"...Argo. I have to cover for Melia." Roswell said solemnly.
"No problem. I got this." Argo replied, motioning for Roswell to proceed.
Roswell nodded and ran over to his paralyzed charge while Argo kept his glaring eyes at Gallus.
"What are you doing, Gallus?"
"...Argo...sorry." Gallus replied, a hint of remorse coming through the cold callousness he had steeled for himself.
"You know that's not going to fly."
"I know."
"Are you betraying us?"
"..."
"What say you, Starry Knights?" Argo called out to the scattered enemies around him, "Who is this man to you?"
There was a mix of emotions behind the knights. Some were sneering, some were confused and a few looked at Argo with pity.
"I guess that's all the answer I need huh?" Argo said, swinging his sword around in a circle.
"Argo..."
"If you're going to explain yourself then you have 10 seconds. Because right now, the only thing I want to do is stab you a couple time first."
"...Fair."
Gallus' hand tightened over his sword as he raised his shield.
"How many times have we fought now?" Argo asked.
"...51. The score's 26 to 25. I'm leading."
"Then I guess I'll just have to catch up."
The two fathers stood across from each other in the morphed battlefield. Argo with a ferocious glare in his eye. Gallus with a deadness to his eyes and stance yet the grip on his sword and shield spoke of no surrender in his plans. And before any of the onlookers knew, Argo had charged.
Argo's first swing was met by Gallus' shield, the man barely shifting his body as he raised the shield in his hand in defense. Then Gallus went for a stab. Again with little motion, barely moving his body forward as he rather limply thrust his sword forward at Argo's stomach. Argo covered his stomach, the shield equipped over his arm deflecting Gallus' blade to the side as he swung his body around to towards Gallus' open side to attack again. In response, Galus dropped his sword and shield, letting the shield that was hanging above his left arm fall into the hands of his right arm. With his shield now positioned where his sword and the coming attack was, Gallus swung his defense around to block Argo, all while his left arm circled back down to grab his falling sword in a reverse grip. The two knights had spun in opposite directions, Argo's sword meeting Gallus' shield first, the two dragging across each other before Gallus was clear and his sword arm was now swinging pummel first at Argo's face. But Argo was prepared, his arm covering his head as his shield blocked Gallus' attack now. And then Argo pushed forward, pushing Gallus' sword away as he lunged past Gallus, pushing past the blade and the person and pulling his sword in for direct attack on Gallus' open flank. And Argo's attack connected, slashing into Gallus' armor as he stumbled past him and falling to one knee.
"There!" Argo smirked, "That's one hit! Now it's 26 to 26 again!"
Gallus rubbed the side where his armor had been slashed, barely a mark left in it's surface, "True. Seems like despite all your worry, your skills at fighting has not diminished. Still, you failed to do any damage."
"Ah, that's because of your fancy new Sirius armor." Argo said as he stood back up, "How many people did you kill before he gave that to you?"
"I didn't kill anybody." Gallus replied, "And this is just standard Starry Knights armor."
"Still fancier than whatever we had. Even our new armor isn't as fancy as yours."
"Argo please, the old you would've at least sliced a chunk of this armor off. Instead you've barely made a mark."
"So what, you saying I did get rusty after all?"
"No, I'm saying that wound on your shoulder is really bad."
"Tch." Argo said, the wound he had received from Zhong causing his sword arm to shutter slightly, "I was hoping you wouldn't notice."
"Who wouldn't notice? It's not just bleeding either. The pressure point Zhong hit must be aching every time you move your arm."
"Yeah, you WOULD know all about how Zhong's attack works wouldn't you?"
"Can you stop that?" Gallus snapped, scratching his head irritatedly, "I'm trying to help!"
"Help me do what? Surrender? Is that what you want from me?"
"..."
"..."
Gallus and Argo simply stood there for an awkward moment as the time for any actual answer came and went and the two were left with nothing to say.
"...You're still has tough to read as always." Gallus remarked.
"And you're still as tricky as always." Argo replied genuinely, "Haven't seen that sword and shield swapping trick in a while."
"You could do it too if you didn't stick your sword to your arm."
"I like having a free hand." Argo smirked, "Let's me get tricky."
"I didn't see any tricks in that match just now."
"That's because you played around it! My shield hand had nothing to grab onto."
"Yeah. Because that's where the weapon will be."
"Nah, if I had been faster, I'd have been able to grab onto your sword arm."
"Could've, would've, should've."
"Hey, I still got the first hit anyway right? So now we're all tied up again."
"I suppose we are." Gallus said, a small smile coming to his lips before he caught himself and quickly smothered it with a guilt that could only be seen from his darting eyes.
Argo, watching this, slowly lost his own smile that he found himself wearing. He had a share of guilt as well, getting lost in familiar banter in the middle of their ongoing war. But his guilt was not nearly as crushing as Gallus'. There was conflict in his eyes but a decisiveness in his moves. That mixture spoke of how he wanted his fight to go but none of why he was doing what he wanted to do. And while Argo didn't know if he could draw his friend back to his side, he knew he had to try.
"What would Pluteum think?"
Argo's question was not unexpected, Gallus had definitely prepared himself for this question being asked to him but it still had an effect on him, however subtle, by his narrowed eyes.
"..."
Evidently, though he had prepared himself emotionally for the question, he clearly had not thought of an answer.
"It's not too late, Gallus. You can still-"
"No. I can't." Gallus replied solemnly, "Either Sirius wins today...or I die. That's why I'm counting on you, old friend."
"..." Argo had more he could say. More pointed questions, harsh accusations he could make. But seeing Gallus like this, he didn't have the heart to say any of them. He know he should. Anybody would. But Gallus wouldn't listen to him. Out of every possibility, he alone was what Gallus prepared for because he alone was the only one left who could stop him. So Argo pushed himself back up, shrugged back the aching hole in his shoulder and raised his shield.
"Then let's end this old friend."
"...Yeah..."
The two fathers looked back at each other from across the battlefield, trying to aim animosity at the other but unable to draw much from their situation. And yet still, the two began to fight.
"Roswell, are you okay?"
"Never mind me, milady." Roswell gasped as he slashed away another Starry Knight, "Can you stand?"
"A-Almost." Melia grimaced as she moved small bits of her body, "Zhong really got me good."
"It's okay. Take your time. Rushing it will only cause mote pain."
"Is that from experience?"
"Zhong!" Roswell growled as the old man reappeared onto the battlefield, "That was a fast recovery."
"Naturally." Zhong replied smugly, "Sirius has the best doctors around on his employ."
"Good enough to fix your hand?"
"Not quite." An infuriated scowl returned to crease his gentlemanly demeanor as he pulled his arm out from behind his back, revealing a bandaged stump that seemed to have been hastily treated, "But I am quite keen on taking my revenge first and foremost which is why I'm back."
"I'm in the other direction, actually." Helena said from her drone.
"Oh, I'm sure you'll get your comeuppance soon." Zhong said, deep seething hatred behind the words he pushed out from between his teeth, "But my station is here at the frontlines. Goemul will take care of you soon enough."
"I'm watching Goemul right now and he's not doing great."
"Ha! You think you can trick ME?! Goemul is strong but what makes him valuable is his effectiveness. Stay up in your little nest if you want little bird, your tree will come crashing down around you soon enough."
"It's actually just a wooden tower..."
"Now..." Zhong pointed his rapier at the still paralyzed Melia, "My business is with you, bitch."
"Then you have business with me instead." Roswell said as he confidently stepped in front of Zhong's rapier.
"Little no name knight thinks he can handle the big stars now?" Zhong said with a mocking sneer, "Seriously, I don't think your name has come up in ANY of our reports."
"That only goes to show how amazing our cast is." Roswell replied.
"Cute. But even the strongest pawn is no match for a promoted piece."
"I'd have thought you'd know better than to underestimate your opponent."
"Please. The only thing I have to look out for is that damned sniper of yours."
"That right? That's probably too much of a handicap for me so let me call in a favor. Helena?"
"You want me to not interfere?"
"Yep. Can you do so?"
"No problem. I know how strong you are. Kick his ass, Roswell."
"Heh. There we go then, Zhong." Roswell smiled, "Just you and me."
"Do you think I'll thank you or something?" Zhong replied, "I know better than to take you at your word and lower my guard."
"Suit yourself. But I'm going show you just how a pawn fights."
"Even if you beat me, you'd still stand no chance against Gallus." Zhong said with a knowing sneer from how this reminder would impact their morale.
"...No. Argo will win." Roswell said, the only thing he could say when confronted with the reminder of the betrayal in their midst.
"Your faith is heartwarming though it blinds you." Zhong grinned evily, "Even Roko failed to see the betrayal among your ranks. Do you not understand? You've been outplayed from the very beginning!"
Roswell scowled and readied his weapons, too tired to continue arguing. Thankfully, someone else was there to answer for him,
"I don't know about that."
Argo fell onto the ground, screaming. Gallus' sword had punched the same wound that Zhong had dug, not quite enough to create the same stunning effect that Zhong employs but enough to cause sharp searing pain. That combined with the various cuts and injuries that marked the flurry of strikes and blows that Argo suffered under Gallus' sword had left him in a bloody mess.
"Dammit!" Argo growled as he pushed his pain down as best he could, "Now it's 36 to 28!"
"Look, it's clear you're not in the best of form to begin with." Gallus sighed, "Let's just leave the competition behind."
"I don't need...your pity..." Argo grunted.
"It's not pity." Gallus sighed, "You were exhausted and injured at the start of our duel to begin with. Even I wouldn't like winning in this way.
"And yet...there's no one else around to stop you." Argo slammed a hand on the ground as he unsteadily pushed his body up again, "There's nobody else who can stop you."
"But as you are, you can't stop me."
"But there's nobody else you'd even want to be stopped by."
Gallus' conflict shone true through the shadows of noon that hid away his eyes. Cold, tired and waiting.
"If...you wanting to die is your atonement...then as your only friend and as the only person here who understands you..." Argo stumbled onto his shaky legs, "...I have to see it through."
"...Argo..."
"You're...relying on me-" Argo's strength waned for a brief moment again and his legs lost all strength and he began to fall back onto the ground. Thankfully a gentle hand was there to catch him.
"There there, good sir. We'll take it from here."
"You..." Argo looked up with a confused look on his face, "...You're the...police?"
"Ishtar." Merodach handed Argo over to their young caretaker, "Patch him up okay?"
"Yes sir!" Ishtar said as she gently laid Merodach down on the ground, "I'll have you patched up in a jiffy."
"Why?" Gallus asked as Merodach, Nebo and Nergal all approached him, "Why are you here?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Nebo said as she slung a sickle and chain over her shoulder, "When a co-worker's going down the wrong path, we put them back on the right path."
"Co-worker?" Gallus frowned, "I think you're mistaken."
"Nope. Nergal smirked as he stabbed a thick shortsword that was basically a mini claymore in his hands, "We gave you a paycheck. You're one of us."
"No, well...yes but I'm also one of Sirius' men. I've...always been one of Sirius' men."
"Yes." Merodach replied, "But it's not like you want to be right? You only joined because you wanted to have the money to support your wife and child."
"How...how'd you-"
"Cause it's the same reason you gave for wanting to switch jobs to us." Nergal said, "If money was all you needed then there was no reason to pick up a part time with us."
"...Do you really think you can all stop me?" Gallus asked, looking right at Merodach.
"We're pretty strong too, you know." Merodach smiled, "We all know you used to be a pretty strong sellsword on your own right...but that's before you met your wife."
"...Done your research have you?" Gallus frowned.
"Of course, we run background checks on all our employees." Merodach nodded, "Is what I'd like to say but we don't really have that much resources anymore."
"You're just famous enough to not take much effort to dig up." Nebo explained.
"...And you think you can still beat me?"
"Can or not, we have to stop you."
"Why? Is this part of Roko's plan or something?"
"Hmmm...well..." Merodach smiled softly, "I can't say what Roko planned exactly...but we did volunteer our services exactly for this purpose so you could say this was part of his plan."
"This purpose? Stopping me?"
"Exactly." Nergal smirked, "You don't think we can do it do you?"
"...If the police were capable of anything they'd surely have done so by now."
"Ohoho, you've got some guts for someone who's been shirking their rebellion duties..." Nergal growled, irked, "Why don't you try and fight someone who isn't injured and see how you do?"
"And fight a kid instead?"
Nergal finally snapped and began charging at Gallus with his sword raised.
"Welp. Nergal's done it again." Nebo remarked.
"We better go back him up." Merodach chuckled as he drew his sword as well.
Nergal rushed at Gallus, sword waving about like a small excited child until he made a decidedly not child-like jump to bring his not-toy-like sword down on Gallus' head. Gallus drew his shield back and instead of really blocking it, practically punched the shield into Nergal's sword, throwing him back as his heavy weapon now began pulling and holding him back. And in the middle of this recoil, Gallus aimed his sword at the child's head.
"Hup."
Nebo's chain snaked around Nergal's ankle and pull him down as Gallus' strike passed safely over his head.
"Careful." Nebo said almost tiredly, "You can't count on him being soft against a child."
"I got that!" Nergal snarled as he landed on his feet and immediately jumped back up to attack Gallus again from the side.
With his sword thrust forward, Gallus had no weapon to defend from the side that Nergal was attacking from. This was going to be an easy slash into his head. Or so Nergal thought. But when he readied himself for that exact attack, Gallus spun. Not around to face him but in a spiral, turning his body upside down as he lowered his torso to not only dodge the slice but also bring his shield up in a long wind-up before smashing it into Nergal's body in a brutal uppercut that sent the small child flying up into the air.
"I'm going to fucking kill you, you lazy ass, bitch ass cun-" Nergal shouted, the rest of his cursing fading away as he quickly ascended.
"I'm going to go grab him." Nebo sighed.
"Please do." Merodach smiled, "Tell him he just doesn't weigh enough to attack recklessly like that.
"So the usual then." Nebo sighed as she ran off to find her brother.
"Now then."
Merodach struck out with his sword and struck against Gallus' shield, the two adults holding firm against each other.
"I can tell you're not a bad warrior yourself." Gallus said, "But you can't beat me."
"Hey give me a chance." Merodach smiled sheepishly, "I know I'm not exactly who you were hoping for."
"What do you mean?"
"Come now, we all knew including the kids. You wanted to die for your betrayal and you wanted Argo to do it for you."
"...Argo was the only one strong enough to stop me."
"Perhaps a long time ago that would be true. But Roko's brought warriors stronger than we could ever imagine. You could've gone after one of them instead. No, you wanted sentimentality and meaning to your death. All for your atonement."
"...You sure think you know a lot about me." Gallus replied coldly, "For the short time we were together anyway."
"We policemen are a small group but we're tight knit." Merodach smiled, "Like a small family of sorts."
"Hah! You just don't want to lose another member in your waning numbers and relevance!"
"Relevance is secondary. We've suffered years of irrelevance now, we wouldn't be together if we still cared about that. But numbers is another thing. Yes, we'd like to be bigger but we also don't want to lose anyone. Especially not to some foolish idea of a repentant death."
"And you're including me?" Gallus frowned, "We're not that close."
"True, you're still new. And that's exactly why we need to step up to guide our newbie."
"...I don't need guidance."
Gallus lashed out with his sword, aiming it right for Merodach's head. Merodach's free hand jumped up and slammed into the flat of the blade lifting the slash over his head as he withdrew his sword.
"F-Fast!" Gallus remarked as he drew his shield back in to defend with.
And just in time as Merodach thrust his blade forward in a jab at struck right in the center of Gallus' shield. And that's when sparks began to erupt from the butt of Merodach's sword, pushing it further with incredible force.
"Sword Work: Sparking Rocket."
Merodach's push lifted the two both from the ground and pushing both forward a few meters before Merodach's jab finally completed, throwing Gallus into the closest wall.
"A sword style?" Gallus grimaced as he pulled himself out of the rubble, "Isn't it dishonorable to use a sword style against someone who doesn't know one?"
"Exceptions are made in certain circumstances." Merodach explained, "For example, when one's opponent is notably stronger than the other."
"Must be nice to bend the rules."
"Not all sword styles follow the honor rule, though most do."
"Yours included?"
"Of course."
"...Then I guess I'll just have to show you why I was called the Flying Steel."
"You know, I always wondered about that." Merodach remarked.
Gallus tossed his shield in the air and caught it by the edge before throwing it at Merodach. Merodach deflected the shield with his sword but it began circling back to Gallus who reached out with his sword. Skillfully sliding his blade between the space for the handle, Gallus used that contact to move the shield, arcing his arm back before flinging it back towards Merodach with all his strength. Merodach blocked this attack, the brunt of it staggering him back a few steps but the shield wasn't done yet. It returned to Gallus who used his sword again to throw it at Merodach again and again. Merodach could only defend as Gallus continued to slowly move towards him, shortening the distance between them and making each catch and throw come faster and faster. No matter how Merodach tried to defend or deflect the shield away, it returned to Gallus and the assault continued at an ever increasing pace.
"No sword style you say?" Merodach smirked as he continued to defend himself, "This could very well qualify as a sword style on it's own. If my style wasn't speed oriented too, I wouldn't be nearly as able to even defend myself."
Speaking of defending himself, it was time he actually tried that.
"Sword Work: Tezutsu Hanabi!"
Pointing his sword downward, Merodach created a circle of sparks erupting from the ground. The shield came flying towards him again but was automatically deflected away. With the opportunity to think, Merodach was free to prepare his next attack. But Gallus was already close enough to strike Merodach directly again.
"Sword Work: M-80!"
Merodach met Gallus' sword swing with his own, his technique creating a sharp explosion of light and smoke that stunned the traitor. But what Merodach didn't see was the shield that was hooked onto the tip of Gallus' sword that came flying right at his head when their swords collided.
The shield smashed into the side of Merodach's head with a nasty thud, the edge drawing blood as Merodach was thrown to the side by the attack.
"Damn." Merodach twitched, struggling to control his body as he clutched his head injury, "If it wasn't for my own technique's explosion I would be dead right now."
"Your technique wasn't that bad either." Gallus said, clutching his shuddering sword arm, "My sword could've very well have broken from that kind of technique."
"Merodach!" Ishtar cried as she ran over with gauze in her hand, "I've got you, dearie!"
"As much I loathe to attack medics, I really don't want to keep fighting you lot."
Gallus raised his sword as he prepared to attack Ishtar who continued to tend to Merodach while completely ignoring him.
"You say that like you've actually fought us all already."
From nowhere, Nebo reappeared, jumping over Gallus as she wrapped an iron chain around Gallus' neck and began pulling him back as she landed back on the ground, "Nergal! Now!"
"Take this!"
Nergal jumped up at Gallus again broad sword ready to cleave into him. Taking a step back, Gallus stomped on the edge of his shield, flipping it into the air in front of his leg before he kicked forward, using his foot to hold the shield against Nergal's attack.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Nebo cried.
With a powerful throw forward, Gallus pushed his body forward to both stomp Nergal into the ground and pull Nebo into the air. With the small child in the air, Gallus wildly swung his sword backwards to slash at Nebo's general direction. Nebo blocked the attack with the sickle part of her weapon before using the force from Gallus' attack to swing around his body, uncurling her grip on his neck a layer but using that leverage to swing around to the front of Gallus' body and landing on his knee. With his shield below him and his sword far to the back, Nebo had free range to jump up and uppercut Gallus in the chin with her tiny fist.
"Yeah, take that!" Nergal grunted and coughed as Gallus reeled back and Nebo quickly knelt down to pull the shield off his body.
"Don't move, you actually cut yourself a little with your own sword." Nebo said as she checked his wound.
"That's all HIS fault." Nergal grimaced as he lifted his broadsword that had nicked a small cut into his shoulder when he got stomped on.
"I know, just let Ishtar take care of you for now."
"Screw that, she's still tending to Merodach! Ishtar, just hand me a health potion!"
"No potions until your wound's been properly doctored." Ishtar said firmly as she finished tightening the bandages around Merodach's head, "You know the rule."
"This isn't really the time for that!"
"I got it." Nebo patted Merodach on his uninjured shoulder and walked over to face Gallus all by herself.
Gallus massaged his chin, nothing really damaged from the small child's attack but it clearly made him uncomfortable to have actually gotten hit by a child only a few years older than his own Pluteum.
"...You too then?" Gallus scowled as he gripped the chain still wrapped around his neck.
"...Don't you have a son?"
"What, you're going to preach to me about hitting a kid?"
"No, I'm asking what happened to him? Why are you doing this? How would your son feel if he saw you like this?"
"Pfft." Gallus let out a derisive sigh, "You think you can guilt me into stopping?"
"Do you not care about your family?"
"OF COURSE I DO!" Gallus exploded but in the back of his mind, he didn't know why. He thought he had prepared for all the obvious questions anybody would try and throw at him, even including that exact one. But it wasn't until he look a longer look at Nebo that he began to understand. Nebo was a child but she didn't look like Merodach or Ishtar's child. The only person she resembled was Nergal, a pair of twins that, from Gallus' racing mind, he reasoned had probably been orphaned a long time ago. And from what he had gleamed from his time around them, Merodach and Ishtar had no relationship greater than simple co-worker. Merodach had called them a family but it was by the barest of measures. A family not by blood or structure but by simply choosing to be together. So that was why he reacted so strongly to the genuine disappointment and worry in Nebo's voice and face.
"I...I made my choice a long time ago." Gallus replied, stumbling to pull himself together again, "Long before even Roko and his company arrived. I became a spy for Sirius all so I can support my wife and family. I was the reason why the rebellion could never progress for several long years. There's no forgiving my actions. I...I would never ask them to."
"So you'll just die instead?" Nebo asked, "Will that make them happy?"
"I...there's nothing else I can do!" Gallus said, his panicking mind breaking all the mental preparations he thought he had established, "I am Sirius' lapdog! Even if I wanted to walk away from it all, I need to pay for my crimes! I don't WANT to die! I didn't want to work for Sirius either! I did what I could to support my family even if it meant going behind their backs! Behind everyone's back! Even Roko-"
"Roko knew." Merodach spoke up as he stumbled up to Nebo's side, "He knew even before we knew."
"How?!"
"I dunno. You'll have to ask him. You'll have to ask him why he didn't do anything about you despite knowing either. But I'm sure that him allowing us to be here...is his way of accounting for you."
"He hired you to kill me?"
"No, he allowed us the opportunity to confront you." Ishtar said as she came over to treat Nergal's minor wound, "Because it was clear you weren't going to confess to anybody. Not to Pluteum or your wife. And Argo was such an old friend that he'd accept your terms of redemption instead of talking it out either. That's why he let us do what we felt like we needed to do."
"You?"
"Nobody wants you to die, Gallus." Merodach said, "Especially not for some atonement you think you need to take."
"...Lies." Gallus hissed, his face twisted with self resentment and regret, "Even if you and Roko and Pluteum would welcome me back, there's no taking back what I did to my own wife. If...if she knew...if you told her, I-"
"No one's told her." Merodach said reassuringly, "That's why you need to. You need to talk to her and Pluteum. Instead of trying to die here."
"You want me to go back?" Gallus gritted his teeth, tears coming to his eyes, "You think I'd be accepted back?"
"We can't tell you if you will or not." Merodach replied realistically, "But that's why we're here. Even if nobody else will accept you again, we will."
"You all? You of all people would accept me?" Gallus said blankly.
"Of course!" Nergal shouted as Ishtar helped him back up again, "You resigned as a rebel to work for us and last I checked you haven't resigned from us either!"
"That's...but I..."
"Be brave, Gallus." Ishtar said, joining her fellow policemen in front of Gallus, "Face the future instead of running to your death. We're here to support you."
"...ARAUGH!" Gallus roared as he used his sword to slash the chain Nebo was using to hold him.
"My weapon!" Nebo complained.
"Why? Why should I believe you?!" Gallus cried as he pulled his sword back for a big swing, tears streaming from his face, "Why would you help me?!"
Nebo frowned and raised her chain only for Merodach to hold up a hand to stop her. With a gentle nod, the head policeman stepped up and readied his own sword for a big swing.
"Sword Work: Roman Candle."
Sparks began to erupt from Merodach's hands, covering both the blade and handle until it looked like Merodach was holding a sword of sparking explosions. With a roar, Gallus charged forward and once he came into range, Merodach swung his burning sword. The stream of sparks and explosions covered Gallus in seconds and the blinding light hid the results of this clash for the longest of seconds. Until an even bigger explosion erupted from where Gallus once stood and something was flung from that smoke into the building behind them. And once the noise from the attack died down, Merodach collapsed onto his knees. But it wasn't long before each of his fellow policemen pulled him up and supported him. Carrying him together, they all approached the rubble where Gallus laid, not quite in the best of conditions but not close to what some might call defeated. Physically at least. He laid with battered armor that had done a terrific job at blocking the worst of the attacks but was left hanging from their straps. What was defeated was his mentality, unable to continue fighting what should've been his comrades and simply awaited death, capture or judgment. And when the police finally arrived and Merodach was let back onto his feet, this was what he said,
"Police Rule #17: No part-time jobs allowed." He reached out with a hand towards the beaten Gallus with a strong smile, "Let's go together. And tell Sirius you quit."
"...Heh." It was a short derisive laugh, "If I still live...whose side do I want to be on at the end? And if I die...who do I want mourning over my grave?"
Gallus reached out and took Merodach's hand. With a grin, Merodach helped Gallus up from the rubble, the disheveled knight wearing an equally large but perhaps more manic grin,
"So what's the plan now, boss?" Gallus smiled.
"Well we still owe the rebels a favor for letting us come and pick you up." Merodach wrapped an arm around Gallus' neck, "So how about we join them until we storm Sirius' own home and punch him in the face?!"
"Yes sir!"
"Goodness, they suddenly have so much energy." Ishtar remarked as the two grown men ran off to jump a very unfortunate Starry Knight that was just standing around.
"They were both so tired as well." Nergal scoffed.
"Boys will be boys I guess." Nebo sighed.
"And since when did you start sounding all grown up?" Nergal scowled, "You were the one all angry and ready to storm the rebel's new base during the poisoning incident."
"And then they handled it." Nebo crossed her arms, "Quite generously I might add."
"Yeah and that's when you started acting all mature and stuff." Nergal squinted his eyes at his twin suspiciously, "Almost like you were trying to emulate Roko."
"He is a really professional person."
"...You in love with him or something?"
"What?!" Nebo cried, her face growing flush in an instant, "Don't be ridiculous! I just respect how professional he was!"
"Yeah right! He's the entire reason why you were acting all weird nowadays weren't you?!"
"Nuh uh!"
"Nebo's in love~ Nebo's in love~!"
"Stop saying that!"
"Kids, behave yourselves now." Ishtar smiled gently as the twins began to chase each other around her.