Hal was silent for a moment, before standing up and making his way closer. Once he was close enough, he just pulled her into a hug.

He saw Liv as a niece, and the thought of her under Vanessa's control angered him.

Greatly.

But he new he had to keep calm. And he knew that Angela needed comfort right now.

So this was for both of them.

It was nothing more than a temporary comfort, but it was all he could do at this moment in time.

Hal continued to hold her close, and didn't say anything about the sob.

He knew she was under far more stress than she should be under. It was too much for her, and she knew it. He vowed to get them all through this, if nothing else, just so he could send her and her family on a paid vacation.

She deserved it after this.

And he would deliver it to her. He swore it.

"Angela." he said quietly.

"I promise. I will make sure your family is not divided. Even if it means I have to find some way to break the rules I am magically bound by. I will do this." he promised her.

Hal nodded in response.

"All right. I understand." he told her.

"You go do that." he said.

"I need to... keep things going here." he went on.

"Update the Council and Triad as we learn new things." he mumbled.

"..." he was then silent, before shaking his head.

"Anyway, get going." he told her.

Hal returned the embrace and waited until she was long gone, before punching the closest wall.

"Son of a BITCH!" he cursed loudly.

"Vanessa Encrae, the time draws nigh. You will pay for your sins and transgressions, and you will pay dearly." he snarled, venom in his tone.

His eyes then darkened slightly, before he sighed and made his way to his desk phone.

Meanwhile, in the medical wing, Nate was tending to Gem's shoulder, making sure the bandaging was holding up.

"Looks like you'll be fine." he told her.

"...I think you're very lucky that that's the case." he added.

"..." Nate was silent as he heard Angela return.

He took the orb that they had the mana contained in, and carried it out of the room, seeing her walking in.

"...Dr. Edwards?" he said.

"This contains the mana extracted from Miss Nester." he informed her.

"Would you like to take it?" he asked.

"See if you recognise the mana or whatever?"

Nate watched her go, and was silent for a moment.

"...hm." he mumbled.

He then turned and went back to Gem, sighing quietly.

"Seems that there is now irrefutable proof." he told her.

"I heard Dr. Edwards confirm that the mana is, indeed, Liv's." he confirmed.

"...but there's something else in it, it seems..."

"Ah, wait!" Nate said, but she was already gone.

"Damn it, she shouldn't be up and about!" he growled.

Meanwhile, Zeke was sitting in one of the chairs in the home he and Angela shared, and sighed.

"Oh?" he asked.

"All right..." he muttered.

"Spill." he told her.

"How 'not good' IS it?"

A flurry of emotions ran through Zeke's mind.

And most of them were anger-adjacent.

"...I'll kill her." he said.

"I'll find her and kill her." he repeated.

"I will bring Liv back myself, alongside Encrae's shredded corpse."

That last part did it.

Zeke was all ready to go alone full tilt into danger... but her last words caused him to just sigh deeply.

"...fine." he said.

"For YOU." he told her.

"I'm going to see if Dad or any of my aunts or uncles can help." he then said.

"Doubt it, though..." he growled.

"And I'll see if Mom has any ideas." he then added.

"....good." Zeke responded.

"At least SOMETHING good is happening." he went on.

She could tell he was angry, and that it was taking all of his concerted effort and willpower to not just run out into the world to try and find Vanessa. But he was doing it. For her.

"Let me know when it ends." he told her.

"...damn it." he then cursed.

"This is all my fault. It had to have happened when I stepped out for an hour. I thought she'd be fine." he went on, now sounding angry and near tears.