Walter had wanted to feed Stanley before he left but Stanley could feel the extra uneasiness from everyone except Nate, so he'd talked Walter into giving him something to go instead. Now he had a steaming fish wrapped up in some kind of paper and tucked into his jacket pocket. Caffeine was shrunk down to his new pocket puppy size and was leaning out of his own pocket and as far as he could towards the other pocket and its contents. It did actually smell good and Stanley was looking forward to eating it, once he was out of here.

Stanley patted his pockets as he stepped onto the porch, mostly out of habit. "Am I forgetting anything?" he thought. "Keys, dead phone, fish, Caff, left my backpack in the street… my spear!" He couldn’t believe he'd forgotten it, again… well maybe it wasn't that surprising, considering… He turned back to the door and stuck his head inside. "By any chance did anyone find a wooden spear in the street during the battle?" Stanley asked.

Adrian and Daryl looked confused. "A what?"

Walter walked into the room. "Sir, I believe a young woman entered the building carrying a wooden spear after the battle. Was it by chance red?" Walter asked and Stanley thought about it. It had been a bit red after getting soaked in blood. He nodded at the man. "Shall I retrieve it?" Walter asked calmly.

Stanley was about to nod in assent but he paused. "I keep dropping it… do I want it back?" He thought of Samantha. "She saved me, and died for it." The memory of that event washed over him and Stanley shuddered. She saved his life. Yet he had forgotten about her. To be fair, it felt like such a long time ago and some things had happened...

"Can I meet her?" Stanley asked Walter.

Walter glanced at Daryl who was watching Stanley curiously. Daryl shrugged. "Sure."

"Very good Sir." Walter turned and paused, his Soul hesitant.

"How about I meet her outside?" Stanley suggested. "If she can handle getting near me…"

"I'll come along." Daryl said and pulled a fistful of fire from the wall. "Just in case." He carried it in his hand as he followed Walter out. Princess looked torn, glancing from the Phoenix to the door, before she followed Daryl.

"I'll meet you down there." Nate said to Stanley and followed the others.

Stanley nodded to Adrian and the Phoenix, Cheesesteak, sitting on his shoulder. Both of them looked tired. "Later," Stanley said to them as he hoped up to the porch railing and looked down. He was at least twenty stories up but heights just didn't give him the same jolt anymore. His power was becoming more and more instinctual these days. Stanley stood easily on the railing, not really needing to balance, and he felt the Souls all around.

The people inside the building were muddled by the fire, more so now that he was outside, but everywhere else he could feel them. Birds high above, weak birds that didn't worry him. Critters and small animals below, scurrying through the streets and under the streets. And fish in the river… also something else under the water, further away… Stanley remembered the teeth he'd seen under there. "I'm going to avoid the water for now," he decided. There was nothing above F Rank anywhere that Stanley could sense and he wondered briefly whether it was him or just the large number of Humans in the area.

Stanley stepped off the railing and stood on nothing as he drifted down and away. Caffeine toppled out of his pocket as he tried to reach the fish and Stanley pulled him up into a hug. "Don't worry Caff, I'll share it with you." He kissed the dog's head and set him back into the pocket. He could gauge how far his Soul was leaking by when the wildlife suddenly froze or panicked and ran away as he approached the ground.

He 'landed' far enough away from the building that none of the Souls inside were reacting to him. He hovered cross legged in the air, rolled Caffeine into his lap and rubbed his belly until someone came out of the building. The upsidedown pug watched them approach while enjoying his belly rub until they got too close and he had to go smell the newcomer. Caffeine scrambled upright and away from Stanley with a woof and a wagging tail.

Stanley noticed Walter standing in the doorway behind the approaching people but the man didn't come out, only stood there and watched from inside. Stanley was also watching as they approached, but not with his eyes. He closed them, and instead analyzed the Soul of the woman carrying his spear.

He knew she had his spear, he could feel it now. Though it had changed somewhat.

He could feel it with his [Soul Awareness] now… though he didn't know if it was just the new Skill or if the spear was different. It felt similar but not quite what he remembered from his [Soul-Sight], and he didn't want to activate that right now, especially not with the boost he'd used last time. Stanley only passively observed, carefully and closely until he finally thought he understood.

"What… what'd you want." She stood before him, her Soul nervous and trembling under his leaking aura but she endured it.

"Better than most so far," Stanley thought. He couldn’t place her accent. Not that he could place very many though... He opened his eyes and looked at her. She wasn't white but otherwise he had no idea of her ethnicity. She had long dark hair and brown skin and her white knuckled hands were tight around the spear shaft that she obviously didn't want to give up. Caffeine was sniffing at her feet and she smiled briefly at him when he whined up at her with small tail wags. "Caff remembers her… must have met her before. Either in the battle or while I was unconscious."

"Stanley, this is…" Daryl started, still holding a ball of fire in one hand.

"Did you Soul Bind it?" Stanley asked her abruptly and she flinched while Stanley looked again at where her Soul Energy was partially merged with the spear's Energy.

"I…" She hesitated and then slumped. "Not yet. It said it started… but it's not bound."

"Interesting." Stanley thought. "Is it her class or has it changed since I had it?"

"You're taking it back then?" She held it out reluctantly.

"Can you fight with it?" Stanley asked instead of taking it. She straightened and started a spinning, swiping, stabbing dance. It was impressive and she finished with an abrupt stab towards Stanley’s head. He saw it coming and flinched.

Something inside him changed and everything slowed down. "She will miss. Not a true attack. Trying to intimidate me? Retaliate or ignore? I will…" Stanley was abruptly himself again and Caffeine huffed as everything sped back up and the spear stopped next to his head. "Thanks Caff," he thought as his mind reeled from the sudden changes. "Not sure what I was about to do…" Pain was throbbing in his head and the woman quickly withdrew the spear and took a few steps back. "Did I just activate my skill by accident?" he wondered. "And I did something to myself while using it… I think I sped up my mind?" Stanley thought, confused as he watched the woman.

Her eyes were wide, she must have felt something shift. In fact everyone was worried now… except Nate, he was amused… "Don't antagonize the unstable old man," Nate said jovially. "Especially when he just got a new Skill that only took a few minutes to get him to consider genocide as a training exercise." Nate winked at Stanley. "But don't worry he decided to become a dictator instead."

"Dude…" Stanley said softly.

Nate just laughed while Daryl and the woman looked at him aghast. "Don't worry." Nate told them. "Caffeine will stop him." The pug wagged his tail at the mention and pawed at Nate's legs until the man bent down to give him some pets.

Stanley closed his eyes as they throbbed. "Nate has a lot of faith in Caff… but then he should." Stanley felt a smile tugging at his face and he opened his eyes, looking at the spear and the woman holding it. "It was created by a woman named Samantha," Stanley told her. "She saved my life." He met her gaze, his smile faded. "And she died for it…"

The woman slumped dejectedly and stepped forward, holding the weapon out.

"Don't forget about her," Stanley said quietly as he turned away. "Like I did…" He could feel the woman's confusion, followed by relief and happiness, tinged just slightly with frustration and regret.

"I won't…" she whispered.

"She will make better use of it," Stanley thought. "Maybe it will help keep her alive." He wasn't enjoying the confusing feelings brought up by the exchange but he refused to think about using his new Skill. It was worrying enough that he'd activated it like that, the bright side was that Caffeine had almost immediately stopped it. Behind him, Stanley could feel Caffeine trying to get Princess to play with him but she was nervous and looking around tensely. "Smart fox."

Stanley focused on his Soul, checking for any new damage, just in case, but it appeared unchanged. He ignored the voices conversing behind him and instead kept analyzing his Soul. Caffeine gave up on playing with Princess and jumped up into Stanley's floating lap and lay down with a sigh. Stanley absent-mindedly stroked his hand over the pug as he looked at his Soul. There was something happening between his Soul and the new coat. Stanley couldn't quite tell what, but it was definitely worth further study…

Mana Saturation of (Earth) has surpassed (F Rank) Threshold. Rank Up.

[Dungeon(Earth)](E Rank)

Prepare to Defend the Dungeon! Fight!

Stanley heard the conversation behind him stop. "Shit. That can't be good," Nate said.

"No it's not…" Daryl murmured. "We need to get back."

Stanley felt Daryl and the woman moving away and Nate walked over. "You ready?" he asked. Stanley nodded and lifted both of them into the sky. "Ah, this is the way to travel," Nate said happily. "We need to go more that way though." He pointed north.

"I need to… see something," Stanley said softly. A minute later they were looking down at a torn and shattered street. Bones and rotting corpses were strewn everywhere. Scorch marks surrounded a small pile of blackened and broken bones next to a large crater. Caffeine whined at Stanley and licked his face once, while Nate was silent as he looked at the aftermath. "I killed it." Stanley thought. "I'll only get stronger from here. I'll kill the rest of them… soon… but not yet." He turned away and found the place he'd left his backpack. It was shredded, it looked like some animals must have smelled the food. "Not too surprising." Stanley glanced at Nate as he turned to leave, a small smile on his lips. "Ready to go back?"

Nate looked slightly nervous. "Why are you…"

Stanley Moved them. He didn't push too hard as he didn't want to hurt himself just in case his Soul wasn't up to it. They shot up into the sky. Though from their perspective the world fell away from them, streets narrowed and buildings shrank away below until he abruptly stopped, the lack of g forces making the maneuver feel very odd.

"That was weird," Nate said, apparently in agreement with Stanley’s assessment. It was quiet and peaceful up in the sky. Stanley could only feel Nate and Caffeine's Souls this high up and the sudden lack of Souls echoing against him made Stanley realize just how much 'noise' he'd been hearing before. Nate laughed. "Man, I have got to get a flying Skill!"

Stanley smiled. It was pretty great. He took them at a fast pace to the north. Listening to his Skill as he went, just in case some survivors had hidden and held out till now. As they traveled, he turned to Nate. "Are you going to combine your groups?"

Nate slowly shook his head. "I don't think so. At least not yet."

"Why not?" Stanley asked. He didn't really care, not wanting to be dealing with a bunch of whiny people himself, but it seemed like more would be better in this case.

"They already have a few hundred people in there," Nate said and Stanley blinked. "I guess the fire was blocking my skill rather well…"

"Daryl said the food is tight as well. Apparently there is some kind of fish Lair underneath the building and that's how they have been feeding everyone," Nate continued. "It provides food but I guess not fast enough." He glanced at Stanley. "Another reason is that they are afraid of you as well."

Stanley shrugged. "It's not unreasonable, after that… uh, episode."

"It wasn't that exactly…" Nate said hesitantly. "Right at the end there… when you snapped out of it. There was a flash of… something."

"The Source." Stanley realized. They must have felt the pulse. He still wasn't sure if Caffeine had used it to change his Skill or just stopped blocking it while altering the Skill. Either way it was… well it didn't really matter, did it?

"You want to tell me about that?" Nate asked. "You don't have to," he added. "I want you to stay with us either way. Even if Daryl can't see it, or is too scared to be smart."

Stanley thought about it. Nate had always been rather straightforward and usually matched his words with what his Soul was saying. "I… acquired something that I shouldn't have been able to and it will kill me if I use it," he said slowly. "At least for now," he finished silently.

Nate’s Soul didn't change as he answered simply, "okay." Then he smiled. "It doesn't make you want to genocide the humans right?"

Stanley sighed. "I shouldn't have told you about that."

Nate just laughed. "Caffeine having his paw on the button is actually very comforting."

"So you finally noticed that he is a teddy bear?" Stanley grinned at Nate.

"He actually is." Nate smiled at the pug sticking his head out of Stanley’s pocket and staring at the other pocket. "A terrifyingly powerful teddy bear. I haven't seen him even growl at anyone." He reached over and scratched the pug’s head. "I watched him begging for food the other day," he continued. "He could've just taken whatever he wanted, but he just stared and whined at people." Nate shook his head. "Just like he is waiting for you to eat now." Caffeine whined at Stanley and kept staring at his pocket.

"You guys still fishing?" Stanley asked, remembering the fish he'd eaten there as he reached for the food in his pocket and pulled it out, much to Caffeine’s excitement.

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"Actually we got lucky," Nate responded. "We found a chicken Lair."

Stanley stopped unwrapping his fish. "Chickens?"

Nate laughed. "Big chickens. Taller than me and with some crazy claw skills, but so delicious!"

"Huh." Stanley handed a piece of fish to Caffeine and stuck another in his own mouth. "Oh tha's ood…" He wolfed down the fish while silently praising Walter and listening to Nate describe the chicken Lair. Of course Caffeine got some too. "So why not have them move up there?" Stanley asked when he was finished.

"We don't have enough room for everyone either," Nate said, "also I don't know if you heard, but there is a buff from the building." Stanley shook his head and Nate continued. "They have one for the whole tower and we have our own back there." He waved to the north. "It popped up yesterday and we're not sure exactly how it works, but if you hold a building long enough, or maybe do something else to trigger it. It eventually becomes a 'Sentient Lair'." He made an air quotes gesture. "You have to be inside to get the buff. It also said it makes the walls stronger over time and that part could be real useful."

"A Human Lair…" Stanley didn’t know how to respond to that.

Nate nodded. "Get this, it gives lots of little Buffs to defense and regen and all that, but it also gives a fertility buff." Nate chuckled. "Increased Conception and Decreased Incubation Time."

Stanley shivered. "That is… fuck, I don't know, creepy?"

Nate nodded. "It is creepy. Unless you want kids… I guess?"

They both were silent after that. Contemplating the new reality that was their world now. The line that separated the Purified land and everything else, was easily visible from the sky and it was a stark difference that left Stanley wondering how people were surviving without a Purifier. Though Adrian and Daryl could block the Miasma with fire... maybe other people had similar abilities.

Stanley slowed as he approached the senior home, or 'Lair', and watched the Souls inside for a reaction. When he felt people start flinching, he stopped and looked around before backing up a bit and descending in front of a small house. "I'll settle in here." He told Nate after he checked inside. There was obviously no one there and the house was clean enough. "I can be nearby without being too close." Caffeine ran inside and started sniffing everything and looking for snacks.

Nate looked like he wanted to object but Stanley could feel the faint relief in his Soul. He probably hadn't thought through what having Stanley come back would do to the weaker people. "Fine." He slumped just a bit. "I'll bring you some food later, and water. Maybe some…"

"It's fine." Stanley held up a hand. "Caff will be here to watch over me and still be able to run over there and see his friends. Meanwhile I need to work on some things."

Nate nodded, turned and sprinted into the trees.

Stanley settled onto a chair on the front porch of his new house. "Am I a landowner now?" he thought wryly as Caffeine finished checking the house and started running around the yard. Stanley watched the trees warily, still not over his last encounter with one. Though now he was sure he could kill that worm, easily. He did poke and shake the trees around his new home, just in case. He finally relaxed when Caffeine finished his inspection and curled up in his lap. He softly stroked Caffeine as he closed his eyes and focused on his Soul.

The wound was there, ugly and leaking and Stanley gently felt at the Energy of his Soul. It wasn't wholly unfamiliar, he'd manipulated the same Energy to activate his [Soul-Sight] after all. He reached out with that same feeling and tried to divert the trickle coming from the wound. It worked! Stanley tried to send it back in but the Energy didn't want to go against the slow flow. He looked at his coat again. There was a barrier of sorts on it. It wasn't quite as simple as just blocking the Energy where it covered him. Stanley couldn't actually tell where his Soul was, in the physical world at least. When he looked at it from that void space around it, there was nothing to gauge where the edges were.

He messed around with the jacket and its effects until he finally realized something. "The jacket is using Soul Energy… did Walter use some of his Soul to make this?" Stanley was surprised and a little ashamed of how he'd acted. "He was really grateful. Is that why Daryl was surprised?" Stanley shook off the thoughts and focused on what he now knew. This time he manipulated the leaking Energy into a barrier as close to what the jacket did as he could manage. He slowly spread it around himself in a blind attempt to block the leak.

Debuff Downgraded [Deadly Soul Wound(Mostly Patched)(Shielded)] -1 Twin-Soul Attributes per 6 Days.

"It slowed the leak!" Stanley thought excitedly while Caffeine stirred on his lap.

"That's a lot better," Nate said and Stanley jumped. "Oh, I'm back!" Nate chuckled. "Can't believe I snuck up on you."

"I was concentrating," Stanley grumbled and let his Soul Energy construct dissolve.

Nate leaned away. "Ah... there you are." He held up a duffel. "Brought you some stuff. All our plastic is mostly gone so water is in metal or ceramic now. Though I bet you'll need less water now that you're E Rank."

Stanley thought about it and realized that Nate was right; he hadn't drank anything all day and still wasn't thirsty. "Weird." He muttered.

"Gotta go deal with people," Nate told him as he set the bag on the porch. Caffeine was already sniffing towards it from his spot in Stanley's lap. "There's chicken in there so…"

Caffeine bounded to his feet and started sniffing deeply at the closed bag.

Stanley smiled. "Thanks. Good luck with the people. Just remember that you 'wanted' to save them."

Caffeine ignored the departure of Nate, his attention fully on the bag and the chicken that Stanley pulled out. He was rocking back and forth and licking his lips until Stanley handed over the first piece. Later, stuffed and tired, Caffeine full of chicken and sleeping in his lap, Stanley was in his Soul Space and looking at the patched wound. "This needs to get fixed." He focused as narrowly as he could on one edge of the wound. There were tiny particles and waves and stuff… slipping away from the spot. "Particles and waves… is my Soul like light? Do I need to learn quantum physics?" He really hoped not. "Can I just Will it better?" It was worth a shot.

There was something of an outside edge to his Soul in here, but the closer he looked the harder it was to find the actual edge. It was diaphanous and fluffy but he got as close to the start of the wound as possible and bent his Will against that tiny, infinitesimal speck.

Seal Back Together

Stanley felt his Psionic Energy drain down and immediately start refilling, at the same time he saw the tiny speck shift slightly closer to the one next to it.

Seal

Another speck shifted.

Seal

Again… and again. Bit by infinitesimal bit, it was working! Stanley kept at it until a tongue slapped into his face and kept slapping until he opened his eyes. It was dark.

"It…" Stanley tried to speak but his throat was too dry. "How long did I work on that?" He found a jug of water and drank it almost dry. "Sorry Caff." He rubbed Caffeine’s head. "It was working!" he cheered and Caffeine wagged his tail and licked Stanley’s face again. "Okay okay, let's get some sleep." His head was pounding again, worse than before but he took a moment to look at his Soul and see the progress.

He couldn’t see it, not until he focused way down deep. There he saw it, a small patch of slightly more agitated Soul, a healing bit of Soul. "It's going to take awhile…" Stanley grimaced. "Too long… Damnit!" He clenched his fists. "I can't keep fucking…" A tongue licked his cheek and Caffeine whined. Stanley sighed out a deep breath and slumped onto his back tiredly. It was something. More than he'd had that morning. It would have to be enough. And maybe, he would get better with practice.

Stanley went inside. He found some clean sheets in a closet and remade a bed. He hesitated when he went to remove the jacket, unsure if his 'aura' would expand after the buff was removed. He took it off slowly, listening to the Souls in the distance. It was easy to keep track of the base because Zeke's golden Soul stood out as a unique beacon. But nothing changed at the base when his buff faded, though his Debuff timer changed.

Stanley cursed and tried simply draping it over himself. It worked! The buff reappeared. He undressed and crawled between the clean sheets. Jacket laying over the blankets above where it still Buffed him. "Aww, that's nice. Come on Caff." He held up the covers but Caffeine only licked him once and sat on top of the covers, between Stanley’s legs. "Okay Caff." Stanley thought. "You have the watch. I'll make sure you get all the cuddle naps you want in the day," he swore silently as he closed his eyes and drifted away with the comforting weight of Caffeine reassuring him that he was safe.

~~~~~~~~~~

Walter, Earlier…

~~~~~~~~~~

Walter stood in the doorway of his Domain and watched Kira waving her spear around. He saw everyone tense up when she threatened that young old man. Walter knew that Stanley was not what he seemed, he could see it in the man's eyes. In his body and his Soul. That one was a young man, one who had seen too much and had not been prepared for the direction his life had gone. But then who had been ready for this? There was still hope for that one. Especially with that damnable shedding beast at his side. He picked another gray hair from his sleeve.

Walter could see and feel all of the curious residents peering through the windows around and above him, all watching the stranger who had killed the monster. The one who hurt them simply by getting too close. Most were glad to see him depart but the smart ones wished he would stay.

Outside, Stanley left the weapon with Kira, as Walter had expected. The man could very likely see that it was bonding to her. Then the message appeared and Daryl started back to the building, Princess at his side. Walter watched his Master approach, his heart was saddened by the worry on that face, but it was also full of pride as he looked upon a young man who had stepped up when called.

Walter had watched over the boy for his whole life and seen him grow up into a lazy, spoiled party animal. He neither saw nor cared about anyone but himself. But then the world ended. Daryl had immediately jumped into the fight with Adrian. Together they had sealed up this building, fought off the hordes that attacked and then gone out to find and rescue everyone they could.

"Walter, I assume you saw the message?" Daryl said as he stepped inside.

"Of course Sir."

"I want to make a broadcast," Daryl said. "If you don't mind?"

"My pleasure Sir." Walter gently touched Daryl's throat with a finger. Princess sat calmly at Daryl's feet, tails waving lazily.

"Everyone, I have an announcement," Daryl spoke and his voice came from everywhere in the building. "I'm sure you all saw that and while we don't know exactly what this means for us yet, we will face it together." He took a breath and glanced at Walter before looking away, somewhat guiltily. "Myself and Adrian will be leading excursions for anyone who wishes to go outside and get stronger." Walter displayed no reaction, impassive as ever. "Coordinate with Walter if you are interested. That is all." Daryl nodded at Walter and he removed his hand.

"Walter… we need people to…" Daryl wouldn't meet his eyes.

"As you say Sir," Walter spoke calmly. "You are quite correct."

Daryl glanced at him and smiled. "Thanks Walter."

Walter watched him walk away. The boy didn't understand, Walter was not upset, he was worried of course but not upset. No, he was proud. Proud of this man who had been a playboy, a joker, a prankster who got into trouble at every opportunity and simply bought his way out every time. Now that man was becoming a leader. And what a fine leader he would make.

Walter looked out the door, at the dangerous world Daryl would be going into, a world where Walter could not follow. He turned away and the door closed behind him. A step took him away and he reappeared an instant later as he stepped through the doorway to the basement. A basement that hadn’t been there before this started.

"Walter!" Tommy called out in greeting. "We got another one for you!"

"Very good sir," Walter replied as he picked up the half ton fish and it vanished as he 'put it away'. "Will you be joining Master Daryl on his excursions?" Walter asked, peeved at calling him by his first name, but the Master had insisted.

"I will!" Tommy said excitedly. "I don't mind catching fish… but I want to get stronger… too."

"As you say, sir." Walter nodded. He looked at the dark water that took up most of the floor down here. No one had dared to explore it yet, mostly because it was underwater, but fish and other things… did occasionally swim to the surface or even leap out. "I will notify the Master and shall fetch you at the appropriate time."

"Thanks Walter." Tommy smiled.

"Carry on sir." Walter turned to the other person in the basement. "Do you wish to join the…"

"No! Uh, no thanks…" Henry stammered. "I like catching fish," he mumbled.

"Very good sir. If you require anything please do not hesitate to ask." Walter replied as he walked through the door, one more step took him just outside the kitchen and he stepped inside. "Miss Rivera. I have another…" he started and she cut him off.

"Walter. Put it there." She waved at a stainless steel counter without turning around. "I still need more stuff, Walter," she demanded. "I can't make anything with the trash here."

Walter set the fish on the counter and it creaked under the weight. "If Miss Rivera would prepare a list I will see that the next excursion has…"

She spun around. "Oh no Walter." She leveled a cleaver at him. "I'm going with them!" she exclaimed.

"Very good, ma'am." Walter spoke calmly. "I shall inform the Master."

"Hah!" She spun back to the counter and slammed her cleaver into something. "Now get out of here Walter. You bother me!"

"As you say, ma'am." Walter stepped to another floor and walked through a doorway into a room full of screaming children. They cheered and charged him when he came in. Walter stepped past them and the swarm screamed louder as they turned in pursuit once again. "Good afternoon, sir," he said to Mr Steele. "You requested my assistance?" Walter tossed a handful of small candies over the approaching horde and they changed course to chase the candy.

"I would like to join the excursions!" The man yelled over the noise. "Also can you get the children to the gym?" he begged as the last piece of candy vanished and the monsters turned on the only prey available.

"Of course, sir." Walter nodded, the bloodthirsty mob rolled over them and spilled out into a gymnasium full of distractions that diverted the little animals and allowed Walter to escape. Walter stepped to a higher floor and knocked on the door in front of him.

The screaming inside the room stopped and a voice yelled. "Fuck off!" Walter knocked again. "I said…" The door burst open. "...fuck off!" The red faced and sweating man yelled in Walter's face.

"I'm afraid I cannot allow your reprehensible behavior within these premises," Walter said flatly.

"Go cry to Daryl!" the man yelled. "I don't give a fuck!" He slammed the door and stomped back toward the woman crying on the floor. "That old fart is going to whine to the fairy." he spat and stopped, looming over the woman and began unbuckling his belt. "We'll have to make this quick." He was breathing heavily as he leaned over and reached for her. "Don't make me…" His words cut off abruptly when he felt a hand grip his hair, tilt his head back and then a blade settled heavily onto his neck.

"I am afraid I must insist," Walter said calmly into the man's ear.

"But Daryl…" the man sputtered as blood trickled from his neck.

"The Master gave you one chance," Walter said, "one more than you deserved. I am not the Master." The man struggled but Walter didn't budge. "You will depart this domicile or you will be made to depart."

"You're a fucking butler!" he screamed. "You can't make me do shit."

"Then I shall do exactly as the Butler does," Walter said flatly. "...and tidy up."

Tommy and Henry both flinched as something splashed into the dark water and sank under the surface. A red stain spread out from where it had landed.

"I believe there will be a fish available shortly, sirs," Walter said and both men jumped at the sound of his voice.

They looked at him wide eyed before grabbing their harpoons and approaching the dark waters. Almost immediately the water churned and something huge broke the surface. Both men stabbed out and sank hooks into a serpent like creature. It writhed and its coiling body heaved water all around the chamber. Henry lost his grip on his harpoon and Tommy slipped and started sliding towards the dark waters. "Ahhh…" Tommy stopped screaming as Walter was suddenly there, gently pulling him back with one hand on the man and the other on the harpoon.

"Please be careful sir." He led the man to the wall and eased him to a seated position. His other hand was pulling the harpoon and the sea serpent along with it. "A most excellent strike sir." He nodded to the hooked weapon sunk into the creature's head.

Before either noticed the extra stab wound on the serpent's neck Walter pulled both harpoons free and picked up the monster whose mouth could have swallowed any of the men in the room. He put it away and in the sudden silence, broken only by water dripping from the ceiling, he held out a glowing Core. "I believe this is yours, sirs." He nodded to both men. "If you need help deciding who will retain it or if you would like to trade, please allow me to be of service." He bowed slightly to them and walked through the door.

Both men were frozen until Tommy suddenly exclaimed. "It's a Skill!" He frowned. "Water Breathing? Should we trade it?"

Walter allowed himself a small smile as he strode down an empty hall and observed the fishing duo debating what they would do with the Core. It had been a fortunate circumstance that a Skill appeared. They were now too excited to remember what had just happened. Not that Walter wished to deceive. But some things would cause disruption, disorder, and Walter preferred it when everything ran as it should, smoothly.

He knocked on a door and a woman answered. "Pardon me, ma'am." Walter explained the situation to Miss Lennon. She graciously allowed Walter to escort her on the fast route, a step through a doorway and they were three floors down outside the room where a crying Miss Copeland was still huddled on the floor.

"You run along now, Walter," Miss Finley said quietly. "I'll call if I need anything."

"Very good, ma'am." He closed the door and stepped outside Daryl's door. He would need to report the eviction. He rapped on the door before stepping through.

"One sec, Walter!" Daryl called from another room. Walter could see and hear Daryl as he quietly talked with Adrian even though two walls and a closed door separated them from him. In fact he could see and hear everything that was happening inside the tower. It was all his Domain... and it grew stronger everyday. Walter had told everyone that calling his name would alert him, he had not been lying. But Walter had told no one the true extent of his power, not even the Master. Such knowledge would only burden the others and Walter was doing as he had always done, knowing when and where he was needed. He was simply much better at it now.

Walter strode to the large window while he waited and looked outside his Domain at the city below. He could see the site of the battle against the Raid Leader from here. It shouldn't have been visible to his eyes, not clearly. But now, after the change that swept the world, now he could see far too well. Walter could see the spot where two days ago Adrian and Daryl had ralied their fighters and rushed to do battle with a monstrous foe when they saw 'their' people in peril.

Walter, left behind, had watched from this very spot, helpless as they fought for their lives against that thing. He had been able to see far too clearly when their faces betrayed the understanding of just how strong the enemy was. He had watched the fear growing, had seen it turn to desperation, and finally into despair. And yet still, they did not flee.

Walter had seen the magic building up, he knew what it would do to them, and then… Stanley had ended it. Violently and spectacularly. "I wish you the best, Sir." He dearly hoped that his gift would aid the man, and would aid them all in return. Daryl had been frightened by Stanley, had secretly been relieved when Nate offered to take him away. Daryl had almost resisted his fear and would have kept Stanley close despite it, but he was tired, both Daryl and Adrian had been carrying a heavy burden by sheltering him here, and by sheltering everyone else from him. That last burst of power had been a step to far. A reminder of weakness in the face of inevitable death.

Walter did not blame them, he himself, nearly invincible inside his Domain, had feared what he felt from the young old man and his incessantly shedding dog. The dog... Walter allowed himself another small smile. He would likely never fully rid this place of dog hair... but that was a price gladly paid for the safe return of his charge. Walter had chosen a Class that would allow him to protect and provide for his charge, and he could do so, very well... so long as his charge remained inside, within his Domain and within his reach, a reach that extended to the doorway but not one step outside. As a consequence Walter could only watch from a distance when Daryl left to save someone whom a week ago he wouldn't have ever even noticed or cared about.

Walter 'could' leave the building, if he wished, and he almost had on that day but there was a price. A price that would break his Domain and leave him no stronger than an ordinary man until he claimed another and rebuilt it. And an ordinary man had no place in this new world.

At the beginning of this new era, Walter had fully expected Daryl to hole up inside with his boyfriend, demanding food and drink and never daring to risk himself. Walter had chosen his Class on that assumption.

"What's up, Walter?" Daryl said as he walked into the room.

Walter turned to face the young man. "I am afraid I was forced to evict a resident, Sir."

He had never been so pleased to be proven so wrong before.