Lucia charges ahead, Morning Star in hand, it’s blade on fire as she overcharged it, cleaving another ganger in half and incinerating the remains, familiar voices in her head calling “Make them pay, Make them all pay”

As she moves forward searching for him, she is unable to control her anger, she collapses in pain, tears falling from her eyes turning into a black tar like substance catching fire as it hits the ground, thin wisps of black flame start to come off the skin on her back, aether tracing through the intricate tattoo on her skin glowing the same crimson colour as her eyes, the sclera of her eyes changing colour to a eerie blue glow accenting the crimson even more, her lips turning a sickly shade of purple and her fire turning black.

Before her Castor is waiting and laughs as she approaches “The Blood Queen lives once more”

She replies years of repressed anger and pain driving her words “You made me this way, you are the reason my life never ends, you are the reason I am a monster and now your monster has returned home!”

Wasting no more time she launches herself at him, her sword igniting the air behind with the intense heat coming off of it, she swings a wide slashing arc but misses, Castor managing to hit her leg with the electro whip and pulling her out of the air, as she impacts the ground he pulls a Judge pistol from his holster and opens fire, she uses her power to melt the bullets in the air, she attacks again, this time the driving the sword in a thrusting attack, he dodges and pistol whips her, knocking her off balance, he shoots again hitting her in the left leg.

In pain she stands up, the wound healing near instantaneously, she presses the attack launching a fireball at him, striking the pistol melting it and his hand in the process, in agony he counter attacks managing to wrap the whip around her throat, keying trigger electrocutes her, he drags her closer and sneers “Know your place, you will kneel to me before this night is done.”

Reaching up and grabbing the whip with one hand she says to him “Now you burn” as she grabs him by the throat and ignites him, his eyes go wide as the flames engulf him, the stench of burning flesh and melting bone permeating the air as he screams in agony, his final words out of his mouth sounding like he’s happy “No one will stop you now.” As the flames abate nothing but ash remains of him, her clothes scorched from the intense heat and her nails now pitch black and an intricate pattern of aether now on her right arm. Standing there out of breath she turns around see an armoured figure approaching, not realizing who it is she attacks launching a fire ball at the new opponent, new energy flooding into her, she taps into this source, a terrible and dark power, revelling in it she unleashes a flare which throws the new opponent across the room, sparks flying as it impacts the floor and skids across it, the voices in her head saying “kill it, kill it now!”

Gunner getting up diverts all power to shields, readies his hammer and charges into battle, his shields taking the brunt of the damage as the torrents of flame do not let up, getting in close he manages to land a blow, knocking her off balance disrupting her attack momentarily, he calls out to her “LUCIA! YOU NEED TO STOP! IT’S FINISHED!” she does not respond the voices in her head just chanting “fight”, she recovers and launches another fireball this time blowing the roof open.

As they reach the clearing where the dropship is waiting Evelyn looks back just in time to see the roof getting blown open. Reaching the drop ship she sees Angel preparing a armor pod. She asks “Is that mine?”

She nods and asks “What are you planning?”

Evelyn responds “We need to get back in there, Gunner can’t handle her alone remember? His null spot is against pyres.”

Angel looks at her and says “No, you’re not ready, look at yourself, you are a mess, you need to sleep.”

Evelyn pleads with her “Angel please, we need to help him, you know he’ll do anything to keep us safe.”

Against her better judgement she agrees, the pod opens and Evelyn puts on her neural link suit and starts the armor process, as she puts her helmet on, warnings flash on her hud as the internal medical systems detecting the Rune Dust still in her system, the main effect inert but still making her abilities unstable, ignoring these, they rush back into the building.

Lucia not letting up the pressure swings Morning Star, impacting his helmet, warnings blaring as his shields are close to collapse he swings Storm Breaker, aiming at the floor, sending a shockwave at her, knocking her of her feet, she stands up facing him, she charges again taunting him “I am the Blood Queen and no one will stop me.” The flames now completely engulfing her arm and sword she rushes him, using the jump jets he dodges the attack, needing time for his shields to recharge he goes on the defensive, he keeps dodging her brutal but aimless attacks. She tries to attack again only this time it’s blocked by a wall of ice created by Angel, halting her attacks momentarily, Gunner charges again this time managing to knock Morning Star from her hands, Evelyn now behind her focuses as much as she can, nearly passing out from the effort manages to disrupt her aether connection just long enough for Gunner to tackle her and restrain her, pinning her to the wall by holding both hands with one hand, he takes his helmet off with the other and looks her in the eyes and pleads with her “Lucia if you are in there, please come back to us. Come back to me.” Managing to free one hand she grabs his on gauntlet and channels flames into it, heating it up and doing the same to the other, Evelyn tries again, one final time but passes out due to sheer exhaustion and collapses. Lucia disoriented after this releases her grip and collapses aswell, Gunner standing by her, embraces her and pleads with her one last time “Please, come back.” And kisses her, she breaks down crying “I never wanted this, I never wanted to live forever.” Hugging her he says to her softly “You don’t have to do it alone.” With this she passes out. Silently Gunner and Angel walk out of the building, each carrying their soul mate.

The flight back to the Hannibal was a somber one, as Evelyn slipped into cardiac arrest, Angel fighting to keep her stable long enough so the medics would have a chance of saving her.