"Illium, can I ask you a question?" Big band asked the nurse from lab 8. Both were sitting in a lounge that was in the commons for the ASG members. She had a radio on the table and a cup of coffee. Seems she was the one to answer in case Arthur and Marie had trouble.

"Yes Ben what is it? Does it involve Arthur?" she asked curiously as Big Band, or Ben, sat down beside her. One of his padded claws had a coffee mug and had it close to his mouth given his arms were nonfunctional.

"It is, something about his story doesn't add up correctly. The skullheart never just vanishes in a flash of light, we've both taken skullgirls down and we know that's not how it works" he told her as she sighed sipping on her cooled coffee.

"I agree, he healed much faster then expected given he was only human to our knowledge. When his orphanage was taken over, the medical records were lost and I was unable to recover those. His vitals were fine but something about him felt off" she commented as Ben agreed.

"Especially the burned shirt around his chest. I can imagine a skull from a skullgirl would do that, but no injury on the skin was visible. And I've not touched into the fact he still has a theonite reading" he told her as she looked surprised.

"I thought you guys told me he shouldn't have one. Theonite traces would have been gone in a week tops" she added as he looked concerned.

"That's the reason I'm going to have a talk with him once he's back. He's not given us the full story and I know it. I have a hunch but I'm not sure exactly how it happened" as he was thinking aloud the radio came on that was in front of Illium.

"Lab 8, This is Marie" Marie came on the radio as both looked surprised.

"Yes Marie, this is Illium what's going on?" Illium asked a bit concerned.

"We have a problem. It's about Arthur" Marie stated as both Illium and Ben looked at each other. This was not good to say the least. Possibly to late to stop what was about to unfold.

Time was short and he knew it. He could feel the heart trying to grow further but it was more difficult for it as it had to make it's routes rather then having the already built in routes that females have. The heart was meant for women not men, and it was trying to do it's own work while in a male. Of course, that would give him time he needs to give the ASG a bit to get themselves together to take him down. He loved the time he had with Marie but it had to come to an end. He managed to slip by a lot of people using the roof tops, most had no idea what he was. Thinking he was just some sort of costume geek to early for halloween. He made his way into the cemetery, a place he could find refugee but also find someone he was looking for. He'd only met her once but she aided him in his journey to save Marie. But now he needed to make sure she didn't end up on his side. With as volatile as the heart was, he could overpower her and take control. And honestly, he wanted to at least say goodbye to her. He was told she was buried here as he wanders the cemetery til he came to a hill that went up to a willow tree. A tomb stone sat there as he took a deep breath and went up. He came upon it to find it was indeed Squigly's grave. He sighed as he paced.

"Great Arthur, you could have hand delivered yourself to Lab 8 and have them take you down. No I come out here, where there's a ton of bodies so if they fail there's an army now. Just so I can see someone I didn't say bye to two weeks ago" he muttered to himself as he looked around. What the heck was he gonna say, what was he gonna do if he woke her up. She would probably be mad as hell at him, especially Leviathan. He could already hear the lashings for being a fool already before he even pulled them up.

"Damn it, one of the few female friends I would like to hang around with more and she's a dead girl. And now I'm a dead guy… Well not yet but the hell do I care now. I'm gonna be dead, I hope, in a couple of hours" he told himself walking to the other side of the tree and sits down. Closing his eyes he tried to focus himself and aim on just her. He didn't need the whole cemetery coming to life. Though without much effort he heard the earth moving and soon something opening. Probably the coffin as a yawn is heard.

"Mmmmm Leviathan? Are you awake?" the familiar voice said, Squigly had woken up as Leviathan was waking up too. A yawn came from him.

"Yes my lady I'm awake. Though it feels like we were only asleep for but a moment" he said as he looked around.

"But that means if we're awake, a new skullgirl has arrived" he added as Squigly gave a sigh.

"I know, but we both know this would have happened eventually" she added as both were about to embark away from the tree before hearing a voice for them.

"Squigly… Leviathan..." Arthur's voice spoke out as he was slowly standing up from the tree. He was away from them and had no idea what was happening. The moon was out tonight which helped cast a shadow from the tree as both could see the shadow.

"Hm? Arthur? Is… Is that you?" she asked rather curious as she started to walk around the tree.

"Please don't… Don't come closer" Arthur added as she stopped in her steps.

"Why not Arthur? It can't be that bad, you don't sound like a wrinkled up old man and if you were I'd be fine with that. You would still be my friend regardless" she gave a smile as those words stabbed into him like knives. She had considered him a friend now? Oh geez this was going to be bad.

"How long has it been since we've been away? If you're still as young as you are, something had to have happened" Leviathan inquired as Arthur sighed heavy leaning against the tree.

"No less then two weeks. I was able to get Marie's soul free from the skullheart. An anti-skull girl group managed to make her a new body that hopefully they can learn something from her as a past skullgirl. The Medici Mafia is all but shattered now since Lorenzo died in the blimp crash that Marie caused" he told her as he fell silent.

"Well, that's wonderful. Now you and Marie can be together again as family. And with the Medici's gone things should be looking even brighter right?" Squigly commented as Arthur sighed.

"It's not that… simple at the moment. Though before I say this. Tell me what do you think of me?" he asked as she was taken a bit by surprise.

"Think about you? What do you mean?" she asked as Leviathan was sensing it already and his eyes went wide but kept silent. There was an odd pull towards him, something similar to something they felt when facing Marie.

"You know, what do you think about me. In the short few days we were going through town, what do you think of me?" he asked her as he listened to her response.

"Well, I think you're a good person with a noble heart. Really trustworthy with what you've done and quite determined when you set your mind to it. Though your recklessness can be troubling to say the least" she concluded as he took those words to his mind and tried holding onto them in his soul.

"Thanks though you were right on the reckless. I told you I was able to get Marie's soul out. However, I didn't get off the hook" as he spoke he turned around the tree to where she was so she could see him. She gasped covering her mouth in almost disbelief what she saw. She couldn't believe it. It wasn't possible.

"But, how? The heart's only meant to work on women not men" she said as Leviathan lashed his tongue.

"You idiotic fool! We told you the idea was a bad one from the start and it came to bite you back" he barked as Arthur sighed hands to his front as he bit his lower lip.

"And you're right Leviathan. I took a huge risk and it bit me hard" Arthur acknowledged as she frowns.

"So why in the world would you come here? Try to convince me to join you or something? I cannot let the heart slip into another persons hands" she added as Arthur shakes his head.

"I came here to apologize and say good bye" he told them both as they looked at him oddly.

"Apologize for your actions?!" Leviathan snarks as she snaps her fingers at him. Sure he was mad and so was she, but she would at least hear Arthur out.

"Apologize for yes my actions but not being there for you guys too. I should have bailed with you guys down to the catacombs sooner. It would have given us both a fair chance to get Marie out and destroy the heart. But no I made a mistake. And hell, all my friends will be against me wanting me dead" he told them as he leaned up against the tree.

"The heart won't be able to give me a full jolt of it's power for another three hours. Til then I'm literally a sitting duck unless I get into a fight and then things get worse" he looked down feeling ashamed.

"And I knew if I didn't tell you before that time was up and you woke up, your last memories of me would be of this monster… Skullboy I suppose I can call myself. I don't want that" he had a tear drop from his right eye as he closed his eyes. Leviathan sighed as he looked at him and then back to Squigly.

"You know we could destroy the heart out of mercy and put and end to yourself" he offered as Squigly cringed.

"Leviathan are you serious about that? I mean he's our friend" she argued as her parasite sighed.

"Friend as he maybe, but the heart will only kill him more and more. We've both seen what the heart does to people and it's a tragedy that it had to happen so close again" he added hanging his head low.

"Not to mention my soul then becomes damned after I'm dead. So in the end I suffer and death would only be my salvation but for a moment" Arthur added as wipes the tear away. It was hard for her to think about it, she wanted to comfort him so badly and wanted to save her own friend. But in trying to save him, he would have to die.

"Well, maybe the heart won't take your soul but the theonite instead. It's a different way of thinking about it. Plus if your soul is like that, I don't mind coming to you for help" she offered as she stepped closer. She got close enough she could hug him as she turns his head to face her. They were about a few inches from each other as she rests her forehead on his. Her two arms wrapping around his neck to hold him closer. He was silent as he seemed reluctant but looked back to her as he saw she was willing to help him. Merciful as it maybe he knew there was one way out of this now. And it was gonna hurt. He hadn't killed anyone as his arms slowly wrapped around her waist. The embrace he was in was new to him as he looked down and then back up to her.

"Thank you Squigly. I know the ASG will be out here soon enough and I don't want them to get hurt and same for the both of you" Arthur added as she nods.

"Then do you want us to… do it?" she asked him as he nods.

"Are you sure?" Leviathan confirmed as Arthur answered.

"Yes" was his final answer.

Two days passed since that night. Life had gone back mostly the same except for one more soul missing. It was a sunny day outside as Marie was out at the cemetery with Big Band accompanying her. She was wearing a similar outfit to what she wore the night Arthur turned. But she had a new addition to her outfit. The red scarf he wore was wrapped around her neck. When the ASG finally found where Arthur had gone based on her words, they found Arthur being embraced by Squigly as they were both dead. The skullheart had been pierced by Leviathan's tail through the chest. Quick and efficient, he would've felt pain but it would have been quick. The ASG had Squigly reburied and Arthur buried next to her. His tomb stone read 'To the boy that gave up his soul, for an adopted soul'. Though Marie visited the grave and had flowers for both of them, they were still family, Arthur and Marie. And though he is gone, and in the afterlife Arthur did find Sienna. Both would be locked away possibly til the next skullheart was close by to pull them from the graves. But til then, they were together. And Marie had the family she wanted. Not the family she imagined, but a family that would be there for her even when losing her adopted brother.