Colin's posts

"........indeed." Azazel replied.

He then showed her the small blob of mana in his hand.

"Apparently this is yours." he said.

"And it's covering everyone in the Unit." he told her.

"It's replicating and spreading." Armo chimed in.

"Odds are it's made its way out into the world as well." he added.

"...this is weird." Azazel muttered.

"It shouldn't be happening." he went on.

"So get the girl here and ask her about it." Armo said.

"...I'll do just that." Azazel responded.

He then sent a text to the woman in question.

Whenever you can, stop by my place. ASAP, actually. it read.

"...that is some really weird mana." Cain mumbled again.

Azazel looked to Cain and Aedan, before using his mana to make the mana in his hand become visible to everyone.

"Look at this." he said.

"Woah." Cain mumbled.

"Funky mana." he commented.

"Very." Azazel replied.

"Seems... vaguely familiar, too." Cain added.

"It should." Azazel said in response.

"...it's Erica's."

"....whatever." Armozan muttered.

"Again, just protecting my ride." he said.

Azazel just smirked a little, exchanging knowing glances with Aly.

"Anyway, what is it?" he then asked Armo.

"Right, hang on." Armo said, materializing somewhat and reaching into his mouth with a clawed finger, pulling out a small blob of the mana from earlier, wadding it between his fingers.

"Take a look at this." he told Azazel, flicking it over.

Azazel caught it and looked at it, before freezing.

"Oh... good Lord..." he muttered.

"Aedan! Cain! Get in the den, please!" he called out.

Before they could say anything, her shadow wrapped itself around her again, like armour.

"I KNOW I can ward off the effects of Hell." Armo said.

Azazel just smirked.

"Right then." he said.

With that, he opened up a portal, and they stepped through, appearing in the den of the house that Azazel, Aedan, and Cain lived in.

"I only override Unit barriers when I feel it absolutely necessary." Azazel said, as Armo removed himself from Aly, and Azazel shut the portal.

"Take a seat if you feel the need to." he told Aly.

Armo just looked away.

"Yeah, well." he said.

"Need to keep my ride safe." he told her.

About 10 seconds later, a demonic portal appeared in the wall just down the stairs, and Azazel stepped out. He saw Aly, and made his way to her.

"Right." he muttered.

"You good to travel?" he asked.

"Because we need to get out of here ASAP."

"......." again, Azazel was silent for a moment.

"I'll be there soon." he said.

"Just need to take some preventative measures-" he continued, but Armo interrupted again.

"I'M immune to it, so YOU will be too." he said to him.

"...I'll be there ASAP." Azazel corrected himself.

Aly then told him where she was, specifically, before the call was ended.

"Right then." Armo muttered.

"Just need to stay here and hope you don't die, I guess." he told Aly.

"Wait, what?" Azazel asked.

"You fell down the stairs!?" he exclaimed.

"Hold on, my ranking is not the question to be asking right now-" he continued, before Armo interrupted.

"Just answer the damn question." he said.

"...." Azazel was silent for a moment, and then sighed.

"Yes." he said. "I do." he confirmed.

"Why?" he asked.

"....excuse me?" Azazel asked after a pause.

"Attempts on your LIFE!?" he exclaimed.

"TWO!? In the last HOUR!?" he continued.

"You need to get OUT of there, then!" he told her.

"If your life's in danger, you need to get away!" he reiterated.

"Huh?" Azazel responded.

"What am I doing right now?" he asked.

"Admittedly, not much." he said.

"Aedan and I returned from the field reconnaissance, and were about to return to the Unit, but we were told by Jake to stay away, that something's going down." he told her.

"Why?" he asked. "What's up?" he asked further.

"You sound... not so good."

When she checked her phone, she found that it was surprisingly all right.

The screen was a bit cracked in one of the corners, and the case looked dinged up, but... overall, it looked like it was just fine.

"Huh." Armo muttered.

"Things durable." he said.

"Hope the circuits didn't get scrambled or anything." he went on.

"Not feelin' so hot, huh?" he then asked her.

"Ah good, you're awake." Armo said.

"Was wondering if you were out for good." he commented.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I tried to absorb some of the impact, but... admittedly, that was the first time I've tried something like that, and it was under some VERY hasty conditions..." he explained to her.

"Anything broken?" he asked.

"Can ya still stand and move?"

Armozan withdrew from over her body, and went back into her shadow, but raised up a little.

"Yo, kid." he said.

"Kid? Aly?" he addressed her further.

"You okay?" he asked.

"......." he was silent, before growling.

"Ah, shit." he cursed.

He then saw that some of whatever-it-was had jumped onto Aly from the one that had tackled her, so he pulled it off and just looked at it in his clawed shadowy hand.

"Geez, what ARE you?" he wondered aloud.

She was hit, and hit hard.

"OUTTA THE WAY!" the one that shoved her laughed, as Aly fell.

She felt her feet leave the ground, and saw the world spinning around her.

"ALY!" Armo yelled, but there was nothing really he could do... until it hit him.

"Sorry about this..." he apologised.

Then, before she could say anything, he 'engulfed' her, covering her in her shadow, as she tumbled and crashed down the stairs.