"Well!? Carl just returned an arm! What the hell happened!?" Leanna shouted as she, Alisha and Danielle ran over to fuss and inspect them for injuries.
"Leanna, calm yourself, they were sending transcriptions the whole time. You two were incredible!" Lillim gushed.
"Well, I may have ripped one's soul out, but other than that it went even better than we had hoped. Carl..." Klaire explained before smiling at Carl, knowing how happy he must be.
"Mum, you're free to join the faction. The one who seemed to be the most senior member present, Marsian and one of those who greeted us, Jupiterran, both signed off on it. Marsian said you will need to stay in your position until they can find a suitable replacement, but you won't be asked to report to the committee anymore and you can come and go as you please."
Leanna burst into tears and threw her arms around Carl. "Thank you, Carl. Now get me signed up so you can tell me who the hell those people were. I don't believe they were human in the slightest."
Carl produced the two documents he had had prepared since day one and two pens. "Mums, if you would please sign these things."
[ SYSTEM NOTICE: LEANNA HAS JOINED THE FACTION. ]
[ SYSTEM NOTICE: ALISHA HAS JOINED THE FACTION. ]
"Faylorna, they are also giving me those two, so I will complete my mission soon. I'm not keen on the idea of eating their souls myself though, so can you teach me to open portals to Faylorn?"
"Of course dear, I'm so proud."
Gillian flicked his head between Carl's group and Klaire and Faylorna. "Different folks, different strokes I guess... Personally I'm going to turn a blind eye to the murder, they deserve it."
"It's not murder, Gillian. One can live without the soul, but they exist in a state of sensory deprivation and overload simultaneously." Lillim corrected, with a tone of strange pride.
"It doesn't matter, that is between Carl, Klaire and the people who tried to break them up for the sake of human supremacy." Alysse interjected with a strictness that surprised them.
"Anyway, are Noah and Blaine back? I'll leave you all to the fun stuff while I get to work. Can I get opinions on something first though please?"
"On what?" Kyubi asked curiously.
"If I use this bit of that arsehole's soul, it won't like, infect the pet, will it?"
Faylorna and Kyubi both approached and inspected it then, after a brief moment of conference, shook their heads. "No, it shouldn't cause any issues or offer him any hold over it. Just make it something as pathetic as him."
"Sorry Faylorna, I was hoping to make sure that I could actually make sure at least a fraction of him wasn't a waste of flesh." Carl replied, catching the others off-guard with his newfound ability to assert his opinion.
"Dude, what did she do to you last night?"
"Comet"
"Neo-spear thrust."
"Woah! Woah! Woah!" Gillian hid himself behind Alysse and Blanc; well tried to but they quickly left him to his fate.
"You earned this Gil." Blanc said weakly in the face of his pitiable expression.
"We all agree that Mr. Remus deserves punishment, but if you don't all stop and get me up to speed, I will start spilling blood." Leanna declared drawing everyone inside.
"Noah and Blaine are round the back mate, I'll show you. We need to keep you on schedule or the little fox will tear us all apart." Gillian said as he hung behind the group.
As they round the building they were greeted by the site of dozens of cages, Noah and Blaine inspecting every single one and ticking each one of the list. They didn't really pay much mind to Carl at first, more focused on getting the job done properly, which Carl respected.
"Right Boss, the list is complete except for one. I swear I will get that damn demonic-clobber hawk if it kills me. Sorry for making you wait, but I don't want Lillim to just hand me my first one."
"No worries, I want you to enjoy your job. If grabbing it is what you want to do, then grab it. I'll sit tight and I have plenty of others to make. I figured out the gene bank, but it is not cheap on divinity."
"Well, at least I know I still have a job." He laughed. "Besides, there will always be new species. I have a few leads and can't wait, I also have a project going with Alysse in our spare time to get some aquatic enclosures."
"Sounds good! Well, let's start with the top of the list and work our way down... Or maybe not." Carl grinned as the other two looked at each other with both trepidation and anticipation.
Whilst Carl was busy working, inside Leanna was slapping her mother. "Next time you know my son is walking into a lion's den, you drag that damn god here, Samael and whoever else you think can help."
"Please control your emotions dear, we knew the biggest threat wouldn't be present. If we had rallied and he sensed it, that would have changed. I asked Nergal only because Carl likely wishes to speak to him about other matters."
"I don't Care! You sent the two of them in with no support, against those variants. That one's aura alone nearly dropped me, if Carl hadn't released his it would have. When the hell did he even get that kind of aura anyway?"
"Ishtar, most likely. Although, we have agreed not to mention her, we don't want to trigger Carl and that seems a dangerous button to push." Danielle explained. "He was not happy at all about the idea of someone else being called his mother next to you two."
"No, he wasn't... Klaire, has he spoken to you about that?" Alisha asked.
"Yes, but I hope you're only asking to make sure he isn't ignoring the issue, because I won't say a word about it." Klaire replied, trying not to come across as stubborn or exclusive.
"I am, thank you, I can assume you made him talk."
"Anyway, Klaire, come with me and I'll teach you about opening the portal to Faylorn."
Back on the committee station, in the meeting room of the variants. Marsian was furious, his body had become metallic and the blood splatter sprayed across his clothes and the reflective surface of his skin.
"Are you children feeling disciplined now?" He asked coldly, dropping the limp body of Plutinas to the ground. "This fool picks a fight and you choose to bark behind him like rabid dogs, you made us look pathetic in comparison to a mere boy..."
"Marsian, we can't just let him act like we're his lessers."
"When the hell did he act that way?" Jupiterran barked. "He came to talk, was insulted three times and assaulted once before leaving the welcome mat. Marsian is right, if anyone done that to us we would have, well look at all of you..."
"He didn't treat you as lessers, you all treated him as such, his family as such. If it wasn't for him, Plutinas would be down an arm right now, not just a scrap of his soul."
"A scrap... I will... Have back..." He gurgled through the blood pooling in his mouth.
"Let me make this clear. Anyone moves against him in any way and I will join him." Marsian said, visibly repulsed by the idea of joining a faction of species equality. "I would rather have to tolerate the hybrid stain he associates with, than have the weight of my words diminished by you shameless wastes of potential."
As he finished a portal tore open across the surface of the table and the room filled with laughter. "A bold claim Marsian, I don't remember giving you permission to declare treacherous intent."
The man that stepped out from the portal, was the exact opposite of Marsian in appearance and demeanour. He was youthful, appearing no older than his early twenties, his precisely groomed black hair falling in a banded ponytail to his waist, where it was wrapped as though a belt.
Unlike the others his skin was flawless, but he carried a sword at his side that showed signs of centuries of intense use, making it clear that the right to remain unscarred was earned with personal power.
"No? You told me to lead Sol, a leader without pride, is the king of a dying kingdom. You should know that."
"Indeed it is, I only came to see what the fuss is about, from what I gather the boy outplayed you all from the start without even trying. Heed me, any who oppose Marsian's decision will die, I agree with it in totality. Venusiah, prove your loyalty and fetch him those two moronic children and whoever gave them the order, you can deliver them their compensation for wasted time and if they ask it, you will kneel and kiss their feet since you lack the pride to stand tall."
The woman was both furious and trembling where she laid bleeding after Marsian's disciplinary action. "Y-y-yes S-S-Sol."
"Good. Anyway, I'm out of time, eyes are beginning to open... We need that information he offers. If it takes a total alliance, then offer it, on behalf of all present members." He took a single step back through the portal which snapped shut behind him.