The Win

#4
Powerless to resist, the three succubi prepare to bite Raphael. But he is saved as the werewolf Sloane bashes her way through a brick wall, and Shadow's voice gives Raph the clarity of mind he needs to join in attacking the predatory women. Lucrezia uses a magical white light to momentarily stun the succubi long enough for Raph to hold one of them hostage at sai-point and demand Lilith's location. The succubus point to a tunnel and the group is off, but again not is all as it seems when the succubi seem pleased by the outcome, and one of them takes out a cell phone to make a mysterious call. On the battlefield, Chiton walks up calmly to his opponent Incubor in a suspiciously cordial meeting. As it turns out, Chiton and Incubor have planned this entire violent farce in advance, and have promised to secretly pay each other's damages in return for Chiton appearing to be the victor&mdash;his one and only priority. In a staged fight, Chiton brutally pummels Incubor, inflicting real injuries even as he quietly apologizes and promises to pay Incubor's medical bills. Soon the battle is over&mdash;many of both Chiton and Incubor's forces have been killed, but their agreement is being fulfilled. Back in the tower, the group rush to Lilith's cell, on the way confronting her werewolf sisters now turned into zombies. Raph and Shadow fend off the werewolf zombies as Lulu magically unlocks Lilith's cell door, and mother and daughter happily reunite. Lilith is surprised to find that Lulu and Sloane were helped by their former enemies Shadow and Raphael, and in addition to thanking them, she promises that the zombie werewolf sisters will be properly cared for and that Sloane will have the rest of her missing soul restored. The victorious Chiton reunites with the group and Lilith thanks her ex-husband for being so instrumental in her rescue even though they have argued over child custody and support of their daughter Lucrezia. At another banquet, Raph and Shadow grow suspicious but not entirely unsurprised as Chiton and Sloane excuse themselves and slip away, where the two co-conspirators secretly meet with their third co-conspirator Incubor&mdash;the two lords exchange briefcases of cash and Incubor returns to Sloane the rest of her soul as she and Chiton share a passionate kiss. But they are confronted by the eavesdropping Raphael and Shadow, and the truth is soon admitted&mdash;the kidnapping and war were staged by Chiton, Sloane and Incubor to make Chiton look like father of the year and make Lilith look like an unfit mother, all while casting Chiton as the hero beloved by all, right before Lucrezia's parents return to court to argue her custody. Sloane betrayed Lilith out of resentment that the werewolf pack leader only resurrected Sloane with part of her soul intact. But Chiton is confident he will avoid trouble as he threatens that the uncle and niece's safe return to their world is conditional on their remaining silent about the crimes they have just witnessed. And Raph can't help but agree&mdash;they have all been manipulated as pawns in Chiton and Sloane's very costly gambit, and there's nothing they can do about it.

Characters

 * Bats
 * Lord Chiton
 * Lord Incubor
 * Lilith
 * Oceana
 * Lucrezia ("Lulu")
 * Sisterhood
 * Succubi
 * Sisterhood
 * Succubi
 * Succubi

Transcript

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