To say that Hades wasn't pleased would be an understatement. To find out that the man who caused all of these ridiculous headaches had not only gotten away from him, but had recruited Philip as well, had enraged him. On the way back to the hotel, he hadn't even bothered speaking to Okami, explaining anything to her or ever casting a glance her way. She must have been able to sense her anger, because she was unwilling to speak to him as well. The only words he said were on the phone, to Ankh.

He had asked for the assistance of his cousin. This was one of those rare scenarios where he'd be unable to think straight, far too upset about something to give detailed explanations and deal with multiple personalities. It was his only flaw, and he didn't feel like trying to overcome that hurdle right now. He reached the hotel within an hour, seeing Ankh standing out front wearing a pair of jeans and a tank top that were brand new, his previous outfit discarded due to bloodshed.

"How'd it go?" he asked, and his cousin looked to him and sighed. "I've already taken pretty much everybody out. All we need is to have Selena make a public statement or something. Remmy called a few minutes ago and says that a couple of people we shook down wanted to change sides, so we don't gotta worry about numbers." he mused, and Hades nodded, barely processing that as the trio headed up to the floor where the Signers were staying.

"Did you make sure they were up?" Hades asked, and Ankh nodded. "When I got here, Crow was about to go out looking. Everyone's a little shaken up but I told em you had it." he said, and Hades only grunted, Okami walking behind the two and listening closely. They were like brothers, a duo that always complimented each other's flaws and shortcomings. Even a personality trait like Hades' pigheaded anger was remedied by Ankh's near stoic intellect. She realized that she didn't have that kind of bond with Philip.

Was that lack of a bond with Philip, that lack of friendship a part of the reason he turned on her? He was offering her up to the slaughter, literally, and it was all because nobody in their group had that kind of close friendship with Philip like Ankh had with Hades, or even like Pierre had with Axel. Philip was an odd man out, even moreso than Lars because he wasn't the child of a Signer, something that seemed to fuel a lot of his actions, being the sole member of the group who was just the child of a friend of important people. She kind of understood why he did what he did.

When they entered one of the rooms, the trio noticed that all of the Signers, along with Sly and Wendy, were on pins and needles, looking ragged and barely rested. Hades didn't like seeing them like this, and it kind of diffused some of his anger. He inhaled deeply, and exhaled. He realized that he had to apologize, and he wasn't one to half ass anything.

He dropped to one knee and bowed his head before them, showing them the most respect he could think of, his cousin even surprised by his actions. "I gravely apologize to all of you." he said, and Ankh sighed. "We have done much digging and taken many lives and done much plotting." he said, inhaling and gritting his teeth. "We have found that the man responsible for taking Pierre and Axel is a man normally garbed in a red suit with black hair. He was supplying drugs, weapons and slaves to the smaller gangs to keep them afloat and spawn more gangs for the purpose of holding our attention." he said.

Ankh nodded. "We found that his real target, according to what Hades tells me, is a wealthy man from New Domino, Darius Khalington the 1st. Apparently, this man kidnapped Pierre and Axel as a diversion to get all of us here so that he could target Darius. He views Darius as some kind of false prophet or unworthy man, and he plans on striking him down for using Slifer in his duel with Hades about a month or so ago." he said, and the Signers all looked between each other.

"So you couldn't get anything on their location, huh?" Crow asked, and Hades shook his head, still bowing before them. "No, Sir. However, we know that since his target is back home, we should all head back and contact Darius. Aid him in whatever way we can. As long as Darius holds possession of Slifer, the man with Pierre and Axel will target him." he said, and he frowned even deeper. "However, there is more." he said, his muscles growing tense until Ankh laid a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down. He inhaled, closing his eyes as he rose from his kneeling position.

"The reason Okami was missing was because of Philip. He lured her to a warehouse or something where this guy was waiting. He planned on killing her, and Philip served her up to him." he said, seeing the shock on all of their faces, specifically Wendy and Sly. Philip's parents mustn't have expected anything like this. Their son always seemed happy, and never had any visible issues with anything. To hear that he was essentially signing away the life of someone they all thought was his friend was a little much. "That can't be true." Wendy said, her hand over her mouth. Hades closed his eyes.

"Unfortunately, it is. Philip was venomous, vile and evil. He was swayed by honeyed words and promises of recognition and power. He viewed himself as someone who deserved more than he got, and this man swore to him that at the cost of Okami's life, he'd achieve this. I have no idea who this red suited man is, but he turned Philip against Okami, and that means that as long as Pierre and Axel are still lost to us, I consider him an enemy." Hades said, the stern look on his face not budging.

"What do you mean an enemy? You can't be serious about any of this." Sly said, his eyes narrowing as he moved closer to Hades. The hotheaded Spellcaster wanted to be bold, to be abrasive and be his normal self. However, he knew that for this scenario, he'd need to play it cool. He bowed in front of Sly, inhaling. "Forgive me Sir, but I can not let this slide. Those that took Axel and Pierre sought Okami's death, and Philip decided that they were in the right. He turned on Okami, on Axel and Pierre and the Signers, and most importantly, on me." he said.

"I will restrain myself, but if I exhaust all possible attempts and Philip will not see reason, I will strike him down. I apologize as deeply as I can, Sir, but the only thing you can do for Philip is pray that he either comes to his senses, or that he is defeated and disabled by someone that isn't me." he said, deciding that he had no choice but to make himself clear.

They should go home and rest, plan for the upcoming battle, and resolve themselves to face Philip in battle. Whether a battle of cards, words or fists, Philip was an enemy now. They all had no choice but to realize that, and understand that while he didn't want to hurt the weak boy, to target Okami was to incite his wrath. Ankh remained silent as this happened, realizing that he couldn't disagree with anything that Hades had said. He was right, and the shorter Spellcaster would always exhaust every avenue when it came to Philip. He hoped that Philip was just gullible, and not deathly stupid.

With it being Dharc and their father in law's turn to run the shop, Milla found herself looking at Shurit, who seemed incredibly comfortable sitting at the kitchen table eating. He'd been much more friendly recently, and had even helped them at work, something that she wasn't happy to find out about. She walked over to the table, catching his bright eyes as she sat across from him, watching him place his fork down on his empty plate, bowing his head in thanks for the meal.

"You know I still don't trust you, right?" she asked, and Shurit looked to her, and he nodded. He wasn't surprised, because of the fact that he was a foreign intruder, and her few scares when Ankh had nearly died all came from his one fight with Shurit. He wasn't expecting the girl, who clearly loved Ankh dearly, wasn't happy with him. "I don't blame you. I'm… dangerous." he said, and she narrowed her eyes. "Is that a threat?" she asked, and he looked to her.

He waved his hands as he shook his head. "No! I just understand what you're saying. Because of what Ankh did…." he trailed, inhaling. He had to get through this and talk about it. If he couldn't even talk about it, how could he ever face the half breed himself. "After what Ankh did, and after our fight, I can't imagine that you'd ever trust me. It wouldn't be believable if I forgave him, especially since I haven't spoken to him face to face since everything happened." he said, and Milla folded her arms. He had a point.

If Shurit found it in his heart to ever forgive Ankh, she'd always be worried that he'd change his mind and lash out. She couldn't imagine it to be honest. "It's not that I can't trust you. It's that you aren't readable. One second, you're moping and all sad and shit, and the next it's like the same Shurit I used to hear him talk about all the damn time." he said, and he nodded, scratching his two colored head. "It's… really hard for me. I see that Ankh regrets what he did, but forgiving him is just…." he trailed, unable to finish the thought.

Milla sighed and shook her head. "Look, if you don't ever get along with Ankh again, I won't blame you, just leave us the fuck out of it. Mom and the old man might be happy to help Ankh, and my brother might be willing, but as the woman who will one be the mother of his children, I don't want to have to wonder if my children will have to fear for their lives because their father is too nice for his own good." she said, and Shurit blinked at that statement.

Ankh and Shurit had always wondered what their children would be like, and they talked about it once or twice. It always interested the both of them because Ankh was part human, meaning that his children would have different powers and features depending on his mate. Shurit smiled, looking to the white haired magician. "I won't hurt anyone that wasn't directly involved. I promise."

The five of them were all gathered at the hideout, fully prepared to take action. They were waiting for the sixth member of their group to arrive, the sound of the door closing as Cal approached the trigger for their plans to take shape. "I'm here. What is it?" he asked, casting his eyes to the half breeds, who seemed to be deep in thought.

"We're leaving." Hades said, the three Broox natives blinking at the statement. "It's barely been like two weeks. You dippin' already?" Selena asked, and he nodded. He wasn't happy right now, and had been unable to sleep and rest much if at all after returning home. "The son of a whore that took Okami's friends turned Philip. Little fucker turned on his friends and family and nearly got Okami killed." he said, and Lars was the most surprised about this.

He always viewed himself as the lowest on their totem pole, the one holding everyone above him. To hear that Philip was the one to lash out against them instead of him was rather hocking to hear. "So why go home? Shouldn't we deal with Philip?" he asked, and Hades shook his head, the scowl never leaving his face. "No. Philip and his boss, some fuck in a red suit, are targeting this rich guy in New Domino named Darius. He has a Slifer the Sky Dragon, and he thinks that Darius isn't worthy of using Slifer and wants him dead." he said.

That was surprising, but it didn't really add up. "So why come here in the first place?" Remmy asked, and Hades shook his head. "He played the shit out of us. He drew all of us out here and supplied the smaller gangs and instigated the creation of more and more gangs that stalled us while he plotted to turn Philip and target Darius. It's so damn genius I'm pissed we didn't think of it." he said, and Cal sighed.

"I've been hearin' through my clients that y'all been clapping the shit outta people. What's the plan wit us?" he asked, and Hades sighed. He looked to his cousin, who he noticed was being rather silent, allowing Hades to do all the talking himself. He wasn't used to taking charge or taking the lead, but he thanked his cousin for giving him a chance. He enjoyed it. "We've taken out so many people that the Black Magicians don't really have competition." he said, and Ankh nodded, finally speaking up.

"We've pulled some strings, and thanks to the help of a few Duel Spirits, we've managed to re-brand the Black Magicians. We're now Black Magician Bail Bonds, or something like that, and we're now a private contractor company that function like bounty hunters." he said, and they all found that rather surprising to hear. "Black Magick Ink is a company under the same banner and ownership, meaning that this house is gonna be remodeled into a combination of an office for bounty hunting and a tattoo parlor." he said.

"You really went all out, huh?" Cal asked, chuckling at the younger goons, who nodded. Ankh looked to his friends, and scratched his head. "We had to pull a lot of strings, but since we live in a nice little place where you can game fame and glory playing a card game, the people in charge of the Broox were pretty understanding about us naming Selena as the current President of the Black Magicians. Cal is the Black Magick Ink Master, and Remmy is the Chief of Staff and in charge of recruiting and human resources." he said, his friend rolling his emerald eyes.

"Lars is the Marketing Director, and he'll be helping give us good press outside of the Broox. Me and Hades are part time, but we hold the positions of Chief Hunters, meaning that we have similar authority to Selena, but since we aren't staying here, it won't mean as much. Over the next couple of days, some of the Duel Spirits that helped us are gonna show up here and remodel and help you guys out. They owe us." he said, and the trio nodded.

"It was fun while it lasted, you idiots." Selena said, and Cal nodded. "Enjoyed painting up your boy here. Make sure you visit once in a while." he said, bumping fists with the half breeds, who both nodded. Hades looked to Lars. "Come on. We're gathering up the old people and getting on the boat. Ankh will join up in a sec." he said, the teal haired young man nodding as the duo departed. Ankh inhaled, realizing that this was what he wanted.

"You were pretty quiet in the first half. You sure about letting Hades run shit?" Selena asked, rather surprised that the brains of the duo wasn't doing much. He nodded. "I have other things to focus on. The core of this entire scenario is that Hades wanted to help Okami's friends. He cares about her deeply, and it's not my place to take any of this from him. I'm here to help him, not do things for him." he said, and Cal sighed. "You know that you gonna have to do shit sooner or later, right?" he asked, and Ankh nodded. "Don't matter to me. I'm going home to my family and taking a good long nap in my bed." he said.

"I'm jealous that you get to go home and do nothing." Remmy said, flashing a smirk in Ankh's direction, one he met in turn. "I'll make sure to stop by and hang out every once in a grip, Remmy. Maybe I'll even bring my family along. My mom loves strays." he said, and his friend laughed sarcastically. "Very funny. You better hope that I don't run into that Philip kid or I'm gonna beat his ass. I don't care if he's your friend." he said, and Ankh smiled. "Make sure someone films it. I think I'd rather enjoy seeing you get physical." he said, his odd gaze making Remmy narrow his eyes at the possible double meaning. "You nasty as hell."

With the duo standing on the boat, they waited to depart, their Runners loaded up and their affairs all in order. They were rather glad to be out of the Broox, and they were also rather happy that they were able to do something about it. "You think Yuri would be proud of us?" Hades asked, and Ankh chuckled. He hadn't had much time to give their older cousin much thought, but he nodded. "We cleaned the place up, Hades. It took us a while to take a break, but we finished what Yuri started. Just like he'd have wanted." he said, and Hades smiled.

"We also got control of ourselves too. I guess that brief time away was what we needed, huh?" he asked, and Ankh nodded. For him, it was a bit different than Hades, who had merely learned to control his temper better. Ankh had started to feel much different, realizing that all of his negative tendencies were rather tame while he was here. He barely snapped, and he barely even shifted personalities. He narrowed his eyes, realizing that there was one huge difference between then and now.

His father. Be it Ankh's mind playing tricks on him or not, he noticed that he had far more control over his emotions and actions now that his father was back in his life full time. He had bound the magician to his house, and Ankh realized that now that he had a more positive home, with a second mate and his father back in his life, he'd been in much, much better shape mentally. He hadn't hurt anyone, or been the same monster he was but a year and change ago. Same for Hades as well.

Ever since the duo was grounded by the resurgence of their fathers, they had been much smarter, stronger, and far more in control of themselves and their powers. Ankh wondered if this new balance in their lives was because of that fact. They had their fathers to not only guide them, but also to help them protect the people in their lives that they cared about. Both of these left both Spellcasters in much better spirits, and Ankh personally was glad.

While Hades was able to gain control of his anger, Ankh was able to reach an enlightened state of being, where he no longer felt a need to, or a mental desire or reason to distinguish between the lover and the fighter. After all, Hades never did, so why should he? The duo looked back to the Broox, smiling at the fact that they were finally able to finish what their older cousin had started. He could finally rest peacefully, knowing that his dream of cleaned up streets and his group being on the books to help out the less fortunate was now a reality.

Back To The Bando Arc: End

Half Breed Awakening Arc: Begin