A Spartan's Wondrous Helot (CaiusWickersham/darkest_fate)

Joined
Feb 18, 2014
Location
AZ
Kratos smiled for the first time in a long time as he felt his life fading away. The gods were dead, hope was released into the world, and he had his vengeance on Ares and Zeus. That Athena was angered by being deprived of her weapon was a wonderful bonus; no god would be able to rule over men again. But now, his part was done. He could finally join his wife and daughter in death. He lay back and let death take him.

At least he thought death would take him. He felt the warm sun and breeze on his skin. Had he come to Elysium to see his family again? He heard the clang of steel and gradually woke up. He looked around and found himself in a fertile valley. It certainly was not the world ravaged by storms, darkness, plague, blight and flood he had left.

He stood up and looked around. Feeling himself draw breath, he realized he was not yet dead. His blades were still attached to his arms. He was definitely on some other world. He headed for the sounds of metal smashing against metal. As he got closer, he realized it was not the sound of some smith working his trade, but a battle between two foes. He heard the grunts of exertion. One sounded male and the other almost female. He jogged towards the sound, his blades firm in his grip.

He came to a clearing through some woods and saw a woman dressed in what could only be a warrior's garb and a man in full hoplite armor brawling with each other. He watched them battle and then heard the woman call the armored man "Ares". There was only one person Kratos knew by that name and the garb would befit the god of war, even if he hadn't been so covered when last they met.

"Ares! Who has seen fit to give you life again to torment me? Was it Athena? Or is this some plan by Zeus? It matters not! I killed you once, God of War, and I can do it again. Let's finish this!" His blades came up and he lunged at Ares, intent on taking his head off as he shouted a war cry at him.
 
How was it that this vicious god of war somehow tracked Diana to the land of men? The champion now known to the public as Wonder Woman had thought she'd left that world behind when she'd left her homeland of Themyscira behind. The gods and their followers had been as vibrant as ever in the land of the Amazons. Diana herself bore the blessings of several gods in her armor and her weapons. The very blade she used against Ares now had been forged by gods to be wielded by their divinely appointed champion. Diana, as Wonder Woman, had anticipated fighting and spreading her culture to this interesting world of man, to be sure, but she hadn't anticipated this.

Wonder Woman and Ares, god of war, had been fighting above the city for some time. The god had appeared and caused something of a rampage, apparently intent on drawing the princess of the Amazons out into an outright confrontation. The city itself had little in the way of protectors. While capes had begun appearing throughout the world in ever increasing numbers, this particular metropolis hadn't laid claim to any. Diana was merely staying here in a stop-gap as she and her escort traveled through this strange new land and learned of its customs. So naturally the Amazonian princess rose to the occasion. She would have anyway: the thought of getting into a fight, let alone a fight with someone as foul as Ares, aroused great interest in the warrior princess. She had left her island and its comfort for precisely reasons like this.

Her muscles rippled in the sunlight, their tanned flesh no doubt drawing many eyes even as she punched or slashed at her godly foe. Wonder Woman looked every inch the mythological figure she represented. Flowing ebony hair had been tied back into a warrior's tail that extended to a bottom so round and firm that it looked capable of crushing coal into diamond. That hair framed a face that appeared blessed by Aphrodite herself, from finely sculpted features to piercing blue eyes to the plump lips that now curved in a fierce joy and ferocity. The light outfit of blue, white, and red covered her lithe body well, accenting her femininity. This was, of course, the point. Let the enemy be distracted by Wonder Woman's female form, right up until she drove her fist into their faces. True, it did mean displaying a fair amount of leg and thigh, though her boots climbed over her knees anyway, but Wonder Woman hardly cared. The fabric alone would deflect most blows, and her blessed bracers would handle the rest. Wonder Woman looked every inch the superheroine as she fought Ares.

And now she had to back away as a fierce warrior appeared seemingly out of no where. Wonder Woman watched as Ares barely jerked a weapon up in time to deflect the fierce warrior's attack. A flash of seeming recognition twisted that face, drawing a barked laugh from Wonder Woman. "Aha, so it appears that another enemy of yours has appeared. You will meet your end this day, Ares," she brandished her weapon again, but Ares had already started to shift, obviously intent on drawing this newcomer into a direct battle. He'd been wounded some by Diana already, as she had a few scrapes and blows of her own. Still, he moved well, obviously ready to fight off this newcomer.

"you stink of fear, god," barked Wonder Woman, shifting from sword to lasso, figuring that range and reducing the number of blades in the fray would be best. Maybe her new ally could distract the god of war further...
 
Kratos paid little mind to the strange architecture and people around him as he covered the distance to Ares. He was already certain he was no longer in his own world and he was more focused on his old foe. People who were not fully staring at the fight between Wonder Woman and Ares certainly had their attention drawn by the half-naked giant of a man who barged past them and climbed a building using nothing but the blades chained to his arms before using them to lash at the giant armored man in the air.

He threw his blades at Ares, who focused on deflecting them, not paying attention to Wonder Woman until she punched him. Turning back to her, he didn't notice Kratos shifting from trying to pierce him with the swords to ensnaring the god of war and bringing him down to his own level. "You stay up in the air like a coward, Ares? Face me on the ground!"

His blades wound around Ares's ankles and he pulled the god down to the roof he was on with a great roar. The impact shook the structure, but Kratos barely moved from his stance. He sneered at the god as he moved in for more strikes, swinging the blades in deadly arcs and circles as he pierced the armor of the god and drew blood from several wounds. He did see the woman flying above them but was too focused on the battle to make conversation. What he did see was appealing, but now was not the time for rutting a woman, even one as strong as her, this was a time for battle. His blades continued to sing through the air as he slashed and stabbed at Ares.
 
Wonder Woman laughed as the newcomer snarled at Ares. Whoever this mortal be, he truly was a fierce one at that. His outfit didn't speak to the standard superhero garb that she'd already seen enough to be somewhat familiar with. In fact, he acted more like a Spartan warrior of old. Still, Wonder Woman could appreciate his ferocity. Part of her almost wanted to step back, to allow this new challenger to face down the god and to show his prowess in battle.

Almost.

instead, Wonder Woman began moving, watching the battle. She'd already drawn out her lasso, letting the golden rope slide into her hands. The bold man had managed to hook Ares with his unique weapon, a situation which did not bode well for the god of war. Seeing the blades draw blood made Wonder Woman's brows raise: they must be enchanted or blessed at the least. The man did at least seem to notice her as well, which hopefully meant they could at least coordinate their attacks to some degree. She simply had to time it.

Ares swung up to counter Kratos, and he instead found his arm looped by the gold. The god had only a moment to remember that he was fighting two mortals with uncanny strength. Then he was flat on his back, pulled down to the ground by Wonder Woman. The blow dazed the god of war for a moment, drove his air out, stunned him for those several crucial seconds.

Wonder Woman smiled, knowing full well that the man would go in for the kill. True, Ares would likely utilize magic to shift planes and avoid falling completely at the hands of this strange warrior. But the god simply had not planned on taking on two foes of such strength, and his lack of preparation had left him open for precisely what the two of them worked upon him now. The thrill of victory already rose in Diana, and she looked forward to getting to know this strange new hero.
 
With Ares on the ground, Kratos seized the advantage and ran for Ares, intent on killing the god again. He lunged for his face when Ares shifted out of existence. As his fist met concrete, leaving a modest crater in the building's roof, Kratos roared in frustration. "Has the God of War become a coward now? Afraid of a fight?" He growled again before looking to Diana and stowing his swords on his back.

"So, you were fighting Ares? Brave, if foolish. I can respect that. Tell me who you are that would challenge the petty gods."

He looked around a bit at the new surroundings he found himself in. His tone became a bit less confrontational as he saw that he was certainly not in Greece anymore, at least not a Greece he was familiar with. "And what is this place I have found myself in?"
 
As Wonder Woman had anticipated, the god of war shifted planes. Doubtless he would return to plague her and quite possibly this new stranger, but he wouldn't do so until he'd given his wounds time to heal and his scouts time to bring back information. Pity, really; if he'd been more rash, it was entirely likely that the two of them could have ended his reign now. Of course, being a god he would likely return in time; they always seemed to.

"I could say the same for you, warrior," Wonder Woman replied, smiling at the man, her blue eyes dancing. "I am Diana, though the people of men call me Wonder Woman," she gestured at the people around them. A handful had gathered to take a look at the new hero. After all, he had just worked with Wonder Woman and handled a superpowered threat. Several were already whispering, noticing his looks and his questions.

"As for your other query, you are in the realm of modern man," Wonder Woman explained. She began gathering up her lasso again, moving with practiced action while her gaze shifted to indicate the buildings and the gathering crowd. "We are far away from any who would serve the true Gods of Olympus," she looked to the nearest mortal, given them a genuine, if slightly condescending smile. She looked back to the man, nodding again. "And what is your name, brave warrior? You fight like the warriors of Sparta, and there is a spark of the divine about your bearing."

He must surely have been given something from the gods. Diana's eyes flicked to the swords, wondering if he were another god's champion. Hephaestus, perhaps.
 
Kratos was confused at Diana's words. He saw the crowd gathering at the spectacle. While he was certainly not unaccustomed to other staring in awe of his prowess at times, it often got them killed.

He wanted to blurt out his confusion of her speaking of "modern man" when he last saw the world flooded and in ruins with almost all of the gods dead by his hand. But something held his words back. He did not know this woman and she was certainly familiar with the gods. What was her angle? He had been betrayed by the gods plenty of times before and he needed to feel this one out. Still, she had asked his name and it was only polite to give it after receiving hers.

"I am Kratos, last captain of the Spartan Army, son of Zeus." He left off the rest of his resume: servant to Ares and Athena, former god of war, champion of Gaia, general of the second Titanomachy, and slayer of the gods. "And how would you know of Sparta and its warriors?"
 
Ah, that confused look, Wonder Woman recognized it well. She herself wore something similar and had seen it on several other faces. It made her chuckle now, her smile lighting up her already impressive face. The doubt that soon followed was also something to be expected: most of those who shifted or traveled time or did whatever this man did would be on edge, particularly a warrior.

Apparently a warrior with an impressive resume. Wonder Woman cocked a brow as he listed off his status without any real flourish or gloating. Truly the man was a Spartan: her suspicions had been confirmed on that matter even before he stated it directly. "I hail from Themyscira," she offered, nodding, "the island of the Amazons. I have known many of the gods and have received their blessings," she held up her bracers for a moment. "The renown of those from Sparta is well known to my people. It is also fairly well known to those of this age," she finished hooking up her lasso before gesturing to the crowd. "We have become part of their culture in many ways," she gave another smile to the crowd before nodding. "I heard many tales of Menelaus and other brave souls from Sparta. It cheers me to meet a true warrior of their ilk."

Wonder Woman approached the man then, still somewhat guarded but smiling and as friendly as ever. "Truly, you are an impressive warrior, Kratos of Sparta. I am glad that we had the opportunity to fight together and I hope that we may join forces again."

That should be enough to warrant a proper response, at the least. Wonder Woman did mentally note that she'd left off the bits about her being a princess. Something told her that Kratos likely wouldn't care overmuch about such details. She was fairly certain it would reveal itself in time anyway.
 
Kratos was now quite suspicious of this woman. If she received the blessings of the gods, then she was in their service. This made her dangerous in his mind. He had killed many of the gods before he was left to die on that rock, and yet she spoke with him as if she was a friend, even admiring him as a Spartan. He had traveled the length and breadth of Greek lands and never heard of her home. As God of War, he had never been made privy of this place called Themiscyra. None of the gods ever mentioned it, even Aphrodite in her pillow talk. When she mentioned her people knew of the Spartans, as did the people gaping at them, he could only say,

"In hushed whispers, I'm sure. No barbarian would speak of a Spartan properly otherwise. Otherwise, they are merely gawking at what they cannot achieve. Menelaus was a legend before the city mothers began training me for the Agoge. That they fear Spartan might is only proper."

When she spoke of joining forces again, he looked at her. "Ares will be back. Especially if he knows I still live. I will kill him as many times as he sees fit to return and I will track him down to the ends of the earth if I must. You say you received the blessings of the gods. I assume that does not include him. Join me and we will see him dead."
 
Again Wonder Woman caught at least a hint of suspicion in Kratos' demeanor and voice, and again, she couldn't blame him for it. she herself had been quite suspicious of the men of this world, oftentimes still was. They seemed so foreign to her; all men did, but at least this warrior knew the same gods, understood the right culture and so forth. His pride at being a Spartan had Diana smirking, and his relation to Menalaus at least helped her figure out from when he hailed.

"Ares is an enemy to all mortal men," Diana replied, nodding. "He and the vile god Hades have been working together to undercut the forces of light and truth for some time now. I have fought him even before I came to this strange new world, and I do not imagine he will cease in his quest to end me either. Truly, an alliance between a Spartan captain and a princess of the Amazons will be worth the reckoning."

Wonder Woman nodded again. She still wasn't certain that Kratos would be able to fit in with this strange new world, but he at least seemed to be a powerful ally. Something in the way he spoke and looked made her wonder what Ares had done to him. Did not the Spartan people celebrate war in its forms? They were at least a martial as Diana's own people, if not more so.

"Come," she said, stepping forward and gesturing for Kratos to follow, "we should leave this place and find somewhere more secluded to discuss. Then we can determine more about one another and our mutual enemy," she nodded again, brimming with confidence. This is why she'd argued to leave Themiscyra, to head into the world of man. True allies like Kratos were necessary to fight the true evils plaguing the world.
 
That Ares and Hades would work together was no surprise to Kratos. Ares gloried in slaughter and so would feed plenty of souls to his uncle Hades. That the other gods would stand against them was also not surprising to him as they indulged in this sort of squabble all the time. That Diana was apparently playing the part of a loyal servant was amusing to him.

While he was not fully willing to trust her, she seemed a worthwhile ally for the time being. However, Kratos had been cast in the part of the pawn enough to know he was not going to let that happen again. If they were to be allies, it would be on his terms. As to what she had to offer him, while her strong arm and skills were certainly acceptable, it was some time since he last had some pleasure with a woman, mortal or otherwise. She certainly seemed strong enough to endure his desires.

"Yes, let us go somewhere more private. We have much to discuss for this alliance." He followed her to where she would go to talk. Once they were alone and he could get the upper hand, he tell her about the sort of choice she made for an ally.
 
Wonder Woman nodded as Kratos accepted her offer. They would be allies, of at least some sort, and that was enough for Diana for now. She didn't bother to ask if Kratos had been gifted with the power of flight in some form or fashion: were that to be true, then he would've flown to fight Ares. Instead she simply started walking, guiding the warrior. There were a handful of mortals that wanted to ask questions; these sort always gathered around the scene of a fight. Diana had grown used to them, and it was easy enough to dismiss them and to get their leave to pass by. Most knew that delaying a superhero never turned out well, a handful knew that Wonder Woman was especially not one to disturb, and those that didn't only needed to spend a few moments looking and eying Kratos before deciding that the Amazonian could deal with him on her own.

As they walked, Wonder Woman offered up some explanations for some of the world. The world of man had moved on, putting the gods and tales of valor into the realm of story as opposed to reality. They knew of Amazons, of Themiscyra, of Sparta, of Ares, but they knew of them as myths and forgotten legends. They believed in other gods, some with proof, some without. There were heroes about that had started to shift this idea, Wonder Woman included, but it was quite the intriguing world. And quite a busy, full one at that.

Fortunately, there were still places one could go that allowed for some freedom. Wonder Woman had already been luring Ares out toward the edge of town, and a local park had been set on the outskirts of the impressive metropolis. Diana herself went here to relax and to simply enjoy some nature and the like. True, there were still the occasional passersby, but not nearly to the extent of the rest of the world.

"These mortals seem to enjoy their own works more than those of the gods," Wonder Woman commented as they entered the well-kept park. She smiled and gestured around them for Kratos. "I realize it's not the sort of place a Spartan may feel comfortable, but it is secluded and feels natural, does it not? Here we may get down to further details, to fully flesh out our burgeoning alliance," she nodded, again drawing herself up to royal confidence with the posture to match.
 
Kratos absorbed what Diana told him. Their cultures absorbed into stories. That may be a good thing. But he couldn't shake the feeling that he had just moved forward in time. Surely the world would remember the God of War who killed all the other gods and left the others to die slow deaths as the world fell into chaos and ruin. That other gods had filled the void may explain things, though. But who were they as he had never encountered any other gods but the Olympians.

When they reached the park, Kratos looked around. Certainly his people would not think of setting aside some piece of nature unless there was some god connected to it and they certainly would not tend to the greenery themselves. He had only seen such gardens in the homes of wealthy Greeks and Hera kept her own garden. But those were projects of vanity to show off that someone had the time for such frivolity. This seemed to have another purpose, as if trying to keep this particular patch of ground from having a building on top of it, but also tended to keep it appealing. Looking back at the city, he wondered if perhaps they had become so weary of such structures to want some wilderness, even if it wasn't left completely wild, nearby. When Diana mentioned she wants to get into further details on the alliance, Kratos snapped to attention on her.

"Yes, our alliance. Let me make this clear, I am not fighting for the gods. I have no interest in their games. I want Ares and Ares alone. If Hades happens to fall into my lap, I certainly have no problem with killing him a second time as well. If any of the gods you serve decide they wish to face me, then I shall kill them as well. I've already done it once and I have no problem doing so again.

"Also, I am not your servant. I am working with you for my own goals. I have been the servant of the gods only to be betrayed three times by three gods. Ares was one of them and cost me the most. The others have felt my wrath as well and I shall do so again."

He then cast an appraising eye on Diana and considered his options, "If that is all satisfactory to you, perhaps we should find a way to seal this alliance properly."
 
Again, Wonder Woman was hardly surprised to hear that her new ally cared not for the gods. That struck her as being rather foolish, and she nearly said as much then. However, she knew the Spartans to be rather uninterested in such matters, at least so long as the legends and histories proved to be true. Besides, he fully admitted to wanting to end Ares, even spoke of killing him. That certainly served Wonder Woman well enough.

The bit about not being her servant nearly had her laughing. Her lips curved slightly. "I've had many a servant, I need not another here," she replied dismissively enough. She noticed his eying her and raised her brows yet again. The idea of sealing the alliance did make some sense, and she knew there were several customs.

"We are most fortunate in that there are others in this land who would also join in the fight against tyranny and unjust gods," she supplied, nodding. "There have been a handful who have already offered to help, though we are not close. They also do not believe as do you and I," her face hardened at that. She still couldn't quite grasp the paganism of these foolish men. Most men struck her as being foolish, even ones such as this who made alliances with almost childish terms. As if allies served one another indeed.

Wonder Woman took a step closer to Kratos. She extended a hand, fingers opened for locking. "I look forward to allying with a warrior of Sparta. Perhaps you will even be as worthy as an Amazon," she smiled slightly teasingly at that, hoping that he at least had some sense of humor behind all that dour posing.
 
The Amazon was seemingly foolish herself. Kratos wondered just how quickly her gods would abandon her when they discovered she was allied with the man who had killed them, or at least some form of them. She even said she had servants enough. Diana was certainly as arrogant as she was naive in his eyes.

When she offered her hand, he took it in his own massive paw of a hand, nearly consuming it between the thick fingers and massive palm. Hearing her challenge that he may even be as worthy as an Amazon, Kratos retorted, "Aphrodite was certainly not complaining of my performance when I left her."
 
The impressive hand dwarfed hers, but Wonder Woman returned the grip with her own godly strength. The woman was, after all, a warrior in her own right, one of the royals of a warrior race. The firm grip simply meant that they could demonstrate their strength to one another, which would only serve to further strengthen their alliance.

His comment, however, drew a short laugh out of Diana. "The goddess of love is quite easy to impress," she replied, moving to release her hand. "I think you'll find that an Amazon princess is going to be significantly more difficult," she flashed him another smile before turning her head slightly, indicating the world around them with another hand.

"So come, ally Kratos of Sparta, I am certain you have several questions to ask. Allow your new ally to explain matters. Though I must confess to not knowing quite everything about this strange new world," after all, they must be open with one another. Wonder Woman again felt the slight thrill that came from having an ally to fight against the unjust gods with her. Even if he did seem rather boastful about his dealings with some gods, Kratos still struck Diana as being an ally worth having.
 
When Diana stated Aphrodite was easy to impress, he was quite amused. Apparently she never shared the goddess' bedchamber. That she made out the act of satisfying an Amazon, and a princess no less, a challenge, made Kratos more determined to put her body to the test.

"Tell me how it is the world has restored itself. Have new gods taken up those positions that went vacant since my time?" He was still going to skirt the issue of him actually killing the gods once so she didn't immediately avoid him. As fun as it would be to just take this arrogant princess right there, the sounds of struggle might alert someone and given the awe she seemed to get, a crowd would rise quickly. Not that he couldn't handle these soft barbarians in scores, but he didn't know enough of this world to make that sort of decision with abandon.

"I am sure you have questions for me as well. Ask them."
 
The world had restored itself? Wonder Woman frowned at that, wondering what the man intended by that statement. It struck her as being odd, and she couldn't rightly recall a moment when the world had been torn asunder. Then again, she'd only been in this strange world of man for a short time. Perhaps she had missed something.

"The true Gods of Olympus still sit on their thrones," she offered, speaking a little slowly, as if she were speaking to a horse that might buck or a particularly nervous child. "The pantheon remains intact, despite Ares and Hades' best efforts to uproot things." Wonder Woman turned, looking out toward the people around them. This strange world with its large cities and abundant technology. Even now, it surprised and baffled the Amazon. She heard Kratos' other question, but she did have a bit more to add herself.

"These people do not believe in any of the gods," she felt as if she were repeating herself, but it needed saying. She looked to Kratos. "Some even believe despite the presence of evidence to the contrary," she smiled. "Men are quite foolish like that," she looked away again, wondering what questions she should pose to the Spartan warrior. Perhaps motive? She would need to know why he too fought against the more violent, chaotic gods. This did strike her as being rather personal, however, and he may not be so willing to divulge.

"Do you recall how you came to this world?" she asked, figuring that to be a safer way of going about finding out the same information. She looked to Kratos, curious. After all, he bore no outward signs of magic or godly blessing, save for his swords. So perhaps someone had sent him? or pulled him here as an ally?
 
She said the gods were still on their thrones. She knew nothing of the world being devastated. So he had not gone forward in time, but rather into another world. These gods were not those he had killed. At least not completely. Ares seemed to recognize him, but it may have been a mere assumption that Kratos was someone he may have crossed.

When she mentioned that these people believed in no gods, but there were some that believed with no evidence, he was puzzled. The gods of Olympus were always adamant of flaunting their powers, making sure mortals were cowed by them. This was strange to him that the gods did not interfere.

When she asked if he remembered how he came to this world, he decided honesty was best if they were to be allies. "I was dying, I accepted it, was prepared for whatever fate I had in store for myself. I thought myself in Elysium when I awoke here and heard the sound of your battle with Ares."

Looking to Diana's hand in his, he looked up at her, "This is a strange method of sealing an alliance. I was thinking something a bit more . . . physical."
 
Ah, so he'd been transported while perishing. That made sense, and it did happen from time to time, or at least, that had been Diana experience in the matter. She did have to wonder some about his story, even with the various nods to mythology and claims. For just a moment, she had to wonder if this wasn't some sort of trick. Hades did like to play with people, and if this man truly had died at some point, then it was a distinct possibility that he might have been manipulated in such a way as to end up encountering Wonder Woman at just the right moment.

Kratos' next words made Diana wonder further. She let out a slight chuckle at his comment, shaking her head. "You men do have strange ways, I'll grant that," she admitted, before favoring him with another, decidedly condescending, smile. "Despite what so many of your kind seem to believe, I am not interested in such matters. My garb is what was granted to me, and it helps serve my purpose."

Wonder Woman nodded at that, readying to release Kratos' hand and return to a more neutral stance. She didn't see any reason to worry overmuch about the man: he didn't have the blessings of gods upon him. If anything, he sounded more like someone who had rejected the gods altogether. Curious, yes, but it still likely meant that Diana could easily best him if it came down to it. Plus, he simply wasn't quite physically appealing enough for her to drop her guard in that matter. Bulky, yes, but appealing? No.
 
Kratos was not intimidated by strong women; every proper Spartan woman was educated in physical fitness and a level of combat if it was ever to be needed. However, this woman was not a Spartan. Her condescension towards him did not become her.

"Not interested? Not even in ensuring plenty of daughters to protect your lands? Even an Athenian woman, capable of only the weakest offspring, would think you mad. I bear the scars of battle and I have had at least one healthy child before I came here. A healthy daughter who would bring plenty of good sons to Sparta had she lived that long."

He considered what to do with this woman. Forcing her was not appealing to him just yet. There was time yet to convince her into becoming more intimate with him. While he was thinking of his situation, he felt the pangs of hunger within him. It had been some time since he had eaten and he finally needed to sate it. "Are you in need of food as much as I?"
 
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