07-28-2014, 08:54 AM
Tony surveyed the body with a grim face. He had seen a lot of bodies, some of them ripped apart by a failed weave in front of his eyes. The flesh did not bother him, what bothered him was the unnatural circumstances. On closer inspection it seemed as if the body had been torn apart by some kind of shark. Probably a big one that Michael used to tell him about.
Of course it went without saying, there was no such creature in the Moscow River. The mysterious disappearances had him on edge. Veso was right - this did not look like human work.
He remembered Michael's account of monsters and Jensen's warning of the end of the world, which served to increase his paranoia. Something was not right. Something was very, very wrong.
He turned his head towards the river. It was frozen over with no sign of any disturbance to the ice. Could it have been something on land? A bear?
No. There were at least two corpses - both along the riverside - and it did not look like they were eaten. "It looks like these men were murdered,"
he said eventually.
"Murdered?"
Hans asked with a quiver in his voice.
Dan nodded. "These marks. I do not recognize them. I don't think a human could do this alone, but a beast does not leave it's prey so...whole."
Hans grimaced. "Unless they ran him through a meat grinder."
Nobody laughed.
Tony turned back to the frozen river. "They were searching the river,"
it was more for his own benefit than the others.
He made his way towards the edge and bent down to look out over the ice. He could see nothing but a vague murky blue underneath a layer of fresh snow.
With a gloved hand, Tony carefully brushed away the white flakes. The river became clearer but it was still a haze of dark blue.
Tony frowned, leaning closer and pressing his palm against the ice, careful not to break it. Even with his senses sharpened he could see nothing. He cleared a wider area, his brows drawn down.
"I don't think that's a good idea, Tony. You don't want to fall in."
Veso said, but his concern was ignored.
"What..."
he muttered under his breath. The river grew harder to see. He leaned closer. It...darkened...
What the fuck is this...
The water turned black before something flashed before his eyes. Ice erupted in his face and pain lanced through his right hand. Tony scrambled backwards and wiped his eyes in reflex. Blood dripped red across his vision and he could smell the metallic bite as it ran down his nose. He swore and used his left hand this time.
Nothing came from the broken ice, but Tony's attention was drawn to the river. The water...rippled like a wave at sea but the ice remained disturbingly untouched. The silence made the sight more disturbing and Tony could do nothing but watch as it disappeared, travelling away from the city.
"Tony, your hand,"
Veso said. The man was at his side while the other three remained frozen further up the bank.
Tony looked down to find a red mess, pain swelling to replace shock. "I will heal it,"
Veso continued, weaving a complex pattern. Tony did not have the time or the will to object to the dangers and felt the shock of healing wash over his body, leaving him exhausted.
For once in his life, he found himself speechless.
Of course it went without saying, there was no such creature in the Moscow River. The mysterious disappearances had him on edge. Veso was right - this did not look like human work.
He remembered Michael's account of monsters and Jensen's warning of the end of the world, which served to increase his paranoia. Something was not right. Something was very, very wrong.
He turned his head towards the river. It was frozen over with no sign of any disturbance to the ice. Could it have been something on land? A bear?
No. There were at least two corpses - both along the riverside - and it did not look like they were eaten. "It looks like these men were murdered,"
he said eventually.
"Murdered?"
Hans asked with a quiver in his voice.
Dan nodded. "These marks. I do not recognize them. I don't think a human could do this alone, but a beast does not leave it's prey so...whole."
Hans grimaced. "Unless they ran him through a meat grinder."
Nobody laughed.
Tony turned back to the frozen river. "They were searching the river,"
it was more for his own benefit than the others.
He made his way towards the edge and bent down to look out over the ice. He could see nothing but a vague murky blue underneath a layer of fresh snow.
With a gloved hand, Tony carefully brushed away the white flakes. The river became clearer but it was still a haze of dark blue.
Tony frowned, leaning closer and pressing his palm against the ice, careful not to break it. Even with his senses sharpened he could see nothing. He cleared a wider area, his brows drawn down.
"I don't think that's a good idea, Tony. You don't want to fall in."
Veso said, but his concern was ignored.
"What..."
he muttered under his breath. The river grew harder to see. He leaned closer. It...darkened...
What the fuck is this...
The water turned black before something flashed before his eyes. Ice erupted in his face and pain lanced through his right hand. Tony scrambled backwards and wiped his eyes in reflex. Blood dripped red across his vision and he could smell the metallic bite as it ran down his nose. He swore and used his left hand this time.
Nothing came from the broken ice, but Tony's attention was drawn to the river. The water...rippled like a wave at sea but the ice remained disturbingly untouched. The silence made the sight more disturbing and Tony could do nothing but watch as it disappeared, travelling away from the city.
"Tony, your hand,"
Veso said. The man was at his side while the other three remained frozen further up the bank.
Tony looked down to find a red mess, pain swelling to replace shock. "I will heal it,"
Veso continued, weaving a complex pattern. Tony did not have the time or the will to object to the dangers and felt the shock of healing wash over his body, leaving him exhausted.
For once in his life, he found himself speechless.