovers is the aberration of so it’s not surprising to see that her fighting style isn’t all that different from when we fought Abby. She uses her staff and the power of…ugh… Love to fire laser and star shaped bullets. Ah. Sorry. It’s just… Love and Justice? It’s just… cliche. It’s like something from those comic books that I read as a kid. The Fixer of Justice saving the world from the Evil Stars with the power of love and all things good. Queenie is quite the naive person. Or maybe she’s more like Don than just a sunny attitude and a love for justice. They did seem to get along when we met her.

We didn’t see it but, if she’s anything like The Knight of Despair, she probably has a monster form too. I don’t want to imagine what she’d turn into. A shooting star? An alien space monster? The Lovers turns into a feline monster with a snake tail if Abby is anything to go by so maybe it’s something like that. Seeing as Don’s new ID doesn’t take kindly to losing, I’m guessing the Queen is a bit of a sore loser. Maybe she wants to be the center of attention for one reason or another. Low self esteem or a hero complex. Whatever it is, if she doesn’t get that, maybe she loses it? I can’t say for sure. We never had anything like her in District 4. Uh, other than the Undying Admiral but I didn’t work with him all that much. That was Harold’s job. Haaa. Returning to L Corp’s main branch always fills me with a strange sense of nostalgia. Signing off.

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Abnormality O-01-73. Code Name: The Knight of Despair. Another of the… I think the Queen called themselves Magical Girls or something? Well, she’s connected to the Queen. Apparently she and two others were a part of the Queen’s team in whatever story they were pulled from. A story that doesn’t seem like it has a happy ending. I suppose that explains the state we found her in. According to Rodya from her experience with her new ID, the Knight bestows a blessing on someone who works well with them. The blessing makes them stronger but if the employee with the blessing is defeated then the Knight breaches, consumed by Despair. I suppose, if it can’t protect something it cares for, that causes it to lash out. It’s actually pretty sad when I think about it.

The Knight is not a very fun thing to try and fight. It fires rapiers one after another that feels like it pierces the very soul and inflicted a oppressive sense of despair. At the same time though, those swords can be used on it, impaling it on them when we’re able to deflect them. The strange thing about her is that the storm of storms almost looks like they're creating constellations as they fly. We’ve faced her aberration before. For me it was in the Mirror Dungeon but the others faced it during my… episode. Her connection to The Star is curious. The magical girls are connected to tarot Arcana, a type of fortune telling that came from District 8. The Star and the Knight. The Queen and the Lovers. I wonder if they were enemies or if, after falling to despair, the magical girls turned into the aberrations. A theory for another time, I suppose. Signing Off.

Chapter Text

Yuri chewed on her meat skewer as she looked through the map on her phone to get to the destination point. She was making good time today. She’d picked up the package and was most of the way there in only a few hours. The deadline was sundown so she even had time to grab lunch. Still, she was a long way from home. District 8 was so annoyingly confusing, not helped by the constantly shifting. It made it a nightmare to navigate. This was her first time in this part. Usually, this would be a job for the Eastern branch but no-one wanted to handle this job for some reason. At least the WARP train was painless. Her father sprung for a first class ticket for her. She didn’t understand why but it kept her bike safe. She needed it for a job like this. Figuring the cleanest path, she brought her goggles over her eyes and rode on.

She didn’t get much further down the road before her luck ran out. Her prosthetic eye beeped as she was riding. Glancing to the side, she noticed someone running alongside her, dressed in black with large brim hats, parts of them curved upwards like small ears. One swung at her with a segmented sword but she ducked before the attack was even close. “ Excuse me.” She shouted. “ Road rage much?”

“ Pull over! You are carrying stolen property!”

“ What? Sorry. I couldn’t hear you. Wind.” She rang a bell on one of the handle bars before turning left. The rat man turned with her and quickly caught back up. “ You’re persistent. You know that?”

“ Pull over!” Yuri forced her bike to jump over an incoming foot cart to avoid another swing, causing the makeshift stall to shatter into wooden shards.

“ Sorry. I’m on a deadline. Run and talk, eh? What’s your name? I’m Yuri. Devyat Section 3 North from M Corp. What’s your name?” Her attacker responded with another slash. Yuri spun her bike hopping on the back tire as she regained control before turning through another series of alleyways. Another rat landed in front of her. Yuri clicked her tongue before activating the mini jets on the sides of the biking, charging right through them. They blocked the front tire with their sword, grinding against the metal of the blade, before she was launched over them, riding across a low roof before landing back on the path below her. As she sped on, she scowled upon seeing a trio of rats blockading the streets. She sped into them but her back wheel got caught. She jumped as she lost control, landing safely on the pavement as her bike slid and crashed into the building behind her. “ Tch. I just fixed that.”

“ That’s far enough.” Yuri glanced around. They were everywhere. The roofs above her. The alleyways. The streets. About two dozen members of the Heishou Rats. She’d heard they were the weakest physically but more than made up for it in terms of sheer numbers. “ Return that item.”

“ Do you even know what it is?” Yuri asked. “ My employer is paying top prices for it so it’s got to be important. Especially if the Jia family sent the Heishou’s illustrious Zi branch after me. I’m new around here but I've heard the rumours. Enhanced humans made to be guardians and assassins of H Corp’s top dogs. Makes a girl wonder.”

“ That is of no concern of-”

“ Let’s see. It’s got to be something of great importance so it can’t be any old trinket. I’m sure that big palace has a lot of them. No, it’s got to be something that your leaders don’t want out. I’m leaning towards something to do with Old H Corp or a recipe for a secret bolus. Am I close?”

“ You talk too much.”

“ You're not the first to tell me that.” She admitted. Still, it didn’t look like she was getting out of this one without a fight. “ Hey. Poldina. How long do we have?”

“ 9 hours. 43 minutes. 38 seconds. ”