After Party [Chapter XIII]

[.:Amilia:.]

He had spent a good bit of time staring at the retreat before he would move stepping once again over McCalls broken and dead body. Arix sheathed both of his swords before walking back in the direction of the castle. He didn't know it, but he was no longer in the endgames realm however this wasn't his first rodeo, or the first time he had been in a strange place.

Arix walked right past everyone and took a seat on the steps to the castle. He looked up at the sky, even though the city was utterly destroyed on one side, it was still peaceful without the carnage and destruction. "Man it's fuckin' hot out here."

[Sparda]

"Two suns will do that to a planet."

His voice strained with exasperation, but a grin spread across his face, Sparda sauntered over towards his old friend. His sword vanished in a plume of flame, Ombra was returned to her holster, and he slumped onto a step a little ways beneath the Rockstar from Hell.

"I though I felt a familiar aura on my travels. It's good to see another friendly face, Arix."

[Ayen]

“I'd be damn.”

Up from the tunnels after having spent the majority of the battle helping get the people out came the Hybrid, scythe strapped to her back and 11mm Blessing in its holster to her waist. She walked over to where Sparda and Arix stood and fixed her glance on the Rockstar.

“Long time no see.”

[.:Amilia:.]

"I'd be damned," Arix removed his right gauntlet wiping the sweat from his forehead. He looked up at Sparda, "finally found your place, eh bro?" Arix would finally stand back up after resting his feet for a bit.

"I've been laying low for some time now trying to reconnect with the Judgment. Who else is here?" It didn't take but a second for his answer to come, "It's like a reunion."

[Ayen]

"I've been laying low for some time now trying to reconnect with the Judgment. Who else is here? It's like a reunion."

“Daikus, Michael and Sasha. Amoura is currently missing in action.”

A frown appeared on the Hybrid's face momentarily as she looked down to the ground, worried that she would never see her friend again after the events of her wedding that forced Amoura to act in the first place.

“Though we have happened across a male doppelganger of her thanks to the realities merging. It's been a crazy year no doubt.”

[Sparda]

Another familiar voice caught the Dark Knight's attention and he turned on the step to see Sazan of all people approaching them. His eyebrows raised for a moment; he hadn't seen her since she and Michael had gone to lay low in the wake of their wedding reception, turned disastrous by the intervention of Veran himself. Michael had informed him of her involvement in the planned evacuation, of course, but they hadn't crossed paths at all since that fateful night.

"Sazan!" he called, smiling broadly. "Y'know, we could certainly use you on the front lines next time. Thanks for the help getting the civilians out."

Mention of Argus caused him to face Arix again. "Ah, yes, Argus. Listening to those two talk to each other is really quite odd. Hell, there's probably likely to be another version of you running around and breaking faces at some point."

[.:Amilia:.]

"I doubt he would be as handsome as myself to be honest with you," Arix replied to Sparda. He shook his head and replaced his gauntlet back onto his hand before giving a small shrug.

"Well, at least I know there's familiar faces here, I figured I was going to have to make new friends because my old ones are party poopers. Guess not."

[Ayen]

"Sazan!"

“Sparda.”

"Y'know, we could certainly use you on the front lines next time. Thanks for the help getting the civilians out."

“Not much I can do with the generators up.”

"Well, at least I know there's familiar faces here, I figured I was going to have to make new friends because my old ones are party poopers. Guess not."

“Haven't seen you since the Legion of Abyss invaded Domino City. Where've you been?”

[Yuna]

Yuna blushed at Ayen's comment and then helped him back up to his feet and walked with him, now heading for the front of the castle so he could get some rest but upon arriving the High Summoner saw that somebody else had beat them to it. People she was not familiar with but they weren't dressed the same as the attacking army so she assumed for now that they were peaceful. "Excuse me, do you mind if we rest here also?"

[Hotaru]

Saturn wasn't far behind Yuna and Ayen, after escorting the children through the tunnels safely to join with the other survivors she and Princess Lori returned to Hallowton to investigate what was left and came across the group by the front of the wrecked castle no thanks to the blimp's rocket that trashed the throne room up above. The Soldier of Silence examined the people by the castle, remembering Arix from before when the plane up above just about crashed on them but the other two were new to her. Saturn turned her head to Yuna to speak.

"Status?"

[Silver Eyes]

"What's this about being handsome?"

Speak of the devil. Argus poked his head out from behind a demolished wall. Following him in this action were a few children covered in dust, dirt and scratches--he managed to rescue a few orphans from being crushed by what was once their home. Thank whatever gods there were that this was over...

"Wait..." Argus stepped out, and the children silently followed him. They looked terrified and stuck close to the hybrid. "Ahah! You're the male version of Arya. Nice to meet you." He plhopped down onto one of the steps by Arix.

"Well done, sweetheart," Michael slipped his arms around Sazan's waist and pecked her cheek, "We may have to repair those tunnels and alter them somewhat so we can use them again That was an affective escape route. Maybe I can have it in areas where neighborhoods can file in safely...

---

"Could someone please explain to us what that was all about?" Rowen stabbed his staff into a portion of cracked cement and started rummaging through his satchel for reagents. Some people may need healing.

"Preferably the highlights," the Golden Eyed Huntress butted in before an explanation was offered. She took her bow and placed it into a holder on her back, "since we can't stay lo--wait. Sparda? Is that you?"

[Kara]

In a flash at the center of the destruction the Woman of Steel appeared, looking onward to the smoke that drifted up into the air and the damage caused by the Isafaro Invasion force that attempted to make this city their own. "By the gods!" Her only regret was not being able to join in on the fight, but her hands were already tied with the Netherrealm back in Moon Valley during the fight. Which they lost and now the Netherrealm controlled her home making their next likely attack the Empire of Jherrazad. That was why she was here.

Superwoman approached the others, looking at each of them that were there, seeing the Life Force inside. She already knew Sparda and Sazan from the first attack against Hallowton that she helped to stop, though that was bad in its own right it paled in comparison to now. The one sitting on the stairs would stand out, his Life Force reaching back into two lives that were now intertwined. Had she not been omnipotent her head would have exploded seeing two become one to such an extent. This must have been the Ajerian.

"Are you Arix Himura?"

[Raal]

After the psi-monsters had faded, and the damage they had done was repaired, the infamous Lashing decided to occur. Blood dripped from his ears, nose, and the corners of his eyes and mouth. Dammit, this was a bad Lashing. Raal needed to refrain from using anymore heavy-duty abilities, otherwise get a meltdown.

Good thing teleporting wasn't considered heavy-duty or taxing!

He broke up his form with a strange purple haze, then vanished entirely. The demon's destination? The castle that sat in the middle of it all. He re-appeared in the familiar fashion, the tarp cloak having been long discarded. After taking in the overall apperance of the castle, he decided to sit down at the bottom on the stairs.

Raal busied himself with cleaning up the blood created from the Lashing, starting with cleaning up the corners of his mouth with the back of a hand.

[Queen Lori]

Lori stood next to Saturn with a hardened expression on her face, it was the only thing keeping her from breaking down right there in the midst of her damaged home. So many lives lost including her own flesh and blood, her own family. She lived only because she abandoned them previously and again only because of the man in armor. Two times she should have been dead and two times it had evaded her. There was nothing to do but press on, for her kingdom sake. They needed a leader, a Queen, and showing weakness wasn't an option.

"Thank you." Came her voice, directed at Arix and to all those who helped saved what little they could. "Had it not been for you I don't even want to think what condition Hallowton would be in right now." Lori would be interrupted by the appearance of a woman in cape who spoke to the man that kept her from being crushed. "Excuse me, who are you?" Lori eyed her outfit in particular. "And what are you wearing?"

[.:Amilia:.]

"Eh I've been places. Here and there, ya know? Took out the trash back home, traveled through hell a bit, got some new spiffy gear," he shrugged off the question as if it wasn't even rhetorical. Arix walked up the stairs and touched the half open half broken door with his right hand looking at the designs on it, "Shitty."

And then others stated popping up as he turned around and peered over all of them, "Yeah sure, nice to meet yall."

And then the woman in tights showed up. Well it was more of a body suit than anything else, Arix looked her up and down and gave a small light whistle, "Depends, are you here to collect child support or..."