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Patrick and Jalen reach the alley where Ethan and Dana supposedly were but find
nothing. A quick call back to Lauren at the house confirms they are in the right place, but there
is no sign of their friends. The pair head back to the house to figure out what has happened.
In Maalik's lab, Ethan catches a glimpse of Dana lying unconscious in a cage across
the room from him. While distracting Maalik with conversation Ethan manages to wriggle his
hands free from the restraints. Maalik starts asking Ethan if there are any particular experiments
he would prefer Maalik try, as the good doctor is eager to learn the extent of Ethan's
pseudo-immortality. When Ethan appears reluctant to have the doctor remove any of his limbs Maalik
settles on drawing blood to perform tests on initially. While this is going Dana awakens and
joins in the conversation.
At the house Patrick heads off to see if any of his old contacts can help locate
Ethan and Dana. While he is gone Lauren tries to use her powers to locate them. There is a great
deal of mystic protection shielding their location, but eventually Lauren gets a view of Maalik's
lab, though she doesn't know exactly where it is located. Hearing Maalik's name, Caiel tells of the
doctor's origin as an alchemist who centuries ago used the magical Blood Drinker knife to
steal the power of a demon, granting himself a form of immortality. Jalen leaves for the alley where
Ethan and Dana vanished from, figuring Maalik could not have taken them very far if he is already
performing experiments.
At the lab Dana and Ethan begin to insinuate that Maalik is in some way doomed.
This gets the doctor's attention and he asks what they are talking about. At first they decline to
tell him details, but when it looks like he thinks they are bluffing the pair explain how Patrick
really did kill the Hart and because of it the Powers That Be are planning on wiping the Earth free
of demons, something that Maalik likely would not survive no matter what remarkable abilities of
resurrection he may possess. In light of this information Maalik feels he has other priorities and
agrees to let Ethan and Dana go. He even tells them if he learns any useful information he will pass
it on to them. When Ethan shows the doctor that he has freed his hands (by sitting up on the lab
table), Maalik tells him where to find the key to the cage Dana is locked in before taking his notes
and leaving. A few moments later the doctor returns though, and pushes the rolling cabinet containing
the key over next to Ethan. He then tells Ethan that, given how Ethan had escaped the last time Maalik
had him, the doctor took the precaution of slashing his Achilles tendons. With the key now in reach of
the disabled Ethan the doctor again takes his leave. Ethan retrieves the key and tosses it to Dana so
she can unlock the cage door herself. Once Dana is free she helps the hobbled Ethan up and the pair
leave the lab, which is in the basement of an abandoned school.
Once outside Dana and Ethan stumble around the rundown neighborhood looking for a
working pay phone. While they are searching, though, they are found by Jalen, who has been searching
the area looking for them. The trio then make their way back to the house. When they arrive Ethan says
he needs to do something about his severed tendons, but Caiel solves the problems by laying his hands on
the wounds, healing them. Lauren orders take-out and while they are waiting for the food to arrive
Patrick returns. He reveals that his visit to the demon bars for information was largely a waste of
time. The first problem he encountered was that there just weren't many demons around, something that
Maalik had also mentioned to Ethan and Dana. Patrick's other problem was his demon sense ability. For
some reason the power was now in overdrive and whenever he was near a demon he would get an
overwhelming urge to slaughter it. Even in Jalen's presence he can feel the urge. Despite these
setbacks Patrick did find one useful piece of information from a half-demon, namely that a group of
pureblood demons called the Scourge has been on the move recruiting demons, except those they
considered impure, who they kill.
With the information they have, the group figures that the Senior Partners and the other
demon lords are not going to leave Earth without a fight. Whatever the end result is, an open war
between the Powers and the demons will not be good for anyone. The group starts brainstorming on what,
if anything, they can do and Jalen asks if it is possible to remove all magic from the Earth realm. He
acknowledges that given his abilities this sort of thing would potentially kill him as much as it would
any other demon, but if it stops the war he is willing to give his life. The others wonder if that sort
of thing is even possible, and even Caiel does not know if it could be done or what the long term
consequences would be. Nonetheless the idea is added to the growing list of options the team is
compiling.
After supper and a brief rest the group continues thinking on ideas and researching
some of the options they have already come up with. Based on Jalen's idea Ethan starts thinking
globally and wonders if there is a way to use a network of satellites to create a planet-wide
protection ward, something that would seal the Earth off from other dimensions, even if its just for
a short time. Something like that would keep the bulk of the Powers' and the demons' forces off
planet; the only question would be how the group could take advantage of a situation like this.
With at least a couple of potential, if large scale and difficult, ideas the group switches focus
to identifying the sort of resources they would need to pull off something as big as they are considering. Ethan
decides its time to start bringing in any friends and allies they think can help, and calling in
all the markers they can.
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