Lanicrus narrowed his baleful gaze at Darken, and for a moment, time stood very still. Neither made a move, neither said anything until Darken finally broke the silence.

"NOW!" He cried. From nowhere, Lanicrus felt himself being assaulted from many different directions all at once. He was staggered by the ferociousness of the assault, but he did not fall.

"AAAAAAARGH!" He roared. He fell to his knees. This was the opening they needed, Darken thought. He touched his Eagle Clasp.

"All right," he said softly, "As we planned. Each of your attack in turn, keep him off balance."

Lanicrus wings kicked up a cloud of dust to allow him to fall back. His head snapped up. Where were they? Where had they gone?

Before he could collect his senses, he felt his jaw almost shatter beneath a mighty upward blow. Lanicrus reeled with the strike, his gaze finally focusing on his assailant.

"Who . . .are you?" Lanicrus demanded.

"I am Arael," the red-cloaked angel said, brandishing her weapon. "And for what you've done to my home, I will make you pay."

"A noble sentiment," Lanicrus said, extending his talons. "I will make sure it's remembered . . .as your epitaph!"

"Explain to me again," Phoenix said, watching Darken gather up weaponry from the fallen Seraphim. "Why are we letting your friends do everything? I could take him."

Darken picked up a clutch of spears. They were limited in what they could do but they might be enough to finish him if the other could weaken him enough.

"If you did, you'd almost certainly have to cut loose," Darken said. "And you know what would happen then. No, unless everything else fails, I don't want you out there."

"Is this because of what they'll think, Darken?"

Darken looked at her, reaching out to touch her face. "No," he said. "It's because I don't want you hurt."

"I won't stand here and let you sacrifice your friends to protect me. You know what it would take to kill me. Don't try to tell me that I mean more than Liandra or Sachiel."

"No . . .and yes," Darken said. "Look, I'm just trying to do what's right here."

"Then come with me," Phoenix said, holding him close. "Let's not leave anyone alone."

The Skyshadow tore its way through the space in between Spheres, now having passed beyond its launch point. The black skin of the ship cracked with sinister purple lightning from the engine stress.

Kirone sat in her command chair; her mind focused on the battle before her. She could see him, could see Lanicrus fighting one of the warrior angels--Arael, Tigerhawk's lover, she knew from long ago.

"Damn," she muttered. "Lanicrus . . .finish them. You haven't time to prove yourself in battle against them, no matter how tempting it might be. Stop playing."

The various Fallen now manning the controls made an effort not to look at her or comment on her quiet mutterings to herself, but they were a bit worried.

Kirone broke contact and stood at attention. "Faster!" Kirone bellowed at them. "We must break into the Angel's sphere faster!"

Monstructor's voice cracked from her comm-system. "My lady, our engines are at the maximum level as it is. Any more and the ship would burn up from the inside."

"Monstructor," Kirone said, her voice like cold steel. "If we don't go faster, I'll make you burn from the inside out, and I'll make everyone watch it. Do you understand?"

"Y-yes, my Lady."

"Good," Kirone said, smiling. "Now, enough of your sniveling excuses--increase our speed."

"Lord Sandalphon, what are your orders?" Elita asked over the communications crystal.

Sandalphon snapped to attention, he felt stunned. He hadn't planned for this. He had always planned to quietly remove Matariel, he hadn't . . .

"Sir? Your orders?"

Sandalphon's mind cleared in an instant. He focused on the battle below them, in the palace square. Whatever this thing was, it was ruining huge chunks of the city. His skyships were no trouble to it, and despite his hopes to the contrary, it seemed Darken was the only hope.

"Fall back," he said wearily. "It's in their hands now."

Arael bashed at Lanicrus with her fire mace again and again. She was desperate to stagger him, and for a second or two she had, but something was wrong.

Lanicrus caught the mace in his hand.

"Enough," Lanicrus said. His talons began to warp the metal of the mace. "You try my patience."

Lanicrus opened his mouth and began to rend the mace with his teeth. Arael stepped back, shocked. Lanicrus' laser eye targeted her chest.

"Your weaponry is useless," Lanicrus growled, wiping the remnants of her mace from his teeth.

"It's not all I have," Arael said. She activated the shield jewel on her right gauntlet and began to smash at Lanicrus again. The solid energy of the shield only barely nicked at the sheen of his armor.

"You bore me," Lanicrus said. He grabbed at her--impossibly fast--and seized her by the head. The last thing Arael saw was his other hand, reaching for her chest. The last thing she felt was Lanicrus' talons slicing through flesh and bone.

"ARAEL!" Sachiel said. He watched, frozen with horror as Lanicrus tossed Arael's dead body aside like so much debris. He moved forward to attack, but Leiliel stopped him.

"Not yet," she said. "We have to wait until Darken gets here."

"But he just killed Arael," Sachiel said. "We have to avenge her."

Lanicrus' head swiveled in the direction of their voices. His laser eye glowed and a green burst of energy issued forth, stunning them into unconsciousness.

"I have had enough of these . . .amateurs," he mumbled. "DARKEN! I call you coward! Face me."

Lanicrus felt something pierce his armor. He looked at his shoulder armor and saw that a spear--one of the Seraphim's he had killed must have dropped it--protruding from his shoulder. He jerked from his armor and snapped it like a toothpick. He tossed the spear halves aside contemptuously.

Darken stood before him, leveling another spear.

Lanicrus smiled his vicious smile.

Darken flew at him charging the energy in the Seraphim Spear, its blade surrounded by a halo of energy. It sliced neatly through Lanicrus' left arm, cutting it off at the elbow. Lanicrus followed its fall to the ground.

Darken whirled the spear round into another ready stance, waiting for Lanicrus response. But he just stood there. He didn't seem to be in pain just . . .watching.

Then he laughed. It was the most hateful sound Darken had ever heard. The center of his chest began to glow. Purple lightning mixed with an eerie black energy and began to swirl to his severed arm. The blackness coalesced, and the lightning flashed around it . . .

Within an eye blink, Lanicrus' arm was back, as if it had never been cut off. Lanicrus smiled. "Hmmmm," he said. "I wasn't sure that going to work. Darken, I give you a choice--surrender to the oblivion I offer you."

"Never," Darken said. "I'll die first."

"Yes," Lanicrus said. "Yes, you probably will."

"Empress," Monstructor said. "We have reached our transfer point. All of the Skyshadow's energies will now be used to breach the dimensional barrier."

"Excellent," Kirone said. "Perhaps this time it won't take as long to get there?"

"I swear to you it won't"

"See that it doesn't, Monstructor," Kirone sneered. "I don't want to get there and have the war be over already."

"By your command, Empress."

Kirone snapped the communication off and furrowed her brow. Her back hurt, the tension that carried her to this point was turning to fatigue. She chided herself for being cruel to Monstructor--he was, after all, what he was and was doing the best he could. Poor limited creature.

She had felt this way before, when she cast the hate spell over the Machine, when it had spread across the Spheres and she had been close --so close-- to conquest. The threats to her would kill themselves, and everyone left would have been to frightened to challenge her.

Until Darken had ruined it for her.

She reached out with her mind again, seeing how Lanicrus was fairing against the Angels. . .

"AHHHHHH!" Darken cried, channeling powerful sound waves into his kick. Lanicrus caught his heel and threw him. Darken felt his world lurch and spin uncomfortably. He spun his head around to look where he was going and immediately wished he hadn't.

Darken had just enough time to tuck his body into a ball and wrap himself with his wings before he hit the stone walls of the building he had been casually thrown toward. He felt the masonry shatter behind him, feeling his body bruise and his bones cracking under the strain.

He managed to stop himself short before he hit the other wall. He gathered himself to his feet quickly, brushing the dust and debris off of his clothes.

"I am going to kill him," Darken said. He spread his wings, wincing at the pain, he flew out the hole in the tower he'd made. He banked around and caught sight of Lanicrus below.

He swooped around the tower. It had been abandoned when Lanicrus first touched down, so it should be safe to use. Darken began to still his mind, ignoring the pain, and summoning the power of his soul.

"SOUL . . .CALIBER!" He cried. A brilliant beam of light scythed through the top of the tower. The ancient bricks and metal groaned in complaint then slid off of the top of the tower, slowly plummeting toward Lanicrus.

Lanicrus' head snapped up just in time to be smashed to the ground by several tons of falling tower.

Darken let his wings glide him gently to the ground. Despite his practice of the Soul Caliber, even a low-level one like that left him drained. That, coupled with the injuries, he hoped the fight was over.

He grabbed Sachiel and Leiliel from some nearby debris. Phoenix was watching from a nearby parapet. He looked very nervously up at her. He knew what she was thinking, and, though he hated it, he had to keep her secret until it was absolutely necessary.

"What . . .happened?" Sachiel mumbled.

"Lanicrus attacked you," Darken said. "I think I got him, though."

"Got him?" Sachiel said. "How?"

"I had to drop a piece of that tower on him," Darken said, pointing at the destroyed turret. "I hope that wasn't your favorite part of the palace."

"If it got him," Sachiel said. "I think my father and I will let it slide."

Darken opened his mouth to say something but then his ears picked up something--a rough, scraping, clawing sound. Darken closed his eyes, training his mind to the pile of debris before them. He trilled softly, the sound waves searching out the source of the clawing.

Oh no, he thought.

He gathered Sachiel to his feet. "Get Leilel and get out of here. Now."

"But what--"

"DO IT!" Darken said.

There was a flash of black lightning and an explosion of debris. Lanicrus, not a dent in his armor stood before him.

"You insult me, Darken," Lanicrus said, slowly walking toward him. "You have shown me nothing. My mistress told me you were a challenge."

"Your mistress," Darken repeated, adopting a ready stance. "Kirone?"

"She made me from you, you know. But I am more than you are."

"Then show me something."

"I've shown you all I need to, Darken," Lanicrus said. " I have power beyond reason. As do you. The difference between us is that I have utilized my full potential, where as you still hold yourself back."

"I'm holding nothing back from you, Lanicrus, and I won't hold anything back from Kirone when I bring her your remains."

Lanicrus' laser eye focused on Darken's chest. "You tried that before. Dropped a tower on me. If that was the best you can do, you're already dead."

Lanicrus whipped around faster than Darken could see, his tail snapping at Darken's face. Darken tasted his blood as he was knocked sprawling. He rolled with the shot, and returned fire with his Eagle Clasp.

Lanicrus blocked the bolts of energy with his wings. Darken ran at him, trying to kick him at the highest speed he could manage. Lanicrus grabbed his leg again and snaked his tail around Darken's leg, snapping it cruelly.

"Look at you," Lanicrus growled as Darken fell, his leg unable to support him. "A waste of potential. Ironic, that I, a replicant should be superior to the original."

Darken tried to get to his feet, until Lanicrus shoved him back down by putting his foot on his chest. Realizing he had to buy some time, he opened his mouth and let loose with a gout of flame straight at Lanicrus' face.

"ARRRGH!" Lanicrus cried, his hands going to his face. Darken realized he had one shot, grabbed a sharp piece of debris and stabbed it upward, into Lanicrus' throat. Darken tried to cast a healing spell, but the pain was too great, and Lanicrus swung blindly, his talons cutting his face.

Lanicrus ripped the shard from his throat and smiled again. "Perhaps I misjudged you. You can be effective when you try. Such persistence deserves a reward, I think."

Lanicrus leapt catlike to the tower that had recently been deposited on him. He reached his talons into the foundations, ripping it from the ground. He raised the entire tower high above his head. He carried the tower, which was crumbling like mad in his hands.

"This will make an excellent reward," Lanicrus threw the tower on top of Darken, which crumbled as it plummeted toward him. Darken felt his world explode in pain and go black. He tried to breathe and found himself choked with dust.

Lanicrus marched over to where he had buried Darken. He looked at the pile of rocks. Lanicrus laughed, a cold mocking laugh.

"Now," he said, his voice thick with mock concern. "I wonder how long it will take you to dig your way out?"

Lanicrus' laser eye began to search under the debris, looking for signs of life. Suddenly twin beams of energy knocked him off of his perch, knocking him down.

"Interference," Lanicrus said. "Always interference."

Phoenix and Liandra had emerged from the shadows, weapons at the ready.

"Leave . . .him. . . alone," Phoenix said, her voice like ice.

Elita surveyed the situation again. This was not a good sign. Darken had fallen, as well as the prince. She had to do something.

"Elita to Sandalphon," she said, touching her Eagle Clasp. "Darken has fallen, and his forces are either dead or in retreat. Recommend concentrated fire on the intruder."

"You're talking about the wanton destruction of the Imperial Palace," Sandalphon replied.

"If we don't stop him," Elita replied. "He'll lay waste to our entire sphere."

Sandalphon sighed heavily. "You may be right. Come about and bring your weaponry to bear on the intruder."

Phoenix began throwing debris off of Darken's body as fast as she could. Lanicrus watched her for a time, not moving or saying anything.

"Truly," he said finally. "I truly appreciate this. You've saved the trouble of digging him up myself to see if he was dead."

"Why are you doing this?" Phoenix asked him. She returned to digging, finally finding Darken's hand underneath a chunk of stone. Fortunately it was still attached to his arm.

"I was created to kill Darken," he replied as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "His death is my purpose in life."

Phoenix followed the trail of Darken's arm, gently pulling him out of the wreckage. At a glance, she could tell he was barely hanging on. The flashing jewel on his Eagle Clasp confirmed it. It had used it ultimate power to preserve his life. But it couldn't do that and repair his injuries.

"So tell me," Phoenix said, trying to buy some time. "What happens to you when he's dead?"

Lanicrus considered that. "I think I'll branch out," he said finally. "Killing everyone I meet is a possibility."

Phoenix gently hefted Darken on his shoulder, very glad he was lighter than he seemed. Her hand went to her hip, to the Talon hanging from her belt. She closed her eyes and her hand tightened around the grip, unfastening it slowly. She clenched her teeth, trusted her luck, and threw the Talon from her hip with all her might.

It ignited in the air, channeling her power through it, changing it to a disk of fire. It ripped through Lanicrus' shoulder, severing his arms and his right wing. Lanicrus cried out with shock more than anything.

"NOW!" Phoenix said and Lanicrus' body was further ripped to pieces by twin brilliant beams of light. Liandra emerged from a nearby pile of debris, her attention on Lanicrus, who crumpled in a heap.

He seemed to be still. "I think we got him," Liandra said.

"No, we haven't," Phoenix said. "He'll repair himself when he gets over the shock. Damn it all, I told Darken he needed me!"

"Romanova," Liandra began, unsteadily. "Is he--?"

"He's barely hanging on," Phoenix replied, her voice tight with anger at Darken for rushing in and her for listening to him. "I can save him, but not here. Liandra, I need you to do something."

"If it'll help Darken, I'll do it," Liandra said. Her fists were balled up so tight her nails cut into her palms.

"Count to ten. Slowly."

"But what good will that do?" Liandra asked.

"I can't explain it right now Liandra. I just need you to DO IT!" Phoenix yelled, immediately sorry for losing her temper. "Just count to ten. Don't stop counting, don't count fast. And when Lanicrus wakes up, I suggest you run."

Liandra thought this was quite insane, but she couldn't lose Darken. Not Kael and Darken--they were her family.

"One . . .two . . ." Liandra began. Phoenix and Darken shimmered and vanished as soon as she reached three. At the same time, purple and black lightning began to shimmer around Lanicrus. He was repairing himself, drawing himself to her feet.

"Three . . ." Liandra continued, the twin fairies that were her eyes looked very worriedly at the recovering Lanicrus. He stood up extending his wings as through he were waking up.

"That . . .hurt," Lanicrus said. "I'm going to kill her twice for that."

"Four . . ." Liandra said. She was wondering exactly how she was supposed to keep Lanicrus busy, all alone, in the middle of the ruins of the Angel's palace.

Then the twin fairies sensed something. A huge black shadow--no two of them--flying over her at Lanicrus.

The fairies looked upward, and Liandra could see why there was reason to be worried.

The skyships she had seen fighting Lanicrus earlier were right above them. They were also bristling with weapons, all. Conveniently enough pointed at Lanicrus . . .and by extension, her.

"F-five . . ." She counted, taking flight. She heard a thunderous salvo from the massive ships ripping the debris of the palace and Lanicrus--she hoped, anyway--to bits.

She landed gingerly on a balcony on the outer wall of the Palace. She could see Lanicrus, alive and very angry, blasting back at the skyships.

"Six . . .Seven . . ." She said, trying to keep rhythm. "Could this possibly get any worse?"

As if in answer there was a flash of lightning. Purple lightning. The space above the palace began to warp. She could see something emerging from the warp. The black sinister outline of the Skyshadow's bow.

Liandra sighed and kicked a block of masonry off of the balcony.

"Eight . . .and that was a rhetorical question. . .Nine . . ."