Archon's eyes had gone very wide and his mouth was hanging open.
"I... I..."

Mawthrough interjected.
"I can pay you double the normal rate."

Archon finally found his voice and spluttered.
"Double rate? DOUBLE RATE!? You're asking me to pretty much shelter two fugitives, possibly make my business center the blast zone for the largest inter-divine incident since who got to keep Elvis, and let you have your fun with a unbelievably sexy subservient DEMI-GOD, while I wet my trousers wondering when an army large enough to conquer the damn planet shows up at my doorstep, and you attempt to mollify me with DOUBLE RATE!?!?"

Mawthrough remained unmoved, though he gave a glance of glowing pride at Chastity.
"I love you so damn much."
Then he looked back.
"Triple rate."

Archon finally found something to say.
"Does she have a sister?!"

"Focus. Can. You. Do. It?"

"Well... yes, but... this is going to take a while... Ma'am, I'm going to need something of yours. It could be anything, take your pick..."

"Ah, Drake? Done thinking about HIM and imagining taking a shower with HIM and then dropping the soap... in front of HIM..."
Darkion smiled.
"It's ok, I don't judge."

"Lovely... just lovely..."

Grey watched as the fights began again in the Coliseum, and as he sat still, bio armor began to form over his body, armor meant to work well with Genesis' power, all the while, protecting him from a great deal of harm. He had spent nearly a year perfecting it, wanting to master its use, wanting to make his own body into a weapon. What's more, is it would adapt to whatever abilities he would use, including Midnight's.

Grey stood up, and vanished via a shadow portal, appearing this time, back at the academy, his suit over his bio armor, to keep it from prying eyes. He walked back into the academy, knowing the hate, and ire that he would face.

Mawthrough looked at Chastity, and in his eyes was shame, desire, pain, damage... it was clear even from a look that her every word had profoundly affected him upon their arrival in the brothel, and even now his eyes were almost watering, unable to look at anyone else in the bar now out of the sickening horrible feeling of betrayal.

"Yes. We do. Because now I need to prove it to you. Because I'm so so sorry for what I've done, Chastity. You're walking around with a male whore."
His voice shook slightly.
"And you may never believe that that will change. But I have to try."

Archon gave a wince.
"Ouch... easy up on yourself, mate..."
Then another wince.
"Damn... well, a guy can hope...that ass though..."

Mawthrough's fists clenched.
"Can we hurry up?"

Archon hurriedly reached over and took part of the black dress Chastity was wearing.
"You don't mind do you?"
Before she could answer, he ripped off part of the sleeve.
"Alright, let's see what happens..."
He took a glass sphere from his pocket, runes carved into the side, and dropped the fragment into it.

The runes lit up, the fragment began to glow - then the orb melted.
Archon stared at it in complete disbelief.
"That's... that's... that's crazy. Straight up, crazy. This cost more than an arm and a leg to manufacture and enchant... at this small size... and just a fragment..."
He shook his head, got up to leave.
"Mawthrough, I'm sorry. I really am. But I just can't -

Mawthrough looked Archon dead in the eyes, and put his hand on Archon's chest, stopping his movement.
"Quad. Ruple. The rate."

Archon's mouth fell open.
"You can't be serious. There are billionaires who couldn't afford that. You're not a billionaire by any stretch of the -"

Mawthrough's punch was so fast it seemed that one second Archon was there and the next he was recovering in the chair. Mawthrough looked enraged.
"Since when have I been known to say things I don't follow up on?!" he snarled, almost throwing the table out of the way. He bore down on Archon who immediately stood up, facing Mawthrough down.
The two incubi stood nose to nose.
"Mawthrough... I don't know what your game is, but you're insane."
"I'm marrying the daughter of one of the most powerful angels in existence. Me being insane is pretty well established."

Archon raised his hands to indicate his unwillingness to fight. Mawthrough looked like he was on the verge of losing it.
"HrrrrrRRRRRRRR-"
And right when it seemed Mawthrough was going to completely flip out, something seemed to occur to him and he laughed.
"Here's the deal, set it up. Quadruple the rate, as I said, but the rules change. We get to use the bedroom for two nights every month for now on. Understand?"
Archon nodded warily.
"And how are you going to afford this?"

Mawthrough sighed.
"Before either of you comment. I want you to understand. To me, what I'm about to do is completely and totally worth it if it means that Chastity has no doubts that my love for her is stronger than anything else in this world."

He finished the sentence, took a deep breath, then reached inside his chest, tore out his own still beating heart and slammed it on the table getting blood everywhere.

"SATAN'S ARSEHOLE!" Archon swore as he instantly backed off. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"
Mawthrough swayed on the spot, the gaping hole in his chest at first gushing blood... then it started to patch up... then it seemed to leave a long, sore scar along his chest.
"That, I think, proves it."

"Holy heaven, what did that prove?! Aside from the fact you're a psychopath, who should be dead!?"
"That you should give me a discount." Mawthrough had gone very pale.
"Take that heart, and you've got enough to buy the room we'll need four times over in some circles."

Archon shook his head in disbelief.
"How... the ****... are you ALIVE!?"

"Where are we Archon?"

"Of course... you used the residual sexual energy in the strip club to push your healing abilities to their limit..."
Mawthrough nodded. "Aye."
"...You do realise you might never be able to do that again, right?"
Mawthrough looked at Chastity, the shame still darkening his eyes forcing him to look at his own heart lying bloodied on the table.
"So... worth it..."

Darkion smirked.
"Classy. You should have joined the circus - they're always on the lookout for good clowns."

The moment Grey entered the academy, he was sent flying outward by Nero, a friend of his, though one whom was pissed at him. Taken by surprise by the attack, Grey hit the ground hard, and couldn't recover before his friend was standing over him, "What were you thinking? Coming back? After what you've done in the Coliseum. You'll put everyone here at risk, do you have anything to say for yourself?"

Grey looked up at him, "I was only doing what I thought was right........" As he finished his sentence, two punches connected into his cheek, and his friend grabbed him by the collar of his coat, and lifted him up.

Nero's eyes were sad ones, filled with rage, "You......what you've done in the Coliseum, it slanders the academy, it slanders those who know you, and it disgraces your family's legacy. Have you thought of them? Have you thought of what that is going to do to them?" He readied another fist, though this time, Marcus Andro, the gigantic, golden haired council member in charge of the academy, grabbed it.

With a kind voice, he simply said, "That's enough Nero, Grey has suffered enough by his own hand already, let him go." And with that, Nero dropped Grey onto the ground, and walked away, though Grey didn't move an inch, he remained there, in the dirt, looking to the ground.

Mawthrough simply took Chastity's head, turned it so her ear was to his chest, and let her listen.

Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

"I still have a heart... please calm down," Mawthrough said softly, as he pulled her to her feet.
"Don't go insane because of me. Please."

He stroked her hair, kissed her neck, held her close, trying to bring her back to normal. "Calm down. I'm not going to die. It just was painful, but I've already established that the pain of losing you eclipses that a million times over."

He looked down at the ground.
"I'm sorry I have to trap you in this life, a life on the run, the life of a criminal. You deserve better. You -"
An idea struck him and he looked down at her, totally serious.

"What if... I hand myself over to your father, on the condition he keeps me as some sort of pet? That way you still get to be with me, in a way, and you don't have to run from your father any more... I don't mind, as long as you're happy..."

Mawthrough looked her in the eye and knew she was serious.
"Well then... I see. We'll still take the offer, by the way," he said as an aside to Archon, who had been speechless the whole time.

"...Ok. I'm just going to... take your heart and... go sell it then. Cheerio, I - I guess."
Archon gingerly took Mawthrough's heart, placed it in his pocket and got the hell out of there.

"We'll go to the masking hotel. Two nights. Then, if you want - we'll face your father together, after I get to full strength and you discover the limits of your archangel form... in the bedroom..."
He winked, seemingly returned to his normal self by her loyalty to him.
"What do you say?"

Marcus Andro helped Grey to his feet, and placed his hand on the young knight's shoulder, "We know you've suffered Grey, more so than most could without insanity taking over. But that doesn't mean you have to go through it alone, that doesn't mean you have to fight alone. It is not a weakness, to need comrades, it is a strength. Learn this, for that is the reason I forged the academy, so that legions of knights, would always have an ally to turn to in the heat of battle. Please Grey, don't fight alone anymore, your mother would never forgive me if I left you get yourself killed."

Grey looked away from him, his eyes to the ground, "I understand your words, and I accept them, all my actions have caused, since Halia's death, is misery, both for me, and to those I've fought, and to those I've killed. But someone, someone who saved my life, she helped me to control it again, I can feel my will getting stronger, and stronger, like it was years ago. I can feel myself gaining ground over it. I humbly ask for forgiveness, for damaging the reputation of your school, and for the lives I've taken, and the lives I'm going to take in the future in my self defense."

Marcus shook his head, "You need never apologize to me child, for in my youth, I had done far worse than most ever will. Of the ancient knights, most of us have walked a dark path at one point. That is the way of the knight, to experience darkness, though only the true heroes among us, have stepped out of it, or used it in the defense of what is innocent, and pure in this world."

Grey gave a nod, then walked back into the academy, heading for his room now, his actual room, not that of the hall of heroes.

"Archon will contact us when he's arranged our living quarters."
Mawthrough led Chastity from the brothel, saying goodbye to all the workers who cheerfully waved as they went.

Out in the city streets he looked at her.
"You were willing to go full power there and then. Why?"

Mawthrough smiled, and kissed her.
"I won't promise that if you lose I'll still love you."
He whispered in her ear.
"I promise that you'll win. And I'll be there to take your hand when it happens, my love. Thank you for everything, Chastity. Thank you for loving me."
His eyes turned savage.
"And I WON'T LET him kill you or hurt you, I won't..."
He looked down at her.
"What would be your reaction if I was to... kill your father whilst trying to protect you...?"

After walking for nearly an hour, Grey found his room, undisturbed, from when he'd last been within it. Stepping through the door, he flipped on the light switch, finding everything as it was when he left it. The bed, it still looked unused, his clothes were in order, his training blades lining the walls, everything, the same, even the white rapier sitting aside his bedside was the same. He felt a shortness of breathe, but decided to simply breathe in real deep, then out, and repeat the process, lest he fall apart from the sight of his former love's weapon. Kneeling down, he picked up the blade, and removed it from its sheathe. Still, to this day, not a drop of blood stained this weapon, Halia's purity still shown brightly. Along the blade, there was a glyphed inscription. Quickly, he placed it back in its case, then set it back where it belonged. Wanting simply to rest, he laid down on the floor, his legs up against the wall, and looked to the ceiling. "What is life, if everything that matters, mortal or immortal, must die......what is life.......if that which is most precious to us, can so easily be taken from us. Well, life is simply a state of being, and even if death comes for me, happiness cannot reach me, for I am forsaken to be erased from existence........when this heart of mine stops beating........"

Zigera was starting to awaken, back at the silver plains, finding Grey's mother, a golden haired goddess in the flesh of a knight, sitting next to her, holding her hand, and smiling. This woman was a very caring being, she thought to herself, for no one had ever held her hand so gently, nor did anyone ever look upon her with such kindness. Touch usually caused her to react with violent convulsion, but she didn't feel like doing any such thing. She had no idea what was going on, nor why she felt so calm, as opposed to the rage she felt before.

Mawthrough gave a slight smirk.
Then it faded.
"If needs be, I'll die for you. What would you do to your father if that happened?"

Mawthrough kissed the top of her head.
"I've killed for you. Bled for you, run for you. At this point fighting alongside you will be easy."
He made her catch his gaze.
"I'd do it again in a heartbeat, babe. Now, we're in Paris the city of love... Any ideas on how we should kill time...?"

Zigera looked Serriola in the eyes, and tried to move, only to find that she couldn't. Her wounds, from fighting the undead monstrosity, had returned partially, Oblivion's gift for defiance, so her ribs felt shattered, and her throat felt as though it had been torn out. Moments later, this pain seemed to melt away, as a green bit of light enveloped her. She turned her head, to see a tall man, one whom looked not much older than twenty five, with long, black hair, viridian eyes, and a massive scar on his left cheek, from what appeared to be a near death experience with an arrow. His skill was filled with life though, and an aura of kindness seemed to eminate from him. Strangely, he wore glasses, which was strange for most knights, and his attire was that of a long, green robe, with loose brown pants underneath, and no shoes. "Just stay still little one, I've still some wounds inflicted by Oblivion to fix within you, what the entities do is sickening, especially the suffering they inflict upon the young, and inexperienced." He said this with a look of sorrow, as if the blame of the entities was on his very own shoulders. It was now, that Zigera felt something while near him, felt another presence within him. This man, he wasn't a normal knight, and his power wasn't normal either. Her wounds were just healing, they were vanishing.

Serriola spoke aloud, with a voice like honey, "Grey didn't tell us anything other than you were a girl in need of some healing.....and from those scars along your body.......I can tell, that you may not trust us. That is okay dear, you needn't trust us, you may do whatever it takes to be comfortable. Just know, we would never harm you......" These words that Serriola spoke, they were loving, and nurturing, unlike anything she'd heard before. Zigera sat up this time, and looked around them. She was in a room, with light blue paint on the walls, and numerous, artistic designs, painting the heroism of the Mystic and the Talon families over the centuries. The bed she was on, felt soft enough, that she could lay there forever, and melt away with comfort. The blanket above her felt heavy, thick, and still soft. The aroma of roses filled the room, which was strange, because all Zigera usually smelled was blood. Looking at her skin, she found that someone had cleaned her up, and inspecting herself further, she found she was wearing a long, white gown. These people had gone through a lot of effort to make her comfortable, and she didn't know how to react.

Finally, after a long wait, she spoke to them, "I don't......understand........" With those words, Maleficus sat down next to Serriola, and placed an arm around the woman, while looking towards Zigera with a smile.

"For now, you needn't understand, you need only recover. When you are ready, we will tell you more. You need to build up your strength, and then, I can help teach you ways, to conquer that entity with you dear." Before Zigera could say another word, she was lulled into sleep by an unknown power, slipping into a pleasant dream, or at least it seemed.

------------------------------------------

Grey rested peacefully within his room, while an angelic figure appeared seemingly out of thin air, watching over him silently. She had short, golden hair, and wore a white, leather suit of armor. At her side, was a long, white rapier, though this one was filled with the power of a celestial. Walking forward, she spoke softly, "...........why do you torture yourself so.........my death on the mortal plain.....it wasn't your fault......." though these words did not reach Grey while he slept, for never did. She was his guardian angel, and was not allowed to speak directly with him. She could only speak, when his conscious was resting. The door to his room shut tightly, as she stood there, watching him rest, looking so peaceful, though she knew this was a lie, for Grey never rested peacefully, even when she was alive.

One quick trek later and they were munching croissants by the Seine.
"So..." Mawthrough mused as he applied some jam to his pastry.
"How many times have you used your archangel form before? Do you know any of your capabilities or strengths? Anything will help..."