Frank finally sighted two figures up ahead.  A smirk crept across his face when he recognized one of them.  "Jeff, we found thirteen..."

     A smirk curled Jeff's lips as he saw the two up ahead.  "Perfect... but who's that with her?"

     Frank drew his gun.  "Well find out soon enough," he said darkly before breaking into a run.  He heard the other agent's footsteps follow close behind.

* * * *

     Janna's midnight blue eyes widened and she immediately recognized the man holding the gun.  Frank Melonsin. ~What the hell are you doing?~

     "You're being taken into custody," Jeff said coldly, "Your sentence will be determined by the Court."

     The young woman sneered, spitting on the ground at Jeff's feet.  ~Fuck you... you've already killed me.  Isn't that enough?~

     "What are you talking about?" Frank asked with a snort, "You're not dead yet."

     Janna grit her teeth, then tugged down the collar of her outfit to reveal the scar.  ~Aren't I?~

     Both men froze, staring at the scar.  It was obvious what had happened.  Suddenly Jeff fell to the ground with a grunt, a bullet hole through his forhead.  Frank's eyes widened and shifted towwards a point somewhere behind Janna.  A point that just happened to be Vallum.

     He didn't have a chance to react before Vallum aimed and shot again.

     Janna took a deep breath, but didn't flinch.  She looked down at the two dead bodies with complete indifference.  Slowly, she crouched down beside the man who had held to gun to her face, and reached out to touch his cooling lips.

     ~Time to give something back to the precious Nexus...~ she uttered with a chilling smile.

     Slowly but surely, a spot of black spread from where she had placed her finger.  ~Recieve the gift that I am about to give You, and recieve it well.  It is one of Your precious toys... all twisted and blackened... and he will be the first of many spots upon Your pristine existance.~

     Janna kept her fingers on his skin as the black spot's spread rapidly sped up, covering Frank completely until he appeared to be nothing more than a three-dimensional shadow.  Then the solid blackness began to break apart into tiny squares and disintigrate.  But it was a strangely mechanical deterioration.

     She left Jeff and rose to her feet.  She heard Vallum come up behind her, and she turned around.  "Thanks..."

     Vallum's grip on the gun tightened slightly before he put it away, shaking his head.  Before he had a chance to stop her, Janna reached forward and lifted the hood that concealed his face.

     The woman let out a soft gasp.  ~Lithium,~ she said in a whisper.

     If the bright red eyes in the disfigured face didn't confirm her suspicion, the sardonic smirk did.  He acknowledged the fact that she was right.  The shrunken figure opened his mouth in an effort to speak, pushing the words out with much effort.  "Make... him go... or leave while you can..." he hissed.

     Janna's eyes widened for a split second, and she had the urge to start running and never stop.  That shrunken, mummified-looking face was the face of Death itself, with blood red eyes.  And she was confronted with that horror, in all of its terrifying glory.

     She forced her eyes away.  ~I can't... I can't leave until the Wall is gone.~

     Vallum pulled his hood forward and slumped in his stance, as if this had been an incredible exertion.  And for the dying body, it probably was.  He turned abruptly and gestured.  Apparently what he had seen was enough for now.

     Janna followed wordlessly, eager to get away from the desolate area.  She remembered that it had once been a great city.  One that housed many... too many to count.  Were they all dead now?

     Will I die here too?  A nameless slave to the Nexus?  No, no slave... I am a Blight.  The Virus.  I already made my mark upon its purity... ha...

     The dry, rasping laugh Janna let out caused Vallum to turn and look over his shoulder.  Was that fear she glimpsed in a flash of red eyes beneath the hood?  Perhaps she reminded him of his unwelcome guest...

     Vallum gave a weak shudder and turned, walking quicker this time.

     A small part of Janna cringed.  She was becoming much more hateful and vicious than she had been before her Death and Rebirth.  Was this the doing of the Nexus?  Perhaps.  The Virus turned her mind to other things.  Such as her strange silver-haired companion... Farfarello.

     I wonder if he even listened to me when I said not to kill anyone... heh... if anyone did die by his hand, I hope it was Mikayla.  That bitch wanted me to die out here... I wonder if she knows that her precious Vallum is nothing more than a host...

     Janna decided not to think on such things anymore.  She retreated into her mind in the hopes of not having to confront these strange new thoughts, and the frightening bloodlust that threatened to overtake her.

     Her hopes, however, were short lived.  A band of wirey creatures leapt down upon them from the crumbled buildings.  She heard a grunt as Vallum was knocked to the ground a few feet ahead of her.  Janna grappled with the creature.

     When she managed to pin it, she discovered that it was a human girl.  There was a Brand on her forehead as well... the number ten.  The petite girl struggled violently, trying to bite Janna's fingers.

     "Off!" she spat viciously.

     ~You tried to kill me... why?~ Janna demanded.

     "Tresspasser."

     The Virus wondered why the girl gave only single word answers.  Her thoughts were cut short when she recieved a solid cuff to the back of the head.  Flashes of light exploded behind her eyes and Janna fell forward, unconscious.

* * * *

     "You have them?  Good!  Come on!" a voice ordered.

     "No good!" another replied.

     "What?  Why?"

     "No food, no nothing," the same, young-sounding voice replied.

     The owner of the first voice scowled.  "Damn... money?"

     "No," the child answered mournfully.

     There was a muffled giggle, and a third voice broke into the conversation.  "She have no place to hide it."

     "Coat," the second child said, rolling her eyes.  She was rather irritated by the younger one poking around.

     The one who seemed to be the leader muttered another curse.  This one was the only one who wasn't a child.  He ran his fingers through his matted brown hair and paced nervously.  It had been a mistake bringing the branded one here.

     He cast his gaze towards their second unconscious captive.  He didn't know about that one, but he had instructed the children not to remove the hood.  Something told him that would be a mistake.  He stopped pacing, and turned to the older child.

     "Get the others.  Take Branna with you, too.  I don't need her mucking around."

     The girl nodded once, and took the younger child's hand, running off in the opposite direction.

     The man turned back to Janna and crouched down beside her.  "You're cursed, Virus..." he said in a low voice, taking out a long knife, "I wont allow your curse to spread to my Children... no, you're worse than the cloaked one... much worse..."

     Just as he was about to plunge the knife into her heart, Janna's eyes snapped open.  She let out a strangled noise and lashed out, knocking the weapon away before he could use it.  She tried to use her mental voice, but found that she couldn't.  Fear seeped into her bones, cold and unrelenting.  Why couldn't she speak?

     She clenched her fists and rolled into a crouch, glaring dangerously at the man.

     He began to chuckle.  "What's wrong, little Virus...?"

     Janna tried to speak again, but found that it simply would not work, and she was frustrated further when her capturer laughed again and stood.

     "Your corrupt talents wont work here... my Children have made sure of that."

     Corrupt talents!? Janna thought in outrage, Who is this maniac to talk!?

     "You," he began as he started to pace again, "You made a big mistake traveling our city.  We don't like tresspassers, as my First so forcefully stated.  The only reason you are not dead now, is because I commanded them not to kill.  Now... perhaps I shall temporarily lift the bar on your Voice..."

     Janna felt a wave of relief wash over her. ~Who the hell are you?~ she demanded.

     He smiled.  It was a cold, cruel smile.  "I'm the King here..." he said arrogantly, making a sweeping gesture with his hand.

     The redhead snorted derisively.  ~Then you rule over nothing but a pile of rubble.~

     The man clenched his hands into fists and his face darkened in anger.  "Shut up!" he screeched, "It's my city!  Our city!  You will not disrespect it, for to do that is to disrespect my Children... and no one does that..."

     Janna stood up shakily, swaying unsteadily on her feet.  Her head still swam from the sharp blow.  She let out a barely whispered curse and turned to see if Vallum was with her.  Her shoulders slumped a bit in relief when she saw him.  She then turned her gaze back to the "King" of the ruined city.

     ~What... what do you want with us?~ she asked wearily, her thoughts returning to Sebastiaan and Farfarello.

     "You've seen too much... you can't be allowed to leave," the man answered flatly.

     Before Janna could respond, the sound of many feet running towards them reached her ears.  Seconds later the large, barren room was filled with children of various ages.

     The girl that Janna had been grappling with earlier stepped forward and knelt quickly, then rose to her feet again.  "I get," she said awkwardly, gesturing to the other children, "Good?"

     "Yes," the King said, ruffling the girl's short hair, "Very good.  Is Geason all right?"

     The girl's face crumpled.  "No.  Geason bad-hurt..."

     The King's expression darkened and he turned back to Janna.  "Your diseased friend severely injured one of my Children... he must pay."

     ~They attacked--~

     Janna's voice was suddenly ripped away.  Her eyes widened as a sharp pain shot through her head again.  She dropped to her knees holding her head.  "...Stop..." she hissed in a barely audible whisper.

     The King was livid.  He gestured wildly towards the gathered youngsters.  "Look around you!" he cried, "Look at what your stupidity might take away!!  Because of you foolishly killing those men, more will come searching for them, and they might find us here!"

     Janna grit her teeth and tried to force her voice to work.  All that came out was a weak, hissing whisper.  "Not... my fault..."

     "The branded ones will be killed, and soon after, so will the others!!  You are stupid!!  Stupid, stupid, STUPID!" he screamed, stamping his foot to emphasize each word.

     //Great... we're stuck in here with a madman and no strength to escape,// Valium's voice echoed in Janna's mind, //Heh... don't you wish you took me up on my offer?//

     Shut up!! Janna thought viciously, hoping fervently that Valium would hear her.

     "Now then," the King started, turning back to the girl, "Rydia, you and Branna go find some of our best runners.  I need them to go to Ewen, and get some of his best stock."

     Rydia nodded once and turned, dashing off the way she had come.  The assembled children parted for her, and she grabbed a small girl's hand and disappeared through a doorway.

     Janna took a deep breath, and wondered how they would get back to the others.

     Damn the Nexus... if I had just been allowed to die, none of this would have happened!

* * * *

     Farfarello sat in a locked room, glaring hatefully at the door.  They had taken his knives away.  A smirk curled the scarred man's lips.  At least he had been able to kill two, and seriously wound another before his prised weapons were stolen away.

     His remaining eye narrowed slightly. Where is she?

     He scanned the room for a way out and saw none.  "Your walls can't keep me in forever," the madman muttered darkly.

     Farfarello stood up and paced the room and stopped in one of the corners, looking up at the ceiling.  Before he had a chance to explore what appeared to be a loose ceiling tile, the door to the room was opened.

     Mikayla stood there with two guards.  "You have to leave," she said flatly.

     The Irishman frowned.  "And where would you have me go?"

     "Anywhere.  Somewhere far away..." the woman said, picking at her sleeves almost obsessively.  She was afraid.  Of him?  Maybe, but there was something else...

     "When is she coming back?"

     "She's not.  She blew it," the woman said flatly, tapping her foot nervously, "She got captured by... by someone who will be quite angry if he finds out that the Virus is connected with us."

     Farfarello narrowed his good eye.  "I'm not going anywhere until she comes back.  Without her, I'm trapped here," he stated, crossing his arms.  His expression was just daring Mikayla to argue with him...  He wanted blood, and it had been too long since he had last been able to wreak his vengeance on God.

     "Fine.  If you stay, then you fight along with us if we are attacked.  Otherwise, you're gone," the woman snapped, glaring at him hatefully.

     So easy for you to order me around when you are flanked by guards, and I am unarmed.  But... I do not need weapons to kill you, stranger.

     "What makes you think I will go along with that?"

     The blonde smirked.  "The fact that if you don't, you'll die.  And you'll die here, by my hand."

     Farfarello was about to shoot down that idea when his words died in his throat.  Was it still possible to hurt his God when he was in this strange world...?  If it wasn't, then he would die without fulfilling his very purpose for living.

     "After this is over, I wont have any reason to obey your words," the madman warned.

     "I knew you'd see it my way," the theif said with a condesending smirk.

     Only when it works to my advantage...