Preparations

[Aria]

Connor seemed to forgive her. She wasn't exactly sure why, he still felt some misgivings about her, probably concerning his fiance or so Nox had said he was engaged. Aria nodded at his offer of help but it seemed Nox had plenty of need to go around.

She let the anger seethe a few more moments before she fully listened to Nox's issues. Aria sat down at the phone and started flipping through the screens. "There is a camera across the street. We can see when the last time Aurora was here."


It was good to have something to take her mind off of Lucas and her father. Though she could feel the need to do something about her father nagging at her in the back of her head. She couldn't put it off too long, and she had to talk to Nox about what Ascendancy had sent her to do.

He looked lost though, now wasn't the time to add more to his plate. She could deal with it alone - for now. Aria could feel how bad he was despite the face he put on, even now he wasn't showing anything but patience. She could feel the anger, the need to do something now festering inside. Aria smiled and knew exactly how he felt. She could have to leave before too long or his despair would reach into the depths of her soul and they'd spiral downward, and then there would be no one left to pull either of them out of the bleak darkness that waited when they were able to act on their desires.

[Connor Kent]

Connor let himself drift into the background so they could talk. He didn't go anywhere, of course, but this was about them and they needed their moment. to be honest, loss always reminded him of his son. The hole was always there. He had moved on, yes, but that didn't mean he'd forget. That didn't mean that he'd pretend it had never happened. The very idea of it made Connor mad, to act like Hayden had never been. It seemed worse that dying. It was negation. Connor wouldn't do that, no matter the price, no matter the pain. At least he had been there at the end.

Nox had Aria's wallet and suddenly Connor could her the voice of a young man coming from the speaker. He seemed out of it, alternating between deliriously chipper to wallowing in sorrow. It was almost as if he were drunk, except....the other voice on the phone was that of a man taunting her, playing with her. Anger and sorrow lanced through him at the thought. If that had been Hayden's voice...He shut that thinking down. He didn't want to even imagine it. Not here. Not now.

He looked at Aria again and could see the tension she was under. He didn't really understand what her abilities were. She looked like she was trying to hold it together. God, what a thing to have to deal with. The murder of someone she loved. Her control seemed barely contained, as if she wanted a distraction.

Which led to Nox and his sister. She wanted this. She took his wallet and used whatever spy-software the Atharim had in order to pull up the cameras across the street from the warehouse.

Connor came to stand next to them, providing physical solidarity. They were both acting cool and casual though he didn't doubt that if and when the time came, they would both act with ferocity. It would be good for him to be there. It might help them not get lost.

In fact....he pulled out his wallet and texted Ayden. It might be good if she were there too. You never knew.


Edited by Connor Kent, Aug 7 2015, 09:10 AM.

[Ayden]

Ayden hadn't really gotten very far in anything to help out Nox's sister. She'd found a contact but he didn't know anything, other than the fact that where they lived was once a safe house for some Russian mobsters. It made helping Nox all the more dangerous, particularly since Bas, was of part of the Russian mob. And he was friends with Nox. Though he wasn't exactly sure how that had happened, they weren't exactly the same type of guys.

Ayden received a text from Connor. They'd had more luck than she had. Connor asked for her to come back down. Something about helping keep the peace. She wasn't exactly sure what that meant. Why did he need her?

Connor sent the address, or rather gps location of where they were at. They were on the edge of the red light district. Hell of a place to live. Ayden hopped the metro and headed towards Nox's residence. Ayden found it hard to believe it was an old warehouse. What type of person lives like that.

She knocked on the door and waited for an answer.

[Nox]

Aria had done exactly as he'd anticipated. She looked okay, but he knew her better than that. Lucas had died. He was everything that kept her going. Now he was gone and he was sure she was empty. He knew the feeling. Right now he felt lost without his sister. Nox was thankful that Aria was here. She put things straight. He could have done everything she suggested. He didn't really need Connor. But such is a person's train of thought when they are out of sorts.

The camera's outside showed Aria's arrival. And they back tracked as far as they could. There was a only the barest of time left when they caught sight of Aurora getting 'out' of an SUV. But they couldn't get much information. Two weeks ago. It had been two weeks since his sister had gone missing and he was just now finding out. He was such a horrible brother - so caught up in his own life. Fuck!

Nox sat down on the arm of the chair only to be interrupted by a knock on the door. He didn't know who it could be. Maybe it was his sister? Maybe she'd lost her key? He hoped, but he knew it would be dashed the moment he got up to answer the door.

On the other side of the door was the flaming red head who Connor called fiance. She looked up at him with a smirk. He looked like shit and she wasn't going to let it go. Nox moved aside and let her in. Connor must have called her. More the merrier right?

[Aria]

The footage was not very forthcoming. They saw Aurora getting into the car but they didn't see the person with her, not well enough anyway. Nox felt worse now. The time stamp was two weeks ago. Aria was having a hard time recalling where exactly they'd been, what she'd been doing. Where they in Siberia? Had they even left yet? Everything was still running together for her. Those few days out of touch with reality - locked in a medical dungeon in some secret facility.

Aria knew that Aurora had been here, and about how long ago. She doubted she'd get far tracking Nox's sister in a car for a long drive. Maybe it wasn't long, but she was taking luggage. That wasn't a good sign.

Aria opened her self to the lingering emotions of the warehouse. It was really going to be hard with this many people here right now. Before she got anywhere there was a knock on the door and Aria came back to herself.

Nox answered the door after a brief glimmer of hope. Aria felt bad. He was going downhill fast and she couldn't blame him. A woman with bright red hair stood just past Nox. He hadn't greeted her or anything before he moved out of the way. She didn't particularly like Nox. It didn't surprise Aria much, Nox took getting used to.

Aria wondered who the woman was, but she approached Connor and she could definitely feel the love they shared. It struck a raw chord inside Aria and she turned to go back to what she was doing. She started for Aurora's room - it would be easier to pick her up there.

[Connor Kent]

Aria pulled up the images from the cameras and soon they were looking at an SUV pulling up to the place. And then he could hear the catch in Nox's throat as a young girl came into view. Connor watched Nox out of the corner of his eye. They didn't look similar at all but of course that meant nothing. Blood meant nothing. If you lived with someone their entire life, they were family. They were a part of you. End of story. And it was clear from seeing his sister's face that Nox had a bond with her that was his world.

And now she was missing. Had been missing for two weeks, it looked like. Two weeks with no communication. In this day and age, with communication as instantaneous as it was, the thought was alien. He could understand the fear and dread that would envelop Nox- and the realization that you hadn't even noticed that you had not talked in weeks.

A memory came to him. He was 13, laying in bed reading "Great Expectations" for school. Dad had come upstairs to tell him bye. He was going to a friend's for the weekend. Connor was grounded for some thing or other. But Dad told him that for the weekend he could be off grounding. "Thanks Dad. See you when you get back." was all he said. The words seemed hollow. He heard dad head back down the stairs and he ran down and stood at the landing. "Thank you, Dad. Have a good time." He looked at his dad, who smiled at him as he picked up his bag. A part of him wanted to give him a hug. But he was 13. Too old for that kind of thing. So he just smiled and watched him go.

The last time he ever saw him alive. Walk out that door and out of his life. Killed in an accident heading home early on Saturday night. He had wanted to surprise them.

Connor took good-bye's seriously. He followed his gut and told people how he felt, no matter how stupid or sappy it looked. It drove everything he did from that day forward. He had to. He lived with the memory of that day, 32 years ago.

He put his hand on Nox's shoulder.

The door knocked and Nox went and got it. It was Ayden. He was glad to see her. It seemed a perfect time. He took her hand. "Thanks for coming babe."
He didn't kiss her though. Given what Aria was going through- the death of Lucas- he didn't want to exacerbate the situation for her.

"Ayden, this is Aria. I've told you about her. She....helped me understand what happened to Hayden."
The words seemed so trite and ephemeral. Know one could know or comprehend what that night had meant to him. Peace. Redemption. Forgiveness. Life. His heart belonged to the goddess next to him. But he had a debt to Aria.

[Ayden]

Nox answered the door with little ceremony. Something had happened from the looks of it. Connor had gotten somewhere. Ayden's heart leapt, maybe the girl was found, but it was not likely as Nox still looked like shit. He moved aside and Ayden went to Connor. A girl with raven black hair stood in front of a holo screen that was clearly the outside of the building there were in.

Ayden glanced around, it still looked like a warehouse, but it was much more homey than she had thought it would be. The kitchen looked pretty nice. Nox's sister must have had a hand in that, everything else looked pretty much like a bachelor pad.

Connor introduced her to the raven haired girl and Ayden couldn't help but frown. This was the woman who had tried to seduce her soon-to-be husband. She was thankful for that stopped dalliance, but to meet the woman in person was too much for Ayden.

Ayden smiled but it wasn't pleasant as she approached Aria with an outstretched hand. Ayden couldn't decide if she wanted to punch the girl or to shake her hand.

It was a mere moment to make the decision; Ayden's temper got the better of her and she swung a punch at the girl's face. And then another.


Edited by Ayden, Aug 17 2015, 11:37 AM.

[Aria]

The red-head was indeed Connor's fiance. Aria could feel the mixed feelings emanating from her. The other woman walked towards her with fake smile. Her anger was taking over. Maybe it was true that red head's were as hot tempered as their hair.

Aria watched as the decision was made. It was like gears switching from handshake to violence. Aria turned her head so that the redheaded woman would land against her check instead of in her nose. Aria would let her hit her once - she deserved that much.

The fist landed and Aria could taste the blood that started to trickle in her mouth. The taste of iron and her already foul mood made Aria's temper rise. She took a deep breath as the other woman came in for another punch. Aria ducked and dropped to the ground swiping at Ayden's legs with her. As she fell Aria went for the sword that was no longer at her hip. Aria stood above her and she could feel the anger seething through her - she wanted to hurt her but she stayed still stayed put.

The fury of finding out Lucas was killed by her own flesh and blood boiled to the surface. It raged to full potential. The taste of her own blood only fed the fire. Aria took a step forward towards the downed woman.

[Nox]

Shit hit the fan faster than well too fast. Introductions were made. Ayden approached Aria and took a swing - connecting against Aria's cheek. Aria let her get that punch in she readied for it. His anger rose and he reached for the power, it slipped from his grasp the moment he tried.

He took a deep breath and calmed his emotions as he watched the situation play out. Aria dropped to the ground and Ayden was falling backwards. Nox reached for the power in between breaths and he felt the power flowing through him. It raged inside, it didn't want to be controlled but he did it anyway.

Aria reached for her sword and Nox was thankful it lay on her bed, it gave him a bit more time to weave the necessary threads together. He let the power scour him clean of his own emotions. There was nothing but the power left inside of him. It felt glorious and he drew upon the power deeper than he had ever done. It hurt.

Nox lessened the amount of power he pulled upon. The world was still crystal clear, but the pain was gone and he felt less than before - less like a god. Nox could almost taste his hatred of the term and what the Atharim meant by it. But he let the emotions roll off him.

Ayden was not his concern. He wove a wall of air as Aria took a step and he pushed her back. Her attention turned to him as he pushed her back against the wall with air. She glared at him and he knew this could end up very bad.

In the nothingness of the power Nox spoke. "Let it go. Lucas wouldn't want you to do this."
What the hell was he going to do to bring Aria back if she went over the deepened because Ayden was jealous? Lucas wasn't here. He would never be here again. Nox really didn't want to lose the only family he had left. "Don't make me do this Aria!"
He begged through the power. "One of us needs a cool head. But I will do what I must if you push me."



Edited by Nox, Aug 17 2015, 12:01 PM.

[Connor Kent]

Ayden had a strange look in her eye as she stepped closer to Aria with her hand out to shake. Connor had only a moment to understand what was going on before Ayden had sucker punched Aria right in the face. Another swing missed and suddenly Ayden was on the ground, with Aria going at her like a pouncing cat.

Suddenly Aria stopped as if bouncing off something invisible, seeming to be pushed up against the wall. Connor didn't understand what was going on nor care. He was on his knees trying to help Ayden up, her fiery mane of hair seeming to flare, matching the heat in her eyes.

"Ayden, stop!! Stop this! What are you doing?"
He looked over at Aria trapped behind whatever it was. Nox's words explained the source of it. The room was suddenly overwhelming in it's silence. He looked at Ayden offering her his hand. He almost said something- almost. But he knew that look. And he knew she wasn't made of glass.

He spoke to everyone. It was a Mexican standoff. "Let's all just calm down. Relax."
He looked at Nox. They needed to get control of themselves. "Nox's sister is missing. Let's focus on that."