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On one hand, it was kinda awesome, hearing this history of the faction she belonged to. Mention of the Academy made her grin--Xavior's School for the Gifted? Yes please. How long had it been around? How many people walked those halls? She listened with riveted attention, eyes bright and fists clenched.

Only for her glee to falter. Huh? Queen? What? First princesses and princes, now... queens? Gah, what? Why? Feeling rather annoyed--and more than a little confused, though she'd refuse to admit such a thing--she looked between Kairatos beside her, Valhalla not far from her, and the scroll itself. "Who the <********> is this Queen Beryl woman? The hell do you mean, 'Earth Queen'? History books've missed something big, don't you think?" The last was sent with a snarl as she eyed the scroll--the Code?--as her arms crossed before her leather clad chest. She was still casting looks at the two guys, expecting someone to answer her.

All she understood was this woman was sided with Chaos, and did a hell of a job screwing the knights over. She didn't miss the implications the Code made about the creatures they'd fought, but Themiscyra didn't bat a lash. The creatures--the youma--she'd faced had all tried to kill her the moment they'd had a chance. If she had to suddenly defend herself for her actions, she'd quote a simple rule: Self-defense. There wasn't much hesitation in her body to not use whatever force was necessary to take out something hellbent on taking her out.

But her attention drifted back to Kairatos, brows furrowing to see the other knight grow so... agitated was a light way to put it. "...What's the Rift?" Her question was soft, directed only to the Mars Knight himself. Who was Zinkenite? Too many questions slammed around in her skull, but the Page unwound her arms to rest a hand on his shoulder, reflex more than thought. "If this... Rift is the Academy..." She glanced between him and the Code. "Is it even possible to take back the Academy? How strong was the seal placed on it? Or how permanent is the Chaos that's seeped around the place?"

If anyone was remotely thinking of "re-establishing" it, then at the very least they needed facts about it. Or at least she did. But then, she was staring at a hell of a lot more questions than she'd been anticipating.

"Short of taking the Academy back, could we just... I donno. Relocate it?" Red eyes flickered around those gathered, giving a small shrug. "I do think we need a place where knights can easily share information--vets and newbies alike. It's kinda a massively mixed bunch at this point. And no one's exactly hosting weekly catch-up classes." Thinking to the strange flip-flopping the Code seemed to do on how they should deal with Chaos to restore the balance, she let out a rough sigh. "And if we're dealing with purifying Chaos, shouldn't we be bringing in those senshi princesses? Aren't they the only ones who can do that?" One had helped Kairatos, that was all she knew on the subject.

There were more questions brewing around her head, and more scorched her tongue. She bit it, trying to withhold the rest. For now. A few answers first, please. Then she could probably keep going for a while. She wanted information, her curiosity knew no limits. The Code was being vague on things. This was almost an irritant to her.

The carpet-sized 'scroll' suddenly unfurling had been strange enough, but having a voice suddenly start addressing them had been downright weird. "You know, I'm trying to work out how it knows to address us in English" he murmured half joking to Aventine as her fingers wrapped around his arm. "I'd have thought that any speaking would have been in Martian given that this place is supposed to be on Mars."

Hearing a voice hail him, he turned his head automatically and managed a cheerful smile when he recognised Valhalla standing somewhat further away than they were and then his attention shifted back to the scroll, or was it more accurate to refer to it as the Code it had called itself, as it started speaking again seeming as if in answer to some of the questions that some of the others had been sending its way, frowning thoughtfully as they were treated to what looked like moving images in time to the voice's narration.

He wasn't sure what to make of what the Code was telling them and doubly unsure that he wanted to take it at face value and the whole trapped knights actually being youma was making him feel uncomfortable the longer he thought about the connotations. He looked at Aventine "What's your take on this?" he asked. "And do you think that that thing, er Code" or whatever it was referencing itself as "Is really saying that the youma are people?"

This was pretty much what Kailash was doing. The whole time. Even with important things were going on. Like information. Mostly because he didn't care, wasn't like he was happy to be pulled away from whatever he was doing. Especially when it was about all this stuff that had had stayed away from for like a year or more. Aa, it had been so nice.

So, he had found a nice little corner on the stone bleachers early on. Zoned out as everyone conversed... and then passed out.

"What do I gain?" It was a strange question for something that wasn't really a bodied, living creature itself. It did not feel pain or pleasure. It did not have potential to gain anything really. Except perhaps.. the ability to continue existing? "I gain the same thing that the entire universe gains if balance is restored and fostered. The ability to continue existing."

Questions were flying left and right and slowly but surely The Code tried to answer at least some of them.

"The list was not a comprehensive list, nor was it meant for every person to try and attempt every point on it. Simply suggestions, in a sea of other possible suggestions, as to what knights can do to work towards regaining the balance. If your preference is to destroy Chaos then that is your path to follow. It another desires to try and find a way to create a truce with Chaos that is no less valuable a task."

"It is true, the answer is not to completely eradicate Chaos in the end and tip the scales in the other direction. A lack of balance in either direction for too long will eventually end in destruction, no one side can have that much power without succumbing to it. But the forces of Chaos are innumerably stronger than those of Order currently. Space is practically void of Order except for the few glimmers of Wonders slowly coming back to life. But it is filled with creatures and monsters of Chaos. And the Earth itself..."

The mist shifted once more, until it appeared as a slowly spinning orb. It looked like the Earth, only darkened, except for one very bright light that shone on top of Destiny City.

"Has succumb to and is completely consumed by Chaos and the forces of the Negaverse with exception to the last stronghold in the place you all call home."

The darkened images of the corrupted Academy appeared once more as questions of the Rift and Negaverse sounded.

"The Rift is the name that was given to the land that once was our Academy. And 'Youma' is the name given to monster forms of the knights and people who once resided there. There is no one in this universe that knows how to reverse the process. The creation of a youma requires the irreversible shattering and damage of a starseed. They are simply trapped until death, souls unable to even return to the Cauldron for rebirth." If the Code had capacity for emotion it might have even labeled the youma as 'tragic', but alas, the Code did not have emotions.

"While youma cannot be purified, Agents of the Negaverse may be purified and 'saved'. Not only by senshi Princes and Princesses but also by our own Templars."

The Code paused, allowing the information to sink in, and then continued, "But purifying Agents alone is not enough. There are too many of them, and reclaiming the Academy is not an option currently. The seal placed over it is too strong to break. Though the future is never certain, it may be more possible in the future. Rebuilding is however, possible, if that is how you choose to invest your energy. I do not have the physical body to rebuild anything. I simply have the power to guide, and to fuel Knights in however they decide to proceed."

There were questions, about a woman, and now was a time for answers. As the Code shifted from one topic to the next, so too did its form. The mist grew larger and larger until it was nothing more then a full sized and darkened silhouette of a woman.

"Queen Beryl, using the power of Metallia, was the creator of the Negaverse and the version of Chaos that is currently controlling the Earth. Thousands of years ago, while the Silver Millennium was at its prime she was simply a young sorceress betrothed to the Prince of Earth. A queen to be."

"When her Prince fell in love with the Princess from the Moon, however, she grew jealous and paranoid, fearing that the Academy and the Moon was taking away her beloved and her power. Upon creating the Rift she proclaimed herself both Queen of the Earth and Queen of the Negaverse and has, up until recently, ruled over the Negaverse."

"She is, however, a concern of the past as she lives no longer. It is now Metallia that rules over the Negaverse and she is far more powerful and hungry for energy."

'Yep... starting to really think this isn't a dream...' Sarras kept telling himself that, as if the hundredth or so time would finally drill the point in his head. Still, it was all just too surreal, and for a brief moment, he wanted to overcome his desire of lingering in the background long enough to pull someone to the side and ask for a complete run down of what he had gotten himself into. He'd ask the magical scroll of ultimate wisdom, but he suspected the scroll had far better things to worry about right now that a single confused Page's questioning. He listened as best as he could, looking over the form of this Queen Beryl and making such a face when the Code mentioned her demise.

The paranoid and jealous witch was dead, but trouble still continued, and among the millions of questions the Cosmos page had (one of which being why there was so much emphasis on Earth when there were apparently other Wonders out there, and another was why he looked so incredibly stupid in this powder puff attire), one thing remained clear to Sarras...

That his allies weren't making any of this easier for him to swallow.

He looked to the Mars knight that openly confessed his former allegiance to this Negaverse, and he addressed him, certain that he wasn't making the situation better or making any friends this evening. Which was perfectly fine... working together with people didn't mean having to like them, just that you had to overcome each other's flaws long enough to get the job done. Whatever that job may be.

"Someone convinced you, didn't they?" He asked. "So obviously not all of them can't be reasoned with. There might be some willin' to listen, just got to know a good approach. Might not be easy, but what the hell is nowadays?"

Youma, Rift, Metallia... What the hell did he get dragged into? Would any of this have to do with him, or his family's troubles? He wanted to throw more questions at the Code, but they were personal and like hell he'd spill everything out in front of the assembly here. "Save those that want to be saved, and boot the ones that can't. Weed them out... the smart ones will listen, the dumb ones... well, only thing to do with them is put them down. Simple as that."

Or not. He had a feeling he made a mistake in opening his mouth, but too late to fix that now. He was new to this whole crazy hallucination... what did anyone honestly expect out of him.

The Mars knight sounded angry, maybe even hostile, but Sarras took little offense to it. Not just because there was still a aura of disbelief that any of this was real that lingered in his brain, but because it wouldn't have done him any good to react negatively to what he had to say. He couldn't control what Kairatos said or did, but he knew he could control himself, even in this messed up dream world he found himself. So he kept himself calm and collected, and when he spoke, he tried to choose his words with more care and tact than he initially had, suspecting that it was this that caused such a negative reaction in the first place.

Or maybe he struck a nerve, which was easily the case and in which case the knight's response was well justified.

"Then use that as a selling point to the younger recruits. You got inside knowledge on the inner workings of this Negaverse, and you should use it to your advantage, not just with us but against the enemy," Sarras said, scratching his chin in thought. "Just like you did now. You know more about them than I do, I'd imagine. Figure you got a lot of fun stories to tell to us, as well as the enemy... might scare them shitless and have them reconsider their decision."

Great, now he was discussing long term strategies with people that may or may not have existed. He was crazy. He was absolutely crazy. Was this it? Was this what caused his brother's madness... was he involved in his somehow?

"Sorry you had to learn first hand, but it's still an advantage, right? Use it. The more they know of the truth, the better our chances are at restoring some sense of balance, right?"

Hvergelmir stayed silent while the Code continued its tale. Things, it seemed, were more dire than they'd imagined. She'd already learned that space wasn't as empty as she'd thought; now she knew that it was overrun with monsters and just about nothing else. Had a once-thriving galaxy really been brought so thoroughly to its knees?

Were they really the last light left shining?

Was Destiny City the last holdout in a war all but lost?

Laney had been going about her life assuming that Destiny City was, in some way, the only battlefield -- a hellish warzone-in-disguise nestled in among a planet otherwise at peace. She hadn't assumed Chaos had . . . already taken everything else over. When she went to the shopping mall just outside the city, had that been in Chaos's territory? And Aunt Meryl's house in Newfoundland? And Walt Disney World?

Hvergelmir dug her fingers tighter into Camelot's cloak, holding on with both hands now. She hadn't known. She hadn't understood. A city of people was like a few motes of dust in the grand scheme of the universe -- was that really all that stood between the universe and collapse -- just one single thread of Order still stretched taut, perilously close to snapping?

Momentarily anxious, she listened to the voices around her, offering their input -- much of which seemed to be in the form of strategic and ideological arguments. What was the best way to promote Order, or how to think about their conflict.

It bolstered her spirits, she supposed, to see how easily some of them moved past it. Some people had tremendous strength of character, able to assess a situation and discover that there was no way forward but through. Some people accepted things as they came and made the most of them that they could. From those people, she tried to draw strength and to emulate their example.

And one of them (Kairatos) -- the one her good-humored, shirtless friend (Babylon) had pointed out, had even come to them from a former career in the Negaverse army. He had a sort of louche, jaded quality from it -- but she found that in these circumstances, that was a welcome thing. He took all the Code's news in stride, as though he'd seen and learned far worse in his time, and what the Code was telling him was something he considered manageable. He'd known some of all this and still found a reason to ally himself with Order once more. Surely he wouldn't have gone that route if he'd thought they had no chance of winning. Surely it was better than being a puppet in the kind of army the Negaverse seemed to be.

"There's nothing wrong with wanting to be free," Hvergelmir said to Kairatos. In her limited experience, the Negaversers she'd met had largely been people, capable of reason and mercy. There was quite a bit of humanity in them. She didn't think most human beings willingly submitted themselves to having their humanity subjugated to an inhuman cause, or enjoyed living in that state -- and how could they? If they didn't have free will, and a desire to exercise it, why would Beryl and Chaos have needed to feed them a line about a senshi invasion?

It was the natural state of human beings to be free. As far as she was concerned, if that was all Kairatos had wanted, in leaving the Negaverse, it was enough.

"Why have you brought us here?" she asked the Code. "What is this place?"