Return of the ever living Womb. [fin]

The waves broke against the sand gently. The evening was cool and the atmosphere light despite the chill. Young adults strolled down the boardwalk, some eager for the warmth of home, others taking delight in the cold air and the mists descending over the sea. Though the evening was getting darker, the light still shone above the thick clouds, casting a damp, grey hue about the city as though it were in a perpetual state of glum. Some of the folk out and about feared the weather might turn and the rain would fall, causing them to hurry into doorways and shelters, other rushing to their parked automobiles, scrambling to get inside. A young man lit up a cigarette and stood underneath a shelter, looking out over the sands  and taking in it's eerie splendor as he did a smoke filled breath. As he gazed there, placid and relaxed, he noticed a strange movement among the waves. It looked as though a creature were in the water, flailing about. Throwing his cigarette down he ran over thinking that perhaps there was a stray dog drowning. As he drew nearer he realized the flailing was that of a person. In shock, the young man raced to the scene, and with haste dove into the water in aide of this drowning person. Gallantly, the young man tried his hardest to grip hold of the figure in the water, but could not hold the thrashing creature. Fortunately both of them were being propelled into shallower waters, and the flailing man began to drag himself out of the water haphazardly, wheezing with as he went, almost as though he had not breathed air in over a year.

The young man too departed from the water and quickly gained on what he could see was a naked man coughing and spluttering on the ground.

"Hey! Hey man are you okay? Fuck we need help," the young man turned and spotting several onlookers on the boardwalk, shouted them for help and an ambulance. As he turned back to treat the drowning man, he noticed something so uncanny, he could scarce believe it. Looking back at him was not the pale face of a pneumonia induced, half drowned man; but the gaping black holes of two eye sockets. The young man screamed, he forgot all that had transpired, and in a fit of blind terror, bolted from the drowning man's side and off onto the boardwalk.

The Womb watched the young man as he went and felt a sudden urge to return to the murky depths of the sea. Why must it always be so traumatic? He asked himself as he slowly rose to his feet. His muscles were still so cold that moving was near impossible, and so focused himself on maintaining an upright position. As he did so some of the onlookers had begun to make their way down to help him. Some shouting that an ambulance was on the way. However as they drew nearer, they saw his skull like features and fled, wondering if perhaps they had entered into a bout of mass hysteria. The Womb watched them flee with a great sadness in him. He would not have hurt them, if they had only wished to help.

After a small while, he could hear the ringing siren of one of the Human's aide units. Not long after he could make out the flashing red lights and the silhouettes of two Human's making their way towards him. They drew nearer and popped on their chest lanterns to see better through the steadily darkening evening and the now shrouding mists.

"Hey buddy, you'll be okay no--" the medicine man stopped what he was saying, as soon as he laid his eyes upon the The Womb's ghastly appearance. Both paramedics seemed frozen to the spot, rooted by fear and wonder alike. Womb took the opportunity to speak with them, before they chose to flee.

"Do not fear me Human's!" Womb exclaimed, and as his jaws parted, drapes of water spilt from the sides of his organic skull and splattered onto the ground, "I mean no harm, I simply wished to return to your society after a brief time of solitude," he announced, quite formally. Both of the paramedics looked at him with blank expressions, unable to act upon his words, "please escort me to your chariot. I must warm up my bones if I am to move freely," his words were met with blank stares and gaping mouths, however this time, both paramedics each took one of The Womb's arms tentatively in theirs, and began to gently guide him towards the boardwalk. One of them had brought some kind of metallic sheet with them, and draped it over The Womb's back as they slowly trudged closer to the boardwalk.

After some painstaking minuets , the three of them made their way to the back of the medical van and were supplying The Womb with a half drunk, yet still warm coffee, as well as more blankets and metallic sheets.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like us to take you in? We can get you to a hospital," one of the paramedics said, "we could get you some clothes and food," The Womb quickly interrupted him;
"I do not require such sustenance. I only drink your warm liquid to speed up my warming process, which shall be speedy. Already these metallic sheets are giving me the warmth I require. It shall not be long now," he said haughtily. The Paramedics nodded their agreement, and signaled their inevitable surrender to this overbearing, perhaps supernatural being.
"Erm, we called the coast guard and the police, both of them are on the way. Both of them will want a statement from you, is that alright?" The other Paramedic asked hesitantly.
"And what shall I state?" The Womb asked.
"Well, what happened to you," replied the paramedic.
The Womb suddenly broke out into a gurgled cackle that visibly frightened both of the paramedics, "what has happened to me? I hope they a good while to listen. Tis a long tale indeed,"
Neither paramedic wished to disagree and feigned a smile and a laugh to seem agreeable with the melodramatic creature.

And, as when the devil is often spoken of, he inexplicably arrives, both the Police and the Coast Guard pulled up to the scene and hastily got out of their vehicles.

"What's going on?" Shouted the Policeman as he sauntered over.
"He's alright, I think," replied a paramedic.
Rounding their way about the open van door, both Policeman and Coast Guard were instantaneously stunned at what they were witnessing, "Holy fucking Jesus," muttered the Policeman, the wonder in his eyes apparent despite his darkened eye glasses. The Coast Guard was equally effected, and found himself speechless.
"I hear that you wish to take a statement from me," The Womb said matter-of-factly.
"How the fuck is that thing talking?" Muttered the Policeman to no one in particular.  
"Hear this Human, and heed my words. The Womb is once again among you. The Womb is once again embroiled in human affairs. I have returned to set right, that which has been set wrong. Both by myself, and by the humanity that I have spawned. There shall be righteous retribution, and none shall escape my fevered fury. Thus sayeth The Womb!" The Womb declared with great vigor.
"Holy Jesus, he's a villain!" the Policeman barked in realization.
In a split second both Paramedics bolted from the van, as did the Coast Guard, only the Policeman stayed, though he retreated somewhat to his car, screaming into his communicator for reinforcements. The Policeman pulled his shooting weapon from his sheath and pointed the weapon at The Womb, "Don't do anything stupid super! The feds will be hear soon. Come in quietly and we won't have to escalate this and bring in the heavies!"
Heavies? The Womb thought quizzically, He must mean other enhanced Human's aligned with the law. Perhaps I should comply this time.
"Okay. I shall come in, as you say, quietly," The Womb said clearly, to an obviously bewildered Policeman.
"You will?" His amazement was clear, however it lasted only a moment, as he then realized he had to resume his controlled and powerful demeanor, "get in the back villain! Now!"

The Womb, now fully warmed and limber, stood up with ease, dropping all of his  blankets and covers to reveal what could only be described as The Womb's perfect, greek god-like physique. Though physically his figure would be described as a man, as the Policeman scanned the naked body, he noticed something perhaps even more perplexing than the Womb's organic skull. In place of a cold and shriveled penis was what looked to a be, a  perfectly crafted female vagina. The Policeman, bemused, decided not to mention the issue and watched nervously as The Womb walked calmly to the Police car. The Policeman opened the back door for The Womb, who placed himself into the back quite compliantly.  The officer quickly got into the front and began to request that his backup act as escort, and to have "the heavies" on standby.

They waited for a few moments, and as if on cue, the backup arrived and they were suddenly off towards the Police station. The car journey was tense, with the Policeman knowing full well that villains didn't just offer themselves up on a plate like this. He smelt a slither of seaweed. However, he couldn't antagonize the the villain any further, just in case his big ring in got away. And so they drove in silence all the way to the station. Upon their arrival, the back up exited their vehicles at what seemed to be the same time, all training their guns on the naked Womb as he was marched into the station by the Policeman and up to the ring-in office.

"What is your name?" asked the Receptionist.
"The Womb," replied The Womb.
"What is your real name?" The Receptionist asked again, seemingly unphased by the macabre titan stood before him.
"The Womb," replied The Womb.
"Listen, if you're gonna act like an idiot you can go into the holding cell for an hour okay jack? I haven't got time to deal with you PCP taking, naked, transvestite, steroid, 'oh I forgot it wasn't Halloween' bullshit okay? What's your fucking name?" The Receptionist asked irate.
"I do not remember my name," The Womb replied.
"Oh for Jesus Christ's sake, get this fucker sat over there for a while. Keep him in cuffs, sober him up, if he acts up we'll get him a holding cell downstairs. And for Christ's sake, find him some fucking clothes alright? Alright. Next!"

"Oh, so we got one of the freak shows down here do we? Can't even get some peace in a holding cell..."  As Womb was led to the metahuman cell of the holding area, a well dressed prisoner looked up and commented snidely on the figure allotted some prison jump suits. His cell also had a tv screen and a small desk, and he smoked a cigar. Someone had paid for some privileges.

Womb was brought to his cell, a far more beefed up, but general designed cell to hold metahumans of various capabilities. The super strong fiber-plexiglass door (Dur 6) closed like a vault door, but was transparent, and a camera was trained on Womb's cell. The metal room featured electrodes that would fire (Int 6) should he use some strange energy projection. The door to the holding cell close, and it does becomes quiet, save for the clicking sound of the Mexican's silver lighter in the other holding cell. The metahuman cell could carry sound, and indeed amplified it somewhat.

"Hey freak show. You interested in making some money? I'm looking for muscle and..." The man started talking to Womb from his cell. That was when the lights began to flicker on and off, though it was probably just the electrodes in his cell arming.

"What a dump." He commented. "So? you interested? What's your name, skeletor?" he asked with fair contempt. The lights began to flicker off and on, and the night air was becoming cold.

The Womb had sat quite patiently where he had been instructed. He had watched as troubled youths, old drunkards and drug induced harlots were dragged in one after the other. Most failed to notice his presence there, too embroiled in their own affairs to really be aware of their surroundings. After a good while of this, The Womb was given an orange one piece suit by an extremely rushed and nervous young police officer. The Womb was about to request the officer take off his shackles, however before The Womb could speak the officer fled. Not quite knowing what to do, The Womb sat there contemplating his situation. These flimsy manacles can not hold me, however, should it not be rude if I am to break them? I do not wish to anger my children any more than I have done so already.

He looked bout him, and found that no one was really paying him much attention anymore. After all the tension and all the hubbub surrounding his return, now he may as well have been a ceramic ornament. Realizing this, The Womb resoled to relieve himself of the joining manacles by pulling them apart as though they were held together by string, snapping the chain link in the middle. He then stood very abruptly, and began to don his orange suit. As he did so he heard a sudden commotion. Three officers that had been watching him behind mirrored glass, scrambled from a nearby safe room with shotguns in hand, all screaming at Womb to get on the floor.

"Why, gentlemen, I only wished to put on my clothes. I received many a queer stare due to my nakedness," The Womb said jovially, implying his stance as non-threatening. However his words went unheard, the officers continued to shout him down, and after a brief period The Womb complied with them and laid himself down, face first on the ground. The officers quickly cuffed The Womb, despite what they had witnessed him do, and dragged him up to his feet. Not an easy feat given his dense figure, however between them they managed it. They then tried to haul him down to the holding cells in a rough manner, but found that jostling and pushing a creature of The Womb's strength and density was like jostling and pushing around a concrete column. They soon gave up, and silently escorted The Womb down into the holding cells.

There, Womb noticed separate cells to those that housed the Humans. They were fitted with a clear substance, like glass, and sported reinforced walls and padding on the inside. There were only two of these cells, and the other was currently occupied by a young man. Womb heard the young man address him but could not quite make out what he had said. Womb was guided into his cell and had the door close behind him almost silently. He stood there for a moment, then the young man addressed him again, this time The Womb could hear him quite clearly. He seemed to be inquiring about hiring The Womb for some kind of mercenary contract. The Womb shook his head to this and replied:
"My name is The Womb!" he declared, "unfortunately, I do not serve any master's will, and I have no need for riches or treasures. However, if your will corresponds with mine, then perhaps we may come to an agreement. Speak your mind prisoner, that I might listen."

"Okay, okay... The Womb." He said, patronizingly, raising his hands in agreement. "Relax bud. So you're one of those fancy types huh. You see, I'm a... humanitarian, wrongfully imprisoned for conducting legitimate business in impoverished countries. Business that could benefit... people." More than a mere gangbanger, the well dressed Latino had a vocabulary to match, and he explained his 'business' in very vague terms.

He paused before beginning to speak, but the lights flickered off and on again. "Now, it's very important for me, that my business reaches the people it helps. All I ask, is that you, my strong friend, help me by escaping, and delivering a message to my... associates. If you do so, they'll be... very grateful, and whatever you want, they can provide-" The lights no longer flickered this time but were completely knocked out.

A silence descended onto the holding area for a minute, but the police didn't even bother to react. However, the Womb's cell had its own independent power, and the electrodes inside the metal and plexiglass cell were still armed.

But that was not all. The darkness inside the holding area seemed to become deeper, and a palpable dread seemed to rise in the air. Lesser criminals whimpered in their cell.

"The hell is going on..." The Mexican 'businessman' muttered. He even had a gun inside his cell. Seriously. What was the point.

"She's here... She's here..." One of the whimpering inmates babbled, before crawling towards a corner of his cell. He turned towards the hallway, and saw her, and began screaming in terror.

She glided silently, a cloaked figure, flanked by roiling black wisps of smoke and darkness. The door to the holding area did not open, so she did not come through the Station. She had appeared here, out of thin air. The would be reaper headed to the Mexican's cell, and the businessman tossed the flash drive he was about to offer The Womb into the cell adjacent to him.

"WHO THE FUCK IS THIS PENDEJO?!" He cussed, opening fire. The gunshots rang out, but somehow their sound was muted, and in the dark, it was hard to see the dark figure was dodging shots at point blank range! When the pistol's magazine ran out, she spoke in an ominous and foreboding tone.

"Salvatore Trejo. Your Angel of death has come for you." A flash of steel, and the bars on the cell were slice apart, as easily as toothpicks.

"FFFUUUUUCKING PUUTAAA!" He found a second gun in his cell, and fired wildly, but the figure of death itself slowly walked into his cell. It was very certain that he was going to die in the next few seconds.

The Womb let the young man speak. He obviously thought the Womb a fool. He spoke of his vaguely charitable business, and asked him to help escape the holding cells. He held up what could only be a small electronic device, that The Womb assumed held this young man's "message." The Womb did not really need to think the man's proposal over, it was clear his operations were exploitative and potentially harmful, as well as only beneficial to a few, perhaps already wealthy benefactors. This was not something The Womb could let himself be involved with, and he would let his fellow prisoner know it. The Womb also concluded that the police officers in this station were also corrupt, as there could have been no other explanation for such a plethora of luxuries in the young man's cell. The Womb knew he would have to do something abut that on his departure.

As he began to speak i reply to the young man, all light in the area was suddenly extinguished, save for the dim glowing lights of Womb's own cell. The Womb could feel a presence about them, though he could not quite make out what it was. It felt as though it should have been another person, and yet there was no indication of any other living thing. However, a young man in the next cell over  seemed to know full well what was transpiring, and began to shake and enter into a state of panic. the young Mexican found himself a gun among the draws of his finely furnished cell and brandished it ready to fire. Almost instantaneously a figure appeared just outside of the Mexican's cell. It seemed to be the figure of a woman, though it seemed more demon than human. She addressed the Mexican, delivering a foreboding statement before slicing her way through the steel bars of the Mexican's cell. The action was so quick, The Womb scarcely caught the flash of the demons blade, and it passed through the material almost as if it were not even there.

The door fell of it's hinges, and the demon woman began her slow walk inside of the Mexican's cell. The Womb noticed the small electronic devise being thrown his way, and it landed by his feet. The Womb did not react to it, instead he chose to speak with the Mexican before he met his fate;
"Parece que su muerte ha llegado. Voy a verte de nuevo enemigo, cuando todos estamos unidos en uno solo." Placing his hand on the glass, he watched in rapt anticipation as to what would happen next.

Diana glanced a moment at The Womb. It seemed there was no objection to her actions, and that was hardly a surprise, given that this was a prison. Walking into Salvatore's cell, the disguised lady ended the mexican dealer's life with a cut of her sword, Salvatore's head rolling into the hallway. The man had uselessly attempted to make a break for it, but the deed was now done.

In a bit of dissonance with her aura of mystique, Diana pulled out a smartphone and took a flash photo of the head. A practical way to get evidence, but it so ruined the air of mystery about her.

She left the cell, sheathing her blade, in accordance to the traditions of Japanese swordsmanship. She glanced around for a few moments, as if pondering what to do with these... witnesses. She was wearing a mask after all, which meant they couldn't pin her down. She glanced at the Womb again, the being in the metahuman holding cell, and decided she had nothing to do with him.

It seemed by this time, the police finally deigned to react, breaking the door open. Flash lights flooded the dark holding area. They point their guns at her back.

"Who are you?! Put down your weapon!" The police warned, as they quickly took stock of the situation- summed up with their benefactor's head having been separated from his body.

Diana's hand slowly went to her sword. There was going to be murder in the air, as the assassin was not satisfied with killing just one target tonight...

The Womb watched as the demon woman killed the panicked Mexican man with one clean strike of her blade. The head flew off and rolled out into the hall, dripping blood as it went and sounding gurgled noises from what was left of the throat and sinuses. The nerves and brain were still alive, for all but a minute. Before Womb could ponder the consequences of what he had seen, Policemen with glaring flashlights and pointed weapons poured down the stairs in what they deemed to be an orderly fashion. Womb noted the demon lady quickly drop into a combative stance, ready to dismember her way out of the building. Womb wondered at her intentions here, and resolved to himself that he would find out.

Without hesitation, Womb brought back his arm and slammed it into the glass wall. The glass did not shatter as he had anticipated, instead it cracked into a spiders web of broken materials that seemed to cover the entire surface of the glass. Womb growled in a very guttural and threatening way and this time used more force to break through the barrier, shattering the material into large sharp chunks into the hallway. He stepped out abruptly and screamed at the Policemen;
"Prepare for justice!"

As the cell sensed a sudden stress on the door, the floor electrodes fired and attempted to incapacitate The Womb with a powerful current (Int 6). The shocks continued even as the door was torn open, though leaving the metal cell would end the shocks.

Diana would have reacted to the Metahuman suddenly bursting out of his cell, but the guns trailed on her were a higher priority. Her hands reaching beneath her outfit, she spun around as the first volleys of gunfire descended upon her. The police barely got more than a couple of shots off when throwing knives knocked their service pistols out of their hands and causing nasty cuts.

Again, Diana could've just killed them immediately with knives to the head. She could have left the way she came in here. But she was staying, and she was motivated by sheer bloodlust, to take lives with the use of her sword. Once it left its sheathe, The palpable evil presence seemed to reach a fevered pitch, like thunder without sound, an indescribable feeling as Diana ascended the stairs and cleaved her first victim from nave to chop.

"Oh god!" The cops reacted understandably the way they did, and began running away when their guns were taken from them. Diana was not even maximizing her speed.

She was going to take her time to kill them... but first, she turned towards the escaped Womb. Speaking in a disguised, magically concealed voice, she spoke with inviting malice. "Aren't you going to help me kill the people who locked you up?"

As The Womb began to step out of his cell, he heard a sudden priming of electricity. Suddenly, two shocking probes launched into his back and with the metal string connecting them, let loose a torrent of continuous electrical current into his body. Womb roared with antagonization and grasped the metal cords attached to him, and ripped them from the two guns positioned inside of his cell. One of them snapped, while the other was ripped from the wall and crashed on the floor. The Womb began to tear at the probes stuck in his back, as he grasped at one, the demon lady turned to him and invited him to join her in the slaughter.

"I would be delighted, my lady." He replied enthusiastically. He succeeded in removing the probes and made his way to the stairs. As he went he passed by the other Human cells and noted their terrified forms pressed into the shadows of their cells. With a grunt, Womb systematically set to ripping the door of each cell he passed, freeing the prisoners locked inside. Without a word, he followed the demon lady's trail of dismembered bodies and crippled forms. Looking at them, Womb could not help but to ponder to himself; When you proved you could no longer act with reason on your own free will, you begged me to allow this purging.

The other inmates, while grateful to be free, were not going to go outside until the slaughter had concluded. The station's alarms sounded, albeit briefly before Diana had cut the necessary electronics. She had also cut the phone lines and internet, and sealed off the exits. It was all premeditated. The Wielder of the Blood Sword was callous and brutal, and prolonged her spree by taunting the officers, fighting them in hand to hand before disarming them of their batons or stun guns, before putting them to the sword, dealing wounds just enough so they would slowly bleed out rather than die instantly.

Those who dared resist were slain, but Diana was not without a shred of honor. A couple of young officers, one male and one female, new recruits really, armed themselves with riot shotguns loaded with beanies. The non-lethal rounds knocked Diana about, before she closed the gap and knocked them out with nerve strikes. For some reason she spared them, if only because she knew they were not yet on the payroll.

Diana's mood changed rather quickly after a fifth or sixth kill, seeing that none of the remaining officers were putting much of a fight anymore. Rather than have a calculated response, everyone was hiding, or out to save their own skins. The station didn't even have anti-metahuman ordinance. It was a waste of time at this point. The Blood Sword didn't even drink of the spilled blood, for to spill the blood of the weak was dishonorable to the being within it.

"Cowards. Cretins. I should not have bothered with this station." She mumbled, walking past the one way mirror of an interrogation room and seeing her blood soaked reflection. She looked at herself, barely able to recognize the person in the mirror, her features having changed. In the mirror she saw a cold, hardened and unfeeling creature. She lifted the glamer of her disguise, her shadow shroud parting from her like raven feathers, revealing the human girl beneath the pageant and pomp. She stood there, lost in her thoughts.

Womb wondered up into the main lobby to find the demon woman staring at herself in a looking glass. Blood stained the walls and floors like a crimson paint, the bodies of those it belonged to strewn about the floor in various states of repair. The demon woman caught his eye, as suddenly, the black, mist like shroud that had surrounded her began to evaporate, leaving the form of a young human woman in front of him. She seemed small and petite, not the ominous and dominant presence she had been before. Seeing her now, she seemed out of place among the carnage and gore that surrounded them.

"We should leave this place before anybody finds us here. No doubt these government agents have connections with powerful beings. I do not wish to be embroiled in a cold battle of attrition on my first evening back in Human society," The Womb advised. He stepped closer to the girl and peered into the looking glass curiously. He saw her face, and found himself bewitched by her pensive demeanor. He also saw his own face, his organic skull like features, and the tendrils of nerves and flesh that made up his neck and suddenly felt a great absence in himself. He said nothing of the fleeting emotions however, and moved past her and towards the door to leave, "You did a good thing here tonight, let us not spoil the fruits of our labors. Come, make haste. I know of a place where we can steal ourselves from their grasp."

And with that he waltzed out of the building without even looking back.

A serene quiet descended on the station as police lay dying or merely unconscious. Diana found she had no place to be, no one to go to, nothing else to do. She simply followed The Womb wherever he went, for tonight at least.

The Womb walked out into the streets. There seemed to be a quiet lull in the evening. There were no cars, no pedestrians. Just streetlamps. wet pavements and the echo of Womb's feet slapping against the ground as he trod. He could hear the scurrying feet of the demon woman catching up to him and was gladdened by her willingness to follow.

"What a spectacular evening. I have never seen such marvelous theatrics before. I must commend you on a stellar entrance my good lady. I do wonder though, why was it that you meted out your wrath on that station? Of course, you had prior engagements with the young man in the cell. That seemed obvious to me, however I could not put my finger on the why's of the massacre that ensued. It seemed odd to me, though invigorating to say the least," Womb noted the whelps and whoops of the now escaping prisoners from the station, as well as the distant sirens approaching the station from behind them, "but, where are my manners? I have yet to introduce myself. I am The Womb. And it is a pleasure to meet you," he introduced himself, though did not offer a hand or even a welcoming gesture, instead he opted to keep a steady pace away from the crime scene.

By now Diana was now dressed like a normal teenage girl, her blade concealed by her shroud and disguised like a guitar. The sword emitted palpable resentment, but grudgingly agreed. They walked away from the crime scene, and Diana even stopped by a vending machine kiosk to grab herself a ham and egg sandwich and a warm can of coffee. She had a high caloric requirement and was frequently hungry.

This "The Womb" character was definitely unusual to Diana. She sensed something about him, and wasn't sure what to make of him. "You're right. I was paid just to get in, take out that one prisoner and get out. But after that... They... Those cops were crooked, and they were there. I killed them because it was fun... at first anyway. When no one was putting up a fight, it got lame fast." Diana paused to wolf down her food and take a big gulp from the can.

Since he introduced himself, Diana did the same. "I'm Blood Swo... ah who cares. My name's Princess Diana Mendoza. The Womb? pretty strange name, but then again, you're definitely not human." Diana studied The Womb, delving into her rarely tapped occult knowledge, trying to ascertain his nature. Her sword, again, resonated, vibrating on a supernatural frequency, as that knowledge was not strictly her own.

"Not undead... nor demon, nor some form of outsider. You're definitely of this plane of existence, so you can't be one of the Old Ones. You're something unique. I'm almost curious as to what you are, and why you're here." Diana came to no definitive conclusion, only general speculation. She had no trouble finishing her evening snack on the move.

"A pleasure to meet you Diana," The Womb replied sincerely after the girl introduced herself. They stopped breifly at a veding machine and the Diana picked up some food and drink to consume on the way. She then went on to analyze The Womb somewhat, declaring him non human and quizzing him as to the how's and why's of his being. The Womb was about to answer, but as he did he noted the creeping sounds of sirens and helicopters behind them, and motioned to Diana to follow him into an alleyway and away from the main road. After The Womb felt comfortable with the distance they had put between them and the search teams set out to find them, The Womb resumed his conversation with Diana.

"You are correct Diana. I am not truly of this world. Though I am tied to this universe, or perhaps all universes in a very tangible way," He said ominously, "Unfortunately, I fear I have forgotten my true purpose, my true calling in this existence. All I have come to know is being questioned in my own mind. I once thought myself to be the bringer of Life to this world, and so dubbed myself The Womb. Being the giver of life to all things, however I too know myself to be the giver of Death, as there is no Life without Death. These two forces would manifest themselves to me as my children, yet I have not seen or heard of them in so long. I often feel that much of my existence has been nothing more than an illusion, a mirage, a pantomime of self indulgence so these fanciful thoughts of children and Life and Death, perhaps were never real. It is a trying time for me Diana. I do not know who I am anymore. I used to be so sure of it all..." he trailed off there, not even stopping to really explain what he had just said or supply any sort of real context.