The summer sun beat down upon her soft skin, as she lay stretched out on the chaise lounge. She luxuriously rubbed the vast expanses of exposed areas of skin with coconut-scented oil and lay back with her eyes closed.

“Don’t you worry that the oil will dissolve your body paint?”

Looking up from a tangle caused by the sudden folding of the chaise lounge due to her startled launch from a reclining position, she laughed.

“Hello, Cale... err...I mean DC.” She giggled, and added, “Do you really think it would bother me if it did?”

He shrugged and shook his head. “Vu, you are weird, you know that?”

“Of course,” she replied with an impish grin. “You remind me quite often.”

He smiled and nodded his head. Despite his reservations about her questionable morals he genuinely liked the bubbly little half-demoness. “I was on my way to battle some Nemesis, and remembered how much fun we had the last time. Especially with you doing your best Leeroy Jenkins imitation...” He gave her a wry smile.

 “You know, I’d love to join you, but,” she paused, a light blush tingeing her countenance, “Keres is due back soon and we had plans to, umm...”

 “Fair enough,” he interrupted quickly, trying to spare himself the possibility of her launching forth into a detailed explanation of her agenda for an evening with her lover. “I just thought I would ask.”

Her green eyes sparkled as she gave him a soft, grateful smile. “I appreciate that.” Suddenly her gaze turned pensive. “You know...”

He shot her a wary glance.

“Have you ever met my sister?” she asked.

 “Can’t say that I have. Why?” he asked suspiciously.

 “Well, I was just thinking...” she began as warnings began to fire off in his brain. When Dawl started thinking, it usually meant something was about to go horribly wrong.

“You are both near the same security level,” she continued. “I think she may be a level or two behind you, but she often battles foes at levels that exceed her own. She’s really very good.”

“Good? At what?” he asked, cautiously, raising an eyebrow.

Dawl knew what he was implying. “Oh, she isn’t like that. Trust me. In fact, I call her the Ice Princess. You have nothing to worry about, dear. Your virtue is quite safe with her.”

He gave a good-natured snort, “Well, being your sister, you can’t blame me for assuming the worst,” he said, playfully.

The small redhead shot him a friendly glare and shook her head. “Okay, point taken. No, she’s really nothing like me. She is quite the opposite, actually. Would you like to meet her?”

As he gave her another wary glance, she quickly added, “She is also an empath, however... she is a Controller.”

He thought back to the times that Dawl had showered him with powers that gave him amazing endurance and cast her magic to boost his own fortitude and decided after a moment that it might not hurt to at least meet the girl. If she turned out to be flakey he could always find some plausible excuse to take his leave of her, he reasoned to himself.

He nodded his assent to the little empath as she stood up then bent over to retrieve her robe. He blushed lightly and turned politely away to gaze down at the crowds milling around the Talos train station.

Dawl disappeared into her bedroom, momentarily blinded as her eyes adjusted to the change in light levels. She tightened the belt on her robe, and strode down the hall towards her sister’s bedroom.

 “Az?” she called out cheerfully, as she rapped on the door.

“Come in, please,” her sister’s soft voice sounded through the closed door.

The diminutive redhead slowly opened the door to find her sister sitting on the edge of her bed, running a soft brush through her shoulder-length blonde locks. Dawl was happy to see her sibling dressed in the new outfit she herself had just picked out for her at Icon. It was a small skirt with a clinging top cut in low, jagged points that flared forth just enough to cover the vital areas while leaving most of her trim belly exposed.

 “That looks nice on you, Az,” she said brightly as she stepped into the room.

A shy smile crossed the younger girl’s features. “I am not accustomed to wearing so little. It feels... strange.”

Dawl laughed. “Come on out on my balcony with me for a moment? Please?”

Assuming her sister required her assistance in applying the oil to her back, the stately blonde stood and shook out her mane. She followed Dawl down the hall to her room and out the French doors onto her balcony.

A sharp intake of breath expressed her surprise and displeasure as she saw a male figure seated lotus style amid soft swirls of dark purple energy, on the cool textured concrete floor. As Dawl turned towards her with a sheepish smile, Azazela furiously assaulted her thoughts. How could you DO this to me? You PROMISED you would not do this again. She glared down at her sister.

Dawl pressed her defense into her sister’s angry mind. It isn’t like that, Az. He’s an old friend of mine. He just wanted someone to battle some of Nemesis’ forces, and I cannot help him because I am awaiting Keres’ return. I thought perhaps you might go assist him. Dawl looked up at the towering girl with a pleading gaze. I swear to you, he will not try anything with you. I know him well and he has always been a perfect gentleman.

Azazela snorted openly, causing the Warshade looked up from his quiet meditation. I suppose if he can be a gentleman around you, then surely he can be trusted, she projected bitingly.

Suddenly, he felt like he did the first time he’d stumbled upon Nemesis and Malta battling each other. He knew he was in the middle of something that could get really ugly, very quickly.

“Dawl, I should probably be going...” he began, as he rose to his feet.

“No!” she protested. “Please wait. Azazela, this is Dark Cenotaph. He is a Warshade. When I met him, he had not yet fused with the Nictus, Bal-whatever-his name was...err...is... and he was known as Cale Westmarch. He was a very skilled Archmage. DC, err... Cale...this is my baby sis, Azazela.”

Az looked down into his stunning eyes, glowing with purple, and nodded curtly. “It is nice to meet you,” she said, her soft voice almost monotone in an effort to conceal her frustration.

His first impression was amazement at her imposing height. She stood a good seven, if not close to eight feet tall. She had the familiar spiral horns, and an overly developed chest, like her sister, but any similarity stopped there. Her hair was a bright white shade of platinum blonde. Her full, crimson lips were set off by a pair of bright crystal blue eyes. The long lashes softened what might have otherwise been a very stern countenance.

“Az, will you go assist him with his mission? Please.” Dawl looked up at her with a hopeful smile.

Azazela let out a small sigh. She had never been one to turn down a request for help. “Of course,” she nodded, “however, I must first excuse myself.” She blushed uncomfortably. “I must prepare myself. I am not fit for battle in this garb.” Meeting his gaze, she bowed slightly as she addressed the Warshade, “If you will excuse me, please, sir?”

He nodded, and she spun on her heels and retreated back through the French doors.

“Is she always so friendly?” he asked Dawl, in a mildly sarcastic tone.

She shook her head. “She is often less friendly. I told you she’s the Ice Princess. But she is good at what she does. You will see. I am sure she will be a big help.” Dawl laughed gently as she added, “You may want to tell her to leave Leeroy at home.”

He raised an eyebrow, giving her an odd look, “Leeroy?”

Giggling, she answered ominously, “Oh, you will meet Leeroy, I am sure.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes. He began to ponder why he’d agreed to put himself in the position of working with her sister in the first place when the statuesque blonde reappeared clad in full body armor. Her long cape flowed in the breeze behind her. She nodded to him. “I am now prepared,” she informed him, in a soft voice.

He bowed with a flourish, “Shall we?” he invited her, pointing the way to their destination. Suddenly, amid a cloud of energy, and accompanied by a earthshaking outburst of quantum energy, he shape shifted into the squid-like Nova form common to beings of Kheldian origins. His explosive transformation startled her at first, but she quickly recovered and took flight following him.

Looking back, she waved to Dawl, as her sister called, “Have fun, you two.” Umm...Az...she pressed her consciousness into her sister’s mind. You will want to watch out for him when he’s in his Dwarf form.

What do you mean, my sister?

She could sense a tone of impish amusement in the little redhead’s thoughts. You’ll see, Az.

Arriving first at the door to the lab they were to infiltrate, he morphed into his human form. He opened the door for her and motioned her to step inside. She nodded, impressed by his chivalry. He seems nice enough, she told herself. Perhaps I have misjudged my sister’s motives this time. Arching her back, she willed the waves of light to bend around her form, thus becoming completely invisible as she walked slowly through the door.

Having never worked this closely with a Warshade before, she wasn’t sure what to expect from this alien being. She had no idea what he was capable of. Her only other contact with these strange beings had been an occasional Kheldian member on a large mission team, and then she was usually far to busy trying to divide her attention between incapacitating foes and keeping a close eye on the health of all the team members to be intimately aware of individual heroics.

Checking his mission orders, he let out an exasperated sigh. “Bugger stealth,” he growled. She cocked her head, and looked at him questioningly. “We’ve been ordered to clear out all the Nemesis in this facility,” he explained.

“Shall I summon Leeroy?” she queried.

Shooting a grin over his shoulder, he winked and said, “You are already here.”

Arching her eyebrows, she bristled defensively. “I beg your pardon?”

He cocked his head and shot her a wry grin.

“I am not like my sister,” she retorted, icily. “I am much more... surgical.”

He made a mental note of her apparent lack of a sense of humor, and decided it best to simply pursue a new topic: bashing some Nemesis’ heads.

He laughed softly, and in a stunning burst of explosive energy, morphed into a massive, armored creature that stood even taller than her own towering frame. The Dwarf form, she thought as she remembered her sister’s cryptic warning.

She quietly followed him and watched to see what he would do next. He nodded and motioned towards a huddled group of garishly festooned Nemesis soldiers. A handful of small round robots were milling around them. Without warning he teleported into the middle of the group, and suddenly it was on.

She stepped back and projected fortitude upon him, giving him an extra measure of strength. She blasted her mental energies towards the nearest soldier’s mind, instilling a white-hot pain that blinded him to the point of being incapacitated. Meanwhile, the massive Dwarf gleefully littered the room with fallen soldiers and robot parts.

A few moments later, there were none left standing to fight. A quiet fell over them, as she panted softly. He moved close to her let out a soft sound that could have been either a low growl or a purr.  It was an incredibly soothing sound, she realized as she shot him a sidelong glance.

Just as she was finally catching her breath, he tromped into the hallway, and she heard him yell, “Save a squid...” followed immediately by another more colorful phrase that brought a red hue to her pale cheeks. This was obviously his way of indicating a Void Seeker was nearby. She’d occasionally worked with Kheldian life forms before. Being an empath, she knew that losing control of the situation could mean he could be harmed at a rate that would vastly outstrip her ability to heal him.

Stepping in front of his hulking frame, she followed his gaze to the vile creature as it arched its back, bringing up his shield. Your shield is not going to save you. That thought hit his mind a nanosecond before the pulse of white-hot light she projected, and before he could react, he knew nothing but searing pain. As he clutched his head and writhed in sheer agony, she used the power within her mind to convince him that he was taking massive damage. She sucked in a huge gasp of air when he finally crumpled to the floor as she realized she’d been holding her breath.

She’d been so focused on the evil Void hunter that she was oblivious to the fact that the Warshade had moved past them both and waded into the fray with great delight. He had a one of his foes twitching against the bonds of powerful negative energy, as he yelled, “Fool! Your resistance is only making my dick that much harder.”

Her eyes widened and her face paled as her cheeks again lit up with a crimson hue. But there was little time for embarrassment, she told herself, as she quickly incapacitated an attacking Lieutenant. She found herself fighting an urge to steal a glance at the massive Dwarf’s physique, to determine if his statement were indeed true. She chided herself for even thinking such a thing and instead forced herself to focus intently on the task of making sure the foe she was tormenting was not ever going to bother them again.

They worked their way slowly down a long corridor, to a set of doors. He stepped forward, triggering them to open. They parted with a mechanical swish and the room opened up before them. It was the center of the lab, staffed with heavy guard.

She focused on a nearby target and stepped back into the hallway. Closing her eyes, she invoked the power to draw him out of the room amid a low rumble and a flash of light. The Dwarf spun around, hearing the commotion, and promptly knocked the startled Lieutenant up against the wall. Within seconds, her target lay crumpled at her feet. She stared at the giant beast for a moment in sheer awe. Before she could compose herself, however, one of their target’s companions had noticed his disappearance, and came running around the corner. Seeing the huge creature, he whipped out his flamethrower and blasted a stream of fire in a wide arc towards the Warshade. What he hadn’t seen was the invisible demoness at his side. The flames hit her, distracting the tight control she had over the forces of her mind so much so that her attempt to overwhelm him failed. It also caused him to notice her as her lost focus meant she could not maintain her illusion of invisibility.  At the last moment, he decided it might be wise to run back to his friends for support. “Prepare to face the reward for your evil deeds, Cuirasseur!” she cried, as she used her demonic power to summon him back into the hallway. This time she was prepared, and quickly overcame him. He bent nearly in half and clutched his head as the Dwarf launched his assault.

Suddenly they heard running feet and realized that the entire group must have caught on to their presence. Rushing headlong around the doorway, the Warshade intercepted the group before they could reach the demoness. She followed close behind him. None of them even gave her a second glance, as they reeled from the attack of the huge beast that was beating them with a renewed fury.

She quickly focused on the Warshade’s needs, using her powers to strengthen him and bolster his endurance. Once their foes were vanquished, she approached him, panting. He growled softly, making a ‘follow me’ gesture. Obediently, she fell in step, and they rounded the corner to find an all too familiar Lieutenant Comet, one of Nemesis’ highly skilled snipers, kneeling in front of the next group.

“Comet!” she hissed, under her breath.

Nodding, he winked at her and simply grunted out one word: “Nuke.” She was puzzled at this expression, the implication taking a minute to sink in.

“This is going to hurt...” she began, quietly.

She looked on in awe as he’d morphed into his human form. Before she knew what had transpired, it was all over. It happened so fast that all she could remember was a huge explosion and bodies flying outward for many yards in a wide circle around him.

She stood, awestruck and unable to speak for a moment. A sudden weakness came over her as she felt she might be physically ill. The acrid smell of chemicals assaulted her nose. Looking around she noticed that the explosion had destroyed the nearby lab equipment which had showered them with toxic chemicals.

”Great,” she muttered.

He gave her a puzzled look. “We were exposed to a debuffing agent, when the lab equipment blew up,” she explained.  He merely shrugged, and shook his head with a smile. Focusing her remaining energy, she blasted him with a stream of power that would cause his body to produce massive amounts of adrenalin to raise his metabolic rate even though it appeared he barely noticed the toxic effects. She still felt a little queasy, but not wanting to show any weakness, she followed him as he quickly moved on to the next battle.

In the blink of an eye, he had teleported himself into the midst of a very large group. Saying the red coated goons were surprised would have been an understatement. She growled an ancient phrase under her breath and used her demonic energies to project three phantom warriors into the fray. Raising her arms with a shout, she summoned the powerful spectral phantasm to her side as their foes attacked with a vengeance. Minutes later, she and the Warshade were the only ones still standing, while the floor was littered with Nemesis’ goons. She was panting hard, as he turned to her, scowled, and grunted, “That was ugly.”

“Yes,” she nodded in agreement. He morphed into his human form long enough to siphon the darker portion of the waning life essence out his nearest fallen victim and bind it to his will. It rose above the still warm body to form a small fuzzy orb of darkly glowing energy. A small chill passed through her as he returned once again to the hulking form of the Dwarf.

Gathering strength, she cast a protective aura around him to give him increase his stamina. In the corner of the room, they spotted a cowering figure in a lab coat. She started to step towards the soldiers who were guarding the frightened scientist but the Warshade grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around. Putting a massive talon gently to her lips, he made a shushing gesture and shook his head, as he turned to the closest enemy. He knew she’d take the brunt of the attack if they were to discover her presence first. That was the last thing he wanted to happen. Despite being clad from head to toe in armor he suspected she wouldn’t be able to withstand such an attack.

“Yo, Lieutenant!  Over here, asshat!” he yelled as he stepped protectively in front of her and drew their attention upon himself.

Suddenly, from the other side of the room, she heard a deep voice yell, “You're growing into a real problem for Lord Nemesis, Dark Cenotaph.” The commander of the lab had obviously become aware of their presence. He rushed at the Warshade, followed closely by a throng of his subordinates.

Unseen, she stepped to the Warshade’s side just as a Cuirasseur whipped out a flamethrower and began wildly spraying a blazing stream. She turned, and looked deeply into his eyes. A split second later he’d dropped the flamethrower and was clutching his head as he writhed in agony. He only caught the briefest glimpse of the icy blue eyes as the demoness blinded him with her psionic energies.

The huge Dwarf was tossing their foes around like they were rag dolls when Leeroy suddenly rounded the corner dragging a whole slew of soldiers. After a few tense minutes, the three of them stood amid a huge heap of red-coated goons, and broken robots.

She turned and glowered at the Phantasm. “Way to go, Leeroy,” she snarled.

The Warshade blinked in hurt surprise. He returned to his human form to slurp up the last vestiges of life essences from the foes that lay at their feet. “Me, him, the fuzzy ball, what?” he queried, assuming she was using the reference to an infamous overzealous warrior, Leeroy Jenkins, in comparison to his aggressive style of wading heedlessly into the fray. With a rumbling blast he once again took the shape of the hulking Dwarf and turned to face the irate demoness.

She shook her head. “He thought two groups weren't enough so he decided to piss off the rest of the room,” she muttered, dully. “Him,” she added, pointing at the phantasm hovering nearby.

“Ah,” the Dwarf nodded in understanding, relieved that he was not the target of her apparent ire.

“This is Leeroy,” she said in introduction, with an exasperated sigh, “also known as Aggro Ass.”

The Warshade nodded and patted her softly on the head with a condescending smile, as if to say he understood and forgave her for her summoned cohort’s misdeeds.

He turned without a word and teleported back into the hallway. She looked around in confusion, trying to determine where he’d gone. Rushing after him, she heard crashing and crunching, and then silence.

As she tried to keep up with him she turned down another corridor, and nearly ran headlong into a single Lieutenant who was standing in an alcove. It was fortunate that she was invisible, she reminded herself. She quietly backed into the hallway. The Warshade turned the corner and saw her in close proximity to the foe.

“Here!” she hissed, softly.

He crept silently up behind her and laughed softly in her ear. It was a quiet rumbling sound that sent a chill down her spine that was unrelated to the briskly cool air-conditioned climate of the lab.

He teleported himself right next to the startled foe, who was undoubtedly wishing he had an extra pair of boxers at that point. Within seconds, the Lieutenant was laid out at their feet.

After making a quick inspection of the facilities, they were sure that they’d completed their objectives. They made their way out the door and back into the bright Talos sunshine. Her eyes were still adjusting to the sudden brightness when she felt herself being peppered with a blast that knocked her to the ground.  It was evident that one of the foes they defeated had obviously had time to put out a call for help. A group of Nemesis soldiers were bearing down on them with weapons blazing. Without batting an eye the Warshade promptly launched his counter attack and easily dispatched them while she was still trying to pick herself up off the pavement.

She blushed hotly as she dusted off her backside and tried to recoup a bit of her dignity. Her armor protected her soft, supple skin, but not her bruised pride.

Once he was sure there were no more surprises arriving, he returned to human form, and approached her with a look of concern.

 “I am fine,” her soft voice answered the unspoken question in his gaze.

He nodded, and looked up at her. Dawl had been right, this once. This girl had been a help to him in spite of the chaos brought on by her summoned entity. The rush of adrenalin she magically infused him with had felt wonderful. Not to mention the fortifying strength she gently pressed into his mind during the heat of battle. But she did need to be watched over at times. In spite of all her warrior attitude and the tough image she strove to project, she was still a somewhat delicate female. One who seemed to have a knack for getting herself in over her head at times, he noted with a chuckle. He met her gaze and smiled warmly.

Azazela felt a small shiver run through her as she looked into his glowing eyes. Some of his powers were a bit disconcerting. Watching him siphon off the last remnants of a soul to create a powerful ball of dark energy that he could command made her a little more than uneasy. And watching his absorb the very essence of his fallen foes in order to heal and strengthen himself also gave her a chill. But for all the dark aspects of his powers, she had to admit to herself that Dawl had told her the truth. He had been more than skilled in battle. That earned the respect of the tall, blonde warrior. And he had also been very protective of her. That was something to which she was not accustomed.

She met his glowing gaze, and hesitantly spoke, “My sister told me to keep an eye on you when you are in your Dwarf form... I am not sure what she meant by that....”

He grinned widely, knowing exactly what Dawl meant. He often teased the naïve little demoness with the threat of making lewd advances on her while in his massive Dwarf form. He knew he could never do anything harm the little redhead, but it was amusing to see her terrified reaction. He wasn’t about to admit this to the one Dawl had titled “the Ice Princess”, especially since she seemed to be devoid of a sense of humor. “Think ‘Brute Smash’ only with a little more style,” he quipped.

“I have an errand to run,” he said, in an attempt to quickly change the subject. “I must go see Maxwell Christopher. I have a feeling he will give me another assignment. Would you care to come along?”

She met his eyes, and an unexpectedly warm smile broke across her full lips. Nodding, she softly answered, “I would enjoy that, sir.”

“You don’t need to call me ‘sir’,” he told her, gently. “Call me Dark Cenotaph. Or, you can call me Cale, if you like. Wait here. I will be back in just a few moments.”

She nodded her assent, and flew out over the bay to await his return. As she hovered over the sparkling water, she felt an unfamiliar feeling of contentment. It surprised her to find that working with him was something that she was actually enjoying immensely.

Returned from his errand, he gave her a sarcastic smirk. “Guess where we are going?”

She shook her head with a puzzled look. “I have no idea.”

“Dark Astoria,” he groaned. She sighed softly and followed him across the azure blue sky of the late summer afternoon towards the gate to the eerie milieu. 

Once inside, she found it hard to keep up with him. Moments later she heard the muted sound of his breath being forcefully exhaled upon a soft, thudding impact. “Ow, faceplant,” he explained, as she approached him to make sure he was all right. The place was called Dark Astoria with good reason. The perennial fog that enshrouded it was so thick that one could barely see his hands before his face.

They reached the door to the lab and slipped inside. It was apparent that the angry drill team that was the Nemesis army was catching on to them. A brightly clad Cuirasseur and three of his little mechanical lapdogs were marching through the halls patrolling for invaders. Taking them by surprise, he morphed into the hulking Dwarf form and teleported himself directly in their midst. This produced an expression of unpleasant surprise from the Cuirasseur and a melee of attacks from the little pot-bellied Jaegers. The Warshade shrugged off their efforts easily while proceeding to give them the beat down they had so obviously come looking for.

Morphing back to human form, he smiled wickedly at her as he extracted the last dregs of the life essence from the limp form that had once been the Cuirasseur. As the eerie ball of energy hovered above the still warm body, she turned away and shuddered involuntarily.

“Some of your powers are just...a bit morbid,” she blurted, softly. He gave her a strange look but no verbal response, as he cloaked himself with dark energy. They silently moved onward. She stared down at her feet as she concentrated upon quieting her steps and fell into contemplative thought.

She tried to gently scan the upper thoughts in his mind. She was not a mind reader, per se, but an empath could often read the emotions, basic urges. and intentions of most other beings. A burst of jumbled energies struck her mind, causing her to stumble as she shook off the link. Two minds, she noted in surprise. One mind seemed very arcane, much like the mages she’d lived with in the cave. The other presence was powerful and very dark. Both of them were working as one. She had to take a closer look, she reasoned, as she gently probed his consciousness once more.

For all the negative energies flowing through his synapses, she found neither malice nor ill will within him. His feelings toward her seemed to be openly protective. Just as she began to feel a little guilty for sneaking around within his mind, she felt him answer: Don’t be. I can feel your thoughts at times too.

The link dropped instantly as the shock reverberated through her neural fibers. The mental plane of a demoness could be a frightening place. Even to one who lived there. But finding another being strolling through unexpectedly was a startling experience.

He turned to face her, giving her a reassuring smile. As his eyes bored into hers, she felt him very gently pressing for her to accept his mental energies. For reasons she could not yet fathom, she willingly dropped her mental defenses.

In tune with each other, they moved silently through the halls. Without the need for conversation, they were effortlessly dispatching any foe that got in their way. She preferred this wordless cooperation. Since his communication skills were quite challenged in two of his forms, he appreciated it as well.

He broke the silence, as a surge of adrenalin fired his synapses. “Save a squid...” was all she needed to hear. She used his mind to locate the threat and her mind to quickly render it blinded and helpless.

They wound their way through corridor after corridor until they finally arrived at the core of the lab. Wordlessly they worked in perfect sync.

In the last chamber, the lab equipment exploded before she could break clear. She stumbled out of the protective cubicle amid a haze of noxious fumes. “I am woozy,” she breathed, as the room began to spin.

Grabbing her gently, he steadied her as her knees buckled. He whispered softly, “It’ll be over soon.” She swallowed hard as she tried to shake off the effects of whatever chemical she had been exposed to. As soon as he was sure she could maintain an upright position he released her, but remained close behind and ready to catch her should she lose her balance again.

A quick trip around the lab showed that it was now uninhabited, so they moved on to the next floor. They came upon a small group pacing the length of a railing leading to a ramp that descended to a lower level. He turned and looked into her eyes, wondering if she’d recovered enough to resume their battles. She nodded silently. He rushed towards the mob, blasting powerful dark energy in a spray that threw them all to the ground. “Watch out for the one I blew over the edge,” he warned her as she stepped into the melee.

Her armored books clinked against the cold metal of the floor as she deftly leapt over the edge. She laughed softly as she saw the now disoriented Lieutenant staggering around as he tried to figure out how he’d gotten to where he was now from where he’d been. She bent down to meet his eyes forcing her mind’s power into his eyes in a blast of white light. He caught the slightest glimpse of her face just inches from his own before his mind exploded in searing pain. Clutching his head as he doubled over, he quickly succumbed to the assault that she expertly played out within his own thoughts.

As they moved to the end of the corridor, it opened up into an area the appeared to be some kind of power grid. Four pillars stood in the center of the room, pulsing with blue energy. A quick visual inspection showed a group of soldiers tucked in an alcove to the left. He morphed into the colossal Dwarf form and materialized in their midst. Startled, they produced their antiquated but effective firearms and turned all their attentions on him. She targeted the closest one and quickly forced him to succumb to a flash of blinding energy flooding his optical nerves. She had just incapacitated a second one when she heard a deep voice from directly behind her.

“Fighting Lord Nemesis is as useless as battling the very wind and tides, Dark Cenotaph!”

“Oh SHI.....” Before she could think, she’d screamed. She had not expected the towering metal monstrosity that was the Fake Nemesis who had stepped from behind the nearest pillar to loom over her. His eyes narrowed as he sought the source of the feminine shriek. He produced his massive staff, and aimed it in the general direction from which the expletive had come. It exploded with a torrent of powerful energy, striking her and knocking her against the opposite wall. The impact stunned her and she reached down the front of her armor for the small packet she kept tucked in the safest of spots for such an event. Popping the tiny, pale purple pill, she felt its effects surge through her mind, granting her sudden clarity. Now able to shake off the dizzying effects of the stun, she leapt to her feet and did a few fast calculations. The tin plated giant had knocked her senseless enough that her mind could no longer maintain the illusion of invisibility. He could see her now and was bearing down on her at a fast but lumbering pace. His huge stride quickly covered the ground between where he’d blasted her point blank and where she’d slammed into the far wall.

The Warshade was still occupied in the midst of the group of soldiers. In a split second she closed her eyes and cast the illusion of three spectral warriors at her side. She reached skyward, calling forth her phantasm. He materialized instantly, putting himself between the oncoming metal monstrosity, and the frightened demoness. A blast of blue-white energy knocked her assailant back against the pillars. This gave her a brief second to collect herself as she launched a counterattack on whatever kind of mind drove the metallic beast. The first strike was not enough to incapacitate him. He merely blinked and shook his head, rising to his feet to tower over them. With the second pulse of mental energy he clutched his temples and doubled over in pain as Leeroy blasted him once more.

At that point, the Warshade rushed to her side, having already incapacitated the large group of goons he’d been battling. He launched into their gleaming leader with a fury born from seeing the demoness being blasted violently across the room. It took him mere seconds to reduce the monster to a pile of crumpled tin.

She collapsed on the floor at his feet, panting wildly. “Say something?” he quipped with a grin, obviously amused by her terrified expletive.

“I saw... him ...run around the corner...” she began, breathlessly, recalling the moment of blind terror that resulted in her surprised scream.

 “What,” he retorted with a gesture towards the crumpled form of the Fake Nemesis, “the big tin wuss?”

He didn’t seem like much of a wuss when he plastered me to the far wall, she thought to herself. “I think I need clean panties... ” she murmured weakly. He laughed loudly at this admission. Maybe she wasn’t the uptight, humorless little prude he had previously assessed her to be.

Looking around the room, she realized her phantasm had wandered off. “Where the hell is Leeroy?” she asked anxiously, knowing his forays were usually followed by a hasty retreat to her side accompanied by a horde of enemies she inevitably had to battle to defend them both.

“Running for clean panties,” her partner chuckled, as he stooped to offer a massive hand to help her to her feet.

Half a second later they heard the burst of Leeroy’s energy torrent nearby. Their eyes met in a knowing glance. They ran towards the sound of combat. This time it was only one lone Cuirasseur. The Dwarf descended on him before he could react and quickly demonstrated what it meant to receive due recompense for his deeds, Warshade style.

She shook her head with a soft smile. She suddenly realized how glad she was that he was on her side. Dismissing Leeroy, she followed the Warshade back the way they’d come as they worked their way back to the door.

“Roger, Dallas, we are out of here,” he quipped with a smile, as he held the door for her. She nodded her gratitude as she stepped back out into the foggy, eternal twilight that was Dark Astoria.

“Shall I escort you home?” he asked.

Her first instinct was a bristling urge to rebuff his offer. She was perfectly capable of making her way home even if she were to be ambushed by Nemesis soldiers for her part in helping him clean out those facilities. But for reasons she could not yet fathom, she found her lips forming the words, “Please. That would be kind of you.”

They walked silently together through the darkened streets. With the usual cursory greetings, they flashed their security IDs to the bored looking sentries at the gate to Talos and passed from the gloomy surroundings out into the waning sunlight of the cloudless afternoon.

She drew a deep breath of the fresh breeze and leapt into the wind with her cape billowing behind her. With a ground shaking blast of quantum energy he assumed his Nova form and quickly paced her.

Just before they passed the train station, they spotted a group of Freakshow huddled around a terrified young woman just below them. She felt the hesitation in him and knew what he was about to do.  Within seconds he’d fired a blast that had felled all of them, and left the young woman fairly prostrating herself in gratitude for his having saved her.

Once again he morphed from his Nova state into human form, and siphoned off the last vestige of life essence from the nearest fallen punk, raising a ball of swirling purple energy.

She cringed as she wondered if she’d ever get used to watching him draw the darkest energies from his foes. As if he’d read her mind, he met her eyes and replied “Life sucks, but sometimes sucking can be useful.”

She merely nodded, and watched the ball of essence that had once been a lawless Freak follow him obediently.

She landed beside him and blurted, “You humans are so short...”

“Human?” he asked her pointedly. “Once, perhaps...” With an explosion of quantum energy, he morphed into the massive Dwarf, and playfully swatted her on the backside.

 “Hey...watch where your paws go!” she yelped. He chuckled softly as she was forced to admit, “Okay, so you aren’t so short in that form.”

Winking at her, he morphed again, this time into the graceful Nova. “You are very tiny in that form,” she observed, breathlessly, “but you have beautiful eyes.”

With that, he turned his attention to a group of Freakshow that had huddled across the street, probably considering whether or not they should attempt to avenge the comrades that he had just easily dispatched.

With a single blast, they all flew in different directions.

Resuming his human form, he met her astonished gaze. “Diamonds and dynamite come in small packages.”

She blushed and averted her gaze. She hadn’t meant to insult him, but realized she probably had by making references to sizes. She’d forgotten that human males seemed to be very sensitive about such subjects. Even though he was apparently a bit more than human now, she made a mental note to try to be more considerate in the future.

They walked along the street for anothre block or so, indulging his affinity for trouncing members of the Freakshow and engaging in small talk.

She smiled darkly as he wrapped thick bonds of dark energy around a struggling hoodlum.

“That is a very powerful hold you have. I am a bit envious,” she admitted.

“It serves it purpose,” he muttered, momentarily distracted by the lesson in manners he was giving the Mohawk-wearing street thug. “Namely, holding Voids by the balls so I can step on 'em.”

She winced at this visual. “I would not wish to get anywhere near a Void's balls.... however, I do love to see them die.” She realized in a sudden flash of lucidity just how much she truly hated the evil, relentless hunters.

He chuckled. “That's why I let the Dwarf handle it.  Balls are squishy when you weigh a half-ton.” With a wry smile he added, “You're not the only one who can do a little combative surgery.”

“I was quite happy to see the Dwarf rush in when I was facing that Fake Nemesis,” she said, sincerely.

He shrugged. “I wasn’t worried about him.”

She’d been worried. She was embarrassed to admit just how worried. “I did manage to incapacitate him after his rather brutal alpha strike, but I can only maintain the illusions of the phantoms for so long, and had you not intervened before they disappeared...” Her voice trailed as a shudder coursed through her body at the thought of what might have ensued had he not come to her rescue.

He stepped a little closer to her and reached up to put a gentle hand on her shoulder. “You were fine,” he reassured her.

The passed the train station, and approached the shining white skyscraper she now called “home”. She looked up towards the apartment, looming high overhead and instinctively took flight, eschewing the use of the slow and confining elevator system. He shapeshifted into the form of the Nova, and quickly followed her.

Once they’d landed on her balcony and he’d assumed his human form, she entertained the notion of inviting him in. However, to do so it would require that he pass through her bedroom. Her mind questioned the propriety of such an invitation. She decided it would be safer to bid her goodbyes to him from the neutral ground of the balcony. After all, his being familiar with Dawl might lead him to the false assumption that she was of the same mindset when it came to matters of the bedroom. Nothing could be further from the truth. She would be mortified were he to mistake her innocent gesture of friendship for an invitation to engage in some immoral behavior.

Her armor grated softly against the rough pebble finish on the floor of the balcony, as she sank to her knees. With a flourish of her gloved hand, she motioned for him to join her.

He sat lotus style directly across from her. He was close enough that she could see deep into his glowing eyes.

“I wish to thank you. I enjoyed the opportunity to work with you this day,” she murmured softly.

He flashed a wide smile. “I enjoyed working with you.”

“Perhaps,” she began, in a soft, shy voice, “we might work together again.”

“Of that, I am sure,” he said warmly. “I must be going. It has been a long day, and I need some sleep. Until we meet again,” he nodded.

“Yes,” she affirmed, with a humble bow, “Until we meet again.”

She nodded quietly and watched him morph into the Dwarf form once again. She assumed he was going to teleport to where ever he was headed, when he suddenly leapt the railing and plummeted to the ground. The impact shook the building. She gasped and tried to restrain herself from following him to make sure he was unharmed. Amid the sounds of the traffic and the rush of the wind currents, the sound of a rumbling laugh wafted up to her ears. She shook her head, and against her better judgment she leapt the railing and hovered so that she could see him but where she’d hoped to remain unnoticed.

Looking up, he chuckled to himself as he saw the fading sun glint off her armor, and lightly hopped towards his own abode.

She flew back up to her balcony once she saw he remained unharmed. She had no sooner opened the French doors and entered her bedroom than there was a knock on the door.

“Az? Is that you?”

 “Of course,” she answered, wryly. “Who else would it be?”

 “Can I come in for a minute?” Dawl asked through the door.

 A sardonic grin flitted across the stately blonde’s full lips, as she shook her head in amazement. She could picture her sister with her ear plastered to the door, listening to their exchange as she and the Warshade said their good byes on the balcony.

“Come in, my sister,” Az answered in a mildly annoyed tone.

Dawl fairly sprinted into the room, hugging Az tightly. “So? How was he?”

Az’s eyes flew open wide as she gave her sister a horrified look. “I am sure I do not know! Of course we did not...”

“Oh, Az, that wasn’t what I meant. I meant to team up with,” Dawl interrupted, giggling.

“He is just as you said. He was perfect gentleman.” A faint smile played at the corners of her mouth as she thought of some of the shocking things he’d yelled out during their battles. Of course she wasn’t about to enlighten her sister to such occurances. 

“So, did you have fun?”

 “Yes, actually, I did. In fact, it may be that we shall work together again. He said he was certain that we would.”

Dawl shot her younger sister a sly grin. “Oh really? Hmm...”

“Do not get any ideas. We merely worked together to accomplish his assignments in an efficient manner.” Az gave an exasperated shake of her head as she spun around and headed towards her bathroom. “If you will excuse me, I think I will take a shower, and rest for a while.”

Dawl laughed, “He wore you out, huh?”

Az shot her an icy glare. Her soft voice took on a decidedly irritated edge. “It was NOTHING like that. He did nothing improper. I did nothing improper. We were doing battle together. Nothing more.”

Her sister still seemed to find the entire situation incredibly amusing.

“Dawl, please, do not try to make more of this than there is. And please, do NOT try to interfere! No matter how well-meaning you intentions are they are unwelcome.” She looked down that the little empath with a pleading gaze. “Please?”

Dawl simply laughed as a sudden rap sounded on Az’s door, startling both of them. “Dawl? Are you in there?” Keres voice echoed through the door. He’d noticed her missing, and knew right where he would find the impish little demoness.

Dawl’s face lit up. “Gotta run, Az! Enjoy your shower.”

As she stepped into the hall, Keres shook his head. “She’s not a little girl, Dawl. You need to let her find her own happiness.”

Dawl looked into his eyes. “You are probably right.”

 “You were eavesdropping on them, weren’t you?” Keres asked her.

“Umm...”

 “That is just what I thought. How long has it been since I gave you a good spanking?” he asked her, his eyes sparkling with a mischievous grin.

“I don’t know...” she began, as he hoisted her over his strong shoulders and strode down the hall towards their bedroom.

“I think you are long overdue,” he said laughing, as he tossed her onto the bed and quietly closed the door.

Az heard their exchange, and sighed softly. Her life was so different now than it had been in before she moved out of the isolated cave. Her emotions had surely been in a constant turmoil since she’d arrived here in Talos, she reflected, as shed her armor and stepped into the warm, wet embrace of her shower.

She knew one thing. She’d enjoyed this day more than she cared to admit. She found herself hoping that her newfound friend would soon return to ask for her assistance once more. Another shade of change had colored the palette of her existence, and this time, it was a slightly darker shade. A Warshade.

And tonight, she told herself, that was a very good shade, indeed.