Chapter 7: Deal With the Devil

Some time later, the team reconvened back at the office. No one had said a word during the somber ride back. Not even Zapp had bothered to make any snappy comebacks as they were all too lost in their own thoughts or frustration. Dr. Estevez had taken the time to patch up their injuries and wounds from their respective battles against the Blood Breeds before she was urged by Klaus and Steven to return to the hospital while they deliberated on what to do next. She nodded in understanding and merely gave the Libra leader a reassuring pat on his broad shoulder before taking her leave. Now Zapp, Zed, Lucky, K.K., Chain, Hummer and Deldro sat on the office's two couches with Sonic perched sulking on one of the armrests. Klaus stood in front of his desk just before everyone seated on the couches with Steven standing by his side and Gilbert (who was still sore from having his broken back mended by Dr. Estevez) stood off to the side to await further instruction. Klaus took a moment to gather his thoughts and let out a soft sigh before he addressed the group collectively.

"I understand we're all feeling a little despondent over the recent events that took place regarding Leonardo's abduction," Klaus prefaced. "However, I think I speak for everyone when I say that we will not allow those Blood Breeds to do as they please." The group perked up a little bit upon hearing this as defiant expressions made their way to each of their faces.

"Damn straight!" Zapp replied firmly as he pounded a fist on the armrest next to Sonic, who flinched at the unexpected motion and jumped down from the couch and onto Klaus' desk. "If those goddamn freaks think they won, they've got another thing coming!" Zed and Chain wordlessly nodded for once agreeing whole-heartedly with the white-haired male's words.

"So what's the plan Klausie?" K.K. questioned looking to the Brain Grid user.

"First we need to ascertain where the King of Pain has taken Leonardo," Klaus began before he trailed off looking grimly thoughtful. "However…" Steven caught on to what he was thinking and finished his sentence.

"However if we assume that the King of Pain was in fact telling the truth about having gathered other Blood Breeds aside from the three we encountered, we'll have to meticulously plan things out. One wrong move on our part and the kid could pay the price. And with how well they hid themselves before, time is something we don't have much of." That grim reminder caused the team to immediately lose a bit of their fire and K.K. couldn't help but shoot Steven a dirty glare.

"Would it kill you to be a little more tactful Starphase?"

"I'm only being realistic," Steven replied with a slight sweatdrop. It was at that moment that Deldro of all people spoke up after having been unusually quiet since his and Hummer's bout with the burly Blood Breed.

"One thing that I still can't get over though is how those freaking Blood Breeds found us in the first place. I mean we were hiding as far out of sight as one can think of and somehow they managed to figure out where to find us pretty damn fast."

"That's actually a pretty good question," Hummer chimed in. Remembering what happened prior during the encounter in the warehouse's lot, Lucky jolted a little.

"Actually…I think I might have some additional and unsettling information about that." The others warily looked to him and allowed him to elaborate. "Back during our strategic retreat away from the warehouse I had managed to bind the King of Pain's movements to allow for Leonardo's escape. However in a move I didn't expect, that bastard somehow managed to not only force Leo's All-Seeing Eyes to activate on their own but control them to a certain extent." The wary looks immediately shifted into expressions of disbelief.

"You can't be freakin' serious!" Zapp exclaimed as the group exchanged various looks of dread.

"That explains a lot," Chain muttered as the pieces clicked together for her as she thought back to how she had her senses assaulted by Leo's eyes before something else occurred to her and she voiced it aloud. "Come to think of it, didn't the same thing happen too back in the safe house when he had those specialized bandages on?"

"That's right. It might be a bit of a stretch but if I had to speculate, I'd say that the King of Pain has somehow learned to tap into power of the Maledictum et Cruciabuntur in order to force it to carry out certain commands." The assembled Libra members were silent for a moment to let the new information sink in before Lucky spoke again gaining their attention once more. "However there is a silver lining. From what I also observed it seems that doing this apparently causes him a great deal of strain and he doesn't seem to be able to maintain the connection for a prolonged period of time."

"At least there's that," Zed conceded with a light sigh before looking back to Klaus and Steven. "But even with that small vulnerability, how are we going to track down and rescue Leo without alerting the Blood Breeds as to what we are planning?" The group once more went silent in contemplation before Chain spoke up.

"If it's information gathering then I can easily slip past detection on most levels to carry it out. I can get back in touch with the Werewolf Bureau and put in a favor to help scope out the city undetected," Chain suggested.

"Not a bad idea but even with their help the city is too big for five Invisible Werewolves to cover. Not to mention even if you found a lead we could use there would likely be little time for us to act appropriately," Steven pointed out.

"Maybe some of us can act as a decoy to mislead and draw out the Blood Breed's forces and then we can track them back to their source," K.K. suggested.

"Too reckless. Even if we don't directly engage the Blood Breeds, doing so will only further endanger Leonardo's safety should the King of Pain realize what we're up to," Lucky countered.

"Shit! This is getting us no where!" Zapp growled ruffling his hair in irritation. "The longer we're here talking things out instead of taking action, there's no telling what those goddamn bloodsuckers could be doing."

"I understand your frustration Zapp, trust me I do, but we have to be careful in our judgment. For Leo's sake we can't afford to underestimate our opponents again," Klaus reasoned.

"Maybe if we could somehow dig up some useful information on how the King of Pain is planning on operating next then we could narrow down the search area to a more manageable grid and come up with some effective countermeasures," Steven speculated aloud.

"But how can we do that?" Hummer inquired. Just then the TV hanging from the ceiling turned on by itself and a familiar mask covered face graced the screen.

"Well hello there boys and girls of Libra. Did you all miss me? It's me, the King of—" Steven took the liberty of quickly shutting the TV off with the remote on Klaus' desk as he and the others just stared at the TV with deadpanned expressions at the unexpected and unwelcome interruption. However it wasn't long before the TV again turned itself back on once more. "DID YOU JUST TURN ME OFF WHEN I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF MY INTRODUCTION? That's just plain rude!" The King of Depravity huffed.

"Piss off already," Zapp growled. "We're not in the mood to deal with you and your shitty games."

"Oh really?" Femt snapped. "Well fortunately for you I'm actually not here for games for once. Instead I'd like to offer you all a special proposition."

"A proposition?" Chain repeated in confusion.

"And what kind of proposition could you possibly think we'd be interested in?" Steven questioned distrustfully.

"Oh I don't know, maybe information regarding a certain Blood Breed that managed to outwit you all and make off a certain squinty-eyed brat," Femt replied feigning disinterest as he checked his gloved nails. The Libra team straightened up almost immediately.

"How do you know about that?" Klaus questioned with narrowed eyes.

"I have my sources," Femt replied dismissively. "But as for the proposition itself I believe it would be best to discuss things in person. And before you go asking your terribly clichéd lines such as: 'why should we trust you.' consider the alternative should you decide to decline my humble invitation. Can't imagine it would be the wisest decision on your part. But whatever, if you refuse it's no skin off my nose. Just thought I'd give you the option of a level playing field. Though if you are interested, and I'm almost certain you are, you'll know where to find me. Toodles!" With that the TV shut off once more on its own as Libra stared in confusion at the screen. A second later a small wormhole appeared and opened up above Klaus' desktop startling Sonic. He flinched and scrambled off the desk and onto Klaus' shoulder as a small elegant envelope fell through and landed on the desktop and the wormhole closed up and disappeared. Klaus warily eyed the envelope for a moment before picking it up and turning it over in his hand.

"Careful, it could be a trap," Lucky warned as Klaus cautiously broke the seal and took out a folded sheet of paper, which once unfolded revealed a hand drawn map that had directions scrawled on it along with several cartoonish doodles of Femt highlighting specific instructions as multiple arrows pointed to the supposed final destination. Steven leaned over to observe as well before taking the paper from him and glancing over it for himself.

"Do you think he was serious?" Zed questioned.

"Of course not. This is the King of Depravity we're talking about here. He's probably just setting this all up as a way to screw with us, the bastard," Zapp replied. Klaus however didn't seem convinced as Steven could clearly see the wheels in his head turning as he stared at the 'invitation.'

"Klaus, you're not actually considering taking up that lunatic's offer are you?" Steven questioned warily.

"I understand it's a risk," Klaus conceded. "The King of Depravity is not to be trusted any more than the King of Pain or any of the other 13 Kings for that matter. However, what other options do we have left? If we decline the offer extended to us and we try to come up with a plan of action to act upon on our own, Leonardo could suffer greatly from our actions or inactions regardless of how we proceed. If the King of Depravity truly has any useful information that we can use against the King of Pain then we should at least hear out what he has to say."

"Not that I don't see your reasoning Klausie but for all we know, the King of Depravity could be working with the King of Pain and this could just be an elaborate ruse to lure us out and exterminate us," K.K. reasoned.

"That's a good point," Chain piped up. "After all, they are under the same faction so it wouldn't be unusual if they were working together."

"Then we'll just have to prepare accordingly," Lucky cut in. "Look Klaus is right. If we can get some kind of lead either on whatever the King of Pain is planning or Leonardo's location out of it then I say we go for it. And even if the worst case should happen and it turns out to be a trap or act of deception after all, going by your logic Chain if we can get our hands on the King of Depravity maybe we can strong arm some answers out of him or maybe even force him to get the King of Pain to submit somehow. Either way, sitting around here and doing nothing will definitely not help save Leonardo or stop that blasted Blood Breed from creating his 'utopia,'" The group exchanged various looks ranging from mild hesitation to general understanding before finally nodding in full agreement.

"Then I guess our minds have been made up," Steven said with a small sigh. "Even so, we should be smart about this. Klaus, Mr. Abrams and I will go and meet the King of Depravity for our little chat. Everyone else will lie in wait at a distance and be ready to act should things go south. Be on your guard no matter what may happen. Let's head out!" With that the Libra team turned and headed out the doors to mobilize feeling slightly more motivated than usual.
_

After a short but winding trip through the city's back roads the group arrived at their final destination: a public amusement park along the banks of one of the city's major rivers. Klaus, Steven and Lucky looked up at the amusement park's neon sign in contemplation.

"Kind of figures this would be the sort of location the King of Depravity would want to meet of all places," Steven deadpanned.

"At least there aren't a lot of people around that could get caught up in the chaos if there's a fight," Lucky said as he scoped out their surroundings.

"Is everyone in position?" Klaus communicated through his earpiece as Sonic observed the larger man still positioned on his shoulder.

"The fish and I are all set Chief," Zapp's voice came through on the other end.

"We're in position too," Chain's voice reported next as she and Hummer and Deldro exchanged silent glances.

"And so am I," K.K. finally replied.

"Excellent," Klaus responded. "Be ready to act at a moment's notice or should we give the signal."

"Roger," the team replied before Klaus nodded to Lucky and Steven. Together the three entered through the entrance and made their way down the wide walkway while keeping their guards up. As they approached the amusement park's main plaza near the foot of the Ferris wheel they finally took notice of two familiar figures causing Sonic to tremble slightly and dart off to hide.

"Ah, so you did decide to show up after all," Femt replied clad in a black buttoned up overcoat instead of his usual attire as well as sporting a top hat and cane for some odd reason.

"Damn, guess I owe you ten zeros," Aligula remarked. She immediately went into a pale pink purse that was slung over her shoulder, instantly putting the three Libra members on guard, only to pull out a ten-dollar bill and handed it over to Femt.

"Thank you," Femt declared with a cheeky grin and overly chipper tone as he pocketed the money in his coat's inner chest pocket. However he observed the three members and frowned slightly. "What, its just you three? That's not very sportsman-like you know."

"If a discussion was what you wanted then you should be happy we even showed up at all," Steven couldn't help but snap. Femt however did not seem fazed by the show of hostility.

"Like you honestly would have turned me down. Given on how you even bothered to show up regardless of the risks, I'm sure you must probably be pretty desperate." Steven and Lucky's expressions darkened slightly while Klaus somehow managed to stay relatively neutral in spite of his own irritation. "Regardless, I believe my invitation was for all of Libra." Femt trailed off and Aligula seemed to pick up on his cue as she pulled out a small remote and pressed a button. Before Klaus, Steven and Lucky could even react, another wormhole opened up hovering a few feet beyond them in the air and Zapp, Zed, K.K., Hummer and Deldro and Chain fell through and landed in a heap with the latter landing nimbly on top of the literal pile of members and with Zapp at the bottom as the wormhole disappeared.

"What the hell just happened?" K.K. questioned clutching her rifle in evident surprise after Chain leapt off of them.

"Who cares? Just get offa me already!" Zapp retorted through grit teeth as he struggled out from under everyone else.

"Man that was trippy," Hummer couldn't help but declare as he brushed himself off. Aligula squealed the moment she laid her eye on Hummer and Deldro.

"OMG, you're here too babe! I knew you couldn't stay away!" She exclaimed in her usual lovesick demeanor. Realizing where they were, the rest of the group quickly recovered and scrambled to their feet as they whipped out their weapons and immediately got into defensive stances taking several steps back to regroup with Klaus, Steven and Lucky. The three men were no better as they too followed suit and got into battle ready stances prepared for the worst possible outcome especially when Aligula started to take off towards them. However to their collective surprise, Femt grabbed the back of her collar and halted her in her tracks as she outstretched her arms towards Hummer and Deldro in clear desire.

"Normally I don't care when you cause trouble but try to restrain yourself this time Aligula. Remember why we're here," Femt urged as he pulled her back.

"WHAT?" Aligula replied looking back to him clearly disgruntled with the suggestion. Femt however just returned the stare with an unreadable but clearly firm expression. After a moment of the two Beyondians staring at each other Aligula clicked her tongue. "Tch, fine!" she relented as she puffed out her cheeks and folded her arms across her chest much like a spoiled child pouting. More or less satisfied with the response he then looked back to the still clearly on edge Libra members.

"Tsk, tsk. Stationing your members nearby to watch over our proceedings. It's almost as if you don't trust little ol' me." The others merely continued to glare at him still on high alert. "Oh will you all relax. If I had wanted to stir up any sort of trouble don't you think I would have already done so by now? Though believe me, in all honesty I would love nothing more than to engage in our usual nonsensical games but this time I assure you my intentions are…decent-ish."

"Decent-ish?" Lucky repeated incredulously. "You've never done anything except endanger innocent people for your deranged entertainment."

"And your point is?" Femt questioned unabashed. This seemed to irritate everyone including Lucky but before he could tear into him, Klaus silently placed a hand on his shoulder in a silent urge to stop. He studied the Alterworldly maniac for a moment before he spoke.

"What exactly is your goal in meeting with us?" Klaus questioned with eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You said you had information regarding the King of Pain correct?"

"That's right."

"Then why would you be willing to help us? He's one of the members in the faction you lead so why would you provide information that could potentially oust him." Femt was silent for a moment as he tapped his fingers on his cane's handle before he replied.

"I do what I want and my reasons are my own," he replied semi-curtly. "But let's just say he and I have conflicting interests." The Libra members raised their brows in confusion as Femt elaborated with a small frown. "That up-start Blood Breed doesn't understand the first thing about nonsense yet he thinks he can just usurp my throne and do whatever he pleases in my playground. I'm not particularly one to get caught up in the matters of others but when my own affairs are jeopardized as a result then I can't help but react accordingly. Besides, he may be one of my kinsmen so to speak but in all honesty I can't stand him, regardless of his overall potential as a formidable ally, and I absolutely refuse to share my kingdom with him!"

"Funny, but if I recall correctly you didn't seem to have an issue with allowing the King of Despair to nearly cause the second Great Collapse that could have potentially destroyed the city," Steven remarked. Femt stopped tapping his fingers as his expression turned a bit thoughtful thinking back to the events that lead up to said event. He was silent for another moment before he spoke and when he did his voice was unnaturally placid.

"Do you know what the difference between depravity, despair and pain is?" He questioned. "Depravity is when you allow moral corruption to take over and run wild. The line between right and wrong is nonexistent and irrelevant. You don't give a damn about the consequences nor do you care what consequences befall others; you just want to sit back watch shit hit the fan and maybe even stir something up to achieve that. Despair on the other hand is born from a lack or absence of faith, which can often lead to actions that one may never resort to regardless of their intentions or beliefs."

"It's true that I allowed for Despair to carry out his plans for the second Great Collapse, mainly because it provided reasonable entertainment for my end, but he was only doing so to fill a void. What that void was I can't exactly say I care to know but I knew he wasn't serious about what he was doing, not entirely. He left far too many open ends to allow for hope to return, which in all honesty made for a much more interesting way to spice up his little game. That's all this wretched life is after all, a game in which we are nothing but pawns in. While he wasn't quite as nonsensical as I was, I still respected what he brought to the table." Klaus and the rest of Libra were a bit taken aback at Femt's surprisingly earnest and out of character speech but before they could say anything Femt continued with a slight bite to his words as a small frown made his way to his formerly thoughtful expression.

"Pain on the other hand is indifferent with whom he inflicts his suffering on regardless of whether they are friend or foe. And don't get me wrong I love sadistic, homicidal tendencies as much as the next madman but with him there is just no fun in it. It's all done for the sake of his own selfish ambitions and it's so one-sided that it's overly droll and boring to watch. What fun is a game if you can't give your opponents the chance to try and turn things around?"

"…So you're only offering to help us as a way to spite the King of Pain. Is that it?" Lucky questioned.

"I suppose that's one way to put it," Femt replied with a casual shrug. "Not to mention if you all were to lose your favorite little game piece causing chaos in this city wouldn't be quite as entertaining for me either. After all, his reactions have become some of the best parts of the little games I come up with for you Libra tightwads."

"I made a playlist of all his best freakouts and screams back home," Aligula offhandedly remarked with a smirk looking to her taller cohort.

"Ooh you don't say," Femt replied regaining his usual manic energy. "Remind me to watch it when we get back. I bet there are some real knee-slappers in there."

"BE SERIOUS!" Lucky, Steven and even Zapp couldn't help but snap simultaneously as the rest just glared disapprovingly at him. Femt quickly regained his composure and looked back to the rest of the Libra team.

"Look, the point is that I'm willing to call a temporary ceasefire to take care of our mutual problem. I know how he works better than anyone and I think I have a few ideas as to where he could be operating from and it would be beneficial for both of us if he were to disappear. You know what they say; the enemy of my enemy is my fiend, or something like that. Besides, I'd like to think that I'm the only sadistic ruler this city needs."

"While I highly disagree with your last statement, I won't deny I do see the logic behind your reasoning," Klaus began. "However given your past actions I still find it hard to trust you completely. What guarantee do we have that you won't go back on your word if things take a sudden or unfavorable turn?" Femt merely let out a harsh, barking laugh.

"I think you and I both know that I can't guarantee a damn thing. If you don't want to trust me then don't. I have my own ways of dealing with Pain if it comes down to it and I didn't need to come out here or suggest an alliance. But if you're that hung up on such small details then that's on you." Femt briefly turned on his heels with Aligula still silently observing them. "I can just as easily return home and watch how the situation between you all plays out or maybe go watch some mindless television," he stopped and turned his direction over to a large television stand in one of the amusement park's stalls. "Then again it doesn't seem like there's anything decent on anyway."

Curious at what the eccentric Alterworldly madman was getting at, Klaus and the other Libra members followed his gaze and saw that a live news report was airing from somewhere within the city. A newswoman was hunkered down behind a van as the background showed a mass of people running either away or into nearby buildings for cover as a number of unseen forces was apparently ransacking the city. Cars were being crushed and flipped, buildings and sidewalks were cracking as slashes and craters were forming seemingly out of no where and the few unfortunate people who straggled behind fell victim to whatever was preying on them as they were lifted into the air and feasted on or dragged away out of sight.

"…We have no idea where these creatures came from or what they are exactly but they have been reported swarming several parts of the city," a newswoman reported before the cameraman's lens caught the image of one of a fleeing man that passed by closest to them as something unseen caught and tore into him spilling blood onto the streets. The newswoman barely suppressed a horrified shriek at the sight but continued in a more quiet tone.

"T-There's at least more than a dozen here on Old Park Avenue alone and their numbers are said to be slowly increasing by the hour as reports are still coming in all over the city. Local police and law enforcement are currently mobilized to try and engage the threat but…" she stopped and held a hand up to her earpiece as she apparently received some sort of new information. "What? What do you mean you can't see what we're talking about? How can you not see—" before she could continue, the van they took cover behind began to rock back and forth causing the camera to pan up. One of the supposed creatures had apparently landed on top of the van and while it couldn't be seen it was definitely heard. It snarled low and menacingly before breaking off into a roar as the camera suddenly dropped. The newswoman and cameraman's screams could be heard as a splatter of blood appeared on the ground and covering the lens just before the camera's live feed cut off. Perturbed looks graced each of the Libra members.

"Those creatures that reporter was referring to," Zed began. "Don't tell me they were—"

"Blood Breeds, without a doubt," Lucky gravely stated.

"More than a dozen of them? How can there be that many of them at once?" Chain replied in mild shock.

"It seems that Pain is already allowing his pawns to make their first move, which could prove to be a considerable problem for the All-Seeing Eyes brat," Femt commented nonchalantly as he twirled his cane. The rest of Libra turned their attention once more to the self-proclaimed King before he elaborated. "If there's one thing I know about Pain, it's that as manipulative and calculating as he is, he can get rather impatient when he's dealt a good hand and he can only restrain himself for so long before he plays it. It's partially why he has always been such a lousy card player," Femt couldn't help but quip earning several unamused looks before he continued. "In any case, whatever warnings or advisements he may have given you, I highly doubt Pain will stick to his word. If anything I'd be surprised if he keeps the brat alive longer than half a day before he gets impatient and decides to take matters into his own hands. Or more specifically, allow that little curse of his to finish the job." The entire group went cold at this revelation as Zapp numbly spoke.

"Then that 24 hour warning was…"

"Most likely a countdown to the boy's final hours," Femt finished as he stopped twirling his cane. Klaus' eyes widened slightly in fear behind his glasses and he clutched his fists tightly. Femt allowed the silence to stretch a bit before he turned back to them and thrust the tip of his cane onto the cobblestone path beneath them making a hollow clacking sound. "So what's it going to be Libra? Are you willing to chance trusting me and forming a temporary alliance? Or are you going to turn me down and go guns blazing to try and fight Pain and his forces on your own in a foolhardy attempt to rescue your little pawn? Ultimately the choice is yours but either way you don't have much time left. And neither does he for that matter."

Klaus was eerily silent and still for the longest time with his glasses and forced neutral expression obscuring any sort of hint as to what he was thinking as Steven, Lucky, Zapp, Zed, Chain, K.K., Hummer and Deldro looked to their leader for guidance. Finally Klaus made his decision. He slowly unfurled his fist and extended it outwards in a silent but clearly hesitant handshake of compliance.

"Klaus?" Steven began clearly shocked by the choice.

"Do not misunderstand my intentions," Klaus began as he gave Femt the most intimidating and unwavering look he could muster. "Trust is something earned, not given blindly. As far as I am concerned I have no reason to trust you regardless of the reasoning behind your actions. That being said, should I discover that this is some sort act of deception, I assure you that you will suffer the consequences immensely." Instead of feeling intimidated or even affronted by the clear threat, Femt merely gave a devilish smirk as he strolled up to Klaus.

"You hero types; always so serious and predictable," Femt prefaced with an air of mild amusement before he took Klaus' hand in his own. Almost as soon as they disengaged the handshake did the surrounding area start to gain some light. Glancing to their left, the group noticed that dawn was just starting to break over the horizon.

"If we're going to come up with a game plan, now would likely be the best time to do so," Lucky suggested. "Most Lower Class Blood Breeds who can't hide or sustain themselves as effectively as the Higher Class Breeds will likely be seeking shelter and will give both us and the city a brief respite at least until dusk falls again."

"In that case attacking the source, in other words the King of Pain himself, would likely be the most viable solution," Steven articulated. "The only problem is we don't have a clue as to where the Son of a Bitch could be hiding."

"If I know that pompous prick, then he'll likely have taken to hiding as far out of the way as he can while at the same time positioning his lackeys strategically throughout the city to act at a moment's notice once they are able to move freely again. And there's only one particular place I can think of where he would be lying low."

"And where exactly would that be?" Zapp questioned in a snarky tone and frown.

"The Alterworld duh!" Aligula responded sassily as she put her hands on her hips and returned Zapp's sour look with one of her own. The Libra members exchanged troubled looks.

"Figures, the one place in the city we have the least credible information on is where he would be hiding," K.K. growled under her breath before speaking up. "Even if we narrow down our search to the Alterworld itself there's just as much ground, if not even more so to cover and with little time to cover it."

"Then I suppose it's a good thing we're here hmm?" Femt replied with a cocky smirk. "Leave tracking down Pain to us, you gorillas just focus on getting your shit together for the inevitable fight that's sure to follow," Femt declared as he turned and began to stroll away as Aligula followed though not with blowing a quick kiss towards Hummer and Deldro's direction, which caused the latter to turn his head away and grumble unflattering curses under his breath. "We'll contact you once we get the necessary information." Once the duo had disappeared out of sight, Sonic who had also been apparently observing from a distance, took the opportunity to come back out of hiding and perch himself on Klaus' broad shoulder once more.

"Not that we don't trust your judgment Klaus, but are you sure going along with the King of Depravity's so-called alliance is a good idea?" Lucky finally questioned.

"We unfortunately don't have much of a choice," Klaus admitted. "But should the worst happen then we'll deal with it. The most important thing right now is locating and rescuing Leonardo and stopping the King of Pain's advances before anymore damage can be done." Figuring it was better to prepare for the inevitable confrontation than needlessly worrying about the potential double cross, the others nodded resolutely in agreement before they turned and exited back out the way the came in. However, just before Klaus left the amusement park's plaza, he looked out across the river as more rays of sunlight started shining off the windows of the skyscrapers in the distance. Seeing the rising sun sparked a brief memory of the dawn following the second Great Collapse.

He recalled Leo and himself standing amongst the rubble and destruction, albeit with himself badly injured, clothes shredded and torn, drenched in his own blood and needing to be supported by Steven due to the wringer the King of Despair had put him through. Leo was a little worse for wear as well with a few bruises, scrapes, and cuts all across his body and face, some of which were still bleeding, and a cracked left eye (Abrams had given him hell for that when he found out). However in spite of the pain from the events they both felt on that day, they also felt the strong sense of accomplishment. Because of this, Klaus offered a large fist out to Leo, who instinctively flinched away clearly caught off guard by the action at first, but he quickly reciprocated and they bumped fists in a silent act of camaraderie. Klaus could also clearly recall the sheepish but proud smile Leo had on his face even in spite of the lingering tears from his emotional breakdown when all was said and done. Despite the circumstances, Klaus allowed a faint quirk up from the corner of his mouth that hinted towards a smile before his mind brought him back to the present situation and his expression became stern.

"Leo, wherever you are, just hold out for as long as you can. I promise you that we will not fail again," Klaus mused internally before he turned and followed the rest of his team out of the amusement park plaza.
_

Meanwhile, in a dark and dingy abandoned factory located somewhere in the thick, fog-covered Alterworld, said young man was currently doing all he could to do just that. As the curse runes glowed and pulsed with energy, Leo screamed and thrashed against the chains that bound his arms to his sides. Eventually the glowing ceased and the runes resumed their usual rhythmic pulsing before Leo collapsed onto his side while the three Blood Breeds laughed at his expense.

"I'll never get sick of this," the slender male Blood Breed said as he and the other two sadistic vampires held their stomachs. Leo gasped and panted from the exertion of energy as the sharp pangs slowly ebbed away into a slightly more manageable though still unpleasant throb. "Do it again boss," he implored looking to the King of Pain who was perched on a makeshift throne of rubble and debris looking as equally amused as his three minions.

"While I normally would be happy to oblige, I'm afraid we can't get too carried away," the sadistic Elder Class Breed replied as he hopped off his pedestal and walked over to the recovering Leo. The King of Pain crouched down by Leo's side balancing on the balls of his feet as Leo gave him a fatigued, if not slightly inquisitive look. "You know it was no mistake that you became the 1000th victim of my curse. The reason the Maledictum et Cruciabuntur is such a formidable curse isn't just because it's self-aware, it's because of what it offers for the Caster in exchange." Leo felt a twinge of curious dread fill him as he listened to the Elder Class Breed continue. "It's honestly no different than a contract between two parties. In exchange for giving the curse what it wants, it gives me what I desire. And what I desire are those precious eyes of yours along with every life force the Maledictum has claimed." The twinge of dread Leo felt instantly grew and spread throughout him.

"W-Why?" he croaked out. "What purpose could you possibly have for something like that?" The King of Pain gave Leo a devilish smirk.

"Because with every life force I claim, it will make me stronger. I've existed for hundreds of years, longer than even most other Elder Class Blood Breeds in this realm. Blood alone doesn't satisfy a noble and powerful being like myself anymore so I desire something more 'filling' as it were. And with each life force I receive through the Maledictum, I'll also gain the abilities and knowledge imbued within each one. Why do you think I decided to remain in this godforsaken Huma realm for so many miserable years? Each life force the curse claimed was carefully handpicked for my inevitable reign. Specialized soldiers with insider military information, spiritualists capable of formidable spells and incantations, even some high-ranking government and religious officials from both the Alterworld and Huma world as well as a few other Fang Hunters that were foolish enough to think they could stop me. And joining them will be yours as well." Leo widened his eyes slightly in alarm exposing his blue globes. "All that you know, all that you are, and all that you have will soon become mine and that includes those prized eyes of yours. And with your knowledge on the Fang Hunters' inner workings in this city, I'll constantly be one step ahead of them as an added bonus. Can you think of anything more deliciously ironic than that?" Leo grit his teeth and barely suppressed a growl of helpless frustration as he bowed his head causing his unruly hair to fall and overshadow his face.

"I'll also tell you this, it doesn't matter what those Fang Hunters do, keeping you alive any longer than necessary gains me nothing. However knowing how typical you Huma are, they'll likely restrain themselves from doing anything rash anyway if they think it means endangering your life. They'll probably even try to strike some sort of bargain with me or maybe even beg for leniency for either your sake or their own once I begin my rule. Though it's a pity I have no intentions of doing so. That being said I look forward to seeing the looks of despair on their faces when they realize that they lost their trump card," Pain commented as the other three Blood Breeds snickered at the thought and Leo's frown deepened.

"I honestly can't begin to tell you how much I wish I could just pluck those orbs from your sockets and take them for myself. But I unfortunately have to let the Maledictum et Cruciabuntur run its course otherwise it would be a breach of contract. Though that's not to say I can't have some fun with you until then," the Elder Class Breed said before his red eyes began to glow once more. Once more the curse runes began to glow with energy sending shockwaves of agony throughout Leo. However instead of allowing himself to cry out again, he grit his teeth and forced himself to stifle any sounds of discomfort as he withstood the thankfully short-lived effects of the curse until they faded back into their usual, rhythmic pulsing. This did not sit well with the three formerly giddy Blood Breeds.

"Tch, he barely reacted that time. That's no fun," the female Blood Breed remarked with a click of her tongue. Pain was clearly in agreement as he studied the suddenly defiant lad until a devious smile made his way onto his face.

"So you're trying to be a tough guy now are you? Tell me, by doing this do you think those Fang Hunters would praise you for your efforts? That they would consider you worthy of their respect? I mean, that's essentially why you always put up with all the crap they put you through right?" Leo stiffened slightly but did not react further as he listened to the Elder Class vampire continue.

"I'll give you this much, you're either earnestly persistent or stubbornly foolish to constantly straggle after them even when you know you don't have what it takes to stand side by side with them. But I regret to inform you that the tragic truth of the matter is that they honestly don't care about you specifically. The only thing that matters to them is the All-Seeing Eyes of the Gods. You are nothing more than a convenient tool for them to use. Granted that's really why anyone would want anything to do with a nobody like you but hey, at least I have the decency to admit it to your face instead of stringing you along with false words and empty promises." Leo clenched his jaw as another frown made his way onto his face. Seeing this, Pain decided to give him one last push over the edge.

"You think I'm lying? Then answer me this: can you think of any time when they showed any kind of concern for your life or wellbeing whenever your eyes weren't involved?" This time Leo could not prevent the unintentional flinch from the King of Pain's words. He remained silent but nonetheless could not help but think back as various memories resurfaced themselves in rapid succession. The countless times Zapp picked on him and sent him hurtling either intentionally or unintentionally into danger, Chain blowing him off that one time that burly thug of a tourist mugged him and she just so happened to be passing by, Steven's general indifference to Leo's presence unless there was a particular need for his eyes, even the more recent event of trying to inform Klaus of his suspicions of something wrong before the curse awakened only for his attempts to essentially fall on deaf ears. Leo couldn't help but curl in on himself a little as the cocky vampire hovering over him smirked. After a long moment of despondent silence, Leo finally spoke.

"You're probably right," Leo admitted with his hair still obscuring and overshadowing his face. "No, if I had to guess I'd say you're exactly right. I'm not stupid; I've known since day one that the All-Seeing Eyes of the Gods are the only reason I ever even got involved with Libra and that's probably the only reason they put up with an ordinary, useless guy like me. These eyes have been nothing but a burden and have brought nothing but regret and misfortune into my life and I have no one to blame but myself for that. They're tools just waiting to be used by someone else and by extension so am I; there's no denying that. You're right about all of it." The King of Pain smirked a fraction wider at Leo's confession.

"But…there's something you should know," Leo prefaced. The Elder Breed's smile faltered slightly in confusion. Leo slowly positioned his body up from laying on his side up onto his knees facing towards his tormentor but with his head still down. "If I have to live my life as a tool to be used, then I'd rather be used for the right reasons. If it means helping and protecting people against monsters like you, then I'll suffer for that purpose. That's my burden to bear." Pain's formerly pleased smile now fell away completely into an unreadable blank expression. "Also, despite everything you said before, there's one thing you are wrong about. You said before that Klaus and the others would cooperate and allow you to do as you like. That's a complete load of crap." Leo tilted his head up towards him, his formerly overshadowed face now showing a surprising amount of resolve and his All-Seeing Eyes cracked open staring directly at him with a rebellious glare in spite of the obvious pain coursing through him.

"If you think that using my eyes as leverage will get them to do as you say then you're dead wrong. One way or another they'll find a way to stop you, regardless of whatever happens to me. And if you think for one moment that they won't, then you really aren't as clever as you think you are."

For a painstakingly long moment, the King of Pain's unreadable expression did not change. He remained unnervingly calm and stoic until, faster than Leo could even react, he retaliated with lightning speed backhanding Leo with such force that he tumbled and crashed into a nearby concrete support beam. The force of the impact caused it to crack away ever so slightly and Leo also felt something within his torso crack as well. The hard blow was also more than enough to knock the wind out of him and he let out a strangled cry as a result. Stabbing pain flared through his entire chest as he slumped to the ground gasping to catch his breath and coughing harshly. Each inhale only brought another new and sharp throb to flare up and a small trickle of blood ran down the corner of his mouth from being struck. As Leo struggled to recover the sadistic Blood Breed approached him with deliberately slow and ominous strides. He reached down and grabbed Leo by the throat in a nearly crushing grip causing him to let out a series of spluttering gasps further restricting his airflow before hoisting him up and dangling him a few feet off the ground. A look of smoldering anger was plastered on the vampire's face.

"Don't get cocky with me you goddamn brat," he growled. "If you think possessing those blasted eyes of yours makes you some kind of hero then you're sorely mistaken. It doesn't matter who or what you were or want to be, your only purpose in life is to 'bear witness', remember?" Leo froze a bit at Pain's choice of words. "You're essentially no better than a walking, talking camera; you don't get a say in what you will and won't be used for. That's your karma as holder of the All-Seeing Eyes of the Gods boy, so don't act like you're worth anything more than that!" With that last sentence the King of Pain hurled Leo down hard onto the ground causing another loud crack to be heard and more intense pangs of agony to sear through Leo's torso causing him to cry out again as a result. Leo coughed and tried to take in deep, shuddering breaths as The King of Pain huffed angrily and the three other Blood Breeds watched from the background in mild interest until finally Pain seemed to recompose himself. He ran a hand through his black hair and let out one last aggravated huff.

"As if a whelp like you can make any sort of difference to anyone especially without those eyes," he said as he observed the lad before him as he slowly managed to recover. Leo gazed up at his tormentor hurt but still unwilling to believe Pain's cruel words. Pain must have seen the lingering resilience in his eye as he felt his aggravation rise slightly again. However as quickly as it came, it was quickly gone and Leo noticed a small twitch at the corner of the Blood Breed's mouth before his expression changed into an unreadable one yet again.

"Fine then, if you're that insistent on believing the contrary, I'll prove it to you: your general inadequacy." With that the King of Pain ominously raised his arm out to the side and flexed it allowing it to shift into the same wicked, demonic appendage from before. Leo felt terror grip him as he watched the Elder Class Blood Creed rotate his arm straight up and unsheathe his claws. "Don't say I didn't warn you boy." With that, Pain swiped his razor sharp claws down at Leo causing him to let out a loud cry as he could only brace himself for the worst.
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Author's Notes: Wow, this chapter actually came out a little earlier than I was originally expecting. I thought it would take another month or so but my muse was a little more active than usual despite the more exhausting days I've been experiencing. Even so, sorry for the still long wait. So before I get into things, I first want to thank Laialy for the awesome cover image for this story. I never would have thought this story would resonate so much with people to inspire such awesome artwork and it truly means a lot! Also big thanks to Rosalix Archangel, Laialy and RipleyL, for the reviews and ItsHoodButItsGood for Favoriting this story. Now, onto the chapter itself.

I know how terribly cliché it is for the good guys and bad guys to team up and this was kind of a risky move because I felt it would put a lot of people off this story for good but I often think of Femt as sort of a chaotic neutral/negative more just than a straight up villain. Granted he is still a sadistic, homicidal, high-energy, chaotic neutral/negative but he had his moments in the series that made him not like most villains who are actively out to simply just rule or destroy the world, especially when it came to the last episode in the first season and even the OVA of the first season with the restaurant (if you don't know what I'm talking about, I highly suggest Googling it. I just about died laughing when I first watched it). Honestly, writing him is going to be a lot of fun (he reminds me a lot of Bill Cipher from Gravity Falls XD) so I hope I did him justice in this chapter, even with his little comparison speech. Aligula is just, well, Hummer and Deldro's annoying stalker, fan-girl, ex-girlfriend but hopefully I can make things work with her. Poor Leo, with everything now fully revealed and bound to get so much worse, what's going to happen to him? Will Libra make it in time or will Femt prove untrustworthy after all?

The next chapter is the story's climax but because it's looking to be a BEAST of a chapter (both length-wise and content wise), so I'm going to have to split it up into two, maybe three, parts for my own convenience as well as sanity. And yes, as with all action anime, there is going to be an epic final showdown. I am still working out the fighting sequences so it is going to take a good amount of time and energy (something I still don't have much of these days even with the little bit of inspiration I've been getting). I also want to take my time with this to do everything right so I really hate to do this but…I have decided that I will not be posting any more of this story until ALL parts of the climax are 100% completed to my satisfaction and I have a solid plan for the conclusion. I don't know how long it will take, maybe a few weeks (that would be the best case scenario but is highly unlikely at this point), maybe another month, maybe longer; I just don't know. Again, I know it might be a bit much to ask since I've been taking such a long time with the recent chapters, but please be patient with me. I promise I will do my best to make the payout worth the wait! Who knows, maybe I'll even include something special at the end. Until next time!