Richard Adams (AKA Firefist Ace)

My eyes snapped open, my body jerking as I jumped from a nightmare that was just as quickly forgotten. The silk blanket covered me, while the bed rocked from my sudden movement. I stared at the wooden ceiling, while my heart calmed itself. It felt a bit further away, as I blinked the sleep from my eyes. The room was still a little dark, but I felt something was missing. Stretching my arm, I couldn't feel her next to me. Mimi must had gotten out of the bed.

With a small grunt, I sat up, my hips still hurting and bruised from the 'reward' Mimi gave me. I smiled to myself, getting the feeling that she might have wanted it more than me. The girl could only be described as insatiable, but I really didn't mind. I saw her there, sitting next to a small pile of food that her giants brought us throughout the night. The unmistakable glow of fire smoldering as she cooked the meat, her wings still had those harpy feathers stuck to them.

If there was anything that kept last night from being perfect, it had to be our disguises. We wanted to enjoy the real us, but it would have taken too long to get Mimi's disguise back on. I smiled at her, when she peeked over her shoulder back at me. She returned my smile with a warm grin of her own. "Would you like some food as well?" She offered held out the worm meat in question, making it clear she didn't want to hide anything from me. It was nice to know she was making the attempt, and that I was trusted by her.

I shook my head, not feeling hungry. "Nah, I'm more curious about when you learned how to do fire magic. It surprised me last night." She could feel my curiosity, the patience I had. In return she let me know she was considering when she could do it. An honest answer.

"Potentially from the start, when we first met actually. I'm not sure where it came from, or what I ate to get it. The issue was that I didn't know how to use it, and watching others only gets you so far. I probably could have cast it when Gray came into the Hive, since the information was there. Though I was much more focused on organizing my Hive, and ordering them as needed. It's probably better to say that I couldn't since I had to focus so much on the Hive, now I have enough Officers to pull that focus away and experiment." She kept her voice soft as she explained it.

I nodded, "Yeah, you told me about that. How you and your Hive share one mind, but it's you who provides the connections and links. That you direct them all and stuff. I can't even begin to imagine how much stress that might be on you." I got out of the bed, while she turned back to her cooking.

"I have reached my limits, a million minds all connected and exchanging information freely. My officers can run it by themselves, but I need the blue giants to keep the connections and such for them. Still, this is the biggest my Hive has ever been. This is the most powerful I have ever felt, and now I'm starting to learn that if I try to do everything by myself, I will stifle my Hive's growth. I need to trust those under me, and let them take on more of the work I used to do." She took a bite out of her food.

I hugged her from behind, even while sitting she was still taller than me. Which put her at the perfect height for me to hug her by the neck. "That's what I've been saying, though I think you always had that trust for those in your Hive, Mimi. I think the problem was that you felt they weren't quite ready to share your burden. You aren't just the Queen of your Hive, you're the person they love and follow. They have to know what you do for them, and you need to stop thinking about what benefits them. You deserve to have your own hobbies, your own desires."

I told her this same phrase so many times already, but it's finally starting to stick. Those precious moments where she pouted, or genuinely smiled. Those times where she was just a little selfish, doing something for the fun of it. It was in those moments, where she was her most beautiful. Where she wasn't just the figurehead for her Hive. Those moments where she was just herself, the person guiding it all. I wanted nothing more, than to help her stop hiding behind her Hive. She could be so much more.

Mimi gently rubbed my arms, letting me know that she felt my emotions. We still had a few hours before we had to leave for the Arena, where I would drop her off. She was preparing herself for the battle ahead, and explaining what she wanted if the Fiend's Eye truly did surrender. Explaining that she was worried that I might die, and that if I did she might buy a slave to replace me. With a few words, I felt she was hiding how reluctant she was to do that. She couldn't be completely honest, but she was trying. Just like Oswald did when we first started, everything hidden despite needing help.

I promised that I wouldn't die, and stole a kiss to seal it. Seeing that surprised smile, before she looked away. How she still couldn't understand me, or why I said what I did, even despite feeling my emotions. I started to cook something for myself, but she stopped me, wanting to cook me something. She hid that behind the excuse that she needed more practice. I just smiled letting her do what she wanted, since it was simply another precious memory that I could hold onto.

Our time together would pass all too quickly, while she kept going into more details as to why she wanted things the way she did. How Firefist Ace was necessary to make it less surprising when she used her fire today. Our bond was supposed to be that strong, that close, to the point we could share magic. She probably convinced herself that was the original plan all along, but she only started practicing this morning. Just like how we were accepting the surrender, but still kept the Hive close by to attack if anything happened. That she wanted me to run if it was a trap, that they would cover my escape. I promised to run at the first sign of something I can't handle.

We walked back to the Arena, about thirty minutes early so that it could be explained she was going by herself. I snuck one last hug to her, hating the lies I had to say. How if she died in the Arena, she wasn't worth having by my side. Still, I managed to keep my composure and Mimi was hoping for some monster she had yet to eat. Something to help her get stronger, for the sake of her Hive. She wasn't perfect, none of us were, but small steps in our most intimate moments would help us move past our self imposed limits. What Mimi truly wanted, was to protect everyone with her bugs. Though she would never admit it, even to herself.

I walked out of the Arena, resting by the wall. The fire I could store was topped off, but I didn't have any explosives I could use. I looked around, catching Isaac waving to me in a nearby alley. Curious to see where this was going, I walked towards the man. He saw me, and moved deeper so that no one in the crowd would notice us talking.

I walked around the corner, then further to another corner to find the old man resting on a crate. He had another on the wall opposite of himself, with a couple more lining the alley. A meeting place to discuss things in private. A couple of thugs moved behind me, holding up a blanket to show they were here to keep people out. They wore small spikes through their earlobes to show they were deaf. This was a bit weird, but I sat on a crate opposite of Isaac.

He smiled, "Welcome, I'm glad that you're taking the time to visit an old man. I'm fairly certain the Cheshire will show up in a bit. He was stalking around earlier."

I tilted my head, "Why would he do that? Also, how did you figure out who I was?"

Isaac put both hands up, "Don't worry, I haven't told anyone. As for how, well given my experience I can feel magic moving through someone's blood. By paying attention, I learned that the type of magic just feels different. It's crude, but I can guess what magic is about to be used by how the blood reacts to it. Great for knowing if someone is about to attack you, or figuring out what they can do before getting into a fight."

I nodded, surprised that he could even do that. "So... you're saying that my magic didn't feel like someone that could use fire?"

He smirked, "That, and how you are moving your blood around by your magic. From there I realized you weren't what you said you were. Then something clicked, it reminded me of Oswald. You don't forget a man with that level of skill and talent. Which allowed me to realize just who you were."

It made sense, and the man clearly liked to keep tabs on what happened top side. I leaned back on my crate, "So, I doubt we're both here to talk about just this, and who I was. What did you really want to discuss?"

Isaac put both hands on his staff, "Just give it a minute, I'm certain he'll be coming soon. This is too good to pass up for someone that loves rumors, and juicy conversations." We waited for about ten seconds, before Cheshire appeared out of thin air.

He took a crate, as if it was the most casual thing in the world, sitting in the middle of the alley. He crossed his arms with a huff, before pointing at Isaac. "Does he know who you are?"

"Okay, how did you figure that out?" I nodded at his question, confirming it for the guy.

Cheshire rolled his eyes, "I should have realized it sooner, but your little explosive finally made me realize you were a bloody alchemist. How the fuck did you go from struggling apprentice to pretending to be a pyromancer? Why didn't the Butcher of the Ball use fire?"

I blinked, "Butcher of the Ball?"

Isaac laughed a little, "An unofficial title, since you destroyed Oswald's family after his death. I'm more surprised you didn't know yourself."

My face turned red, as I looked down. "Just so you guys know, the two months after the Ball, I was in a bad spot. I don't want to talk about it, so can we just let the Ball thing go?"

The two nodded in agreement, Cheshire stretching a little. "I doubt you'll tell us how you got as strong as you did, but that's fine. One last, super important thing." He held up a finger, waiting for me to look at him. "How do I stop your brat from causing trouble? I'd like her to stop letting her beetles play with fire around the tribes. While the kids like the magic tricks, it's putting a few people on edge."

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I scratched my chin, "You know you could just ask her to stop right? She understands it when people talk to her." I remembered that beetle was supposed to be my daughter, so I continued on. "She likes toys, and simple games. Think of her like a small child. She's just trying to play with other kids her own age."

Cheshire just face palmed, shaking his head. "Couldn't mention that before, or said something when you handed her to me? How smart is the bug?"

I thought for a second, "Smart enough? I mean her mom is connected to her, so most of the things she needs to learn is coming from her? Maybe give her a teacher or tutor or something?"

Isaac stroked his beard, just enjoying the banter. Cheshire relaxed a little more, "Sure, I'll take care of that. By the way Isaac, how are you?"

Isaac smiled a little, "Still beat up from yesterday, but I have things to tend to. Like talking to two youngsters. Surely a man of your intellect understands how important Richard actually is?"

Cheshire grinned, "Yeah, Oswald's apprentice, and someone that clearly is starting to figure out how to do what that old dwarf did. Want to spill those secrets?"

I let out a small sigh, "Nope, not until I write it down in my own journal. Before you ask, yes I have his journal hidden away. I have read it all, but I can't sell out my brother like that. It might take a couple decades, but I want to make sure I can give the correct information to the right people."

Isaac grinned, "I see, in that case I'll just have to make sure you don't die before that time comes then. If you need anything, you can count on me to do what I can. Losing that information would be a blow to the entire field of alchemy, so I hope whoever you chose to give it to, will carry on the legacy. By the way, that was all I truly wanted to ask. It is a pleasant surprise to know my worst fears were for nothing."

Cheshire shrugged, "Even if this bastard threatened the entire Underground with a famine caused by black blood?"

Isaac furrowed his brow, tilting his head towards me. I put up both hands, "Hey, you weren't exactly receptive to letting us join you."

Cheshire grinned, "Yeah, but you shouldn't threaten a whole fucking population."

I crossed my arms, "I didn't, Mimi did. She wouldn't actually go through with it, no matter how much she says she could and would. It was just an empty threat."

Isaac rested for a second, while the silence lingered. Finally he spoke in a calm voice. "Mimi, was it? Are you certain she wouldn't do something like that? Can she really do it, if she needed to? Why was it used as a threat?"

I took a breath to steady myself, "Yes, I'm certain she would never do something like that. It's stupid, and she knows it would ruin her if she did. She can if she needed to, but even as a last resort she wouldn't unless it was the absolute only way to survive. It was used as a threat by her, because Cheshire here wasn't exactly willing to work with us."

A few more minutes of silence, before Cheshire spoke up, "I'm sorry. My pride, and caution got in the way of us understanding what either of us wanted. I'm going to ask someone that can talk to Mimi about this, are you fine with that?"

"If it helps us understand each other a little better, then yeah. For what it's worth, I am sorry that she threatened you with that. I talked with her about it, and while she won't apologize, she understands that she shouldn't try doing that kind of threat again."

Isaac grinned, "There we have it, the situation is resolved. May there be no bad blood between us." He raised his gourd drinking, before passing it to Cheshire. A kind of tradition in the Underground to show we will let past grievances go. Cheshire as the hurt party had to drink after the liaison, then I had to drink last.

Cheshire let out a playful sigh, and drunk his portion, wiping his lips on his arm. "I can't be mad if I'd probably do the same with that kind of power." He offered the gourd to myself, "Just don't let it happen again, young blood." Isaac laughed a little.

I took the gourd, swallowing my portion. It burned so good, and I wiped off the few errant drops on my sleeve. I handed it back to Isaac looking Cheshire in the eyes, "I promise. I'll try to help Mimi understand more about that kind of stuff. She's lacking on some things, but I think that has more to do with how she was raised, you know?"

Isaac took his gourd back, capping it. "Speaking of, how was she raised? I'd like to know more about the 'blight eater.' If you do not mind."

I raised a brow, "The blight eater? Er... actually I have to go somewhere and deal with stuff."

Cheshire tilted his head, "Oh? Where? We're basically a part of the same gang now, and you joined me by force. Which means I'm your boss~"

I tried to say something to disagree, but he had a point. I smiled back, "Fiend's Eye territory, they want to surrender. Don't tell Mimi I told you guys, since she wants to keep it discreet. She's hoping to actually replace them without anyone noticing."

Isaac and Cheshire both seemed to appraise the idea, Cheshire grinning even more. "Tell you what, I'll teleport us both there to save you the walk, so why don't we chat more about these plans."

I crossed my arms, "Sure thing, just don't make me late." I grinned back at Cheshire, and laid out the plan as I mostly understood it. It wasn't the overall plan about taking over the homunculus warehouse, and other finer details. Though it was enough to give the end goal. They both felt it was risky, but it made sense after I told them how we were already being attacked from the start. Isaac revealed his plans for a raid on one warehouse with Gerald leading it. Where I revealed that we already knew, and planned on staying out of that fight.

We spent a lot of time talking about how things were going down tonight, with Cheshire even agreeing to help as a show of his newfound willingness to help his adopted gang. Not to mention that with Isaac as a liaison, even if the Fiend's Eye did lie about surrendering their credibility would plummet making it easier for the Minotaur to take future action against them and potentially move in. Even if we had to retreat for whatever reason, the Fiend's Eye gang was doomed.

I was asked to be careful, and run at the first sign of danger. I felt it was mainly because they wanted me to pass on Oswald's notes, or even write my own to share. My old life giving me something useful, as Cheshire teleported me close to where I needed to be. The old church of the Southeast, dedicated to the mad god. It was a decently sized structure larger than the single homes littering the area. The boards all stained black, with tinted windows that you could not see into. A cross with half a circle and black spread wings stuck at the top. Different colored eyes painted all along the walls marking who or what it belonged to.

I approached the church, when the lady from the bar walked out to greet me. Other individuals crept out of their alleys, wearing their distinct hoods. Mimi was just starting her fight, she let me feel her anticipation through our connection. I did my best to let her know I was wary, but everything seemed to be going well. The lady in front of me smiled gently, "Are you ready to end this war before it even starts?"

I smirked back at her, "I was born ready."

She laughed softly, "An interesting choice of words" The sisters started to file into the church, surprised shouting and what sounded like a battle started. "We should hurry. I shall be right behind you."

I nodded, rushing into the church to find everything was perfectly fine. The pews all lined up and pristine, the organ at the end softly playing. I noticed the runes etched onto the pipes while more sisters followed behind me. They grabbed my arms, smothering me, with some kind of warmth. I pushed them off, but that smothering feeling was still there. My vision blurred, as I saw my mother carrying a strange wooden box.

This was impossible, she died giving birth to me! Yet, everything I knew seemed to confirm this was her. The warmth of love coming from her, a black line tracing through the air, towards me into my stomach where my belly button was. She was all I could focus on, her hair red and glowing, a sweet loving smile directed at me. Then I saw something wicked starting to crawl through the connection. This was wrong, everything was wrong. Every surface was turning red, while I could only hear a beating heart. Was it my own? No, it was too loud.

I gritted my teeth, falling to my knees, |"Just accept my love, my child."| I could hear her voice inside my head. One full of compassion and love. This was wrong! The black cord came from that box, but I couldn't even think about attacking it or severing it. As if doing so would lead to death. I felt another connection, no I saw it. The one that went to Mimi, whatever this was, it was going to use me to get to her! I saw my fear leaving me, as it trailed through our connection.

There was only one thing to do. I walked into this trap, and I wasn't going to let her suffer for it. I couldn't just drop the ring that bound us, that made the connection. I needed to destroy it, so they couldn't use it against her. I couldn't control my body, but I was laying in a curled fetal position. I pressed my fingers, that seemed so small, together. Using every bit of focus I had, I sent every ounce of heat and fire I kept inside my arms into the ring. The metal became super heated, the runes trying to prevent their destruction, but there was too much energy. The ring exploded, taking my finger with it. |"NO!"|

That was the last thing I heard, before my world became pain. Everything fading to black.

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Agatha The Bloody

The ritual was perfect, and the trap was set. Gertrude the man-eater knelt before the altar, praying as she always did. One of the dolls playing the organ to set the tone. The dream cast out into the world, to appear as if a battle were playing out inside this old church. All that was needed was a third sister to play the part, and their coven would be complete. The foolish boy entered our trap, his umbilical cord meticulously etched. The only reminder of a forgotten doll that had birthed a failure. Still even failures had their uses, as the soothsayers had sung when the child was born.

Born of dwarf and man, this youth shall carry luck's favor. The one that shall decide the fate of the Fiend's Eye, to become coven or dust. He shall bring death's mother, and regardless of the outcome the Eye shall get what it desires.

Gertrude probably forgot the prophecy herself, forgetful as she was. A vague omen that prompted me to keep both his placenta and cord, to try and preserve all these years. Something so personal, and unique, to create a funnel for all the curses we used the homunculus for. The curses meant for the mother of death, to control her and make her our sister. To control whatever death was, or might be. Yet, this foolish oaf severed his connection with that mother.

The man laid on the ground curled like a ball, lost in the ritual. Sigils burning themselves onto his skin, as he could only feel the pain of those souls being shattered. Gertrude finished her prayers, her bulbous body jiggling as she turned towards me. "Did it work sister?"

I spat at the fool on the ground, "No, he severed his connection with our target." The dolls around us knelt, awaiting orders. All our resources were poured into making the mother of death obey us. So many souls and their gems shattered, only to have her narrowly avoid us. To force her into forming a complete coven, and using death to make us immortal.

"Should I eat him then?" Gertrude crept closer, her body almost sloshing as she looked at him.

"No, we can still use him. He's a hostage at the very least, someone important to our target." I kicked the man in the ribs, as he cried. "Get up, stop crying."

Like a puppet, he rose to his feet, his finger and ring missing. Obeying our commands helped him feel some relief, but it would still take time to fully reshape his mind. Even I couldn't break the curse, as it was far too powerful. I smiled, as his body was completely covered in still bleeding sigils. A curse that attacked all aspects of one's very being. There was no escaping it, and it was a waste to have such a thing used on a simple human. "Follow me." He moved closer, groaning like a newborn homunculus.

Gertrude crossed her arms, "Should I prepare for battle then, sister?"

I nodded slowly, "If they stick to their plan, they might attack as night falls, or whenever death's mother is done in the Arena. Gather your pets, while I move the dolls into motion. It's important that you don't kill our target, but feel free to rip a few limbs off."

Gertrude grinned, her sharp fang-like teeth gnashing. "Mind sparing a few for a ritual or two? Every little bit should help us, after all."

I grinned back, instructing the feeble humans to do as Gertrude wished. After all, regardless of the outcome we would get what we desired. We were the Eye, the Fiend's Eye after all.