Written By: Lady Lunar Phoenix
As by request of 'Walrus_overlord' on LiveJournal

Due to the size of the screen it was hard for me to write this. At the moment I'm transferring things from my old computer to the new one hence it will take time for me to due updates. I apologize.

He didn't realize how much energy attacks actually hurt when he had his brand, a blessing he wished he had at that moment. He tore through the tower as the sounds of gun shots faded away and he felt more guilt than was realistic. His invention, 'His' creation was going crazy and had just murdered a number of good men and women. True they signed up for guard duty and sometimes death was a part of that. But no leader worth their title ever took such a death as empty.

Then again a true leader would have noticed the fox in the hen house.

The feeling of a bullet piercing his throwing arm sent him tumbling to bended knee while his normally pristine uniform was stained with a mixture of blood and sweat. Rips and tears and he found himself regretting that he didn't use a clip on tie as he was jumped. One on his back using their gun to press against his throat. Another slammed the but of a high caliber rifle against the side of his head causing a strange mix of pain, numbness and stark light.

He never bothered to learn magic, he was so busy in school, and he regretted his inability to heal his growing injuries. Hope barely regained enough leverage to throw the guy behind him over the railing to the bottom of the tower. He fought for each breath as the other solider slammed the back of his fist into the back of Hopes' head, making his vision more distorted and redoubling his pain.

"Can't... let you... ADAM is out of control..."

"Sorry Director, but you really should have just left time alone."

Between the stars bursting in his sight, the red stain of blood and the increasing distortion of vision itself, Hope could see Alyssa. A gun trained on him and beyond mixed with the dark interior of the Tower, Caius.

"A fine sacrifice to the Warrior Goddess. A lamb for the alter before her destruction."

Time was, ironically enough, moving in so many directions at that moment that Hope couldn't keep up. One moment Caius was behind Alyssa, the next he had fisted Hopes' tie and the world got decidedly darker. Alyssa sounded to be protesting something in the distance and her voice was fading away while Hope struggled to keep his eyes on Caius.

"Why?"