Monster, Schemer, Torturer.

Mainland. Atlas's quarters.

The mechanical whirring hidden in the painting-littered wall unraveled, basking the Progenitor in green light. Raven-shaded strands idle on his back, Atlas gazed; the glass tube wielding Apollo's comatose figure reflecting his master's uncaring cadence. Bubbles leaked to the surface while Amit's gaze averted.

"I understand your agony. But I'm trying to get some good sleep in before the big day, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't groan like that."

"Is this a bad time?" Monstrum asked.

Atlas glanced back at him. "No," he turned to Apollo. "Now that we're all here, let's get started."

The Displacement fell from inside once the front hastily opened. Liquid pooling on the ground beneath him, Moloch repeatedly hacked, rubbing his throat and starting to stand.

"You alright?"

He giggled. "Amazing!" Apollo's arms threw into the air. "I'd never experienced something quite like that!"

Monstrum snickered. "I agree. Talen, Alora, Uriel. Those three are something, even compared to their ancestors' standards," said the Disastrous, scratching his neck.

"I am their ancestor," Atlas said.

"Right. Somehow, I always forget that."

Atlas yanked Apollo to his feet and walked past Monstrum, entering his quarters from the hidden area. The Progenitor strolled around to stand behind his desk, pulling open a drawer to reveal a remote control.

"Let's talk somewhere secure."

The wall to the right of the window covering the entire left side opened. Monstrum and Apollo weren't unimpressed, instead, they walked inside--leaving the schemer behind. Lifting his lighter from the furniture, he patted his pocket before nodding, then staring straight, and beginning to walk inside. The darkness within the hideout engulfed him as the hollow surface enclosed behind them.

"Uh, we can't see anything--"

Atlas walked past Monstrum amid the shadows. The lights flickered on at his command, revealing a lone couch placed in the center and a coffee table in front of it. One orange light hovered above the objects. Slipping a cigarette between his lips, Amit sunk into the sofa, igniting the stick's end so fog would lift from the rear--permeating the air around them.

Monstrum noticed the platters on the table and rubbed his chin. Atlas, of course, expected his ally's intrigue. Removing the cig from his mouth, he smirked, staring at Malum.

"It's human flesh, no need to worry. You may feast to your heart's content. If you so wish for it, more will arrive, but we don't have much specifics so--"

Monstrum dug into the feast his comrade prepared for him, sunken into the chair to the Amit Progenitor's left. Atlas chuckled, watching Apollo slowly walk around the couch and plop into the chair to his master's right.

"Do you have any weed?" he asked.

Atlas nodded, pointing to the ashtray directly in front of him, releasing the lighter from his palm's center. Needless to say, the villains calmed themselves, each enjoying the taste of their passion. While Atlas and Apollo vented smoke from their throats, Monstrum loudly burped into the air, wiping his mouth dirtied with blood. Eventually, Atlas pushed the cigarette into the ashtray, dispelling the smoke leaking off the back.

"Let's get to business. Apollo, you're going to Europe. We need to check the progress on that division's development," he said.

Moloch gave him a thumbs-up. Nodding, Atlas turned to Monstrum, watching him lick the gore from his fingers.

"As for you, I think you should stay here. I know how much you hate being ordered around, but with the chaos you caused, that's the best possible option for now."

"Why? You think that even after you sealed Eros Amit they still have enough power to struggle against us?" Malum asked.

"No," Atlas shook his head. "it's not that. As you said earlier, Talen, Alora, and Uriel are all Rank-0 Fate users assigned that grade for a reason. Alora's Blessed Freedom, Talen's Unconquerable technique, and Uriel's combined techniques. Those are the three main things we should be wary of."

Smoke poured from the depths of Moloch's throat. "Especially the Unconquerable. I honestly think you should've sealed them both," he said.

"That'd be too much trouble. Having Monstrum fight him to the death would be more effective."

"I would've done it, too, if that snowy-haired warping brat didn't get in the way. Also, speaking of brats, what's up with that girl? Aella Raven—she didn't die when Moloch initiated the Massacre. Why is that?" Monstrum's chin rested on his hand as he stared at Atlas.

"Aella's technique interferes with the soul. It can be reshaped into a benevolent Power capable of extinguishing corrupt signatures like mine. Raven's a formidable opponent–in other words; a perfection. The same can be said for Moloch, but he still has some kinks to work out," Atlas said.

"I could care less about that." Apollo smoked more from his spliff, holding it only for a while, finally releasing it with one big sigh. The manic Displacement smirked widely. "As long as I get to destroy humanity's hopes one by one, I won't complain. Destruction… is my passion."

"Yeah, I already know that. What a pain."

Monstrum snapped to the servants hidden in the darkness. They hurriedly scurried away, leaving to get the Disastrous more food.

"I'll never understand what your goal is. Even back then, it didn't make any sense to me." Grinning, Malum leaned close. "Why don't you explain it?"

Atlas rolled his eyes. Covering the lighter and cigarette with his hand, he ignited the rear, raising his head to look at Monstrum.

"I know I monologue a lot, but I'm not explaining anything. You don't have to know the details of my plan. Especially considering the vessel I made you is still a bit faulty."

"Faulty?" Malum laughed, raising his arm and flexing the muscles. "You call this 'faulty'? I'm in the best shape of my life!"

"That so?" Amit stood up, burying both hands in his pockets. "I suppose I'll take your word for it."

Monstrum spun around in the chair, peering over the back to stare at Atlas, walking from the chamber. Despite the hidden entrance opening, no sunlight leaked into the room. He looked back at Apollo smoking the joint, then sighed, longingly staring at the carpeted floor below. Jerking upright, Moloch's eyes slowly opened, staring up at the Disastrous through the bottom of his eyelid.

"I'm bored! Tell Atlas he can call me when there's more flesh to eat or people to slaughter. Until then, if even one of you says my name without asking, I'LL SLAUGHTER YOU BOTH!"

Atlas flicked away the cigarette in his mouth after exiting the chamber. Throwing aside his coat, he unsheathed his blackened sword, walking toward the window covered with blinds.

"Can you hear me in there, son?" Atlas smirked. "The horrible things that have occurred, all at the expense of your son's kindness! Simply because he allowed that vessel Anthony Whitlock to recklessly walk around free! What a failure of a son you spawned from your flesh, EROS!!"

The Progenitor sighed. Rolling his eyes, he slipped the sword back into the cane, hanging it from the hip.

"Now then…"

He unlocked the balcony, pushed open the glass door, and stepped onto the ledge. Painted across the vast blue sky was a literal beam of light to the heavens, with numbers of humans flying to and fro around it, all the while Atlas watched proudly from the distance.

"I think I'm going to relax today."

And so, Atlas remained in the city, while Apollo went running his master's errand. Clad in a black suit jacket and a white turtleneck, the Displacement slid back his eyelids, appearing atop a European rooftop. Crouched, Moloch gazed off the edge, resting one arm over his knee.

"Looks like everything's started moving a bit quicker. I can sense it. Master's puppets… they're starting to awaken."

Meanwhile, beneath the European Defense Agency.

The head scientist walked past the plentiful tubes immobilizing the Progenitor's subjects. Occasionally, he would stop and look down at his clipboard, scribbling only briefly before continuing to march. A spontaneous gust of wind blew back the man's hair, causing him to turn. As Apollo glitched into the laboratory, the bottom of his long coat flew into the air—a sinister smile etched across his lips.

"Apollo. It's been a while," he said.

"Indeed, doctor," Moloch raised one hand. "Show me your progress."

Mainland arc - Start.