04-12-2018, 11:51 AM
Twice in two days, Jay found himself before the most powerful man in the world. He took up a position at the far end of the line of nine. Karim stood at the first. Jay at the last. The others in between. The individual that followed Ascendancy in the room drew a few moments' worth of study as well. The man seemed different than the other officers of Ascendancy's detail. His confident air was mixed with amusement, a dangerous combination. He was one to watch. Strip away the power from those at his side, and there were none that Jay wasn't sure he couldn't neutralize in a hand-to-hand confrontation, but that guard lurking in the shadows was a different story. Best to keep a wary eye on him.
Ascendancy redirected his attention when he began outlining his objectives. Jay was a quiet, calm listener up until the man said one very specific phrase.
Legion Premiere.
Jay blinked. What? Since when did the legion partner with the CCD? Was this like what happened in DV? They weren't private mercenaries any longer. They had a mission of their own now. The very reason Danjou was in Moscow was to solicit funds to finance that very mission. Somehow, over the last twenty-four hours, Danjou climbed straight to the top of the world's largest mountain of cash. What'd he do? Sweet-talk Nikolai Brandon into being their benefactor? Did he ask nicely? Did he charm Ascendancy with some grand speech?
Definitely not. Brandon did nothing without an ulterior motive. What was in it for him? Partnering with the Legion? Raising money? A ball? The strain tugged on his eyes from having stared straight ahead for so long. No, Brandon didn't host fundraisers. His entire career as a politician was built on the exact opposite platform. Did he want to annex Africa? Was that it? That didn't seem right. The Custody had interests there, certainly. He squeezed his eyes shut... images of explosions and gunfire at the refinery flooded his mind. But he forced himself to shake it off.
Then, slicing through the shroud of his thoughts, a name. Lieutenant Carpenter.
Jaw tensed, Jay held his hands behind his back, careful to not move a muscle else the others would sense the anxiety. Brandon wanted to send him back to the Legion, a new weapon, to help Danjou's objectives in Africa. Next week? I have to get better. And fast.
When Ascendancy turned aside, the utter silence that followed in the absence of his voice was deafening. Every eye was honed upon the threads he wielded while he summoned the briefcase. Jay felt his brows furrow. What was going on?
Some sort of metal sphere was retrieved. It looked like some kind of melted down object that made Jay think of the tomb in the Red Square when it was reformed into the Arch.
What followed next was something Jay never imagined was even possible. More threads than he could even watch flowed from Brandon into the globe as it was remade. His jaw dropped, slowly, and probably didn't even take a breath the whole time it was worked. The power radiating off the man was incomprehensible, but probably nothing compared to what happened at the Arch.
Memories of working with Marcus blossomed in his own head. Of tracing lines of steel and welds of metal in the bedframe in that room. The power at that time had been enough to warp the corners and crash the frame under its own weight. But this, he couldn't even imagine the delicacy it would take to craft such a piece of art with the power. Let alone do nine of them at once.
When Brandon placed one in his hand, the medal was cool to the touch, small, but heavy. He lifted it closer to his eyes, and every time he looked, he saw more details than he had previously. It was beautiful. But Jay was pretty sure he didn't deserve anything like this. He looked into Ascendancy's eyes as he had the day before when he begged the man to teach him the control he needed, but now pleading that he take the honor back. "I haven't earned this."
He uttered quietly.
When Ascendancy did not recollect his gift, the facets dug into the palm of his hand as he closed his fingers around the medal.
Jay glanced at the others. Most were admiring theirs. One guy was already pinning it onto his shirt. But he didn't really see them. All he saw was a line of men repurposed into something else. What frightened him the most was knowing how right it felt. They were a unit. A team? Ascendancy called them The Nine. It was everything Jay desperately needed in his life that he hadn't known since his days with MARSOC. But this was better. There was more right in that very moment than any other moment of his life.
Then Ascendancy called him forth, and Jay swallowed nervously.
A dome of light engulfed the man. Jay marveled at its beauty, hesitating before passing through the weaves. But there was no sensation as he stepped within. Suddenly, the chatter and noise of their surroundings fell deaf. They were in some sort of bubble of protection from sound.
Jay lowered his eyes as he had yesterday when he pledged his powers to this man. "Ascendancy, I do not know what is going on with the Legion, but I don't think I'll be ready by next week. There are others more--"
he fell quiet as Brandon cut him off.
Edited by Jay Carpenter, Apr 12 2018, 11:54 AM.
Ascendancy redirected his attention when he began outlining his objectives. Jay was a quiet, calm listener up until the man said one very specific phrase.
Legion Premiere.
Jay blinked. What? Since when did the legion partner with the CCD? Was this like what happened in DV? They weren't private mercenaries any longer. They had a mission of their own now. The very reason Danjou was in Moscow was to solicit funds to finance that very mission. Somehow, over the last twenty-four hours, Danjou climbed straight to the top of the world's largest mountain of cash. What'd he do? Sweet-talk Nikolai Brandon into being their benefactor? Did he ask nicely? Did he charm Ascendancy with some grand speech?
Definitely not. Brandon did nothing without an ulterior motive. What was in it for him? Partnering with the Legion? Raising money? A ball? The strain tugged on his eyes from having stared straight ahead for so long. No, Brandon didn't host fundraisers. His entire career as a politician was built on the exact opposite platform. Did he want to annex Africa? Was that it? That didn't seem right. The Custody had interests there, certainly. He squeezed his eyes shut... images of explosions and gunfire at the refinery flooded his mind. But he forced himself to shake it off.
Then, slicing through the shroud of his thoughts, a name. Lieutenant Carpenter.
Jaw tensed, Jay held his hands behind his back, careful to not move a muscle else the others would sense the anxiety. Brandon wanted to send him back to the Legion, a new weapon, to help Danjou's objectives in Africa. Next week? I have to get better. And fast.
When Ascendancy turned aside, the utter silence that followed in the absence of his voice was deafening. Every eye was honed upon the threads he wielded while he summoned the briefcase. Jay felt his brows furrow. What was going on?
Some sort of metal sphere was retrieved. It looked like some kind of melted down object that made Jay think of the tomb in the Red Square when it was reformed into the Arch.
What followed next was something Jay never imagined was even possible. More threads than he could even watch flowed from Brandon into the globe as it was remade. His jaw dropped, slowly, and probably didn't even take a breath the whole time it was worked. The power radiating off the man was incomprehensible, but probably nothing compared to what happened at the Arch.
Memories of working with Marcus blossomed in his own head. Of tracing lines of steel and welds of metal in the bedframe in that room. The power at that time had been enough to warp the corners and crash the frame under its own weight. But this, he couldn't even imagine the delicacy it would take to craft such a piece of art with the power. Let alone do nine of them at once.
When Brandon placed one in his hand, the medal was cool to the touch, small, but heavy. He lifted it closer to his eyes, and every time he looked, he saw more details than he had previously. It was beautiful. But Jay was pretty sure he didn't deserve anything like this. He looked into Ascendancy's eyes as he had the day before when he begged the man to teach him the control he needed, but now pleading that he take the honor back. "I haven't earned this."
He uttered quietly.
When Ascendancy did not recollect his gift, the facets dug into the palm of his hand as he closed his fingers around the medal.
Jay glanced at the others. Most were admiring theirs. One guy was already pinning it onto his shirt. But he didn't really see them. All he saw was a line of men repurposed into something else. What frightened him the most was knowing how right it felt. They were a unit. A team? Ascendancy called them The Nine. It was everything Jay desperately needed in his life that he hadn't known since his days with MARSOC. But this was better. There was more right in that very moment than any other moment of his life.
Then Ascendancy called him forth, and Jay swallowed nervously.
A dome of light engulfed the man. Jay marveled at its beauty, hesitating before passing through the weaves. But there was no sensation as he stepped within. Suddenly, the chatter and noise of their surroundings fell deaf. They were in some sort of bubble of protection from sound.
Jay lowered his eyes as he had yesterday when he pledged his powers to this man. "Ascendancy, I do not know what is going on with the Legion, but I don't think I'll be ready by next week. There are others more--"
he fell quiet as Brandon cut him off.
Edited by Jay Carpenter, Apr 12 2018, 11:54 AM.
Only darkness shows you the light.