Daegon oversaw the masterwork of his machinations. Kabal bent at the knee, Jax, Nitara, Mavado and the whole of the Red and Black Dragon before him as he lowered to the production floor.

From his high tower he had watched the worms strangle the last dragons, then themselves as they slaved away for him to reconstruct the cybernetic army. On the production floor only synthetic light flashed down on them all and not a single pale flesh dared to speak to Daegon as he descended with Argus, God of Edenia. No eyes on either, only on their work.

He crossed the warehouse to a cold closet like room of steel where Jax and Kabal waited for him. There, the former officer was attached to a switch board through his arms and Kabal knelt before Daegon upon his arrival.

"Get him out, he has work to do." Daegon ordered.

Argus stood at his son's side, never to touch and never acknowledged by the workers.

From the metal box breathed a cold chill that strangled their spines in the smoke that billowed out. Inside, like flesh to a meathook, Sektor hung to a device that connected through the wall and pulled him a foot of the ground like a coat until ready.

"Marvelous." Argus remarked as the machine pulled free of its coils to approach Daegon.

"Bend the knee." The half-God demanded as the lights flickered on and the red construct did as instructed. "You and your machines will be the harbingers."

"What are your orders?"

"Bring me the Blood Witch and kill everyone that tries to stop you."

"How many?"

"Take all of them with you."

Sektor stood, its lights flickered and its internal machines hummed and hissed as the others in the warehouse flashed to life. All black save for the single Tekunin Sektor, they gathered around Sektor and together dissipated.

Alone in his chambers, he looked down from his high plateau at those that slaved for him. None of it was enough. He traced the scar across his blind eye as one of the slaves came to free him of his armors until all that remained was a black sash and red breeches. Informal, he turned from the pit view of the operation toward his father at the stone wall entrance.

"I wish to be alone."

"I gave you all this and you treat me like that?"

"If you're going to be here then, appear as something more pleasing."

The entity transformed from Argus to the Blood Witch Skarlet and looked down at the production floor.

"It's not enough." She warned.

"All that matters is production and profit." He assured, "I will have you, and together, all of this will see its end."

"How sure are you that I won't kill you in your sleep?" Skarlet protested, "I'm one of the good guys."

This amused Daegon and he swept a hand across her face, the entity still as his physical mass rushed through her.

"Show him to me."

Skarlet crossed to Daegon's right and emerged as Raiden, God of Thunder. The deity crossed his arms in his old robes and cast his gaze down to Jax, still hooked to the metal wall, still Nitara's puppet.

"You should let him go, he does not deserve this."

"Is that what Raiden believes?"

Raiden lifted his eyes to meet Daegon's and smiled, head shaken to disagree, then turned to pace as Raiden would when a long speech was imminent.

"As protector of Earthrealm, it is my sworn duty to ensure it's champions are safe."

"It is your duty to feed them to the slaughter." Daegon corrected with gave Raiden pause.

"True." He agreed and continued to pace slow and methodically. "However, death, as you know, is a profession."

"All that matters is the status quo." Daegon added, "beat them until they're broken and have no choice but to serve you, as if it is the only thing they know that'll benefit them."

"Victim is chic." Skarlet noted.

"Will the obtain you?"

"You've already got me, but my blood?" She pondered for a moment as she toiled with a blood stained dagger at her wound where the Tarkatan halfbreed had torn open. "Does it matter who I belong to?"

"Yes."

"Tell me why."

"Your blood will begin the process of Armageddon. Not Blaze."

"Defeat Blaze, then bleed me on the Pyramid of Argus and all of this comes crumbling down." She tossed the dagger to him. He made no attempt to catch as it faded almost immediately after it left her hands. "No fun. I want to touch, want to kill. I want to feel bones crack in my hands, blood coat my flesh."

"How do we make that happen?" He approached the frail feminine form and admired the blood covered body before him.

"Send the Five to retrieve your brothers. Then we'll see if this works."

Slowly he watched her frail hand reach for his face. She dared to touch the scars at his brow and trace her stained fingers through his blind eye. Not a feeling, not a breath, just nothing.

"Can you do that, son?" Argus stepped back and assumed a more regal posture over his son. Hands held behind his back, boots splayed in neutral stance and that every ornery stare down into the eye of Daegon. "Or will you disappoint me again?"

Daegon turned to stair down from the stone railing at the production floor. Somehow he had merged the two Dragon clans with the Tekunin, and piece by piece the fiends of the Netherealm had begun to bend the knee to him. Could he capture Taven and Rain?

"Am I garbage or God?"

Raiden joined at his side to oversee business.