The surface of Morskoy-3 - May 15, 2874. 8:09PM Imperial time.
A total of eleven years had passed since the Eidolon War, and much had happened in the interim... since 2864, more land had been gained through treaties and referendums for the Temporal American Empire to own and manage, allowing them to expand and control more lands in the regions the eidolons had formerly terrorized. 2868 seemed to bring about a spur in eidolon region settlement after the reformation of the economic system that was utilized there. Now that Temporal America was heralded into a new era of expansion following the ones it had in the past 815 years, it was enjoying much success in recent times, absorbing and incorporating some weakened empires into its bounds and forming alliances with others that showed a willingness to assist the powerful nation.
The ISV Aeon, hovering above the arctic planet of Morskoy-3, was constantly being fed reports of everything that was happening within Temporal America. Economic boosts in various regions of the American realm were recorded, social reforms were being made on some planets in the so-called 'Ring of Neglect' (named because the Imperials demonstrate control over the planets in the Ring, though they do very little to stop any major disorder there - thus making them neglected planets), and other improvements were being made to bolster Imperial power to a peak that would continue to be surpassed in an infinite cycle by a series of future peaks.
Hux, now a colonel, watched from the bridge of his ship as he cruised above the arctic planet, where there were already a few American mines from the 2100s in operation. The mines worked for 24 hours a day, their workforce consisting of mostly prisoners who had committed the most heinous of crimes and old drones that had no better purpose to serve. The clinking of pickaxes and the whirring of rusted machines could be heard reverberating throughout the enclosed structures that contained these mines, where officers on the surface watched the mining prisoners toil away at the bottom of the pit.
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Hux was relaxing on the Aeon, taking advantage of the ship's climate control as a way to decompress and have some time to himself before returning to his duties as a ship captain. He was overseeing various experiments that took place on the ship - an experiment made of genetic code from Universe B-32 that could utilize superhuman abilities known as 'quirks'; a series of supersoldiers that could deflect any kind of magic directed at it, and use it against attackers 35 times over its normal damage rate; and a virus that can be programmed to target certain individuals or a group of people and eliminate them within less than 25 minutes. These experiments were kept a secret from the rest of the military, as they would deem them 'inhumane'.
Within a few seconds of what would be last minute to rest before being called to duty, someone came to report to Hux... "Captain! Our men in the ship's lower bay have fallen victim to an illness... they're being driven insane! Come, quick!" a sergeant would warn him, telling him to follow. Hux did so, following the sergeant to the lowest part of the ISV Aeon, where a few men that were sentenced to 2 weeks' labor for insubordination were affected by an anomaly that greatly decreased their sanity. The affected men, dressed in winter uniforms to combat the extreme cold that seeped into the ship from Morskoy-3, had slightly messy hair brought on from the anomaly that was attacking Hux's ship, and wound up believing that the ship itself was torturing them for the sins they had committed in their lifetime. Ushankas, worn in order to combat the cold climate, were scattered on the floor. Hux's expression slowly went from worried to angered, barking a demand to whoever was affecting his men...
"I demand you release my men from your damned hexes and show yourself... unless you're a coward!" Hux's demand was straightforward and concise - he wanted to know who was doing this, and why they were doing this. A silhouette of someone that looked like the late Arturius appeared in front of Hux, seeping out of the men's heads in the form of a black gas and taking a physical form - the silhouette radiated dark energy, manifesting itself in the form of a blackening aura that surrounded him. The only thing that stood out on the silhouette was a pair of yellow, glowing eyes that gave off the same effect.
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"I am Lucian... the dark bringer of insanity, brother of the Arturius, the summoner of this world's hellish beasts. I have existed long before your so-called 'empire' has - and just recently, I heard you have killed my dear brother. It has brought me to the conclusion that your forces are responsible for his demise... such cold brutality, displayed towards demonkind by you villainous Americans. To retaliate for the fall of my brother, your men - and eventually, your nation - will fall to the inevitable reign of insanity! Your nation will be trampled upon, and brought to shame... I can sense your trembling, captain," Lucius spoke in a distorted voice, indicative of his position as a demon.
Hux was quickly angered by this statement. "You know, blobs of darkness that promise to bring this nations on its knees... people like you really piss me off!" Lucius decided to continue, which would further anger the ship captain - "I can sense the fear and insecurity inside you, captain... you applied for this position of power just so you can stand on your pedestal with the rest of your pathetic military. You applied just so you could be personally complete, so you could win over the affection of your parents. Your values, your beliefs... they are merely nothing. And you and your military's power will never amount to mine once I fully unleash it... you will always be outmatched in one way or another, Hux, and that is an undeniable truth that shall be set in stone."
Hux was visibly furious - he now looked like he wanted to relentlessly strangle Lucian with his bare hands, if he could. Lucian was looking to continue delivering his taunts telepathically, but something was stopping him... "Your... your brainwaves. Your anger is making them too powerful for me to communicate with you through that medium. This may as well mean I may have to try another method... entering your head!" Lucian returned to a gaseous form, and tried to enter Hux's head to torment him mentally - however, Lucian was hit by an ESP-02 beam, a form of energy round that could deal a hefty amount of damage to the supernatural. This caused the demon of insanity to return to his physical form and resort to fleeing throughout the ship.
"Your technology... it has reached a level that must be eliminated...!" Lucian assumed the form of a black puddle on the floor, speeding away to various parts of the ship's lower bay in order to escape being eliminated by the soldiers, and waiting for the right moment to unleash an attack on the entire ship. Hux put the ship on high alert, rendering it closed to all ships looking to rendezvous with the vessel and also preventing anyone from entering or leaving the Aeon... the ship was also closed off supernaturally via an ESP field that would trap Lucian inside the ship.
A few spec-ops teams donning heavy winter gear and ushankas were dispatched to deal with Lucian... the hunt was on.
