Daedra swished her tail from one side to the other then gestured imperiously toward Scott. "As fun as this meeting has been I do need you to make a decision. Do you take the offer, or not?"

Scott stared at her coldly for a moment then said, "On the surface it seems like a great deal, at least compared to what I typically earn for a mission."

"Only on the surface?" asked Daedra. She raised one finger to her chin then made a thoughtful noise. "Hmm."

"You are essentially throwing money and items at us to keep us quiet on the matter, but there is important information that won't give out unless we accept your offer," said Scott.

"Correct," agreed Daedra readily.

"Scott?" asked Samantha.

He tried to look toward her, but ended up growling in frustration instead. The paralysis in his body made it too difficult to do more than talk. That frustration turned into anger as other suspicions grew further within him. "I find it incredibly suspicious that I can't move right now. The system grew me a new body. Anything done to me to make me grow stronger through the Undying Beast Revelation would have to be done afterward."

"What might you be suggesting, honey?" asked Daedra sweetly.

"I'm not suggesting anything. I'm flat out telling you that your reasoning for holding me in paralysis is bullshit," said Scott. "You're just trying to sell me on that compensation package and are using this paralysis as a means of making it seem more plausible."

All eyes swiftly turned to Daedra once more. The sweet smile on her lips grew even more enchanting. "Oh? Do you really think so?"

Scott growled low under his breath. "For someone who keeps trying to tell me that your people are fair and follow rules, it's a pretty shitty thing that you were partially at fault for what happened but won't tell me about what part you played unless I accept your deal."

"So, you're saying that we are treating you unfairly? Somehow we are not keeping our contract with you?" asked Daedra with a slight scowl.

"Damn right," said Scott.

"You're going to reject our generous compensation package?" she pressed.

"Generous compensation package? How the hell would I know if it's generous? You refuse to tell me the entire truth about the situation. It's impossible to make a deal in good faith with someone who refuses to act in good faith," said Scott.

"You dare insinuate that we would deceive you in this matter?" she asked heatedly. Light flared from her body. A burning hot wave of energy radiated outward from her position that sent the group staggering back.

Scott snarled loudly and fought through the intense heat wave. "Cut that shit out. We both know you can't do anything too serious to anyone here."

"You think so?" she asked heatedly. The light and temperature she radiated rose swiftly to match the nature of her words. Soon, it became difficult for the mere mortals to gaze upon her radiant form.

"A mere monkey thinks himself capable of withstanding even this weakened avatar, a mere fraction of my true nature?" She laughed imperiously at Scott then gestured toward him in a threatening manner. A tiny ball of energy began to form at the tip of her index finger.

"Back off!" exclaimed Samantha, even as she lifted her plasma cannon to fire on the burning star that had formed at the center of the room. The moment her energy cannon began to charge for a shot she was suddenly flung backwards by an incredible wave force. She crashed against the far wall and found herself unable to move.

"Beloved!" screamed Saelil before she made a move to attack. However, she suffered a similar fate.

One by one the others were flung away the moment they made any aggressive motion towards the enraged demon-goddess. Pressed against the wall by an impossibly powerful force they could do nothing but look on in horror as the temperature and the light intensified.

Daedra took a dazzling step forward. The light radiating brilliantly from her body caused Scott's eyes to begin to water, but he refused to close them. He could not allow himself to become that weak along with his actual physical weakness.

"You foolish little monkey," she said dispassionately. Despite the heat in the room her words held an icy tone.

She stopped above Scott's helpless form, her position forcing him to gaze upon her silky undergarments. "You invited me in... I can do anything I want to you..." she said, a sneer growing steadily on her perfect lips.

The youngest child of the Hellborne clan slipped down atop his helpless body. She hovered above his chest for a moment before she slid her body slowly along the length of his torso. Her tail whipped sideways and made a cracking noise before she gripped his face in her hands and squeezed slightly. "Do you think yourself my equal?"

In spite of every desire in his body, his eyes could not withstand the brilliant luminosity any further. He closed them tightly and struggled with everything that he possessed in order to pull away from the radiant girl who now rested atop his paralyzed body.

A little time passed while he struggled. She did nothing to him other than hold her position firmly. He felt her intense gaze on him for a moment before he forced his eyes to open once more.

"Back with me?" she asked in a tone that sounded both bitter and sweet. "Good boy..."

Scott growled at her, but she quickly placed a finger to his lips. "Quiet monkey. Your mistress is speaking."

His watery eyes narrowed quickly, but she ignored his obvious anger. There was a point to be made.

"You're just some foolish mortal, no more than a slightly intelligent ape who dances for my amusement. You can do nothing without the network allowing you to grow. Every power you possess is something we allowed you to acquire," she said in a cold, detached, tone of voice. If anything she sounded slightly bored.

"Me? Do you think there is anything that I cannot do?" she asked, this time with a bit more heat in her words. Her gaze became even more penetrating, magnificent in its radiant display.

Scott's heart pounded rapidly as he stared up at the cruel, but gloriously shining, eyes that seemed to bore into the depths of his soul. A few weeks prior such a thing would probably have made him beg for forgiveness. Now, however, he was a different person. Death claimed him several times. He had found companions that might very well become dear friends. He had even overcome a man who could probably have completely devastated a modern army with ridiculous ease.

His harsh and terrified gaze softened even as a sense of realization washed over him. The look in her eyes was indeed terrifying, but there was a slight tremble. Many times since the game had started, he had been forced to gamble on a ridiculously dangerous decision on nearly a daily basis. His next wild leap of logic might very well be his last, but it was a leap he needed to attempt.

"Yeah, there is one thing you can't do," said Scott as his expression softened to match the gentle tone of his words.

She snorted derisively then gripped his face tighter in her delicate seeming fingers. "What might that be, monkey?"

"You can't be my friend, much less someone special to me, as long as you act like such a basic bitch," he said in a gentle tone, his expression taking on an almost loving demeanor in the process.

"H-holy shit, is he crazy?" asked Kitty as she struggled to fight against the pressure holding her against the wall. Spread-eagle, all her fluffy cat business shown off to the world, there was inevitably nothing that she could do but watch this train-wreck continue.

His other companions voiced similar statements, most of which seemed to indicate that he was somehow mentally deficient and possibly wanted everyone to die. It was quite the bizarre set of responses, really.

"B-basic Bit—!" exclaimed Daedra hotly. "You!"

Scott smiled softly up at her, his expression at odds with what he had spoken only moments before. He said nothing, merely gazed upon her with warmth and kindness.

She recoiled violently from him as though he had spat upon her. "You—! Oh, you!"

"Seriously, you don't have to try this hard," he said in a simple tone. "If you were not lying about your role in all of this, it's not like I hold that much of a grudge against you."

"W-who cares if you hold a grudge!" snapped Daedra angrily. She slipped further down his torso and stared carefully at his face like he was a venomous serpent about to strike. Her expression revealed many emotions ranging from anger to anxiety, and perhaps even a little fear.

Before Scott could say anything else, she lunged forward and pressed her forehead hotly against his own. The heat of her body, and the intense energy wave, had long since caused him to begin to sweat. Daedra, did not mind his moistness one bit. Instead she focused on the moment. "Now. You see here, monkey! I don't need to try hard! If I actually wanted you, I would take you!"

Scott sweetly replied, "Even if you take me, I'll never belong to you as long as you act like this."

Daedra blinked then snorted loudly and looked away, though she kept her forehead pressed against his. "You're just a monkey. Who wants anything like that from a pathetic primate?"

"For some reason, you do," said Scott. His voice remained as calm and gentle as he could manage in the situation. Whether his tactic was working or not remained to be seen, as Daedra possessed a strange personality that could shift quickly from one mood to the next.

"Foolishness. I love my brother only. You are just an amusing toy to tease at my whim," she said quietly.

Scott chuckled softly, an action that caused her lips to purse lightly. "That's probably true. I mean, it would be weird to be this interested in someone who you only met briefly."

She quickly shot back and sat on her knees. "Right! Exactly!"

"It would be weird to have any actual interest in a monkey," she said in a superior tone.

Scott looked gently into her eyes for a moment. Eventually her cheeks colored and she looked slightly to the left. "Your eyes offend me..." she said softly.

Either she was one of the best actresses he had ever witnessed, or she was simply a girl who had never really had much in the way of truly intimate social interaction. Scott knew that he was not a paragon of social graces, but even someone as emotionally dense as he could be at times was able to see that despite all of the power the girl possessed, she seemed to have a deeply held desire for attention.

He took a deep breath then slowly released it. The time had come to make his move. "Hi. My name is Scott."

"I know that," she said in a slightly annoyed tone. Scott continued to look up at her with his gentle expression. After a moment she glanced into his eyes then looked away once more. "I'm Daedra, but you knew that already, monkey..."

"I like videogames, and saving the world," continued Scott softly.

Daedra snorted a little. "What are you babbling about?"

Scott's gentle expression never changed. After another brief moment passed, Daedra spoke up, "I like videogames too... and other stuff."

"Hey, I like other stuff too..." said Scott inanely.

The entire encounter was friendly, but awkward. The continued to make initial introductory small-talk for a moment before Scott said, "You seem nice. We should hang out some time."

Daedra snorted loudly. "You wish I'd hang out with a monkey like you."

"Yes," he said simply.

She blinked rapidly several times then made a slightly strangled noise in the back of her throat. She rose up from her perch atop his prone body and crossed one arm over her stomach. "I don't want to play anymore, monkey."

"I'm sorry. I've made you uncomfortable," said Scott. Of course, he said such while attempting to ignore the sound of his friends struggling against the far wall.

"Yeah, let's make sure she's comfortable," groused Chaine as he continued to hang suspended against the wall. It was a sentiment the others shared, some vocally.

The conversation continued between Scott and Daedra. Neither acted as though they heard the others.

Daedra sighed and turned away from Scott. "Whatever... You should just decide whether you want to take the deal or not."

"Do you think I should take it?" he asked her quietly. He searched her eyes for any hint of an answer that he might have been able to find within them.

"That's not my business..." she said softly. The demure nature of her voice made her sound as though she were saddened by her inability to offer advice on the matter.

"It is if you want my trust," said Scott in his still quiet voice.

"I can't make the choice for you. You'll have to trust that I— that we would not offer a deal that was not appropriate," she said after a brief pause.

The gentle gazing continued for a moment before Scott said something in a non-committal tone. "I can trust you not to screw me over by offering a bad deal."

He studied her face, but despite his heavy suspicions she did not flinch or otherwise show herself to be hiding anything from him. It was impossible to know whether she was a consummate actress, or if she sincerely did not see a reason for him to reject the deal. Was he over-analyzing the situation? Did his distrust regarding her affiliation and recent actions cause him to see a conspiracy where there was none?

In the end he made the decision not because of the fabulous rewards, but as an investment. Whether or not there was a better deal for his team that could have been negotiated, the fact that he chose to accept the deal because he decided to believe in Daedra. Perhaps it was all a con, a scam to separate him from an even greater reward. However, the possibility that she was actually being honest with him left him a far more valuable opportunity. If he could cultivate her as an acquaintance and perhaps even make friends with her she might prove invaluable in the future.

Was it an immoral way to start a friendship, the acknowledgment of ulterior motives that drove his decision? Possibly. The truth, however, was that people became acquainted and made friends for personal gain all of the time. The quality of the bond that formed afterwards was not determined by how the relationship began, but how it progressed.

If Daedra really was just a weird girl who liked attention, and not a world-population devouring beast, then becoming her friend was not a bad thing. In the end, it would at least allow him to keep a better eye on her in the future.

After a brief moment of reflection Scott spoke up. His voice filled with far more conviction that he actually felt he said, "I want to trust you Daedra. I'll accept the compensation package."

She visibly tensed as he said those words, but she did not suddenly change her demeanor otherwise. She did not spin around and cry out, "Ha! Got you." Daedra did not mock him for his stupidity, or do any of a number of other things that she might have done to prove that he was a fool. Instead, she nodded in acceptance of his choice.

"The compensation will arrive once I have left your Home space. Since you chose to accept the offer, I need to explain the nature of what happened to you, the world-setting you just visited, and why everything went so terribly wrong," said Daedra.

The power holding the others against the wall dissipated and they slid to the ground. No one knew what to say or do in that moment, but all eyes were on Daedra.

The goddess in succubus clothing offered a tentative smile. "First, please understand completely what I am about to say. My company, Team Devil, and your group are all complicit in the destruction of the world you know of as Dead Men Walking."

"Destruction of that world?" asked Scott slowly. His eyes widened immediately. "What do you mean my group is complicit?"

Daedra waved his question away. "You are only complicit in that you will have full-disclosure of what has occurred. You won't be able to feign ignorance in the future, like you could have done if you chose to reject the compensation package. You aren't considered to be at fault for anything."

"If that's all..." said Scott. His words trailed away but his gaze remained firmly centered on the girl standing before him. It was not like he could have moved his head if he wanted to do so, but it still lent a small amount of weight to his words.

"Right," said Daedra. Her tail lashed from one side to the other. Eyes closed for a moment, she sought the appropriate words to continue the conversation. When those words came, she related the situation in its totality and without bias.

Daedra spoke at length about how the world of Dead Men Walking was originally slated by the independent divine owner of its private server to become a far future science fantasy world, a place filled with space travel and arcane magic. She took a breath and went on to state Perival's part in everything, and how he had engineered a takeover of the world without following the proper protocol for such things.

"You're saying all those people, everyone on that world, they were all killed because of one guy who wanted corporate brownie points?" asked Samantha incredulously.

"Yes. It is not the policy of Team Devil to allow such things. We take contracts seriously. Staging a world-ending catastrophe for personal profit is allowed, but only if all affected parties agree," said Daedra. "If they do not then no contract can be made."

"Who would willingly agree to such bullshit?" asked Scott.

Daedra offered him a brief smile, "It happens frequently. Typically, such a contract occurs before a world is created. All incarnating souls have to sign the agreement, or they must live in another reality. When the apocalypse happens, it happens."

"Much the same can be said for your world in that regard," she said to Scott. "All of the inhabited planets in that part of the network operate under the rules of the galactic arbitration contract device."

"Right," he said in a slightly acidic tone.

"Hey, didn't you jump at the chance to be one of the people who competed in the game?" she asked him pointedly.

"Someone had to do it." Scott looked at her with a cool expression. It was the closest thing to taking an imperious stance that he could manage at the moment.

"You want to give up everything you've gone through and go back to being a normal guy? Is that it?" she pressed.

Scott snorted. Her point clearly made, he said, "No. I suppose I don't."

Daedra shook her finger lightly. "You know for a fact that if given a chance, a lot of people living normal lives would leap at the opportunity to run around the multiverse having adventures, even ones that might guarantee their deaths. Some even go out of their way to sign contracts to live on worlds such as those, all for the chance to run wild in the ruins of a former civilization."

He could not argue with her logic in that regard. If his world was not on the line, a lot of his issues with the death game concept would not exist. Without that pressure in the back of his mind, the missions were fun despite their ridiculously deadly possibilities.

"Usually there is some sort of social warning before the beginning of the end. Things like zombie movies or natural catastrophe stories will become highly popular and stay that way despite how critics speak of their oversaturation in the entertainment market." said Daedra.

She placed a finger to her lip then tilted her head as though she considered the implications further. "People will begin to spend inordinate amounts of time and money doomsday prepping despite few obvious signs of the end times."

"Is our world one of these apocalypse worlds?" asked Vita while she gestured toward Chaine.

"No. Your world is one designed to regularly teeter on the edge of an apocalypse but allows for a means to shut it down when it starts. It's considered a heroic fantasy adventure world," said Daedra. "As long as you do your best in each generation, there is a possibility that the nominal forces of good might pull off a victory. They can push back the end of civilization one more time, each time."

"Well, that's something..." said Vita. Though what that something might be, she was uncertain of at the moment. While it was true that her world did constantly seem to have historic battles between good and evil every few hundred years it was not classed as an actual apocalypse waiting to happen. Beyond that, she had only more questions.

Daedra answered similar questions from Kitty and Saelil. Neither of their worlds was apocalyptic in nature, though they contained elements which could lead to such. Samantha on the other hand asked a different question, albeit with a slight hesitance in her tone, "Am I considered an apocalypse?"

"Yes, almost as much as your character basis," said Daedra.

"My wha-at?" asked Samantha, her voice slurring slightly as she spoke.

Daedra looked to Scott. "You didn't tell them?"

"They've heard a little about it, but whenever I tried to discuss it they've sort of zoned out," he said. "Half the time I think they have forgotten we even discussed it because it always seems like a surprise when it comes up again."

"What matter?" asked Samantha. "What aren't I remembering?"

Daedra took a moment to consider the situation. "That must be system interference."

She looked down to Scott then said, "Give it a few days. I'll do something about it. They should be able to remember afterward if you wait and have the discussion once more."

"I'm not invisible am I?" asked Samantha in annoyance.

"No. Sorry. Ya'll deserve better than having two assholes talk like you aren't in the room," said Scott.

Samantha looked toward him, but said nothing. The silence continued for several seconds before Daedra spoke again. "Anyway, back to the matter at hand."

She swirled her finger in the air then tapped her chin. "Perival and Waldo caused a serious issue for that world. It was not meant to be an apocalyptic timeline. However, that was not the only issue caused for your group personally."

"Go on..." said Scott slowly.

Daedra sucked in her bottom lip for a moment then released a breath that she was not aware that she had taken. "My brother was not aware of this situation until the emergency mission that your team underwent. While he observed Waldo he noticed something out of place, Perival's admin sigil."

"Wait, he didn't know any of this until a short time ago?" asked Saelil. "That does not seem likely."

"It's the truth, even so. The network does not recognize administrative meddling when it determines things such as difficulty levels," said Daedra. She looked each of them in the eye briefly then nodded. "In an effort to end the mission before it could become even more problematic he offered Waldo a contract."

"What kind of contract? Why even bother to make a deal with such a creature?" interjected Vita.

Daedra shrugged. "The legality of the situation. It was against company bylaws to grant a non-champion even minor access to network administrative functions. However, Waldo was mortal. He could only know whatever Perival told him. As far as the situation went, he was deemed to have entered a contract in good faith."

"That guy and contract in good faith don't really feel like they should be in the same sentence," remarked Saelil without a hint of irony in her tone.

"His personality does not matter," said Daedra. "The contract did matter, however."

Saelil quirked her eyebrow. "If you say so."

"My brother offered him the chance to turn over the power of Infinite Sorrow and allow all memory of events leading to its acquisition to be removed from his mind. If he accepted the offer he would be returned to his world of origin and no further action would be taken," replied Daedra.

"You were going to pardon him?" asked Vita incredulously. "After everything that creature did to those poor people?"

Daedra looked to Vita then shook her head. "Do not confuse divine justice with something as trivial as a pardon. Acceptance of such a deal would allow for temporal negation of all aspects of the contract made with Perival. The system itself would have helped to correct the actions made."

"What does that mean?" asked Kitty. "You smell amazing, and say a lot, but it doesn't always make sense."

The goddess laughed softly then waved her hand dismissively. "It means that if Waldo took the deal, we could have reset Dead Men Walking to a much greater degree than we are currently able to do. Much of the damage could have been reversed."

"You can't do that now for some reason?" asked Scott. "That doesn't seem likely."

Daedra sighed. "No, the contracts are determined to be fulfilled and only partially illegal. That quasi-legal status causes difficulty when it comes to convincing the system to perform a reset."

"You don't control your own system?" asked Samantha.

"It's not ours. The system... it's—" Daedra stopped mid-sentence and took a moment to try to find the proper words. Eventually she bit her lower lip a little then nodded. "It is the fundamental nature of all existence. Sometimes we use the word interchangeably with networks or servers, but the system existed before we did. Our networks and servers merely give it greater detail and determine certain limitations within a given region of reality."

Samantha pressed for answers. "So, this system that you did not create but use anyway can't undo the problems caused by someone who abused it through your own personally created network?"

"Correct," said Daedra. She offered Samantha a thoughtful head nod. "From your perspective you could consider it an ancient technology that modern science has only barely begun to tap into, but does not come close to fully understanding."

"That always works out well," said Samantha in a quiet sarcastic tone.

"It has for the most part, but we do get issues like this one sometimes," admitted Daedra. Whether she missed the sarcasm in Samantha's tone, or simply chose to ignore it, would remain a mystery.

"Anyway," said Daedra after a brief moment passed. "The System, big 'S', is sort of its own thing. In many ways it can almost be seen as a living entity that directs the flow of events in a way that many might consider to be equivalent to true fate."

"That doesn't sound particularly safe," said Kitty.

Daedra shrugged beautifully then said, "Nothing we can do about it. The System does what it does."

The conversation continued around Scott as talk of 'The System' caused something peculiar to occur inside his head. The surrounding world faded away even as images appeared within the landscape of his mind. A garden of nearly indescribable beauty filled with the laughter of children. Winged beings who radiated a soft warm light flittered about the place playing with the children or tending to certain aspects of its existence. The youngest of those children soon gathered around one winged caretaker specifically as he began to play a guitar and sing.

The surreal journey continued for a time as the winged man sang in soft, sweet, tones for those gathered nearby. Notably one red haired child sat directly at his side. She gazed upon the winged man in a worshipful manner, a strange glowing feather clutched gently in her little fist.

A new winged figure appeared before them but did not speak until the song ended. Upon doing so, the radiant figure bid his brother come with him. Their father needed to speak with all of the elder children.

New Images suddenly arose within Scott's mind as those fell away. First, the old images gave way to the remembrance of a giant black space dragon highlighted by three radiant stars whom he called his brothers. That series of images disappeared quickly and soon became a citadel made of shining crystal. This brightly gleaming site sat upon an island floating above the garden appeared in his mind.

Scott's inner world focused inward on that image briefly. Not long after it did so, the image morphed into the face of an older man who wore a beatific expression.

Of all of the grand images that he witnessed until that point, it was the old man who caught his attention most. There was something powerful in his soft-expression that hinted that he represented something considerably more than the wisdom of age.

Unbidden, tears slipped from Scott's eyes and tracked softly down his cheeks. He could not fathom the reason why, but the sight of that old man's warm smile caused his chest to seize up slightly. An incomprehensible sadness overwhelmed him for a moment. Had his body been capable of moving at the moment someone would have readily noticed his reaction. Due to his paralysis, and the recent eye-watering wave of heat and light, the effect went unnoticed.

"Well, not much is really known about the system. Many have dedicated their lives to unraveling the mystery of it. Most think it to be some sort of advanced naturally occurring artificial intelligence system. Others delve too deep and go a little crazy," said Daedra.

"Crazy how?" asked Saelil. "I have heard many rumors during my studies. Those who delve too deeply into the mysteries of the universe inevitably go mad..."

Daedra chuckled softly. "Well, a form of madness perhaps. Those among my people whom dive too deeply into the nature of the system inevitably begin to consider it to be their father, and worship it as mortals worship us, or as a small child might worship their parent," said Daedra.

"Does this system have a real name?" asked Scott after a moment, his words tremulous as laced with sadness.

"Are you... crying, beloved?" asked Saelil in concern.

Scott said nothing. He merely closed his eyes and tried to fight back the despair overwhelming the core of his being. The sight of that old man's face tore at him in a haunting manner that he would never be able to describe.

"Ah... Yes, there are names for it..." said Daedra as she looked down at the softly crying form of the man lying on the floor. "The ones who dive deep into the System architecture discovered little that they could comprehend, but they almost always start to refer to the System as either Remnant, Logos, or more commonly Remnant Logos."

Scott's eyes flew open for the briefest of moments before they closed tightly. His inner torment made plain for all to see by way of his stricken expression, the tears tracking down his cheeks increased violently in intensity. He did not understand why, but the moment he heard Daedra speak those final words, the sadness welling up inside of him increased tenfold.

"What happened? Is he in pain?" asked Vita as she took a step forward.

"He shouldn't be," said Daedra. "Other than the ability to speak he shouldn't be able to feel or do much of anything due to the Network keeping him bound in place."

The pain in Scott's chest continued to rise as the old man's face returned. Something about that face, and the name Daedra mentioned was too much for him to bear. It was as though the incomprehensible loneliness and grief forced upon him by those words and images had become a physical force, one that pressed down on him heavily. There was a coldness, an emptiness in the nature of his existence that he could not escape.

There was a hole in the center of his being where some indefinable piece of his existence no longer existed. For a brief moment he thought that the pain of it might actually kill him, but as suddenly as that thought occurred did some other strange miracle occur. A gentle masculine voice whispered four words through his mind in a quiet manner that he could not even be certain that it truly happened until a short time had passed.

The first two words were too low for his inner ears to discern, but the last two words spoken were quite clear, "...with you."

The sorrow pressing down on him, tearing at his soul, fell away quickly. Those two simply words drove that indescribable spiritual darkness away and even began to fill him with a sense of strength. Parts of his body that he could barely feel due to the paralysis were given new life. His heart beat strongly once more. The tears flowing from his eyes slowed to an imperceptible crawl and soon stopped altogether.

Scott blinked rapidly to flush away to remnants of his tears. Saelil called out, "Beloved? Are you hurt?"

He smiled tentatively then reached up and placed his hand over his eyes. "No, it doesn't hurt anymore."

Daedra gasped aloud and took an involuntary step back as she saw Scott move his arm. "Impossible..."

"What? What's impossible?" asked Saelil.

"How are you moving? The network has you restricted..." said Daedra, her eyes wide.

Scott smiled slightly then sat up of his own volition. "I wish I knew."

"Maybe your network decided to release him?" asked Samantha.

"Not till I leave, that was the determined period of holding," said the succubus. A message screen popped into existence in front of Daedra. She feverishly tapped at it with her finger, her eyes growing even wider by the moment.

Scott rose to his feet then stretched his body a little. "Man, it's good to be on my feet again."

Kitty looked up at him with softly shimmering eyes, so he bent down and picked her up. Scott lightly stroked her back for a moment and she began to purr. "Such a good Kitty."

She mewed a little and nuzzled into his chest. The others looked at him, mildly shocked since Daedra had seemed surprised. Were they witnessing something important?

Daedra's hand flew to her mouth and she shook her head slowly from side-to-side. "Impossible..."

"What happened?" asked Samantha.

Daedra, wide-eyed and in evident shock, looked first to her and then to Scott. "Blackthorne..."

Scott and Saelil blinked simultaneously. Something about that word had caught them off-guard, though neither knew why for certain.

"Blackthorne? What's that?" asked Chaine. He had been quiet for most of the recent conversation, but he felt a strong desire to know what was going on now that something interesting seemed to be happening.

"Ah, sorry," said Daedra. "Blackthorne is an event that happened some time ago. Only those directly involved know what happened, but it is still used as a cautionary tale."

"What does that have to do with Scott?" asked Samantha.

"The only thing I know is that due to some sort of egregious abuse of network structures on the part of one deranged deity, something happened that caused the System itself to intervene in an incredible and direct manner that had never been seen before," said Daedra.

The thoroughly surprised girl shook her head slowly while she looked askance at Scott. "I don't know why it is called 'Blackthorne,' or what the System did when it intervened."

"My brother was a junior arbiter at the time, and worked on some of the paperwork but refused to give me any details despite that. But ever since then it's become common to reference one of the extraordinarily rare occurrences of the System blatantly overriding a network function as a Blackthorne event," she finished.

Scott nodded slowly. He did not understand any of that, but it seemed like the System did not want him to spend his time lying around paralyzed in despair. It made no sense to him that it would single him out, but he appreciated it even so.

"What's a junior arbiter?" asked Scott after a moment.

Daedra shut down her admin panel then said, "An arbiter is basically the equivalent of a divine judge. A junior arbiter is someone who has enough power to be an arbiter, but who does not yet have the experience to be granted a seat of judgment."

"You can be a judge and run a major corporation?" asked Samantha "That seems a little odd."

"Of course not. After he finished the paperwork for the Blackthorne event, he chose to separate himself from the Divine City and took up shop in the outlands," said Daedra.

She laughed a little to cut some of the tension. "Come to think of it, after that event he became incredibly devoted to contract law and a desire to make sure all parties felt that they were treated properly under the law based on their initial agreements."

"Fairness!" exclaimed Daedra as she raised her hand into the air. "Equality of opportunity under the law, and a method to directly have the gods intervene on behalf of justice!"

She lowered her hand then shook her head. "He became completely disenchanted with the Divine City after working on the Blackthorne case file. He wanted nothing more than to exist within his own space and set up a Network devoted to the premise that all souls who entered into it did so with clear understanding of what would happen in their respective worlds, and that outside divinities could not just screw them over with their own plans."

"You make him sound like some sort of champion of justice," said Scott with a snort.

"He's a champion of the rule of law. Justice in this network comes from enforcing agreements kept between those who make them," said Daedra. "Doing something like what Perival did will easily infuriate my brother. It is basically a slap in the face to my brother's ideals for a well-ordered multiversal network founded on order through mutual agreement and trust in the power of just government."

Scott glanced at Daedra, his eyebrow quirked. "What's going to happen to that guy anyway?"

"Perival?" asked Daedra.

"Yeah," said Scott. He stroked Kitty with a little more force and she mewled happily in response.

Kitty softly whispered, "Mmmeow. Harder, daddy," in a voice too low for Scott to hear. Others heard it, however. Saelil looked at the thoroughly pleased cat, and then to Scott's hand. A complicated and slightly sour expression quickly arose on her face.

"Well, that comes to the rest of the issue that was caused due to Perival and the need to clear up the situation. The punitive measures placed against him and Waldo," said Daedra. She eyed Scott briefly. "You probably won't like this part."

"Really? There was a part of this for me to like?" he asked her with a smirk.

She shrugged at him, but offered a sweet smile to counter his expression. "The part where you successfully completed the mission?"

Scott nodded. "Fair enough..."

"Perival's punishment was meted out based on the success of your mission. It was designated to be ironic in nature. In my brother's own words Perival would suffer a fate similar to the world he ruined. Just as he had fucked so many people, he in turn would be fucked," said Daedra.

Vita covered her mouth and then made a disgusted expression. "Such language..."

"Fucked, how?" asked Scott. He opted to ignore Vita's sour look in his direction, but doing so also caused him to miss the slight hint of color that came to her cheeks.

Chaine, however, noticed the change in the princess. He casually reached over then lightly smacked her on the back of the head much like a mother disciplining a naughty child. "You're a princess, you know."

"I know!" she exclaimed. "You don't need to remind me of something so obvious."

Daedra overlooked the odd sibling-esque squabbling between the Ha-Ruulians, and continued her story. "If you failed, his divine soul would have been bound into a double-ended dildo. Afterwards he would have been inserted between the rotting buttocks of twin zombies who spoke like young teenage girls, but had the appearance of oversized rotting sumo wrestlers."

"That's... That's what your brother calls justice?" asked Scott incredulously. "I don't even—"

He blinked rapidly, then opened his eyes wide and shook his head. "I legitimately do not even know how to respond to that."

"We're immortal beings. Being trapped inside the anal joy found between two rotting zombie lovers, unable to do anything else for a few billion years, is basically just a harsh prison term," said Daedra.

"Damn, that's... being dead might be better," said Scott.

The others shared his sentiment. None of them wanted to think about what life would be like as a sentient sex toy acting as a love bridge between two obese zombie lovers.

"You succeeded on your mission, however. So, he'll be sent to the deity who worked to create that world originally. He'll spend his time working as free labor to help repair the damage he caused. That is, after he finishes whatever penance the creator of the world deems fit as punishment," said Daedra.

Annoyed by that outcome, Samantha spoke up. "Since we beat Waldo, and rescued the princess, Perival just has to work elsewhere to fix a problem he caused?"

"For the most part. The god of that world is quite livid, and has total power over Perival at the moment. I don't think his punishment will be as simple as doing a bit of day labor," said Daedra.

"So, what about Waldo? Is he dead for good?" asked Scott.

Daedra nodded to Scott then made a slightly dismissive gesture. "Yes, unless someone decides to resurrect him. As things stand, such an attempt will probably fail. He's been flagged in the network as an undesirable element. So, all he can do is reincarnate and leave his life as Waldo behind."

"Well, that's good at least," said Vita.

"Yes, mortals are held at a different level of accountability. Everything that Waldo was in his old life will be removed. His soul has a chance to live a new one, just as any other mortal does, and hopefully this time he will get the chance to grow into a better sort of person," replied Daedra.

The succubus looked to Scott quickly after that, however. "There is one last bit of information to relate regarding Waldo's punitive measures."

"Go on..." said Scott.

"When he refused to accept the deal offered, my brother forced a handicap on him for the remainder of the mission," said Daedra. She held up her hand to silence Scott and a few others that wanted to speak. She took a breath then continued, "As a punitive measure my brother moved the moon out of its current orbit and shifted its position in such a way that the moon's phase was changed to full in that part of the world."

"Your brother... moved the moon?" asked Samantha incredulously. She heard many outlandish things during this meeting, but that was outright ridiculous.

"Sure, it was the simplest means to—" began Daedra. Scott cut her off with an obnoxious laugh, however.

Everyone looked to him, and he obliged their glances by speaking his mind. "You're really saying something else, right? All that bullshit with the moon driving me insane was because... I was Waldo's punishment all along? Is that it?"

"Of course. That's one of the many roles of a champion," said Daedra without a hint of sarcasm.

Scott stopped petting Kitty and slapped his palm against his face. "This is ridiculous."

"Waldo needed to be stopped. You were the only available asset who could do that," said Daedra. "Even we were surprised by just how bad things went, as the System did not show us the network manipulation directly when the mission started."

"The mission wasn't even about stopping Waldo, though," countered Scott. "What if we just left him there and made a run for it?"

Daedra shook her head. "I asked my brother that same thing. All he told me was that his system inquiries deemed it highly unlikely that you would do that."

She took a breath then continued, "Time was short. The likelihood that you would arrive in time to stop Waldo before his ascension was low. So, he chose that punitive measure to make sure that you had the best chance to overcome Waldo in case he attained his full power."

Scott frowned. The System seemed to think it knew how he would react. That was disturbing on many levels. Still, it had a point. Even if he had complete control of his actions there was no chance that he would have left Waldo to grow exponentially stronger. He would have sent the others away with Vita and did what he could. A guy like that could not be allowed to do whatever he wanted or a lot more people would have suffered.

The truth of the situation told at last, Daedra look expectantly at the others. There were obvious questions in their eyes, but no one spoke at first. So much information needed to be processed that words seemed inappropriate.

It was Daedra who spoke first. "Well, that's the truth of the situation. The only thing left is for me to inform you about the changes to Dead Men Walking as a setting, and for me to get back to work promoting you."

"Changes?" asked Scott. He looked over to Daedra with a curious expression. "What sort of changes?"

"Now that the truth has come out, and the threats have been neutralized, the creator of that world-setting is working to restore his system and network access properly. So, it will be unavailable to all travelers for a while," said Daedra. "When it comes back online certain things like a rudimentary magic system, advanced technology, and a few new mission types will be available. Though, sadly it seems it will remain an apocalypse world for quite a while."

"That sounds cool, but what happens to the people?" asked Scott.

"They'll finally have a real chance at not only survival, but rebuilding from the ruins of their world. Even we can't undo what happened, but with the right focus and resources we can help them eventually find their way toward the path that world was originally intended to follow," said Daedra.

"Rebuilding from the ruins, huh?" asked Scott. He lightly stroked Kitty's back and considered the future. He would not be able to go to that world for a while, but eventually he would be able to do some actual good there.

His thoughts turned inward slightly. Something about a world ruined by a petty and scheming god angered him in ways he could not actively describe, even to himself, but the idea of rebuilding in the wake of that disaster filled him with a far different sensation. It was not something he would be able to put into words. It was nothing more than a general sense of hope for those people, and possibly others who might hear of their story in the future. No matter how bad things might become, at least that world and its people would have a chance to grow again.

In some way it gave him more than hope for those survivors. It also gave him a little more hope for the future of the world that he came from as well. His people hung on the edge of a world-ending apocalypse, but he and those like him could stop it.

If these strange gods and their ridiculous game addiction could actually be trusted to keep their word, then the game was not rigged. His people could win. They could continue on without suffering the sort of horrors that he had faced. For the first time since the death game had started, he felt a strong sense of the possibility of victory. He had spent so long accepting that he was inevitably going to die that it was hard to fathom the tiny shift in his consciousness. Yet, it was also incredibly simple.

He did not need to die. He simply needed to win.