The Burrows, Churchyard
The General pondered for a moment of the exact prospects of the Building's current absence from them, as it was confirmed by Captain Blackwater. As surely it certainly wasn't a good thing to happen, but he nodded in agreement to Sandy that Demens ought to be able to handle himself quite fine, considering that this was his world and that was his Building after all. He indeed almost gave a hand to wave the praise being given to him, but more out of an attempt of modesty in the fact that this was all standard duty that he would had performed regardless in the event of a crisis. And of course Minerva was too busy with the Mayor to even give him anymore of her precious time.
Obviously there was still work to be done around the Burrows that he must see to. He noticed that Deuce had passed by them and most likely had heard at least some of their conversation, and with the way he was moving he probably heard the part about the change of plans for the tents and was likely seeing to it. He then turned his head towards Sandy and was about to say something of the lines of continuing on their duties before a sound that pierced through the air came to their attention.
"Another mission?" He said, recognizing what the sound meant, especially from Minerva's displayed loathing for it. While it was certainly not a good time for a mission to take place, in fact it was the exact opposite; as far as he knew these missions were usually of timely essence that needed to be performed as quickly and as efficiently as can be, so there was no room to argue... Unless the Gates could actually send them to an earlier point in space time, or to an younger yet similar alternate dimension that had a perfect copy of the person they needed to extract, then all their rushing would seem redundant. Though he guessed there could only be a good reason for why they didn't do just that.
He then looked down and saw that Minerva was quickly at this side, he felt only puzzled when she said to him that they were going to go her way to the Gatehouse, and also to not ego trip on her, to which he felt even more bewildered. "What do you me-" was all he managed to say before they vanished together.
He... He didn't know what to even think at first, like what the hell was this place exactly? As it definitely didn't appeared that laws of any kind of physics or reality had any hold where they were, like it was fundamentally at its core lawless to any degree of sense and form. And that smell! He wanted to hack up from it initially as it assaulted him in every orifice he had like a cheap perfume department from hell, in fact that what it had to be surely? But he felt an added odd tingly sensation that only meant to him that this was something else. He tried his best to pull through and ignore it, but his thoughts were then penetrated by images of arousing glory and ambitious ideas. But he pushed them back as far as he could and made a strong effort to try and mentally block them, as he realized those thoughts weren't his and could only be deceit and lies.
He did not believed the thoughts to be his 'destiny,' and thought the action to embrace them to be completely absurd, as wasn't he already great enough in the eyes of his people, in the eyes of all Wilhelms and all of the Pantheon of his Creed? What more could these images hope to offer besides betrayal and perversion to what he stands for in the Wilhelm Imperium? The scent then hit him harder until he saw an envisioned and so called 'perfect' version of himself, or more like an aberration perhaps.
He starred at it, like how he would with a beast or a monster, or even a villain. He didn't see a Beacon of Light no more, as its armor was blackened and adorned with odd pink and purple symbols, he didn't even see Wilhelm XXIX's face anywhere on it, a traitor it would seem.
Nor did he see a Guardian of the Meek no more, as he saw more of a Sadist to the Meek that preyed on the innocent like a petty thug or rapist with a grin and glee. A bastard to its once held ideals and undeserving of any remorse or respect, only smite of retribution.
And neither did he insultingly see a General of the Wilhelm Imperium no more, as there was nothing heroic he could see in it, and he saw nothing of valor that could ever come from it, as this was a weak and pathetic warlord that held onto nothing. And could only rule an equally pitiful fiefdom like the ones he used to crushed decisively while he was a General. This thing couldn't be him, he wanted to refused to believe that it was. He then starred at the woman beside it, while desirable as she may be, he knew deep down that he wasn't meant for something like that... He was never intended for it, he was only meant to serve the Imperium above all else, even a spouse or romance.
His pores were assaulted and violated more and more though, and for all of his sheer resistance to it he was getting tempted by the scent. He needed to get out of here if only to feel some relief. Minerva then said something like it was distant, Think of Nila? He heard her say. He already had a lot of distrust to her at this point, as from opposition to what the thoughts had told him he should do, but in thinking of the small construct he felt a bit relaxed and sane. Like something about her made it so that he had some grounding to reality that he knew he belonged in, not the 'perfect' version the scent urges him to become an abhorrent to who he was. Maybe it was because Nila was genuine by comparison? Pure in the sense that she was imperfect and was fallible and furthermore able to be related to and understood, like a...Person! A real person with actual character that was cultivated after years of failings and experience that shaped them to who are now, and who will they be for years to come to which they would find meaning and purpose to live for.
Oh he would love to give her a hug now if he weren't still in this quagmire of scum and debauchery! But he could only hope and pray that his undying loyalty and faith to the Imperium will help him withstand this perverted onslaught and uphold his held ideals, as he assured himself that he'll persevere through it.
He then could've swore he heard Minerva say something about-
Gatehouse
He almost fell forward as they popped back into reality, sweet grim yet true reality. He could still smell that accursed perfume from that damned woman, he knew he could use a good shower after that. Perhaps even a-
He then suddenly fell to his knees and vomited out bile that had built up as a result of the perfume, he never felt so alive before with the taint finally out his system. After a brief moment with some coughing, he stood right back up, his skin radiating into a healthy glow as his Perseverance kicked in. He then looked right back down at Minerva, frowning with disdain at her, gripping his gauntlet clad hands tightly in anger. He was tempted to smack her in disgust, but he stopped himself when he realized who she was now. A victim forever tainted by... Whatever the hell that whole thing was.
His emotions turned to sorrowful pity for her. "Why?" He asked her, then putting both his hands on her shoulders and shook her lightly. "Why, why that, why all of that? Didn't you used to stand for something, where did all your willpower go? I can't believe you could've fell for something like-like that horror, I thought you were strong. In the names of my Gods and Wilhelms, why goddammit?!" He then let her go and held an expression that said he had no more to say to her. Only a single tear ran down his cheek.
