"You're unbelievable, you know that?"

"And here we go—"

"Oh, don't try to ignore me! We're having this conversation!"

"Please stop fighting…"

Amos pushed his way out of the underground asylum's hatch, rubbing his eyes in preparation for daylight. To his mild surprise, the sun had set some time ago. The events of their forgetful encounter with the Deadly Seven's assassin had left them oblivious to the time change, turning what felt like an hour or two of exploring into an entire day's adventure.

However, for Phoebe and Caractacus, that wasn't at the forefront of their minds.

Phoebe stomped after the Boltund as he fiddled with the lock on the carriage. Magni stood by, keeping the shivering Evelot on his back for safety. The Scolipede glanced at Amos as he made himself known. "What happen?"

Amos grunted. "Don't worry, they'll get you up to speed with their screaming. Or Burkhard's, at least."

"Oi! I'm talking to you, asshole!" Phoebe shouted, punching Caractacus' Negative Space.

Caractacus finally got the door unlocked and let himself inside. "Oh? We were talking? I never noticed."

She growled. "Why didn't you tell us about this Inherited Will whatever that was inside Evelot?!"

"Because it wasn't any of your business."

"Oh, really? Well, that clears everything up—FUCK THAT! It's my business when it concerns my friend!"

He rolled his eyes. "I don't see what you're getting so worked up about. I didn't do anything to her."

"You have no idea what I've been doing to keep Evelot safe! I don't know much about whatever this magical whatnot is, but I know it puts her life at risk! Everything Abel just explained to us! Is he serious that Evelot has this subconscious blood feud against Last Autumn's boss?!"

Caractacus sat down at his workstation and proceeded to tinker with an invention he left out. "Again, I don't see why you're so angry over this. Wasn't your objective to hunt down and eliminate Last Autumn?"

"Lamecaster and I are the ones who'll topple Last Autumn! Evelot, however, needs to stay out of this nonsense for her own good! If anything sets her off—"

"Sets her off, eh?"

She grimaced. "Don't change the subject!"

"Sounds to me you have your own secrets."

She growled. "Listen, you smug jackass, I—"

"W-What do you mean set me off?" Phoebe groaned as Evelot nervously entered the carriage. She gulped nervously. "Ph-Phoebe, do you…remember who attacked the lab? Do…Do you remember who k-killed my family?"

"…"

"Phoebe, I thought you didn't know who killed them. D-Do you really—"

"Stay out of this, Evelot," she interrupted coldly. "The less you know, the better."

"Y-You do know!" Evelot raced over and grabbed Phoebe by the jacket. "Who? Who killed them?! Please, you have to—"

"No!" She shoved Evelot off. "Are you insane? You should be grateful you don't remember most of what happened down there. I don't want you do anything you'll regret."

Tears welled up in Evelot's eyes. "B-But I have to know! Who would be so cruel to slaughter my whole family? Destroy everything we worked toward—"

"Do you even understand the ramifications of your family's legacy?" Caractacus mumbled, connecting metal wire together.

Phoebe snarled. "I'll deal with you later. You stay out of this—"

"Evelot, as I recall, you mentioned one of the Deadly Seven having access to your family's potions as a means to enhance themselves. I believe you described it as a nightmarish harvest of living corpses." He rested his metal chin atop his paw. "Your family has done a great bit of harm even from small interactions. It's a wonder you made it out alive given her vendetta against your family."

Evelot's eyes widened. "Y-You know, too?! D-Does everyone know but me?!"

Amos stepped into the carriage, and Magni poked his head through. "Alright, let's just take a breath here—"

"Why are you all treating me like a child?!" Evelot snapped. "You think I can't handle the truth?! I just want some closure for what happened that day, but you're all acting like I'll—"

"Do something stupid the second we turn our backs," Phoebe growled. "Evelot, you may act all peace-loving and happy, but I know how you felt about that day. You don't want closure just from knowing the truth. And now I find out you have some ancient superpower inside you! That's the last thing I need on my plate!"

Caractacus smirked. "Is that why you're angry with me? Because I could've let it slip Evelot had a means to take revenge?"

Phoebe threw a hammer at his face, an ineffective attempt as it merely stopped against the electric barrier. "You don't get to act high and mighty over this! This is the same bullshit you pull with your other clients, isn't it? You work with them, screw them over, and then go on your merry way. You know, maybe like a little area called—oh, what was it again? Ah, right. Haunted Willows?"

Caractacus immediately dropped his tools, his face flashing briefly with anger. He took a deep breath and faced the irate Aipom with a level glare. "How…did you know about that?"

She smirked. "I decided to get even with you after mucking around in my memories, so I coerced Alpha to let me get a peek at yours."

"Those are my private—"

"We're in the Outlands, asshole! Private property means nothing out here! Not that I needed Alpha to get that information. I'm a gossipmonger, remember? You hear things when you're prying into other people's secrets. I just put two and two together once I got the displeasure of interacting with you."

Caractacus scoffed. "Those events do not matter."

She smirked angrily. "Oh yeah, I'm sure they don't. Hey everyone, want to hear about that time Caractacus blew up an entire town of innocent people just to save his own skin?"

Evelot's eyes widened. "W-What?!"

Amos glared. "Eh?"

Caractacus turned his head away. "Burkhard, I kindly ask you to restrain your—"

"Oh yeah, real big firework show from what I've heard. Corpses lying everywhere! The area was blistered with scorched earth! Oh, it was just a delightfully horrific scene. Just a town full of innocent people tucked away from the lawless Outlands, doing their own thing just to get by. Let in a stranger in his time of need and BAM! Repaid their kindness by using them as kindling for his next escape! Oh, don't drop your jaw at me, Tac—oops, too soon? My mistake—"

Caractacus suddenly reached out and grabbed her by the collar with his metal paw, the retractable claws digging through the fabric. Phoebe looked unfazed, proudly smirking at the fury reflecting in the hound's eyes.

"Oooh. I struck a nerve. I didn't know you had any of those left."

"…" Caractacus closed his eyes, retracted his claws, and stood up from his seat. "I will not lower myself to your level, Burkhard. I will not have myself compared to the standards of a savage."

She smirked. "Going for the low blow, eh?"

"What happened back then is in the past. It does not concern me, nor should it concern you."

She rolled her eye. "Ha, right. Your infamous reputation for detaching yourself from all connections just to stay alive. Has our time together really been that awful that you don't see us as more than a contractual relationship? Then again, if you're willing to kill others to save your own skin—"

"Drop it. Now." His voice was cold and serious, a departure from his usual carefree smugness. "I just told you, that is not a concern for me."

"Uh huh, surrrrrre."

"You're unbelievable."

"I'm a realist. I see the world for what it is."

"And the next day, you're a pessimist who sees all the bad. You don't care about anything. You just want to make yourself feel superior."

She shrugged. "I aim to deconstruct loud egos."

"An ego that I've developed because I am superior. I shouldn't have to squander my talents while some maniac hunts me down for who-knows-what. I work by my own standards, even if that means keeping information to myself." He glanced at Evelot. "I simply saw another opportunity to learn the secrets of our history, and now I've come to find Evelot displays an example of higher learning. Thus, I aim to unravel all of that. Be grateful I merely observed her rather than doing a more thorough examination of this energy source within her."

Phoebe's smirk grew angrier. "You lay one paw on her, that invincible barrier of yours won't be so invincible afterwards."

Caractacus scoffed. "Our brief chat with Abel provided enough. You can do with this information as you will."

"Well, it would've been nice to know sooner when we've been blazing ahead to hunt down the very people who were after her!"

Evelot looked aside. "I…don't remember having any family members from the Laurus Vanguard. Even so, I was the youngest of my siblings, and both of my grandparents were dead before I was born. He…He said it's passed on to the next born in the bloodline. That couldn't be me."

Amos patted her head. "Take it easy, Rags."

"It doesn't matter!" Phoebe yelled. "If Last Autumn finds out about this, we'll never be able to sleep easy ever again! Now we know they need Evelot more than ever, and she could be moments away from being snatched up. We need to prioritize keeping her safe!"

Caractacus waved her off. "That's your burden, not mine. I will be busying myself with relocating to a new safe haven."

She growled. "So, you're just abandoning us to fend against Last Autumn?! Three of their goons are still after us, remember?!"

"Two," Amos muttered under his breath.

"Oh, but you don't care because all you care about is yourself!" Phoebe snapped. "I've sacrificed everything for Evelot! A chance at a normal life! Love! Security! Everything just to keep her from experiencing the horrors of the world!"

"What a fine job you've done," Caractacus grumbled.

"And now here you are tempting her like a devil on the shoulder about something she doesn't need to know about!"

Evelot glared. "My family's deaths are my need to know, Phoebe!"

"Stay out of this, Evelot!"

"Tell me what happened that day now—"

"ENOUGH!" Amos marched in between all three of them, forcing them back. "I hate having to be the mature one in this debacle, but will all of you just shut up?! Your screaming's going to wake the dead!"

"…" They backed off from each other, looking away with a grumble under their breaths.

Amos sighed. "Look, it has been a long, long day for all of us. Some more than others," he growled. He shook his head and continued, "We should set up camp for the night. Once we're rested, we'll talk about this in the morning. Okay?"

"…Fine," they grumbled.

Amos groaned. "Good enough. You all just go outside with Magni to start a fire or something. I'll…piece together whatever we have for a late dinner."

"Fiiiiine."

"Thank you." He massaged his forehead and groaned. "Got a headache. I just want a moment to sleep—"

"Grrrrrrr…"

Everyone's eyes widened at Magni's low growling from outside. They looked to each other worriedly before arming themselves and shuffling to the door. Amos pressed his back to the interior and peeked outside enough to see the Scolipede steed.

"Mags. Is it one of the locals?"

"No. Someone else."

"Are they armed?"

"No. Don't know."

"…" Amos raised his pincer gun and, after collecting himself, stepped into view. "Alright, hands in the air! Don't move! What do you want?"

"Oh, I'm so terribly sorry. I was just in the area and didn't realize there were travelers here."

Phoebe and Evelot's eyes widened at the voice. "No. Is that…?" Phoebe mumbled.

Quickly, Evelot shoved Amos out of the way and looked ahead, her eyes sparkling with tears at the cloaked figure standing a few meters away from their carriage. She hiccupped in disbelief, reaching out as if trying to test what she was seeing wasn't a mirage or trick.

"B…Babylas?"

The Banette pulled his hood back and grinned. "Hey, Kitten. Long time no see, eh?"

Year 898

Evelot lit a lantern and showed Babylas to the community bedroom where the rest of her siblings' bodyguards resided. She showed him to a bunk bed, setting the lantern beside it.

"S-So, th-this is where you'll be staying. If that's okay, of course…" she mumbled.

Babylas chuckled. "Better than sleeping on the ground. A fine upgrade. Thanks."

"Um, you're welcome."

He shook his head. "You're a skittish sort, aren't you?"

She gulped. "I-I-I don't like…strangers."

"Well, I'll be put in charge of your life, so I'd say we're hardly strangers anymore." He grinned at her. "You just leave all the scary stuff to me, and I'll murder anyone who even thinks of getting in your way."

"…I'm sorry."

"Eh? For what?"

She sniffled. "F-For burdening you with my life."

Babylas' gaze softened. "Hey, don't be like that. Life's already depressing as is. Can't have that weighing me down."

"I'm sorry."

"Heh. We'll work on it." He set his luggage on the bed. "Well, I appreciate the new room, even if I won't get much use out of it."

"I'm…s-sorry?"

He pointed to his slightly bloodshot eyes. "Insomnia ability. Sleeping's unnecessary for me. I can sometimes fake myself out into sleeping, but I've learned to just pass the time. There won't be a day or night I won't be keeping an eye out for you."

She shifted uncomfortably within her costume. "That's…creepy?"

He laughed. "You remind me of some freshly hatched kits with the way you quiver. Always shying away from the world, yet still looking precious. Sounds about right, wouldn't you say, Kitten?"

Evelot's eyes widened, and her cheeks bloomed red. "K-Kitten?"

"If you don't mind, of course. You just remind me of a kitten, that's all."

"I-I…" She nervously tapped her fingers together. "I…don't mind."

"Then Kitten it shall be."

"Um…thank you for…t-taking up the job. I…I hope we can get along together."

Babylas snickered. "We'll have plenty of time for that. I look forward to getting to know you better, Kitten. We've got a lifetime to talk, eh?"

"Babylas!"

The second she recognized the Banette, Evelot flung herself out of the carriage and wrapped him in a tight hug. He laughed and hugged her back, spinning her around as the others, sans Phoebe, watched in mild confusion. Phoebe stepped warily from the carriage and mumbled, "I never thought I'd see him again."

Amos glared. "This…is Evelot's bodyguard?"

"Yeah. Babylas Marchand. Skilled mercenary from what I've seen. Did a pretty good job keeping an eye on Evelot, especially if she needed to be dragged out of her room."

"…Babylas Marchand, huh?"

"I'll just leave them like this for Babylas Marchand to collect…"

Amos winced and held his head. Odd. Have I heard that name before? Details are…fuzzy.

The reunion between charge and bodyguard slowed down, Evelot pulling herself away with her eyes beaming with joy. "I was so worried! I thought something bad happened to you, but you're here! This is amazing!"

Babylas set her down and laughed. "Thought you could keep me away that easily? As if."

Her eyes widened at the eyepatch. "Huh. What happened to your—"

"Oh? Heh, guess everything was hectic back then." He ran a finger across the cloth band. "Got hit pretty good defending your folks' place."

Evelot's mood dipped. "You…got hurt protecting me."

"Bah. Don't take it the wrong way. My eye's fine and dandy. Just…need to keep it covered. Overstimulation on the senses."

She sighed in relief. "That's good." She gestured over to the others. "Well, it's so great to see you. Uh, these are my friends. You remember Phoebe, I'm sure?"

Babylas grinned. "Ms. Burkhard. You're not dead!"

She smirked. "You suck at greetings, you know that?"

"Sorry, most of them end in how would you like to die today? Though, I see you've been copying my style."

She scoffed and brushed her own eyepatch. "I'll have you know, I rock this look way better than you. You look like a dusty pirate. I, however, look like a queen of the sea!"

"A queen who got blackout drunk in the back of a tavern dumpster, perhaps."

She laughed through clenched teeth. "Oh, you're just as annoying as I remember. Heh. Good to see you again, Babs."

Babylas passed a glance over the other three. "Quite the interesting party you have here, Eve."

Caractacus rolled his eyes. "Caractacus MacGyver. Yes, yes, I know who I am. You may have my autograph later."

Magni nodded slowly. "Magni. Hi."

Amos continued glaring at Babylas, itching at the passing thought echoing in his mind. I definitely heard them say Babylas before, but something about that name sounds off. From a different context?

Babylas approached the pondering Gligar, leaning close to his face. "Spacing out on me already, my friend?"

Amos came to, annoyed by the mercenary's closeness. He took one step back and shook his hand. "Amos Lancaster. That's all you're getting out of me."

"Mmm. I expect nothing less."

Phoebe crossed her arms. "So Babs, what brings you all the way to Dead Man's Field? At this hour?"

He chuckled. "Well, you know me. Can't get a wink of sleep in the first place. That said, seems you lot had a busy day yourselves. You, especially," he said toward Amos.

"…I fell down some stairs."

"Clearly." He rubbed his hands together. "Well, how about I treat you all to a late dinner, then we can discuss my nighttime stalking with happy bellies?"

A collective grumble roared from each of their stomachs, reminding them of their long trek through the asylum that somehow took up the entire day. Resigning to the Banette's offer, they bowed their heads in defeat. "Please…"

Everyone waited around the campfire, a tense silence still hanging between Caractacus, Phoebe, and Evelot over their recent argument. The tension irritated Amos and Magni, both praying for Babylas to finish with meal preparations soon before someone decided to break the ice into the freezing waters churning below their withered mental states.

Babylas returned from the carriage, carrying plates of kebabs pierced with roasted berries and faux meat. The smell eased everyone's nerves for the moment, sitting up to take in the delightful aroma.

"Eat up, everyone," Babylas said, sliding a plate in front of each of them before taking his seat on the ground. He picked up a kebab and tore a chunk off the stick. "Mmm. Oh yeah. When you're on the road as much as I am, you learn to appreciate a quick and easy meal with scraps. You all definitely needed a break from your travels."

Caractacus huffed. "It's days like these I wished I still had a sense of taste. The aroma is…fantastique." He took a bite off the stick, chewing slowly.

Evelot's eyes shimmered gratefully after taking a nibble off hers. "Thank you for cooking for us, Babylas."

He bowed his head to her. "I aim to please, Kitten."

Amos glared, sniffing the kebab cautiously before taking a small nibble. Wiping his face, he asked, "So, you going to explain to us what you're doing so far out here? Your being here is a bit too coincidental for my tastes."

Babylas chuckled. "A fair assumption. Can't be too careful in the Outlands. I admit, I may have caught wind of your misadventures as of late and wanted to catch up on old times with Evelot, mostly to see how she's been faring."

Evelot giggled sheepishly. "Well, not my first choice for a road trip, I can tell you that."

Phoebe raised her brow. "How did you hear about us?"

He smirked. "You made quite the mess in Crimehallow, you know."

Amos rolled his eyes. "The more I wish to forget about that night…"

"Some of the locals happened to mention you, so I decided to do some investigating until I ultimately tracked you to here. I didn't expect you all to be up so late, but I'm glad I didn't have to wait until morning to surprise you."

Evelot nodded. "It would've been worth the wait, I assure you!"

Magni huffed. "Kebab…meat taste funny."

Babylas raised his brow. "Uh—"

"Savage Kin," Phoebe answered.

"Ah. Well, sorry, I didn't have leg of Combusken on me. Hope it won't ruin your appetite, big guy."

"Mmm. No." Magni nibbled some more on his kebab.

Amos finished off the entire stick and tossed it over his shoulder. "Well, I suppose my next question is what you've been doing since you last saw Evelot and Phoebe. I'd imagine a bodyguard would be a bit more proactive in keeping an eye on his charge."

Evelot tilted her head. "Where have you been, Babylas? I was worried something bad happened to you."

He sighed. "Mostly recovering from the raid. I got walloped pretty bad by the raid leader. Packs quite the punch, she does. Terrifying, even." He shook his head. "I figured Phoebe could keep watch over you, hence why I entrusted you to her. By the time I recovered from my injuries, I…took up my old job to track down the goons responsible for the attack. I actually killed a fellow not too long ago." He glared off to the side. "I still can't believe he was a Barraskewda all the way out here…"

Evelot laughed nervously. "Back to your old mercenary work, I see?"

"Indeed. Getting the dirty jobs done one body at a time." He tore another chunk off his kebab. "Oh, but I hate droning on about myself. What brings the lot of you all the way out here?"

Caractacus set his kebab down. "We came in search of an old contact of mine. He…has seen better days, and he's not much for conversation anymore."

"My condolences."

"Meh. Point is, we came here to get answers about a certain…well, I'm not really invested in this, but these chuckleheads were hoping to find a location on a common foe they share."

Babylas' grin raised a bit. "Ooh, fascinating. A revenge quest, is it?"

Evelot tapped her fingers together. "Erm, kind of."

Amos glared. "Should we really be explaining all of this to him?"

"Of course!" Evelot gasped. "I trust Babylas. Now that he's here, he'll be able to help in our search for Last Autumn."

"…" Amos looked aside.

"Last Autumn, eh?" Babylas asked. "Looking for relics of their past deeds? Old history?"

Phoebe shook her head. "Actually, they're still active. We ran into a bit of a squabble with a landlord I wasn't particularly friendly with, and now we're being hunted by some hired goons who call themselves the Deadly Seven."

"The Deadly Seven, eh? Oh, I've heard of them." He shook his head. "My sincerest apologies for your situation."

She smirked. "Nah, it's not so bad. We smoked four of those goons already. Not so tough, I say! HA!"

"Mmm. Impressive. Most impressive." Babylas tore another bite off his kebab. "But why are you looking for Last Autumn? Why really?"

Amos glared. "I have…a bit of a score to settle with the asshole who did this to me," he said, showing off his pincer and tail.

Babylas glared. "Oh my. Seems you've been through a lot."

Phoebe glared. "And now we've been finding out all this crazy stuff they want from Evelot. Seeing as she's the only person who can recreate her family's Rainbow formula, she's been a bit of a hefty target."

"…" Caractacus looked aside and bit into his kebab.

"They want her for the Rainbow, eh? How come?" Babylas asked.

Amos shrugged. "It's…hard to explain. We're still wrapping our heads around it, too. We just know they need it for a lot more than what they've been cooking up lately. Something bad."

"Hmm." Babylas closed his eye. "You lot clearly have a monumental task ahead of you. I can see the strain of survival has taken its toll. You all look absolutely withered from exploring this land."

Magni huffed. "Bad times before. Too…Too much."

"The Outlands are a rather unfortunate circumstance of the poor state of the Wick Kingdom. It really is just a matter of poor management on the royal family's part." He chuckled softly. "Though, would it be so bad to topple their little ivory towers and show them a slice of our world? Standing alongside us commonfolk and seeing how they like it?"

Phoebe shrugged. "Hey, I'm all for destabilizing major powers, but this really is just more of a revenge quest, as you put it."

"But is it really wise to be subjecting Evelot to this treatment? After all, if she's a priority target, they may see her as against their ideals. I can't imagine what they'd do should they decide to force the formula out of her."

Amos glared. "We'll think of something. All I want is to rip Cain's head from his shoulders."

Babylas smirked. "A noble effort, but you're in way over your head. If they're anything like they were three decades ago, your head will be joining the remnants of your missing claw and tail."

"I've survived death countless times. What's one more?"

Babylas rested his chin in his hand and sighed. "All I'm saying is that making an enemy out of Last Autumn seems…reckless. Speaking hypothetically, you could argue Evelot would be safest under their protection. It's not as if they want her dead. They just want the knowledge she provides. They can either risk torturing it out of her, which may end up losing them the formula, or a simple, beneficial partnership would suffice."

Caractacus glared. "Are you saying we should…join Last Autumn?"

He shrugged. "I'm not suggesting anything concrete. I just like looking at all the possibilities. From what you've told me so far, they've been quiet the last few decades. Sounds to me they're playing it smart this time."

Amos glared. "Have you forgotten the part where they tried to kill me? I watched one of my teammates turn into a puddle of goo, and another got his fucking brain scrambled!"

"Well, then your other option is to just leave Virdis."

Amos paused on the suggestion, almost thrown off by it. "Come again?"

"Is there really anything stopping you? The Wick Kingdom has harbors at the edge of the region. You could just sneak aboard a visiting vessel and…just leave. Just like that. Last Autumn would be none the wiser, and they haven't made any attempts to branch outside the region in the past. I'd say your survival chances look better if you just abandoned your little revenge quest and immigrate to another region."

"…" Phoebe frowned. "That…would solve a lot of our problems."

Evelot narrowed her eyes. "I guess."

Amos looked down at the ground. "I never considered just leaving."

Babylas grinned. "I could even help you with escaping. There are some nice places to settle in at. Better than what most of Virdis has to offer. You could visit the watery wonderland known as Hoenn. Heard they have some nice villages along the beachside. Or maybe Sinnoh's more your speed. Chilly, but quiet and peaceful, I've heard. You don't have to keep pursuing this nonsense about revenge. All you need to do is…let it go."

"…" Amos looked at the others unsurely. "Just forget everything and leave?"

Phoebe shared his expression, fiddling with her eye patch. "A real chance to start over and be more than who we are?"

"…" Caractacus closed his eyes, grumbling something under his breath.

Magni hummed contently. "That sound nice."

Evelot nodded. "Yeah. It really does."

Babylas grinned. "So, are we in agreement?" He stood up and held his hand over the fire, its light shining off his right eye. "Shall we abandon these useless provocations for closure and sail away from this nightmare region?"

Year 899

"Hey. Babylas?"

Babylas looked up from polishing his dagger, glancing at his charge as she stared up at the ceiling on her back. It was a particularly grueling summer afternoon, the heat making its way through the underground lab and souring the moods of everyone as they attempted pitifully to get their work done. Babylas didn't seem to mind the heat, though.

"Yeah?"

"What do you value most in this world?"

"Where's this coming from?"

"I asked my parents earlier about our family history and why we continue the Faucher business. Just…kind of spurred some questions for myself."

"Hmm." Babylas breathed onto his dagger and polished the blade again. "I value knowledge."

"That's it?"

"I value understanding the world. So many interesting things I'll never get to witness even with my natural longevity. Not even my desires will surpass the icy grasp of death."

Evelot sat up. "But why desire understanding of the world?"

"It's the ultimate, unobtainable treasure." He smiled softly. "Not many people know this about me, but my father was actually a pirate."

Her eyes sparkled in awe. "A pirate? Really? Tell me more!"

"Heh. I was a young Shuppet born on a dingy boat surrounded by filthy pirates. Never got to explore much outside of Virdis because I was so young, and you can only remain a pirate for so long. It's a lot more rampant near the waters of Hoenn, and I don't see it slowing down any time soon. But being on the open waters for that short time inspires curiosity. I hardly knew the man. Lived with my mother on land before I left home early to pursue mercenary work. It gave me time to think about the greater reaches of the world and all the things I'll fail to experience."

Evelot narrowed her eyes. "Are you scared of death, Babylas?"

"Not really. It makes no difference to me. Like I said, it's the unobtainable treasure. Besides, I'm a mercenary. Death is witnessed every day, and I hope for your sake you don't have to see that."

"Hmmm…" Evelot looked aside, hiding a blush peeking through her costume. "Would you consider me…a treasure?"

He chuckled. "The most precious gemstone imaginable."

"Eep!" She tugged on her costume, burying herself deeper within. "D-Don't say that! S-So embarrassing!"

"You're too easy to fluster, Kitten." He finished polishing his dagger and dropped it within his shadow. He sighed. "Still, one must learn to temper that desire for treasure with reality. My father apparently had a saying: be wary of gold fever for it is a sickness that drives a pirate to an early grave."

Evelot relaxed and asked, "What does that mean?"

"An obsession." He leaned back on his hands and sighed. "Do you want to know the real reason kingdoms and higher authorities were created? It's to keep the people from experiencing absolute freedom."

"What's wrong with that?"

"Those that are absolutely free are free from the restraints of the world. No longer bound by society or prejudice. Living without consequence. Laws were created to temper that freedom without completely suppressing it. A truly liberated state of freedom gives a person a righteous sense of entitlement, and that kind of freedom leads to a belief one can achieve without consequence. There's always a consequence."

"Gold fever," Evelot mumbled.

Babylas glared at her. "Temper your expectations, Evelot. Never let temptation for something be your driving force. The Outlands, this lawless land, brings out the worst in all of us eventually. I pray you don't catch your own form of gold fever, because you may not be able to recover in time."

She laughed nervously. "Heh. Well, don't you worry about me. I have no such temptations in front of me."

"…" Babylas looked aside and chuckled bitterly. "Temper your expectations, Evelot. We all battle with temptation at least once in our lives, and it will become our lives. Remember that well."

"…No."

Babylas faced Amos, his carefree smile as present as ever. "Hmm? Come again?"

Amos gently shook his head. "Sorry, but…I'll have to refuse. Thank you for the offer, but I'm staying on the course I've made for myself."

Babylas glared a bit. "You'll be throwing your life away for a pointless goal. Seeking trouble just for the sake of seeking trouble?"

"You're one to talk, making a point out of your career to hunt down the people who killed your previous employers."

"…That's different."

"Sure, it is." Amos stood up and sighed. "But I'm not doing this just to seek trouble. I made a promise to find my old team. They sacrificed so much for our freedom. If I were to leave now while they're still fighting for their lives, I'd be no better than the people who twisted and distorted my life. I won't leave them, not while I can still fight."

"…" Babylas shrugged. "Your funeral." He glanced at Phoebe, Magni, and Caractacus. "What about you three? What's your stake in all of this?"

Phoebe looked aside for a moment before sighing and standing up beside Amos. "Lamecaster's got the right idea. We've gone this far, and I didn't stick my neck out to save him just to turn tail and run. I'm seeing this through to the end. Besides, I'm not one to let go of petty grudges."

Magni nodded slowly. "I follow where…they walk."

"…" Caractacus looked aside. "Whatever these idiots do makes no difference to me. I don't need anyone to slow me down."

Phoebe scoffed. "Like we need a backstabber like you, anyway. At least you were useful for something."

"Tch."

"…" Babylas glared at Evelot. "What about you, Kitten? I can pull you away from all of this. You'll never fear for your life again. I can keep you safe, just like the old days."

Evelot looked between him and her friends, shifting uncomfortably as she wracked her mind for an answer dancing on the tip of her tongue. The offer was tempting. Of course it was tempting. She hated living in the Outlands. She never fully comprehended just how bad it was living out here until she was forced to live among the scum. The horrors she witnessed were…far too great.

But what Amos just said a moment ago…spurred another thought.

"…Sorry, Babylas."

"Hmm?" the Banette hummed.

She sighed deeply before lifting a firm gaze. "If my friends are continuing onward, then so am I."

"…" Babylas curled his fist. "Evelot. Think carefully about what you're saying. Last Autumn won't go easy on you. She won't let you live if you're against them. If you give her even the slightest indication that you won't help Last Autumn, she will kill you the second she finds you."

Amos glared. What the…?

"I'm sorry, Babylas, but—" Evelot paused, let out a weary yawn. She rubbed her eye and continued, "I'm sorry, but…I'm not going to abandon my friends either. We started this quest together, we're finishing this quest together—"

"Evelot. This isn't a quest. You will die if you keep moving forward like this. I might not be contractually obligated to anymore, but I am still your bodyguard. I know what darkness lurks in your soul. You repressed the memories of that day, but do you even remember why the hideout collapsed?"

Her eyes widened. "W-What?"

"It wasn't because of the raid. You tore the entire place down when you went on that bloody rampage trying to kill their leader."

Phoebe's eye widened. "Evelot—"

"Destroyed the hideout?" Amos gasped.

Caractacus glared. "This shy bundle of cloth went on a rampage?"

"Not possible," Magni mumbled.

Babylas huffed. "Believe what you will, but it's the truth, and I made the mistake of giving Evelot something that would make that rampage look like a fight between two newborn kits." He placed a hand over his covered eye. "I only did it because they said it would save her life. I didn't realize it would gift her with something else."

Evelot staggered back. "B-Babylas, w-what are you…?" She trembled, scratching at her right eye as it started to itch. A gleam of red shined through the cloth. "S-So…tired…"

"I'm not letting you throw your life away, Evelot, even if it means I have to force you into working with Last Autumn just to keep you in their good graces."

Phoebe gasped. "Wait, what—"

Amos extended his pincer blade. "I knew there was something off about this guy."

Caractacus scowled. "We got careless. We were so focused on what happened with Abel that we didn't even consider…"

"W…What's going…on…?"

The company gasped as Evelot suddenly collapsed between them. "Evelot!" Phoebe reached out and caught…a Shedinja. "EH?!"

"I honestly tried to give you all an out, but I can't have that bastard monkey's predictions coming true." They gasped, finding Evelot being held within Babylas' grasp. He narrowed his eye. "Everything that happens afterwards is your fault."

Amos growled. "You drugged our food!"

"Fuck!" Phoebe stuck her hand inside her mouth to make herself vomit.

Caractacus glared. "No. He only drugged Evelot's. This was his backup plan in case we refused."

Babylas sighed. "Would've been easy to get away with. You all went through hell today, didn't you? Helmut did his job. Shame. Compared to everyone else, I actually liked his company."

"What's this fucking shit about helmets?!" Phoebe snapped.

Amos snarled. "That confirms it. You're a Deadly Seven."

Babylas smirked. "Took you long enough, Lancaster." His shadow started to rise and curl around Evelot's unconscious form.

"EVELOT!" Phoebe lunged for the Mimikyu, but was an inch too short. Evelot's form completely melded with the darkness and fell within Babylas' shadow. She splashed through the liquid shadow and rolled up behind the mercenary. "Give her back!"

"None of you understand what you're doing. If Absalom comes in contact with Evelot, it'll be all for naught."

Amos glared. Absalom?

Magni stomped his feet down and growled. "Give friend back!"

The company slowly surrounded Babylas, who remained unfazed by their hostile stares. He shook his head and sighed. "I really tried. You could've all been on a boat heading to Hoenn. A shame it had to come to this."

Phoebe pulled out her dagger and wind sword. "So, if this was your backup plan, why didn't you drug the rest of us?"

He smirked. "Because I'm greedy. I like to take more than I need, and what's greedier than obtaining absolute victory?"

Ten Shedinja burst out from under his shadow and surrounded him on all sides. Babylas reached his hand out as a vortex of darkness expelled from the back of a Shedinja.

"Vault of the Underworld: Agni."

A chipped black sword with cracks of heat extended out from the vortex. He took hold of its hilt and ripped it free. Striking it against the ground, flames erupted off the blade.

Phoebe grimaced. "What's with that sword?"

"Vault of the Underworld: Malarmor." Babylas grabbed and ripped his cloak off, spawning a chest plate and arm bracers over his dreary gray clothes. They glowed in a light black illumination.

Caractacus grimaced. "Don't tell me those weapons are—"

"The original Rainbow formula," Amos gasped.

Babylas smirked. "Last Autumn weren't the only ones who got away with some samples. It was a pain getting these made without the Fauchers, but I managed well enough."

Amos snarled. "Why are you siding with Last Autumn in the first place?! They're the reason the Fauchers were killed!"

"Perhaps, but they need a Faucher to recreate Rainbow. Cain's strong, but he's not stupid enough to go behind my back." He smirked. "He knows I could kill him if I wanted to."

Amos trembled, memories of the prison break flashing before his eyes. He recalled the pain he felt when his pincer and stinger were lacerated, feeling their phantoms crawl along his skin. Was this guy even stronger than Cain?

"I can't have you four coming after me to rescue Evelot, so you'll have to die." He smirked. "But I'm not unreasonable, so let's make a bet."

"A…bet?" Magni mumbled.

Phoebe winced. "Not again."

He tapped his cheek and said, "If you can land one clean hit on my face, just one, I'll release Evelot from my shadow and leave you all to carry out your quest."

Amos scowled. "Are you seriously being cocky right now?! And you're telling us to understand the gravity of our actions?!"

"You want to face Last Autumn? Then consider me a good benchmark for what you're up against. Besides, I am taking you seriously." He hooked a finger under his eye patch. "Because I wouldn't have a reason to use this."

He ripped the cloth from his face and tossed it aside. Their eyes widened at the purple glow emanating from his left eye. Phoebe staggered back. "Babylas, what happened…to you? What is this?"

"Why don't you ask your friend, Alpha? He's probably freaking out like he did around Evelot."

Caractacus' eyes widened. How does he know about…?

"You really want to continue on this predestined path you set up for yourselves?"

Babylas pulled his hand away from his left eye, revealing the endless purple spiral it twisted into. His grin stretched even wider, a delightful cackle echoing through his zippered lips.

"Then what better way to prove your potential…than facing an opponent with an immature Inherited Will?"