Fallout

[Aria]

Four men appeared in her room and Aria recognized all of them. Stepanovich entered feeling a little put off like he'd been dismissed unduly. "The Ascendancy will be here in a moment. Mr. James has agreed to provide healing."
Aria wondered why he'd feel such a way when he was just doing his job as Ascendancy saw it. Sometimes just knowing how someone felt made things even more complicated.

But it was the Sigma's emotions that drew her for a fleeting moment there was fear and panic with a residual darkness - malice lingering before it was swept away into the expanse of the void of other emotions. She wanted to know what he was thinking about her darkness felt a kinship for a moment and it wanted to bring the other out to play. Aria gave the man a small smile before turning her attention to the officer who had been with Dorian Vega at the warehouse. The godling. Aria wondered if baby godling had turned Dorian in to his superiors as some sort of traitor.

There was so much potential for power in this room Aria shivered. Her handler stood in front of his chair waiting for the Ascendancy. Did he even know the danger that lurked just the other side of these men? Only he and Viktor Stepanovich were mundane. And Ascendancy would be joining them soon.

Jensen hurried to her side and looked her over. His hand on hers made her handler step a little closer. Aria looked around her friend to the ZARS agent. "I won't hurt him. He is a friend."
Aria smiled up at Jensen. "It has been a while. You look tired, and I once again look like hell warmed over."
At least this time she wasn't in need of a change of clothes - not that a hospital gown was much better. She laughed at the thought that the last time she'd faced a Ijiraq it had been with Jensen and Giovanni's help and here one of the trio was with yet another dead Ijiraq. "Did you hear what happened?"
Aria nodded towards the muted screen on the wall. "The truth of the matter?"


The ZARS agent spoke softly, "Aria."

"Jensen was once food for the mist too."
Aria grinned at the ZARS agent - a cryptic sentence that Jensen should understand.

[Jensen James]

He followed Aria's line of sight over his shoulder. She'd locked eyes with a man in the room that Jensen only now realized was there. Their exchange was lost to him, but soon forgot the curiosity. He smiled a little. She had a sense of humor still, that was a good sign. "You look well with all things considered. I'm only tired because it's been a long night. I was at the airport and thought by now I'd be asleep somewhere over Europe. It's nothing a little bit of black coffee can't fix. You on the other hand,"
he tsk'd, teasing only a little since. He squeezed her hand fondly. He wasn't sure why he felt a kinship with her. Much had happened since he met Aria.

The word mist conjured reason to shiver, and Jensen swallowed the remainder of his jesting mood. He knew exactly what mist meant, but he did not understand why she brought it up again.

He shook his head no in answer to her question. Confusion lined his features, and he glanced at Marcus. Aria knew him? And the Ascendancy? If they were all involved in thwarting the nuclear plot, why bring up the mist? What really happened?

Jensen had a feeling he shouldn't be asking.

[Aria]

Aria grinned at Jensen's reaction. She squeezed his hand to imply comfort. "Don't worry it's dead."
Aria looked at the Sigma with a grin. The ZARS agent spoke her name again softly to reminder he yet again she was speaking out of turn. Aria gave him a polite smile before turning her attentions on the officer standing in the room.

Aria had met him twice - once in the tunnels when she was killing an Oni. It had been a dark time for her - before Nox. And then a second time - also a not so nice time. She'd just killed De La Cruz for Aurora's death and he was there when their house had blown up because of the Atharim. A not so good time despite the euphoria from killing the man. But he had been with another Atharim.

Aria smiled at the officer. "Did you turn in Dorian Vega to your superiors? I know he hasn't returned the favor if you haven't otherwise Nox wouldn't associate with you. "
Aria turned her head sideways. "Well maybe he would. If you like to play in the tunnels as much as he does."

[Ivan Sarkozy]

Aria didn't look too bad. Definitely not like the Sigma or the Ascendancy. He'd be willing to bet she didn't look too bad in her gown. Course she was a bit thin for his tastes, but still. The thought was fleeting and for a moment, he felt a twinge of guilt. Zo wouldn't like him thinking that.

And then Ivan forgot all about all of that- well, as much as he ever forgot about Zo, anyway- and he listened. Because none of this made sense. A mist that...what? Ate people? The guard warned her off the topic. He looked for handcuffs tying her to the bed and instead only saw tattoo. Yes, she was like Vega. Atharim, who hunted monsters. But they also hunted channelers. But while she ZARs guard, she seemed a guest. Someone the Ascendancy wanted healed.

What the hell was going on? He looked quizzically at the Sigma, though of course, he knew the man wouldn't give any answers. Pigs would fly first. Instead, there was a strange look on his face. Realization? Recognition. He opened his mouth, seemed to see the room, and closed it. Ivan figured DuBois probably wanted to speak with her in silence. Whatever had happened, it had involved the Atharim.

Then she asked him a question. "No, I didn't. We are...working together on a project."
A project. Yeah. His son. He didn't mention that Vega had already outted himself to the cap. Not that he would keep things secret. They wouldn't be secret. He just didn't want to go into details here. "I was gonna give Nox a call. See if he wanted to get together."


For some reason on this chit-chat felt stupid. As if they were dancing around what they really wanted to talk about. The explosion. Or the mist. Or was it both? The elephant in the room anyway.


Edited by Ivan Sarkozy, Oct 24 2016, 05:32 PM.

[Aria]

Aria smirked as lust and guilt passed through the officers emotion to then fade in the normalcy of vague nothingness emotions that were now common place in her mind. It would be the darkest depths of the human soul she would continue to see after whatever it was that Manix had done to her mind. But to feel any again was a gift she had never thought to want. Walking blind in the world was something she'd wished for but now she new better.

Aria wondered if the project was the same project Nox was working on. "Dorian Vega seems to be a collector of rare persons, much like myself. I did not expect it of the protege of Martin Borovsky. I wonder his reasons."
Aria knew Nox would tell her why Vega had chosen to align himself with Nox. He'd asked for Nox specifically - he knew he was a god - why did he want her friend when he had an ally already?

"As I understand it, Nox is with Dorian now. Do not call Nox on the number you have for him. The less attention the Atharim have on you the better. Nox will have the weight of the remnant on him soon. Being friends and partners with traitors has that side effect. If you do see him, tell him I am safe."
Aria spoke to her self out loud, "There is so much to tell him."


The small room was crowded and there was little more small talk she could make. The silence bothered her almost as much as the silence from the men around her. Aria turned to the Sigma with a smile. "We have not been introduced. I am Aria formerly of the Atharim."
Now Aria had no clue what her life was going to be like - a mundane living sounded so boring - even more boring than being trapped in the basement of the Vatican learning about the things she now fought.

"I am pleased to see you up and about. I wish I could have seen how you single-handedly removed the threat of the mist. The last time I encountered one, it took three of us to figure out the right combination."


Her handler's anger grew but if Aria couldn't feel it she wouldn't have known his voice was still soft. "Aria."

She turned her attention on the ZARS agent with a smile. "Come now. I'm not saying anything more than talking shop. I hunt monsters for a living. Jensen here has seen the Ijiraq in the flesh. He fought beside me the second time I encountered one."
Aria pointed to Ivan. "Our lovely officer of the law here has helped me dispatch an Oni, and he's worked with my partner in the tunnels dispatching creatures unknown to the Atharim."
Aria turned towards the Sigma. "And the Sigma here has dispatched another Ijiraq and he is very much a curiosity to me. Born in America, come to the CCD much like the Ascendancy himself."
Aria wanted to know very much about the darkness that lurked inside the Sigma but she kept her commentary to herself though she gave the man a knowing smile.

[Marcus DuBois]

Marcus guarded his face and body language carefully, after that initial reaction, showing instead only friendly interest- especially in the upcoming healing. She knew about that mist creature. He had killed it, true. But he wanted to know more.

It seemed she had fought them before, her and James. Was he Atharim after being a disgraced pastor? Or had he always been one? There was not enough information for him to tell yet.

What he did know was that there was a cover story about what happened and the ZARs officer was cautioning her about what she revealed. Despite being what appeared to be a trusted officer- very trusted, since he had been allowed in the Ascendancy's presence despite his power. And had tracked down a healer- obviously, someone from on high had decided that the truth could not be known.

The reasons were obvious. There would be panic. Fear. Probably riots. But there would also be those who would take advantage of the power vacuum, should something happen to Ascendancy. The Sphere would collapse into fighting among themselves even as nations reasserted their independence- and more. The hunger to empire had not been quashed. And of course, the sleeping giant across the waters, the United States, would not let an opportunity slip by. At least not if they had any sense. These days, though, given the lack of political leadership, they might very well.

The story would give time and hold people in abeyance, prevent things from exploding at once. They could not have known that a healer had been- or could be- found. There was only one real place the story could have come from. Bykov and Vladilavovna. He almost smiled at their audacity. It was brilliant. And potentially, it might even allow them to throw their hat into the ring. They already controlled the media and information.

How would he feel about that, if the Ascendancy had died and they succeeded in taking over? While he admired them- learned from them, studied them and what they did, was impressed by their skill- was he willing to take a back seat to ones such as them? They were not Ascendancy. But they were part of his arm, his control. He decided he would not have challenged them yet. He could play a long game too. And he was younger- much younger- than them. More than that, he had his own tricks. They weren't as permanent or far reaching but he had already used them create a small network of people loyal to him, who fed him information. He would have surpassed them, in time. And in time, if he was in their circle...

All moot, now. The crisis had passed. Except that wasn't true either. There was always the possibility of accident. The Ascendancy was crucial to his plans. He did not chafe at the idea of being an apprentice. But one day, in the future, he would be ready to take his place. Just as Bykov and Vladislavovna had.

Sometimes he despaired of everything he would have to learn, that he would run out of time. But nothing worth doing was easy. The challenge was before him. He would make use of every opportunity, take advantage of every possibility.

Like this woman- a former Atharim, she called herself. Was that before or after their attack? She was the one who called out how to kill it. More likely a double agent. Ascendancy knew they were coming. And she named the creature. Ijiraq. There was some comfort in knowing its name. He had never seen anything one might call out of the ordinary- well, aside from the Force- the power. Yet Ascendancy spoke of other creatures, things she probably knew of. She possessed the knowledge he wanted.

He looked over at James before answering. It should be obvious to him the tale about a bomb was untrue, if he was paying attention. Still, it could be spun the right way. He would have to understand that the truth would have been far more devastating, had it become common knowledge. Then again, the man was emotional. That made him harder to predict, in some ways.

So...to walk the line. He still needed James. But he wanted what this girl had. His face remained amiable. "Marcus DuBois, of the Sigma program. As for the how, you were the one who provided the final clue. Freezing it. You came at the right moment."
He had been moving in that direction himself, though whether the damage from the microwaves- it had to be EM emissions- would have overcome him beforehand, he couldn't honestly say. He signed inwardly. Yet another thing to consider, now. "Thank you for the timely assistance."


As for the rest, he would not answer here. In private, perhaps. At least he knew why she had been following the butcher now. Pleasure wormed its way up at the memory, but he tamped it down.

[Aria]

Aria smiled at the Sigma's lingering emotions. Of the men in the room he was the loudest. The new emptiness of happiness made the darkness standout in people. Maybe it was a good thing. But if Jensen where here to heal her wounds she had questions. Questions only he could answer - well he or Manix, but Aria didn't exactly want to question him on this. He already thought her ungrateful.

Aria smiled at the Sigma, she wanted to know more about him. "My pleasure. We will have to discuss it later."


Aria turned back to Jensen. "You can heal?"
The question was rhetorical, Stepanovich had already declared it so. It was the only explanation for the Ascendancy's rapid recovery and the Sigma's as well.

"This is not the first healing I've received. Bad things happen and God saw it fit to give me yet another savior."
Aria didn't believe she was worthy of God's grace. She had not been to the Church since the last time with Lucas. And she'd not been to confession in just as long. There were many more new sins for the Lord to forgive but she feared asking.

Aria continued pushing her thoughts away. "He poked his power around things he did not understand - more than just the bullet wound in my shoulder."
Aria rubbed it self consciously. It should have ended her life if not for Manix. It hadn't hit her heart but it was dire enough she had not expected to live - but her father was dead and that made it all worth it. She smiled at the memory that Lucas' murderer had been avenged.

"If you are to touch me with the powers of the gods then I need to know you won't try to fix what you do not understand."
Aria's voice grew cold and bitter as she continued, "He took from me the very thing that makes me me. It has returned to a varying degree. But I cannot live in that void."



Edited by Aria, Oct 27 2016, 12:29 PM.

[Ascendancy]

He felt much more like himself once dressed. It was as though he'd shed a layer, like some mask, that obscured his true identity. In a suit, crisp and clean, he was taller and prouder. Once he had a shower and shave, he would finally be comfortable in his own skin. Until then, Alric was credited with foresight even Viktor overlooked.

They returned to Aria's room some time later. This time, when he entered, it was a much calmer state of mind. Aria's explanation made sense, her actions were justified. She hadn't known the Regus had an ijiraq at his command. Nobody could have foreseen it. Nikolai certainly hadn't, despite his knowledge of the legends. He'd need to look them up in his Atharim ledger once he returned to his home. If the ledger survived the battle, that was. He kept it all these years, to lose it now would be disappointing. Although he wasn't sure why that would wound.

He entered, Alric following closely. People they passed in the hall gaped, as much as ZARS agents could. The one guarding Aria stood at attention when the Ascendancy entered. Nik looked from face to face briefly. Jensen was at Aria's side. Ivan and Marcus were near, engaged in conversation.

He rounded the bed to stand opposite where Jensen sat. The young man looked tired, and while Nikolai was aware that fatigue could lead to harm when wielding their power, he was willing to risk the man's life to witness this. Aria's injuries were not life threatening, surely the amount of energy required would not be as taxing as it had been earlier.

"Thank you for waiting,"
he told Jensen, but the sentiment was mere politeness. With little regard for Aria's personal opinion on the matter, he nodded that he was ready of Jensen was.

[Jensen James]

Ascendancy returned, dressed, thankfully, as Jensen was considering Aria's remarks. He had nodded to the affirmative that he could heal. It felt odd agreeing so openly. He could feel all the eyes on him, but unlike when the viewership of a nation turned upon him, he felt exposed and vulnerable now. When he'd taken the stage he felt confident, powerful. Ironic given the change in circumstances.

Admitting to the ability to heal made him want to look away, but somehow he found himself looking between Ascendancy, Marcus, and Aria as though some invisible bonds wove them all together. No such thing existed, but he almost sensed a melding of lives that otherwise made no sense. Only, there was a different flavor of the kinship with Ascendancy and Marcus that didn't yet exist with Aria. If he closed his eyes, he was almost certain he'd know the two men stood in his presence.

With Ascendancy watching, the man that wielded so much power that Jensen wept with awe, he was glad to delay using the Gift just a few more moments.

He answered Aria, "I have never tried to focus the Gift on one part of a person before. I don't claim to understand any of it, but all I know is that when I touch you, I will sense every ache and wound you have. If there is more, I don't know what to expect. You've been blessed by this Gift before, then? I don't understand what was taken from you that you wish to retain?"
A scar maybe? They held sentimental value sometimes. Whatever else it was, he couldn't guess.

[Aria]

Aria looked over at Ascendancy and knew he was not going to suffer lightly anything she might object to. He wasn't the sort of man that bended to someone else's will.

Jensen seemed very different from the last man who'd spoken of the power in a healing sense. He didn't seem to understand exactly what he did. He just did it. Which was perfectly acceptable to her. She trusted his instincts.

Aria shook her head. "He took my ability to sense others from me. But it doesn't matter. The Ascendancy wishes a demonstration and I seem to part of it regardless of what I might say. Please. Continue. We can discuss it and other things at a later time."


Aria really didn't have any idea what to expect. The last time she was unconscious when someone healed her. Aria wondered if it would be like getting stitches or worse. There was only one way to find out.