08-15-2018, 02:11 AM
He hadn't wanted to leave the balcony. It was odd. Just saying the name of the housing projects had felt like he had torn open a scab or unearthed a grave. Last bit of dirt removed and there it was, black pit surrounded by the peaceful green grass, a gentle mist in the air. Fresh air on a wound, It had felt...strangely freeing.
The feel of the air on the wound was like salt, being rubbed into it. Fucking Highland Park! All those rich assholes, their clubs and their cars. So weak, with mommy and daddy's money to buy the world for them. Private schools and uniforms, La Cross sticks and ski trips. Not a one of them knew what real life was. How disgusting and painful and humiliating it was, the stink of a freshly unearthed grave, putrefaction wafting up to fill the nostrils and expose violence that was within.
Malik growled deep within himself. And then Marcus felt a soft smooth hand take his. It was so tiny, in his hand. But it squeezed, as if to impart strength or something. He looked at Danika, surprise on his face. After a moment, he covered it with a friendly smile. Inside, though, he didn't know what to think.
Ascendancy had Danjou by his side. Marcus knew what this was about. A public affirmation of loyalty. A new chapter for the Legion. And a new arm of CCD influence. He doubted Danjou really understood the ramifications of what he was doing. Carpenter was a Rod of Dominion now. That was not accidental. With the finest gossamer threads, the Legion was being tied to the Empire.
His eye caught the Representative from the United States and it narrowed slightly. He thought he had figured out the plan. At least caught glimpses of it. Almost assuredly it had been cooked up by Ascendancy, Vladislavovna and Bykov. Just what he had reasoned out was brilliant. But...he didn't like the way Avalon looked at Ascendancy. Certainly there was worship there. Expected. No, there was ownership there. That bothered him. Even more so because he caught Ascendancy with a similar look for her.
It was an unexpected complication. The Inner Sphere was a known quantity. And he had been making his connections with them. But Avalon....she represented something new. New and dangerous. Unpredictable. Perhaps he could do something about that. Carefully, of course.
Frankly, it made him antsy. He felt like something was wrong. He looked at Avalon again. She was dangerous but...he stopped, feeling his hackles rise. No. Something was very wrong. He looked around trying to see what it was that spooked him. He looked at Ascendancy and saw the man doing the same thing. What the hell? His heart pounded inside his chest and he didn't know why.
He pulled the Force into himself, tried to hold as much as was possible, tried to see what was going on.
And then it flew into the room and his heart stopped. Oh shit! The ijiraq was upon Ascendancy in no time and the man's screams came to him. The words of the creature rolled over him but he had no time to think. He was frozen in time, the sound of Ascendancy's wails and howling bringing back the memory of that night.
Almost as if both instances merged. He is in the ballroom and he is on the floor of Ascendancy's apartment. The sweat covers his body as he writhes in agony, feeling as if he is being cooked from the inside. His head aches. His vision is blurry and vibrating. And he is terrified. Blackness threatens to engulf him, to scour him away, to erase him from the universe.
Someone is screaming. Many are screaming and running. He feels the power being woven around him, hears the cries. Vaguely he see the Rods of Dominion attacking the creature, striking at it. And yet it is Ascendancy they hit as often as not, Avalon trying to shield him to no avail.
He knows it will not die. Not like that.
But he is frozen in terror. He is in the dog cage. He is hiding under the covers. He is being whipped. He is trapped in the closet. He can't breathe being held under the water. He is in the bed trying to avoid the probing hands. He is everywhere in that tomb.
Malik writhes and thrashes about inside him, seizing at the Force, demanding control, finally succeeding in wrenching it from him. Energy surges into Malik. I am Darth Malik, Dark Lord of the Sith! he rages to himself. Grabbing the Force by its throat he crushes it under his feet. He has pushed the weak Marcus to the side.
Striding forward, he weaves threads of air to carry his voice, making it crash over the room like a wave."Stop attacking! You are killing the Ascendancy!" And then he raises his hands and sends weaves of water and air and fire to the thing, as he had the once before. He draws the fire from the creature, sending it into the gold leaved walls, the precious metal beginning to melt and dribble down.
The creature writhed in torment and the screams from inside may have lessened. The cocoon mist was still there, but it bubbled and boiled and he could see limbs or even a man's head thrash about. This one was strong, though, far stronger than the other. Malik was channeling as much of the Force as he could and it still fought.
"Dominions!! Like this!!"
The feel of the air on the wound was like salt, being rubbed into it. Fucking Highland Park! All those rich assholes, their clubs and their cars. So weak, with mommy and daddy's money to buy the world for them. Private schools and uniforms, La Cross sticks and ski trips. Not a one of them knew what real life was. How disgusting and painful and humiliating it was, the stink of a freshly unearthed grave, putrefaction wafting up to fill the nostrils and expose violence that was within.
Malik growled deep within himself. And then Marcus felt a soft smooth hand take his. It was so tiny, in his hand. But it squeezed, as if to impart strength or something. He looked at Danika, surprise on his face. After a moment, he covered it with a friendly smile. Inside, though, he didn't know what to think.
Ascendancy had Danjou by his side. Marcus knew what this was about. A public affirmation of loyalty. A new chapter for the Legion. And a new arm of CCD influence. He doubted Danjou really understood the ramifications of what he was doing. Carpenter was a Rod of Dominion now. That was not accidental. With the finest gossamer threads, the Legion was being tied to the Empire.
His eye caught the Representative from the United States and it narrowed slightly. He thought he had figured out the plan. At least caught glimpses of it. Almost assuredly it had been cooked up by Ascendancy, Vladislavovna and Bykov. Just what he had reasoned out was brilliant. But...he didn't like the way Avalon looked at Ascendancy. Certainly there was worship there. Expected. No, there was ownership there. That bothered him. Even more so because he caught Ascendancy with a similar look for her.
It was an unexpected complication. The Inner Sphere was a known quantity. And he had been making his connections with them. But Avalon....she represented something new. New and dangerous. Unpredictable. Perhaps he could do something about that. Carefully, of course.
Frankly, it made him antsy. He felt like something was wrong. He looked at Avalon again. She was dangerous but...he stopped, feeling his hackles rise. No. Something was very wrong. He looked around trying to see what it was that spooked him. He looked at Ascendancy and saw the man doing the same thing. What the hell? His heart pounded inside his chest and he didn't know why.
He pulled the Force into himself, tried to hold as much as was possible, tried to see what was going on.
And then it flew into the room and his heart stopped. Oh shit! The ijiraq was upon Ascendancy in no time and the man's screams came to him. The words of the creature rolled over him but he had no time to think. He was frozen in time, the sound of Ascendancy's wails and howling bringing back the memory of that night.
Almost as if both instances merged. He is in the ballroom and he is on the floor of Ascendancy's apartment. The sweat covers his body as he writhes in agony, feeling as if he is being cooked from the inside. His head aches. His vision is blurry and vibrating. And he is terrified. Blackness threatens to engulf him, to scour him away, to erase him from the universe.
Someone is screaming. Many are screaming and running. He feels the power being woven around him, hears the cries. Vaguely he see the Rods of Dominion attacking the creature, striking at it. And yet it is Ascendancy they hit as often as not, Avalon trying to shield him to no avail.
He knows it will not die. Not like that.
But he is frozen in terror. He is in the dog cage. He is hiding under the covers. He is being whipped. He is trapped in the closet. He can't breathe being held under the water. He is in the bed trying to avoid the probing hands. He is everywhere in that tomb.
Malik writhes and thrashes about inside him, seizing at the Force, demanding control, finally succeeding in wrenching it from him. Energy surges into Malik. I am Darth Malik, Dark Lord of the Sith! he rages to himself. Grabbing the Force by its throat he crushes it under his feet. He has pushed the weak Marcus to the side.
Striding forward, he weaves threads of air to carry his voice, making it crash over the room like a wave."Stop attacking! You are killing the Ascendancy!" And then he raises his hands and sends weaves of water and air and fire to the thing, as he had the once before. He draws the fire from the creature, sending it into the gold leaved walls, the precious metal beginning to melt and dribble down.
The creature writhed in torment and the screams from inside may have lessened. The cocoon mist was still there, but it bubbled and boiled and he could see limbs or even a man's head thrash about. This one was strong, though, far stronger than the other. Malik was channeling as much of the Force as he could and it still fought.
"Dominions!! Like this!!"