(A New Fate and New Revelations are to be had. Let us see what happens next to our heroes in this foreign situation)
Bold = English Conversations
Bold + Italics = Japanese Conversations
Fate 19
Makoto Nanaya was seated down on her spot on a log, heat from a fire radiating close to her face. On one side was the mercenary Bullet, her eyes staring right at the person that was in front of her. The other side, the Mad Dog himself, Azrael, staring right back at her as Makoto could feel the tension that clung in the air. "You know… Keep staring at me like that and I think we will have a problem." Azrael said as Bullet simply looked at Azrael with scorn in her eyes. "Why don't you try and make me then Mad Dog," Bullet threatened as Makoto felt the urge to step in at that moment. The only question that lingered in her mind was this.
...How did things happen to become this way?..
30 Minutes Ago…
MAKOTO POV
"I am not hot pants!" Bullet yelled as she walked up to me and grabbed me by my collar. "S-Sorry! That's just what I saw and I reacted without thinking!" I said. I mean… What else can I say! Those hot pants leave very little to the imagination. "Can you at the very least control what you say. The last thing we need is Bullet trying to kill us here." Sora said as I sighed and nodded my head. He was right after all, I shouldn't have said what I said without thinking.
"It's been a while since we last met Bullet. I just need to ask, where's Tager?" Sora questioned, most likely feeling that he should take the lead after my ummm… choice of words. "The cap… I mean… The Red Devil and I ended up separated. We were just together when the world began to change around us. I then found myself stranded over here." Bullet explained as Sora nodded his head upon hearing that statement.
"Yeah… that sounds like something we would say alright." Sora said, prompting me to slap him at the back of the head. "You know Sora. Why we may be used to this kind of thing, we should really consider the others in the room." I said as Sora focused his gaze towards Bullet and simply sighed. "You're right… I guess I got too used to the craziness of the world that I kind of forgot that not everyone is going through the life we are living right now." Sora said as Bullet's eyes blinked a few times upon hearing those series of words uttered from his lips.
"You...You have an explaination as to why we ended up like this?" Bullet questioned as Sora shook his head upon hearing that statement. "Not really… but if I have to guess, someone is involved in all of this." Sora said as Bullet out of nowhere dropped down to her knees, holding her head as this prompted Sora and I to go to her side. "What's the matter Bullet? Take deep breathes." Sora said, cautioning the woman as I wondered what was happening to her to make her like this. By the way me and Sora were behaving, we were the only ones not affected by what was happening to Bullet right now.
Bullet was soon panting, a cold sweat breaking out of her forehead as Sora and I wondered what had just happened to her. "...The...Azure? The hell is that." Bullet said as both Sora and I couldn't help but be alamred by what we had just heard. "Listen to me Bullet, we need you to tell us what you had just heard… word for word if possible." Sora said as I nodded my head at that. "Well… I heard something about my wish being granted if I go and find the former imperator herself and beat her in combat. She will then grant me this azure that will grant my wish." Bullet explained as Sora and I couldn't help but be alarmed by what we had just heard.
"...Makoto get into contact with Caroline. Make sure she knows what is happening over here and haave her check what is going on outside." Sora said as I figured he must want to further discuss things with hotpants. I simply nodded my head upon hearing that and left to do what he had just asked. As I tapped on the Ars Communicator we shared, I couldn't help but think about what Caroline must be doing right now. Is she shitting herself wondering what we are doing or creating another invention as we speak.
"Makoto? That you?" Caroline questioned as I couldn't help but feel like there was some tension in her voice. "Caroline? What's the matter over there? You sound… nervous." I questioned as Caroline chuckled for a bit, trying to relieve the tension she was feeling most likely. "Well… Something weird is happening over at my end…" She said as I couldn't help but feel a sense of worry come over me at that moment.
"I am all alone in this lab and I am now tempted to just go in and steal every single bit of information that damn old cat had been hiding from me and build my masterpiece from the remnants!" Caroline said as I couldn't help but blink my eyes upon hearing that statement. I didn't want to say anything at that moment as I guess that's what Otsu does to a person but I cannot help but become curious about her train of thought at that.
"Well.. Go right ahead and see what the prof's been keeping from your nose. But you have been observing what is going on outside right?" I questioned as I could hear a few grunts come out my way, suggesting that Caroline was busy hauling and grabbing some stuff on her end. "I have been...and well the Embryo thing so far hasn't done anything weird. I can't really tell if that's a good thing or a bad thing that nothing is happening but at the very least, we are not on fire." Caroline said, trying to put a positive spin on things.
"Uh huh… that is very reassuring." I replied as Caroline must have known by the tone of my voice that I was not convinced by her choice of words. "Alright, I will go and make sure that things outside the embryo don't go out of hand. In the mean time I am working on a few new upgrades for you and Sora so if you guys can find a way out of the embryo, make sure to come back to me so I hand you the equipment." Caroline said as I couldn't help but nod my head at that.
"I see… But you may have to find a way to mail us the stuff instead. We can't really be wasting time finding a way out of the Embryo right now." I explained as Caroline couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing that. "Oh hoh? Giving me a challenge to figure out now huh… Alright then. I will take you on on that!" Caroline said as I couldn't help but sweat upon hearing that statement. "I mean… the current equipment's fine for now. There's really no need for you to go out your way to get us stuff." I said, trying to make sure she doesn't do anything reckless.
"Oh I have been busy working on this stuff ever since you guys left and I need to find a new challenge for myself! I promise you guys that I will keep up my work and stay dilligent." Caroline begged as I couldn't help but sigh upon hearing that statement. "Alright Alright. I won't nag on what you will be doing. Just promise that you will make sure to contact us to let us know the equipment's ready." I said, deciding that trying to dissuade her was not working anymore.
"You can bet I am going to be doing just that!" Caroline said, ending the call as I took a deep breath upon hearing that statement. Caroline's got her heart at the right place but sometimes she does get a bit overboard with her upgrades. At least she doesn't go as far as modifying a person's body but sometimes I think she does that secretly when nobody is looking. That call did last a lot longer than I had thought it did. I should probably go and check on what Sora and Bullet are thinking.
"Hey… Squirrel Beastkin." A voice called out, a bit muffled thanks to a breeze blowing my way. I wonder who could that be calling out to me in the middle of this forest. At the same time, I cannot let my guard down as I made sure to turn quickly to see who it was. The moment I saw big muscles, tattoos and blue long hair with a menacing goatee, I immediately knew who I was dealing with. "You seem lost yourself. Tell me where's the nearest Hierarchical city."
"MAD DOG AZRAEL!?" I shouted, alarmed by the person that had just stumbled their way to our camp. His eyes began to slowly open as if he was realizing who he was looking at. "Oh… You are The Miracle Bringer's reason for fighting." Azrael said as I couldn't help but sweat a bit upon hearing him say that. The Miracle Bringer, the only person with a nickname like that would be Sora and that already makes me worry since it looks like it was just a person location shift rather than actual phenomena intervention.
"Oh come on now. Don't look so tense. I won't pick a fight with you… on purpose at least." Azrael said as I didn't know how to feel about his statement. "Unless… you want to try and test yourself against me." Azrael threatened, cracking his knuckles for me to hear. I couldn't help but shiver upon hearing those knuckles crack… to think that Sora was capable of going toe to toe with the mad dog. Hell even with his power up from fully unlocking Balmung, he still only went down to a stalemate. Fuck me what am I going to do!?
"AZRAEL!" A voice shouted as before I could say or do anything, a massive wave of heat came rushing towards Azrael, prompting me to jump out of the way so that I don't get burned. As soon as I did, Bullet got in between us as Azrael's grin simply grew at the sight of her. "Ahhh and the lackey of the Red Devil shows her face once again." Azrael said as Bullet tensed her fists upon hearing him say that. "How the hell did you even get here Mad Dog?" Bullet questioned as Azrael simply shook his head.
Azrael: Would you believe that I got teleported over here?
Bullet: Why should I trust what you are saying right now?
Azrael: What do I gain from lying?
Bullet: A chance to pick a fight with whoever is crazy enough to think they have a chance against you?
Azrael: Look little miss, I can see you're eager for a fight but even I can tell from just a glimpse that you will not give me the fight that I am seeking right now.
"The fight you are seeking right… What are you even. Oh I get it, you are mocking me huh." Bullet said as I couldn't help but become extremely nervous. I can tell from the way Azrael is currently roasting her that he doesn't see as any kind of threat and she should really keep it that way otherwise things will get much worse for everyone involved. Now that I think about it, where is Sora in all of this!?
"What's going on you… guys…" Sora's voice called out as he stumbled out to see who had caused all of this mess. It was a bizarre sight to see indeed, seeing Sora carry what looked like a bunch of rabbits in his hand as he stared at the scene in front of him. "Oh. We meet again Miracle Bringer. We have got to stop meeting like this or I will start to think it's fate that we must fight against each other." Azrael said as me and Bullet looked at Sora at that moment, wondering what he would do next.
"Yeah… that sounds about right." Sora said as I couldn't believe how...how relaxed he looked at that moment. "Are you hungry? If so I can go and hunt a few more rabbits for dinner." Sora said as I couldn't believe what I had just heard. "Huh? Are you trying to suggest we eat dinner with Azrael of all people!?" I said as Sora nodded his head. "You can tell that now is not the right time for our fight right? So if you can, either get lost or help me out by getting rabbits for dinner." Sora said as Azrael couldn't help but grin upon hearing that statement.
"Oh? We making this a challenge now?" Azrael said as Sora walked over and passed me some rabbits. "Call it a small appetizer. Just don't go hunting the forest down until nothing is left." Sora said as Azrael grinned upon hearing that statement. "Try to keep up then." Azrael said as before we knew it, he immediately sprinted, going to find some rabbits as Sora, deciding to not get left behind, went charging after him, leaving me and Bullet confused in the process as we both just looked at each other and knew one thing.
… Dinner was going to be interesting at the very least...
FLASHBACK END
"Is dinner done yet Miracle Bringer?" Azrael asked, the log supporting him creaking to suggest he was becoming impatient with how slow dinner was taking. "Dinner takes time to prepare Mad Dog. Now just wait until dinner's ready." Sora said, busy preparing a bunch of rabbits with skinning and skewering them on sticks he found. Azrael simply grunted upon hearing that and sat back on his seat, waiting impatiently for dinner.
"Is...Is it me or is it weird to see the mad dog actually being….human?" Makoto asked as Bullet herself did not know how to respond to a question like that. "I would rather not have a conversation about that right now and focus on trying to gather more info about what is happening… and I hate to say this but the Mad Dog may have some info we can use." Bullet said as Makoto realized Bullet had a good point. The Mad Dog while a dangerous threat could also be capable of giving them information that they can use.
"So… How did you end up here Azrael?" Makoto questioned, deciding that she should be the one to initiate the conversation. Makoto felt sweat drip down her forehead as she did not know how he would respond or if he would even bother giving her an answer at that moment. Azrael took a look at the woman and at first considered not even entertaining her question. At the same time, this woman was the key to his rival's strength so maybe it would be worth entertaining her question.
"Don't bother. It's not like the Mad Dog's got anything to add to our current situation." Bullet said as Azrael couldn't help but look at Bullet at that moment, a stare in his eyes. "OH… Nothing huh…" Bullet said as Makoto couldn't help but feel even more sweat drop down her forehead. "Oh come on now guys, no fighting for now. As much as Azrael may want to fight us right now." Makoto said, hoping that her words would help diffuse the situation and prevent yet another fight from happening.
"Hmph… Information is what you want huh…" Azrael said as he leaned back on his log, the log creaking even more as he began to think about what had happened to him. "It's simple really. I decided to go and see what all the fuss was about and found myself fighting one of the six heroes themselves." Azrael said as both Makoto and Bullet were alarmed to hear this. Bullet was surprised to hear that the Mad Dog fought a Six Hero but Makoto's mind wondered which six hero he fought.
"If I can ask… Which of the Six Heroes did you fight?" Makoto questioned as Azrael grinned at that question. "The Great Sage herself, Nine." Azrael answered as Bullet couldn't help but be alarmed by that. "Bullshit! That woman died 100 years ago!" Bullet shouted, stating a common truth as Makoto herself knew that Azrael himself was right, deciding against correcting Bullet at that moment as she figured that she would never meet the great sage herself in any way so there was no need for Bullet to know that the great sage herself was still alive and breathing.
"Believe me or not I don't care. I am telling you what I saw. Anyways, afterwards, she told me that if I wanted my wish to be granted, I just needed to go and find the imperator and beat her for some wish granting device called an Azure." Azrael said as Bullet's eyes widened upon hearing that. She had thought the story to be fake but the words he had just said made her wonder if he was actually telling the truth at this point. She placed a hand on her forehead, mind swirling in thoughts as Makoto herself nodded her head at that.
"That sounds like what Bullet had told us when we met up with her…" Makoto said as she was quick to piece together what was happening. "Tell me you two… are you both part of the "Qualified" in any way?" Makoto questioned as Azrael simply shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I just barged my way here so I don't know about this Qualification nonsense." Azrael said as Bullet herself shook her head. "This is the first time I am hearing about qualified." Bullet said as Makoto nodded her head at that.
"So nobody knows if they are qualified or not…" Makoto said as Azrael in the meantime had gotten bored of the conversation he was hearing and couldn't help but focus his attention towards Sora as he was busy preparing dinner for everyone. As soon as he finished skinning the rabbits he began placing them around the fire. Having carefully skewered each and every edible part, he was now having them roast on the fire. "If only I had some spices on hand…" Sora said before he felt a hand be placed on his shoulder.
"Why do you even bother with all the fancy cooking. Just chuck the carcass on the fire and grab it when it's ready I say." Azrael said as Sora was able to casually grab Azrael's hand and place it to the side. "You can do that but it would ruin the taste of the rabbit. It's also for safety reasons. I needed to remove the guts of the rabbits just in case they had infectious bacteria inside it. Even a Mad Dog like you wouldn't like the idea of getting a stomachache now." Sora said as Azrael shook his head at that statement.
"Nonsense! Pain is how we become stronger as individuals! Nothing a little stomach ache will make your stomach stronger!" Azrael said as Sora shook his head at that statement. "You know that is not how the human anatomy works." Sora said as Azrael himself looked at Sora, surprised at that statement. "Aren't you not human in the first place? What kind of Human goes summoning Black beasts from their body?" Azrael questioned.
Sora couldn't help but ponder on what his words meant for him at that current moment. Sure he was human in form but was he really human in nature? At the very least, he didn't want to do things that would make him less human right now so he decided to push the thoughts Azrael gave him to the back of his mind. "Just wait a bit longer. Dinner will be ready soon." Sora said as Azrael sighed, deciding to at least listen to his rival's request for now.
A few minutes later…
"Dinner's ready you guys." Sora said, holding out a bunch of cooked rabbit meat on sticks in his hands as Bullet and Azrael both took them off his hands while Sora grabbed a few for him and Makoto to share. The dinner soon made everyone quiet as Sora and Makoto couldn't help but share a quiet moment to each other. Sora tore a bit of rabbit meat and fed it to Makoto as she would do the same for him. They couldn't help but giggle to each other secretly, enjoying feeding each other as Bullet ate the cooked meat and was simply happy to not be eating rations for the night.
Azrael meanwhile ate his rabbit with the ravenous appetite of a beast. He normally did not care about the method his food was cooked, most of the time eating his meat while it was still juicy and bloody to an extent but eating this carefully cooked rabbit for some reason enhanced the meal he was having. His eyes were then drawn towards a boiling pot as he wondered if a soup was being prepared for everyone to enjoy.
"Makoto had some extra soup rations so I figured I would make some soup for everyone using the rations." Sora said as Makoto simply smiled upon hearing that. Sora did try to question where the soup rations came from and Makoto could have told him that she took some from the NOL supply store but where's the fun in that so instead, she teased it as some trade secret. Sora then opened the pot as he saw the soup boil, showing it was ready.
"Bullet, do you happen to have any bread rations you are saving?" Sora asked as Bullet raised her eyebrows upon hearing that statement and tossed towards him some of her dried bread rations towards him that she had kept in her jacket. Catching it, Sora poured the dry rations into the soup and stirred it for a bit. As soon as he did that, he watched as the dry bread rations slowly hydrate themselves in the soup and while they were not the best croutons, it was better than eating it plain.
"Soup's ready." Sora said as he poured the soup down a bunch of makeshift bowls. He gave everyone their respective soups as each got a spork in order to scoop their hot soup with. As Sora took his seat next to Makoto, he couldn't help but notice Azrael having a grim look on his face. "Are...Are you trying to test my patience here?" Azrael questioned as Sora became confused by that statement. "Did you really think that this is an acceptable utensil to give me?" Azrael questioned, further confusing Sora as Makoto couldn't help but say something.
"Are you talking about the Spork?" Makoto questioned as Azrael lifted the tiny spoon fork combo in front of the trio. "How can you accept such a subpar tool for eating!? This thing doesn't deserve to be used for anything! Let alone drinking my soup!" Azrael complained as Bullet rubbed her forehead upon hearing the Mad Dog rant. "You cannot be serious. The Mad Dog is getting fussy over the fact that his spoon has a bunch of spikes on it. I would have figured that you would like such a thing." Bullet said as everyone could see Azrael hold the spork in his hand before destroying it, turning it to dust in the process.
"There are better ways to drink soup than with those inefficient tools!" Azrael shouted as he drank the soup from his bowl, unbothered by the heat he felt, eating the rabbit beside it as Sora simply shrugged his head and allowed him to eat the way he wanted. "At the very least, this food at least tastes good. I could actually eat this again if I wanted to." Azrael said as Sora was not sure how to feel about a compliment of his food from the Mad Dog.
"Tell me… If I ever asked you to cook for me again, Would you do so?" Azrael questioned as Sora gave that question a bit of thought before deciding his answer. "Maybe after we settle everything with each other. Let's see how we see each other after that." Sora said as Azrael couldn't help but grin at that answer. "So you still remember our little deal… good. The last thing I need is some forgetful asshole who makes a deal they intend to break." Azrael said as he finished his meal and stood up.
"The nearest Hierarchical city from here is Kazamotsu. Head there if you want to find out what's going on there." Azrael said as he decided that now should be the time he took his leave. He shared a meal with his rival but was not willing to share a sleeping space with him, especially since their deal was still on and he felt a sense of uneasiness knowing that now was not the time his rival felt was appropriate to finish things between them.
"As for me… I do plan on heading towards where potentially I can find more prey to hunt and entertain myself with. I may pay a visit to Kazamotsu if I have some free time." Azrael said as Bullet simply scoffed. "Good riddance. We don't need anything from you in the first place intruder." She said as Makoto was worried that insult would have been enough to make Azrael change his mind but Azrael simply scoffed upon hearing that statement.
"Well be glad this 'Intruder' is seeing himself off now." Azrael said, deciding to not stoop down to Bullet's level and leave without stirring a fight that may cause Sora to cancel their deal. Makoto took a deep breath upon hearing this, glad to see that they were not going to get into another unnecessary fight if she could avoid it only to see Sora get off his seat and approach Azrael at that moment. "And what do you want from me this time Miracle Bringer?" Azrael questioned as he thought that Sora was going to say something to his face at that moment.
At that moment, Sora offered something that nobody could have expected. "You want to have a way to communicate with us?" Sora questioned as Bullet's jaw nearly dropped to the ground upon hearing that. Makoto herself felt like wetting herself as she did everything in her power to not panic and Azrael's eyes raised a very large brow. "And why are you even thinking of offering me such a thing? Are you trying to keep an eye on me so you can run away from me if I say I am afar." Azrael said as Sora shook his head.
"You can think whatever you want. I am just offering you this because I want to. Consider this my way of ensuring we can fulfill our deal when it is time." Sora said as Azrael paused at that moment before letting out an unholy laugh. Makoto and Bullet could understand why he was laughing at that moment as he leaned in closer to Sora's level, their faces staring at each other at that moment. "Then do it. Give me a way to contact you. I am certain to make sure to always keep listening so when I feel you are ready, I am going to go straight towards your location." Azrael said as he knew that Sora would likely retract his offer and simply say that was a mistake and that he should forget about it.
Then, in a moment that caught Azrael off guard in a good way, Sora simply casted the communication spell that Caroline shared with him towards him. Azrael couldn't help but take a step back as Sora simply walked back towards Makoto and sat next to her. "There. Done. Now you can get going." Sora said as Azrael blinked a few times before laughing greatly. He had no words for the man as he simply left at that note.
As Azrael got further and further away from the group, the women were now focused on Sora as they had several questions. "Why would you even think of offering Azrael that kind of communication!?" Bullet questioned as Sora looked at her with some surprise at how she reacted. "I agree with her, There was no need for you to give him a way to talk to us let alone our private communications!" Makoto argued as Sora raised his hand and shook his head at that.
"You guys don't need to worry about that, I didn't leak our actual communications to him, I just used a different frequency while using the same series of Ars Magus spell that Caroline taught us." Sora explained as while this did little for them in terms of reassurance, this allowed the women to know that he wasn't crazy enough to give the Mad Dog their actual communications frequency. "But that doesn't explain why you want to exchange contact details a mad man like him?" Bullet questioned as Sora took a deep breath upon hearing that and nodded his head, agreeing that needed some explanation.
"I made a promise to him that I will face off against him one of these days and that is just to make sure that I am fulfilling my end of the bargain at the end of the day. I don't want to leave any regrets behind even if it means fighting against a monster." Sora said as Bullet could tell the man was serious as her gaze went towards Makoto. "And you're alright with him fighting against a monster like that? He lost the last time those two fought against each other. Aren't you supposed to say something as his girlfriend." Bullet questioned as Makoto took a deep breath at that question.
"I should...but as his girlfriend I know very well why he does the things he does so I don't have qualms about his choices. I just feel a bit frustrated is all." Makoto explained as Bullet couldn't help but blink her eyes upon hearing that statement come out from Makoto's mouth. She knew at that point there must be some screws loose in his head to result in his choice and that it would be near impossible to dissuade him from his current path.
"I give up. You guys are just built different at this point." Bullet said, finishing up her own bowl of soup and rabbit and standing up. "I will get first watch and make sure nobody tries to gang up on us. You two just try and get some rest after today." Bullet said, leaving Sora and Makoto to their own devices. Soon the quiet of the camp returned to them and Sora couldn't help but take a deep breath of relief as he had somehow managed to find a way to avert disaster.
"Talk about walking down a razor's edge Sora. I was for sure prepared to have another fight against that guy." Makoto said as Sora sat down and exhaled even more. "Trust me I was too. I was not sure if the Mad Dog was ready to uphold his end of the bargain but it turns out he was." Sora said, feeling relief come over to him as he was glad things happened the way they did. "Tell me Makoto… Would you have stopped me from doing what I did?" Sora questioned, wanting Makoto's personal feelings about the situation.
"Personally… I would have if I didn't trust you." Makoto said as he couldn't help but smile upon hearing that statement. "That's good to hear. You know how much I appreciate your input about things." Sora said as Makoto giggled upon hearing him say that. As soon as he said that, Sora couldn't help but yawn a bit as Makoto herself yawned as well. "You know… I am feeling a bit exhausted right now. We should probably get some rest now." Makoto said as Sora nodded his head at that.
"Why don't you go and get some rest first. You had to fight both the Mad Dog and the great sage herself. Compared to me, you must be feeling even more exhausted." Makoto said as Sora nodded his head upon hearing that, resting his head on her shoulder before she smiled and placed his head on her lap instead. Before he could protest, Makoto used her tail to give him something soft to hug. "Here. Let me pamper you a little bit while you sleep prince charming." Makoto teased as Sora simply fell silent, rubbing his face on the soft tail that Noel wished she could do and fell asleep rather easily.
As she saw Sora's chest go up and down slowly, Makoto couldn't help but smile sadly at the sight. While she did say the truth to him, she still cannot help but worry that Sora may be stretching himself thinner than he needed to do so. She knew very well that when the time comes where he has to face off against Azrael, he would need to do it on his own power. Makoto looked at her own hands, her own two fists and tightened them as much as she could.
...Determined to do anything she can to make Sora's journey easier…
GREETINGS LOST SHEEP OF FANFICTION!? HOW ARE YOU ALL DOING ON THIS FINE DAY!? I personally am doing well myself and it's already about to reach the end of the first month of the new year. I won't keep pointing out the months as they keep going on but at the same time, I cannot help but feel drawn to the fact that months pass by quickly. As a small heads up, I will be busy binging on the latest game from the acclaimed Like A Dragon Series, Infinite Wealth so I may be posting a bit later next month as I will be busy going through that story and giving it my time.
SO WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT TO OUR HEROES!? WHAT WILL BE STANDING IN OUR HEROES'S WAY IN THIS NEW SITUATION THEY HAVE FOUND THEMSELVES IN!? WILL THEY BE ABLE TO PERSERVERE AGAINST THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE GOING TO BE THROWN THEIR WAY OR WILL SOMETHING STAND IN FRONT OF THEM THAT WILL STOP THEM IN THEIR TRACKS!? Only the wheel of fate shall tell us the path ahead...