Hammer blinked hard for several moments. “You can't just say something like that and not give me context. What the hell do you mean you're going to kill Fear Itself?” Pitch sighed. “I'll try and make this as short as possible and get you up to speed. These monsters, these Cryptids, are born from the gathering of strong emotional energies. Usually fear and hate with them often being made from specific fears. We even categorize some Cryptids based on the phobias we think make them.” Daniels looked around at the Cryptids. “So these things have always been around?”

  Pitch dues a so-so gesture. “Something happened when Atlantis existed that started all this. They literally opened up Pandora's Box but we never knew where the box came from. These murals seem to suggest the person that built the city made it but what it was originally for is still unknown. If we take the myth literally the box contained all the unused evils and stuff not needed when making humanity. However fear is a natural part of our biology so I'm thinking what it did was soak up various emotional energies and prevent people from feeling the emotion in the first place. A world without fear. When opened everything built up was let out.”

  Daniels rubbed his chin. “Causing the first Cryptid to form.” Pitch shrugged. “Not exactly. They formed somewhere else and the energy opened a rift between here and there but the world of fear may have only formed because of the Box. Unable to contain all the ener6in one place it sent it someplace else and formed what we now know as the fear realm most Cryptids form and live in. Some form and live here and sometimes the ones from the other realm slip into ours. There's a lot going on with this but the reason there are as many if not fewer Cryptids now then just two hundred years ago despite the growing population has to do with something we call fear pollution. It's like emotional smog.”

  Daniels tilted his head. “And this smog unable to form a Cryptid goes… oh, I see. This Phobos is actually Phobophobia, the fear of fears and is able to claim the smog. The classic Boogeyman myth.” Pitch nodded. “Exactly, and he's not currently able to come here in his true form. Just send a sort of avatar to feed remotely in addition to the smog. It's not enough for him, his hunger knows no bounds. I'm worried he'll find a way to open the barrier between worlds once again so he can come through as his true self. Phobos, the god of fear.”

  Daniels nodded. “The end of the story mentions how the Box was close to keep hope inside. If like other emotions the energy can form solid things you saying there's solid hope inside it is literal. You want to open the Box to use the crystal to fight fear if or rather when he invades.” Hammer simply has a confused face. “You lost me around the point I found out monsters were real on a mass scale. The one I encountered overseas and thought was a one time thing was far from a unique experience. I'm guessing those old corpses were kept alive by some Cryptid nonsense. Straight up zombies moved by sludge I assume was made of fear energy.”

  Pitch nodded. “That and the crystal formation around the Apple makes me think they were trying to keep people from reaching it. Either out of the lingering memories of the calamity it caused or because they were acting in self defense keeping a weapon against them sealed away. Either way this artifact could be the key to saving humanity from an invasion of monsters.” Hammer tossed up his hands. “Well I've done my job so I think I'm out at this point.” Pitch sighed and shook his head. “You should consider joining Black Eagle and help protect people from Cryptids.”

  Hammer shook his head. “I'm going to take a long vacation and get a job as a bouncer someplace far from this city.” Daniels looked over the artifact again. “I want a nice hard look at anything you have on Atlantis. Even if I can't publish anything, just knowing is enough for me.” Hammer at making his way out. “You're on your own Daniels, good like getting a ride without me because I'm quitting while I'm ahead.” Pitch was suddenly standing in front of Hammer and he grabbed the bandaged arm causing Hammer to since in pain as he felt a burning sensation. “Sorry Arnold, but I can't let you leave until we look at that wound. Because Cryptid genetics don't look like normal genetics it's possible ordinary tools missed an infection.”

  Hammer turned pale and started to produce a cold sweat as his eyes darted around. “Y-you can't keep me here. I have rights.” Pitch sighed. “It's just a quick blood test, it'll take a few hours tops. Then, assuming you're clean, you'll be free to go.” Hammer grabbed Pitch's arm and twisted it at an angle that would be painful for a normal human. He then spoke with a deepened voice as black inky liquid moved across his sclera and started to drop down from his eyes. “I said, let me go.” Pitch put out his other hand to let people know to stay back. “Sorry Arnold, it's nothing personal, but if you keep it up I might have to break a limb.”

  Black ichor started to slowly drip out of Hammer’s mouth as he continued to strain and bend the arm. “Let me out, let me out. You only delay the inevitable.” Pitch started forcing his arm back into a normal position, pushing the clearly infected Hammer back. The man began to let out various noises as Pitch continued to push back and force Hammer into his knees as he grunted in pain from his arms being bent. “Sorry Hammer, but I'm just stronger. Kat, take your samples.” Kathryn walked over and took a blood sample. “By the time these are done running I don't think there'll be any left of the poor guy.” Pitch tilted his neck back and forth. “Someone hand me a Ritter, I'm going to try something.”

  Pitch put Hammer into an isolation chamber to hold him and he was handed a Ritter Rifle he started messing around with. “So I'm not sure if this'll work but hopefully the worst that Hammer will be left with is some light sunburn.” Pitch took apart the gun, messed with several of the parts and held out his hand. “I'll unfortunately have to borrow the ring I gave you, Kat, it would take too long to make a new crystal.” Kathryn pouted and took off her wedding ring, handing it to Pitch. “Please don't break it.” Pitch grabbed it. “It should be fine.” He then put the ring in the gun and put it back together. “Let's see if this works.” He started charging the weapon.

  The weapon finished its charge and Pitch aimed at Hammer. “Sorry Arnold, but this is probably going to hurt.” Pitch pressed the trigger causing the gun to fire an intense blue light like a flashlight at Hammer who made several unholy screams before vomiting black icor on the floor. Eventually after letting a bunch of it out he fell backwards and passed out as the liquid was automatically collected by the cage. Pitch then turned off the gun, took it apart again, and handed the ring back to Kathryn before putting the gun back together. “He should be fine when he wakes up assuming that it worked. I basically used the hope gem as a focusing lense giving the light hope energy.”

  Kathryn tilted her head. “You know… I know Cryptid stuff has a habit of laughing at traditional science but you have no idea how nonsensical hope energy powered light sounds.” She put the ring back on her finger. Pitch shrugged. “I've gotten used to how wacky the rules can get. Anyway, he'll probably be out for a while and hopefully he'll remember everything because I'm not explaining Cryptids to him a second time.” Kathryn chuckled. Daniels looked in the cage that had Hammer in it. “So he's going to be okay, right?” Pitch shrugged. “I'm hoping so. We've honestly never tried something like that before.”

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  Daniels looked worried but then started looking at the Cryptids then Pitch. “So uhhh… bad timing but can I get that information on Atlantis now?” Pitch went and made a copy of the files and handed it over. Pitch then focused his attention on the apple shaped artifact. “I'll call Ishwada and see if he's available to come down here.” He diked the number and went off to talk. It was just Daniels and Kathryn. Daniels looked up from the folder he was handed. “So that ring… you're married to that thing?” He gestured to Pitch who was pacing on the phone. Kathryn looked over. “Engaged, yeah. Also even if he's not exactly human anymore by normal standards he's still a person. A good one at that.”

  Daniels nodded. “Right, right. And the fact he's technically not human… doesn't bother you?” Kathryn shook her head. “Nope. You haven't even seen what he really looks like. His human appearance based on his original appearance is just a mask.” Daniels blinked. “That's… interesting.” He looked back at the folder. “Some of this looks like photocopies of hand scratches. Where are the photos?” Kathryn shook her head. “No photos, those were drawn from memory. Long story.”

  After a bit Pitch walked back over to Kathryn. “Ishwada's on his way. He just has to finish up something. So it'll be a bit. Anyway Daniels, you're free to go. Hammer will be as well as soon as we're sure he's clean. Remember, nothing from in here leaves this room. I'm serious.” Daniels hooded as he finished up the folder. “I'm just happy I found proof I was right, even if I can't share it.” Pitch chuckled. “You should write a book anyway. When Cryptids go public you can publish it.” Daniels nodded and started making his way out of the building.

  Pitch and Kathryn watched over Hammer while they waited for Ishwada. When he arrived he held out the key and handed it to Pitch. “I got here as soon as I could. I used my civilian vehicle instead of my work one. Officially I'm off the clock.” Pitch grabbed the key and went back to the apple shaped jewelry box and tested the key. The box unlocked and Pitch carefully opened it. Inside was a glowing blue gem in the shape of a regular octahedron, looking like two four-sided pyramids connected at the bases. The object from tip to tip was approximately the length of the average hand and the wide point in the middle had a similar width of the average hand.

  Pitch blinked while looking at the crystal that took up a solid percentage of the inside of the Apple shaped jewelry box. “I don't think I need a scanner to tell me what that is, but damn. The energy required to create a solid object that big could potentially supply the world with power for a year.” Kathryn looked at the gem. “It's not my area of expertise but I think you might be underselling it. Because it would take a nuclear power plant like an hour just to generate enough energy to create a sheet of toiletry tissue paper if I remember correctly. I saw the math once on an internet article talking about food replicators in sci-fi.”

  One of the lab techs picked in. “The base is eight centimeters square with the top and bottom being eight centimeters from the base for a volume of three hundred forty one point three repeated. Assuming the density of diamond that's a mass of one thousand one hundred ninety four points six repeated grams which would require… one hundred and seven billion, three hundred seventy one million, two hundred eighty five thousand, three hundred and fifty three megajoules. That's over twice the output of the Zarr Bomba.” Kathryn blinked a few times. “That's… insane.” Pitch chuckled. “You think that's crazy? My particles are made of a similar material made through similar means. I clock in at two thousand and five hundred grams. Equivalent to two twenty five point six something petajoules or nearly four and a half Zarr Bombas.”

  Kathryn went slightly pale. “Dear God…” everyone suddenly looked at Pitch with more apprehension than normal, he noticed. “My body is made of stable materials so it's not like I'll go nuclear. Same with the crystal. Something would have to intentionally convert the material back into energy to get that. However, if you add the crystal, plus two thousand grams of my body, plus the maximum amount of loose energy I can carry… … Anyway, it would take over thirteen thousand years for a single nuclear power plant to produce enough energy to create that crystal. However, it's still nothing compared to the hundred something exajoule annual consumption of the world.”

  Kathryn sighed. “That's crazy. And to think Marrow was thinking of using Umbrans to replace nuclear power plants.” Pitch shrugged. “Considering there's no risk of fallout with similar output it's actually not a bad idea minus the number of humans you'd need to feed each one annually. Approximately forty eight people per year per plant. Although that probably would still be a drop in the bucket considering how many people got missing per year. Over five hundred thousand just in the U.S. Since you could possibly power the entire upper forty eight with ten well placed plants easily, that's only four hundred eighty people. That's less than a percent of current missing persons reports.”

  At least five people cuss at this revelation. Kathryn groaned. “That's fucked. That's so fucked. You realize what you're saying right? If not for the lack of population the entire US and some of Canada could be powered with just a one percent increase in missing persons per year. That probably wouldn't even get noticed.” Pitch then gestured to the special elevator. “And in a state with the death penalty it would be even lower as they would tap into that first. No one would even bat an eye.” Ishwada gestured at Pitch. “I'd uhh… like my key back please.” Pitch locked the box back up and handed over the key. “Yeah, have a copy made or something I guess so I can use the spare to open the box when the time comes.”

  Ishwada started heading out with a wave. “You have fun preparing for the big bad, just don't forget that we'll have to confront Hawkes and Marrow at some point. Preferably before we have to deal with Phobos.” He got in the elevator and left the room. Pitch looked at Hammer who was passed out, then the Apple, then the elevator. “I think we're done for the day. Though I'm guessing you'll be stuck here watching over Arnold.” Kathryn nodded. “Yeah, sorry. I'll be stuck here for a while. I've got slime to study and to make sure he's healed after, whatever you did with that blue light.”

  Pitch pointed to the gem. “That thing has hope energy in it, I added my own to make a light of hope strong enough to burn the fear based energy out of him.” Kathryn blinked. “I may never get used to the strangeness of Cryptids.” Pitch shrugged. “I mean it's not much different then making two normal energies of opposite wavelengths interact. The fact that my body is stable is a strange thing.” Kathryn shrugged. “I'm just going to try to roll with it.” Pitch nodded. “I'll see you at home then.” Pitch offered a wave and left the lab to go home without his fiance.

  Pitch made it home and was quickly greeted by Kasa. Gently patting her head as he walked in, Pitch sat down. “How's it going girl?” Kasa nuzzled Pitch's hand. “Well I'm done with my cycle I think so I'm not as worked up. Though I would still like to have a partner. I'm sure there's some weirdo with a fetish I could snag but then I'd have the issue of them only wanting me for my body.” Pitch raised an eyebrow. “Also, since Cryptids are still not fully public, you'd have to be careful. Anyone you meet would either have to already be in the know or good at keeping secrets.”

  Kasa nodded, then locked eyes with Pitch for a moment before looking away. “Cuda stopped by while you were out. Something about his smell has changed. For some reason it put me on edge and I nearly reacted out of instinct. Thankfully I didn't hurt him but you should check on him. If Kathryn has enough Cryptid stuff to take a hybrid form then so should her brother. He smelled… like a dog.” Pitch thought about it, then chuckled. “That checks out actually, all things considered. But yeah, I'll check on him later. I'm going to just relax till Kathryn gets home and I'll talk to her about it.”

  Kasa laid on the floor at Pitch's feet. “So I guess that means we have time to talk. I mean… am I a roommate or just a pet?” Pitch hummed. “You're a roommate, one that's oddly physically affectionate in a cat-like way. Not that I blame you. You've been alone for a long time before we found you.” Kasa nuzzled Pitch's leg. “Right, I guess this weirdness is on me. It's like an instinct. I can't help it.” Pitch scratched Kasa's head. “If neither of us mind it then who cares. We're not doing anything too strange compared to how strange the world is.” Kasa let out a purring sound. “Yeah, I'm comfy, you're comfy. This relationship may be unusual but what even is normal in this world where an eighth of the voting population isn't even human.”