Asylum

Battle Lines

Elektra

I got a glimpse of the injured Sage and instantly knew this was the work of the Reaper. When she brought me into their facility two years ago, I remember watching others get tortured by a man with blonde hair and icy eyes – Mr. Elwood, they called him. He was a big fan of messing with mouths, and I noticed his pattern of how he tied people down with rope. A single look at the Sage told me all that I needed to know: the Reaper is through playing hide-and-seek, and this is her warning. The message? This means war.

I'm in one of the dozens of rooms in Ren's dojo, conveying this idea to him, Sarah and Leo, and some of his closer Sages. Kya said she had some things to take care of tonight, but I'm sure she just didn't want to face Ren after the chewing out he gave her.

I clue them in on Reaper's identity as a Supernatural Detainment agent, only going over the details of my capture that are absolutely necessary. The Sages mumble of the bad omens that the "feeder of death" brings, as if a woman with the power of immortality and a battalion of weapons chasing us halfway across the world wasn't "bad omen" enough.

"What are her weaknesses?" Ren presses, firmly holding my gaze. He reminds me of Brovinski in this moment – the focused intensity, the rigid stance – all in the name of bloodshed. My, how I've missed this lifestyle.

"Without her power, Reaper is still a deadly opponent; she's dedicated her entire life to killing people like us. However..." I recall the night at the Tokyo Tower, remembering how unstable and almost insane she was. Emotionally or mentally, she's breaking. It's like a nuclear meltdown, and the way that ends isn't good for anybody. "She seems to have vulnerabilities," I tell them, trying to contribute information while leaving out the I-thought-of-joining-her plan. "She's the Reaper, but she's also a human."

The Sages nod, all for my rare flash of philosophical insight. The only people who aren't pleased with this answer are Leo and Ren. "Yeah, that's great and all, Zeus," Leo starts, pursing his lips in thought. I can tell he's trying to phrase his next words in a way that won't get him struck by lightning. "But...that doesn't help us. What are we supposed to do? Run around her in circles and point out if she has acne, or talk about Japan's hottest male celebrities?"

"Leo has a point," Ren adds with a grimace. I don't know if the grimace is in agreeing with someone like Leo or because he's actually right. "She's human, yes. But she's choosing to be the Reaper, and that's a lot worse than just using a dark strain of her power. It means she wants all the chaos."

If only they could have seen her. Reaper was brittle; falling apart, showing her weakness through the cracks in her armor. There's no doubt she's unstable, but I can't tell them that without being thrown on the chopping block, and even if I did – Kya isn't here to tame the Dragon. My chances of exile just increased exponentially.

So I hold back and nod. If I can't partner up with the Reaper, then I can't turn my back on these people, because then that leaves me with nowhere to go. I'm not going to want to stay here forever – only until I get enough followers and my own little shrine will I depart. Which means I need to start doing some campaigning. But how am I supposed to do that with Ren's upcoming plan of attack?

"This is what we're going to do," Ren starts, standing up a bit straighter, glowing with purpose. It's the first time I've seen him look like a real leader. I never thought Ren had much room for affection or others in his heart, so it must be a sense of integrity that makes him step up when his people are in need. "I want to instate a curfew on the dojo for both the Sages and the others. I'm thinking eleven; we have to make sure everyone is accounted for and we need to keep track of our numbers."