Greetings, from Celadon!

[Celadon's Penultimate]

"Nikolai, Dyris, Dyndron, we've got to split up. We'll cover more ground." Zei looked to either side of him, "But be warned. We have no idea what Drake plans to do with that moly. My guess is, he wants it to gain access to something else far more dangerous."

The old man's younger contemporaries nodded at him, and the four headed off to cover the east, west, north and south ends of the first floor of the Manor.

In the kitchen, Cook was found; he told Nikolai that he and his chef apprentices would cover there and in the dining room, since they knew it best. From there, Nikolai would look around in the courtyard, and would find nothing.

Dyris scoured the Library, and found only books; she would have no luck in the study or the Magic Library, either. She couldn't even make use of any magic spells, items, potions or charms she found; she'd never learned magic.

Dyndron took the observatory, and found nothing. Wise and Sapient stood guard in their room, with the servant Marko and a couple of Techne's drones, and so assured that Dyndron had nothing to worry about there.

Zei looked in the parlor, searched the grand foyer, scouted out every staircase. Nothing would be found, but a couple other search parties. The old man grumbled in annoyance, under his breath, at the Penultimate's timing, drifting off to the Dream Realm. Then Zei remembered; the Penultimate might well sense such thoughts in the air, upon his return. The old man quickly shook the thoughts, and then headed back to meet up with the rest of his group. He had more important things to do than complain, anyhow.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

Nikolai and Zei ascended the stairs ahead of Dyris and Dyndron, in the event Drake had been waiting for them. Fortunately, the only surprise the four would find would be Bridgette's group.

"Ah, Bridgette." Zei put a hand on her shoulder, "Good, it's you. Have any of you found out Drake's location?"

"No." Bridgette crossed her arms, "We checked all over. A couple other groups have headed to the stables to saddle up horses and scour the rest of estate."

Zei put a hand on his chin, "Hm...alright then. We should probably head on up to the third floor. Perhaps Brutus will have had better luck. And if not, we can join the others searching the grounds."

So it was decided. The two groups made their way, as one group, near the staircase to the third floor. Nikolai and Zei walked at the head of the group; Bridgette and the B.O.O.M (still psychically manned by Techne's consciousness) walked at the back of the group. There was no telling from what side Drake would launch some attack. He might even resort to traps; there simply was no telling.

They approached the staircase warily, looking to all sides of them, lest some magic trap be triggered and catch them unawares. So far, thankfully, no traps, and no obstacles left to trip them up--

"AHH!" Came a cry abruptly, causing everyone to turn around, fighting stances at the ready.

They were pleasantly disappointed to see that it was only Savior, who had tripped on the rug and fallen flat on her face. Embarrassed (with good reason), she chuckled sheepishly as Nikolai helped her to her feet.

"It's fine, Savior." He assured pleasantly, "No reason to be embarrassed. I'd rather it be a false alarm than to be a real danger, any day. Now, let's get a move on. The third floor awaits."

The others nodded, and progressed with the greatest of caution. Up the stairs...and the coast seemed to be clear. The hallway appeared empty. It was now that they would be at the peak of wariness.

"Now, remember", Zei spoke, barely above a whisper, "If we don't find the thief here, we'll go downstairs and see if we can't meet up with Brutus' group, or another party, and head out onto the ground with the rest of the servants."

They all nodded in agreement, and Bridgette looked to Savior, "Go ahead. But when you open the door, get back quickly. We'll go in first."

Savior turned to the door, and pulled it open slowly. If anyone jumped out at her, she told herself, she would not scream. Ladies do not scream, she reasoned. Instead, she would swoon, like a lady, and faint with dignity. Her mind continued, please don't be a monster, please don't be a trap, please don't rearrange the house again! The door was open halfway, and Savior dodged back, with expert wariness.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

Bridgette and Zei rushed ahead of her, and behind them, Nikolai and Dyndron. They looked around; any monster would be vanquished, any trap disabled, any foe taken down to size. It didn't take more than a moment to realize, there was apparently nothing to be worried about. Linaea, Naiana and Angel turned away from the windows, where they had been watching other servants search the grounds intently; Brutus emerged from around the corner, and with him, he dragged a quite unconscious Drake along with him, bound with rope.

"Ah...you're all here." Brutus grunted as he lugged the thief behind him, "Excellent. Now we can deal with the intruders, and get rid of them quickly before the Penultimate returns to find his home disturbed."

"Right, sounds like a plan to me--"

"Hold on a second, Dyndron." Zei put a hand in front of the young butler, and turned back to Brutus, "Intruders, you say, Brutus? As in, more than one?"

Brutus chuckled and crossed his arms, "Oh, I knew there was no getting anything past you, old man...Alas, you already know the second intruder. In fact, she's standing your midst right now."

The servants looked all around, except for Zei, Nikolai and Bridgette, who knew all too well of the "intruder", to which Brutus referred. The large butler/bodyguard continued.

"That's right, Savior, I'm talking to you." He had the servants' attention again, and Savior's.

"Wha--huh, me?" Savior was wide-eyed, "And just what the heck are you doing with my bracelet?!"

[ParallelanPrincess]

"This isn't yours. It belongs to the gods of the Greek pantheon. How you managed to steal it is beyond me. However, considering that you're Drake's protege, I shouldn't be too surprised." Brutus said, "Naiana, Linaea, grab her before she escapes."

The two maids hurried and seized Savior's arms. Savior squirmed and pulled in their surprisingly tight grips.

"Lemme go!" Savior shouted as the two maids began pulling her towards the doorway.

"Brutus, this is insane! What makes you think Savior would work with someone like Drake?" Nikolai said.

Brutus shook his head in resignation.

"I found it hard to believe myself. Think, Nikolai. She shows up out of nowhere, displays extraordinary abilities, and now conveniently has the object that Drake came here to steal. Who is she really? What do we know  about her? She may not be Drake's accomplice, but then, what is she?"

"A GODDESS!" Savior finally blurted, catching everyone's attention, "I'M...I'M A GODDESS!"

[ParallelanPrincess]

There was a pause as the Penultimate's servants stared at Savior varying degrees of shock.

Zei was mildly surprised. He had a feeling Savior was more than she let on.

Dyndron was stunned. Goddesses were beautiful women in flowing robes, not little girls in pajamas.

Nikolai was dumbfounded. How could he have not known? Why didn't the Penultimate tell him?

Bridgette felt a strange mixture of pride and awe. She was raising a goddess. Amazing.

Brutus, however, wasn't buying it.

"She's obviously either delusional or desperate, most likely both. Take her to the dungeon." Brutus said.

"No! It's the truth! I really am a goddess! You have to believe me! I-I don't even know this Drake guy!" Savior shrieked as Linaea and Naiana started dragging her away.

"Linaea, Naiana stop!" Zei commanded.

The maids complied without a second thought. Zei outranked Brutus in seniority. The old man's orders overrode that of the bodyguard,

"Unhand Savior. She deserves a chance to defend herself."

The maids let go of Savior and 'accidentally' pushed her forward.

"If she can prove she's a goddess, then we will have no choice but to believe her. What do you say, Nikolai?" Zei asked.

"Of course. She's innocent until proven guilty." Nikolai said.

Brutus scowled.

"Alright you little thief. Prove yourself and you walk free. Fail and I will deal with you personally."

[ParallelanPrincess]

Savior thought for a moment.

"I need the Bracelet." Savior said, stepping to Brutus, with her hand outstretched.

"Why?" Brutus tightened his grip on the still-glowing bracelet.

"It's the Bracelet of Tyche. I'm Tyche.  It's the source of my powers. Without it I can't prove anything." Savior said.

"That's rather convenient The Bracelet lends the power of Tyche to whoever  wields it. A true goddess wouldn't need an artifact." Brutus sneered.

"It can? Well, that's new...Anyway, I've never, uh...Tyche'd without it. In case you haven't noticed I wear it all the time. "

"Then I suppose you're out of luck, Tyche. Linaea--"

"Stochastic fields!" Nikolai blurted out.

"What? What are those?" Savior asked, the term was vaguely familair.

"Stochastic fields are, in layman's terms, the forces that influence probability. In Greek mythology, it is said that all chance, luck and fate-related gods possessed the power to control these fields." Nikolai explained.

Savior took a moment to process this. These field thingies seemed to be familiar. It was like remembering something she forgot she knew.

"Okay. I'm gonna try to control some of those field things." Savior said, her face determined.

"Oh, really? And what are you going to do? Chance your way to freedom?" Brutus asked, mocking her.

"Shut up, and let me work!" Savior shouted.

Stochastic fields, she thought. Where are you?

Savior concentrated on her surroundings, taking in everything. The smell of Bridgette's body wash and Dydron's sweat. Nikolai's mounting panic and Zei's calm.

She closed her eyes.

Stochastic fields. The strings of fate that tie us together. Show yourself. I need you.

Savior opened her eyes and lurched back in surprise.

The bodies of the people around her where shrouded in shadows. The room and furniture seemed to have been switched with a white background. Savior saw nothing and everything.

Around the servants shadowed forms were colored auras that waxed and waned. These came in red, green, and white.

Red fields for negative outcomes. Green fields for positive outcomes. White fields for outcomes yet to be determined. Savior focused on the figure with a large white field with huge spots of green and tiny dots of red.

That one. I choose you.

Savior closed her eyes, inhaled and reopened them.

"It's done." She said, with a sigh. That had been exhausting.

"That's it? A blink of an eye? Well, that was anticlimactic." Brutus said.

"Not....as anticlimatic as you..punching me...in the face." Drake groaned as he slowly drifted towards consciousness.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

The thief groaned as he began to recover from his drowsy state, and Brutus stepped on his side, causing him to groan in pain.

"Of course I decked you, you no-good klepto!" Brutus crossed his arms, "And I was just on my way to take you down to be dealt with, when the Penultimate returns!"

Angel, Linaea and Naiana exchanged glances, and then looked back to the rest of the servants, serious and straight-faced. They began to move out the room with Savior again, but Nikolai, Zei and Bridgette still weren't convinced.

"Wait just a second, Brutus. Girls." Bridgette spoke up; Brutus put his foot down; the girls were still; Bridgette eyed the thief, "Drake, have you ever tried to take things from the Manor before?"

"I have!" Drake quickly answered, "I've tried to come here plenty of times! This place is a treasure trove of some of the most beautiful and powerful objects and weapons and items ever to be found! The Golden Fleece! The Ring of Nibelung! Prince Shadowulf's Safarian Rarae Objecti! Not that I've ever gotten my hands on the really valuable stuff, but--"

"So you admit to trying to come here in the past?" Nikolai begins to understand Bridgette's reasoning.

Again, Drake complies, "Of course I have! And I gladly admit it, too! No good thief likes to keep his exploits to himself!"

Bridgette, Zei and Nikolai turned to Brutus, accusation in their eyes, as they seemed to have reached a simultaneous revelation. The rest of the servants began to grow uneasy at the implication. Drake looked hopeful that he had made his case. But Brutus remained smug.

"You see? He even admits it. He's nothing but a no-good--"

"But I'd never heard of the Bracelet of Tyche before the ball. And I never met Savior before the ball.", Drake began again, "And I certainly never got in on any scheme with her to steal anything from this place. You know as well as I that the girl's a world-class big-mouth, and about as clever as a codfish. No, I'd need a much sharper mind to pull off a heist of this magnitude, wouldn't I, Brutus?"

[Celadon's Penultimate]

The servants turned to Brutus, now even more suspicious, but the bodyguard remained cool.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He smirked smugly, "Obviously you're just as deluded as your little buddy here. My coworkers know better than to believe the likes of a liar like you. Take her away; I'll be right behind you with Drake."

The servants began to hesitantly clear the way for Angel, Naiana and Linaea to leave with Savior, but Zei stepped forward. This issue still wasn't resolved.

"Well, now, wait, just a second. Drake's admitted to past attempts to burglarize this house. He makes no qualms about it. Yet he claims that he's never heard of the Bracelet of Tyche, and met Savior before in his life. Don't you think that's odd? Why would the Bracelet of Tyche be any different from any other item, to the point he'd feel like he had to lie about it?"

"What? Are you mad? The Bracelet of Tyche is perhaps among the most powerful artifacts the Penultimate has in his possession!" Brutus was now waving the thing around in frustration, "It can allow the user to perceive the very strings of fate, and bend them to one's will! It can direct or avert the very hand of doom! It could potentially bestow the user with awesome--"

"Well, well, well, what's all this, then?" Drake spoke up, "Sorry to interrupt your tirade, Brute, but I believe you dropped something."

Brutus looked down, and Bridgette headed over to retrieve the small scrap of paper that had inadvertently fallen from his jacket pocket as he spoke. Before he could grab it, it was in Bridgette's hands, and she read aloud.

She said simply, "The Bracelet of Tyche."

The missing page from the Penultimate's magic book.

Brutus looked down. The servants' eyes were all on him. His eyes were on the paper. He exhaled, and his eyes moved to Drake. Then to Bridgette. Then to Savior. Then to the door.

"Well, I suppose I'm found out, then." He chuckled, "Too bad. I really was considering sparing you all when I took my rightful place as ruler of this world."

And off he went; grabbed Bridgette, shoved her into the rest of the servants, bounded over the heap of bewildered servants, and quickly out of the room, with his faithful Naiana, Linaea and Angel abandoning their post beside Savior to follow after him.

[ParallelanPrincess]

Zei was up first.

"After them!" he shouted.

The Penultimate's servants recovered from the shock of Brutus's revelation, and bewilderment was quickly replaced with anger. Brutus had committed the highest treason possible. He had betrayed the Penultimate himself.

"Dyris and Dyndron, stay here and guard Drake." Nikolai ordered, "He still has to answer for breaking into the manor. Savior, stay with Dyris and Dyndron. The rest of you, follow me. We might be able to catch Brutus before he leaves the grounds."

Dyris and Dyndron complied, taking post beside Drake, who watched the action unfold with an expression of mild amusement.  He loved soap operas.

As the servants sprinted out in search of Brutus and his trio of maids, Bridgette hung back to speak with Savior.

"Ty-Savior, I...you should stay here with Dyndron. It's not safe out there. Brutus is formidable on his own, but with the Bracelet-"

"He has power like an Element. Power that he'll misuse, to get whatever he wants." Savior knew the drill.

"Exactly why you can't go after him. Don't argue. Brutus is too strong." Bridgette said.

[ParallelanPrincess]

Savior sighed. Bridgette was right. She didn't have a snowball's chance in Tartarus against Brutus.

Still...

The Bracelet was her responsibility and she let it get stolen. Well, she didn't let it get stolen. It just kinda happened on its own, by no mistakes on her part. Still, Savior needed to get the bracelet back before Brutus went all godmode and not only destroyed the manor, but maybe took over the world.

"Bridgette, I can't stay here. I have to help somehow. I might have a better chance against Brutus. He might have the powers, but I'm the real deal. The Bracelet might not even work against me.  Even worse, the gods will be ticked off if Brutus escapes. They might start another war over this. I have to go." Savior said with a strong resolve.

Her Bracelet. Her Problem. Her Fight.

Bridgette facepalmed. Savior was going to go after Brutus, regardless of what she said.

"Alright. Let's go. Stay behind me." Bridgette said as she led Savior into the hallway.

"Good luck, Savior!" Dyndron called after them, feeling foolish the second the words where out of his mouth. That definitely sounded better in his head.

[ParallelanPrincess]

"Since when do clovers have thorns?" Bridgette asked as she pushed her way through a thick jungle of clovers.

Brutus had hidden his tracks by summoning large hedges of clovers to fill the hallways.

"Since someone crossbred Parallelan Climbing Clovers with Celadonian Roses." Savior grunted as she struggled to keep up with Bridgette.

The foliage was unwieldy when it came to Bridgette. The maid was slicing away with a sword she'd borrowed from a suit of armor. But Savior was more fortunate. She found that the greenery seemed to be stepping aside to let her through.

"How do you know that? Ow! Did Zei teach you? Ouch!."

"No. These are the clovers I use. Probably explains why I'm not getting poked to death. Don't worry, they're not poisonous."

[Celadon's Penultimate]

Brutus found that, with his new trinket, he had caught a rather convenient second wind. It was more than easy for him to outrun and to outmaneuver any foe who happened to get in his way. It had made him more limber, more agile, more dextrous, and with Naiana, Linaea and Angel as his allies, it had gifted them with uncanny athletic prowess as well.

All of that, combined with the rash of bad luck he left behind for Nikolai, Zei and the others to deal with, and Brutus had enough of a lead that he and his partners in crime could stop for a brief rest.

"Here's where we split up, girls." Brutus looked to either side of him, "I've got the Bracelet, so all I need you all to do is run defense for me. Do what you must; break things, trip servants up, anything. And when we've found our way out, we'll meet up outside."

"But...what if one of us is caught?" Angel asked.

Brutus looked at her straight faced, "Then the rest of us mourn her, at a nice memorial, after I've conquered the mortal world. Now, if you're done asking useless questions, I think I hear the old man and the bookworm catching up. "

Brutus' accomplices nodded at him compliantly, and the four split up.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

"You know I can't let you two catch Brutus, right?" Linaea eyed her two opponents, "He said he'd let me rule beside him when he establishes himself as new ruler of the world. And if you give up now, he said he might not exterminate you. Maybe."

"Oh, did he, now?" Nikolai glared at her in annoyance, "And I suppose he told you that you were the only one for him, too. Get real, you naive, simple girl! He wouldn't have three queens ruling at his side! You three squabbling birds can barely get along as maids! And with his pick of the world's maidens, he'd most likely end up with some girl with a way bigger chest and way wider hips than either of you! Likely smarter, too! Now step aside!"

But Linaea held her stance. Reached in her pockets. Pulled out a pair of sutras.

Zei's eyes widened, "Now, Linaea, you don't want to--"

She tossed the thin pieces of parchment with deathly accuracy; lesser men than Zei and Nikolai would have been quickly dealt with by the blast. Fortunately, Zei and Nikolai were determined to make it to Brutus, which meant they didn't have time to be blown to smithereens by the likes of Linaea.

Sadly, that same determination didn't shield the Penultimate's poor treasures. Portraits, busts, statues, priceless heirlooms and treasures; surely, when they caught up with her, Linaea would have to pay for her destruction. Quite literally, if the Penultimate had anything to say about it.

But that was only if they caught up with Linaea first. Brutus would have to wait.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

Now that Brutus had revealed his true intentions to the rest of the servants, Angel felt as though a huge burden had been lifted off her shoulders. It had been pretty tiring for her to gossip and chatter with the rest of them when, deep down, she was really wishing she was strong enough to wield a warhammer to shut them all up.

That was all over now, though. And not a minute too soon. It seemed that a couple months on expert-level sparring had done her a world of good. Even Terryffinda found her strikes and blocks a challenge to match.

"HOLD! STILL! SO! I! CAN! SMASH! YOU!" Techne roared wrathfully through the voice of the B.O.O.M., as she pounded a fist, left and right back and forth, to no avail against the nimble and tricky Angel.

But Angel would do no such thing; the exercise was far more fulfilling, now that it was not in the name of the Penultimate. Far more worthwhile, now that it was in the name of a coming new world order. Especially since that new world order promised to place her as one of the rulers.

"You'll have to do better than that, gear-head!" Angel giggled smugly, as she expertly backflipped out of the way of the B.O.O.M's incoming fist,  "You should have taken the Penultimate up on his offer to give you fighting lessons, like all the other servants!"

The B.O.O.M's fist clenched.

"I am NOT one of the Penultimate's servants." Techne's voice growled through the brute mech, "The only reason he let me work for him is to keep myself busy in a world not nearly advanced enough to keep up with me. And since you're so concerned about my fighting skills, you'll be more than happy to know...my Technopathy was quite useful in not only picking up on various martial arts, but also in using that knowledge to design the programs that helped teach any of you in the first place!"

Angel's eyes widened, frantic, and Techne reared the body of the B.O.O.M back into a fighting stance the maid quickly realized as an advanced Equus Bellum technique; Crab-Claw stance. Terryffinda took the hint, and took Rearing Cobra stance.

"And to be honest, Angel-cakes," Techne began again, "I was going easy on you before. But now...I'm not feeling so gracious. How 'bout you, Terryffinda?"

Terryffinda's smirked, "Certainly not."

And that meant only one thing: now was the time for Angel to run.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

Naiana found herself quite entertained by the predicament she found herself in. Bridgette the Gandreian, and Savior the Parallelan. It was nearly laughable. How did either of them expect they would lay a finger on her? Bridgette hadn't been here nearly as long as she had, didn't have nearly as much training, and Savior was just a little girl!

"You know", she smugly offered, from atop a rafter in the ceiling, "You could always just turn around and tell the Penultimate you tried. It's not like it'll matter, anyhow, whether you catch me or not. Brutus is on his way out the door right now, I'll bet. And when we've escaped with him, all we need to do is get to Lethe Island, to consult the Elementals. They'll realize that Brutus outsmarted the Penultimate, and take the Penultimate's power right from under him, before bestowing that same power on the superior mind."

Bridgette raised an eyebrow at her quizzically; she must have been out of her gourd! Brutus, the superior mind? Sure, he was smart, but calling him the superior mind, was like saying Harry Potter was superior to Merlin!

"Are you stupid?" Bridgette called up, annoyed, "Because if not, you're certainly a talented actress! As soon as the Penultimate gets back, it'd take more time for you to blink, than it would take for him to banish you four from the Material Plane! Now get down from there, you absentminded kook; I don't feel like coming up after you!"

But Naiana would do no such thing; she found it far easier, and far more fun, up on those rafters, to rain down her throwing knives. And that she did. It seemed impossible for her to conceal them all, but she just kept them coming, uncovering numerous blades from various sleeves and pockets on, and under, her drisei.  Bridgette backflipped out of the way, dodged, ducked, and grabbed Savior just out of the way of one very well-placed blade.

"Oh, what's the matter?" Naiana teased, as the two tumbled roughly to the floor, "I thought you were supposed to be lucky, Savior! Looks like it was just the bracelet, after all."

Savior and Bridgette menaced Naiana; Bridgette retorted, "You sure about that, Naiana? She seems pretty fortunate to me. Cause, in case you forgot what just happened a couple seconds ago, you missed. And now that I think about it...Savior, don't be rude. Get those blades for me, will you? I've got to get up there so I can return them to their rightful owner. She can even have some of mine, so I can show her where she's been going wrong with her aim, all this time."

Naiana's face fell from uneasiness, and finally to panic, as Savior handed the blades to Bridgette (who was not only a far superior blade thrower, but now also armed with nearly three times as much ammo as she would need); Savior's companion quickly began bounding from one wall to another.

"Savior! Follow us on foot!" Bridgette called down to Savior, before landing on the rafter just before Naiana's, "Now. What was that about someone being unlucky?"

[ParallelanPrincess]

As Savior followed the pair of battling maids, she found herself wondering if Bridgette was the holy offspring of Artemis or, more likely, Apollo.

Bridgette's aim was far better than Naiana. Whereas Naiana missed Bridgette every single time, Bridgette's throwing knives always managed to graze Naiana ever so-slightly. If Brutus hadn't cursed Bridgette with bad luck and gifted Naiana with good, this fight would have been over before it started.

"Is that the best you've got?" Naiana taunted, trying to keep her poker face, as she continued to retreat. She hadn't known Bridgette was this good. She had never seen Bridgette this angry.

"Not at all. My best would kill you. In fact, this is barely my average." Bridgette said, throwing a dagger at Naiana's shoulder. It ripped the sleeve of her drisei off and  sliced her arm.

Naiana came to a stop on top of a chandelier. Her shoulder wasn't bleeding that badly, but her leg. Bridgette had gotten in one too many lucky shots and now her multiple wounds were starting to ache. If she didn't end this, she might die of blood loss.

Bridgette was gaining on her quickly, the brat trailing far behind. And now Bridgette was charging ahead to close the distance between the two. In close combat she would have more than an edge. Naiana had to end this soon.

Even if she lodged a dozen knives into Bridgette's torso, the newest maid would keep fighting. Good thing for Naiana, the same couldn't be said for Savior. Yes, if Savior were injured, Bridgette would have no choice but to tend to her, and then Naiana could regroup with Brutus.

"You know...I've always wanted to kill a goddess," Naiana said with a sneer.

"What--? Savior, duck!" Bridgette shouted as a blade went soaring towards the child.

Savior barely managed to dodge the blade before it embedded itself into a portrait of the Penultimate.

"NAIANA!" Bridgette shouted. Bridgette leaped to the chandelier. The combined weight of the maids caused it to suddenly swing to the sharply to the left. The two maids went tumbling through a window. A closed window.

"Bridgette...!" Savior whispered as she crossed the glass covered hallway.

Savior stuck her head out of the shattered window.

"Bridgette?" she asked hesitantly.

On the Penultimate's front lawn, Bridgette had Naiana in a chokehold.

"Teach you...to try to kill my ward." Bridgette said through gritted teeth as Naiana struggled to escape her grip.

Savior breathed a sigh of relief. Bridgette was alive and extremely ticked.

Which meant she had to go after Brutus alone.

[ParallelanPrincess]

Brutus knew the manor was conspiring against him. How did he know? The rooms kept rearranging; every time he got within ten feet of an exit, he found himself in another part of the manor. No matter, though; he had the power of a goddess on his side. He wouldn't even be deterred by a temperamental building.

"Pity. You still haven't found a way out?." A female voice whispered into Brutus's ear.

"Who--?" Brutus turned around sharply. The hall was empty and silent. One of Techne's tricks?

"Not Techne; TYCHE. Honestly, girl, you're hopeless." The woman said again, her voice sounding as if she was whispering in his ear.

Surely, this must have been some ploy that the Penultimate and the brat had devised beforehand.

But Brutus knew that he was not insane. He was quite intelligent. He was smarter than the Penultimate or even Nikolai had ever given him credit for. And so whatever this little voice in his head was, he would not be frightened, he would not be tricked, and he most certainly would not be distracted from his goal.

"Idiot."

Not distracted in the least.

[ParallelanPrincess]

Brutus was at the front door. Again. And for once, the rooms were not changing. He had no idea where the maids were and honestly he didn't care. If they couldn't defeat his former comrades, they didn't deserve to serve him.

What? Are you thinking about--? Isn't world domination a bit out of your league?

The (annoying, pretentious female) voice in his head was still berating him.

The article in the Penultimate's book had mentioned bad fortune befalling anyone who stole the Bracelet of Tyche, but he hadn't imagined it would come like this. Stupid weird ancient objects. But Brutus figured he could deal with a voice in his head for a few more hours. When he became Penultimate, he would find a way to relinquish the curse.

You stole this Bracelet? Savior, you-- YOU'RE A MAN?! the woman shouted.

"A man who is about to become the most powerful being on the planet." Brutus said, as he turned the door handle.

A potted plant hit him the back. Of course...the brat.

"Yeah, I don't think so!" Came a familiar voice, even more annoying than the voice from the bracelet; it was Savior, "You're going down!"

[Celadon's Penultimate]

"Oh, really, now?" Brutus scoffed, "You'll defeat me?"

She won't be without help, I assure you... The female voice came again, growing a bit smug.

Brutus smirked, and muttered under his breath, "Well, I'd like to see either of you try."

The child challenging him was most entertaining. Certainly, he wouldn't attempt to kill her, or even maim her too badly, but every child came to a point in their life when they had to be spanked. Brutus would just have to consider this one of those times. And rather than a belt or a switch or a paddle, he would only use nearly-lethal martial arts. Regardless, he was sure the outcome would be nearly the same.

That in mind, he lunged for the little clover-kicker, and cocked back his hands. Open-palm, of course; there was no way to do a proper and powerful Mantis-Pincer Strike with barbaric clenched fists.

Stupid insolent child, he thought, as he charged toward her to deal what he hoped would be quick and deciding blows. She had been an utter pain in his side ever since she had arrived here at the manor. And now, after a little over a month of pestering him, the little nuisance was almost all that stood between him, and absolute rule of this planet. Perhaps she didn't deserve his mercy at all...

Savior looked on in wide-eyed terror, trapped by her fear like...like a deer in headlights? No, she thought, more like a sailor to a siren's song. Yes, that seemed more appropriate to the moment. She could see in Brutus all the anger that he had ever had toward anyone, now focused on her; he was now hating her with enough power to hate a thousand people. And in his anger, his stance seemed to speak to her...

You stupid girl. Not nearly fit to be a goddess. The voice hatefully spat. You don't have nearly what it takes to be the one you claim to be.

And perhaps the voice was right. But it didn't matter now, Savior knew. Her brain told her to run, to run for dear life, but even her meager young-girl reflexes couldn't be mustered up to obey her brain's mandate. Not even a yelp. Just a helpless, tear-blurred vision of what she hoped would not be the last thing she saw on the mortal plane. The voice came again.

What is wrong with you, you stupid, weak-minded girl? What? It sounded angry, but less like a raspy male voice, and more like a mean female voice; it...it couldn't be... Move! Make those wimpy, girly legs MOVE, this instant! Before I let him hit you!

Brutus was less than ten feet away from Savior, when finally she found at least the strength to control herself as she fell backward. She watched Brutus' eyes widen as she fell from his vision. He tripped on a roughed piece of carpet and fell forward, inches from Savior's face, and fell flat on his back, bumping his head in the process.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

For a second, Savior found only the strength to exhale in disbelief. But she quickly scrambled to her feet when she recognized that Brutus was getting up, too. Quickly, she had to find something to hit him with again, before he got all the way up, to finish what he started.

And while she searched, Brutus stumbled shakily to his feet. But, now that Savior had found something of her strength, it would be even less easy to get his hands on the slippery, stochastic little sneak. He would likely have no luck laying a hand on her, he realized; at least, not if he just went straightforward with a strike. Objects were probably his best bet.

Savior, her back turned to Brutus, finally laid eyes on something she thought would be heavy enough to incapacitate the butler long enough until the Penultimate returned. She reached for a small statue of--who else?-- Aphrodite, to knock the butler out cold, when that gloriously-awful voice commanded her attention yet again.

DUCK!

Savior whirled around just in time to duck down to the ground again. Overhead, just high enough to reach her neck, came a seven-foot-tall portrait of an Arboralian Queen, whirling like a huge, square discus. It took out the podium on which the Aphrodite statue stood, and Savior knew it was time to move again. Behind her followed more busts, pedestals, more busts, candlesticks, more portraits. She fled the hail of objects as best as she could, with so few hiding options.

And finally, Brutus ran out of things to throw, and knew that he must pursue her again. But even that was of no avail. This was getting tedious, he decided. When he caught her, rather than simply killing or maiming her, he thought, he'd have to use his Penultimate powers to brainwash her and make her an assassin for him. If this pursuit was any implication, she'd never be caught.

Oh, NO you don't! Came the voice again, nearly on cue, stopping Brutus and Savior in their tracks, You won't lay a FINGER on her! Tyche is made a servant of no man!

Certainly not! Came another voice. Fortune does not bend to the will of MEN! The fates of men bend to the hand of FORTUNE!

And though Brutus tried his best to fight them, they soon inundated his hearing, the two becoming like an entire protesting mob of angry women in the butler's head. They would not let him bring harm to their surrogate. They would not let him, this lowly butler, this foolish mortal, this...this MAN tarnish the good name that they had each helped establish on the mortal plane.

Naturally, he struggled to advanced toward Savior through the berating tirades, but it only grew more and more difficult with the more steps he took forward. Now, he perhaps hated Savior more than he could ever thought he could hate any person, even the Penultimate. These beings defended Savior, and attacked him in her name. In the name of the being they jointly represented. In the name of Tyche.

And now his other senses were beginning to be taken over as well, he realized. His hearing received only their voices. The smell and taste of clovers were overwhelming in his mouth, making him feel nearly ill. His skin prickled with divine ecstasy, repurposed into waves of vertigo. His disoriented sense of balance knocked him to his knees, and he shared with Savior the amazing vision, as finally, two transcendentally beautiful women appeared before them.

Brutus remained kneeling, his arms limp at his side, while Savior was transfixed on her feet. The butler attempted to think, but all thought left him, aside from a gut-wrenching mixture of fear and awe. And suddenly...Savior was beautiful, as well. Not just the cute-little-girl equivalent of beautiful, adorable or whatever, but truly beautiful. Indescribably, almost unnaturally beautiful. Beautiful beyond her years. Beautiful beyond words, almost beyond emotion. As though her truly beauteous nature was sketched into the very fabric of destiny itself.

Winds began to arise from nowhere, and along them was carried a vibration of pure, frightening power. And in this glowing, radiant, awesomely beautiful state, Savior spoke as one with her predecessors.

Brutus Bonaparte. came the three as one.

He choked, attempting futilely to answer.

Brutus Bonaparte, as you have worn this bracelet, we have seen your years. Known your heart and mind and spirit. We have felt the pain inflicted on you, and inflicted by you. And your crimes far outweigh your persecutions. You've charmed and flattered and manipulated and abused nearly everyone who's ever loved you. You've insidiously planned to betray one who sought only to see the good in your heart. You've threatened this world, and all the mortal coil with your plots. And now you've threatened to enslave, even to commit DEICIDE against, an honored agent of fate!

Brutus' teary eyes widened, and he gasped sharply, wearied just hearing the words. He would only grow wearier.

For these most heinous crimes, they continued, we are grievously offended. But in fairest judgment, we cannot find a punishment worthy of the magnitude of your crimes. And so you shall be subject to our hand no longer. We give you wholly and entirely to the judgment of the Penultimate. As we are concerned, you no longer have any part in the workings of destiny.

The manor's entrance shook, just once. A great, angry shiver; a violent, spiraling breath of wind; a flash of blinding light, and the room seemed now to spin, before Savior and Brutus both fell from consciousness.