20 XX. | 'Thine unyielding aegis...'

He didn't need time to process or question it. Hector barreled into Geoffrey with complete resolve.

Red tendrils sprung forth, wrapping around the motorcycle and Hector both, slowing them down, and as the force of the impact pushed Geoffrey back, the two young men came face to face.

Geoffrey's eyes widened, and he grinned as their tangled mess eased to a stop, the bike's front tire still grinding harmlessly against his red shield. "It's you!"

"It's me." Hector ripped himself free of the shadow and grabbed Geoffrey's face. Crimson immediately came between them, but Hector just covered the young man's head with iron.

Geoffrey fell to the ground, scratching at his solid mask. Red poked through the metal, trying to break it apart but only meagerly succeeding.

Hector gathered his focus and punched Geoffrey in the chest. He broke through the shadow and felt a rib snap. Geoffrey cried out in pain.

The sound of pounding footsteps made Hector turn just in time to see a massive fist pummel into him. He flew and hit the overturned truck, rocking it as the others were still trying to get out. Garovel was there beside him and grabbed his shoulder. Hector felt his creeping fatigue vanish completely.

The big guy helped Geoffrey up and tore the metal off like it was wrapping paper.

Hector stood and saw Roman rounding the vehicle.

"Mr. Roman!" said Geoffrey, holding his chest but still smiling. "A pleasure to see you again!"

Roman squinted. "Voreese, is that who I think it is? I can't see the face very well."

'Yeah, it is,' said Voreese. 'What the fuck are you doing here, you red brat?!'

"I am here to kill the Queen."

Voreese thrashed at the air. 'Agh! I fucking hate aberrations! But no! Leave it alive, he said! Fuck Vincent! We're never listening to that asshole again!'

"Works for me." Roman looked at his palms. They began to tremble and burn.

'What are aberrations?' said Garovel.

And Hector couldn't listen to the other reaper's response. The big man charged at them, spitting acid first. Roman flipped the pavement up as a shield, and when the acid ate through it, he poured fire into the hole, roasting the giant alive. It wasn't enough to stop the man, however, so Hector took his cue to uppercut him in the jaw with an iron fist. The giant tumbled through the air and crashed down onto a parked car.

Geoffrey, however, was no longer in sight.

'He went around!' said Garovel.

There came an agonized scream from the other side of the truck, and Hector knew that it belonged to Lynn. He ran.

A swarm of crimson engulfed both women, holding them in the air. It was a larger shadow than Hector had yet seen from Geoffrey, but he dove into the mass head on regardless. The red coiled around his limbs, slowing him down but not stopping him. Then it started digging into his flesh and lifting him off the ground, taking away all his leverage.

Geoffrey turned away from Lynn to look at Hector. "Why did you bring this normal girl here?" he said. "Is she a friend of yours?" He held up an eyeball, freshly removed. "Please tell me she is."

Blood and shadow obscured Lynn's face. Geoffrey had covered her mouth to muffle her cries, and a meaty gash occupied the place where her right eye should have been.

The Queen acted before Hector could, however. Speared through the gut, she had pulled herself down along the shadow while Geoffrey's attention was held on Hector. She smashed him over the head with her fist. He hit the ground flat, and the entire mass of crimson shuddered and released everyone--but it did not altogether disappear.

Geoffrey was quick to get up, and Hector was there to meet him. He swung for Geoffrey's chest again. The red mass wove around his arm and held it back, struggling.

"I should make her my friend, too," said Geoffrey. And the crimson began to expand again.

Hector used his other fist to clock him in the face. It wasn't focused and didn't break the shadow, but it sent Geoffrey flipping head over foot across the road and into the side of a building.

"Lynn?!" Hector rushed over to her.

She held a hand over her eye socket, cringing. "I'm okay," she growled through gritted teeth.

"Please stay close," said Hector.

She just groaned and nodded, dripping more blood on her uniform.

'Roll it back over!' said Mehlsanz.

Helen obliged, and the battered truck's tires met pavement again.

Roman came flying overhead with Hector's motorcycle on top of him. He hit the ground, and the bike popped his gut open like a balloon, spilling entrails all over the road.

The giant bounded over the truck as well and started stomping toward Roman, but then he spotted Mehlsanz and swatted at her. She ducked under his hand and phased into the ground. Gushing acid followed her, melting through the road.

Hector and Helen double-teamed him. He covered the man's face in iron and gave her the opening to land a punch with all her might. The big guy soared through a lamp post and all the way into Gerald's garage.

'Everyone in the truck now!' said Garovel. Mehlsanz appeared behind him, smoldering slightly but not complaining.

The Queen jumped into the driver's seat while Hector went to retrieve Roman and the bike.

Lynn climbed into the back. A massive, yellow-green boa reared up over the edge of the truck bed, hissing at her.

"You will be my friend!" came Geoffrey's distant shout.

The snake lunged for her, and she hacked its head off.

Geoffrey opened his mouth as if to say something but just ended up frowning instead.

Helen pulled up next to the boys. Roman could barely stand, so Hector helped him into the back with Lynn.

'I see Desmond!' Mehlsanz warned.

Hector climbed in himself, and Helen slammed on the gas. He looked back to keep his eyes on Desmond, but what he saw instead was a red streak, flying toward Garovel. It snagged the reaper and yanked him back.

Hector leapt from the vehicle as it sped away.

"Hector?!" Lynn yelled after him. "What are you doing?!"

Before he even hit the ground, he had Garovel covered in iron. Geoffrey's red blade dug in, but only just, and Hector ran toward them, trying to cover Geoffrey as well.

Metal and shadow competed. Red slashed through gray, both contracting and expanding on top of one another, wrestling for dominance over Geoffrey. The shadow won out just as Hector drew close and stopped his punch cold.

"So your name is Hector, is it?" Geoffrey cut into Hector's body at multiple points. "I didn't think we would meet again so soon."

Hector ripped the red spears out each time they pierced him. He coated his own legs and feet in metal to maintain his foothold and pushed through.

But it was simple for Geoffrey to keep his distance. The shadow couldn't stop Hector, but it slowed him down enough that Geoffrey could just back away.

And then Desmond was there. "Allow me." He left an arm clutching the iron that protected Garovel. He pulled Geoffrey away as it darkened.

Hector tore through the remaining crimson and grabbed the arm. There wasn't time to throw it.

-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-

Geoffrey watched the explosion leave a crater in the street. He used his shadow to fan the cloud of dust away. Body parts littered the lawns on either side of the road, but Hector's metal head remained in the crater. "Aww, are they dead?"

"Don't think so," Desmond said as they approached. "Yeah, see? The reaper's barely alive, still. Kid got in the way."

The sound of a vehicle drew their attention, and they saw the truck returning in reverse. Roman and Lynnette stood together. She glared at them with her one eye.

"They're actually coming back for him?" said Geoffrey.

Desmond dug into his chest. "I'll handle--"

A sword flew into his face.

Geoffrey watched Desmond fall over, dead again. "Wow. No wonder Hector wears a helmet."

The truck screeched to a halt. Geoffrey lashed out with red.

Roman took the cuts and stopped the streaks that went for Lynnette. He gripped two tendrils, one in each hand, and made them tremble. They burst apart, and their remains shrank back to Geoffrey. Roman jumped out of the truck, smashing the pavement with both feet.

The ground flung Geoffrey up. He tumbled through the air.

The big man caught him. He set Geoffrey down and ran for the truck, spitting as it started to drive off. The acid would have reached the girl if Roman hadn't shielded her with his back.

And then they were gone.

Geoffrey walked over to the big man and patted him on the shoulder. "Good effort, Mr. Giant."

He returned a pat of his own on Geoffrey's head.

"What a disappointing day this turned out to be. Lost my balloon-hat. Lost my snake. And I didn't even get to kill the Queen. That advisor-guy will be upset, if we ever see him again. I wanted to feed him to the snake after he paid me, but I suppose that won't be happening, either."

The big guy just kept patting him on the head, and Geoffrey began to feel like some sort of dog.

"You don't talk much, do you?"

The giant looked at him vacantly.

"How about a name, then? Do you have one?"

The man's reaper arrived, descending from the sky along with Ezmortig. 'His name is Moss,' the reaper said. 'And mine is Ozmere. Moss can't speak. And even if he could, he wouldn't have much to say. He's a rather simple fellow, but he's good at following instruction, and that's what matters.'

They waited, and soon, Desmond revived. They started the walk back to Belgrant Castle together.

"Is it really okay to not chase after them?" said Geoffrey.

'We could,' said Ozmere, 'but Ezmortig and I would have to keep track of them over very long distances while you all catch up. And that could be dangerous for us.'

Ezmortig nodded. 'If we really needed the Queen dead at all costs, then it might be worth the risk, but we don't. As long as she stays hidden, she won't be able to hinder us politically.'

"And if she's stupid enough to try something, then we'll go hunt her down," said Desmond. "We might wanna put in a request for reinforcements, though. Bit of insurance wouldn't hurt."

'True,' said Ezmortig. 'We did encounter more resistance than expected.'

Desmond rolled his neck, stretching it. "Anyway, Geoffrey, are you alright? You don't regenerate like we do, and that kid got you pretty good."

Geoffrey rubbed his chest. "Pain is an interesting feeling. I don't completely dislike it, though it is a bit distracting, I suppose."

"That's not what I meant. Aberrations never seem to mind pain very much. But that doesn't make you immune to injury. If your body starts becoming sluggish, you should find yourself a new one."

Geoffrey tilted his head. "A new body?"

"Oh, can you not do that yet? Well, I'm sure you'll figure it out soon."

"Really? Do all aberrations have abilities like mine?"

Desmond deferred to Ezmortig.

'Your shadow powers, yes. Your ability to control things, no. Aberrations have varying kinds of secondary abilities. We call yours Domination. Unfortunately, it's not terribly useful against servants. At least, not until you develop it to dizzying degrees.'

"What other kinds of abilities can we have?"

'They always revolve around the consumption of souls. And they can be quite strange. I know of one aberration who can create black fire. And one who can turn people into glass. Oh, and the most famous example is probably the one who could create localized singularities. He's dead now, though. I think Sermung had to take him down personally.'

"Hmm. I see."

"So now you understand why we value aberrations so much," said Desmond. "Apart from just being so incredibly fun to work with, I mean."

Geoffrey laughed.

"What do you want to do now? We have a mission to attend to, but if you come with us, we can introduce you to some fun people. They'll help you grow your powers more quickly and safely than you can on your own. And they'll definitely keep you entertained."

"That sounds amazing!" Geoffrey's grin lessened, however. "But there is something else I want to take care of first."

"Oh?"

"Perhaps you can help me. How good is Abolish's information network?"

"You won't find better. Why?"

"I would very much like to find someone. A man named Colt."

"Tell me more."