The weather was calm, if a little bit windy with a few clouds. The grounds had been raked clear of leaves and debris. Hedges and bushes had been properly groomed and large pots with seasonal flowers had been scattered around to brighten things up. A smattering of white tables had been strewn around, as well as a few dozen chairs. Food had been tucked away on the sides, punch and snacks, as well as a few trays of hand-made wedding favors. A length of durable white fabric had been cast between two large rose bushes, with row upon row of chairs on either side. At the very end, tucked under a wooden arch, sat stand where the priest would work. On either side stood two large stone vases filled to the brim with delicate stone flowers. Andrea had made each by hand.

It was time...

A dozen or more, Andrea had lost count, guests had shown up. They were pulling about, chatting and sipping champagne while they waited for the ceremony to begin. From within the school, a pair of orange eyes peered out cautiously from around window drapes. She recognized most of the faces, but there were still some that she had never seen before. Considering that she had send out a few packed boxes of invitations and had included that friends of guests were welcome, it was to be expected.

Still... the hoard of people outside did nothing to settle the butterflies in her stomach. Today she would be wed. For real! Sure, on paper she was technically already a wife, but it wasn't the same. She had spent months preparing for this day-- hours heaped upon hours of tears and cursing and searching her brain for more ideas. Now, as she stood in her dress with her hair pinned back and a flowery bouquet in her hands, there were only minutes distancing her from her dream.

Her dress, upon the advice of a dear friend, was an off-white color. It hugged her figure gently, cascaded down around her legs like a waterfall, and covered her upper arms and shoulders with elegant lace. The train trailed a few feet back, but was rather conservative when compared to other dresses. In her hair and around her neck she'd been adorned with yellow pearls, and a few small stoned flowers to tie her into her surroundings.

Pressing a gloved hand to her stomach, she watched as everyone started toward their seats anxiously, and chewed on her bottom lip.

Ohshitoshitoshit you're getting married.

Shut up mind.

You aren't ready for this, you're a man! You need to be freeee

SHUT UP MIND.

besides, what did he have to worry about? He was already technically married; he'd signed the papers so that she could be here, and he knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with his woman. It was just... well, he wasn't really the type to make a spectacle of things... Andrea wasn't really the type either. The local news station? Well, they were a little more likely. So, when word got out that an X-man was getting married during these "trying times for mutant kind," and further word got out that "everyone was invited," A spectacle was definitely made.

You see, it all came about when Saphirus may or may not have wanted some potential guests that came from a certain sanctuary to be invited. Andrea definitely hadn't liked that idea, so she may or may not have loudly exclaimed that no one would be held back from being at the wedding, which someone may have heard, and told someone else. That person then told another person, and so on until the grumpy X-man had flipped past the news on his way to watch cartoons he was way too old to watch, and caught a news report about how brave they were for holding a public wedding at a time like this.

After cleaning up the coffee he'd spit out, he quickly had to come to terms with the fact that he was having a big wedding. A wedding that might make some people angry.

The snapping of thumbs pulled him from deep thought.

It was time? It was time.

Oshitohshitos-

SHUT UP MIND!

He was the first to enter, his suit, boring and black, a little itchy, but affordable, was very much unlike anything he'd normally wear, but the occasion kinda called for it. He still hadn't seen Andrea. Apparently it was bad luck or something. He wasn't the type to tempt fate, so yeah, he hadn't seen her.

He heard snapping again, and looked to the procession's organizer, who was staring daggers at him. Oh, right. It was still time.

His stomach jumped into his throat as he started walking from his spot behind the curtains at the side of the altar. Jello and his legs were close kin. They'd met recently, him not being easily shaken, but in this case, a man who had literally punched Cthulhu in the face before was freaking SCARED.

He tripped and fell on his face on the way to the altar, halting his best man(maybe with pink hair?), and then scrambling up and walking as if nothing had happened. Aw man. Someone prolly had a camera... Had they at least barred news crews from showing up?

He made it to his spot near the priest, a visible mutant, and then turned to look expectantly down the aisle. The grooms men approached with the brides maids. He was sweating, even though it was a little bit chilly outside. The crowd was huge. The seats had filled up, and the back and sides had been hastily dedicated to standing space.

By the time he'd finished gawking at the crowd, the flower girl was walking down the Aisle. Where most flower girls were cheery, this one was a grumpy looking tween who had demanded she be allowed to wear a native american head dress. The angry little Indian threw about flower pedals, sometimes aiming at seated people's faces, and muttering "oops."

Saph was too nervous to remember to extend her most recent grounding again because of it. Everything was going so fast, it was all getting very blurry.

There was a giggle from the crowd as the ring bearer turned out to be a pig. Ms. Piggy oinked merrily as she trotted toward him, the ring tied to her pudgy back.

When she stepped out, though...

When she stepped onto that walkway, everything went still.

Wow...

Go on...

From his spot amongst the crowd, Cancer could barely contain his impending glee. So many victims to choose from, so many potential targets soon to come. A man could go insane on moments like this, of pure and uncontrollable bliss. Some said he was already insane but no, that wasn't true. He couldn't be insane because otherwise, he wouldn't know what he was doing. He knew exactly what he was doing. And he loved it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~A few days ago~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We are now going to discuss our next plan of attack.

From within his spot at the briefing table, Cancer had sat on the edge of his seat, anger and irritation seeping from his every pore. It had only been a few hours since Libra had returned from one of his incursions into the city, sent out by the General to see what he could see and further their cause when he saw ample opportunity. His report had been boring, stale, something about sending a dragon like mutant to attack Sanctuary in the hope of inflicting casualties on one of the bigger mutant hives. He'd failed, of course, stopped by Sanctuary's defenders.

But it had been who had stopped him that put Cancer on edge. One had been the masked vigilante Taurus and Capricorn had reported disposed of(not quite so disposed as it would seem). But the other....The other was Isabel Duskmoor. Cancer's eyes had almost popped out of his head at that and when the General had questioned whether he'd made sure he'd finished the job, Cancer had gone livid. He had killed her! No...no, Aries had killed her. Which meant Aries failed. It was Aries fault for stopping him, that was it! Had Aries allowed him to continue his game with her, she would have been dead for sure.

The General's eyes had told him to silence his tongue or lose it right there, so Cancer did. But he was furious now...furious and elated at the time. He could fight Isabel again...bask in her fear and terror...oh, how much fun he would have with her this time. And this time, no one would interrupt him. She'd be wallowing at his feet and only when she'd hit the lowest point, would he kill her.

The General had spoiled his fun before it could even get started. Isabel Duskmoor could wait, he had said. They had another operation in mind. One that would get the attention of everyone.

I have it on good authority that a vast number of mutants are gathering for what is believed to be a "wedding" reception. Firstly, the idea that we are allowing mutants to wed and breed astounds me and as such, must be stopped. But I also have intel stating that this is also a secret meeting of mutants, who plan to use the reception to plot and scheme and possibly set about taking human lives. We cannot allow this to stand.

The operation will be as follows; Cancer and Libra will be the point team on this mission. Large crowds are Libra's specialty and with such a large number of targets there, he'll be able to take advantage of that. Cancer will provide support and use his abilities on the much more dangerous targets...including the "bride" and "groom". Make them despair and stop them from wedding at all costs.

Sagittarius, Pisces and Aries will provide additional support, if they are needed. They will enter only if there as unexpected complications or to delay impending assistance. Remain hidden, remain anonymous and be discrete in any actions you must take. Our objective is to cripple this wedding and send a message to mutants everywhere; we see through your schemes and shall not allow you to control this planet. I trust there are no problems with this plan...Cancer?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No...no problems at all. This almost made up for having Isabel taken from him at this time. But oh, she would soon see him again. With this event being broadcasted on TV, he would send a clear message to the world, to mutants everywhere...to Isabel Duskmoor. He was coming for them...fear his arrival.He had to control himself, otherwise, people probably would have stared at the man who suddenly broke out cackling. Slowly, surely, he made his way towards the altar from a blind angle...waiting for the final steps to be put into place.

Waiting for Libra, who was slightly above the proceeding's, picking his targets, to start the real party. Oh...and what a party it was going to bed. A white wedding? No, but the end of this day, it would be called something else.

A red wedding.

The music started up, and she thought her heart skipped a few beats. It was happening. It was really happening... Something she had only dreamed about for so long was coming true, and it was Saph standing down the walkway waiting for her. The feeling of butterflies in her stomach tripled in strength and the jitters spread out into her arms and legs. She felt like jello.

Green, wiggly jello.

Out went the wedding party, the grooms men, the brides maids. Out went Saph's odd little tag-along, Elke, muttering under her breath about frills and lace. Out with Piggy, and finally... it was Andrea's turn.

For a moment as the music shifted to signal her entrance, she felt like she couldn't move. Maybe it was due to her nerves, or the cameras outside, or the numerous faces she didn't know... but for a brief moment she felt her hackles raise and she was frozen to the spot. Sloth, not caring in the slightest about weddings or vows, flicked his tongue at her ear and started her out of her daze. Gulping down her hesitation she took a few determined steps, and was then walking through the doorway...

Sunlight peeked out from around the clouds, but even in the shaded light she could see clearly. The glasses on her face weren't quite as dark as she was used too, as lightly colored as she dared to go, and they shaded everything slightly brown. But, she could see. She could see how all of the decorations had pulled together. She could see all of her friends who had pitched in or help her. She could see Elke and Piggy, and the father standing with the good book in his hands, and... she could see Saphirus.

Tears pricked at her eyes as she walked toward him, her bouquet clasped gently in gloved hands. She was thankful that she had chosen modestly low heels, rather than towering stilettos like so many other brides. She was thankful that it wasn't raining, and that her hair and snakes had decided to be good and cooperate for once in her life.

Stopping before the priest, Saph at her side, she smiled at him and fought back the excited trembling of her body. She was happy.

So, so happy.

"My friends," The priest started, flipping his book open gently, "We are gathered here today..."

Was Saphirus smiling?

No.

He was grinning like an idiot, which made smiling seem pathetic and weak in comparison.

There was no one to hand her off. Saph didn't see that as odd or unusual; this was actually his first wedding. And it was his.

He'd lived a pretty interesting life up until now. He couldn't count the people he'd met, the battles he'd fought. Thinking about who he would be spending the rest of his life with, settling down a little bit wasn't so bad.

As Andrea made it up the aisle and finally joined him, he couldn't help but reach out and grab her gloved hand.

The priest started talking, The light headed and giddy air prevented him from being able to focus on anything he said until a good bit in, when the priest added that ever present formality.

"If anyone here should have any justifiable reason that these two should not be joined in the bonds of holy matrimony, speak now, for forever hold your peace."

Sometimes the best place to hide is the one no one would expect; in plain sight.

That was where Cancer was, standing with a mixture of people off to the side of the procession, the people who helped set up and were ready to assist, merely waiting for the ceremony to end before returning to their tasks. That was were Cancer waited, dressed like the others, keeping his head slightly down at the end to avoid drawing attention. Not that anyone looked his way; they were too busy focusing on the blushing bride and groom to notice him. It was perfect.

Libra, who kept in contact with Cancer via a small radio in the pair's ears, watched inventively from his chosen perch. Why they were exactly targeting a wedding between two mutants that, until this mission, Libra had not heard of or known little about, was beyond him. But orders were orders and if the General said there was a threat here, there was more than likely to be one. He wasn't here to question; he was here to raise chaos the only way he knew how.

Both Cancer and Libra had agreed beforehand on the perfect time to begin the operation. The best way to send a message, after all, was to draw all the life out of a situation, to maximize the effect through a symbol. And during the wedding, there was one key phrase that would surely bring about the best effect.

And the priest had just said it.

There had been one other reason for their chosen point. It would give Libra ample time to pick out his targets, the ones that would be most effective for his part of the plan, and prepare to strike them in quick succession to maximize the madness. By the time the priest had uttered those oh so famous words, Libra could bounce from each of this targets in a matter of seconds, having already mapped out the path. As the words slipped from the priest, Libra rose, threw his arms back...and started launching his parasites into the targets.

Just in time for Cancer to clear his throat, look to the pair from his location and give them the grandest of smiles. "Actually...I believe there might be a few people who do."

Just as several of the attended guests suddenly screamed in both horror and rage.

Just as several of those guests suddenly started attacking the people next to them, words lost in the sudden surge of both attackers and victims. As mutant powers were added to the madness. Where a moment ago everything was serene, now it was sheer chaos as people tried to figure out what was happening...and then screaming and running in terror.

Cancer smiled. "Correction...make that more than just a few." Slowly, as the chaos erupted, he started making his way towards the pair. Slow but sure, reaching out with his powers towards the groom, digging into the man's fears. Oh, and it wasn't just his fears he was tapping now...it was everyone's.

For the madness around him, that was their own kind of hell. What he pulled from Saph's mind to use against him, well...that was about to become his own personal hell.

Sacred words were spoken. Vows that she had soured her mind and heart to find, with all of her feelings carefully tucked inside. She wasn't a poet in the least, but she at least thought she had come up a rather touching speech. Saph's brought tears her her eyes, and she gripped his hand harder.

The priest went about his prepared speech, tossing in a few snippets of a sermon here and there. She didn't think Saph minded, even though he wasn't the religious type.

"...Speak now, or forever hold your peace." It was a silly thing to ask, in her opinion... who would attend a wedding that didn't agree with it?

The priest hadn't even closed his book; Andrea hadn't even turned her head to look at the guests. Her lips parted slightly to speak the next words she had lovingly rehearsed, and that's when the screaming started...

Instantly, the snakes braided into her hair were on high alert. Seven heads appeared from various places, but none could manage to get their bodies all the way out. She had specifically wanted them contained. The Greek couldn't even begin to fathom what was going on... someone was shouting, people were standing from their seats and scattering in all directions.

Her attention was quickly captured by one of her bridesmaids, who was suddenly shrieking and fighting off long, black arms that had sprouted from the ground with her flower bouquet.

What on earth was going on?!

A cry from behind her dragged her attention to the priest, who had suddenly, inexplicably, erupted into flames. Shocked, the Greek left her spot at Saph's side to reach for a vase of flowers, some of the only real flowers present at the event. Tossing the blooms aside, she threw the water on the man and managed to put out some of the fire. It just started back up, though. In a blind panic, the man ran in the opposite direction from her, but she was reluctant to leave Saph's side in the chaos...

Everything was going so well.

All of his fears about the very public anti-mutant attacks, the unrest in the atmosphere around new york, and this wedding with way too long of a guest list had all faded away. He'd talked to Andrea about it all, and she'd been very insistent that he couldn't go too far with security; she didn't want it to ruin their moment.

As he looked into her sun-glass covered eyes, he realized that nothing could ruin this moment. And then he started to feel something strange...

In the audience, fast moving objects were smacking into people. He looked out to the crowd, but saw nothing too conclusive; he felt another object take flight, and looked toward it's point of origin... a figure on the roof?

"The he-"

"Actually...I believe there might be a few people who do."
His head snapped around, but he couldn't spot the origin of the voice. And then people in the crowd started screaming.

"No..."

"Correction...make that more than just a few."

Someone was making their way toward them. His first reaction was to grab his crowbar.

What? Of course he kept his crowbar nearby! It was practically part of him. IN this case, it was in the hollow of the altar. He quickly retrieved it and moved to step in front of Andrea as the priest burst into flames.

He looked back as Andrea grabbed the vase to put him out, and then back ahead at their closing attacker... And that was when his body suddenly locked up. He tried to move, but found the act impossible. It was then that he saw Andrea move out of the corner of his eyes, stepping in front of him as if to block an attack.

Screams of objection caught in his throat as he tried to say anything to get her to stop, but found his voice would not come.

BLAM!

An unseen gunman fired off, and the bride's dress slowly turned a deep, dark shade of red. It was then his voice came through. "NOOOOOOOOO!" he fell to his knees, gently cradling his love's head in his hands.

"Baby... Baby listen to me. It's gonna be okay. I'm here. You're gonna be fine." She gasped for breath, her still shaded eyes looking about frantically. "Stay with me... Stay with me. I love you." Her movement slowed, as did the frantic breaths. "Stay with me... Don't go... Don't go."

Fear. Fear was the drug, the terrible sin that Cancer could not get away from. Some had their heroin, their alcohol, their cocaine...something so terribly wrong for them and yet they could not keep themselves from it, their body and mind already slaves to their desires.

Cancer had fear. But it was not bad for him. It was perfect for him. And he soaked in utter bliss as the fear around him rose in droves and waves.

Libra's initial strike had caused the first waves of it, sending people confused and panicking in every which direction. They didn't know what had suddenly made their friends or fellows burst into a rage, the mutants using their powers to inflict pain as they flew about in a mad rage, subtlety pushed by Libra's parasitic suggestions. All most of them knew was that people were getting hurt and they had no clue way...which made them scared. Some of them fought back, of course, trying to stop friends or lovers or strangers from lashing out...but they all were frightened. And Cancer used that to spin his own little addition into the mix.

Now, Cancer's ability allowed him to manifest fears into a solid form, bringing what was only in nightmares into reality. Some, like the priest, feared burning in the depths of the earth...so fire that would never fade till he died or passed out soon covered him. The bridesmaid? She feared what lurked in the shadows...so shadows came alive and tried to take her. That waiter? He feared not being able to do his job....so there was a man trying to cut off his hands. All around him, the worst thing to each and every person was being brought to life to torture them...and Cancer drank in their fear like a sweet wine.

Now, he needed to focus on a person to bring the fear to life. After that, it took on a life of its own...so if it was dispelled or the person was killed or passed from conscious thought, the fear would fade. The dispelled fears would only return if Cancer refocused on that person to recreate it. Right now, however, he had only two objectives in mind; the bride and groom. The groom was already down, suffering his worst fear...his bride dying in his arms. But the bride was right there, watching him cradle another couple of her, likely confused. Perfect. Cancer pulled his power together and focused it on her, digging into her mind and dragging her fear to be born before them. He knew it wouldn't be long before they both caught on, of course and that trouble may come his way...but he had a plan for that.

A silent guardian, just waiting to be sprung, as he made his way over to the pair, a smile on that wickedly pale face of his. "Ah, is it not terrible? To see the ones we love so much die in our arms, helpless to do anything but watch them fade? To know that we couldn't protect them, that we let them down?

Yes...suffer...fear...fear your failure. And then submit to fate as it sends you to join your lover in the depths that you made for yourself. For this is the fate that mutants shall suffer for the wickedness they inflict on the world with their attempts to be superior!" Cancer was talking to no one in particular, save for the pair before him...but he did tend to have an odd way of talking about things. And now, now he waited to see how the two would handle their fears...and to prepare to unleash his hidden surprise.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Her head snapped around at the sound of her husbands horrified scream, and she froze. Saphirus was on his knees, clutching someone to him. At first she was struck with horror, thinking someone had been injured or, god forbid, killed... Then, once she noticed way the figures hair was put up, and glimpses of the dress she was wearing, the Greek found herself utterly confused. Was... she staring at herself? How could she be in two places at once? From over Saph's shoulder she could see the dark splotch, she assumed blood, and a hand flew to stifle a gasp.

....was she dead?! It was her, a perfect reflection, clutched in his hands. She was staring into her own face, with matching expressions. The frightening, odd situation was suddenly interrupted when someone else separated himself from chaos.

"Ah, is it not terrible? To see the ones we love so much die in our arms, helpless to do anything but watch them fade? To know that we couldn't protect them, that we let them down?"

The bridal bouquet fell from her loosening grip, and she stared at the man in stunned silence. Was she dead? He was talking like she was... and yet she still felt rather alive. Sloth hissed quietly, body tense and head jerking back and forth as he tried to evaluate the situation.

"Yes...suffer...fear...fear your failure. And then submit to fate as it sends you to join your lover in the depths that you made for yourself. For this is the fate that mutants shall suffer for the wickedness they inflict on the world with their attempts to be superior!"

Her brows furrowed... Was this man responsible for what was happening? How? She didn't understand what he was talking about, nor could she with so many things going on in her mind. She opened her mouth to demand an explanation, to demand that he stop whatever it was that he was doing before anyone else could get hurt... but the sudden feeling of the hairs on the back of her neck prickling stopped the words dead in her throat.

"...Here piggy.. piggy... piggy.." The color drained from her face, and her knees threatened to buckle under her. That voice. It was locked into her memory; a permanent fixture of her nightmares. Slowly, she turned to look over her shoulder. Behind her stood a figure of an imposing height. Solidly build, and clothes in black with glinting blades decorating his chest and hips. Black fur ran the length of his arms, arms that weren't quite human. Those little details weren't what caught her gaze, though.

Lion man, in all his horrifying glory, stood behind her. Inch long, finger thick, yellowed teeth grinned at her. The orange eyes that gazed back at her pierced her to the core, just as they had so long ago. But... something was different. As if he had evolved into a new type of terror, this Lion was also covered in dark, glinting scales. A strange hybrid of reptile and feline. She would never know that the visage was a combination of her deepest fears... herself, and the mutant who had nearly been the end of her.

Her serpents, having gone through the attack with her, recognized the man almost instantly. Or parts of him at least. Seven snakes hissed in unison, baring their fangs at the threat, and struggled harder against the bindings of her hair.

"Looks like my little piggy needs another haircut."

She reached for her glasses, but faster than she could move he darted for her. His large hand latched onto her head, palm almost entirely obscuring her face, which prevented her from removing her glasses. The powerful grip hurt, but she had little time to struggle. In the next instant he'd fished out one of his knives, and neatly sliced off Ira and Lust from her head.

Her scream was captured by the fur on his palm.

The world was cold.

a darkness had fallen, draining once blue oasis of all color and warmth. A shaky hand moved up to remove his dead wife's sunglasses. His? Yes. It was his hand. Her eyes, her beautiful, but empty eyes stared back at him... It was the first time he'd ever been able to look into them.

The world went blurry as tears enveloped his eyes.

She'd been taken from him. He couldn't protect her from a world that was insistent on her torture; why was it the most beautiful hearts were the most punished. Why did they lose their light when dirty, beat up hearts like his own had to live long, dreadful lives?

Past the murmur of a crowd trying to escape the horrendous scene, a rumbling slowly grew.

In the dark world, a flicker of flame came into being. This was not a light of hope. there was nothing left of the word. No, this red-orange light was the the beginning of a fire that would turn this world to ash.

A roar echoed out; he realized it had ripped from his very throat moments after it had started as an intense burning pulled him from his broken heart and back to the world. He gasped for breath a few times, looking up with wild eyes, still clutching Andrea. Another sound, almost unrecognizable as human, came out in a scream that would make a bear blush. He set her down gently, and reached for his crowbar with a hand shaken by rage.

That same rage guided him as he clenched the weapon, pulled it back, and launched it... Not at the nearing Cancer, no... It was the one on the roof, the one who he'd felt launch something at some of his guests who had killed his Andrea in his mind... A sniper.

The crowbar, assisted by a wealth of stored kinetic force, would rocket toward the mutant, barely missing his fear-bending companion. "DIE! DIIIEEEEE!" He'd used all of his energy throwing the missile at the far off rage-meister, but that didn't stop him from diving at Cancer with fists swinging.

The scene behind him, his truly alive betrothed being truly attacked, didn't even register in his broken, berserk mind.

Considering his location to the action, Libra thought the most he would be doing today would involve whispering to his newly acquired peons through the parasites. He was distanced from the chaos below, sending little nudges to those he'd stuck with the pulsing critters his power produced, guiding them to unleash their rage on another of his pawns or towards the other guests at large. His task was to cause mass hysteria and anarchy, give Cancer a clear shot to the main targets without interruption.

Not that that bloody psycho of a partner of his needed it. Cancer could handle himself. Not one on one mind you; but through the creation of his opponent's fears and his "partner", Cancer was more then capable of handling a few strays. Now, time to see about...

Libra caught the roar of rage and the glint of something streaking towards him. Something metal. Training and his reaction time kicked in and Libra flinched his head to the side, just barely evading the crowbar that had launched like a rocket for his head. It sliced open his cheek, a hand going up to it immediately and coming away wet with his blood. A half-amused chuckle escaped Libra, part in amusement and part in disbelief. Well well...looks like someone needs to be taught a lesson. Libra saw Saph then, diving for his partner, the loss of what he believed was his lover sending him into a blood rage.

Cancer, below, had of course seen Saph making to throw his weapon. He'd thought he was throwing at him at first...but no, the angle of the throw was wrong for him to be aiming at him. No, he was aiming at Libra. A damn good shot, if the hiss of pain from his radio was any indication. Of course, Libra would want a shot at him for that, but Cancer, who was now the target of the man's rage, wasn't going to let Libra steal his fun. "Don't touch him, Libra. He is mine to indulge in." He heard Libra hiss on the other end at this, but the silence told him Libra would hold his ground.

Saph, at this point, was diving for him, fists swinging. It would have been a terrible and concerning thing...if Cancer hadn't anticipated it. He was, after all, the only plausible target for the man to aim for, what with his companion out of reach. How foolish he was. Attacking Cancer while his real love was truly about to die behind him, his senses clouded by rage. It was almost too easy. With a simple thought, Cancer called forth his counter to the man's charge. It appeared, just as quickly as any of his fear creations, although this one was completely of his own making. His own personal bodyguard, his monster. It came from the nothing, a humanoid that stood a head taller then Cancer himself, a body that was both big, muscled, but not insanely so. Sharp claws stretched from both hand and feet, as sharp as any blade. And there was its face. A canine appearance took hold there, a mouth lined with razor sharp teeth and black eyes like a shark's stared at the charging prey before it.

The Jackal. Cancer's second trick and at times, his most deadly. Not only because of its body and appearance, but because of what it could do. It could take a person's fear and manifest it in some form on its body...adding to its intimidating form. It didn't need such a thing yet. It merely needed to swing its muscled arm up, cloths-lining the charging Saph at chest level and knocking the man back, surely sending the wind from its body. Cancer, stepping back, turned his attention to the bride, who was suffering at the hands of her own fear. Nothing needed there. "Ah, such devotion to avenging your fallen bride. Its touching, truly it is. But you know...I'm not sure she agrees with you there."

The Jackal's chest suddenly rippled and the head of Andrea appeared there, blood streaming from her mouth, her snakes limp, her eyes cold, dark, dead. The voice that whispered out was alive and strong through, as it turned its attention to Saph. "You failed me. You failed to protect me and because of that, I'm dead. You failed me...you're continuing to fail me. What good are you...you should just die and join me."

Cancer grinned. Oh, that was a lovely touch indeed.

Agony raced across her scalp like wildfire. What little grasp she had on reality faded the exact moment her serpents heads hit the ground. She was transported back to that night in an instant, and the rest of the world faded.

Her feet left the ground by half an inch, and she kicked and clawed at him frantically. She was screaming on the outside, a keening broken shriek that tore at her throat, and she was screaming on the inside as well. An inner mantra of He is going to eat me he is going to eat me he is going to EAT me.

Sloth was the first to recover from the searing pain caused by the loss of his fellows. Lashing out, he attempted to latch onto the arm holding is mistress, but was swiftly and brutally knocked out of the way by a fist clenching the butt of a knife. Unconscious, the great snake fell limply at her side. Two more snakes fell next, severed from the Greek with little effort on her attackers part.

"You thought i'd forgotten about you, Piggy. You thought you escaped." Blinded by panic, she continued to screech and struggle uselessly. "... I didn't. I thought about you day and night. How good you will taste, my little piggy. How much more delicious my patience has made you."

This was the end... she was going to die. She had only escaped the first attack on sheer luck. "...Andrea!" Someone darted toward her, blood decorating her bridesmaids dress. The Greek didn't hear the girl calling her. Didn't hear her approach, or the sudden grasp, or the gurgling that followed. She couldn't see the girl she had once called a friend fall, or the knife protruding from her throat.

Lion man chuckled, a deep animistic sound. Someone had tried to save the green mutant, and she had paid the ultimate price for her interference. With his now knife-free hand, he caught the last two remaining snakes on her, gripped them tightly behind the head, and tugged them out to the side. "I'm tired of waiting though, piggy... I'm hungry NOW."

Inch long lion fangs sank into the tautly stretched bodies of her serpents. Teeth that were made specifically for shearing through tissue with little resistance. The snakes dangerous heads were tossed away, and he greedily gulped down a mouthful of their bodies.

Something impeded his path when it came to breaking that smug looking face that had just assisted in the murdering of his greatest love. He didn't register what it was at first. Rage impeded every thought. Every thought. He wanted so very much to break everything. This man, his monster, the sky, the world.

He'd used all of his casually stored energy throwing his crowbar at what he presumed was the shooter. He'd failed to kill him. The face of Andrea appeared on the monster's chest. It said stuff. I didn't register. He wasn't stupid. He knew it wasn't her. But how dare they? How dare HE? To kill her, and then use her face to torment him... Did they think he would be scared? Did they think he would collapse in self pity? Later. Later he might just end it all... But now. Now, they'd taken him from her, and they were right here.

But they'd made a mistake. Stripped of Andrea, Saphirus was a whole different thing. He was a killer. A shaky hand reached up, her blood still covering it, and was placed on his face, wiping down to paint half his face red. An impromptu Judge mask.

He was on his feet in unnatural motion, using the force of being knocked down to help him up. A bloody roar came from his mouth as he moved to strike the Jackal. It was a feint; Instead of closing that last step, he juked, and then danced around the monster, aiming once again at the man behind. This time, he aimed his right side at the Jackal, so no attacks would find solid purchase. While that left the other side open to attack from his true target, Cancer, he didn't give a damn. He swung anyway, a Herculean spinning backfist guided by his sixth sense, so ducking would merely provoke an adjustment in aim for a normally blind attack.

While spinning, though, something caught his eye. Something that made no sense.

For Cancer, it tended to come down to two choices when deciding who the brunt of his power would be focused towards. Two questions that, when answered, made the choice simple and easy for him, no high end complicated thinking required. Was that person a serious threat, now or while being afflicted? If yes, Cancer prioritized that target, bearing all their fears upon them and often the Jackal if he needed a bit more physical persuasion. If the answer was no, however, the second question come into play; which one could he torture the most? Often, by using his power on the one, he could take advantage of their fear to remove them from the equation quickly and with glee, which only enhanced his abilities.

In this circumstance, the moment Andy had been caught by her fear, she had been removed from the equation. Her manifestation of a man was easily dealing with her, sending surges of fear and pain out from her that fed Cancer and in turn, the strength of his creations. The source of her fear was easily able to handle her as a result and thus, she was no longer worth diverting his full attention to.

Saph, on the other hand, was charging him like a reckless bull, intending to cause pain of his own and possibly lose his own life in return for taking the one's who harmed his "wife". It was sweet, it was touching...it was utterly disgusting to Cancer. All it meant to him was that Saph was the target of this next attacks, via his inhuman bodyguard.

The face seemed only to draw more anger from the man, a calculated misstep on Cancer's part. No matter; the Jackal could handle one simple raging bull. According to reports, Saph could take stored energy and channel it into force. Hence the torpedo that the crowbar he had thrown had become. But that surely had taken a fair amount of juice to pull off; it was safe to calculate that Saph was running a bit close to empty right now. Still, the man did merit some caution.

"Oh my...what a spirited drive this one has. Most interesting..." he trailed off as Saph came back from the Jackal's strike, his rage acting as a buffer for pain as he danced in again. This time, he opted to sidestep his creature, surely believing the Jackal was all brawn, no brain. Far from it. The Jackal noticed that Saph was aiming for Cancer instead and responded in kind. It kicked sideways at Saph as he spun as Cancer stood there, unconcerned, as he noticed Saph finally catching on.

"Considering you're going to fail your wife again. Letting her die twice? Such a poor man you are." Cancer smirked as he looked to where Andrea was suffering. "What ever will you do?"