Finding Aurora

[Aria]

Aria had expected them to be gone by the time she'd made it out of the elevator and through the lobby. Nothing felt amiss and for that she was grateful.

All of a sudden Nox was gone from her senses and with an instant of worry before hand. Aria didn't want to be calm, but she made herself walk slowly out of the double doors that had been her last barrier to freedom. It felt like a weight had lifted when the cool brisk air touched her skin.

Aria saw Nox with Connor and Ayden still standing across the street from the building. Nox was on the phone his face looked ashen. He was empty but seeing him helped. Aria was fighting the darkness inside, it was still trying to claw its way inside, and to do more damage than it already had. Now was not the time. There was too much to do.

Aria stepped across the street and towards the trio. The world was bleak through the fog of darkness - through the grief. Aria took a deep breath and found her voice when she rejoined them. "We need to go. Now!"
Aria grabbed Nox's arm and he came without hesitation. The other two could do what they wanted. Aria wanted to be home!

Nox called spoke softly over his shoulder. "If you want an explanation. Here is not the place."
He turned back to Aria and put his arm around her. Aria could feel the tenseness in his arm, he was fighting too.

Aria whispered, "Let go of it, Nox."
The subway platform was empty when they reached it. The last train having just left.

[Connor Kent]

Ayden was tense, trying to understand what had happened. And Nox...he was a mess. Between his sister, this guy and Aria, and now this call that Ayden had intercepted, it looked like the kid was floored, as if all life had left him. Instinctively he put a hand on Nox's shoulder even as he looked at the building anxiously.

He saw Aria exit from the doors of the building they had been watching. Despite the situation and need to be away, he watched her closely, trying to see if there was any difference in the way she moved or looked. He really wasn't sure what he was looking for.

It seemed odd, all of them just standing there as traffic and people passed by, oblivious to the chaotic crashing around of Nox's world. But that was life. Every single person had their own life, their own family, their own dreams- and we passed them by without giving them a thought, even when those people watched their world crumble to the ground. The memory of Hayden lying in bed, face ashen and skin clammy and cool, struck him with a force he hadn't expected.

Aria was focused on Nox and quickly rounded him up. Nox responded and they were walking toward the metro in no time. Connor looked at Ayden and took her hand to follow them. "He needs help,"
was all he said in explanation. He hoped she'd understand.

[Ayden]

Nox rudely took his phone away from her. Why wasn't Bas saying anything? Had she offended him by answering Nox's phone? Stupid men! But Nox didn't seem to be having any better luck. He stood there doing nothing, almost like he was concentrating on something. Was he using his gift? He seemed to know when she did but she couldn't tell with him. That seemed highly unfair - she could see a soft glow around Zoya, but there was nothing around Nox. This whole gift thing was just a confusing as the boy himself.

Aria rejoined them and insisted they leave. She didn't even bother to see if everything was alright. She just took Nox by the arm and he moved with her. Was he a love sick puppy? He couldn't follow her blindly like that? Was he that messed up? Connor took Ayden's hand with one simple phrase and Ayden sighed. Connor thought he was bad off, which probably meant he was and her hatred of the Atharim and in particular the little girl leading the pack were getting in the way.

But she had no reason to help them anymore, the girl was dead. It felt like a rock thrown into a puddle except it wasn't just a rock it was a boulder that covered the whole puddle. What would she do if she lost Connor? Would she be in any better shape? But the boy didn't seem too close with his sister? There were too many questions and Ayden knew she wasn't likely to get an answers - and what answers she would get weren't going to be given out in the middle of the streets of Moscow. So Ayden followed the pair of Atharim hunters down into the metro station.

Aria said something to Nox and it brought all her questions to the forefront again. She couldn't stay quiet anymore. Ayden wanted to grab the raven haired girl by her shoulders and demand an explanation. The image running through her mind made her smile but Ayden tightened her grip on Connor's hand and spoke softly. "Let it go? How do you know he is holding his gift? I can't tell and I have it too. And what the hell went on in there?"

[Aria]

Ayden and Connor had followed them. Aria was slightly peeved at that. She didn't want them around. Didn't want to discuss what happened with them or what had happened with Ascendancy. It seemed like so long ago, with everything that fell out on top of them, but only hours ago she was sitting in some hidden facility being poked and prodded by doctors and scientists while she was given clearance to leave. And then only to find out she was to kill someone. How had killing humans become something she did without Atharim reigns. Dane had started something and Aria was falling into that trap. Ascendancy wanted a man dead and for her to do it. She'd killed so easily for Nox. The man deserved it, but still she had wanted to play games. She didn't want anyone to know what she truly wanted to do.

But here the fiery red head stood asking direct questions. Things that she shouldn't know shouldn't even be discussing with this godling. And yet they still followed. They didn't seem to care about the danger they were in, or the danger they were putting her and Nox in. They didn't seem to care about anything other than what they felt was right. Nox needed help, but they were capable of taking care of themselves, they'd been doing so for years without these two hunted foes.

Aria sighed and turned around and looked up at Ayden with a grim smile. Aria's eyes darkened as she reached up and grabbed the woman's chin and pulled close. Aria fed the woman pain and anguish and every last drop of despair she could muster as she whispered into her ear, "I crushed his heart with the weight of the world."


Aria felt Nox's hand on her shoulder and let go of the woman's face. "I feel what he feels and he's empty. His gift makes him empty. You are nothing more than hatred for me and my brethren."
Aria nodded towards Connor, "At least he feels a kindred spirit and concern, you just plain hate us."

[Nox]

Aria asked him to let it go. And Nox did. She needed him as much as he needed her. They were both cast into despair with lost loved ones. Aria being lost was dangerous and he couldn't be that person. He couldn't pull her back, couldn't kill her if she went to far. His heart sank, he'd promised. He'd kept his distance because of it and of Lucas and now he might actually have to do it.

Ayden calmly demanded answers and the look on Aria's face said she was not going to answer them nicely. But Ayden had asked, and there was no better way to understand than to feel the pain of it. Aria grabbed the woman's chin. It could have been romantic if the look in Aria's eyes hadn't been pure darkness. She was going to enjoy hurting her. It was a whispered comment, a moment of darkness before Nox was putting his hand on Aria's shoulder. He could stop her. He knew that. He could and would fight her if she didn't let go.

But Aria's control was still there. Nox let out a sigh of relief. Aria told Ayden of her ability and Nox really couldn't care whether or not the red head believed her - she'd felt the pain and the power of Aria's claims. Manipulation of emotions was far harder to grasp than reading her feelings.

He needed to talk to Aria. But he wasn't going to detail their arrangements with a pair of near strangers. He just wanted to go home and hit something. "Now is not the time."


The next train arrived and they waited for the cars to empty before Nox stepped inside the nearest one and took a seat. The weight of the world seemed to push even harder now that he was sitting down. The urge to hit things was growing. It was better than crying.

[Connor Kent]

Ayden was angry and made that very clear. Connor wanted her to calm down. And then Aria took Ayden's chin in her hand and spoke softly to her, Ayden's eyes going as wide as saucers. He didn't understand it.

And then suddenly rage surged in Connor at the realization of what was happening. He stepped forward in between the two but Aria had already dropped her hand. Connor put his arm protectively around Ayden and was about to lay into Aria when the train came, the rush of the warm air and the squealing breaks almost deafening. When it stopped, the doors wooshed open and people made their way out. Connor clenched his jaw in silence, waiting.

When they were gone Nox went in and Connor and Ayden followed. They say down though Ayden still seemed a zombie, her eyes wide with fright and sorrow. He looked at Aria and spoke in venomous tones. "What did you do."
He leaned forward, his eyes ablaze. "How dare you. After all your words."
Contempt shone in his eyes.

[Ayden]

Ayden was becoming more and more aggitated the longer these two did what they did. They were going to supply answers but she hadn't expected Aria to grab her. The world pressed down upon her; her worries and fears welled up inside with a ferocity that she'd never known. Ayden saw her nightmares flash before her eyes - the bloody bodies of men and women. Her love lying in a pool of his own blood and his heart in her hand.

As quickly as it had started the overwhelming pain and fear were gone. She stood in stunned silence. The train whoosed up and caught Ayden by surprise, she nearly jumped out of her skin as Connor led the way on the train.

Ayden blinked several times as the dim light of the subway car seemed to disorient her - what had happened?

Connor was confronting Aria when Ayden finally understood what had happened. Connor had mentioned Aria'd manipulated him before. Used him. Fury rose and Ayden reached for her power and pushed the raven haired girl up against the chair she was sitting in. Ayden smiled as she struggled under the restraints. Connor was in the way. Ayden whispered with a white hot heat in her voice, "Move Connor."

[Nox]

Everyone was getting pissy now. It wasn't bad enough that Aria was in a bad place but Connor's reaction while properly placed could have been avoided. Aria wasn't herself and Nox knew this yet he'd not stopped her first. Why was this day so shitty?

Nox could barely think straight but he felt the cool tingle of a woman channeling and looked over at the fiery goddess who was doing god knows what to Aria. Her voice was white hot but Nox didn't wait for Connor to react to his girlfriend's request. He grabbed his own power and put a wall of air separating the four of them, Ayden and Conner on one side ,and himself and Aria on the other.

Aria appeared to be struggling against bonds of air. Nox thought he could cut them if he could see the weaves but he wasn't going to go haphasardly chopping away at things when Aria was sitting underneath.

Nox wanted to be angry. He wanted to yell at them but he was void of any and all emotions right now. Aria had come back to find Lucas dead. Aurora was dead - killed by a psycho son of a bitch that Aria killed. Bas was likely dead and now there was fucking power trip going on between two people who couldn't even know each other. Nox spoke softly lost in emptiness. "Everyone just chill out."
Nox looked up at Ayden. "Let her go. No one is touching anyone again if I have any say in the matter."
Nox tied off the wall of air and wove a brisk breeze in the car like someone had opened the car door and then shut it quick like. "You might be strong goddess, you might be weak, but do you want to test your mettle against mine?"
It wasn't a threat, but it came out that way. "You will not touch Aria. Aria will not touch either of you. She will behave."


Aria glared at Nox and he smirked at her. "Just doing my job, Duckling."

[Aria]

The next train arrived and Aria could feel the fury from Connor rise. He was angry with her for doing what she'd done. It didn't matter, she'd not done anything harmful and it wasn't to manipulate her - just show her, but he'd not likely care.

Nox guided her to a set of seats and sat down. He felt ragged and empty but full of confusing emotions, nothing settling just churning in a storm of chaos. She could make it worse, feel the pain, the misery he was in, drink it down like an elixir but she wasn't that person no matter what Connor now thought of her.

Aria pushed the thoughts away as Connor confronted her. There was no time to respond before Ayden went blank and Nox quickly followed her example. Connor didn't know anything that was happening in the background of his attempt at debasing her. Air wrapped around her and Aria struggled against them. She didn't know who had done what. The heat in Ayden's voice made Aria think it was her who had restrained her. But Nox's words that followed made her wonder too. What was he playing at?

A gust of wind enveloped the car with Nox's threat and Aria didn't want a power fight to break out. Aria straightened in her seat and held still. There was nothing she could do against the bonds of air. But she was ready none-the-less. Two godlings in her midst and she could do nothing to stop a war between them.

He called her duckling. Aria hated that term of endearment. While it didn't always feel like contempt as he said it, she still disliked the use of it. She was not cute and cuddly and needing protection. Her glare softened, maybe she did need protecting. The red headed godling was using her ability. He was protecting her, and himself. He was doing his job.

Aria sighed. "Yes, fine. But she needed to believe."
Aria turned to look at Connor. "Your girlfriend is fine. I could have done worse. I have done worse."
Aria grinned darkly at her acquaintance. "It was only a small taste of my ability. She asked what I did to him. I showed her what it was."
She looked over at the red-head ready with a sharp remark but Nox's hand on her shoulder stayed the comment. Aria leaned back against the chair and relaxed. Their trip would be over soon enough and they'd be home and she and Nox could talk in private. There was too much to discuss and not under the watchful eye of these two idiots - who can't leave matters alone they shouldn't be dealing with. Stay the fuck away from the Atharim - that includes us!

[Ivan Sarkozy]

[[please delete]]


Edited by Ivan Sarkozy, Oct 26 2015, 10:42 AM.