The cathedral is filled with the clacking of gear and clicking of guns as the Limp Dicks step forward carefully to tighten their formation. The Beloved stays put, still and menacing as ever.

"Fuck!"

"What is the meaning of this!?"

"Unbelievable..."

"Master!"

"Grrr! Surrounded!"

Pinky whines and buries his head again.

The freak raises a hand and the soldiers stop immediately. "I will not allow you to bully your way out of this - I am most dedicated to finding a peaceful solution to our disagreement."

I look around. I see our warped images reflected in their chrome armor. I'm tempted to carve through them, just for pulling their freaky little magic trick. But even if I gave it everything I got, I would be able kill all of them before the cut down the Elementals.

"As you can see, Ferdinand, negotiations haven't finished just yet."

"Keep my name out of your mouth, motherfucker! If you even scratch one of them, all the fuckin' magic tricks in the world won't be able to save you from me!"

"You are indeed powerful, and power must be respected, no matter how perverse or ill-deserved it may be."

"You are the perverse one, abomination!" Althea backs up to me. "You will pay for this affront!"

The others, including Zazel, slowly cluster around me. The Limp Dicks tighten their formation slightly, watching our every movement and pointing a gun at every body part.

How the fuck did they do that!? We're fucking trapped. I could easily kill the soldiers, but not before they clip the girls. Plus, I don't know what kind of powers the freak has. But whatever the fuck that thing can do, it must be at least kind of powerful for it to have the balls to face off with me like this.

"We ain't joinin' your fuckin' crew, asshole! You're wasting your time!"

"It is clear that you are far too greedy and selfish to join us on principal alone, but perhaps I can appeal to those sentiments with an offer."

I narrow my eyes at the Beloved. "Talk."

"You are powerful. But so are we, and thus, I propose the following. We will leave you and the previously Released Elementals to do as you see fit. You may continue to wander this world freely as you have been - destroying crystals, indulging in hedonistic pleasures, killing animals, and whatever else you like. But with one exception: you leave us to conduct our business as we see fit, until such time as we depart."

"What? You're gonna invade, then just up and leave? Yeah fucking right."

"We need not stay here indefinitely. While the natural resources of this world would prove every valuable, we are willing to leave them to you as a part of this deal. As I said before, what makes Astraea truly important is its unique quirks and the special beings that inhabit it. Once we have what we need, we will leave."

"So we get to keep this world, while you go and invade all the others on your fucked-up cult crusade? We get to cover our asses while you go and stomp in all the others!"

"Again, your bad faith interpretations of our actions cloud your judgement. Yet, you are more generous than I gave you credit for - you assume that we will succeed. However, the war for Liberation will be long, and the battles very much uphill. We cannot risk failure at this critical juncture, which is one reason why I am offering you a peace deal instead of taking direct action."

Althea snaps to me. "We cannot accept this offer, Hero! I sense they intend to honor any agreement we make, but that does not mean they will not return later when they have accumulated more power and we cannot fight back."

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

The Beloved gestures toward Althea. "The universe is vast, and we are unlikely to return before your lives are over. But what you say is a possibility, of course. We fully to intend to bring Liberation and Unity to every inch of the universe eventually. However, just as we will grow in power, so too might Ferdinand grow in wisdom and understanding - perhaps enough to join our cause willingly."

"Ha. You wish, assclown."

Del growls. "Foolish. We will not leave our descendants ripe for your picking, monster."

"It is disheartening to hear so much gnashing of teeth in the face of Liberation. It is clearly that the Wardens' termites have dug deep and dined for a long, long time."

"Master," says Domina, tugging on my shoulder "we are fast approaching an impasse."

The Beloved speak before me. "You are right. But I suppose I can sweeten the deal a bit more for you."

"My parents told me not to take candy from strangers."

"Interesting retort - I was just about to bring up the topic of your parents."

What the fuck? Does this fucker have something to do with mom and dad?

I scowl at the freak. "I'd sooner kick a baby than trust anything you say about my parents."

"Are you quite sure? Under the right conditions, I could reunite you with them."

Emotion grips my chest and my hot blood begins to chill. "Bullshit..."

I look over at Althea, her eyes are wide, and she nods at me hesitantly.

"We are well past the point of deceptions, are we not?"

"Where the fuck are they, then!? If you got 'em, then bring 'em here. I don't care what you say - I'm callin' bullshit until you plant 'em in front of me."

"I cannot do that. The situation is complicated, but I am certain I can reunite you with your parents if you are willing to put aside your reservations and cooperate temporarily."

"Fuck you! They've been in your slimy hands all this time?!"

"It is nothing of the sort. Like you, they are obstinate. They refuse to see the truth, or use their powers for good. But if you were to come with me-"

"Ha! So, basically, you're admitting that Mom and Dad are too tough for you to crack!" I can't help feel a little pride, and I crack a cocky little smile. " You know, you fuckers were lucky Earth was full of scumbags - if there were more people like my folks, your stupid asses would have been put out of business before you even opened up shop!"

The Beloved goes silent for a moment. The air becomes colder and heavier. The cathedrals' lights flicker and dim. Then, before anyone can say or do anything, the atmosphere lifts, like a sheet bring ripped off a bed.

"Your response?"

I don't skip a beat. "There's no way in hell I'll let you walk all over this place, you piece of shit!"

"Your arrogance is astounding. Your ignorance is profound. Do you truly wish to give up everything to fight us? To watch everyone wither and die as you seek vengeance against us? Think about what you - what everyone - will lose."

Like getting hit with a Jedi mind trick, I can't help but remember my life on the farm. Those years were the best of my life. It was a hard life, but it was good. And not a day has gone by that where I didn't wonder what happened to my parents. I always assumed that they died somehow, because there's no way they wouldn't have done everything possible to find me.

So why didn't they?

It's hard not to feel hurt that they've been around but didn't come to find me. I never even got to say goodbye. But Mom and Dad were good people, and they loved me. There must be a good reason one I would give almost anything to know. But mostly, I just want to see them again.

And for a moment, there's this wild, crazy, naive part of me that wants to drink from the well of Koolaid the Beloved has set in front of me. One that will take me to a dreamland where me, mom and dad try to live side by side with the Elementals on a big, magical alien farm where we'll live out the rest of our days in an uneasy peace.

But there's something missing from that picture. Someone.

Kris. I loved her almost as much as my parents, and we shared a bond forged in the fucked up shadow of Central. Yeah, she betrayed me - she murdered me. But that... But that wasn't her. That was the fucking Liberation Society and their brainwashing.

But maybe Zazel is right. Maybe I care about the past too much. Maybe I'm hung up on it. Maybe I'll hang from it.

No, that's not gonna happen. I ain't taking this cat's offer. Fuck. That.

If my parents are giving the Limp Dicks trouble, they're probably more or less safe. And if I get enough power, I might be able to go back to Earth to save 'em some day.

And Kris is probably far too gone. Warped beyond recognition. Yeah, the Kris I knew died the night she left me for that cult.

But... I need some closure. I need to talk to Kris. One more time - just to make sure.

Besides, I need to bide a little time to think of a way out of this fucked up situation.

I turn to the others. Althea, Zazel, Domina, Del, and Pinky. They seem kind of scared and uncertain as they look back me, but there's a spark of bad bitch in their eyes too - they're shaken but not stirred.

But as I turn back to the freak, I can feel Zazel's eyes on the back of my head.