A.N: Well hello people and as always thanks for the reviews I've been recieving. Muchly appreciated.

Slight warning for this chapter: Some infrequent, mild language and cliff-hangers.

Enjoy!

Half of everything

A few hours. That's all she had now.

Raine slotted the chunk of Aionis that she had been supplied with from…well, she didn't know where, into the machine that would powder it for her.

After that she would have to take the sample out and mix it with a highly acidic liquid that the powered rock could dissolve into before adding enough of an alkaline solution to neutralise it. And then make sure it was the right concentration.

Normally, according to Yuan anyway, Aionis would be heated an melted into a liquid and could therefore be injected in a series of…injections. That's what Zelos had gone through too…and what Kratos had talked about during the world regeneration journey.

Of course, there was no sacred wood anymore. It was all gone and so it couldn't be processed straight into a liquid, meaning that getting it into an applicable form was a rather long, tedious task.

But Gods, she was so close now, wasn't she?

The solution would be ready in two hours if she worked efficiently and then she could take it and inject it into that bastard of a 'leader'.

What would happen after that, she wasn't sure, whether you were talking about immediately or in a few days.

He wouldn't have her killed, not straight away, that she wassure of. He would want her to suffer and die like all the other half-elves would should that bomb be released, just to prove that despite her high level of intelligence, to her he was still just a filthy half-elf.

How nice of him.

Of course, it wouldn't matter soon. Not as long as everything went according to plan.

Sighing, she sat back to watch the machine do its work, wondering vaguely how her former cell-mates were doing, if they had broken out yet.

She looked up at the clock. Half past eight in the morning. They had been working for hours already, though she had only been brought up here half an hour ago or so.

The labs were quiet today though, she noted, looking out of the window to the lab that was usually humming with activity.

The lab, usually filled with maybe 60 half-elven scientists all scurrying around busily, held a mere ten this morning. Of course, most of them had been shipped out yesterday to finish working on the former mana cannon that was going to act as this genocide bomb. The focal point of the Loras Project.

She shuddered.

It was due to be set off at noon today. If Kratos and the others hadn't gotten to it by that time…there was little hope for her race but…at least the leader would be dead too.

With little else to do while the machine did its work, Raine pushed herself out of her chair to stroll around the laboratory, thinking about the situation, wishing the familiar mana of Yuan was being emitted from the generator.

It wasn't, of course, because Yuan was still in the dungeon and would be until they wanted to the bomb to go off. He would be hooked up to it and his mana would be used, after refinement, to target all the other half-elves in the world.

A thought struck her. If Yuan died…the project may well be obsolete and though she wouldn't be able to harm the man herself…he was on his last legs. If he didn't get medical attention soon, he would be past the point of recovery…maybe she could push him a little, tire him out so that when it came to powering the machine his body would simply…give up.

It wasn't a nice thought or action but…Yuan had admitted he had thought abut finishing himself off so that he couldn't be used….and that had been when he had first got here. By now, it was probably at the front of his thoughts. The only reason he hadn't done it already was because he hadn't had the chance to. The reason he had been chained up was not because he needed restraining for the guards safety but rather his own. Apparently they had caught him trying to slit his wrists with the edge of a sharp rock he had found on the floor of his dungeon.

Besides, the seraph had had a good run. Four thousand years was hardly a lifespan to sniff at, and though he hadn't achieved many of what people considered to be the 'main goals' in life, such as marrying and having a family…it was doubtful he'd achieve that now anyway. Plus, he had at least found love once, he had had his friends, his moments of glory. In all honesty, he had achieved more than a normal person would ever hope to.

Yes, maybe she'd talk to him about the idea of helping him…save his race.

The machine powdering the Aionis whirred loudly and Raine jumped up, pulling a plate of processed power from the machine and sliding it into a beaker before replacing the plate and looking up at the clock again.

Twenty minutes to nine.

Maybe this wouldn't take as long as she thought.

--

It was ready.

Oh Gods.

It was actually ready.

The syringe was in her hand, filled with the solution, a cap on the end protecting the thin metal needle. The guard was outside the door waiting for her.

Raine turned, catching the guard's eye and he entered.

"You can tell the leader that it's ready."

"I informed him that you were close to finishing about half an hour ago. He's been very excited ever since."

A dark smile twisted Raine's lips. "I bet."

"So…what is that?" the guard asked, sidling over to her.

"It would be in your best interest not to know…if you did know what this was for, I imagine the leader would be dealing you some extreme punishment."

The guard seemed to edge away slightly.

"Uh...shall I take you to him then?"

"That would be a good start. Wouldn't want to keep him waiting now would we?"
"I…suppose not."

He led her out of the lab as usual, down the elevator and along the back passages of the building to the crossing glass bridges that led to the uppermost dungeon level of the other tower.

They took the glass elevator up to the meeting room where Raine stepped out, noting with some trepidation that he wasn't following her.

It would just be her and him alone. Again.

Trying to feign the confidence she had shown just a few minutes ago she stepped into the meeting room.

He was already there, settled on the sofa, calmly drinking a cup of tea. As if he wasn't going to wipe out an entire race in two hours.

"Good morning."

She stiffened at the greeting as he turned to look at her, refusing to answer.

"Not talking hmm? Very well, then give me the injection and then I'll leave you to do…whatever it is you want to do with the last two hours of your pathetic life. I might even let you be reunited with your brother."

She approached slowly, still giving him no verbal response. The 'Leader' shrugged.

"Any particular body part you would like me to present?" he asked, grinning at his semi-innuendo.

"An arm will be fine."

He pushed up the sleeve of his robe, letting her take the limb in her hand and push the needle into a vein.

His free hand grabbed hers before she pushed the liquid in. "That better had be the cure."

"Do you honestly think I'm stupid enough to try anything? Besides what would be the point? In a few hours I'll be dead, along with the rest of my kind."

"I'm glad you appreciate that."

He released her and Raine, with an almost sickening sense of satisfaction, depressed the plunger, shooting the liquid into his bloodstream. She left the needle in for a few seconds after before pulling it out slowly.

"It'll take effect in about half an hour…and there will be side effects."

"Such as?" he tugged down the sleeve of his robe.

"Nausea, dizziness, fainting spells. They're all quite normal."

"I see."

"And…I wouldn't call a doctor…they're hardly going to be able to help."

"Excuse me?"
"It's in your blood stream now…no turning back. Nothing can be done to stop the agent taking action on your body."
A guard burst in suddenly, sweating heavily, the door slamming open with a resounding crash as he stood in the doorway.

"My Lord!"

"What's the meaning of this?!" The leader thundered, jumping up from his place on the sofa, brushing past Raine who shuddered, to advance on the guard.

"My apologies, sire, but we have an emergency!"

"What is it?!"

The soldier swallowed heavily. "Sir…we have intruders…and they're releasing the captives."

Raine's heart leapt into her throat and she tried desperately not to let any emotion appear on her face at the news, despite her heart now pounding in excitement. Someone was here. They had come for them…and she couldn't help wonder if it was Kratos…

The Leader turned slowly, eyes locking onto Raine.

"What do you know of this?"

"Nothing."

"Really?"

"How would I have contacted the outside world in anyway? I've been under guard or locked up constantly. I haven't even been allowed to go to the bathroom without someone coming in with me."

The Leader's eyes narrowed at her before he turned back to the guard.

"Deploy all defensive and offensive units. Stop the captives escape by any means necessary…Kill the intruders."

Grey eyes flicked back to her as if to gauge her reaction. She gave none.

"And have someone escort Ms. Sage down to her dungeon."

The guard nodded and scurried away.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'll go and watch the events unfold from." he pointed to the ceiling, meaning the room above.

"Oh and Ms. Sage, I thank you most deeply for the services you've performed for me in the past month." He grinned sarcastically.

Raine glanced to the servant who had just entered to escort her downstairs. She almost went straight with him, but she just couldn't resist that one last chance to get her own back verbally.

Turning back towards the leader, she smiled broadly and bowed.

"Oh, the pleasure was all mine, my Lord."

And she turned on her heel, leaving the room, knowing she had left the man confused and uneasy as she strolled into the elevator.

At least that was one down…

--

Kratos spun, lashing to the right with his blade, slicing cleanly through the neck of a soldier as he ran towards him, screaming.

Through the corner of his eye he could see Lloyd fighting off his own soldier, the man dropping to the floor suddenly as Zelos appeared, carving through his torso neatly.

Blood spattered gun-metal grey walls in a macabre display, blurring past Kratos as he sprinted for the far end of the room, rushing through the door and searching for the control room for this floor.

Regal was at his side a moment later, a key card in his hand. He pointed to a door a short way down the corridor and the two men rushed for it, listening unconsciously as Zelos and Lloyd shouted instructions to the captive male half-elves in the cells.

"Hey! The intruders, I've found them!" Kratos turned from the door to see a single soldier standing at the far end of the corridor, calling down more of his colleagues.

"Get the cells unlocked." He muttered to Regal.

The blue-haired man nodded, swiping the key card through the lock and plunging into the room.

Kratos ran for the new soldier, sword at his side, clenched tightly in his hand as he tore through the corridor, slamming to a halt as he reached the soldier.

The blade swung in a wide right arc as the seraph noted another soldier running towards him, approaching from the left and he turned instantly, facing the man head on. The blade bit through him as the angel backed up a step swinging the sword right again, head down as the sword ploughed into the other man.

It lodged in the man's breastplate, trapped in a crack in the worn metal and Kratos tugged at it, trying to free the blade, but to no avail.

He gritted his teeth, noting one final soldier approaching him. Rolling his eyes at the inconvenient time for his sword to become lodged he backed away, one hand resting on the handle of his sword.

The soldier smirked, figuring the angel to be helpless without a viable weapon.

Unfortunately for him…he was wrong..

Kratos gripped the handle tightly, waiting for the man to come within a few feet of his fallen comrade, before lunging forward, pressing all his weight onto the sword and kicking forcefully at the man.

The soldier stumbled back from the force of the kick as the sword in Kratos' hand dislodged from its wielder's weight.

Wrenching it from the body, Kratos regained his footing before turning to look at his opponent, throwing himself forwards, driving the metal through his stomach before he had time to realise what had happened.

Blood spurted from the body as Kratos pulled the sword free and turned, sprinting back to the control room that Regal had disappeared into.

"The cells are open." Regal informed him, stepping out of the room.

Kratos nodded. "Then Lloyd and Zelos should…"

The double doors of the 'housing' room opened as Lloyd and Zelos stepped out, a seemingly end-less line of half-elves clustered behind them.

"We have one more floor to clear," Kratos stated as Lloyd led the group out "Then we must meet with the others and guide the captives to the exit."

Lloyd nodded.

"Or at least., a few of us need to do that and a few of us need to go and sort out the…uh…bigger problem."

"Yes. But our priority at this moment is to get them out." The seraph gestured to the half-elves.

"Ok then. So let's stop wasting time and get on with it."

--

He paced back and forth on his balcony, watching anxiously at the battle going on within his camp, wringing his hands.

Surely the pathetic band of half blooded rats that some idiot had collected could not oppose the might of his army?

No, of course not. His army, the Saloth'sarian army were human. Pure blood. There was no way they could lose to a bunch of weak individuals that were neither one thing nor another.

The Leader bit his lip, watching through a pair of binoculars, trying to make out his own forces amidst a mass of writhing colour as literally thousands of people swarmed about the compound.

They appeared to be evenly matched at the moment, the half-elven intruders managing to make a little way against his highly trained soldiers before being pushed back again.

But not all the way back. Only half the way.

They were advancing a step at a time.

Of course, there were a limited number of them, and in comparison, an endless supply of his soldiers. Grunting, he left the window to use one of the projectors in his chambers to watch the fight from the frontlines, climbing onto his bed, feeling fatigued and nauseous.

The side effects of the treatment, as the half-elven woman had told him.

Raine Sage.

A wonderful specimen, considering her kind, but it was such a shame that she possessed only half the blood she needed to. Otherwise he might have considered keeping her alive.

Panting a little, he turned on the projection screen, switching the view to watch the entrance to the captive's housing unit. It of course was an entrance to the labs and staff quarters, but those were further up the building, above the steps that led to the reception level just above the laboratories.

And his breath caught in his throat.

There were hundreds of them pouring down the stairs. His captives. His victims, being led by…the blue haired man and the pink haired woman he had employed. His hired tunnelling supervisors….theyhad been the ones constructing the escape plan the rats had been whispering about.

Rage engulfed him, hands clenching as he bolted from the bed, snatching a broadsword from the wall and heading for the elevator.

He'd show them what happens to a human that helps a half-elf.

But something made him stop, a tightness working up his throat and he backed away from the door he had been heading for before turning and retching.

His body convulsed in time with his heaves, muscles spasming, unable to support him and the Leader fell onto his plush carpet stained with his own vomit.

He felt weak, cold, helpless and there was no one he could call for aid. No-one to serve him…because they were all in battle.

His body unable to move, and breathing slowing, becoming shallower, he let his head fall to the floor, one thing clear in his mind as he started to fade.

That bitch of a half-elf had betrayed him and he remembered that smile as she left, the words that had confused him at the time.

'The pleasure was all mine, my lord.'

--

Kratos watched the last few half-elves trickle through the doors, led away by Regal and Presea with Sequoia and Coe taking up the rear of the group.

The seraph noted the 'Good luck' that the young girl mouthed at him before she left and he nodded in appreciation for the sentiment, listening as the sounds of battle from outside were all but cut off by the glass door sliding shut.

He turned back to his rescue group. Lloyd, Zelos, Sheena and of course, himself.

He doubted that Zelos was going to be a huge amount of help though, because despite the ex-chosen's impressive standard of performance so far (considering his physical condition) it was obvious that he was beginning to weaken.

The red-head wasn't about to leave though and Kratos had little choice but to let him tag along unless he wanted to physical remove the other angel. Which would take time. Time that they didn't have. True, the Loras project was destroyed and the half-elven race safe but the people who had just left the building most certainly weren't and there was still the matter of rescuing Raine and Genis andsorting out the boss of the operation to attend to.

"Are we ready to go?"

He received nods in response, still finding himself uncharacteristically shocked by Zelos' roughly trimmed hair and having to drag attention away from the frayed ends. Still…the look really didn't suit him.

"Alright, you know what to do once we're there, yes?"

"Yup. We take a dungeon level each. Zelos and I take the top level," Sheena recited "Lloyd takes middle and you take bottom."

"And once we've rescued anyone down there we sort out this leader." Lloyd finished.

"Correct. Let's go."

They ran. Sprinting through glass corridors Kratos noted the few stragglers that wandered around the back of the building disorientated. Dying Saloth'sarian soldiers.

They burst into another reception hall, as generically furnished as the one before, and Kratos felt his skin prickle instantly at the faint feel of mana in the air.

Wordlessly, the small party headed for the glass elevator set into one of the walls and descending into the depths of this new tower.

Floors of pristine marble gave way to wet, rugged rock walls covered in fungi, mosses and lichen. When Zelos and Sheena stepped out onto the first floor, Kratos found himself almost forced back by the stench of death on this floor. Blood and sweat and excrement and mildew and…fear. It lingered on in that corridor and as Kratos watched the level rise above his head and out of sight he knew it was only going to get worse.

The elevator slid to a halt. Lloyd waited for the glass door to slide open before stepping out. He halted, turned, eyes locking with his father's and Kratos nodded in understanding.

Lloyd gave him a grim smile before walking further into the corridor and the elevator door slid shut again.

Kratos exhaled a calming breath as his son disappeared from view, sinking once again into blackness as he descended to the level below.

The stench washed over him before the elevator had even stopped its descent and as the door opened the angeology found himself almost suffocating under the weight of the thick smell. It was just like that of the floor above…but stronger, much stronger.

Grimacing, he took a few shallow breaths before stepping out into the corridor. It was darker here than the upper floors too, the yellow oil lamps almost burnt out and it was only due to his sharp eyes that he was able to see into the deep shadows of doorways.

He walked with his head down in concentration, relying on his hearing to guide him to any survivors as he made his way slowly around the winding, singular path of the dungeons.

There didn't seem to be any form of life down here.

He continued walking for another ten minutes, finding himself at a dead end and he grunted unhappily, wishing there was a way to contact the others to know if they had found Genis or Raine.

Turning back, Kratos headed out the way he came, focusing on where he was going now instead o any life signs…when a sharp, hacking sound resounded around the dungeon.

He froze, turning slowly towards the direction it had come from and heading for it slowly, listening intently for a sound again, eyes scanning the darkness ahead, unhooking a lantern from the wall to carry with him as he headed for a niche in the rock wall.

Yellow light hit a rusted door that once would have been painted black and Kratos hurried over to it, listening again as he approached before kicking a loose stone loudly, wondering if it would invoke a response.

There! In the silence a small gasp or breath or some such noise and the seraph turned his attention to studying the door, looking for a lock

A series of dead-bolts. About five of them. That was it.

Frowning and wondering if this were some trick, he cautiously pulled the bolts back, watching corroded metal powdering as it scraped together heavily.

He grasped the handle to the door, turning it slowly, letting his eyes adjust to the almost pitch blackness as he stepped in cautiously.

And then something was slamming into him, tackling him into a hidden part of the cell, trying to pin his hands down.

Whatever it was, it wasn't doing a very good job and Kratos flipped them over, pinning his attacker into the position they had tried to get him in.

He released his wings, wanting more light, relying on the brightness that shimmered along his feathers to illuminate the dungeon in a fantastic pallet of blue, gold and silver, like electricity running along the walls.

Kratos looked down at his assailant, mouth dropping open quietly as he found himself staring into the face of an equally stunned Raine Sage.

--

If there was one thing in the world that the Leader hated, it was quitters. More specifically, half-elven quitters, and he was damned if he was going to let himself become one of those.

With a gargantuan effort, he pulled himself to his feet, staggering amongst the patches of vomit that were soaking into his expensive crimson carpet and heading for the door. Trembling fingers wrapped around the handle of a broadsword, dragging the heavy metal along behind him weakly.

She thought she could kill him?

He'd show her.

So...hope it was ok. Almost at the end now.

Reviews are appreciated as always.