Present day. City of the Gate, Nighttime.
"You're one of the First? That's a new one," Talen said. "Those guys aren't even real. Why should I trust you're one of the things I don't even believe in?"
Lily's head tilted. Her pointer finger directed inward at the ankh marked above her breasts. "Is this not enough?"
"Really? You expect me to believe that thing in your chest is enough evidence to prove you're one of the Celestial beings that paved the way for our Empire to prosper? That could just be a Fate marking." The Unconquerable chuckled again and turned around, marveling at the City lights occasionally flickering in the black night below him. "If you're one of those things, show me. Show me something only I can see. I'll trust you if—"
Their surroundings shifted. Instead of being alone together atop a skyscraper's roof, the air around them was replaced by stars. Lily's white hair halted as the wind around them vanished. Talen shot upright, letting his dark-emerald eyes wander and reflect the woman's wholly-white appearance—enveloped by light. Attempting to touch her with an extended hand led to his fingertip igniting after simply grazing the aura around her.
"Ah. You shouldn't really do that," she said, smiling with her eyes and releasing a chuckle. "The Firsts' Fate is damaging to regular humans. Unless you want to lose all of your fingers next time, I suggest you keep your distance."
Talen's burnt fingertip automatically healed. "Noted."
Steam leaked from his extremity into the air while the mark gradually vanished. He looked down; starting from Lily's feet, moving up through her midsection before finally arriving at her face.
"This is pretty convincing. So I guess that means the First isn't some urban myth. Even more so than that, I dated one." Talen shrugged. "That's so weird to think about in retrospect."
Lil glared at him. "What's that s'posed to mean?"
"It doesn't matter. If one of my members has been hiding a secret like this from me for this long, I have to resort to thorough interrogation. It's nothing personal. As Eightfold's Head, I must do this. You understand, yes?"
She nodded. "Of course," Lil said.
"Alright then. I won't sugarcoat anything." Talen crossed his arms, staring deep into the Celestial's bright eyes. "Why did you hide this from me?"
"I cannot say."
"Was getting close to me part of your mission?"
"I cannot say."
"Did you hide your secret in an attempt to thwart or betray Eightfold in any way?"
She shook her head. "No."
Talen's head perked, briefly opening his eyes. They closed shortly after. He grinned.
"I see. So the Firsts' goal remains shrouded in mystery, yet you're able to confirm they're not a threat. They must be scheming to intervene when the fighting begins. Interesting. What will you do now then?"
"My orders are to remain on standby until you or Atlas make the first move. However, that only goes for my Celestial side. Lily Barlowe, on the other hand, will continue fighting with the Head and members of Eightfold. I wish to keep protecting you using my Power. Is that alright with you, Head Amit?" Lily asked.
Talen side-eyed the Celestial. "It's perfectly fine. You can either tell Uriel about this or not. But if you touch any of Eightfold's other members, I'll kill you. Are we clear?"
"We are. Can we head back now?"
The Unconquerable nodded at her. Without any further ado, the spatial smokescreen fell, dropping Talen and Lily back into the real world atop the skyscraper stabbing the heavens. Their builds filling the sidewalks—Lily's head turned, staring at Talen.
"What?" asked the Unconquerable.
"Nothing. It's just odd. How did you manage to deduce what the mafia and the clan massacre survivors would do? Good guess or…?"
Talen's head shook. "Nothing of the sort. It's only logical. Nobody besides Monstrum or Atlas could murder those people so mercilessly. Then again, I don't have any evidence. What I call 'logic' might just be a stretch, so I'm just going off my hunch for now. And I haven't even told Uri yet. Hah!" He shook his head, stifling a chuckle. "I'm such an idiot."
"I don't think so. Uriel might agree with you, for all I know," she said.
Talen's eyes followed her—both of his hands hidden in the jacket's pockets. "Are you saying you don't?"
"I cannot say."
The Unconquerable groaned, looked away, and sucked his teeth. "Touché…"
20 minutes later, Eightfold's Base.
Amit's boot stepped through the ethereal entrance bordering the headquarters from reality.
"Sorry I've been gone for a while," Talen approached the others playing Uno in the center, peeking over Lora's shoulder. "So? Who's winning?"
Alora, Ava, Aella, and Marie were focusing intently on the card game they were playing.
Talen noticed their determined gazes focused on the game and stood, shrugging his shoulders. He glanced at Lily only briefly for her to get the message and walk with him to one of the other rooms.
Opening the door revealed Uriel on a bed being stitched up by Valentina seated in the chair beside him. The King winced every time the needle slipped through his skin.
"Stop squirming," Val said.
Uri glanced at the woman, then closed his eyes with a low sigh. "What a pain…"
Valentina giggled with her mouth and eyes closed at the King, withdrawing the needle and thread from his skin. Uri brushed two fingers across the new scar on his left cheek.
"So?" Talen smirked, tapping his face. "How you like it?"
"I hate it…" Uriel sighed. "I miss my pretty clean face."
Lily shook her head—sat beside the King. "Don't we all?"
"So," The King ignored her arm resting over his neck. "good fight?"
"Good fight. Let's have two more before the end of the year."
Talen sat across from them in the bed opposite the one he was seated in.
Valentina sat beside her son. "What happened after Uri came back?" She asked.
"Not much. Lily and I went to catch up on the surface. We talked. Whether or not I can reveal more is up to her," he said.
Uriel and Valentina stared at her. Only after a few moments of examination did the King's gaze avert--looking back to the Unconquerable across from him.
"Celestial Epitome Embodiment is a technique that focuses on releasing the soul's internal potential. For someone without the Unconquerable technique, that would result in a boost in one's aura. Conjuring an entire beast of Fate, especially one that can store Fatebreaker weapons, is an entirely different thing. One outside the trait of your abilities." Uri closed his eyes, venting a sigh from his nostrils. "Well, under normal circumstances, that is."
Lily beamed at the King, then looked at Talen. "Remember when you two were fighting each other in May? I was still an Enforcer..." She frowned. "Hey, why're you staring at me like that? What's wrong?"
"I just remembered what I saw on the news. Did you, Raven, and Marie fight Atlas in Uri's body? They said something about a white-haired guy jumping around in mid-air... and about the result. Almost twenty city blocks were destroyed in the explosion, including whoever else lived in the area. Innocent citizens." Talen glared at Lily. "Don't you feel anything for the people you killed?"
The Celestial's eyebrow twitched. "Did you ask the other two that?"
"I didn't need to. Aella is a Displacement who originally planned to fight beside Uri as the King's right hand. It's undeniable she hates herself for the lives she's taken." Tal's intense stare shifted from the woman to the ground. "The same could be said for Marie. She endured a hard upbringing, so she's accustomed to having to do what's needed to survive. She's someone who can kill without a second thought. But that only goes for bad people. After all, what's the point of taking a blameless life? There's nobody among us who enjoys killing. So tell me. Are you the same as us? Does the Celestial feel anything like the humans of Eightfold for the lives she so easily takes?"
At that moment, Lily shot up, unknowingly invoking the bulk of her aura. Like snowy flames bursting around her curves, the Celestial's clear eyes shone as bright as the sun. Despite the clear anger raging over her, Talen looked up with dead eyes at the woman.
"Your Fate doesn't impress me. Then again, if you're prone to emotional responses, it's likely you probably did feel something. If that's so, then never mind. Forget I said what I said." Talen sighed. "I won't apologize though. You can leave now."
Lily inhaled sharply. Closing her eyes, she stood up from the bed and walked out of the room, leaving the chamber with only three residents remaining. After the door closed shut, she stopped--shifting her gaze to scan the braid hovering beside her eye. Blinking but once in an attempt to shoo away the tears was fruitless. So, she looked to the exit.
'If the Head doesn't accept me, why am I still here?'
With that thought driving her, Barlowe's feet dragged to the exit. Before another pressure sunk into her shoulder. Alora pulled her friend back from the entrance with a calming smile.
"Where are you going? Hungry? I can come with you if you want," she said.
Lily shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"
The two lieutenants left the Base to get food for the group. Meanwhile, Talen left the room with Uriel and his mother following beside him.
"Are you sure that was a good idea?" Valentina asked. "She didn't seem suspicious. Did you have to rip so deep into her?"
Tal shook his head. "No. I got a little carried away there. That's my fault. To be honest, I hate looking at Lily. She reminds me of everything I wish I could've done better." He turned to Uri. "I felt the same about you."
The King squinted at Talen. "That's not Lily's fault though."
"No. I know it's not. But I'll apologize to her when she gets back. We have bigger issues at the moment."
"Really?" Uri asked. "Like what?"
Talen walked ahead and toward the circle of other members before Uriel's voice abruptly halted his legs from moving. He looked back at King Barron. "Ulterior variables."
The Head said it loud enough to his partner for the additional members to hear it. Marie and Raven's heads perked up and eyes locked onto the others standing over them, while Ava side-eyed them all from the cards in front of her.
"Things will come to a close at the end of the coming conflict. Many will die. Innocent, guilty. Us, them. Even some who have nothing to do with us are uniting for a chance at fighting Atlas. What comes after that should we succeed...? No idea. That's why I decided to make up a plan that will ensure we win," Talen said.
"And what's that?" Raven asked.
Uriel smirked, peering down at his lieutenant. "Find the survivors of the Zol clan massacre and convince them to join Eightfold for a chance at killing the Progenitor."
Meanwhile, on the surface of the City of the Gate.
Exiting a subway station, Lily glanced around at the area, while Lora stood idle and shoved both hands into her pockets.
"This way," Lil said. "I smell meat."
Alora's gaze followed the woman spontaneously dashing down the curb. She was unexpectedly forced to chase after her friend.
"H-hey! Wait!"
The two girls ran past an inconspicuous alleyway. Inside the nook unnoticed by society, a sword fell from inside a man's flesh--letting blood drip from the tip as Fate vanished from around the sword. Short and spiky blonde hair swaying with the wind, Xenos raised his head, lowering the hand tracing the bottom of the blade.
"What's up?" Hail stood from her crouch beside the victim's corpse. She looked up at her brother. "Find something?"
Xenos nodded. "Two. They're strong." He sheathed his sword and looked back at his sister. "Listen carefully, brat. We're gonna hit 'em when they least expect us."
Her head tilted. "With bullets?"
"No..." The Fated Warrior's aura burst into flames around his form. "...with fire."