He sat cross-legged in mid-air, floating high above the populace of the town below him.

Aubus wasn't there for any particular reason. In truth, he had merely drifted for well over a week now. His divinity had done wonders in healing his physical body, but it could do little to ease the horrific experience he had suffered thus far.

First, it had been the witch. After that, the android known as Kaijin Vex.

It vexed his soul to no end having encountered those two terrific threats. Both were a blight upon humanity. Both were in dire need of being subdued, perhaps even eradicated. Yet, despite his best efforts, Aubus possessed neither the skill nor the fortitude to finish the job. In both cases, he was left beaten and humiliated.

What was a god who could be so easily beaten?

Certainly no true god at all. He sighed, one elbow propped upon his leg, his chin resting in his palm as he stared off at the distant mountains beyond the village, and the horizon beyond. I must become stronger. Divinity or not... I must. Otherwise, all of this will have been for naught.

Something caught his attention—a ship entering the atmosphere. Aubus lifted his head, studying its trajectory. It appeared to be heading to the village below him. Was there some sort of disturbance happening?

word count: 229 | total: 229 | Sly

Aubus remained sitting cross-legged in the air, watching the battle unfold before him.

He saw a group of bawdy thugs gathering below, firing off various energy-based weapons into the sky at the massive vessel that dropped into the atmosphere and began to approach. It tore a hole into the hull of the ship, turning it into a smoking projectile as it careened to one side, plummeting toward the ground in the direction of the town.

He could have intervened—there were many viable options to halt the plunging vessel.

But why should he?

His disposition had soured toward mortals. Not all of them were evil, of course he understood this. But was the race of humanity, as a whole, ultimately redeemable?

These were the questions he struggled with.

In the end, as the ship crashed and a fiery explosion ensued, Aubus figured he could at the very least assist the survivors.

He began his long, and rather reluctant, descent.

---

Aubus landed gingerly before one of the survivors. He was a small fellow, shorter even than Aubus himself. The most prominent thing Aubus noted was that it appeared to be an animal native to Earth, though standing and dressed as if it were bi-pedal and humanoid.

He almost flinched at the foul cursing that came from the creature, though one could imagine the debt of his frustration and loss. Their ship had been unjustly blown from the sky, as far as Aubus could tell.

He walked over to the critter, glancing idly at the other crew members spilling forth from the wreckage.

"I would offer a hand, however..."

Another fiery explosion from the wreckage, sending a concussive shock wave of heat that bowled some of the crew members over, knocking them to the ground.

"...there isn't much left to salvage. Of course, I could probably repair your ship with magic. Though first you'll need to convince me that that assault was unmitigated. If so, I will deal with the culprits."

If anything, Aubus was itching to redeem his terrible losses. He had grown considerably since then, and was eager to test his mettle once more.

It was a strange sight to behold.

Aubus could only wonder what sort of awesome circumstances could grant such an animal sentience as this fellow had? Perhaps he was born that way? Of all his years of observation of the universe under the careful eye of his master, Aubus could not recall seeing a race such as this one. Not only was he an anomaly, but he seemed to boast an attitude befitting his crude appearance.

Still, Aubus would afford him the same respect he afforded every mortal he encountered. He was, after all, simply another lost child who needed the divine, guiding hand of a loving and benevolent god.

Or another ship.

"I offered my assistance with your ship. I don't need your permission to punish those who would commit such crimes."

Aubus swept his gaze over the distraught men. None of them seemed too hurt, but that only accounted for those who had survived. Already, Aubus could sense several weak ki signatures from within the wreckage, and some were fading fast.

"Perhaps your first priority should be your men."

Offering the raccoon a sympathetic look, Aubus turned his attention towards the nearby town, which sat less than an Earth mile away. He began to float up off the ground.

"I'll deal with your assailants."

With that, he turned and flew toward the nearby town.

The stench of acrid smoke faded into the distance as Aubus flew toward the town, and the epicenter of the conflict. Flying at this speed, the wind pulled at his long black locks, fluttering the hem of his god robes.

The sun had long dipped beyond the horizon, the plum colored skies deepening with each passing minute, magnifying the ambient glow of lanterns that hung from various wooden posts in front of dilapidated homes, along the main thoroughfare of broken windows and damaged shop fronts, and at nearly every street corner where the paths through the village intersected.

Despite the odd docking port or two, no doubt for the freighters carrying precious cargo of assorted goods to trade and replenish the village's storehouses while simultaneously emptying its coffers, it seemed the typical, outlying village—a loose smattering of mud-and-straw huts surrounding a village center where perhaps the politics of the village were traded as often as dried fish or wine. Aubus could imagine this took place once upon a time—now the village seemed a broken husk of a once thriving village known for its simplicity.

His crimson eyes narrowed as he made his observations, his eagle-like sight beneficial for scoping the nature of the threat before Aubus voluntarily leaped into the crux of the conflict to deal with the aggressors.

The raccoon man zipped past Aubus, flashing him a gesture that could only be interpreted as rude, even if Aubus did not fully comprehend its meaning. He was unwilling to work with Aubus from the start, and if he were here, it meant he had not bothered to tend to the wounded survivors back at the crash sight.

Such foolishness.

Aubus sighed, his descent coming to a halt as he hovered above, watching the scene unfold below.

---

"Yeah. Work 'em over good, boys!"

The large bandit directed the orchestra of abuse, chomping on the fat end of a cigar that dangled from the corner of his lips. He was clearly the ring leader of the troupe—tall, fat and gruff-looking with a voice like gravel, he chuckled as he waved his tattooed arms about like a music conductor while his men continued to punish the old man.

He was a shriveled pile of sackcloth and dust, dried blood coating his grisly beard and leaving a dark, wine-colored streak through his mane of unkempt, greasy hair. Curled into the fetal position on his side, he weathered the abuse while clutching a small wooden box in his bony, skeletal grasp.

After a moment, the bandit leader waved a hand. The group lowered their raised knuckles and returned dust-flecked boots to the ground, ceasing in their assault. One could hear the wheezing gasp of the old man as he fought to catch his breath. He cast a feeble glance at the leader of the gang, who bent over and puffed a ring of smoke into the old man's bruised eyes.

"Learned your lesson yet, old timer? You gonna hand over that box o' cigars, or do we need to pry it from your cold dead fingers?"

Some of the men grinned and chuckled, licking chapped lips in gleeful anticipation of doling out more punishment. That was when a voice cut through the tension like a hot knife. The gang leader raised to his full height, the jowls of his bearded face shifting as he scowled in disgust at Sly.

"Who the hell are you? Just some other punk ready to die?"

---

Every blow upon the old man's back was a sharp lance of indignation through Aubus's being. Every broken cry of pain, a piercing dagger.

He could no longer allow such an atrocity to happen. Just as Sly garnered the attention of the gang members, Aubus dipped toward the ground. His feet touched down to the cobblestone street as he landed next to the ship captain. Aubus did not acknowledge Sly in the slightest, though his pale nostrils did flare in annoyance as he remembered Sly's discourteous gesture.

"No one is dying here tonight. But you and your men will be held accountable for the injustice you and your men have wrought upon this village, and these people. My... companion... and I will see that it is done."

Aubus fought the urge to roll his eyes, a huffed breath escaping him.

"No, we are not killing them. There is no need to abandon diplomacy just yet."

Why was it that violence always seemed to be the answer for these mercenary types? It was a dishonorable profession, and boiled down a man's essence until he was little more than a warm body wielding a weapon, all in the name of greed. It was an underhanded practice, one prevalent throughout the universe. Once Aubus achieved his place of prominence, he would be rid of it altogether.

Ignoring his companion yet again, Aubus observed the group of men before them. They were a haggard bunch, dressed in rough tunics and mud-crusted boots. They were mostly xenos—a pair of Herans (no surprise there), a Brenchian, and few others Aubus recognized but had never personally encountered before. Most of them wielded weapons that most likely were stolen. The leader, a big burly human male, folded his large arms over his barrel chest and guffawed along with the rest of his men. They clearly did not feel threatened in the slightest. However, Aubus did not fail to note how they seemed to take after his lead. That would be their weakest point.

"This is a simple matter. If we subdue the large one, the rest should then surrender their arms and—"

Zap!

Aubus flinched, taking a step back. His eyes widened, shifting between the smoking muzzle of Sly's energy revolver and the headless body of the thug that slumped to the ground.

H-He killed him?

His own surprise mirrored that of the men whose gasps of shock and awe turned into cries of outrage.

Aubus turned, grasping Sly by the shoulder and shook him as if he were a parent scolding an errant child.

"I said we didn't have to kill them! What have you done? Don't you realize you've just condemned these villagers to a fate worse than death?!"

The old man! Aubus turned to see him climbing to his feet. With a subtle nod, so as to not alert the thugs, Aubus instructed the old man to get away as fast as he could. He didn't have to be told twice. He winced and hobbled as he struggled to get away from his attackers, that same cigar box tucked firmed beneath his bony, leathery arm.

There was little time to ensure he reached safety as the first pair of thugs came at Aubus. Teeth bared, fists balled, they were out for blood and they were going to get it. Aubus lifted from the ground, his small form weaving between their hasty punches and kicks, dodging the fierce blows with the ease of a calm-natured fighter.

Aubus ducked beneath a vicious haymaker, delivering a stiff chop to the back of the thug's neck. He shuddered from the blow, bowling forward and skidding along the ground, kicking up dust as he rolled. The second thug threw a flurry of wild kicks, each of which Aubus deflected with his palm before drilling him in the solar plexus with a stiff knee.

The man spat gobs of spit, eyes bulged and mouth gaped from the force. He crumpled to the ground, thick scarred arms wrapped tight around his stomach as he writhed in the fetal position, gasping for each breath.

One by one, the energy revolver discharged a blast of sizzling energy, each resounding pop sounding like a cannon being set off. The sound of it intruded upon Aubus's eardrums, and he winced every time Sly pulled the trigger. It was a weapon of destruction, an instrument of death. It sung its chaotic song, wove a dissonant melody of disorder. Every time that trigger was pulled another of the thugs met a brutal death. Their bodies began to litter the street, dark blood oozing from their wounds, spilling between the stones. It turned his stomach as a God of Creation. As a divine being who sought only to teach mortals the precious quality of life, this was a serious offense in Aubus's eyes. It was a slaughter, plain and simple. And it was fueled by greed.

This madness must end! Aubus took a step forward, his brow furrowed in indignation. He had half a mind to take care of this critter as well, but was stopped cold at the sudden explosion of power which erupted from the raccoon man. His brow twitched as he took a step backward, then another, and another. Aubus lifted from the ground, careening backward, arms thrown up in defense as the wave of concussive energy washed over him. Sly's energy was tantamount—it shook loose the rotting boards that covered some of the broken windows, caused the very earth beneath them to shudder and groan. Some of the dead flopped helpless, their bodies slipping headlong into the fissures that tore open in the earth.

Aubus lowered his arms, staring wide-eyed at what stood before him. Sly looked different—taller, taller than Aubus even, sporting a mask that concealed a portion of his face and a cane. Sly not only looked more dangerous, but if his power level were any indication, he was far stronger than Aubus could ever hope to be. He was dead set on killing each and every one of them. Aubus whirled upon the two thugs he'd taken down. Both had managed not to fall between the cracks in the ground, and were beginning to recover. Aubus flickered out of sight, appearing before the pair of them. He drove his fist deep into their guts, doubling them over, specks of saliva and blood escaping their mouths as their eyes rolled back into their heads and they crumpled to the ground, out cold.

"You'll play dead if you know what's good for you," Aubus whispered as they fell, turning his attention back toward Sly. "You cannot kill any more of these men! Don't you realize you're only inviting further destruction upon them? Look around you!" Aubus gestured to their surroundings. Some of the mud-flecked walls of the homes were beginning to crack and fissure from the immense pressure of Sly's aura. Peering through the cracks were the panicked eyes of the villagers themselves, no doubt far more fearful of Sly than they ever had been of those thugs.

Aubus could feel their fear, and knew they would be painted just as calamitous as the gang. Yet at the same time, Aubus also understood that Sly probably lost some good men in that ship crash. His actions weren't wholly unmitigated. It was time to put a stop to this madness. Locating the gang leader, who had retreated behind a wall of his men, Aubus surged forward with renewed vigor. He dipped and wove between their wayward strikes, opting to ignore the men in favor of getting to the ringleader. If he could stop him, then all of this could be over. And Aubus had to do it before the raccoon man could slaughter him too! That was going to be the true challenge.

The situation was getting worse. Even Sly's response was indicative that the change he had undergone was much more than just aesthetic. He spoke as a being hellbent on the complete and utter eradication of all that was around him—not just the guilty party in question, but even the townsfolk themselves. They did little to warrant the wrath they were under.

Balls of white ki fell from the sky, exploding on contact with anyone and anything they touched. The decrepit plaza that served as the town's center rumbled from the eruptions, the air filled with the cries of the victims as much as the villains.

Massive holes were blown into the sides of their ramshackle homes, sending a cascade of mud, brick and straw wheeling through the air as bits of splintered wood and stone rained down upon their heads. Families cowered in their lean-to hovels, attempting to shield themselves from the onslaught of debris created from the raccoon's area assault. Aubus weaved in between the energy balls as they fell from the skies, though the ground at his feet did not fare as well. Craters more than three feet in diameter were blown into the ground, forcing him to leave the ground. Propelling himself forward, he was but mere inches from the gang's leader.

And then Sly's words reached him. Where once he showed bravado, now the big human quivered in fear. His face pale and gaunt, the cigar tumbled from his trembling lips and fell to the ground, disappearing into one of the many crevices formed from the battle. He took a step backward, then another, before he spun on his heel to retreat. Aubus wouldn't let him, flickering from view and reappearing before him, causing the man to stumble just short of the Kai.

His eyes glowed with anger as Aubus glanced up at him, meeting his gaze head on. "Many have suffered, and now many will die because of your foolishness. I had thought to spare you before, but now—" Aubus jutted his chin in the direction of the surrounding carnage. "—you are befitting of whatever unfortunate end the ship captain has in store for you!"

Aubus plowed a foot deep in the man's gut, sending him flying backwards into Sly's direction before propelling into the air and taking off away from the town and its destruction. He would not be responsible for the deaths of so many—it was not his mess to sort out any longer.