"I don't know what you smell, but a bond is the best word. The more I can learn about her, the better chance I have of saving her from Salem." [i] Lance said, knowing full well apparently Salem had a hand in making Anthony what he was. [/i]

[b]Before Lance could mentally explain what happened, Anthony just appeared before him, a long grey hand extending to him as two thin fingers touch his forehead...[/b] [i]"Perhaps its better to show you..."[/i] [b]And then... The world went black...[/b] // [b]When Lance awoke... He felt stuck, stuck like an animal... But there was more there... He felt out of place... Like he wasn't in his own body...[/b] [i]"Copy... Vessel eight and twelve are moving to delivery... Are the-"[/i] [b]The voice was too distant... Too quiet... But the second it stopped, he could feel himself jerked forward, a cold sensation sweeping over him as some strange machine pushes his strapped body forward...[/b]

[i] Lance almost screamed at the feeling, one of the worst ever. Feeling helpless. It didn't help that not only he was in someone else's body, but he/they were strapped down and it made his skin crawl.[/i]

[b]The machine carrying Lance's constraints eventually stopped and lowered, man standing in the shadows not far off. He was tall, and muscular, with eyes cold and blue as absolute zero... He had long black hair that fell to his shoulders and a scruffy beard. At first glance, he looked like Lutece... But this man was more distant and empty... This was nothing like the warm and kind Lutece... This was Morgrant Mourne... He dusted off his coat and stepped forward like a great doctor, looking at the body before him.[/b] [i]"Do not fear... Fear is your enemy here... Trust me. Today you will become more powerful than any of us could have imagined... And I plan to see it through..."[/i] [b]He stepped away, running a hand through his beard as a large set of doors opened and another man stepped forward, dressed in a business suit, face hidden.[/b] [i]"Two at the same time? You are getting sloppy, Morg... What makes these two special?"[/i] [i]"They are the best vessels I have... The last two in fact... No other children could survive the pain. But these two are pure and naturally gentle... To break such things would be... Fitting."[/i] [i]"Just get it done... I'm needed back in an hour and I want results..."[/i] [b]With a clank, the machine moved forward and Lance found himself entering the large dome shaped room the business man had come from, adjacent to him another person tied to a metal slab, restrained... She had black hair, large purple eyes, and fair skin... On either side of the room were two large spheres... One filled with a bright light that burned blue and gold... Another a dark cloud that sparked with blue and dripped purple...[/b] [i]"Conducting... Alright..."[/i] [b]A voice pipes up from the intercoms, gruff and hostile...[/b] [i]"This is Dr. Salem of Lordan Lab Industries conducting the final test of the host program... Both gates will unlock in ten minutes... Clear the dome and report to observation deck two..."[/i]

[i] Lance's body..or pseudo body, or his mind, whatever the hell he was watching this from seized in terror and realization. That was Belle on the other slab, and he was probably in Lana's. What he was witnessing was Anthony and this..Amaterasu being put into Lana and Belle. Lance seethed at the thought. Salem would fall to his blades, and he should've killed Morgrant's decrepit and crippled ass while he could've. [/i]

[b]Time seemed to pass, the young girl before him frozen in nothingness, as if she had just simply given up... Eventually however, the intercom returned in full force, Salem having returned to schedule.[/b] [i]"Dome floor cleared... Proceeding..."[/i] [b]But in the back, an almost clicking could be heard... Like...[/b] [b][u]Crash.[/u][/b] [b]The left corner of the dome splintered and broke as men with blue EVA helmets rapped down a large hole, rifles poised, opening fire immediately...[/b] [i]"Dammit... There's no... Fūck... They found us... Initiate procedure... We don't have a choice..."[/i] [b]One of the men... No... A woman rushed towards Lance, SMG in hand as she got to work on the straps, the blue skull stuttering as she worked... But as she tried to finish... A machine in the back whirred to life and the two containers suddenly emptied...[/b] // [b]When Lance came to, he was standing in a garden, a young, but familiar face in front of him. He had somewhat long blonde hair and pale green eyes... Lucien Lordan... He was shaking Lance's body, screaming something that Lance just couldn't hear...[/b] [b]In the distance, a much taller figure with a metal mask was carrying the limp body of Annibelle in his arms, a large fur coat around him... He trailed away, blood dripping from the partial exposed corner of his mouth...[/b] // [b]Lance suddenly jolted awake.. Anthony looking down at him, the grin still plastered to the mask... But he seemed far off now... Like he was fading...[/b] [i]"It seems I am unable to show you what happened... Alas... I fade once more..."[/i]

"Dammit Anthony!" [i] Lance yells in frustration as he begins to fade. There were so many questions that he needed answers to, and Anthony was a prime source for them.[/i] "Do you know where Belle is?" [i] Lance questioned as Anthony began to fade. Maybe because Belle had something similar in her, that Anthony could track her/it somehow? He was grasping at straws, but they were still straws.[/i]

[b]The fog began to clear away, the floor turning black beneath them as Anthony let out a melodious chuckle...[/b] [i]"In your mutual destruction... Such answers do not matter..."[/i] [b]Anthony suddenly vanished... Only to reappear with the other two masked men huddling close.[/b] [i]"Until I return... Prepare..."[/i] [b]With that, the trio vanished and the world around them began to rotate until the tree took place of the fog, Seth's torn body laying on the grass where Lana was kneeling, his eyes staring ahead... He was still alive... But his anger had vanished and was replaced with his familiar cold and annoyed expression... He was watching leaves fall... But no blood escaped him... Like dry clay he lay in pieces...[/b] [i]"My head hurts..."[/i] [i]"I know..."[/i] [i]"I can't remember anything..."[/i] [i]"I know..."[/i] [b]Lana pressed a hand to his forehead as he sighed and turned his gaze to Lance, seemingly confused...[/b]

[i] Lance looked back and forth between the two before running his hands over his face, and screaming. A guttural, fury filled scream that was laced with sorrow and anguish and rage. He slammed his fist into a nearby tree that splintered on impact, where Lance took a deep breath and rested his forehead on the tree. It was tearing him apart, not being able to help Belle. He didn't know what Salem was doing to her, had done to her, or would do to her. And it was ripping him to pieces from the inside out.[/i]

[b]Seth raised an eyebrow as Lance suddenly felt something toppled him, pushing him onto the grass, fur and feathers swarming him. But rather than crush him, it felt almost comforting and relaxing...[/b] [b]Then, it rolled over... It was... Bear sized... It was... Alphonse? The large creature had sense Lance's unhappiness and had taken it upon itself to comfort him.[/b]

[i] Lance grunted as the giant owl Griffin toppled him over and landed on him, looking up into the adorable face and laughing. He couldn't help himself. Even shadowy master swordsmen were endeared by adorable animals. Even if they weighted five hundred pounds. Lance reached up and scratched Alphonse behind the ears.[/i] "Thanks Al. I appreciate it buddy."

[b]The large creature purred happily, slowly shrinking to normal size... He wasn't part of Lana's imagination... And so he had a single seal of his own... One to change size.[/b] [i]"I'm sorry, Mister... I didn't realize Anthony was back..."[/i] [i]"Anthony is around?"[/i] [i]"If he caused you any harm..."[/i] [i]"Wait... He's back?!"[/i] [i]"I thought he had left..."[/i] [i]"Stop! How is Anthony back?!"[/i] [b]Lana looked down at Seth and held his cheek, sadness in her eyes.[/b] [i]"He's in your head..."[/i] [i]"Oh..."[/i] [b]Lana eventually got up and blinked, Seth suddenly turning to a pile of dust as she pushed him away.[/b]

"I'm sorry Lana." [i] Lance said quietly as he stood up and brushed himself off. He didn't even know what he was apologizing for..he just felt like he needed to.[/i]

[i]"You've done nothing wrong... If anything I should be the one apologizing... You should have never have met him..."[/i] [b]Lana sighed and kneeled back onto the ground, Alphonse trotting over and resting next to her, paw prodding her small legs.[/b] [i]"And now Seth is... Hosting dark stuff... And... I just need to find Mister Damien..."[/i]

"What do you need Damien for?" [i] Lance questioned, leaning his back against the semi-charred tree. His body ached after his ordeal with Anthony, even though there were no physical wounds. [/i]

[i]"He knows how to handle this stuff... He's smart..."[/i] [b]The long fabric ears of her hood almost seemed to droop... But Damien was so often I his own little world or doing his own thing, that catching him at a good time would be... Difficult.[/b] [i]"I don't know anymore... It's all... So difficult..."[/i] [b]Lana curled up into a ball, knees to her chest, head to her knees. And as she did so... She withdrew... She was no different than Belle in her fears and struggles...[/b] [b]And then... A single spark, her cloth wrappings slowly scattering as Lana turned into a swarm of origami balloons, light blue flames inside each one as they scattered into the wind.[/b] [b]Alphonse made some sort of bird like noise before flying upwards, following the balloons, trying not to loose track of his friend...[/b]