It always comes back to blood. One of the essential building blocks of civilization itself. Nothing can last that does not give or take at least some blood. If you give enough, it can last quite a while, but sooner or later more blood will be needed to grease the wheels of progress.

"Huh, well at least it works." Sentenza said with a firm nod.

"Was there ever any doubt that my raw genius would achieve such great results?" Og'drimun boasted.

Sentenza stepped his foot out of the fleshy box and prodded the ground. When it seemed firm enough, he put weight on his foot outside of the box.

"Of course I doubted it," Sentenza said as he stepped completely out of the box. "You're not exactly reliable, you know."

"Then maybe I should just leave you here if you doubt me so much," Og'drimun said with a huff. "But, if you beg for my forgiveness, I just might be feeling gracious enough to forget this slight."

Sentenza turned around slowly as he stared at Og'drimun while he ran his tongue along the top layer of his teeth. His eyes focused in on Og'drimun with a sort of dispassionate fury that made the small demon shrink under their gaze.

"Hah hah," Og'drimun chuckled nervously. "I'm just kidding of course."

"Course you were," Sentenza said coldly before he turned away to look outside again. He lifted his eyes to look at the ceiling as the lights were dimming periodically, as if there was a large strain on the power elsewhere.

"Wow! Now this looks nice, huh?"

Sentenza turned his head, and was met with a face full of cream.

Pockets grinned as she put her arm around Sentenza's shoulder. "Sorry there cutie, your face was just begging for that!"

Pockets pulled out a chair and set it down on the ground outside. Soon after she pulled a tiny table and another matching chair. Then she started to set the table for a romantic dinner.

Sentenza wiped most of the white cream off of his face with one firm swipe of his hand. He looked more tired than irritated.

"So, seeing how empty this hallway is, I'm guessing you had trouble pinpointing the others?" Sentenza asked.

"Well, it's not quite so easy..." Og'drimun, said before he coughed awkwardly, as if he was trying to delay actually answering.

But, as Sentenza turned to stare at him instead of saying anything, the demon finally broke. "They're not connected to the system. So it's hard to really track them outside of various fluctuations. Well...Narissa and Trizel are actually connected to the system but..."

Og'drimun looked away from Sentenza as he pressed his fingers together. "They're sort of outside of the system as well. Like they're in small lifeboats that are connected by a rope to the main ship. But we only really have free reign inside the ship, so I can see their locations, but I can't actually reach them..."

Sentenza's expression of mild irritation never changed. "So, all that control, and you still can't do half of the job we need, huh?"

"Hey! I'm doing plenty here! This stuff is a lot more complicated than you seem to appreciate!" Og'drimun pouted.

"All ready!" Pockets cheered.

A three-course meal had somehow managed to fit on the tiny table. Pockets yanked Og'drimun from the air and set him down in one seat, and tried to grab Sentenza, but the old man was alerted to her shenanigans after the pie, and slipped just out of hear reach each time she tried to grab him.

But Pockets just giggled at his attempts to avoid her.

"No need to be coy," she said. "You've got to eat up now so you can be ready for what's coming up."

"Huh? What's coming up?" Og'drimun asked.

"The main event, what else?"

A wave of light passed under Nugget's claws every two seconds exactly. The air was absolutely frigid around her, and there was a strong smell of formaldehyde that threatened to knock her out with its sheer pungency. In the distance there was a low buzzing noise, like a bug zapper trying to draw her in closer so it could fry her.

The hen stepped forward, seemingly uninhibited by the stench or the chill in the air. Behind her, Bakade was sprawled out on the ground, the flames absent from her eye sockets.

The ground was completely smooth as Nugget stepped with purpose. It was obvious she knew where she was going, and what she was doing. Despite her rough ordeals up to this point, she seemed confident and focused.

Bakade's body shifted, and her hand pressed against the cold floor. A small spark, and the flames returned to her eyes. She let out a groan as she slowly lifted her head. Her eyes focused on Nugget who was strutting off into the distance. Bakade shifted her weight to her hand on the ground and lifted herself onto her feet.

The scrawny girl turned her head all around. "Wwwhhheeerrreee aaarrreee wwwweeeee?"

As her words left her jaw, the temperature dropped drastically. A bitter wind blew from where Nugget was walking that would cut straight through flesh and send chills straight to the bone.

Bakade didn't seem to even really notice. While Nugget puffed her feathers out slightly before she huddled herself closer together. Almost as if she was giving herself a hug.

As the buzzing sound continued, a strange, robotic voice called out, "You are too late. I already have what I need. My mission was a spectacular success. You have failed."

The voice boomed around them. It was as if it was hooked up to massive speakers that surrounded them, and the soundwaves bombarded them from all angles at once.

"Ba-kaw," Nugget replied firmly.

And it was almost like a miniature sun had suddenly been brought to the world. Heat seemed to radiate around them, and the space seemed to brighten up a little.

"I said you are too late! I win, you lose."

Nugget lost none of her determination as she pressed forward at the same pace.

Bakade stood back and watched the scene unfold. She seemed to keep quiet after her first question. Her eyes darted around as she strained her senses to get a good grasp of the world around her.

Something was definitely strange about this place.