"It has become clear," Nyz stated, not needing his empathic powers to know the shock of the soldiers close and far. It wasn't every day someone could take a missile unprotected and survive. "That Asterox has no intention in giving me back what's mine. You initiated the attack. Don't blame me for the slaughter."

Without waiting for anyone to recover from their shock, Nyz initiated his attack. Ripples of green force began to emit from him in a spherical wave, pulsing outwards. As the force magic flowed away from him, it demolished everything it came into contact with. The broken roads, the buildings, the soldiers, the mechs – everything.

Except for the pillar of stacked stones, which remained floating in place even after the ground beneath it was broken and pushed away.

Instead of falling with the section of ground beneath him that had been within the initial barrier, Nyz remained floating in place, keeping his attention forward.

The pulses of force magic spread more than five hundred yards in diameter in under three seconds, leaving a massive crater in its place as the debris was thrown away. When the attack ended, the debris which had been thrown up into the air rather than away fell back down, dropping into the crater.

Dust filled the air, obscuring vision, so Nyz released a pulse of wind, pushing it away in a second. With a series of gestures, he pulled to him the mechs which had not been thrown away by the attack, but tossed up into the air, as well as the choppers which had been knocked down. Another series of gestures, and he threw them all up into the air, then slammed them into the ground.

Nyz placed his palms together, then drew them apart, electricity crackling between them. As he pulled his arms apart, the electricity moved outward, forming a ring around him before rapidly expanding. With a crack, it turned to lightning and lashed out in all directions, striking every mech within range.

His last attack finished, Nyz waited. Several minutes passed with him floating in the air at the epicenter, calmly watching the area. Then, he turned and assessed the stacked stones, remembering then that part of the spell they'd woven into it was an immovable one. They fixed its location relative to the planet, ensuring that someone couldn't move it, either. It would still move with the world, but only with the world.

Upon hearing the heavy steps of a mech navigating the rubble, Nyz turned and faced the dark blue tiger mech approaching him, easily half as much taller as the ones the military and Asterox had brought with them.

Standing atop its head was a figure in combat armor. If Nyz had to hazard a guess, it was Sen braving the movements, though he knew that Wys's navigation would ensure she did not fall.

Once the mech reached him, Nyz floated up onto it, then turned and faced the dragonfly mech which had flown close, the small piece of magitech hovering only a few feet away.

"Instead of returning what was ours," Nyz said as Sen removed her helmet, fixing her gaze on the mech as well. "They chose to attack. I will no longer hold back my powers."

"Father," Sen spoke once Nyz finished. "You have brought this upon Asterox. What happens next is your responsibility and your fault. You should have returned what you stole."

They turned and enter the mech, Sen first. Nyz followed her down and closed the hatch, then Sen began to remove the combat suit.

"Kal okay'd that?" Nyz asked.

"Yes," Sen answered. "The suit ensured I remained upright on there, so there was no danger to me."

"Okay," Nyz said. "I'll see you back down there."

"Okay," she responded.

Nyz descended back into the general room, then began to dress.

"I was wondering where those had gone, Nyz!" Kal exclaimed. "I thought you didn't like that I made underwear?"

"I didn't like you gifting me underwear," Nyz stated. "That doesn't mean they aren't comfy."

"How did you steal them?" Kal asked. "Wait. Do you have the blue ones, too?"

"Yeah," Nyz answered. "I teleported into the storage room to pick something up real quick. I saw them on a shelf and realized that you'd made another couple of batches of missile-proof underwear. After feeling them, I realized they were the same fabric. Since the green ones were comfy, I took the orange and blue, too. You should make more."

"You stole underwear?" Sen poked her head down out of the hatch.

"Yes."

"I can't believe they're missile-proof," she pulled her head back up.

"I told you Kal made some," Nyz told her.

"I know," she responded, her voice raised a little to ensure she was heard from the decontamination chamber. "That doesn't mean I believed it, Nyz. It sounded… a bit unbelievable."

"Oh," Nyz said as he finished lacing up his sneakers. "Kal made missile-proof underwear. It's comfy. Kal, you should make some for women, too."

"It's, uh, on the list," Kal said as Nyz began making his way into the cockpit, fully-dressed. "Nyz, I'm making more. Don't steal those as well."

"But they're comfy."

"I made more because I needed them for something," Kal said.

"You made them in my size."

"It's-never mind," Kal sighed as Nyz sat in the copilot's chair. "Anyway, once Sen finishes changing, I'm transferring you all back to base."

"What about the other mission?" Nyz asked.

"I'll send you both out individually," Kal told him. "In a couple of hours. That should give you enough time to recharge."

"I have plenty of mana left," Nyz stated.

"I know," Kal said. "Still, though, you should charge up all the way. You'll be inside of the fog zone, and there's always the chance that you'll run into something pretty strong."

"Sure, whatever," Nyz said. "I'll charge up."

"Plus, you should always rest a little before a fight," Kal said.

"It probably won't be much of one," Nyz stated. "Flimsy human mechs aren't worth much against me."

"Yeah, yeah," Kal said. "Anyway, Sen's finished. Transferring in three… two… one!"

The view on the monitors changed from the rubble to the inside of a hanger, and Nyz and Wys left the cockpit, exiting the mech altogether. Sen was already on the top, and the three of them stepped onto the boarding platform, then descended the steps down to meet with Kal.

"I'm going to make some final preparations," Kal told them. "Meet me back here at seven. That should give you time to eat dinner and let it settle a little, too."

"Okay," Nyz said. "I'm heading back to my place, then."

"Nyz," Sen said. "Can I come with you?"

"No."

"Not even to hang out and talk?"

"I want to wash off the residue from the missile," Nyz told her. "No."

He teleported into his apartment before she could push more, then he undressed and made his way into his bathroom, where he took a shower. After finishing his shower, he dried off and pulled on a pair of underwear and a tank top, then sat on his couch and turned on the TV to watch the news.

Every few minutes, he changed the station, picking a different region each time to see what they were saying about the attack. The military force which met him in Troak, along with Asterox, were attempting to make correctional statements, but the live feed made it difficult for them to do so believably.

There were more than a few reporters and news anchors who were wondering just how Nyz could cast the magics he did. As he listened to some of the comments, he thought about the fact that it might have made Wys's job more difficult, using his power on such a level.

If the Zenitks realized that he was a successful experiment, it would only drive them harder in creating some. They might even want to get their hands on him – or Wys, if they realized what he was.

A knock at the door drew Nyz's attention, and he sighed. He could already tell it was Sen, who apparently didn't take 'no' for an answer. Nyz stood and walked over to the door, opening it and glaring at Sen.

"I wanted to talk with you," she told him. "That's why I wanted to come back with you, Nyz."

"Kal said I need to rest before the next mission," Nyz stated. "Therefore, I am supposed to rest."

"Kal told Wys and me the truth awhile ago," Sen told him.

"What truth?" Nyz asked.

"About you," she answered. "And what soul magic did to you."

For a moment, Nyz stared at her. Then, he sighed and stepped to the side, allowing her to enter. Sen did, and Nyz closed the door, then looked at her again.

"You both know."

"Yes," she answered. "We've known for a bit. You only have a few months left before you expire, your genetics not meant to endure such magics, even if it allows you to wield it."

"That's why you've been pushing after me," Nyz realized. "You've known I'm not going to be around."

"Yes," Sen answered. "As soon as I realized that it was inevitable that I'd fall in love with you because of our soul bond and that you don't have all that much time left, I decided to push for it, Nyz. When you're gone, would it even be possible for me to be with someone else? If so, would it feel the same as if I'd been with you? Would I regret not being with you? Those were all questions that filled my head."

"I've only accepted you as an ally," Nyz stated. "Not as a lover."

"I know," Sen told him. "That doesn't mean I can't pursue my feelings, anyway. The attraction is there, after all. I like what I've seen, too."

Though he wanted to restate that he didn't see her as a lover, Nyz didn't. She was right in that there was an attraction between them, and probably would have been even without the soul-forged attraction they held. The only reason he'd initially disliked her was because of who her family was, and that was it. Without the soul-forged attraction, he knew that it probably would have been only a matter of a few months after accepting her as an ally that he'd have fallen in love with her.

A few months he might not have left. He could give into his feelings then, knowing it would hurt her when he left, or reject her then, continuing to hurt her and deny his feelings. Either way, he knew he'd end up losing, a price he was forced to pay due to the very nature of his existence.

Turning, he began to walk away.

"So that's it, then?" Sen asked, and Nyz stopped walking. "Nyz, I-"

"My room is this way," he stated flatly, then resumed walking.

After a few steps, he heard Sen start to follow him, picking up his clothes on the way. When they reached his room, the first thing she did was put his clothes in the laundry hamper.

"But just so you know," Nyz pulled off his shirt. "This isn't permanent. And it's probably going to hurt after I'm gone."

"I'm willing to go through a little bit of heartache," Sen told him. "If it means acting on my feelings. Besides, I'm sure we'll meet again in another life. You and Kal both mentioned that Var-Var said you've lived before, that the imprints on your souls are a result of that. Doesn't that mean we've met before, and been in love before? Didn't you say that?"

"Yeah," Nyz pushed down his underwear and stepped out of it. "We don't remember those lives, though. And that doesn't mean it won't hurt in this one."

Nyz watched as Sen began to undress.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Nyz asked.

"I wouldn't have kept asking if I wasn't sure," Sen told him.

"I was referring to my size," Nyz informed her. "It goes past the 'preferred size of one to enter' into the 'only good for looking at, painful to have inside' territory."

"If our souls are made for each other," she said. "Our bodies probably are, too."

"Just checking," Nyz mumbled.

"Some part of you was hoping I'd still back down."

"Yeah."

"Nyz, I'm the one who pursued this," Sen said. "If anything, I should be wondering if you want to back down."

"Let's just… get on the bed."

Sen laughed, then joined Nyz as he climbed onto his bed. He put a hand on her cheek, then kissed her, using his other hand to tease her nethers. Pushing his tongue into her mouth, Nyz slid his hand to the back of her head as they tongue-wrestled.

"For a first-timer, you're a good kisser," Sen moaned a little as they stopped for air, though Nyz's foreplay didn't stop. "Is that all you're going to do?"

"It's not my first time kissing, just for sex," Nyz told her.

"Wait," she pulled back, looking at him in astonishment. "You've kissed before? Kal said you've never been with someone before."

"I haven't," Nyz pulled his hand away. "That doesn't mean I haven't practiced kissing."

"With who?" She asked. "Wait. Practice kissing?"

"Yeah," Nyz answered. "Are we stopping?"

"Well, no, but you've practiced-"

"Kissing, yes," Nyz said. "You started this, are we stopping? I won't be upset if we are."

"We're not," she snorted. "Let's continue, then."

"Yeah," Nyz moved around her. "Let's do it this way."

"What way?"

Nyz had her shift onto her hands and knees, then he grabbed her hips and inserted into her from behind, feeling a sense of pleasure at Sen's light moan at his entry and a touch of joy at the lack of any sound of pain on her part, even as he pushed all the way in.

Nyz began to passionately thrust back and forth inside of Sen, holding back as much as he could in the hopes of leading her to orgasm as well. When she tightened up around him, letting out pleasured moans, Nyz hit his own peak, thrusting as far in as he could. When they finished their orgasms, Nyz pulled out of Sen, who flipped onto her back.

He climbed onto her, pushing back inside as he began kissing her, pressing his body against hers as she wrapped her legs around him and took his hands into hers, moving them beside her head. Nyz began pushing with his hips as Sen lifted hers up, the two entering into a rhythm while pressed together.

For the next hour, the two of them tried out various positions, until they eventually entered Nyz's shower to wash off the sex. Nyz pulled on a pair of underwear and a tank top after, while Sen simply pulled on one of his button-ups and buttoned it closed.

"That was fun," Sen smiled at Nyz. "I enjoyed it."

"It was… nice," Nyz told her as he entered his kitchen and began to cook.

Despite knowing that Sen wanted it, Nyz still felt guilty, because of what he knew would happen. He knew that if she accepted it and was the one pursuing it, then there was no reason to feel guilty, but that didn't change his thoughts on the matter.

For a moment, he wondered what Var-Var would say about it, then remembered something the phoenix had told him.

"What is it?" Sen asked.

"What do you mean?" Nyz looked at her for a moment, then returned to cooking.

"You paused," she told him. "That means something. Why did you pause?"

"Just something I thought about," Nyz said. "Something Var-Var had told me, when we met."

"Really?" She asked.

"Yeah," he answered. "Just something strange, that's all. Don't worry about it. I need to cook so we can eat before I go."

"Okay," Sen said. "Thanks, Nyz. I liked it."

"You're, um, welcome," he wasn't sure how to respond to that, but guessed he responded wrong, as Sen laughed.

His thoughts went back to what Var-Var had told him, though. They had just discovered that even though they were fertile, they'd never be able to have children. It didn't bother Kal as much, but Nyz had dreamed since he was little of having a huge family once he was an adult and they'd finally had a good home to live in and a place where they didn't have to worry about the AMF or monsters.

A family with children and grandchildren that were his, not just as part of an experiment. An actual family, born of blood and bonds. That was also when Nyz had dreamed of living to be a hundred and sixty, but he'd accepted that even if he only lived to be twenty-five, he could still at least have children. Up until Kal made that discovery.

The phoenix sensed something was wrong with Nyz, who had only found out hours before they met the phoenix, and upon hearing his concerns, said 'this is a world of myth and magic, you never know what possibilities exist'.

Nyz didn't understand what that meant, but as he cooked dinner, he began to have a feeling that he did. A phoenix was a creature brimming with so much life, they were born again and again, never staying dead. They healed from every injury they received.

And Sen had a little of their genetics inside of her while she just so happened to also be his soul mate.

"Sen," Nyz said without pausing in his cooking. "If it was possible for you and I to have a child, what would you say?"

"I'd say that we're doing it every night from now on," she told him. "Though you and I know that's not really possible. The child thing, anyway. But we can still do it every night from now on."

"So if it was possible," Nyz said. "You'd be fine with having one?"

"One?" She asked. "I'd be happy to have four of 'em with you, Nyz. It's a shame you can't have children, though. Now that I think about it, is it possible for me to have any? Since I'm not fully human?"

Nyz felt very certain it was possible for her to have children. He felt quite certain the whole reason she had phoenix genetics was so that she could have children – with her soul mate. What he wanted to know was how the phoenix would feel knowing that it wouldn't matter much. There was only a few months left, rather than half a decade or so. The odds of having a child would be next to none, even with the phoenix's interference.

"Nyz," Kal's voice interrupted Nyz's musing, echoing out of the phone sitting on the coffee table. "I need you in the hanger. Now!"

The amount of panic in his voice drew Nyz's attention. It wasn't often Nyz heard his friend sound panicked, and even less so on that level. Without waiting a moment longer, he teleported directly back into the hanger.

"What is it?" Nyz asked.

"The transport carrying the orb was attacked as it passed over a fallen city," Kal answered. "It's now surrounded on all sides by fog and monsters. Including the big daddy of bograls himself."