What could make a woman like Eda cry?

That was the million dollar question ringing in Spawn's head right now. From what he's known of her, she was a tough woman. Upfront, no nonsense type.

Of course, he knew better than anyone that it could have been a lie. An easy way to mask insecurities and self-doubts that simmered within. Naturally, simmering often turns to boiling and when the heat is too much…

He observed her slamming a fist on the ground repeatedly and yelling to herself in an anguished rage. This occurred for a half a minute before she lay down without a single bit of movement, as if she was waiting to die and leave her body out for the buzzards.

He's had enough of this display. He walked up from his hiding spot and up to her, his footsteps nearly silent in spite of his large frame.

"Are you alright?" He decided to speak up, getting her attention with a small yelp. Immediately she stood up and brushed off her dress of any dirt that could have gotten on it. "Never better," she responded, casually.

If Spawn still had lips, they would have thinned under his mask, "don't bullshit me, lady. I saw that little outburst."

"Everything?" she asked, embarrassed.

He lightly shrugged, "more or less."

"What were you doing stalking me, pal?" Eda asked, accusingly.

The Hellspawn rolled his head, "not my fault you decided to have a panic attack in the middle of the woods that just so happened to be where I was scouting." He ignored the owl lady's unconvinced glare and went to the topic at hand, "what were you doing out here in such a state?"

"Why do you care?" Eda responded, making Spawn grumble.

"Because if we're gonna work together, lady, we're going to have to be willing to try and communicate with each other." he then took a few steps past her as he kept her head trained on the witch, "even if we don't like it."

The witch grimaced at the notion. He was right on all accounts, but she didn't want to give him any satisfaction in admitting it. "Look, Spooky," she spoke with her hands on her hips, "my business is my business, alright? I don't need you prodding me until I spill the beans."

Spawn narrowed his eyes in suspicion, before turning around and walking away, "alright, then. Suit yourself."

His cape seemed to have a sass to it as he turned, the red fabric rising up and brushing against the witch's face, which she shook her head at. She watched his form shrink as he walked off, scoffing at his attempts to be some sort of shrink.

But at the same time, she was filled with emotions and thoughts that have long reached their boiling point. Like a kettle full of steam, she needed to be taken off the open flame, lest she burst.

And watching him walk away… probably the one person she could have vented to… It was some sort of psychological trap he was setting right in front of her and she just about fell for it.

The witch grumbled, admitting defeat, "fine!" she exclaimed, getting Spawn's attention back, "I'll tell you!"

Al fully turned around, a deep sense of smug satisfaction that the oldest trick in the book worked. A satisfaction that Eda could pick up and he didn't care. He walked back to her, "alright, what were you wailing about?"

The witch huffed, "I was running away," she responded in a low tone.

Spawn's satisfaction turned to concern. "You were running away?" he asked, receiving a nod, "From what?"

Eda took another breath before answering, "my family."

Spawn then wondered why she would do such a thing. Was her family abusive to her? From what he knew, her mother seemed like a very sweet lady, though it would not surprise him if it was some sort of facade. He has encountered many bastard snakes who use false demeanors to get what they want, be they mortal like Jason Wynn, or demons like Mammon.

At the same time, Lilith showed no signs of recoil from Gwendolyn arriving last night. Perhaps they played favorites?

He put a pin on the possibilities and asked her some more questions, "Why run away from them?" he said, "did they do something to you?"

"What!? No!" the witch retorted before sighing and crossing her arms, "I did something to them . I…"

She felt a lump form in her throat as she tried to say the words, but just couldn't. "I…. I hurt them." she whispered in a hoarse tone.


Emperor's Palace

Hunter wasn't thrilled at the idea of doing this mission… but if it would get him on his uncle's good side again, he'll do it. Even if he didn't like it.

The Golden Guard returned to his room and gathered the supplies he needed for a scouting mission, including Flapjack, whom he put in a specially made pocket for the inside of his cape.

"You know the drill: Be quiet and all that." Hunter whispered to him as he adjusted his cape to make sure the little palisman was covered up, grabbing his artificial staff on the way out and fiddling with his seemingly too tight mask.

The grand halls of the palace were almost overwhelming to those who were in them for the first time. It could be easy to get lost in such an environment, as is the case for many new recruits, but for Hunter, they were nothing special and he knew the layout like the back of his hand.

As he headed towards the nearest exit out of the palace, he noticed a few guards walking up to him, which he noticed and stood by waiting for them to pass, watching them give a salute to him - a gesture he returned.

"Well, if it isn't the Golden Guard," a sassy voice emanated from the patrol. Hunter looked up to see Darius Deamonne looking down on him with a sneer, "and what are you up to now, little Prince?"

Beneath his mask, Hunter thinned his lips before clearing his throat and answering, "I don't have time for this." He muttered as he walked past the Abomination Coven Head, leaving him with a melodramatic shocked expression.

"Oh, how rude!" the witch responded in a tone that wasn't at all subtly exaggerated, "clearly the Emperor didn't teach you manners."

Hunter grumbled before the sounds of approaching footsteps made his ears twitch. He looked to the right to see a small group, four in total, of Coven Brigadiers and a demon with an eyepatch that seemed to be escorted by them. One of the brigadiers was very tall and burly, while the other two were around average and skinny. Their uniforms were far different from the conventional ones. While their cloaks remained white, their armor, masks, and shoulder pads shined with a copper color. All of them were wielding a different weapon befitting their appearance. The big one had a warhammer that he seemed to constantly lug around, while the average one had twin swords sheathed on her back, with the thin one settling for a halberd that he held straight and high.

"Golden Guard, Sir!" The thin one bowed, the other two following suit before standing back straight up and looking at Darius next to him, "we hope we were not interrupting anything."

"No need to worry, Brigadier Hyden," Hunter reassured him, looking back at Darius, "we were just making idle chit-chat to pass the time."

Darius simply put a hand on his hip in response and moved away with a haughty turn of his head.

As soon as the Abomination Coven Head moved out of sight, Hunter looked back at the group and noted the demon with the eye-patch, "and you are…?"

"Animal Control." he responded, bringing out a business card that was colored green with yellow letters of what the demon said,"but you may call me Boris."

Hunter didn't acknowledge him any further as he tossed the card to the side, turning to the female brigadier, "Brigadier Meera, for what reason is he here?"

"He is here to assist us in the tracking of the Hellspawn." she answered in a hoarse voice as though she smoked 20 noxi-sticks a day to achieve it, "per the Emperor's request."

Hunter furrowed his brow beneath his mask, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I assumed I was the one who would track it down."

It was then that the big guy, Brigadier Gendry, stepped forward, the sound of scraping stone from his hammer being dragged aside on the floor heralding his movement, "the Emperor has been rather… shall we say displeased by the results of your recent missions." His voice was expectedly deep and imposing, "he has sent us and Boris to ensure you do not fail him yet again."

Beneath his cloak, Hunter balled a fist with a barely contained shaking rage that was building up in him like a kettle building up steam. All the while, at the very corner of the hallway, Darius peeked and tried his best to eavesdrop in on the conversation.

He heard Hunter sigh and throw his arms up in the air, "fine! Let's move out!" he exasperated, walking past all of them and clearly not wanting to drag on the conversation any further. He stopped himself when he noticed they weren't following him at all. "What's the hold up?" he sighed.

Meera stepped forward with a glare, "just because you're the Golden Guard doesn't mean you outrank us." she hissed with a point, earning a non visible rolling of eyes from Hunter.

"I outrank you by Belos' very decree," Hunter retorted, clearly annoyed, "now can we please get a move on?" he asked, so incredibly done with these guys already.

The brigadiers looked at each other before nodding at both each and then at him, "Yes, Sir," they said in unison.

"Finally!" Hunter mumbled to himself as he adjusted his cape and headed off to the palace gates with all four following him. All the while, Darius watched the boy leave with a somber look before a 'psst' broke him out of the gaze. He turned to the direction of the sound to see Raine and Eberwolf signal their heads to a different direction.

He slightly sighed before nodding, heading to their direction, though not before taking one last look of concern at Hunter's fleeting form.

Had he stuck around for just a second or two longer, he would have noticed the imp, Kikimora walk into view, her hand behind her back as she watched the party ahead exit the palace gates. She then moved her hands to her front and tented them together, tapping her claws in a rhythm as she smirked beneath the fabric that covered her mouth.


Back at the forest, Spawn tilted his head at what Eda had just said, the sun perched high into the sky as both the heat and uneasiness oppressed them both.

"You hurt them?" he asked, "how?"

Eda just sighed, knowing she had just opened a can of worms that won't be closed so easily. She unfolded her arms and sat down with her back turned to him, "it was a long time ago," she answered vaguely before continuing, "twenty years, more or less…"

She extended an arm out to his view. In an instant, her pale arm became covered with dark red feathers and her fingernails became talons, "I wasn't always like this, you know," she muttered, looking at the hand with an analytical gaze, "it happened to me when I was young. I had a whole life planned ahead of me…"

Spawn lowered his head hearing that. He's heard those words far too many times when conversing with the inhabitants of Rat City. She continued on, though with a few pauses as though she had a lump in her throat, "but then I was cursed… It happened when I was asleep… The next day I had a Witches' Duel scheduled with my sister and I forfeited the match…"

"Duel?" Spawn interrupted, "with your own sister?"

"It's kind of a long story," Eda responded, "but in the end, just as I was about to leave, I felt a searing pain across my whole body." She shuddered just talking about it, the very memory bringing her discomfort, "have you ever felt your body stretch beyond what is normal? Your very bones growing and your muscles tearing to accommodate for a sudden, but painful change? That was what it was like for my first transformation."

The Hellspawn winced at the description. Though he's no stranger to pain that could kill a normal man, the thought of that happening to someone who - judging by Eda being in her late forties at least - was a simple teengager nearly fresh out of graduation was appalling to no end.

Eda continued, "ever since then, my life has been nothing but a series of constant vigilance over myself. A never-ending train of medicines and treatments that delayed the inevitable…" she brought her transformed hand down on the dirt and clawed a fistful of the soil, "and sometimes at the most random incidents."

She took another breath, "it was one night, I think a year or so living with the curse and me and my family were just starting to get used to it… Then my dad came in with a little fireworks display and…"

Spawn noticed her voice and body trembled as she continued, "I hurt him… My own father… I ran away that night and never turned back. I think I remember his screams more than his own voice at this point…"

Eda looked down and rubbed her eyes as her arm turned back to normal. She regained her breath and turned to look at Spawn, her eyes red and still slightly watery, "why am I even telling you this?" she asked him, sounding far too exhausted to be angry, "why should I tell you this?"

She stood back up at him, "do you even know what it's like?" she whispered, "to hurt someone who loved you more than the world itself?" she then pointed to the gemstone in-between her breasts, "do you know what it's like to feel like you could lose control of everything at any second? To commit actions that aren't your own? To feel like someone else's puppet?"

"Yes." Spawn flatly, if a bit somberly, answered, surprising Eda, "you think you're the only one who went through those experiences?"

The witch raised a brow as Al continued, "I have sold my soul more times than I'd care to admit to so many devils than I care to count." His voice was soft, but contained a saddened and suppressed rage, "In life, I was an attack dog for the CIA. In death, I was an attack dog for the Eighth Sphere of Hell. In either case, I was a slave that was leashed to the will of manipulative bastards who spewed lies and made false promises…"

He clenched his fists so hard, Eda heard his knuckles pop. He continued to ramble, "All because I deluded myself into believing that I was doing what was best for the one person that meant the world to me… All because I just wanted to see her face again…"

Al then stopped himself and relaxed his fists, his breath expanding his upper body slowly and surely as he collected himself. He exhaled one final breath and sat down on a nearby rock, his cloak covering most of the stone as he sat.

Eda couldn't help but be surprised by his slight outburst. His words, his very actions to said words, those were the words not of a conman trying to fabricate a sob story to get an extra Snail or two in his money jar, but a man who had pent up so much anger and sadness in his life, it was as if he didn't know what to do when he let even a fraction of it out.

She couldn't believe she was thinking this… But after a display like that, she couldn't help but feel sorry for him and wondered just what exactly his deal was.

"What happened to you?" Eda muttered just loud enough for the undead to hear her.

He initially didn't turn to her as he answered, opting to stand back up instead, "you play with matches…" he coldly stated before turning his head to her and raising a clawed hand to his mask, grabbing it, and ripping it off; Instead of the sound of cloth being torn apart, it was as if he had just ripped apart flesh from a freshly dead animal, but that detail was nothing compared to what she saw when he removed his mask.

It was less a head and more a lump of melted flesh that just barely covered the outline of a skull alongside a few barely visible strands of scorched hair that somehow remained attached. He had no nose or ears, the cartilage no doubt having rotted away, leaving only the holes where they should be connected to. His gums were gone, revealing teeth that looked sharper than what a human should have, All the while, his green eyes shined with his seemingly ever present malice, windows to the soul of a tortured man shaped by violence.

Eda covered her mouth in both shock and repulsion at this sight as he finished what he had to say.

"... you get burned."


The Laboratory

Griffin grabbed a bronze voltmeter gauge device with three prongs at the bottom and it onto a heart and placed said heart on a medical tray. Above the tray, were three tesla coils aimed straight at it, the faint humming of electricity accompanying it.

He looked to Three-Eyes, who held his hands on a switch, and nodded.

The triclops pulled the lever and the three tesla coils hummed and sparked to life, firing an almost blinding lightning at the organ for five seconds or so before it was turned off.

Griffin inched closer to the table as the smoke cleared and the humming died down to a faint buzz… and soon enough, said buzz was accompanied by the rhythmic "thump thump, thump thump" of a beating heart.

Griffin smirked. Perfect.

He carefully picked up the heart and read what the gauge had to say. A thousand volts it read. Excellent.

He grabbed the beating heart and removed the gauge from it and placed it inside the chest cavity of a body without a head and began his work, twirling his fingers around to create one spell circle that will keep the heart pumping for as long as needed, and the other to rejuvenate veins and vessels that it was supposed to connect to.

As he worked, Three-Eyes walked up to him with a timid expression, "so, uh, who did you talk to for your secret project?" He asked, a slight smile upon his lips, "I've rarely seen you leave the lab, so I'm just curious-"

The scientist did not move his head, "what did I say about attempts at conversing while I am at work?"

Three-Eyes' face lowered, "don't do it…" he replied, defeated.

Griffin spoke up again, "but if you must know, it was with an old colleague by the name of Alador Blight. You've probably heard of him."

Three-Eyes', er, eyes, widened at the mention of his name, "of course I know him! The Havenstars have been allies with the Blights for almost twenty years!"

"Hmm," Griffin lay down his hands and reached into a cooler on the floor and grabbed a bile sac, "and you didn't reference these familial connections before because..?"

The triclops froze for a bit before answering, "I didn't think it'd be important, sir-"

"This is why you leave the thinking to me," Griffin interrupted before using his magic to attach the bile sac to the still beating heart, the mystic sutures glowing with each beat.

Three-Eyes sighed dejectedly, "yes, sir…"

"Now, will you hand me the-"

A knock on the door interrupted his work. Griffin raised his head up and turned it to see Norman entering the room, "apologies for the intrusion, boss, but Mrs. Blight is here to see you."

He expected a response by the next morning, but at the very cusp of the evening of today? A small smile crept upon the scientist's lips at the mention of her name, "tell her I'll be there, shortly."

Three-Eyes grew ecstatic at the prospect of seeing Odalia again. Maybe he'll use his connections to get out of this hellhole and live a regular life! Free from these criminal assholes and nerdowells of this horrid line of work.

The triclops followed the scientist to the main waiting room. A green haired woman sat impatiently, holding folded up tubes of paper, her leg crossed over another before turning her head to see them both approaching, her slight frown then became a smile, "Victor!" she exclaimed as she stood up, "how wonderful it is to see you again!"

Griffin removed a glove and shook her hand, "likewise, Mrs. Blight," he responded with a faint ghost of a smirk before pulling back from the handshake and putting his glove back on, "and so early as well. Clearly, you must be eager to work together."

Three-Eyes, meanwhile, couldn't hold his patience. He watched the two converse before the dam broke and he had to seize his opportunity to finally leave this wretched place.

He went up to the green haired woman with a big smile on his face, "Odalia!" he beamed, "it's so good to see you again! Truly, you are a sight for three sore eyes!" He chuckled at his bad joke before speaking once again, "So, Mrs. Blight, how are things-"

"I'm sorry, but who are you?"

Odalia's question pierced his heart like a knife. He meekly responded, "It's Jerram, Mrs. Blight. I'm Boscha's uncle…"

Odalia stared at him with a confused gaze before her lips formed an 'O' sign, "oh… yes, the brother of Lilya Havenstar. Now I remember you!"

The triclops smiled before said smile faded as Odalia continued to speak, "I am quite glad to see that you have risen into the commendable position as Griffin's assistant by the looks of things. Not many work for him personally from what I hear."

Jarram stammered in disbelief before Griffin pushed him aside, "he has done a remarkable job, Mrs. Blight," the scientist intoned with an ever subtle grin, "he has truly earned his spot."

A half-truth, but the truth nonetheless.

The triclops sputtered, "but, but…" only to be interrupted by Norman putting a hand on his shoulder. The elf just shook his head and the triclops looked to the ground, defeated.

Griffin turned to Norman and Jerram, the latter of which looked far too dejected to even function, "leave us." he commanded, which they both followed, Norman having to pull Jerram away to do it.

As soon as the doors to the building closed, Griffin turned back to Odalia who continued as if uninterrupted, "anyways, me and my husband have been spending the evening discussing the benefits of this new deal you have proposed and we believe that you may be onto something."

Odalia formed a smirk upon her lips, "we believe that this could benefit us both. In both financial and PR matters. The latter of which is sorely needed for Blight Industries at this time."

"I can't imagine why," Griffin said in a sarcastic tone.

Odalia either ignored that remark or missed it entirely, "I do believe that following up on your project will benefit both of our respective companies."

The green-haired witch then laid out the blueprints in front of him. A perfectly detailed layout of what was to come. Griffin smiled, "I am glad to see that you made the correct decision, Mrs. Blight."

She chuckled haughtily, "well… I had to be a bit persuasive. Unfortunately, I couldn't convince my husband to come with me."

Griffin nodded, "Alador was always rather stubborn," he intoned, "Regardless… I am grateful to have you on board. No doubt both of our companies will make some incredible progress in such a short time."

Odalia nodded with a slight grin. She liked the cut of his gib to say the least.

Griffin rolled up the blueprints and looked at Odalia with a smile, "Now then… Let's go practice medicine…"


The Titan's Skull

Belos adjusted his cape and walked past the monolithic doors that led to the skull chamber of the Titan. Had it not been for the seemingly ethereal light that emanated from the floor of these grounds, the entire cavern would have been black as pitch, so dark that Belos wouldn't even be able to see his own hand in front of his face.

In front of him was the still incomplete portal door, faintly humming with power that flowed from the many machines that connected to it, the massive wires and conduits twisting and turning like veins and arteries to a heart.

He turned his head to a table cluttered with many items such as candles, a branding glove, and a piece of circular reflective glass that had an Icthus symbol engraved upon it.

He lifted his hands towards the glass before grunting from a sudden pain in his arm. He looked at his left arm, noticing that dark green sludge was leaking from his gauntlet like oil down a pipe. He sighed and used his free hand to wipe away said sludge before grabbing the glass and tracing a finger across the engraving.

The symbol then glowed and shined with a brilliant golden glow, bathing much of the room with its light before it dimmed away, leaving Belos alone with nothing but the glass in his hands to keep him company.

Then, behind him, he heard the noise of feathery wings flapping and stretching out. He turned to see a woman who physically appeared to be middle-aged, dressed in a red casual business suit and dark red pants, with hair so white it was practically platinum. She adjusted her square glasses as the white wings emerging from her back stretched some more before resting neatly folded, not a stray feather falling out from them in sight.

Upon the sight of a literal Heavenly presence, Belos did what no one in the Boiling Isles believe he could ever do, and kneeled before her, "Gabrielle," he greeted, "it has been far too long."

The Angel gave the monarch a small, if slightly smug, smirk, "Indeed it has, Phillip…"