Asthe was restless, she knew Abel needed time to get things sorted, but being cooped up in a small room was getting on her nerves. It was over two weeks since they left the Empire, and she really needed to get back. Sighing, she grabbed her coat and went out into the hall. Looking both ways she settled on going left.

There was little damage to the walls here, and slowly she came upon the underground city. It was shocking to see the ingenuity used to build housing and stores from top to bottom, no space was wasted yet it wasn't cluttered. Housing was higher up with large catwalks accessing them, and the stores and workshops on the main level. She guessed the area to be about 10-12 stories in height and roughly equivalent to two city blocks at the Empire. The empress would be intrigued to hear about this place.

Asthe wandered along the vendors casually looking at the clothing, food and various wares. She picked up a few changes of clothes that she felt might be better for her journeys into the Outer than what she had. The styles here were a lot more covering, with plaids and soft wools, earthy tones rather than the jewel tones of the Empire."Well, I think I've reached my suitcase limit." She said to herself as she spied a small food vendor.

Remembering how Abel would eat lots at any chance, having some snacks on hand was perhaps a good thing to do, as well as get herself a decent supper.

On her way back she stopped at Ion Fortuna's room. He was apparently out… likely trying to bother Esther, she figured. While a romantic relationship with terrans was just not done, it was good for the young lord to be around Esther, she inspired him in ways that no one else had. It was really too bad that Esther was Terran, and now the Queen of Albion. Between a fleeting lifespan and responsibilities the two kids would likely spend only moments together after this.

Returning to her room, she packed away her purchases and casually nibbled at her meal of steamed vegetables and pasta.

The early negotiations with Caterina were finished for now and Albion was obviously not in a state to entertain such ideas. Through, the methuselah community would likely be overjoyed at the idea of contact with the Empire.. ugh politics was tiring work, she wasn't sure she was cut out to keep being the go between. If only Abel would message her so that they could leave soon, this state of waiting was frustrating. She sighed looking at the clock, maybe he was back from his meetings.

A little while later she knocked on his door, half expecting no answer.

"Oh, hello Asthe! This is good timing since it dawned on me that I had no idea where you were staying at, and going door to door seemed excessive." Abel said, bashfully rubbing the back of his head.

Asthe rolled her eyes and walked into his room. On the bed was his suitcase and it looked full.

"Are you leaving with or without me?" She arched an eyebrow at him.

He chuckled and shook his head."As long as the offer was still on the table to go with, I would prefer that to walking."

"Good, this waiting around has me going batty."Abel got a weird look on his face, and then laughed.

"What? Did I say something wrong?" She demanded, confused at his amusement.

"Ah no, just ah because of some literature I once read, vampires turning into bats as a common belief or folklore from long ago." He was rewarded with a disbelieving snort from his lovely companion.

"That's impossible, we might need blood but a bat is like the size of a...a squirrel, where would the rest of my mass go?"

He almost couldn't contain his mirth. "Magic."

She rolled her eyes again and sat down in the other chair."What is the plan for tomorrow then, tovarish?" She asked, changing the subject. He really could be such a fool.

"I need to see a few people and hopefully catch a moment with Esther, then it would be best to be on our way."

"That works as I don't think I could talk Ion out of missing her coronation anyway."

"No, I bet not." He smirked. "They are quite the pair together."

"It has been good for him to see her again, and it will likely be the last time they can talk freely."

He nodded and it seemed like he was going to say more when he frowned, closing his eyes briefly.

She reached forward and placed her hand over his, "are you ok?"

He startled at her touch and looked at her blankly for a moment. His eyes looked slightly red to her. Something was definitely wrong. His skin seemed a bit dark too.

"Sorry! Just ah a bit of a… dizzy spell really." He patted her hand quickly and moved away, breaking contact abruptly.

Asthe felt he wasn't exactly truthful but it wasn't her place to pry.She watched him go over to his bags and grab out a small bit of food.

"Well it's going to be a busy day tomorrow, I'm sure you have a few more things to do." Abel said after quickly eating his snack, and Asthe knew a dismissal when she heard one.

"Take it easy and rest up, I will take care of the arrangements for our ship. You look like you have overdone it today perhaps."

He nodded, but wouldn't meet her eyes."Do you need a doctor?"

"You are probably right, pushed my limits… I will see you tomorrow, thanks tovarish."

She was a little puzzled by his reactions, but then again he was Abel.

Once she was out of the room, Abel took a deep breath. Everything had been good when suddenly he couldn't think, let alone speak because the crusnik was almost salivating at the closeness of fresh bacillus filled blood. His teeth has begun to lengthen when she had touched his hand. Luckily it jarred him enough to push back the transformation. Food had barely interrupted the imagines of him attacking her, the crusnik's dark yearnings clamoured for release.

"First it's activating without commands, then generating electricity randomly and now this… How am I going to get a handle on this?" He muttered to himself, pacing in his little room. Full fusion seemed to have removed some of the division between himself and 02. It was a terrifying thought, his beast taking over more control than it had before.

Seth… Seth must have something in place to cope with the nanomachines. The faster he could get to her the better it would be. The journey there would take roughly eight hours, which he could plead illness and try to sleep the entire trip. Otherwise he might have to confess his monstrous side to Asthe just for her safety.

Remembering an earlier thought, Abel tried to quiet his mind by holding Lilith's cross to his forehead, praying it would perhaps coax her nanomachines to sooth his.

Slowly a cooling sensation came, starting in his chest and working along his major veins. The image of her lovely face replaced the black violence within. Taking long slow breaths, Abel felt things return to normal and the cooling sensation faded.

"If you are within me, you have my thanks dear Lilith." He said aloud, giving a light kiss to the cross.

Feeling quite drained, Abel got himself around for bed, and within moments was crashing into a restless slumber. His dreams were a kaleidoscope of long ago memories, flashes of the UN base he grew up in, the first years on Mars and the realization that Earth had forgotten them. Anger, frustration and resentment all bubbled to the surface within him.

Outside of his room, electrical systems were suffering from power surges of varying levels including a few blown out lights. Maintenance workers were frantically searching for where the shorts in the power supply was coming from, reasoning that perhaps some damage from the fighting had degraded the wiring.

Abel felt trapped, unable to wake as his emotions roiled within. Dark whispers of destruction and gluttonous bloodshed became louder, he thrashed against his blankets and a mantra "no, never...I won't!" Was spoken in tormented raspy tones. The images became more of the war, the millions of terrans he decimated with his crusink powers. It was brutal and dripping in red… until Lilith's sweet face filled his vision.

"Abel! Come back to me, you are more than this!" Her lyrical voice cried in his mind.

He watched her reach out and caress his face."I am with you now, let me help you."

"Lilith…. How are you here?"

"When the nanomachines transfer to a new host they carry aspects of their last. I am… like a consciousness to them, a file copied and coded to the machines to give direction. It's why 02 tries to drive you to extreme violence as the previous host was a dangerous entity."

Abel blinked as he mulled over her words.

"So you're like a sentient program that absorbed her personality?"

"Possibly, or I am perhaps a sliver of the soul that the nanomachines clung to at our death. It's hard to say, this is kind of a new awareness. I like to think a part of me is here now, more so than a program as you will."

"I had hoped you were with me, as crazy as it seemed, you've helped me twice now."

"Yes, it will take us a while to adjust, and unless you are in this deep dreaming state I am unable to do more than calm 02 down and divert him when he gets... rambunctious. It appears in this mental state you are able to bypass him and I am able to project myself to you." She smiled softly. "As your consciousness went deeper he flailed around giving you that awful bit of bloody memories. I don't know what exactly full fusion has done but he wants control of you... I am so glad you were able to focus on my voice."

"This does change things. I need to find a way to reinstate the restrictions somehow." He paused and looked into her eyes, as tears began to flow freely down his face. "I feel a lot better knowing you are here… that I didn't lose you entirely to Cain….I… have missed you."

She smiled again, stepping forward to embrace him, "I've seen how you've suffered Abel, it's time to leave the past and look to the sunrise. I am forever with you now."

He sank into her open arms."I can not forgive myself yet, I must stop him before he destroys what's left of our world." He whispered into her red hair. Slowly everything faded to black and he slipped into a peaceful slumber.

Morning seemed to come too soon, groggily Abel got himself around, dressing in his new clothes and setting aside the borrowed set. It was a bit odd to wear something that wasn't a uniform, since most of his life had been somewhat regimented. William was very helpful with picking out stuff that was similar to his priest uniforms in cut and darker colours.

Clipping the chain of Lilith's cross to allow it to hang inside his overcoat and close to his body, he felt like he was ready to start this new chapter in his long life.