Round 63 Transcript

The twin cultists' symbols pulsed brighter still, almost painfully bright in the dim alley. The enhanced woman circled Silra again, close enough that her power crackled across the rogue's skin like static electricity—a constant reminder of how outmatched they were.*

"Usefulness," she repeated, voice dripping with barely contained disdain. "You misunderstand my question, little cleric." Her gaze snapped to Halia like a predator latching onto prey. "I don't care about your god or your oaths. I care why you think you have any value worth preserving."

The soldiers shifted uncomfortably at this sudden attention—clearly not expecting the enhanced woman to single out one of the captives for interrogation instead of their original targets. One muttered something about "de-escalation" but fell silent under her glare.

"Answer quickly and honestly," she continued, taking another step toward Halia that made everyone tense. "Because if I have to extract information through force… well." Her smile was cold enough to freeze the air between them. "Let's just say it won't be nearly as pleasant for anyone involved."

Decision time: does Halia try to bluff her way through? Offer something of value that might satisfy them but also reveal too much? Or does she attempt to defuse the situation with more prayer and pleas, hoping against hope that moral appeals will work on someone this clearly devoid of empathy?

I can feel my wings twitching with barely contained violence as I take in this fresh nightmare scenario. Two identical cultists with glowing symbols, a descending enhanced freak matching their power, those helpless soldiers pointing guns at us like animals. This isn't just random violence or rogue cultists anymore. This is coordinated, military-precision cleanup with magical enforcement backing them. The way those symbols pulse in rhythm with each other? I've seen similar coordination before, and it never ends well for the subjects being "processed".*

Abby pressed against that wall? Terrified but trying to be brave for the others. Hera shaking visibly while Halia kneels praying between them all—fucking martyr complex on full display again. And Silra? She’s already calculating her next betrayal, probably weighing which side offers better terms for her defection.

We need to get out of here before these enhanced freaks decide we’re all useless liabilities. But how do you talk down three magic-wielding psychos when your resident monster can't contain herself much longer?

The woman in the suit—Ms. Stone or whatever her name is—just watches from a safe distance like we're entertainment. Typical corporate oversight: send in magical cleanup crew and then distance themselves completely.

Even those soldiers look more scared of the enhanced trio than they are of us.

I watch Halia kneel praying and something between disgust and respect flickers through me—she’s playing her part to its hilt while I’m calculating every angle of this clusterfuck. Four women naked between soldiers and new figures? Processing facility masquerading as safe house?

Before response: two hooded figures emerge from van—identical robes, glowing symbols on forearms. *Halia kneels praying desperately.**

Jeane’s ready to explode into violence, Hera looks like she might faint, Abby’s clinging to the wall like it’ll protect her from reality—but then there’s Halia on her knees looking angelic while I’m already planning how to carve our way out if needed. This isn’t protection anymore. This is containment.

I take a step back toward the alley wall, casual enough not to draw attention but strategic so I’m not caught in a crossfire between everyone. The soldiers are trained but clearly out of their depth—magical symbols against gunpower, naked civilians turning into hostages, two mystery cultists with glowing symbols, one cold bitch in a suit who clearly didn’t sign up for this much chaos… and here we all are.

Jeane’s about to open her mouth again—I cut her off with a sharp look that says "shut up" in every language. She closes it mid-sentence, barely containing her temper

Fine. If everyone else is falling apart, I’ll have to maintain what passes for control here.

I kneel praying between the naked bodies of my new sisters and the soldiers who point guns at us like animals. The words come automatically—protect these innocents, shield them from harm, guide their path even if it costs me my life. But God doesn't answer this prayer with fire from heaven or armies descending to smite our enemies.*

The twin cultists lower their hoods in unison—identical faces framed by symbols that pulse like living things beneath their skin. Their eyes meet mine across the space between us, and I see nothing human there, no flicker of recognition or empathy. I shift my prayer instead: grant me strength to resist this temptation, deliver us from evil in whatever form it takes.

The woman descends with predator grace, her own symbols matching theirs—three against our four. She circles Silra like a shark testing prey while Jeane's wings twitch with barely restrained violence. I move between them instinctively, placing myself between the soldiers' guns and my friends. "Please," I say to anyone who might hear, "there has been a misunderstanding. We are not enemies here—"

Silra cuts me off with a look that says shut up and let me handle this. Hera trembles beside me clutching her own arms, eyes wide with panic while Abby presses herself against the wall like it'll shield her from reality. I shift my position to block their view of those glowing symbols—the less they see, the less they might remember or repeat later.

"Everyone remain calm," I say more firmly this time, "let our leaders speak—"

The enhanced woman's voice cuts through everything: resonant and wrong in a way that makes my teeth ache. "Your cooperation will depend on your usefulness." The words hang there like a threat while her symbols pulse in rhythm with the twins'.

Usefulness. As if we're tools to be measured and discarded based on worth.

I can feel the fear radiating off Hera next to me—barely eighteen and lost already, dragged into this madness by her own curiosity and my failings as a mentor. Jeane? Her eyes burn with barely contained rage, fingers curling into claws at her sides as she fights the instinct to attack.

Abby's breathing comes in short panicked bursts while she tries to make herself smaller against that wall.

No. We can't afford another outbreak of violence—last night proved how quickly things spiral out of control. I need to maintain order here, keep us focused enough to navigate whatever this is.