Our Footsteps

{[If you deceive yourself into thinking it doesn't hurt when you glance at your eyes, you'll grow sick of your lies, and the ghost in the mirror will judge you… It'll get better once you speak the truth that you hid behind your mask… The phantom will bid farewell and wish for your happiness as it fades within your eternity.]}

Ashner woke up in the castle. Around him were dozens of wasted demi's.

The first official holiday in Eden burned through the majority of Sanctuary's liquor.

As he regained his bearings, his menu jumped up in front of him.

125 > 255 Total Slaves.

What? When did that happen?

Ashner glanced around him. Most of the wasted demi's around him had a slave crest.

"What the fuck did I do?" Ashner's heart dropped once he grasped what happened the prior night.

*******

Luna woke up in her bed, near an open window sat Angel. Her black dress was thin and moved lightly with the wind. Her red hair waved as freely as her dress did.

"You're finally awake." Angel was in her mature form. "Can we talk?"

"My head." Luna always overdid it when it came to drinking. "It hurts."

"You don't know when to pace yourself." Angel dabbled with her black fingernails. "You got so drunk last night you tried taking your top off."

Luna's ears jolted up. "Did Ashner see?"

Angel tilted her head towards Luna. "That's your first question… You're not even curious if you exposed your bosoms to strangers."

"Well… I… I don't."

Angel gave a bratty smile. "How can you be immature and mature at the same time?"

"I'm not immature," Luna sputtered. Trying to defend her nature.

"You saw Ashner from a distance and screamed his name. Then you proceeded to try to take your clothes off." Angel chirped. "I had to fly you away before the whole town got a glimpse of your nipples."

Angel's story started clicking in Luna's mind, and she recalled that she was so happy that she wanted to fuck Ashner right there.

The busty woman's face and elven ears turned red.

Angel poked Luna's cheek. "You're so immature…" She giggled.

That made Luna's entire face burn red.

"But I like that about you." Angel sat behind Luna, and her hands cupped her breasts. "Your body is so fun to play with."

"What are you doing?" Luna moaned as Angel's fingers expertly caressed her heavy chest.

"Just a little jealous revenge," Angel admitted, then she nibbled on Luna's neck, her fangs eager to bite into her flesh. "You did something to Ashner."

"You're making up stories in your head." Luna lied.

Angel wasn't falling for it. She quickly pinned Luna against her bed. The elf's head throbbed, and her entire body shook. Angel held Luna's hands over her head. Her strength as a vampire was unnatural, and her beauty in the morning light broke any resistance Luna had left.

Luna studied Angel's face. Her beauty surpassed her own and even Risa's. She was the very picture of divinity. Not only that, she had casually dominated Luna. As much as she fought it. Her lower half got wet.

"Tell me what you and Ashner did." Angel's tone was commanding.

"We just touched," Luna admitted. "His fingers played with me, and mine… They stroked his manhood… Until we both finished."

"That's it?" Angel used her fingers and gripped Luna's face. Squeezing her cheeks and making the elf spasm in anticipation. Luna wanted more, and Angel did too.

Angel broke away, leaving Luna in her most intimate thoughts.

"How does it feel?" Angel's tone was cocky. "Losing control to a woman for once."

"It…" Luna brought her hands to her cheeks. "It's delightful…"

Angel tilted her head. "The way you feel might be due to my vampire powers… But I won't dominate any woman to the point where they're stripping… Unless my Daddy approves it." Angel got closer to Luna. Now, the elf's nipples were erect, and they poked through her thin nightgown.

"Ashner…" Luna spoke meekly. "He belongs to no one."

"Yet the women around him adore him." Angel sighed. "More than just you and Risa."

That got Luna to break away from her lust. She wasn't aware that more women wanted Ashner.

"I need to ensure all the pieces are set up for him." Angel continued. "But he's not ready, not with how he views himself…"

"Are you talking about his inferiority complex?" Luna was starting to regain her normal breathing, even if her body was ready for more.

"Yes." Angel sighed. A part of her wanted to take Luna then and there. She was a beauty with curves in all the right places. "If we push too fast, at first, he'll love it… But in time, that complex will destroy him."

"I agree." Luna stood up.

"No one can truly love someone until they accept who they are. Both body and mind." Angel glanced at Luna. "I love Ashner. And I want him to have the best life with us… Can I trust you?"

"Yes." Luna regained her composure. "I'll do anything for him."

"Now, if only Risa would agree." Angel tilted her head. "That girl will fight us tooth and nail, and I doubt she'll share Ashner."

"She'll share him," Luna reassured the dove. "Once she accepts that she likes more than just men."

"As for the others."

"Who are the others?"

Angel smirked. "You're not as mature as you think."

"And you're not as immature as you act." Luna retaliated.

Both the girls giggled.

*******

"That's all he wants?" Ashner was talking to Wong, who had just returned from his weekly food drop.

"Yes, he needs a few brave souls willing to venture into an old computer chip factory that occasionally gets gusts of wind with radiation. We still have four of five active satellites in space. Luckily, one of them detects the winds direction, so we should be clear if we head today… That'll be our veil."

Ashner tapped his mask. "We can make that our priority… Plus, after the party a few days ago…"

Ashner was prepared to get murdered, but none of the new slaves took their slave crests seriously. In fact, some laughed and shrugged it off. At the same time, Alex ended up taking more demi workers to Earth. He claimed he was still understaffed and took it upon himself to train his new employees.

Either way, Ashner struggled, shaking the bad taste out of his mouth. He didn't want people to fear or hate him. Eden wasn't Earth. Some people here liked him, regardless of what was tattooed on his hands.

"Alright, let me think about who should go." Ashner debated it for half a second before a voice interrupted his train of thought.

"We'll go."

Ashner and Wong glanced to their side. Serenity, Saki, and Sapphire sat on the stone table beside them. Obviously eavesdropping.

Serenity smiled brightly. The girls had adopted clothes from Earth, Except for Saki, who wore something in between a nun and a maid outfit. It revealed her hips and a bit of her upper chest.

Sapphire wore white and dark blue clothing, similar to an E-girl, and Serenity stuck to red clothes with a red skirt.

"Why do you girls want to go?" Ashner asked honestly.

"I want to increase my inventory," Serenity smirked proudly. "I promise to only take things you don't need."

Ashner pivoted towards Sapphire. "And you?"

"Ahh!" Sapphire covered her face and whimpered. "I wanna test out my new enchantments."

This one has gotten weird since she joined Eden. I wonder why.

"And you?" Ashner focused on the bunny.

"I'm their bodyguard." Saki shrugged.

It wouldn't hurt, plus we're not doing anything dangerous.

"Alright, we're heading out in an hour." As soon as Ashner said that, the girls skittered away.

"We'll be right back!" Saki yelled with a cheerful wave.

"Was that wise?" Wong asked.

"I don't know." Ashner stretched his back out and lifted his hands. "But those three have been stalking me for the last couple of weeks. I'm tired of it. Maybe taking them along will break that habit of theirs."

"I'll get Gio and the girls." Wong paced away. "Another small adventure?"

"This will be the most uneventful one so far." Ashner teased.

*******

Ashner and the group flew across the ruined landscape, using a combination of a limo and a ship to transport them. The guys, as always, were carrying their weapons, but they didn't expect anything to happen.

Ashner, Gio, Wong, and Alex were the only guys.

Luna, Risa, Angel, Saki, Twila, Sapphire, and Serenity were the girls tagging along for the adventure.

It was a full ride.

Filled with beauties.

The girls were glancing outside the windows and bantered with one another.

They're going to be disappointed. We're only taking a few computer chips and some hardware. Well, they're excited to simply look out the windows.

"Are there seriously no monsters out here?" Saki asked and got a little too close to Ashner. Her eyes were almost stars. Risa gave the bunny a half glare.

"My world has no monsters." Ashner grasped that the girls had only seen the inside of his mansion, not the outside world. "But rest assured, it's dying nonetheless."

"I'm happy." Saki smiled like a little girl. "Even if I die here, I won't get devoured."

I've never really considered how the demi's view Earth as a sanctuary, while I see Eden as mine…

The ship started landing.

"We're here," Gio spoke to the group as the ship's engines started turning off.

As soon as they stepped out, Luna spoke to the wind.

More lost souls.

Luna used her power, and three dozen souls, all from different time periods, manifested for a few seconds. Then they disappeared into whatever came next.

Gio and Wong led the way. They weren't at the ready with their weapons. Instead, they casually slung them to their sides.

Immediately, the girls started fiddling with old computers gathering dust, chairs, and books. Luna snatched some books up and put them in her sactual.

They moved through the factory. The walls had pictures of people long dead. An entire lifetime of achievements and work was now gone, thanks to the restless nature of war.

"This is odd," Gio stated the obvious. "This place is enormous."

"You're right." Ashner admittedly had no clue how large a chip company was, but they had been walking through it for almost twenty minutes.

The group entered a large room. Instead of a chip manufacturing machine, something else gripped the group's attention.

A luxury cruise spaceship.

"No fucking way!" Gio dashed towards it. The ship was behind a bulletproof glass. "These things are still around?"

"What are they?" Risa asked.

"Before the war, the wealthiest people took trips around the atmosphere and even to the moon."

"THE MOON!" Angel's eyes sparkled. "Does that mean we can walk on the moon?"

"No." Ashner quickly pulled that band-aid off of her heart. "These ships were consistently maintained. This one has been sitting here for years."

Angel pouted.

"I'm sorry, that's something I can't do."

The clicking of multiple weapons going from safe to fire echoed around the group.

The three guy's instincts kicked in, and they aimed their weapons up. Thugs with weapons stood in hidden corners of the building, under tables, and behind old vending machines.

"You fucking bad-asses!" Crow emerged from a room that connected to the spaceship. He was shirtless and holding an AG-C/EGLM single-shot 40 mm grenade launcher. "It's about time you guys showed up."

"You're not wearing radiation suits," Ashner spoke up, then grasped the reality of their situation.

Three or four dozen thugs had their weapons pointed at them. None of them were wearing anything to resist the radiation.

"You're not wearing anything either." Crow casually aimed his weapon at the group.

FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! We're cornered. There has to be something I can do… None of my powers can stop bullets. Risa can rush in, but that won't stop the rest of us from getting gunned down… They haven't fired… This isn't a fight yet… Relax yourself… Calm your heart… Crow is a weirdo, but he'll negotiate… Does he knows about my powers… How much does he know?

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU THINKING CROW!" Wong roared. "I TRUSTED YOU!"

"I know." Crow lifted his shoulders. "And I didn't lie… This is the location you need to be so we can collect the chips we need."

"YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" Wong tried fighting back his rage, but he blamed himself for his bad call.

Crow pointed at the ship. "And that's our ride."

"Are you out of your mind?" Ashner regained his composure. "We won't get far on that thing."

"That's where you come in." Crow tilted his head. "I send some drones to spy on your company… Tell me how you managed to restore your machinery… You've got some secrets… And unlike us, you're not suffering from radiation sickness."

He's desperate. They're expecting us to submit to their demands. If we don't, they'll die… So what's to stop them from killing us if we refuse?

"Fine, let's negotiate. On the condition that you don't lie to me… I'll remove the radiation sickness from you and your men."

Crow's gang wasn't surprised with the offer. This was something Crow had predicted.

"Deal."

Menu, Radiation Resistance to everyone around me.

The menu popped up, and everyone immediately sensed the effects on their bodies.

Crow smiled. "Are you a fucking wizard?"

"Fuck off." Ashner glared at Crow. "Tell me what you're plotting, or I'll remove the effects, and everyone around you will die instantly."

Just a bluff, but he doesn't know the extent of my powers.

"I'll be honest." Crow closed his eyes and lifted his fist up. All his thugs lowered their weapons. "Have you ever heard of the ILS Enterprise? Or the International Lunar Station named Enterprise?"

The guys glanced at each other, confused.

"That was the space station on the moon," Gio answered. "Wasn't it destroyed during the war?"

"It was untouched." Crow scratched his head with his weapon. "The remaining satellites are still working and communicating with the lunar base. Had it been destroyed, none of them would operate."

"What exactly do you want from a space station?" Ashner was more curious than angry now.

"I want to give back to the world," Crow exhaled happily. "If we can repair not just the space station but the satellites floating around the planet, then we can give everyone on Earth access to long-distance communications, early weather threat warnings, and pictures of the planet. That way, we can gauge how much damage was done to our home."

He's not giving me the whole truth. That's how Crow operates… But one thing is certain, he's not a liar. He just keeps things hidden… This isn't a bad deal for the world that includes us… But he's putting a band-aid on a suckling chest wound.

"You're asking the impossible from us, I can't fix something that's utterly destroyed." Ashner was honest. "You're taking a risk on a thin thread of hope."

"What else do we have in this world?" Crow got closer to Ashner.

Two leaders with people willing to throw their lives away for them. They both used different methods to get their way, but neither of them desired the deaths of innocent people.

They both resented and admired one another.

"Sweeten the deal," Ashner spoke.

"I have the location of the seed vault."

Wong's eyes widened.

"I can give you the exact location, and with your wizard powers, you can fix our dying world. If I can give the people the means to communicate with each other and you give them the means to feed each other… Then we might just survive the next year or so…"

Dangling the apple in my face. Well played, Crow.

"I don't have the manpower to grow all that food."

"I'll give you a few thousand workers… But that comes with the condition that you use your magical powers to prevent every citizen in my city from getting radiation poisoning." Crow's words made his guards glance at each other. "We can trust each other with our lives… Just like the good old days… Maybe this time we can call each other… Friends."

"Oh yeah, we'll be besties." Ashner debated it, and then he nodded. "Deal."

"Are you sure?" Wong was still pissed.

"Yes." Ashner didn't doubt his decision. "We'll take Crow's offer."

"Everyone on the ship." Crow and his men guided the group inside. There were easily over a hundred people. The demi's were eager to fight, but none of them made a move without Ashner's orders.

Some of Crow's thugs stayed behind and started prepping the launch.

Crow and Ashner sat in the pilot's seats. This ship was luxurious and clean. Crow and his men had modified it and even added extra cargo to it.

Everyone was strapped up, and the gravity-resisting technology was activated. It lessened the stress of the launch.

It was the same technology used on hovercars. The ship itself was made of graphene-mixed metals. It was more substantial and durable than the stuff they used hundreds of years ago, which had a habit of blowing up. But it wasn't perfect.

Ashner and Crow tugged on their seat belts, along with one of Crow's thugs. He started up the launch progress.

"Do you know how to pilot this?" Ashner asked.

"Yes. I did this over fifty times." The thug was older, maybe in his mid-fifties. "I used to work here before the bombs dropped… If everything goes alright, we shouldn't have any issues."

"If things go bad, we'll all die," Ashner warned.

"Then we can die as besties." Crow smirked. "Use your power on this ship. Restore it before we take off… I know you're hiding a few secrets, wizard."

Ashner used his mana on the ship, removing dust from critical areas and even restored bent and warped wires. As he did that, Crow took out a joint and lit it.

"Seriously?"

"If I'm going out, I'm going out high."

The ship took off. Even with the advanced technology, the group inside the ship sensed it in their bodies, the pressure of them leaving the atmosphere.

"Crow." The thug piloting the ship pushed a button, and a heads-up display showed debris floating around Earth. It was too much, almost like rain. "Permission to use our weapons."

"Permission granted." Crow smiled as the high hit him. "Check this out, Ashner… We're about to light up the darkness."

Hundreds of lasers fired from the ship, which Crow and his people modified and added to the hull. In addition, the ship shot out hundreds of small projectiles that wrapped around their target, and with a small explosion, the debris was shot towards the Earth.

The ship lit up the sky, barely making a dent in all the trash floating around space.

Some of the metal hit the ship and dent it in random places.

"Hull damage. Some of it went through. We're losing oxygen." Ashner used his power, and the hull was quickly repaired. The pilot blinked a few times, and then he glanced at Ashner. Eventually, they passed through the debris. The cameras showed that the debris was at a certain distance from the Earth, like the rings of Saturn, but once they were home free, Crow breathed out in relief.

"That could've ended badly." Crow took another puff.

"You're fucking crazy." Ashner was grateful none of them died.

"Says the man who always volunteered for the suicide missions… At one point, the army chose to use you instead of their special forces."

"We both know every member of the special forces died in the war." Ashner glanced at the screen as it redirected itself towards the moon. "How long until we get there?"

"About an hour." Crow handed Ashner one of the edibles, but he refused. "It used to take days, but humanity advanced far with our tech… Right before we killed each other senselessly."

"We still need to get back to Earth." Ashner glanced at the debris floating around the planet. "We'll die if we risk going through that again."

"The lunar base has drones that can shoot the debris toward the Earth," Crow reassured him. "We'll be fine."

Fuck that… My power can take me to any door on Earth. I hope that applies to the moon as well… If I create a door here, we can all leave through the White Room… Sure, Crow will learn more about my power, but I'd rather that than risk another dance with death.

The lunar station got closer.

"There it is," Crow commented. "The greatest achievement of humanity. The most luxurious and expensive hotel, casino, and research station outside our planet… And what do you know… The lights are still on."

"Sir." The pilot interrupted Crow. "No life signs, but the base has breathable oxygen and artificial gravity similar to Earth. The station's AI is also hailing us. It's taking control of the ship and docking us."

"That's convenient. I gotta say, I feel like one of those spoiled corporate heads living in the floating cities." Crow's hands were shaking. "Tell everyone to prepare for the dismount."

That fear… I understand it well…

The ship spun and docked in reverse. Once the door opened, Crow's men ignored Ashner's group and ventured into the space station.

The building had enormous windows several feet thick, but they portrayed a vision impossible to grasp. Everyone took in the sight of the Earth in the distance and the gray of the moons landscape.

Apart from the gorgeous landscape, the enclosed hotel was spotless. Cleaning robots and butler droids were hanging on the walls in standby mode.

"Welcome, guests." The head butler moved towards the group. Ashner and Crow were ahead of everyone. "May I see your identifications?"

"Of course you can." Crow reached into his cargo pocket and took out a laser USB drive. With a quick push of a button, corrupt data was loaded into the butler's hard drive. "Hello Jeremy Lundy, make yourself at home. All stations are open and available to you and your guests."

"Yeah, yeah." Crow shooed the robot away.

"I know your last name is Lundy… Is your first name Jeremy?"

"Yeah. Crow's just a nickname that I like… Oh, and if you tell anyone my real name. I'm putting a bullet in your head."

"Whatever." Ashner ignored Crow as he and his men moved deeper into the lunar station. They left Ashner and his group alone.

The girls studied the outside of the lunar base. Still trying to figure out how to react.

"Small adventure huh?" Wong crossed his arms.

"Oh, eat my dick." Ashner retaliated.

Gio and Alex got closer to the windows. Still determining how to take in the rocky and cratered landscape.

"What is that?" Sapphire pointed at the blue ball.

"That's Earth." Ashner and the rest of the group wandered towards the large windows.

"It's round."

"Every planet is round," Ashner explained.

"We're on the moon." Angel smiled, and she tugged on Ashner's arm. "Is this a dream?"

"I wish it were." Wong sighed. "We barely got here in one piece. I doubt we'll get back to Earth safely… Crow and his goon of thugs aren't exactly the best and brightest."

"I agree." Gio nodded. "I expected I'd die in a lot of different ways… Re-entering our atmosphere was not on the list."

"Crow said he has a plan." Ashner tried to reassure his friends.

It didn't work. Gio and Wong gave him half jaw drops and glares.

"Alright, he's not the kind of guy that plans that far ahead."

"He's reckless and has a way of getting people to follow him," Wong commented. "But he tends to make decisions that usually get everyone around him killed… It's why he hates you. You made the calls that kept most of us alive."

"I don't think he hates me."

"Oh, he detests you." Gio prolonged his words. "Crow took it personally when members of 3-7-3 chose to follow you into battle instead of him."

That's a stupid reason to hate me.

"What do we do?" Risa asked. Angel and Alex were already snooping around, and Luna and Saki were sitting down on the leather seats, enjoying the view.

"We're stuck here," Ashner spoke to everyone. "Let's enjoy it while we can."

"How?" Risa asked. Ashner glanced into a room and elbowed the soldiers. They all smiled.

*******

Crow plugged his USB port into one of the computers in the command station.

"Why did we bring them along?" Evaristo asked. He was carrying a handful of weapons, including sawed-off shotguns holstered to his thighs.

"Taking just Ashner was more reasonable." Maria took a seat. The thugs were also enjoying the majestic view.

"Ashner has some type of power that's beyond my understanding." Crow finally opened up to them. This made both of them glance at each other, once again, questioning Crow's sanity. "His power restored the ship as it passed through the debris WW3 left behind. None of you can deny that since it happened in front of you. If you inspect our ship, you'll see that it no longer has hull damage. Ashner took it upon himself to restore it."

"That's impossible. It had dents everywhere when we landed." Evaristo, Maria, Eugene, and a handful of thugs went to the window and glanced at the ship. Sure enough, there was no damage on it.

"Oh shit." Eugene took a few steps back. "Should we trust them?"

"No, but we can use them." Crow reached into his pocket and ate a few weed gummies. "The plan hasn't changed… Eugene, we'll make sure to keep our deal… But for now…"

The computer's firewalls dropped, and Crow had full access to every file.

"Good girl." Crow purred. "I'm in. Reactivating all anti-debris drones. All fifty thousand."

In the moon's craters, large safes opened, and drones the size of motorcycles flew out towards the atmosphere. They had small solar-powered engines powered by a miniature superconductor, along with metal rods that pushed the heat away from the electronics.

They took flight and matched the speed of everything floating around the Earth. Then, they used the heat they produced to push the debris towards the planet. They were accurate enough to vent something as small as a grain of sand away.

"It'll take a few months, maybe years to clear everything." Crow tapped on the computer. "Next, I'll use the drones to bring the mostly intact satellites near us, and Ashner can fix them up."

"What's your plan after we leave?"

"Leave?" Crow smirked. "This will be our base of operations… If we can't live in the floating cities with the top brass, then we'll live here."

"That choice isn't much better." Evaristo was grateful to Crow. He had given him a place to belong, but Crow was miles ahead of everyone else with his plans most of the time. As irritating as it was for the large Native American, Evaristo was used to being in the dark.

"What are they doing?" Maria put her hand on her hip.

Crow took a glance outside. "Leave them be."

*******

"Why is this so slow?" Luna needed help with each step. The moon's gravity was completely unorthodox to her. The hotel had artificial gravity, but outside, it was something entirely different.

The space suits were skin-tight, and the fabric extended and contracted when needed into pockets on the suit. The helmet was round and had headlamps. They all had microphones, and when they talked, the suits simulated their distance from one another and adjusted their voices.

Luna's suit was working overtime to hug her robust body. Sapphire was skinny and kept falling over and grabbing Luna's leg. Luckily, Saki was there to pick her up. The demi-bunny was a natural at walking on the moon.

Risa and Twila made a competition of it. Each racing each other and then giggling when they tumbled.

Wong and Serenity had taken bags with them and started collecting rocks. Gio and Alex wrote their names on the dirt and began taking selfies.

"So it's true." Angel was in her standard form. A height a little taller than Risa. "Angel and Luminous walked on their moon… And we're walking on yours… I wasn't expecting my day to turn out like this…"

"I'm happy that we're here together." Ashner was honest. Walking on the moon was one thing, but doing it with such a beauty was just an added cherry on top.

Angel's suit hugged her body, and she was able to make her wings smaller. That's when Ashner grasped how perky her body was. From her chest to her butt. Tight and firm. Ashner took a peek, and she caught on quickly.

Angel stuck her butt out towards him and bumped it against his leg. "Oops." She teased.

"That was on purpose." Ashner was still wearing his mask under the helmet.

"So what if it was?" Angel put her hand on her hip. She was proud of her beauty. She and Luna were both proud of their charms. "I'm allowed to tease my daddy."

"You can do whatever you want."

I can't help it. She's too adorable.

"If that's the case, then I'm allowed to give you one order."

"What kind of order?" Ashner's curiosity was peaked.

"Angel and Luminous walked across the moon holding hands." Angel held her hand out. It was shaking a little.

Does… Does she want me to…

Ashner reached out, and their fingers interlocked. Even through the coldness of space, their fingers warmed each other.

Angel's body shook slightly, and she turned her head, fighting back her happy grin.

Is she happy or mad?

Ashner took the first step, and Angel followed behind.

One step, two steps, three steps. The silence of the moon blurred everything. It was like living on an empty page in a book. Angel glanced at Ashner. Her mind and heart loved him, but then and there, at that moment, while stepping through the foreign landscape, she lived through a fantasy... One she adored both as a child and as an adult.

She was living out her fantasies. Angel was a princess whose fleeting dream was now a reality.

That's the day her love shifted to something more.

Angel giggled and ultimately jumped and clung onto Ashner's arm.

"You just fulfilled my biggest fantasy." Angel giggled brightly, and her fanged smile radiated brighter than the sun ever hoped to. "Do you know what that means?"

Ashner shook his head.

"It means." Angel's eyes burned with passion and admiration. "That we'll be together… Forever… Silly Daddy…"

*******

"How many more of these do I need to fix?" Ashner was outside. The drones brought down the satellites and kept them a few feet off the ground. Ashner used his power and fixed them, and then it would take off, and another took its place, and another, and another.

"You tell me, Mr. Wizard," Crow spoke to him from the command center.

"I can't keep this up forever." Ashner let his guard down a little. "If I overexert my mana, I'll collapse."

"Ah." Crow's voice echoed through Ashner's headset. "Come back. We'll finish the rest later."

Ashner took giant steps towards the entrance of the base. "We haven't eaten in what, thirty hours."

"We shared our food with you, but the food on this rock has expired." Crow's voice echoed in Ashner's helmet. "If you can keep using your power for a few more days, we'll be alright."

We'll get weak and die. Crow jumped the gun when we landed here. Or he assumed this base had dehydrated food. Either way, I have to reveal more of my secret.

Ashner entered a dock. It was used to park wheeled space vehicles. Most of which had been sitting around without maintenance. Two large glass walls came down behind Ashner as soon as he entered. The first was thicker than the second. Used to hold back the vacuum of the moon. The second one activated the gravity drives as soon as it closed. The two walls were about fifteen feet between each other.

"Wizard!" Crow paced towards Ashner with Evaristo and Maria as his bodyguards. "Welcome back."

"How many more days until we're done?"

Crow gave a half smile. "Maybe four."

"We'll starve if we wait that long."

"It is what it is."

This guy doesn't think ahead when it comes to the health of his people… Fuck it…

Ashner removed the helmet, and his body suit expanded and fell down like an oversized pair of jeans. He reached for his neck and thumbed the gold key. With a soft movement, he tapped it against the glass seal behind him.

The glass shifted and changed. It was still see-through, but designs of mountains, rivers, oceans, clouds, and monsters were carved inside the glass.

Crow smirked. "You were holding out on me."

"You're a shit leader." Ashner moved closer to Crow. "You want to know why we don't trust you?"

Crow's men reached for their weapons, but Crow lifted his finger and gave a 'no' wag with it. That message was for his men. "Tell me, we were both platoon sergeants. Well, I had the rank. You didn't cause you had a habit of pissing off our Officers… Do continue."

Ashner gritted his teeth. "You always put the mission first, regardless of how many of us died in the process."

"As every good leader should."

"Bullshit!" Ashner's fingers became fists. "If you can't balance the lives of your men before the mission, then you shouldn't be a leader… Everyone who followed you into battle knew they were likely not coming back."

"Honorable sacrifices for the greater good." Crow didn't deny it. "Your methods were too careful… You often took the long way or the 'safe' path. That's why you didn't complete as many missions as I did."

"Yes, I didn't do as much as you did… But I had the least casualties in the suicide missions assigned to me… That's why Wong and Gio and the rest of our battles chose to follow my lead over yours… And why we don't trust you."

Crow's guards were well aware of their leader's methods. They, too, had lost members of their gang. They had often faced raiders, and it had cost them too many lives, but their enemies were no more. It was a high cost against an endless threat in their dying world.

"That's our dilemma." Crow shrugged. "I get the mission done, on time, and efficiently… You get the mission done, but you drag your feet and often let our enemies go if it's too risky to chase them down… Which one of us is the better leader? From my point of view, you have no right to lead anyone… You're a pedo, after all."

Ashner's rage bubbled, his eyes widened, and he took a swing. Nailing Crow's face, the shirtless man's head was jerked back. He blinked as the pain settled, then took a swing right back. Nailing Ashner's chin.

Crow's guards pulled the two away. Some of his thugs rushed in from deep inside the base. It took several men to hold them both back.

"Why don't you deny it!" Crow raged. "You raped and killed a kid, right! Tell us all the fucking truth!"

Ashner's mask was enraged, and as hard as he fought against the strength of four men, he was helpless.

"Open your little bitch mouth and talk." Crow shrugged his men away. "Tell me the truth… Did you enjoy it?"

"I DIDN'T DO IT!" Ashner's rage shoved the four men away. "I NEVER TOUCHED HER!"

Crow lifted his finger up. Then he tilted his head side to side. "You're finally telling the truth."

Crow's thugs and Ashner gave him a weird gaze.

"You were framed," Crow admitted. "I've been watching Clear Water's movements for quite some time now… Your name came up, and a case involving you was rushed. Whoa, and behold. The entire thing was a lie, from when it happened to how the events unfolded… It was all a lie to fuck you over… And the acid that was used on you is only accessible in Raven Corp medical facilities, which happen to be working hand in hand with Clear Water mercenaries… Luckily for you, I have a spy who gave me the acid that was poured on your face… Don't get me wrong, I didn't do it cause Wong asked me. I did it for evidence… You weren't the only victim… Three women's faces were burned with that same acid… Women who were found dead and raped… I found where one of them was buried, and once I opened her coffin, well, her face looked exactly like yours…"

What the fuck?

"Taking everything into consideration. That only leaves one conclusion… Someone else did it… And you… You're a damn good leader… But you're willing to let strangers step all over you over a crime you didn't commit… That's what I detest about you, Ashner… I don't understand how soldiers as brilliant as Wong, and as skilled as Gio would follow a man who doesn't respect himself enough to say the fucking truth!"

He knew… This whole time… He knew about my past… So why push my buttons? Was it to get me to lash out and say the truth? Why is he doing this shit to me?

"I thought…" Ashner gritted his teeth. "I pinned her death on me."

"That's stupid." Crow shrugged and caressed his jaw. "But you're finally opening up. That's a start."

"I fucking hate you." Ashner glanced at Crow, who was grazing the entrance to the White Room.

"I hate you too," Crow spoke nonchalantly. "Now, what kind of magic is this?"

The door to Eden was giant and opened directly into his personal garage. Using his power, they ended up in the room where the group found the Stryker. It was large and had a secret exit outside.

Crow was pleased and negotiated with Ashner. He wanted to use that doorway to remove equipment from the lunar station and bring things into it, including food. With Ashner's power, they had the option to occupy and live in the lunar base.

"Leave this door open for a while," Crow asked like a child begging for candy.

"That's a steep order." Ashner crossed his arms. He was still sour over their fight. "What can you offer me?"

"I'll find the remaining family members of our platoon. I'll invite them to live in my city and give them protection for the rest of their lives."

"Deal." Ashner didn't question something like that. The world was violent, and Ashner cared for his battle's families as much as he cared for his own. "I'll close the door tomorrow at this time. We can use it to get to Earth after we're done on the moon."

"I'll reach out to you once a month to deliver things there," Crow added.

"Yeah, I'll go when we deliver food to your city."

"You don't know how much I… Appreciate this." Crow hummed as his thugs called for more members. As promised, Ashner was going to make them immune to the radiation. So they had nothing to fear. Crow's plans were falling into place little by little.

******

Spin?

Sure, Spin.

(Common) Flora Restoration

Level 1 – (Bought) - Simply being around flora gives them a 25% chance of surviving.

This one is… Meh… At least it's useful…

As Ashner dabbled with the satellites, he had used his powers on just two that morning, and Crow finally gave him the news he wanted to hear. "We're done. And the drones cleaning the atmosphere will keep working for a few years. Can you meet me on the ship? One of your friends caused a ruckus."

"I'm on my way."

I bet it was Saki. She has a temper from time to time. Or maybe Alex, his succubus power makes girls throw themselves at him… Or maybe Angel in her smaller form. She loves to run around, and her wings bump into things.

Ashner removed his space suit and walked towards the air dock. From there, he caught a glimpse of Gio and Wong talking to Twila and Risa. They were joking around with Crow's men.

Ashner entered the ship. He moved forward to first class. Some of the thugs were in second class. They glanced at Ashner. "You gotta put a leash on that one."

Ashner sighed and then stepped into first class. That's where he caught Crow holding a gun to Luna's head. Next to him, sitting on opposite seats, was Sapphire with a thug holding a weapon to her head, and across her was Eugene with a gun on Serenity.

"WHAT THE FUCK CROW!" Ashner barked, and behind him, a dozen or so thugs pointed their guns at him. "WE WERE FINALLY GETTING ALONG!"

"Mmm, I wouldn't say that." Crow shrugged. "I have a deal to keep with my friend."

Crow nodded towards Eugene, who was calm through it all.

"What beef do you have with me or my friends?"

"No beef." Eugene finally stopped using a fake voice, revealing a heavy accent. "Even if we once fought on opposite sides in the war."

"You're Russian?"

"Da." Eugene nodded. "Crow and I made an arrangement… He reassured me that this method." Eugene spun the firearm a little. "It was the best way to get what I wanted."

"I'm gonna be honest with all of you." Ashner's mask created an angry face. "If you hurt my friends. I'll bury every one of you."

Eugene gave a little giggle. "Crow, you're right about him… He's exactly what we need."

"I am sorry for this." Crow tapped on the pilot's door. The hooks holding the ship to the lunar base unhooked, and the ship's engines came to life, going directly towards the Earth. "I really am."

"You're ditching everyone?"

"No." Crow shook his head. "Your power can bring them to Earth."

"The atmosphere is still covered in debris. If I die, they're stuck on the moon!"

"Then just don't die." Crow gave a matter-of-fact response. "Use your power on this ship. Make sure we don't blow up, and when we land, we can get the real mission going."

"What mission?"

"My mission," Eugene spoke. "Have you heard of the floating city named 'Washington DC?'"

"Yes, it was the first one to take flight. It was done before the war… It was destroyed, and it landed in the ocean." Ashner recalled it clearly.

"Yes." Crow holstered his weapon, and the women had the guns moved away from their heads. "It never sank to the bottom of the ocean. It crashed in Northern Russia. Clear Water discovered it, and they've been trying to get it airborne… They haven't been kind to the locals either."

"They're monsters… Defilers… They tormented the city…" Eugene spat his words out with rage. "My city… My home… Crow reached out to me and promised me a way to fight back… That's why I crossed the radiated ocean… And why I threatened your friends… Because I need Crow, and I need you…"

"This is a fucked up way of asking for help."

"Crow," the pilot's voice came to life. "We're about to enter the debris field. If the ship is damaged, we'll explode upon reentry into the atmosphere."

"Alright, Ashner." Crow sat down and put on his seat belt. Everyone did the same, including Ashner. "Don't let us die now."

Crow ate a few more edibles and faced death higher than the moon.

The debris hit the ship. Some shards ripped through the hull and killed two of Crow's men.

"FUCK!" Ashner put his hand on the seat of the ship. Pouring his mana into it. The holes weren't closing.

Why isn't it working? Cause I haven't leveled it up! Menu level up Restore!

XP:7,570 > XP:6,570

Restore 3 > 4 – (Bought) – Hands of Perfection – By touching an item, you can completely restore it, regardless of its materials. The larger the item, the more mana you will require.

Ashner's mana shifted. Wherever debris hit the ship, he'd restore it, sometimes quick enough to prevent it from getting punctured. Next came the tricky part.

Re-entering the atmosphere. Everything shook violently, and the ship was burning.

"What the fuck! Why are we burning up!"

"We added a few… Things." Crow smiled. "Don't quit now."

Ashner poured his power into the ship, his chin dripped sweat, and eventually, his body collapsed.