Gone.

His sister was gone.

It was with a supreme effort of will that Matt Smith managed to not turn Tucson into a smoking crater. Only the knowledge that doing so would obliterate his only two remaining family members prevented his collapse into a rage. Glancing at one of the several Hummers behind him glowing in enchanted runes he calmed himself. The glowing red eyes that shone through his sunglasses slowly dimmed until only a faint light remained.

Once his rage cooled, one of his servants approached. Her name was Jane? Janice? Jackie? It was hard to remember the names of those who couldn’t take a single strike from his pinkie.

“Sir, we have information on what happened.” said his servant. Her tone was calm, collected, and didn’t reveal the fear he could feel in her aura in the least.

As soon as his eyes focused on her she continued, “The Grey Society wanted to get a jump on the others. They violated the Accords and breached the crumbling walls.” Her body managed not to tremble as the red light lit up once more in his eyes. He could feel her terror roiling in her aura, yet she mastered her body without giving a clue about it.

It was impressive, for an ant.

“Name.” Matt said his voice quiet.

“Jennifer, sir.”

“You are my Agent from now until you fail me. You will handle things here on this continent. My parents are your highest priority, followed by increasing your own power, followed by the health of the Red Society. Fail me in this and the System that has arrived will place you into history as an example of what not to do in the Ages after this one. Do you understand?” Matt said his words heavy with promise.

His only response was a low bow before she knelt to one knee beside him. Matt glanced at the others that showed jealousy, yet he couldn’t be bothered with them. Jennifer had gambled, and won, that was it.

If there was one thing the Matt held to it was those who won were rewarded. His hand descended upon the kneeling woman’s brow and the barest fraction of his power entered her body.

It wasn’t enough to make him even notice the loss, but to an ant it was the equivalent of turning into a fierce lion. Power rippled off the woman in waves before the control of her body reflected in her mind. Instantly she returned to being nothing except a rather gorgeous mortal. Rising from the ground a flicker of power brushed the dust off her pantsuit before she calmly awaited further orders.

Matt looked at her seeing her at a deeper level than reality normally would allow. Satisfied with his choice, he turned away. His suit flickered with power before he moved.

As reality re-wrote itself around him to accommodate where he thought he should be, Matt stretched his senses along the paper thin trail of the failsafe. He was able to gain a vague sense that Eve was alive, safe, and growing. The sudden destruction of the failsafe made him smile. Rather than worry he knew whatever ruled where she had arrived knew of her connection to him.

If it was a System they would take no action to hinder her, and might even spend a fraction of power to assist her growth. After the last System that had attempted to prevent his return to Earth dying in screaming agony they wouldn’t gamble with his kin.

For a System whose sole purpose was to keep the universes they controlled stable, prevent heat death, and allow Ascension his attention was lethal. Drawing his ire was a direct violation of almost every Protocol they had, and the last System who had done so was considered a corrupt deviant for dying. Not only did that System not have the grace to die quietly, it had also given up a fair share of secrets to Matt before doing so.

No, if Eve had landed in a world governed by a System, she was probably safer than here on Earth. After all, Earth had morons like the Grey Society that pissed in everyone’s bank vault.

What in the Final Name of God possessed them to think they would survive fucking up this badly? Matt thought as he sealed the Grey Society headquarters in a bubble of reality. With the introduction of a System to Earth, one of the Prime Sources of Energy had arrived as well. His mere presence in America prevented the worst, as his body drank the energy source like a black hole. Instead of a slew of portals in every major city until America drowned in monsters, there were only a few major entrances to the Deeps.

Other than the Golden King in Europe, the Bear in Russia, the Monk in India, and the Jade Emperor in Asia he had no competition. Even then none of those four would fuck with him as they all had family just like him. The Accords had been a private agreement that kept everyone from ripping Earth into tiny chunks, making the sun go nova, or igniting Jupiter.

As he entered the bubble of sealed reality, Matt felt the presence of others arrive as well. All four of his mirrors in power arrived without fanfare. At their level breaching a barrier of this level was a quiet proof that they were still on the same level. It was just another show of power that kept everyone from each other’s throats.

“What are you intentions?” the Golden King asked after appearing.

“Do you know what happened, are these shits part of it?” the Bear said without pre-amble.

The Jade Emperor simply remained quiet, because he wasn’t an idiot.

The Monk also remained quiet, as Matt had informed him the moment he knew.

While the others likely had alliances, Matt and the Monk had made a deal. If either of them broke it their complete Core would become the property of the other. It wasn’t an unbreakable bond, but it would expose weakness and at this time weakness could lead to being banished off Earth. By the time someone could return, their family would be dust in history, and nobody wanted that.

Family mattered at this level of power. It was one of the few things that could get the Highest Powers involved. No one liked someone who killed family. Not even the Gambler would put up with that shit, no matter the stakes.

“My sources have told me the Grey Society was involved in breaking the Accords, accelerating the timetable, and causing my sister to be lost as the portals appeared." Matt replied, his voice light as if he was discussing the weather.

The Golden King’s aura roiled with shock, while the Bear simply turned into an iron wall of rage.

The Jade Emperor said, “Root, branch, trunk, leaves.”

The Monk said, “Agreed.”

Matt looked at the Golden King and the Bear who answered, “Agreed.”

Each of the four vanished to other known and unknown locations that the Grey Society could be found at. The sentence pronounced by the Jade Emperor meant a single thing.

Obliteration.

Before the next hour finished the Grey Society would simply cease to exist. At this time of chaos, with the Deeps opening for the first time, mercy was no longer in supply at their level of power.

Unstable factors would be pruned with brutal efficiency the better to safeguard their own.

Matt reached out with his power wiping the entire building from existence along with everyone except three people. Sparing a second, he ensured that all traces of the dead were removed from the System, as well as any connection to their bloodline to the 13th degree. His actions caused the deaths of at least twenty million people, and he didn’t bat an eye.

Turning his attention to the three ants trapped in separate bubbles of reality Matt pulled the first one close.

Inside the bubble was a person who looked at him with barely concealed rage. As soon as he broke the small bubble of reality, the man screamed that his masters would ensure his death was painful beyond all measure.

“And who would these nameless Masters be?” Matt asked, one eyebrow raised.

The man spoke the names of several Demons and Matt simply laughed, “None of the Names you have spoken would be stupid enough to even come to the same planet as me. Try again. Think very hard before I rip your soul out and question it with the System.”

When the man simply repeated his threats Matt made good on his promise. Sadly the answers were not so easily gained. The same words were spoken by the Vice-Director and with much the same result.

Finally, with only the Director of the Grey Society left, Matt opened the final bubble of reality. He was thrilled when the Director thrust a glowing tentacle directly into Matt’s chest from the arm he had sacrificed to do so.

“Now we are finally getting somewhere. So the old octopus decided to make a move? Good for him. I welcome his arrival. For some reason I doubt he knows I’m on this planet.” Matt said as he ripped the tentacle out and ate it. Between one moment and the next the wound on his body vanished. Even his silk shirt was repaired to perfection, without a thread out of place.

Without preamble Matt ripped the soul of the Director of the Grey Society out without another word. While the previous two had been allowed to die and return to the cycle, he had no compunction about this one.

“You have trespassed on that which is sacred. Taken that which is mine. Stolen from that which even the Gods, Low and High fear to do, and for this, you are guilty by the power of my Name.” Matt spoke the words echoing throughout the Universe a clarion call that rippled through the System. It was both a threat and a promise to all who heard it.

Matt Smith the Darkness that Devoured was once more in a Universe where a Primal Source of Energy existed.

Many knew, heard, and screamed in rage, anger, delight, or indifference.

Matt cast the Director of the Grey Society into his personal Hell. If the man managed to survive, he could beg forgiveness from Eve. She was a much softer touch than him after all.