~ Act 3 ~
[The Man at the Door]
There by midnight, gone by morning.
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:O: Theodore's Perspective :O:
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Dublin, Ireland… Nice little place, and the fans are crazy about us.
The doctor won't be able to enjoy his stay though, not when duty calls. Work comes first, playtime second… Makes me reflect on myself quite a bit.
Currently, we're in the ER ward at the residential Paul D. Hewson Medical Center. Infinity owned, Infinity branded, named after the doctor's late master.
Dr. Hewson inspired Dr. Farrelly to put on a coat. It was the best job for him, given his nature and his love for helping others… Who'd thought it? A vampire giving life over taking it… We live in a strange world, but it's better this way.
Young people need those they can look up to.
So masterful… Repairing a man that should be long gone by now.
The warlock is as much a fighter as any nightwalker. Were he a human… He'd already be dead. Just looking at him… Stuart definitely had this guy's number.
None of us saw what happened, but we felt it. I could've used my existence, Crazy Diamond, to see what transpired, but… It would've been too dangerous.
Humans can't withstand the pressure of my existential force for extended periods of time. That's because I used it primarily for field work in my earlier career… A wild guy like me, one-half of the unstoppable duo Hurricane, can only watch from a distance.
I want to be like the doctor. I want to help the sick and dying, be strong enough to save lives… The way I am now, I'm too weak. So, I stand here, observing the doctor's magic.
"…I borrowed some cells from his bloodstream. Reproduced them. Closed the veins for a while to prevent any outside air from entering… Using a few of those cells, I was able to craft him another heart." I… can't believe what I just heard… The doctor is capable of *this* much? So strong… Doctor… Your existence shines like a diamond in my eyes!
His team takes care of the fundamentals, keeping the warlock's vitals in check and ensuring the body has the right amount of anesthesia. Even we nightwalkers feel pain, so it's best to keep the body numb. One shock and complications would pile up.
One of the team members reports, "Application successful, doctor.
His recovery rate… He's definitely the war god's contractor." Diana King, the head nurse of Infinity's medical branch. She's always at her best, along with Love, Guerra, and Knightly. Their teamwork inspires me—it really does.
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:O: Stephen's Perspective :O:
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The warlock has the blood of a god coursing his veins.
This made things a lot easier… His cells are doing most of the work. A procedure this serious would be impossible if he were a normal fellow. Only thing I have to do is speed up the process of regeneration, which means… Right…
Even if he was killed, he'd gradually regenerate from the root.
To make a fellow like this dead and gone, you'd have to destroy the entire body. Not a single cell left behind or you're getting a sequel… Part 2, part 3, and the numbers would keep going until one gets things done right.
Stuart had absolutely no *idea* what kind of person he was up against. I wonder what gave him the heart to pull through—okay, that wasn't the best choice of words. Leave is up to old goats like me, bad form, partially senile. I'm still strong-bodied, but, considering how silly I've been acting, I'd say I'm halfway there.
"—There, it's done." Crafting a heart takes a lot of patience, especially since Green Day has a personality much like my own. Excitable when you let things escalate… Kind of like when we taste really sweet blood.
Now, to connect and open the veins…
*splick, splickt… splick, splickt…*
"—"
It's tricky, real tricky, but everything works out. I just had to fuse the cells together and readjust the blood track a little. With his bloodstream back in order, all I have to do now is close up the fissure and let the war god do the rest. This requires a quick hand, but this is the easy part compared to what I just did… Thank goodness…
…After what the Infinity Research Department relayed to us…
I'm just glad the fellow will be alright.
We need someone like Dhesi on our side. He's valuable and not just in power alone.
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:O: Natalie's Perspective :O:
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There's an enemy among us. I ordered those morons at IRD to keep the news from the doctor until he completes the surgery, but… That's just me being a lady.
Honestly, I didn't want anything to happen to the warlock. I still don't, much like my stance with everyone affected the Old Man's power. Yes… The warlock was influenced by that maniac's existence, which still remains a mystery after all these years.
According to the IDB, Karthikeya *isn't* an evil deva nor does it require despair. It's an entity meant to empower its people, much like any other god. Everyone needs something or someone to give them hope, courage, peace of mind… The Old Man…
Unforgivable!
Back then, he played with the warlock by possessing his master's corpse!
…That wasn't the "power of immortality"…
It was the Old Man toying with his heart! Due to the Old Man's games, a sensible and kind magus with big dreams became a demon… A warlock… A magus that betrayed the tenets of the Sikh, ushering forth stigma that drove him from his homeland.
Yuvraj… No, Yamir…
Your life was thrown into disarray because of the church! I can't look past this!
"…Natalie, are you okay?"
"—?" Oh, I forgot I'm in the waiting room with Dawnavan.
Stuart is also recovering, despite his miraculous win.
A sub-team under Stephen's direction handles his case on the second floor.
His body needs nourishment and a lot of rest… Awakening to one's existence is a trying thing, especially if it lied dormant for a long time… Yes, Stuart's existence was quiet since the day he was born, and it took him dying for it to blossom.
I've yet to see what it looks like. Bet it's quite the sight for sore eyes.
"I'm fine, Dawny, just thinking." No… That won't be enough to ease Dawnavan's concern. He and Stuart witnessed what I wanted to keep away from them.
Personally, I didn't want them to get involved. They remind me too much of—*them*... The resemblance is uncanny, especially in Stuart's case.
If I were some lowlife wench, I'd say something like "it looks like Frederic had him all by himself," or something silly like that. My trauma for dealing with stupidity… Trauma…
Yes, this mentality seems to be the norm these days.
The church really left a dent on society, especially me… I choke at the thought of these kids having to deal with all this… It sickens me, knowing so many are against love. Sometimes, I feel like giving up, but, when I see their faces…
"—Dawnavan, can I ask you something?"
He backs from surprise, especially since this isn't an everyday thing.
"What is it, Nattie?"
"Now that you know about everything… Are you…
…Are you afraid of us?
You know… Us, being nightwalkers?" This is only a small portion of what I want to ask him, and it was hard to do that. I don't pride my nightwalker status… I should've been dead a long time ago, so, in a sense, I understood how Stuart felt before he went to sleep.
Being a nightwalker isn't a glamorous thing. Doesn't matter how flashy we look, how beautiful or terrifying… We're dead in our own way, inside and out. We're also prone to random moments of nostalgia, which becomes a bother after a while.
…Humph. Now that I think about it…
I've seen a lot, pre and post-mortem. Life, war, death, advancement, deterioration, jubilation, assimilation… Annihilation… I've even seen an entire civilization destroyed because the Old Man wanted to "have fun".
Fun… He thinks ruining lives is "fun"... What a disgusting man!
I can only imagine what he would do to kids like Dawnavan.
"—I can't put all nightwalkers in the same bunch.
If you wanted to do something to us, you would've done it by now.
You're a strong and beautiful vampire lady… You could rend us to bits if you wanted, but you didn't, so I can't think any differently about you." So innocent, so naive, he's definitely the reincarnation of my goddaughter… It's as if he carries her heart and Stuart only looks like Frederic. A fair trade, give or take.
I find it proper to humbly reply, "Thanks, Dawny, you're a peach.
You can always count on us to protect—"
"—I don't want that." Oh! Well, scratch what I was about to say… He looks serious. That scrunched up nose like Maribel, eyeing me for a spell.
"So, what *do* you want, Dawny?"
"I want to help you fight… Stuart… All of you…" He wants in, does he? That's asking quite a lot… Quite a lot indeed.
I can only be honest with him, "You're not ready, Dawny.
If a person like Dhesi or one of the clerics get a hold of you…"
…I don't want to imagine it… The horrors they'd make him experience.
*sob… sob…*
I never want to see these kids suffer. It'd be the end of me… Really, it would.
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:O: Dawnavan's Perspective :O:
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—Oh, look at what I've gone and done! I made Natalie upset… Here I was trying to be the supportive one, and the only thing I did was make her cry.
"I'm sorry, Natalie… I was only trying to—!" Wait… She's not crying normal tears… Natalie… She's *bleeding* from her eyes?!
I'm cold… I'm so cold with fear. What should I do?
She casually wipes her eyes, with a smile nonetheless, "It's fine… You didn't upset me…
I just care about you kids. I really do… Oh, boy…
This is a bit sudden, but you see it for yourself." Honestly, I don't know what to make of this… I can only imagine what becomes of a vampire if they cry too much.
"—So, you bleed from the eyes when you cry?"
"All vampires do. That's why we're so odd-acting most of the time…
…If we cry too much or lose too much blood in any way…
Even around a nice lady like me, you wouldn't be safe. It's either we replenish the blood we loss or die… For good." So… This is why Natalie usually smiles a lot.
She's hiding herself from pain so she won't cry. So she won't hurt any of us.
Natalie and Stephen are two of several vampires I know about. This is thanks to the latter's existence, Green Day… He revealed a lot to me, more than what I was prepared for.
To think vampires would be this miserable… It hurts. I want to hug them.
A person that would die if they expressed their feelings… That's too horrible!
"I want to fight… So you can feel…" I dare to say these words to her. Call me anything you want, label me, burn me alive… No one should have to live like that.
"—So I can feel, you say. Why?"
"…It doesn't matter… Things like this should be natural.
Natalie, I… So that all nightwalkers can embrace their hearts…
I want to fight. This is what I've decided." That sounds super cool, but I didn't say that to show off. I truly value the right to feel… Even the dead should freely use their hearts.
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:O: Natalie's Perspective :O:
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What was I thinking? I forgot… Maribel was a courageous lady, so, if this child inherited her heart, his mettle makes sense.
A heart for the living and the dead. A strong weapon, through and through.
I can't pass this chance up.
"—Dawnavan, *impressive*. This is the Infinity way.
You've just stolen my heart. So, it's only best to welcome you aboard.
Please, give me your dominant arm." He responds, giving me his right arm… I take his extended wrist into my grasp, and, with a concentration of my existence, I adorn him with the symbol of Infinity—a charm… The Golden Phönixkreuz.
As the founding mother of Infinity, this is the highest honor.
After all, I am, as everyone calls me, "the boss lady". Ohohohohoho!
My newest radical is amazed by how much detail I put into his charm.
"Natalie, this is… It's beautiful!"
"Such is love, but even love can be ugly.
Infinity's duty is to beautify the term 'love,' by any means necessary. To restore what the church destroyed, bit by bit, piece by piece. So, with that said…
Pleasure to have you join us, Radical Dawnavan Hilal Crowley."
He eyes me with amazement, "R—Radical? Me?"
"You did say you wanted to fight, and for an admirable purpose.
So, you're in, but… This isn't where your initiation stops." Dawnavan's a little taken aback by what I've said, but it's the honest truth… As a radical, you need to be prepared when the church comes prowling with their bloodstained bibles. Full of sin and malice…
In his present state, Dawnavan won't stand a chance against a cleric. The same goes for Stuart, despite blossoming as he did… Those monsters would rend them easily.
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:O: Dawnavan's Perspective :O:
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This is… Incredible, simply amazing!
It's not the thought of being a radical or even this gorgeous charm… It's the fact that I get the chance to be of some help.
I'm strange, I suppose. Placing others before myself… It's pathetic in a way, holding my own self to such a low extent. Maybe it's low self-esteem, I'm not sure.
Still, if this means that everyone can smile, even the dead…
"…What else is in store for me?" I look Natalie—no, Mother Katherine in the eyes. The passion… She sees it in my stare.
It makes her smile, "Good to see determination from a man your age.
Very well, since you're in such a hurry…
We're ironically in the heart of an Infinity settlement." Wait a second… Infinity settlement? As in… Is Dublin, Ireland under Infinity jurisdiction?
"Mother Katherine—"
"—'Natalie' will do just fine. I severed my ties with Rutherford ages ago."
Oh, well… I don't mean to cross her, so…
"—I understand. So, Dublin is owned by Infinity?"
"Yes, as are many other places around the world, but, sadly… Not as much as the church." She says this with a level of frustration I wasn't expecting from her. No, wait, scratch that… She has every right to feel frustrated… An entire clergy tarnishing the word of God for their selfish desires. To feast on the blood, flesh and bone of humans.
Despite how she feels, Natalie composes, "Fortunately, for all of us, one of our training facilities is stationed here. I phoned our connections earlier about Stuart, but, now that we have 'new blood' in the mix… Ohohohoho… Ohohohoho…" She cuts into laughter.
The kind of laughter that scares the pants off of you.
Oh, dear… This doesn't look good…
…What the hell did I just get myself into?
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:O: Yuvraj's Perspective :O:
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…
—Hm? What is… Didn't I…
The madness… I no longer feel…
What is this sense of freedom? My heart, it…
Warmth… I feel warmth enveloping me, making me whole again.
I haven't felt this way in ages.
It's like a hole that once led to nothing has now been filled up, but… With what?
I've been among the dead for so long that I forgot how to live. Interacting with people is easy for me, but my actions are half-hearted… Like my feelings aren't even there, which is improbable despite my nightwalker status.
I—*was* a warlock, but not anymore… I can't be coming back to life. It's impossible, especially after what happened.
…Stuart… In my final moments, I accepted you as a threat, as an equal… The only reason I lost to you was because I lost myself long ago.
Karthikeya has been pleased, I'm sure of it. The despair you gave it was incredible, but, it's strange… I feel like your passion was even greater than your despair. Perhaps that's why the demon didn't consume me, why I still have a soul even as I am right now.
"—One may lose mind and heart, but never the soul." Wha—? This voice… Is it you, my contract… Karthikeya?
"I am displeased, Yamir. Not in you but myself." The demon—I mean, the god of war makes its presence known.
*...shroom, flash…!*
The light of devas… This isn't a dream. Before me is *the* god of war, Karthikeya.
…So majestic… It's grace humbles me even in spirit.
"Why must you lower yourself, Yamir? Have you no confidence in yourself?"
Confidence? Me?
No… I lost that when I—wait… Was *this* the reason?
Me, falling from the path. Was it because I lacked confidence in myself?
"No, you were deceived." I was… deceived?
How is that possible? Karthikeya, were you not always there with me? "I was not, unfortunately. What you thought was me… It was only an illusion."
"—?!" An… An illusion… So, what I was doing…
Everything… Everything I've done up until now was pointless? For no purpose at all? I… I just can't bring myself to believe that… Karthikeya, I…
"Yamir, I seek justice—against the lowly fool that used my image."
Justice? Against someone who—who… Karthikeya, I beseech you. What despicable boor would *dare* tarnish your excellence?
"You will find this lowly fool among hatred. One with a soul darker than the abyss…
…Search the clerics of olden times… Search them well…
There, among their numbers, will you find this sinner." You mean the Church of the Crimson Moon. I know that description with great dread… Despite my fear, I will not run away. Karthikeya, if justice is what you seek… Fine, I'll do it.
"Thank you, kind servant. Thank you very much.
Your service will garner you companions. Protect them. Teach them.
My power will always be with you, Archmagus Yamir—" No, I am no longer that weak person, Karthikeya. Yamir Shashi al-Qatar is no more. If you have granted me the power of an archmagus, then… I am "Archmagus Yuvraj Singh Dhesi," and I will see your justice realized. So, please… Grant me stay in the mortal world, my contract.
"The path has already been made. Fate smiles upon you, Yuvraj.
I wish you well, ascended one. Until we meet again." With the god's graces, the light of devas envelops the darkness around and about us… *…flash…!*
I'm returning to the mortal world… With a new focus, a new mission.
A path not of deception, but of justice—against the fool that disgraced the god's hallowed image.
Karthikeya…
…Rest assured… Vengeance will be yours!
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:O: ?'s Perspective :O:
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*…flap, flap, flap…*
One, two, three… One two, three… One, two, three…
*…flap, flap, flap…flap-flap…*
…Count the steps to fun, and you come out with… 777 steps!
My mother was beautiful, deadly and eccentric. My father, strong, crafty and a bit of a greedy prick, but… Greed isn't necessarily a bad thing. We want what we want, after all.
Nightwalkers like vampires and The Eaters… They have it so easy, flying around all free and willy-nilly, while cats like me can only jump a distance. I've a greater resistance than them, however, so I guess it's not too bad of a trade
Hmm… Let's see… Where have my feet carried me?
I spy with my little eyes… "Paul D. Hewson—Medical… Center…
…Must be named after some uppity bigwig… Not that I care. Probably full of squares."
I'm not here for fancy names anyway, so what does it matter?
Now, to find Big Ben… "Release, Bedrock Sight."
*…shroom, glisten!…*
My existence, The Doors, enables sight beyond sight. I can see anything I please, but the soul is my most favorite thing… Souls… So many of them… Mu, shushushu!
This "medical center" looks like the perfect playground. Hmm… Maybe I should have a little fun with this. Wouldn't hurt the "mission" none, especially since I'm not about the old-fashioned, fuddy-duddy stuff. I do things stylishly, so… Dublin, Ireland…
…Back Door Man is here for that midnight creep, and… I'm solid cool, baby!
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:O: The BLOOD Saga: NIGHT :O:
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