Azazel stared up at the sky, floating along the ocean water as the stars twinkled above. This was familiar to him however, this dream of floating in the ocean, like he was between two worlds. Azazel let out a sigh and he closed his eyes and opened them to see a roof above him. The lenses to Azazel's mask activated showing him his vital signs and letting him see better in the dimly lit room, the soft sound of club music could be heard outside the room.

Azazel sat up wincing in pain, bandages covered his chest and parts of his arms, his vitals reading that he had broken 3 ribs and his arms from the fall. “Creating a ramp of ice to break your fall but still breaking your bones as you crashed into a mountain of garbage, only you would think of something that crazy,” a voice said from the doorway. Azazel looked and saw a tall woman with silver puffy hair pulled back into two puff balls. She smiled and sat down next to Azazel, handing him a bottle of painkillers which he happily took.

“How long have I been out?” Azazel asked, pulling himself out of bed, to the reply of three days. “Three days isn't bad but I'm assuming you had to call that quack of a doctor to come fix me up.” The doctor in question was a mutant with the ability to heal whatever he rips apart. “It's a good thing you were unconscious, he had to tear your ribs from your lungs to heal them properly.” The lady replied as the two walked out the door into a hallway littered with purple lights. The two walked to the end of the hall and through the door, the club music now full blast as they walked onto the floor. 

Club Monsu, a club run by slum mutants, for slum mutants. “I'll talk to you later. I got some business to handle,” the lady said to Azazel, patting his back gently and walking away. Azazel walked over to the bar counter, propping himself up on a chair. Smoke seemed to cover the entirety of the bar, moving drinks and filling orders for the many patrons that showed up. “I heard that Maple was there to wake you up, how are you feeling?” Azazel heard the smoke ask him as he grunted a response, his attention focused on drawing designs on a napkin he found.

The smoke converged onto itself and there stood a tall woman with long black hair that seemed to turn to smoke at the tips. “You know we put in a lot of effort to get you patched up after that stunt you pulled.” The smoke lady said, swiping the napkin away from Azazel, who looked annoyed, but this led to him grinning as he snapped back “Awww if you're so worried maybe you should have given better instructions over the ear piece, Esmerelda!” The smokey lady grabbed his collar, saying through gritted teeth, “Don't call me that name.” Esmerelda let out a loud sigh and let go of his jacket muttering that this is why she doesn't like men. Still grinning Azazel said “awww does this mean you don't love me anymore?”

A dark shadow fell over Esmerelda’s face as she walked around the bar to meet face to face with Azazel. “I've never loved you Azazel, I loved Alister and I do still worry about you, the only man I care about.” Esmerelda said as she pulled Azazel's mask off. His spiky hair fell flat and his smile vanished as his true face became exposed. Tired eyes with dark circles, two scars one across his left eye and one that went to his chin. His vibrant spiky yellow tipped blue hair is now a light purple with shades of red at the edges. Behind the mask, various pieces of technology could be seen. “Emerald i-” Alister tried to say but got stopped by Emerald. Alister couldn't show his emotions without his mask but he knew that he needed to do something, question is what?

Meanwhile up in Fabuloso, the old lady that Alister stole the buffer from was plotting her payback. Inside a lavish room, she sat with two people sitting across from her. “I hear you two are the best mercenaries money can buy, Apollo the man said to be able to snipe the sun from the sky, and Esdeath the ice queen,” The old lady gestured to the two. “Yeah yeah enough with the flattery Ms. Rose, who's the target?” Apollo asked while cleaning his ear out with his pinky. Ms. Rose chuckled and shaped her fingers, an assistant tossing an envelope that spilled open on the table. Pictures of Azazel could be seen, “His name isn't known but I heard he fell off the edge of Fabuloso, I know he can't have died as those filthy roaches that live below are quite resilient.” Ms. Rose commented as two more assistants placed briefcases in front of the two mercenaries. “Here's half now and you'll receive the other half when the job is done,” Ms. Rose said as the two mercenaries took their money and headed for the door. 

Apollo began droning on about how he was ready to earn the rest of the bounty but Esdeath was the opposite, “Alister has finally done it now, and this time he won't get away from me!” Esdeath thought to herself, anger filling her being as she was ready to hunt down the man that she shares a past with.