The First Age

Nox looked up and saw Dorian standing in the doorway. Cruz and Christian were arguing the merits of levers and pullies as a means of tripping the wires. They were going on and on on their points and Nox had zoned out. "I'll be back."


Nox stood up and walked over to Dorian and leaned against the wall and offered Dorian his hand. "Nox Durante. We've not really been formally introduced."


Dorian took his hand and shook it firmly. "Dorian Vega. Thank you for coming. I know the situation is a bit ... chaotic."


Nox smiled. "I think your situation and mine are bit the same or you wouldn't have asked me here. What exactly do you want from me Dorian?"


Dorian nodded towards the pair of men at the table. "You get along well with them. I need someone I can trust to watch my son. Someone who won't stand out in class. Someone who understands the dangers we are in - the people who we've pissed off."


Nox laughed. "You want me to be a bodyguard?"


Dorian nodded. "In simple terms."
Dorian walked along the edge of the house and Nox followed him. "With Ascendancy's announcement we've got our work cut out for us in Domovoi. Godlings to protect, vigilantes to keep off the streets and I can't even begin to think what monsters are going to come out of the woodwork with the Atharim spending their time hunting gods."
They walked towards the end of the house. "I'll pay you for your time. You'll stay here for as long as there is a threat. I'll pay you extra to teach Cruz how not to kill himself. Hell I'll even pay for your fucking education at Moscow University if it's necessary. I need Cruz safe. The Atharim can't kill him cause he's a god. I won't have it. You are Atharim and a god. I don't know how you do it. I'm asking you to choose a side."


Nox grinned. "I choose my side a long time ago. And I'm fairly certain my side coincides with yours. The Atharim won't let me live anymore than they will Cruz when they find out what I am. I'll stick around until something better comes along."
Nox smiled and nodded back towards the pair of arguing men. "I had a hacker get into your security system. It's his system now. He's monitoring it and it'll alert me if something happens. I'm working on early warning systems with our gifts. But if it's really dangerous if your wife goes out alone. I should get back to them before they blow something up."

Edited by Nox, Sep 18 2016, 04:52 PM.

Dorian was sure that Nox had his own reasons, but he seemed amendable to the situation. Nox seemed like he was eager to start. Dorian followed the boy over to his son and Christian. Nox sat down and Dorian stood behind Christian and put his hand on his friends shoulder and leaned down to whisper in his ear. "What do you think of him?"


Christian smiled and nodded. "He'll keep your son safe."

Dorian nodded. "Our son."
Christian looked shocked but Dorian smiled, he turned towards the two boys.

Christian spoke softly. "He has a good thought of only using those we trust if we must use servants." Christian laughed. "And I know Ana will not like letting everyone go. I suggested Lydia and Bell."

Dorian nodded. "And Pavlo?"


"I've already spoken to him and he was packing his bags cause he didn't want to work with me here. He felt I was going to take over everything."

Dorian laughed. "Make sure he gets a good severance package and a good recommendation."


"Of course, Dorian. I should get dinner rolling." Christian stood up and interrupted the boys. "I will leave you two to figure this out. I'm going to make dinner."

Nox smiled as Christian spoke of food. "I can help. We can do this inside. No bangs, just theory."


Cruz shook his head. "You don't have to help. You aren't the help."

Nox smiled. "I ain't one of you either."
Nox turned to Christian. "I'm happy to help with other things than security. I've learned to cook and I can help with the manual labor."


Christian nodded. "On short staff we can use all the help we can get."

"Then lets get started."

Quote:<dl>
<dt>Incoming Message from Elyse</dt>
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Making my own dinner makes me miss you. You'll have to teach me how to cook sometime :-D

Your tasks going alright?

:-*

Christian let Nox actually help though Dorian had tried to interfere as well as Cruz, but both of the Vega's left Nox and Christian alone once they started working. They talked about the project on hand, and how the Vega household worked. Nox learned a lot about the man who was paying him now.

Before the Vega's had sat down to eat Nox received a text from Elyse. He smiled as he sent her his reply. "Soon as we finish up with what we are doing now I'll call. We probably need to talk."

It wasn't long before Nox stopped in his tracks as he felt that definite presence of the power being drawn from far away. But it felt different - he felt sick to his stomach. Nox leaned against the wall willing the nausea away. Dorian was the first one in the hallway and about to say something when he saw Nox. Nox was trying not to heave his dinner all over the floor. Dorian walked back into the dining room and sent Christian out. Nox assumed he was going to attend to his own son.

Christian asked. "You okay? Cruz feels sick too what's going on?"

Nox shook his head. He couldn't speak right now. Opening his mouth might make things worse. Minutes flew by and the nausea didn't lessen. But it abruptly ended for a few moments. Nox tried to stand up straight but his knees were weak. What the fuck was that. But he didn't get a chance to offer up an explanation as the rolling feeling took over again - worse this time like whatever was pulling the power was angry. Nox lost his dinner.

More time passed and eventually it ended just as abruptly as it had started and Nox slid to the floor, his body covered in sweat and his head pounding from the pain. "Something's wrong with Ascendancy."
Nox pulled out his wallet and tapped the icon that he'd put on just that day and tapped a message out to Sage. "I need to talk to you. ASAP!" If something was wrong with Ascendancy it meant whatever Aria was doing was connected. He had to get information...

Edited by Nox, Sep 19 2016, 10:55 AM.

Nox cleaned up his own mess despite Christian's protests. He had a feeling he was going to frustrate the whole lot of them by the end of this whole thing. Whenever that was. By the time Nox explained to Cruz and Dorian what he thought the problem was - which was little since he had no clue only a vague idea. He was no expert on this no matter what they may think. He was just as new to it all as them.

Nox had just entered his room again. They would have to rely on the house security for now. Nox would make sure to perfect the weaves needed to lay the early warning system sometime tomorrow - maybe. He did have things he had to do in the morning, hopefully Dorian would understand.

The room was quiet and he sat down on the bed and nearly jumped at the sound of Sage's voice on his wallet. "You needed to talk?"


Nox set the wallet on the bed and turned the holo screen on. It was easier than holding the phone. Sage commented. "You look even worse than earlier."


Nox grinned. "Yeah, shit hit the fan. Something's going on at the Kremlin or wherever the Ascendancy lives. The news is saying that two ambulances left the Kremlin. I need you to check on Aria for me. I know she had a mission to kill Ascendancy - her mission lead her to work for him. I don't know what's going. I need to know, Sage."


Sage nodded. "Okay."
Nox watched as Sage kinda stared off into lala land for a while. Nox sat back on his bed and pulled the sound weave back up. He didn't think the problem of tripping it lay with the mechanism outside of it but with the sound weave itself. While Nox waited he played with various methods of tying off the weave so that when it was untied it would create the sound.

Nox played while Sage just stared off into space. Nox was untying pulling the threads of the sound weave when Sage came back to the screen. "I..."
Bang! The windows shook and Sage yelled, "What the fuck was that?"


Nox grinned. "That's the sound of success."
Now you could trip over the wire, untie the knot and bam sound. It would be an experiment in how far apart sound weaves could go but it was working. He smiled happily to himself. "You got something."


Sage nodded. "Aria is unconscious - alive. Burned and broken ribs accordding to her chart - but they don't know why she's not awake. She was admitted to Central Clinical Hospital with Marcus DuBois, Ascendancy's Sigma. Or so I can gather from the photos I've seen. They aren't releasing names just yet. I don't know anything about Ascendancy - do you want me to look?"


Nox nodded. He felt a little bit of relief it didn't look like Aria was under arrest - otherwise why take her to the same hospital with it's pricey care. I doubted they did pro-bono stuff. "Yeah see what you can find out. Let me know. I need to make a phone call."


Sage nodded. "I'll let you know what I find out."
And the connection dropped, Aria was alright. He needed to call Elyse.

Nox was a bit nervous calling a girl for the first time. It wasn't that he'd never called a girl before that made him nervous, it was that he'd never called a girl back when he said he would and everything just felt wrong about it - the whole serious relationship thing scared the hell out of him, but he was never one to let his fears keep him from something. So Nox called Elyse and as the phone rang and he waited for her to pick up the phone Nox paced in what was now his room.

"Hello,"
Elyse answered cheefully.

"Hey Elyse. So you missed me?"


"Of course I did."


Nox grinned. "I missed you too. Next time I'll have to show you around here. Not my house, but hey as long as I play bodyguard to a grown up rich kid I get to stay here free of charge."


"New job, huh?"


"Yeah kinda needed since I'm pretty sure Aria just turned against the Atharim and took me along for the ride."


"Is everything okay?"
. She sounded concerned. It made Nox's heart fall.

"I don't know. She's currently holed up in the most elite hospital unconscious, but that's all the information I got right now. Thanks to the help of Aurora's hacker friend. She was admitted with the Ascendancy's Sigma so I don't think she's under arrest."


"I see,"
she paused. "You think they'll suspect you because you were partners?"


"I think that any friend of Aria's is going to be taken down with her. But there are other reasons to know I need to get out of Dodge. My current employer is also Atharim. He did something he shouldn't, and I'm here to protect his son from the Atharim and teach him how not to blow himself up. It might not be safe to know me at all."


"I see,"
she paused, sniffling slightly. "I don't want to end this, Nox."
Nox didn't like to hear the sound of crying. It wrenched his heart and it made Nox frown. This was not how he wanted this to go.

"Elyse It might not be safe for you to know me. But it's probably not safe in the Atharim right now either. I can't make promises, but I won't let anyone hurt you if you stick with me."
Nox was surprised by his own words. He just asked her to stay without a moments of hesitation. It had been out of his mouth before he knew it.

"Thanks,"
she said, her voice sounding relieved. "I thought you were going to push me away. This is all very scary."
He thought he was going to to if he was honest. But he didn't say so. But then he kept saying he wasn't a hero and yet everything he did seemed to counter that - and this was one of those moments.

"Elyse if you stay. You can't go back there. You abandon everything you know."
Nox paused only a moment before he added, "Everything we know."


There was silence on the other end, punctuated with a few tears. "I have to fight for what I believe in. I want to stay. Where do I go?"


Nox pulled the wallet from his ear and sent Elyse the coordinates to Dorian's place. "I've sent you the information. Tell the man who answers the door you want to see me. They are under strict orders not to let anyone in. So don't get mad if they don't let you in right away."


"Okay."
There was a pause as she checked the coordinates. "I prepped a bug out bag when...when I found out. It won't take me long. Nox, I'm going to need you to hold me tonight...I knew this day would come, but not this soon."


"I'm here, Elyse. Just come here and it'll be okay."


"Okay. I trust you. I'll see you soon."


"See you soon. I'll be waiting."


"Bye"


"Bye, babe."
Nox hung up the call and left his room - so much for resting after whatever the fuck had happened before. Elyse was coming. Aria was hurt - his brain was on overdrive.

Nox went down stairs to find Christian and Cruz - maybe Dorian too, but those two definitely. He had to show them the finial product and test it out. But most of all he wanted to wait for Elyse. Nox took a few seconds to check the app on his phone connected to Sage. He tapped another message to him. "Point me in the direction of wallets that will work with what I do. I need at least three but a supply of them in reserve might be good too."

Nox went in search of the Vegas and Christian.

(( with Elyse ))


Edited by Nox, Sep 19 2016, 12:26 PM.

Elyse let the tears fall, trying her best to hold them in when she was on the phone. She sat back on her bed as the call ended and really cried then. She knew this day was coming, but hadn't expected it so soon.

Elyse had also expected to be alone when this day came, and now that things have changed, she was glad she wasn't. She was glad to have Nox. Nox promised protection, and even though she could take care of herself, she was glad to hear him say that.

Elyse wiped the tears from her eyes and went to the closet, pulling out her bug out bag. It had everything she would need in case she had to go into hiding. There was some food and a few changes of clothing as well as bottled water and cash. Compartments held spare ammunition and toiletries. Elyse grabbed a few more supplies such as contacts and some contact solution, and stuffed a few more items of clothing into.

Elyse smiled slightly when she saw the box of condoms she had purchased that day and put that in too. As she did her hand brushed by a picture on her dresser of her parents outside of Kronberg Castle. That started the tears again. Her parents didn't know what she was, and even though they would probably turn her in if they found out, she still loved them. Elyse kissed the picture and set it down before grabbing what else she needed.

Elyse sent Nox a text as she left her apartment for the last time.

Quote:<dl>
<dt>Outgoing Message to Nox</dt>
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I'm on my way. I'm going to need a new wallet - I don't want them finding me.

Elyse knew she didn't have to say who they were.

She received a response soon enough.

Quote:<dl>
<dt>Incoming message from Nox</dt>
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Working on it...go ahead and ditch it.

Quote:<dl>
<dt>Outgoing Message to Nox</dt>
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Okay - I'll see you soon.

Before leaving, she obeyed getting the address off of it first, not only going through the wiping process on the wallet, she destroyed it with a hammer. The pieces she kept for now. She would dispose of them later.

On the way to the train station, she got rid of the pieces in a local trash bin and kept walking. Boarding the train she was thankful to find a spot that was secluded. She had calmed down, but her eyes still showed that she had been crying.

Elyse got off the train and headed towards the house Nox had indicated. She thought it would be better to complete this leg on foot rather than a taxi. The less people that saw her, the better. The neighborhood was a rich neighborhood. Whoever Nox's employer was well off.

Elyse found the right house and walked up to the door, thankful that this had gone off without a hitch. Elyse rang the doorbell. A gentleman answered the door.

"I need to talk to Nox. I'm Elyse."


"I'll have to verify it with him. One moment please." he said as Elyse waited.

Nox couldn't stop pacing. He'd told Christian that he was expecting a girl. Christian had given him a look that said really, you are bringing a girl here now. But he took a look at Cruz and how he was sitting with Rachel even as Nox and he were discussing the manifestations of the power and what had gone down with the sick feeling they felt. There really was no theory to even discuss what had happened. Cruz just kept bouncing ideas off of Nox and Nox could really only shrug. He'd have to wait to connect the dots with Aria.

Nox and Cruz had actually played with the trip wires while they waited too, but Dorian had yelled at them for making bombs in the house. In their defense they had only broken one additional vase before Dorian had yelled at him. Nox had heard Ana chuckling at Dorian. "See what we could have had if we'd had another son." Dorian only glared at Ana and then tipped his head at Christian who turned away quickly when he heard someone at the door. There was something there that Nox was sure would cause some ripples, but neither man said anything.

Nox quickly followed Christian, he waited patiently for the man to do his job. Nox heard her voice and he was nervously standing just out of sight. Christian moved aside and Nox stepped through. "Hey babe."
He held out his hand and smiled at Christian. He pulled her close and under his arm and introduced her to Christian. "Elyse, this is Christian. Christian, my girlfriend, Elyse. "


Dorian was standing in the door to the study watching them. "You don't mind her staying do you? She's one of us, but she's in a dangerous position as well."
Nox didn't want to elaborate on the subject it was her secret to tell not his.

Dorian wasn't sure about what was happening with the bonding that seemed to be happening. A strange man walked into their lives and he had already asserted himself firmly in the workings of the house. Dorian relied on Christian's judgement to take care of his family. He had been doing it since he'd met the man. And Christian seemed to take to the boy quicker than anyone else. Maybe it was because they were cut from the same cloth - always wanting to help.

When Nox had informed them his friend was joining him here. Dorian hadn't questioned it he had assumed it was the little song. But he had been mistaken. Instead a short girl was pulled under his arm - she looked like she'd been crying. Dorian frowned and wondered what was going on. Nox introduced her to Christian but no one else. It said a lot to Dorian, about Nox. He wasn't going to omit the help. He was going to have to remember that Nox came from a different way of life.

But Nox asked permission to let her stay. She was Atharim, but in a dangerous position. He hadn't said she was a godling. But that was the assumption Dorian took, but little song was Furia - now Sentient. He'd done his research after running into her again.

"Nox, I'm trusting you with my son's life. You bring in who you need to. The world is not the same as it was 20 hours ago. If you trust her, I will trust her. But my family will come first to me."
He stepped closer and offered her his hand. "Dorian Vega. Welcome to my home."
Dorian turned to Nox. "Will Aria be joining us?"