Jonah watches as Hephaestus and her assistant walk away with his weapons. He feels a helplessness well up in him as he watches the grand hall doors open for them and they walk through, then slam shut behind them.

"Aw, your toys got taken away," Loki crooned mockingly as she walks up to Jonah, then squats to be at face level with him. "Well that's what happens when you're a naughty boy." Then smirks as she opens her eyes slightly. "I doubt you'll ever see those again let alone get them back . . . Now!" She announced seriously with a firm single clap of her hands while standing then stepping back. "It's judgement time. Let's start off by reviewing the facts. First, you almost killed Bete." Pointing to him as he snarls with that bandage around his torso. "Then you humiliated my lovely Aisy-poo." Gesturing at the Sword Princess. "Fortunately, she's recovered, thanks to bunny boy. And finally, you fought with more of my children and even imprisoned one of them and threatened to cut her throat." Gesturing at Tiona. "Therefore, I'm gonna have you imprisoned for a little while. Don't ask how long though, but just know that if you were to bow with your forehead touchin' the floor and declarin' how sorry you are for what you did to Bete, Ais, Tione, Tiona, and Lefiya right here in front of us all, I won't let them lay a finger on you."

"And if I refuse?" Jonah asked flatly.

Loki sneers with open eyes. Dangerous eyes. "Then those five will get to take their frustrations out on you right here in front of us all."

This touches off controversy.

". . . Bete can get crazy! So can Tione . . . !"

". . . They'll probably end up killing him . . .!"

". . . That guy better apologize if he wants to live . . .!"

"Loki, what are you doing?" Riveria asked earnestly.

"Justice, my dear Riveria," Loki answered.

"I don't see what's so just about having a man beaten half to death," Finn said dourly.

"But I'm offering Mister Theron a choice," Loki explained.

"Then keep Lefiya out of it," Riveria said firmly.

"Hey!" Lefiya squealed indignantly.

"Lefiya, this isn't the Elf way," Riveria stated intently.

"Okay, quiet down everyone!" Loki proclaimed with raised hands.

Upon getting it, Loki turns to Jonah with a grim expression.

"So what's it gonna be, Mister Theron . . .? Will you apologize to the ones you hurt or will you let them hurt you?"

"No!"

"What?" Loki winced as she suddenly looks back. "Aisy-poo, what did you just say?"

"I said no," Ais answered firmly. "I will not hurt Jonah Theron."

Loki makes a wry expression.

"I guess it shows that not everyone's vindictive, Loki," Finn said.

"Well I am!" Bete snarled

"Me too!" Tione added hotly.

There is silence from Tiona who has a neutral expression. Lefiya is also silent, but scowls.

"Well?!" Tione demanded from her sister.

"Ah . . . O-Okay, I'll have a little bit too," Tiona answered with her hands raised.

"Ah well," Loki said, "at least some are eager for payback." Then refocuses on Jonah. "Well, Mister Theron, I'm still waiting for your answer."

"No apology!" Jonah snarled with a glower of defiance.

"So be it," Loki said dryly. "Hey Gareth, I'm gonna need your help for this one. Anakitty, trade places with him."

The Catwoman does so as Gareth takes her place.

"Now then, Gareth," Loki said. "I want you to imagine that Mister Theron is a shield and you're about to get attacked by a dragon that's about to breathe fire on you."

"Give me a moment," Gareth said as he begins positioning himself behind Jonah to hold him up by using his arms interwoven between Jonah's so that his hands are pressing onto his nape. "Okay!"

"Now you two," as Loki points out two men. "Go and hold Mister Theron's legs back by his ankles."

The two men do so as they each grab one of the Moon-scented Hunter's legs and wretches them back, then firmly pins them down by his ankles as they squat to sit on his calves, their backs to Loki.

"You boys got him secured?" Loki called.

"Yes," all three verified.

Loki looks to Bete and the Hiryute Sisters with a smirk, then extends an arm with an open hand.

"Enjoy."

The rest of the Loki Familia watch in silence with dour expressions, though Loki and Lefiya watch with smug ones, as Bete and the Hiryute sisters take their turns in rapid succession with Jonah. The sounds of flesh and bone being pounded on, along with the trio's vocalizations from the effort they are putting in, fill the grand hall. Droplets of ichor begin to splatter.

Then a couple minutes into the beating . . .

"What's wrong?!" Tione snarled back at her sister upon taking a moment to stop, as did Bete.

"I . . . I'm finished," Tiona said innocently with smeared hands, then walks away.

"Fine!" Tione snarled and returns to beating Jonah, with Bete joining back in.

Again, the rest of the Loki Familia watch in silence with dour expressions, though Loki and Lefiya watch with smug ones, as Bete and Tione take their turns in rapid succession with Jonah. The sounds of flesh and bone being pounded on, along with the duo's vocalizations from the effort they are putting in, fill the grand hall. Droplets of ichor splatter.

Then a few minutes later into the beating . . .

"I can't hold back any longer!" Lefiya shouted as she runs forward. "Tione, Bete! Let me at him!"

They pause to regard Lefiya as she comes running over while scowling, then stops before Jonah and winds up to slap him hard across the face.

"Is that all you're gonna do to him?" Bete smirked.

"No!" Lefiya stated firmly.

She next squats while raising her hands up together with palms outward close to his stomach. "Unleashed streak of light, bow limbs of the holy tree!"

"Lefiya!" Riveria warned.

"You are an expert of the bow! Shoot sniper of the fairies!"

"Hey, easy there, Lefiya!" Gareth said in an uneasy tone.

"Penetrate, arrow of absolute accuracy!"

"Lefiya stop!" Riveria shouted as she makes a move.

"Arcs Ray!"

From almost point blank range, an arrow of light shoots from Lefiya's hands into Jonah's belly where it bursts with such force that both Jonah and Gareth are pushed back slightly. Jonah gags as his eyes bulge and his tongue lolls.

There is stunned silence throughout the grand hall as everyone gapes, or sneers in surprise in the case of Bete and Tione, at what Lefiya had done.

Jonah gasps and struggles to breathe as smoke rises from the surface of his belly.

"That's how you made me feel, you jerk!" Lefiya snapped at Jonah with clenched fists down by her side.

There is sudden laughter from Bete, Tione, and Loki.

"That was excellent!" Loki bellowed with hilarity. "I didn't know you had it in you, Lefiya!"

"My turn again!" Bete snickered.

He gives Jonah a rapid though vicious triple kick that starts at his stomach and ends at his face, all within a second.

"I'm next!" Tione giggled with a disturbingly gleeful expression, then gives Jonah a savage one-two punch, one to his belly and the other to his face.

"I wanna do that again!" Lefiya giggled as she gets into position once more.

"ENOUGH!"

The bellowing shook everyone throughout the room, stopping the beating and taking the rage out of Tione, Lefiya, and Bete.

"C-Captain!" Tione gasped with fright. An expression at odds with ichor stained fists.

"Loki, this foolishness is over!" Finn snapped back at her.

Loki sneers back at Finn then gestures reluctantly at Bete, Lefiya, and Tione that it is over. Bete clicks his tongue and walks away. Lefiya quickly returns with a frightened look to where she was with Alicia and Riveria, both of whom are expressing their mutual shock at her.

"Okay, let him go," Gareth sighed as he lets go of Jonah, prompting them to let go of his ankles.

Jonah groans loudly as he slides onto his knees, then falls over to one side while facing upward. There he lies coughing and rasping repeatedly. His swollen bruised face is smeared with ichor, some of which he coughs up. His torso is covered in bruises. Yet he remains conscious.

Riveria swiftly walks over to the table with Jonah's belongings.

"What're you doing?" Loki asked.

Riveria does not answer but instead finds a blood vial.

"Hey, are you gonna do what I think you're gonna do?" Loki asked in annoyance.

"Yes, don't stop me," Riveria answered firmly as she swiftly walks past Loki towards Jonah.

She leans over Jonah and jabs the blood vial into his chest, causing him to flinch. An orange glow appears then disappears, as do the injuries. The Good Hunter now looks as he did before the beating began and looks up into Riveria's concerned face.

"Thank you, my good lady," he sighed cordially.

The High Elf nods and walks away. Jonah manages to get up and even stand, seeing that Riveria is returning the now empty vial to the table then stands away to one side. Jonah glares back at Loki.

"A pity it went this way, Jonah," Loki said in hollow regret. "You could've been an incredible adventurer. You got anything to say before you're escorted to your new room?"

"Yes," Jonah answered. "For the sake of the Lady Riveria," as he stares at the High Elf, "I will behave myself." Then back to Loki. "Or more accurately, I will not be the instigator of any trouble that might arise. That's it."

"Good to know," Loki said dryly, then gestures.

Jonah is urged to move and does so. He is led out of the grand room and the doors are closed.

There is a moment of silence . . .

"WHAT WAS THAT?!"

Startling everyone present.

"ANSWER ME, LEFIYA! WHY DID YOU USE MAGIC IN SUCH A SAVAGE WAY?!" Riveria thundered with an enraged expression at the now frightened Elf girl.

Everyone in the Loki Familia knows that the High Elf is stoic but they also understand that on rare occasions she can show an immense temper, and that is when she is at her most frightening.

Lefiya struggles to answer while shivering, then finally screws up her courage.

"H-He deserved it!" Her tone fretfully though defiant. "H-He nearly killed Bete, humiliated Ais when she was only defending him, held Tiona hostage and threatened to kill her! HE ALSO PUNCHED ME WHEN I WAS ONLY TRYING TO HELP THEM!" Screeching that last part.

"Tione!" Finn demanded. "Will you please tell us why you decided to confront Mister Theron sooner rather than later?"

"It was a chance encounter, so we decided to seize the initiative," Tione answered firmly. "It's not our fault Mister Theron was foolish enough to wander throughout the city during a festival. He should've remained hidden, or flee Orario."

"Loki!" Riveria snapped. "Stripping him down to his underwear is one thing, but allowing him to be beaten like that?!"

"I was sending a message to anyone out there who might get it in their heads to challenge me!" Loki retorted. "Not only that but Tione, Bete, and Lefiya needed to relieve the frustrations he caused them!"

"Well Ais refused it!" Riveria pointed out. "And Tiona wasn't into it and quit a couple of minutes in!"

"Ais didn't get a hand stabbed in her gut!" Bete snarled as he gestures to where that wound that Jonah had given him.

"She also didn't have her loved ones threatened!" Tione vigorously added.

"So why the fuck you defending him you old hag when he almost killed me?!" Bete grated at Riveria.

"This all started at the Hostess of Fertility!" Riveria lambasted back at the werewolf. "He clearly got sick of listening to your big mouth!"

"THEN HE SHOULD'VE WALKED OUT!" Bete roared.

"SHUT UP! I CAN'T HEAR MYSELF THINK!" Loki shrieked.

There is immediate silence. Loki groans while tilting her head forward and rubbing her forehead. "I need a drink." Then lowers her hand as her expression and tone turn grim. "In the meantime there's that issue with those . . . those monsters if you could call them that."

"How did those things get into our world?!" Alicia gasped.

"Eyewitness reports state that they came up from the Dungeon," Finn answered grimly.

"The Dungeon?!" Lefiya gasped. "Could there be more of those things lurking down there?!"

"If there were, we would've known by now," Riveria said.

"I'm gonna have a talk with Ouranos," Loki said. "Hopefully he can shed some light on this."