Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 6

Chapter 29: Give My Regards to Poughkeepsie

(DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Supernatural because it belongs to Eric Kripke and Warner Bros. So, enjoy the show! Rated M for graphic violence, adult content, and adult language.)

I was in a room of the camp outside the tunnel where the bullet train got blown up as I was writing in my journal about my experience with what I saw two days ago. The cot that I slept in was not as good as either the futon or the memory foam mattresses that are used today as the springs in what I was in did a number on my back. Even though I woke up at five in the morning, I was up on my feet as I left my room and went straight towards the vast hot springs near the camp. With my clothes stripped off, I went towards the waterfall and cleaned myself off with the soap and water that was there in a makeshift wash basin. By the time I finished up and rinsed myself off, I went towards the hot pond as I relaxed in the water that was very warm and similar to the pool that was hidden in the Dabb Mountains on Shiganshina. I was happy to have this comfort as I also noticed Hugh sitting there relaxing, for he would soon report to his supervisor in his unit soon enough.

"You're up early," I said.

"Yeah, but I'm all amped up into liberating Andarias and the rest of Heigus on this planet from the Executive Division," said Hugh. "I was the pick of the litter to be put into the allied forces just to fight at your side, for we'll destroy that factory that those sick people had built."

"By the way, how's Dean doing?"

"He's been hard at work kicking ass and taking names, but he also has the Kimchi Bandit helping out in strides."

"So, James Farragut is joining the fight…, but why do you call him the Kimchi Bandit?"

"James is given that nickname by his older brother, Ralph Farragut, who is the clan's leader. We all know what he does best when he brings those onggi with him that are filled with the stench of that fermented food. Even Dean said once that you ate all of your kimchi in which you ended up being gassy when you were little and that was before I was born."

"Dean was never a big fan for vegetables, but I ate them because they were healthy. All he brands them is none other than rabbit food sometimes."

"We'll need more than just kimchi to stay on our feet in this crucial time. As for what we'll do next, let's hope that we succeed in the end of this mission..."

I was concerned about what would happen next as I pondered into fulfilling what was needed to drive the Executive Division out of Drakonus completely. With the allied forces with us in our time of need, we all had to pull our weight as the time to destroy the factory in the city of Andarias was just the beginning of what could happen next…


Later on, I was in the main hall of the slug roe home that we were all staying at as I was most likely to be motivated by my desire to free the prisoners from the factory here in Andarias. It was a group effort as we also had to be on our toes and without fail in which we couldn't let the Executive Division win this battle, regardless of what can happen next without warning. I had to remain strong as I was dressed in the battle armor that was worn over my kimono and overrobe. I also had my sword with me as I was ready to take this mission head on, for the fate of this battle would soon be decided once we destroy the factory from within. With the others dressed for battle with their weapons in their hands, they were ready to play a part in this mission as there was no turning back in this moment of the ongoing war on our shoulders. By the time we saw Reina enter with her spear in her hands and equipped with a hip holster, she was ready to go into battle as the time has come to liberate all of Drakonus from the yoke of the Executive Division once and for all. We all had our parts to play as this upcoming battle would be made to be legendary the moment we fulfilled our mission to destroy the factory in front of us.

"The factory here in Andarias is heavily guarded and secured by Darbus Toller's leftovers that are being churned there," said Reina. "Sam and I will charge in at the front while the rest of the allied group take charge from under the seams."

"Ma'am, I know about the underground because of my training as a cadet," said Hugh.

"Then you'll be in charge of the underground effort to shut down the control systems in that factory along with Castiel. Totsuka and Deejatra will be our sniper shot and gunner if things get out of hand in which we can't afford to lose this battle on the horizon. We have our groups of two and the rest of the allied group in which some of us will either survive or die in this fight."

"We'll take it if things get out of hand," said Deejatra. "I'm no stranger to battle due to my experience with the sniper rifle."

"Then we'll go through the factory and destroy it while rescuing the prisoners that have been kept in there," I said. "The artificial dolls in there are well-armed, well-trained, and ready to kill, but we can lower the numbers on this before it's too late. It's the most we can do for now."

I made my point clear as I wasn't about to buckle under the pressure coming from the upcoming battle in the factory. As for what we would do next, we had to do our part before it was too late, for we couldn't afford to lose against the Executive Division right now...


Crowley was having a ball as he was standing in the middle of some artificial corpses that he dispatched earlier. He was ready to do his part as he left the building he was in and sprinted towards the factory entrance. The place was more like a prison instead of a working facility as it was something that the former King of Hell had to get rid of. He loathed the Executive Division for acquiring what was left of Darbus Toller's artificial creations as he never forgot how one of them destroyed the teahouse that he worked at in Akatsuki. Just as he was about to storm the factory, he spotted me and Reina sprinting in the shadows as he was most likely to be using our efforts to his advantage to shut down a past grievance that the Executive Division had made towards him. In his own line of work, he disappeared in a plume of red smoke as he teleported towards an area where some of the prisoners were being held.

In his heyday, he viewed the sight of prisoners being tortured on a daily basis the normal part during his days being both Lilith's right-hand man and the King of Hell respectively (or perhaps disrespectively to those who loathed him). This time, he saw the prisons in the factory to be nothing but how the Executive Division had oppressed those he saw coming and going on a daily basis. With what he was put with, he felt the imprint of raw power on his back flaring up as he decided to keep himself hidden. He saw a woman with white hair and red eyes approaching as she was dressed in military garb and a whip in her hand. She was lashing at the prisoners who were desperate to be let out of their cells as she dragged a half-starved man and began to give him extra lashes for his misconduct.

"You think that the Order of Letters can save you?! You think that your puppet of an Emperor of this planet can bust you out?! Think again!" she yelled as she used her whip to inflict the damaging wounds on the man's back. "We came this far just to have power while Lorne and Liesel are away and we can't stop now!"

Crowley was ready to attack as he used his telekinesis to activate the locking mechanism that kept the people prisoner. He saw the people slowly getting out of there as he couldn't bear to see them suffer after what he went through during the destruction of his teahouse. Just as he was about to advance even further, he saw the woman with the whip seeing the prisoners out of their cells as she wasn't about to let her authority and dominance go to waste right now.

"Get back in your cells!" she screamed as she lashed out her whip at the escapees who were fleeing.

She was too late as she saw the prisoners heading towards the front gate. Anger flooded her as she saw the half-starved man trying to make a run for it until she spotted an unusual man coming out of the control room. Crowley, who was hiding in the shadows, knew the man well as it was none other than the one called Edgar from the Elder Days. He knew of him to be a Leviathan as he was also aware of his deceased boss at the time in which he tried to have a failed alliance once.

"Edgar in the flesh," he said to himself. "From the record books, you had your head lopped off, only to resurface from Purgatory and become the new Alpha Leviathan's lover and right-hand man..."

Crowley was adamant to hide in the distance as he used his shadowy efforts to his advantage. When he spotted Edgar opening up his maw, he charged at the half-starved man and began to chew all over him like a Wendigo, but much worse. When he saw the Leviathan finish up, he left towards the control room as Crowley turned into a plume of red smoke and followed to where he was going. What he didn't expect was that one of the scientists from the infamous SucroCorp was in the hot seat as Edgar was not too happy with what was there, for failure resulted in much worse things in mind.

"The Eichenberg twins are away on Harkonnen, but their steward is having trouble trying to keep things in line," he said.

"You can't pin this on me," said the scientist. "I tried hard to brainwash them into a much more docile state so you can join with Julilla and her allies to win this war."

"A small group of allied forces between the Order of Letters and the Drakonar Army have already advanced and two Elders have been spotted." Edgar gets out a plastic bib as he ties it around the scientist's neck. "Your failure is your undoing, for you won't live before you gorge yourself first."

Crowley saw the scientist's giant maw opening up as he began to eat his own hand. The forcefulness of what he saw was much more gruesome than seeing some of the fallen souls in Hell get tortured on a daily basis in the pit. He noticed the scientist eating much worse until he was nothing more than a head with black ooze all over the chair and a soiled bib. In a way, he had to give out a signal to the allied forces in our ranks as the time to destroy the factory was near and imminent, for he had to move fast before it was too late…


Castiel led the way as he had Hugh in tow. Both angel and cadet were in the underground tunnel as they were busy destroying cameras and other things that were in their way. By the time they got to a clearing below, they saw a circular pillar spinning around as they also noticed several more prisoners being chained to it while pulling it along. The sight of the prisoners being used for such harsh labor sent a hint of disgust towards Hugh as he wanted to releast them from their suffering. He was briefed on the horrors of war by his superiors and fellow cadets in the Alecrian Army as he never expected to see such terror in front of him, for it was all too much.

"God help us," he said.

"These people are doing this labor?" asked Castiel.

"These days, we use modern tech, but having slaves pull a cylinder without any rest? It's wrong on a whole new level."

"This is worse than the pit in Hell, but those people are suffering from insomnia due to the increased work and labor against their will."

"We'll help the prisoners, for they will be healed once the Medical Corps brings in some forces to help them."

Hugh and Castiel got out their weapons as they released the prisoners in one fell swoop. They saw the bags under their eyes as they were in so much toil indeed. It was a small victory as they were ready to escort the prisoners out of the underground until they saw a group of artificial dolls standing in their way. They were the usual ones in gold armor as they had guns in their hands and poised to shoot. What they didn't expect was that there were the familiar little girls in gawdy dresses in which they were ready to scream their loudest if the prisoners weren't returned, for it would be difficult to do so.

"Bring the prisoners back," they said in unison.

"Your handler and all of her supporters have violated the rights of those innocent people just to pull that cylinder in front of them," said Castiel as he drew out his sword. "Your arrogance is fleeting, but your group has sullied the rights and dignity of those who were made in the image of my Father and all the gods before Him."

"You will leave the prisoners or else we'll shoot. It is the will of Julilla herself who guides us."

"How could you do this to those people?!" cried Hugh. "You have no sympathy or mercy in which you agree to your handlers every step of the way!"

Castiel saw the girls in the group screaming as he was aware of how they work. The screams of the girls was more than enough to bring down the floor above as he used his angelic power to protect Hugh and the prisoners that were freed earlier. The surge of power that flowed from the prosthetic limbs gave him an edge as he shorted out the screaming girls one by one in which Hugh spotted part of his hair turning silver. With the girls down for the count, the rest of the soulless dolls were ready to shoot until they were being shot at by stray gunshots and sniper bullets. From above, Hugh and Castiel spotted Totsuka and Deejatra as they had their weapons in tow after finishing off the small group of artificial dolls that were there, for it was a small victory in the record books.

"Looks like the Barbie convention is over," said Totsuka.

"You helped us at the last minute and I'm thankful for it," said Castiel.

"Well, you just sported the Pepe Le Pew look just now after what happened earlier."

"The reinforcements are coming," said Deejatra. "Very soon, we'll see a group from the Medical Corps coming to treat the prisoners that you freed."

"You should see them in person," said Hugh as he clenched his fist. "They look like my half-brother's past self when he suffered from nearly fatal case of insomnia back in the Elder Days."

"Hey, is this thing on?!"

Everyone heard Dvora's voice over the radio as it played throughout the underground tunnel. It was a very unusual sign indeed as even Deejatra never expected her to ride along until now, for there was help coming in an instant.

"Deej, are you there?!"

"We hear you, Dvora," said Castiel as he picked up his com radio.

"The Kurokage's on its way right now, so brace for impact when you get the hell out of there!"

"Are you serious?!" cried Deejatra as she picked up her com radio. "Sam and Reina are on their way here and you're jumping the gun on this one?!"

"The first officer just came towards your location, so I suggest that you wrap things up before they go sideways, are we good?"

"We hear you loud and clear already!"

"Just get the prisoners out of there, alright? As soon as you do so, the better 'cause it's about time that we put those asshats on ice! Dvora out and good luck!"

Without further hesitation, the group escorted the prisoners from the underground facility as they were ready to leave the moment Reina and I were coming in. As for what would occur next, the battle would soon come to a tilting point as the stakes were high in this brutal battle soon enough…


I followed Reina towards the factory after we rode in one of the Jackal cruisers earlier. The report of what we were doing was crucial as we were armed with our weapons in tow. I had the new sword that I got for Christmas as Reina was armed with her spear in which we took out some of the artificial dolls that were in our way. Unlike me, Reina was no stranger to battle as she gutted some of the soulless creations that were firing their guns at us. Still, we had a job to do as we also had to free the prisoners that were held here the moment we got word from the passengers that were heading here to Andarias on the sly. By the time we got towards the main gate, we pulled no punches as we were fighting for our lives and those who have been guinea pigs to those who showed no mercy at all. What we didn't expect was that some of the prisoners were cornered as they were being forced back in their cells in which the woman with the whip spotted us on sight, for she wasn't about to let us leave this factory anytime soon.

"Sam Winchester and Reina Kratedes, I might've known…," she said. "I just made bank just to allow Edgar feast on your innards before you die."

"Polonia Tergel, who was once part of the Alecrian Army as a war hero, only to break out of Helgaard Citadel on Efrafa," said Reina. "From what I gathered, Lorne and Liesel aren't here, but you're doing a crappy job into securing this factory."

"I'm not about to relinquish my control anytime soon! Edgar!"

Without warning, we saw Edgar entering as he was ready to attack. Reina was cautious as she knew of him to be what he truly was and that was being a Leviathan. When she saw his maw open up, she had a small pistol in her hip holster as she got it out in order to point and shoot. She wasn't about to let the Leviathan get the better of her as she wasn't about to let him get away with what he was doing.

"That's far enough, Edgar," she said.

"You have a small Pocket Mag in your hand, but the bullets in that gun won't harm me if you tried," he said. "In the end, you won't be able to pull off what you don't have in which we gain the upper hand with being an alliance with the Executive Division."

"The bullets have more than just gunpowder, jackass!"

It wasn't long until she fired a bullet into Edgar's shoulder in which she saw the would in it beginning to erode him. I never expected her to fire one shot at a Leviathan before as she fired another shot into Edgar's wide maw the moment he began to dissolve even further, for she was no stranger into dealing with those in the ranks of SucroCorp and what they stood for. Polonia was shocked to see what was left of Edgar as she fell to her knees the moment she was done for.

"Oh, my fucking God! You killed Edgar, you bitch!" she screamed as she used her whip to entangle Reina. "You think you can get out of here alive, but you're gonna get another thing coming when I'm done with you!"

"I've had worse and I have survived every step of the way," she said as she squirmed out of Polonia's whiphold while leaping up to knock the whip out of her hand. "Your handlers have caused much havoc in which they won't stop until they have what they want."

"Yeah, and once Julilla gets her hands on man-meat over there, he won't resist her charms forever."

"He's resisted much more than that in which he has a support system that keeps him focused all the time. He's already destroyed the efforts of his enemies stemming from the failed SucroCorp lab on Gehenna to the death of General Wetzel last year. He has that raw power to use at his own advantage to help the people and himself."

"Sorry, but I didn't hear you on that!"

"Basically, I bet that you did!" Reina punches Polonia as she is knocked onto the ground. "You can tell your handlers that the Executive Division has no place in the universe or any other realm in mind, you got that?"

Turning around, we saw a small group of Ketch robots arriving as I had my sword unsheathed. I remembered them clearly now as they had their guns in their hands and poised to kill us on the spot without warning. We had a gut feeling that the robots would hamper our efforts as we saw them charge towards us. The Ketch robots were quicker as they dodged our moves until we saw them being thrown by an unseen force in which they were being slowly destroyed whlie being bashed against the walls. I never expected to see such efforts like that as I noticed Crowley standing on top of a radio tower doing the work the moment he jumped down while turning into a red plume of smoke and back. I never expected the former King of Hell to show up here, but he had his reasons as he was there to put a stop to those in the likeness of Darbus' leftovers. What I also didn't expect was that a small case was on the ground as Reina picked it up in which it came directly from where she punched Polonia earlier, for it would be of further use in the future, but for now, we had to deal with Crowley in mind.

"I had a feeling that you would be here," I said.

"I'm not just doing this for the rest of you, Moose," said Crowley. "I'm doing this for her of all people."

"What are you talking about, Crowley?" asked Reina suspiciously.

"I'm talking about Mrs. Stevenson who kindly had me in her bed before I set off for this petty little endeavor."

"I know of it well because she is with child right now," I said. "I know of it not just by a hunch, but a vision in which you want to do what's right. If you live or die, then what'll you tell Valerie when you're gone? Are you still doing what you say you're up to?"

"Yes, I'm doing what's right, but all I'm aiming for in this factory is to help you blow up the core generator here." I notice the imprint of raw power on Crowley's back beginning to intensify as I saw some crystal shards tearing from the suit he wore. "This isn't good, Moose! We've got to hit the generator before it's too late!"

Without further hesitation, Reina and I followed Crowley as we were on our way to the generator that was located in the control room. The place was vast as we saw a lot more soulless dolls armed to the hilt. I was on hand into dispatching them as I used my raw power to destroy them in their tracks the moment we reached the generator room. It was one huge centrifuge as it was spinning slowly in which it stopped completely the moment we heard a rumbling sound from below. I sensed that something in the form of an imprint of raw power had something to do with it as the centrifuge ceased moving in order to have me use my raw power turn it into a bomb like the rest. With my raw power up to full, I was speeding up the centrifuge as it reached a critical level, for it was an end to such a deplorable factory that the Executive Division has churned out. What I didn't expect was that Crowley was slowly walking towards the centrifuge as the crystal shards on his back began to grow even bigger, for he was turning into a walking conduit without warning.

"Let me take the wheel, Moose," he said as he turned around and fused himself to the centrifuge. "Oh, it was fun, but someone has to put the lives of others first."

"What are you doing?!" yelled Reina. "You know that this place is rigged to blow up!"

"For the record, I had my fun, but please tell Mrs. Stevenson something just for my sake."

"What do you want us to tell Valerie?" I asked.

"Tell her that… I love her and I'll be watching her every move in spirit."

"Then may the gods grant you forgiveness and usher you onto the afterlife..."

"Godspeed…, Moose… It was fun while it lasted, but we all have to fall when death hits us where we ache the most..."

And so, Reina and I left the room as Crowley stood behind while being fused with the centrifuge. When an enraged Polonia entered, she saw him fusing to the centrifuge even worse as she was not too thrilled to see him there, for she was itching to kill him with any means necessary until she was lifted and pinned against the wall.

"You think you can destroy this place, but you're nothing more than a demon!" she yelled.

"You're right, but let me tell you one thing only: I was once the King of Hell, only to sacrifice myself just to put your handlers in your place." The crystal shards begin to grow much worse as they were weighing Crowley down while being fused to the centrifuge. "In the end of it all… I AM THE KING OF HELL!"

"You're taking us down with you, can't you see that?! You're gonna kill us!"

"No, I'm here to kill those in the likeness of that of the suicide bomber who destroyed my teahouse where I worked in Akatsuki!" Crowley breathes raspily as he was struggling to blurt a few more words while being trapped with the centrifuge. "Even if I lose…," He breathes more shallow as he was quickly losing his life in the process. "...I win..." He speaks out his final words as he was ready to sacrifice himself to put a damper on the Executive Division. "Give my regards to Poughkeepsie..."

"No! You can't do this! You'll kill us all here! You'll pay dearly for your interference and so will your heirs, you sadistic son-of-a-bitch!" The centrifuge was reaching a critical stage as it was ready to detonate without warning. "Goddamn it! This is the end! Forgive me, Julilla, for I have failed you in this time of need! NO!"

The generator room blew up as it took Crowley and Polonia in the process. As for what occurred next, the battle was ready to be at a complete end as we fight for another day, but with a heavy cost in mind…


Valerie was at her home as she was busy making warding symbols after copying some sigils from a book she borrowed. With Crowley's heir germinating inside of her, she had a primal reason to worry as she couldn't let any enemy angel or demon get a hold of it, for they know of Crowley's bad habits very well. Going outside, she saw her oldest daughters coming home from school as they came back with some cupcakes that were made at a birthday party. When she stopped at the end of the white picket fence where the mailbox was, she saw a glimpse of Crowley in spirit as he was wearing a black jacket, white shirt, plaid green tie, green sash, and a red kilt as he was staring at her in the distance, for he ended up dying in battle during that mission.

"Give my regards to Poughkeepsie..."

Tears ran down Valerie's cheeks as she had a feeling that the man who invited her in a whirlwind interlude ended up sacrificing himself to put an end to the Executive Division's activities on Drakonus as planned. Heartbroken and grieving, she sobbed loudly as she couldn't bear the fact that the former King of Hell was gone, for all he was now is a mere memory of what he once was. In the end of it all, she feared the worst as Crowley was now a memory in his own right, for he was on the cusp of going to the Elysian Fields for his bravery in the end. She was now aware that he was true to his word the moment she opened up her mailbox and saw a letter that was addressed to her completely. It came from Crowley as it had the ancient MacLeod coat of arms on the front and on the sealing wax in the back. Opening it up, she saw the letter as she was reading it without further hesitation, for it was the last she could ever hear from him in the end.

To Mrs. Stevenson, (It read)

It seems to me that if I died, then I leave what I have for my future seed entirely to you

and your family. I am terribly sorry that I have to leave you like this, but there's no going

back to what I am doing right now. Pray for me, Mrs. Stevenson, for I will always look

after you even when I am gone. In the end of it all, tell Moose that he has to lead the

charge in the effort into stopping Julilla and her cronies before we all get pulled asunder,

for there's a much bigger storm coming if we don't stop it in time. I may have not had

much time to think how much I loved you, but I was meant to be like that in which this

feeling will redeem me in the end. Farewell, Mrs. Stevenson, for I will always think of

you in spirit for many eons to come…, my dearest Valerie...

Sincerely,

The man known as Crowley, also known by my true name… Fergus MacLeod…

Valerie never expected Crowley to be honest before until now as the last letter revealed another piece of paper that was hidden beneath it. Unfolding it, she saw a cluster of several more papers as they were part of a pattern into locating the remaining factories that the Executive Division has housed in Darbus Toller's absence. When she was about to go into the house, she saw Yashamaru arriving as he was concerned about both her well-being and safety, for she was carrying Crowley's unborn child in the process.

"Crowley is dead," he said as he walked towards the picket fence where the mailbox was at.

"I know of that already," said Valerie. "That is why he sent me this last letter."

"Then he did his duty… Over the years and centuries, Crowley made and broke some shady deals while being Lilith's right-hand until after the end of the Apocalypse when he took the throne as the King of Hell. He played people like pawns in a chess game, only to be played by those who ousted him in the process. He had his list of dirty dealings, but in this darkest moment, his irredeemable nature now had some light at the end of the tunnel when his sacrifice helped to save us in this ongoing war on the horizon."

"I had a feeling that he did bad things..."

"He did a lot worse when he was playing to win, even if it meant by killing the people that the Winchesters of old had saved in the Elder Days. Still, he had his old habits, but when Ippei removed his demonic grace, he sensed something within him in which there was an imprint of raw power that was etched into his back. Even though he was turned human briefly, he worked at that teahouse in Akatsuki in which he had to do so just to avoid the eyes of Milverton and his cronies in Hell. What also changed him was that deadly attack in his line of work in which that imprint saved him from certain death, only to be made into a weapon to destroy that factory he was going to."

"Even if he did certain bad things, he redeemed himself in the end, can't you see that?"

"Crowley… for a long time, you lived to become the villain, only to die a hero in the end..."

"I heard his words in my mind in which he said, 'Give my regards to Poughkeepsie.' What does that mean so far?"

"Poughkeepsie was a town on Earth, but it was also a word that Crowley preferred when he helped to expel Gadreel out of the Sam Winchester of old before returning to his old vessel and in Metatron's service. It was also the sentence that he said to me before he left for the Rokujo Plateau where Akatsuki was at. His last words after he was turned human were those that I heard when the Army of Cain attacked the Order's main headquarters here before it was destroyed. What he also put in that final letter was a set of blueprints of the remaining factories that have been churning out the bulk of Darbus Toller's leftovers. You should give them to Ginryu before saying anything else, are we good? You have a lot to live for, Valerie, for you should live your life to the fullest for those who lived and died for what they believe in."

Yashamaru took the cluster of papers out of Valerie's hands as he left towards the castle. As for the further grief she faced, she could never get over Crowley's passing as she was carrying his unborn child within her womb. She had to fight the good fight as she also had to think about her children and her mother-in-law in mind. The future was a fickle thing, for it would soon lead into a possible or impossible outcome in the long run. Just as she was about to go back inside, she saw a familiar face arrive on a warg as she had her family and entourage in tow. It was Moro as she was ready to report towards the Order's makeshift headquarters next door, for she wanted to see me right away.

"I see that the dark cloud of the squatters is lifted," she said.

"It's lifted, but there will be a much darker one on the horizon," said Valerie.

"Do you know where Sam is?"

"From what I know is that he's on Drakonus, but there's been talk about those intrusive mechanical birds monitoring his every move."

"That's what Ginryu said in which I had to use my crossbow to take out a couple of them flying all over Wall Keep and the towns of Edlund and Kabizashi."

"Moro…, do you know of a man by the name of Crowley? Well, he's dead after he went there to Drakonus to put a damper on the Executive Division not too long ago."

"Are you telling me that he's dead?" Valerie nods. "Damn it..."

"And what's worse is that I'm carrying his baby in which he could never return to me now." Valerie sobs sadly as she was still bereaved about Crowley's passing. "There's no end here, is there? What am I gonna tell my baby now, Moro? What will become of me in the process? Will I end up dying in childbirth like what happened to Kelly Kline?! Kazuo told me about her and how Lucifer impregnated her with his own child in the Elder Days, only to have her slip away when it came out in the form of a teenager that was the spawn of the one who was killed by the legendary Torune Mitani. I don't wanna die when I have this child and I can't leave my children after my husband died before Christmas! If I died now, then Holly would be disappointed in me in which the children will be orphans after I'm gone and fading away! It's all too much for me and I can't bear it!"

"That's enough! You won't die like that intern who carried Lucifer's son because Crowley's not an archangel. He was and always will be the King of Hell, but from what I gathered, he was desperate to cash in his seed just to revitalize the MacLeod line, which went extinct when the Terrans left Earth for other planets. He was also making sure that they didn't pick up his bad habits in which he wanted to have more love when the chips were down. Still, he lived as the bad guy, but ended up redeeming himself the moment that imprint of raw power on his back sharded up to full. He did his duty and we are all thankful for it, for his tale will be the stuff of legends. Nothing is worth losing you right now because you have your kids to think about, for they will also remember the heroism and downfalls that are recorded, for we come from the Order of Letters after all."

Valerie saw Moro and her entourage leave for the castle as she heard the words of courage that gave her fresh hope. As for the future that she holds, she vowed to protect it as it was also a part of her, regardless of how demonic it was...


Reina and I were outside of the control room as we were leaving the moment we saw it explode at the last minute. With a barrage of gunshots coming from several more soulless dolls with guns, we saw the Jackal burst through the gates as we noticed the rest of our group going in first. With me and Reina the last ones in, we took off as were home free by the time the Kurokage arrived at the last minute. The sound of gunfire filled the air as the guns from the Kurokage's turrets finished off what was left of the soulless dolls that were everywhere all over the factory. With the prisoners rounded up and freed, we were relishing in the victory as it was bittersweet the moment we suffered a loss in our ranks. Looking back, I saw the control tower burning in flames as the memory of Crowley sacrificing himself to save everyone was the most noble thing to do right now.

"We made it," I said as I was feeling exhausted.

"There goes another factory that the Executive Division built," said Totsuka.

"We may have won the battle, but we suffered a tragic loss to someone who had dirty dealings in the past. Crowley was once the King of Hell, but his brave sacrifice will never be in vain. He first emerged as a villain, only to die a hero. Be at peace, King of Hell..."

"He had guts, but if he didn't help out, then this mission would become a failure," said Hugh.

"That's so true…," said Reina as she began to feel dizzy. "We won the battle, but the Executive Division won't back away forever..."

"As soon as we get back to the slug roe home camp, the better we rest up before going back to Anzu Village," I said hopefully. "I can't wait to see Reiko again, for it's been too long since I saw her and the children..."

I noticed Reina with her hand on the left side of her head as I was concerned about what happened to her. When I got closer, I saw blood near her head as she was getting listless and unable to stand. It wasn't long until I saw her collapse in which I caught her in my arms. She was going limp as I was scared to death about what could happen next.

"Reina, talk to me," I said as I was worried.

No response.

"Reina! Damn it; don't do this to me! We all need you right now!"

The Jackal parked towards the slug roe home camp as I rushed out of there while carrying Reina in my arms. When the Medical Corps arrived, they saw Reina in serious condition as something was wrong indeed, but the pocketwatch that she carried fell off from her belt and onto the ground in which it was a part of her for a long time now. With the rest of the rescued prisoners being treated, I was worried about Reina's health as I had a gut feeling that she would never make it after what I saw earlier. Even Dvora was concerned as she emerged out of the Kurokage to see what was going on, for this wasn't good at all.

"What happened to Reina?" she asked.

"She's been shot without warning and I didn't see it until now," I said.

"No way..." Dvora spots Reina's pocketwatch on the ground as she picks it up. "It's a good thing that this thing didn't get crunched, but I'm worried about Reina."

"Let's hope that she lives… She's irreplaceable in this time of crisis and we can't afford to lose her now..."

"Get a hold of yourself, Sam! Reina's not gonna die, alright?! There are a lot more Elders in our group than what you know now, are we good? We'll get through this... We always have and will, alright?"

I was scared to the extreme as I saw Reina being placed on a gurney and into a Medical Corps ship for possible treatment. What I didn't expect was that Reina was shot without my knowledge as we were leaving the factory, but this could end up costing me dearly for not looking at things thoroughly so far…

To be continued...