-James Baldwin

John must have looked like a ghost or a demon as he ventured outside the house again. He couldn't see his own face, but the reactions of his creations were as telling as ever. Sophia's blunt nature actually gave way for once to subtlety and nuance. She seemed ready to question her Father about something, the importance of which John was unable to guess, but the moment her eyes locked with his, she sealed her lips and did not open them again. John was thankful for her stoic nature - once she noticed his gaze, her face was impossible to read, as usual.

"We're going on a training mission. High priority. No time to grab the others, Seras will be needed to help with the Nekos anyway. We need wood. Lots of it."

"Of course, Father."

Still asking nothing, something John would have to thank her for later, they headed to the north. The others were still going to be moving the Nekos here soon, and he wanted to be farther away for the training. Besides, he still appreciated the feeling of safety the house gave him. He preferred not to fight inside of it in the Barriers he created like he had back when he created Maera and Mithra.

"Sir, if I might, a moment of your time?"

John froze as the voice came from his right side, off a few feet away from the doorway. The butler was waiting so closely to the wall that John hadn't noticed his silhouette as they first exited. Warnings from the shard flashed in his eyes, their edges jagged and fractured. Whatever overhaul Evellyn was enacting on his systems seemed not to agree with the still-foreign object. It was at least a point of note that he had been calm enough to notice this time.

Before John could debate whether to answer with his words or his blade, Sophia acted. Her gaze had passed between the two of them for a few moments before she seemed to come to an understanding. The moment she did, a golden light filled the area and just one of her wings extended. Rather than offensively or for mobility, it served a more physical purpose - as the butler approached them the massive wing completely blocked John from his gaze above the knees, and John didn't have to look behind himself to see the glare that she was burning into the butler.

"Let him talk," John said quietly, bringing his hand up and gently lowering Sophia's wing. She allowed it to move effortlessly, shrinking and retracting it so that her soft feathers did not brush the ground. "Choose your next words carefully, demon."

"I apologize for any offense that may have been caused. I do genuinely care for her, you understand, and as my-"

"Very. Carefully."

"-…as my mistress," the man carried on, undeterred, "I am bound to her desires. When we first met, I was not fully sure of your status, disposition, or vested interest in her. I understand that you did not appreciate my defensiveness or lack of cooperation, but I am sure you can understand the desire to protect. I wanted to save her from whatever intrusion you intended.”

"Raise your point, or I'll raise mine," John growled.

"I wanted to apologize… and to ensure to you that, as long as you have her best interests in mind, you can depend on me. As her creator, if you wish, your needs are only second to hers. So long as the two of you are aligned, I am completely at your service."

"I have no need of your services," John scoffed, gesturing to Sophia as they started walking.

"I was referring more to any of your pursuits which would aid her, though I will note your avoidance all the same," the man said, his gaze starting to acquire more of that gleam from their first meeting. "If you would like my aid with gathering the wood, for instance, I would assist you. If you would find such aid beneficial, I would be honored to help gather the materials for-"

"I have no need of your services," John repeated harshly. As much as he cared for Lunaya, as much as he wanted to make up for the things he had done to her… a small but growing part of him wondered what one more red mark on his ledger would really do, if he struck the butler down now. He decided against it at the last moment, opting instead to turn his head over his shoulder, barely slowing.

“If you hurt her, if you ever make her cry… your life is forfeit. As you’ve said, it’s the only thing that you value more than her - as long as I’m around, consider those priorities reversed.”

“You have no reason to believe me, but by my very nature, hurting her would only be hurting myself. I am bound to my master, to their happiness. If it had been fate’s choice I would have served you just as happily, I swear. I meant what I said, and rest assured, while I do not blame you for your grudge, I hold none of my own.”

John grimaced, the thought of the man he hated swearing his devotion landing him somewhere between disgusted and enraged.

“I don’t care about your words, only actions. The only reason you still live is because I have no official claim to her, and you genuinely seem to have helped her. The moment that ceases to be true, you die.”

With a silent hand gesture he set off again, travelling away from the house and off into the distance to the north with Sophia.

Popping his window open, John was annoyed to see that nothing had regained functionality since the update started. Thankfully, his Barrier ability was still available. The menu had some disabled functions, like the landscape and time of day inside the Barrier, but he didn't care if it was a pitch-black night. He just needed to **** something.

"Father, I…"

Sophia paused, hesitating as John's hand hovered over the start button. He cast his gaze up to her, trying not to let the wear and tear of the day's repeated ups-and-downs show too heavily in his eyes. This had probably been the most eventful day for John in his life, including the day he got his powers.

"May I touch your hand?"

John blinked at the odd request, but Sophia merely held out her palm. Having no reason to refuse, and trusting his daughter with potentially more than his life, John nodded and grasped her palm. Sophia shuddered a bit at the touch, but not in a way that portrayed pleasure or enjoyment. Instead her body tensed, her muscles coiled, and she seemed almost to grimace. All the same, a ragged smile crossed her face just before she opened her eyes. When she did… John saw they were glowing crimson.

"Thank you, Father."

"What, uh… thank you for what?" John asked, nervous despite his trust.

"I share some of my abilities with you so long as we remain bonded as we are… now you have shared something with me. Let us slay all who stand before us."

John wished his abilities gave him readouts on the effects of buffs others received… only the character sheets did that, and all but his own were currently locked out. The look Sophia gave him shook away John's negative emotions, too enthralled with the sudden increase in determination and purpose in her eyes. Sophia was always focused… to enhance things to that point? John shuddered at what must be running through her veins. It was even more drastic a change than when she was knee-deep in battle, as if her emotions were taken more directly from the source.

At length, all John found himself able to say was…

"Indeed. Let us rip and tear, until it is done.”

With that, John summoned his barrier, and abandoned his thoughts as best as he could. The nature elementals he conjured fell before them, finding not one, but two enraged warriors seeking to release their frustrations. John had never imagined Sophia would be able to match the Shard's intensity with her own, but he felt an odd comfort in sharing the burden. If nothing else, John found a disturbing amount of reassurance in the fact that Sophia would willingly bear the burden of his hatred with such glee. The berserker, now with full armor, was a sight to behold.

But his admirations had years of time to grow. For now, they were slayers, and their prey couldn't hope to stand against them.