Celly sighed as the hot water poured down on her body. Sometimes a nice hot shower in the morning really woke you up. It was nice and comfy, even if your fingers did wrinkle up. She had had those strange dreams again. Never could remember them, but her face was always wet when she awoke. Tears? she wondered idly. Was I crying in my sleep? Doshite?

"Mistress Celeste?" a voice came through the bathroom door.

"Just when I get in the shower..." Celly sighed in frustration. "Dare da?" she called out, lathering her hair. Ooh... herbal...

"Watashi wa Bob, Mistress Celeste." He didn't dare step into the bathroom. All the Unnamed Otakus in Castle Anthrax knew what had happened to the poor idiot who had accidentally walked in on Celeste-sama a few months ago. It wasn't pretty.

"What do you want, Bob? I'm in the shower."

Of course she was in the shower... that's why he wasn't going in. "I have an update on Lambda Project."

"Can it wait? The bottle says to ‘Lather, rinse, and repeat.'"

"Hai, Mistress Celeste. I'll be in Special Ops."

"Okay."

Bob left Celly's quarters. He had known where Dionysus had run off to in the middle of the night. He smiled.

Celly strolled into Special Ops a half hour later. She took her position and sat down in her chair, watching the toasters flying across the viewscreen. I'm gonna have to change the screen saver soon.... "So, what's up, Bob?"

Bob hurried over and handed her a familiar manila folder. "Almost all of the components of Lambda Project have been gathered."

"Almost all, Bob?"

"Yes. There are a few... complications that we've run across. New variables."

"New variables? More of them?!? I wish the powers that be would kindly make up their minds," Celly huffed in anger. "Every new variable means that much longer until Lambda Project is unfurled."

"Yes, but I've almost finished tracking them all down. Everything is working smoothly, except for the new parts that need to be added."

"That's good to hear. I'm--" Celly stopped suddenly and froze.

"Mistress Celeste?!? What's wrong?!?"

"Nyx... she's fighting an Otaku..." Celly's mind shook from the force of Nyx's battle aura. She was really wanting to fight.

"I can't find her on the screens!" Bob yelled as the viewscreen rapidly shifted through different shots of Bishounen World.

"I can," Celly stated. She quickly pulled open a portal and jumped in, homing in on Nyx's position. "No one goes after my allies! Not without facing me, too!"

Celly tumbled out of HammerSpace and quickly took in the sight before her. She was currently floating in some sort of space. Nyx was facing off against an Otaku who had foolishly tossed her weapon aside.

"Tasuki no Otaku!" Celly screamed, leveling a punch at the blonde girl. The punch struck her lightning fast and spun her for a loop. Celly's BBBoD appeared. "You're the one who kept throwing me into the wall! Ama!"

She was about to charge again when Nyx grabbed her arm. "No, Celly!"

"Nani?!?"

"She said she wants to join our side!"

"And you *trust* her?"

"Call it honor among thieves. She wouldn't fight me."

Celly stared hard at Mercy. "Baka..." she spat out and ripped open a new portal. "Go through that portal, Nyx!"

"Wha...?"

Celly manhandled Mercy and threw her into the portal. "Go through! I can't believe you'd be that stupid!"

Nyx jumped through the portal and soon found herself in an unknown portion of Castle Anthrax beside the still dazed Mercy. "What are you talking about?!?" she asked Celly when she came out of the portal.

Celly just frowned and yanked open the one door in front of them. "I said that I couldn't believe you would be that stupid. Can't you read her aura? She's lying!" Celly lifted Mercy again and shoved her into the open door. She leveled a dangerous look at Nyx. "Don't open this door. Wait here until I'm done." Celly shut the door.

Nyx was confused and placed her ear against the door, trying to listen in on what was happening. What the hell was Celly ranting about? Why would Mercy lie? She said she wanted to join us... she thought silently.

Through the door came first the sounds of talking, followed shortly after by yelling and screaming. The sounds of mass destruction began. It took all of Nyx's willpower not to rip the door open and see what was happening. My god! It sounds like a war in there! The screaming took a new tortured pitch and Nyx knew the fight had taken a drastic turn.

Torture... right... she thought grimly. Finally the screaming stopped, replaced by whimpers and begging. Then, silence.

Nyx backed away from the door just in time, as it was torn off its hinges by the body that had been thrown out of the room.

Mercy's body landed on the floor with a sickening thud. She was battered and beaten, bleeding from several different places. She was barely conscious. Nyx's eyes widened, but she was not surprised. Celly limped out of the room grimly. There was a scabbed over cut across her forehead, part of her fuku was ripped to shreds, and she had a black eye.

Nyx's jaw dropped open.

Celly ignored her and bent down painfully, lifting Mercy's head by her hair. "It's the truth, isn't it?!?" she yelled into the girl's face.

"... yes..." Mercy managed to croak out.

"Tell Nyx!"

Mercy's lips stayed shut. Celly slapped her across the face and yelled again, "TELL HER!"

"Stop... please..." Mercy begged. "It's true... I was pretending... I was going to join your side and then betray you to the others..."

Celly let go of her hair and Mercy dropped to the floor again, panting.

Nyx's eyes widened in shock. Betrayed?!? "I trusted you!" she said softly, her eyes burning. "I trusted you!" Nyx ran over and kicked Mercy in the ribs repeatedly. The blonde girl whimpered, but was unable to do anything else. Nyx was about to reach for a gun when Celly stopped her.

Nyx looked at the portal Celly had just opened. "What are you going to do?" Celly hefted Mercy once more and threw her into the portal. "You're letting her go?!? After she tried to fool us?!?"

"Yes. She's an example to the others. She is what happens when they try to cross us. We're not fools and will not be treated as such." Celly placed her hand on her forehead and removed it, looking at the blood on her hands. "Besides, it's so much more fun hunting the others when they're afraid of you. Makes it exciting."

Celly and Nyx nodded to each other and made their way back to Special Ops.

"You look like hell, Celly."

"I know... and I just took a shower this morning too."

Mercy felt herself being thrown into another portal. Blissful unconsciousness overtook her when she landed with a thud in front of a familiar dormitory in London.

TBC...