Fantasy The Awakening reupload (always open)

[Aquaria Wolf]

She frowned a little. "Kitty? That's a pet's name, not a master's name. So when you say they're 'gone' you just mean that you don't know where they are. That's a problem, isn't it? If they are your seniors they'd be pretty formidable enemies. I don't want hunting dogs sent out for me." Corliss grabbed his bag and wandered away from him. "Let me see the picture again, I promise not to keep it."


"You travel light, is this really all you have?" She dropped the bag back onto the table and retreated to the corner to study the picture. "Hm, why does this look familiar?" She murmured. It wasn't the people, but the background she was focusing on. Where was this photo taken?

 

[King Hastur]

"That's why I had been staying off the grid until now, Kitty" Wrath said and grabbed his bag back from her but let her continue to study the photo. He quickly rifled through his bag to be sure nothing else was missing. Corliss seemed to have very sticky fingers. "Yes this is all I have. Not much is needed when you wander around all the time." Corliss was mumbling to herself while staring at the photo. There odd were slim that she had seen either of his old friends so chances are she recognized the place.


"That is from when we 'graduated' the training facility Kitty. I do not know where it was except it was somewhere in the Northwest." Wrath said and moved behind Corliss. He wondered how long he could get away with this pet name he had for her. Maybe he should get her some of those cat-ear headbands and draw some whiskers on her when she slept.

 

[Aquaria Wolf]

"Hm." She pulled out a lighter and lit it, holding it dangerously close to the picture. "Didn't I just say that I do not want to be called such a name? You forget that you're the pet dog here, not me. This picture is very precious to you, right? Be careful of how you treat your master, have you ever heard the saying 'don't bite the hand that feeds you'?" Her eyes narrowed slightly, and her voice became soft, yet commanding. "Northwest you say?" She recalled when she was much younger that her father had taken her on a trip, a rare treat. Usually he went around the country doing work for the military and such, and Corliss was usually left at home to her training. Corliss was sure she had been at this place in the picture, that her father had taken her there, although she couldn't remember anything other than that.


"Hadrian, pull up a photo of General Dramante." Corliss stood, the flame still flickering closely to the picture. "Do you recognise this man, Wrath?"

 

[King Hastur]

Wrath's eyes flashed dangerously as Corliss threatened the photograph wit the flame. That was the only copy he had and did not trust uploading it in any digital form in the case of NAA hackers discovering the photograph and somehow using it against him. A single word escaped Wrath's lips, inaudible to even his own ear and suddenly he was behind Corliss with the photo in-hand. An aftershock followed in his wake and the flame of the lighter was extinguished.


"There are some jokes that should never be said, Kitty" Wrath said into her ear. If she had actually damaged his photograph he would not have hesitated to kill her even if it meant he would be trapped in this ship with a seriously pissed off Hadrian. Corliss could call him a toy or a pet all she wanted but he would not let her tarnish the one good memory of his past. Wrath glanced at Hadrian's interface and saw the photograph of a man Corliss called General Dramante. The moment he saw the man's face he reflexively reached for the dagger at his side to throw it into that bastard's face and had to remind himself it was just an image.


"Where did you get that photo" Wrath demanded and turned on Corliss. His very skin seemed to radiate heat as he confronted her. "I have been searching for that bastard for twenty years and never once have I ever gotten any information on him. He was the director of the program I was forced into and the one person i want dead most."

 

[Aquaria Wolf]

Corliss' breathing hiccuped slightly, the measures this man would go to simply for a photo, sentimentality was an amazing factor in humans. She turned to face him, analysing the situation. She noticed him reach for the dagger and then clench his hands into fists. His pulse was amazingly high and his pupils were just tiny black dots. He was angry. She tossed her head and smiled. "He's already dead. So you don't have to worry about that any more. I never knew he was such a high level person, he actually directed your program?" She whistled lowly and pulled at her sleeves self consciously. As sassy and bold as she acted the thought of the general made her uncomfortable.


"I got this photo from Hadrian's files, we've created and gathered an amazing network of information on high ranking or unique people who may alter or play in these wars. This one wasn't actually all that important on the surface, besides being a general he seemed rather boring, but I guess he had quite a few secrets in his closet." Corliss chuckled a bit at that statement, people would fall over themselves if they knew what the general really had in his closet. "You never thought to mention that you knew the director of your particular program?" Was Wrath an actual idiot?

 

[King Hastur]

"You didn't even know the program existed until I told you" Wrath said responding to her last sarcastic remark. "I saw the man ordering around the scientists occasionally from the observation windows." It was funny that Hadrian was able to collect information that Wrath had been trying to get his hand on for years yet the info they found didn't even scratch the surface of what that man was capable of. "Every time after one of his visits the 'tests' got worse."


"At least I can feel some relief that someone killed that piece of garbage. I hope he died bloody" Wrath said and punched his own hand. He really did want to be the one to kill him. In his mind this Dramante was the one that made his life hell and the lives of thousands of others. His next step would be to find out if the program was still being run by someone else.


"So there is no information at all about the program in Hadrian's data? I want to know if it was 'rebooted' after all of that." Wrath said glancing at the display monitor.

 

[Aquaria Wolf]

Corliss' body was shaking and she was hunched over, if you didn't know her you'd think she was crying, if you did you'd know she was laughing. "Hoped he died bloody? Glad that someone killed him? He died peacefully in his sleep." She wandered towards the monitor and mused aloud. "Finding this information is easy, as you said, when you know the password. In this case when you know said general."


She opened another file on the screen and let them sit side by side before smirking and turning back to Wrath with an arrogant look. "That monster that you've been hunting is already gone, would you settle for his daughter though?"

 

[King Hastur]

At first Wrath did not respond to Corliss. He just sat staring at the picture still being displayed by Hadrian. The universe must really hate him with everything that had happened during his life. The man who deserved a painful death dies peacefully, the program information was not even in the NAA database and the person who he was currently traveling with was the daughter of THAT man. What were the chances of this actually happening.


A chuckle escaped his lips and soon he was laughing uncontrolably. Wrath completely lost his composure for a moment as he reveled in the sheer outrageous situation he found himself in. After a few moments the laughter subsided and he turned to face Corliss, his eyes red with laughter and grief.


"There is no point. You were too young to have anything to do with what happened back then" he said quietly and walked out of the main area back to his quarters. He didn't even set up his usual tripwire at the door as he plopped down onto the floor. He just felt exausted down to his bones but he knew sleep would not come.

 

[Aquaria Wolf]

"Too young? I'm nearly the same age as you, idiot." She said to no one. "Hadrian, review General Dramante's records files. I want to create a ghost image of his time with that program. Find any glitches or typos about his trips and work. I'd bet that the government covered this up with things like that. I'm going to the memory room, how much time have we got?"


Hadrian's fans hummed slightly similar to someone sighing. "Half an hour. Going to be enough?"


Corliss shrugged. "Enough time for me." She wandered down the hall and turned left, pushing open the door at the end. The room was maybe three meters by three meters. It was completely empty. As she walked in the lights flickered on, letting the white room reflect the light harshly.


A holographic image formed before Corliss, the image imitated a person, taller than Corliss, was dressed in a dress suit and heels. She had long brown hair pulled up in a smart bun and black glasses framed her face. Hadrian cleared her throat slightly, the speakers crackling, before asking Corliss. "What sort of practice would you like today?"


"Something fun, one on one combat would be nice."


"Preparing memory room."


Hadrian's image disappeared and was replaced with dimmer lights and the room transforming to looking like a dark, gloomy, apartment. The imaginary apartment must have been abandoned because it was full of broken furniture and torn fabric. Corliss took a deep breath to focus herself. She closed her eyes and continued to consciously breathe.


A man appeared before her and swung at her head. Without opening her eyes she blocked his arm and lashed out with her right leg. He grabbed it and she fell, but rolled and kicked his legs so he tripped. She used his unbalanced stance to knee him in the back, and he fell forward. Throughout all of this Corliss had focused on breathing, and kept her eyes shut, but when the imaginary foe had grabbed her around the waist her eyes shot open, much greener than usual, colder, more focused.

 

[King Hastur]

Wrath sat there on the floor for a long while, trying to find the proper focus to enter into his meditation. Every time he tried to empty his mind of thought he would remember what trials he had to endure all those years ago. He thought he had gotten past most of his issues but the hatred flared back up the moment he saw that photograph. It was only now he realized he had not been running just to stay in hiding, but from having to face the aftermath of that project. After facing death so many times, it was ironic that he had gone this long for fear of facing his past. The only plus was that now he was strong enough to actually do something about it.


Wrath flexed his hands in front of him and felt his energy flaring within him like a small blazing sun, or at least that is how Wrath imagined it whenever he was tapping into it. He was completely honest with Corliss when he said he did not blame her, after all she didn't seem to care very much that her father was dead... or that Wrath had wanted to kill him. Maybe she had her own issues with her father, know the type of person he was that was a downright certainty. He had enough hiding, it was time


"Hadrian. I know you are listening" Wrath said as he slowly stood. "Kitty knew where that photo was taken. I want you to take me there and drop me off."

 

[Aquaria Wolf]

Hadrian laughed a little. "I'm almost always listening, I'm the ship itself. Take you where? Corliss might know but I don't, I've only been with her for the past five years, after her father passed away. Anyway, we're sort of traveling in the ocean right now, it'd be difficult for me to surface especially when the NAA might be hunting us. If you want to go there so bad I suggest you wait until we arrive at home, and then be friendly with Corliss. If you suggest to her that visiting the place would be beneficial she might take you there."


Hadrian was quiet for a while, then said. "I understand that you do not resent Corliss, and I'm grateful for that, but if I even get a hint that she is in danger from you I will make your life very miserable. Please deal with Corliss accordingly."


A display flickered to life on the wall, showing the beginnings of the profile that Hadrian had created. "Do any of these things make sense to you? It seems once or twice a month the general would go on a business trip, but the details and exact information were always 'misplaced' or given false names. I've also found something else interesting, as I began to recognise the patterns of the general's hidden visits, I scanned my other files for those who mimic those patterns. Does the name Dr. Freeman mean anything to you? How about Miss Hailey Claude?"

 

[King Hastur]

"If things get...intense... between kitty and I you know I will not be the one to start it" Wrath grumbled before thinking about the questions asked by Hadrian. Truth be told he never really learned the names of many of the people involved in the project. They made a point of never telling the test subjects their names. Maybe it was their way of distancing themselves from the terrible work.


"If you have photos I may be able to tell you but names will not help much" Wrath said and sighed. "Kitty wouldn't like my plan anyways. She is planning to go to ground and indeed that is the smart move. And I have never been known for my smarts." Wrath said to Hadrian, glad that Corliss was not in the room to comment on that.


"I think it is high time I make sure this project was shut down 100%"

 

[Aquaria Wolf]

Hadrian pulled up two files, one of a tired looking man with graying hair and blue eyes, the other of a blond woman with bright lipstick and an almost too cheery smile. "These two are currently labelled as 'on sabbatical', on NAA files. That, combined with the fact that they share a similar work pattern to the general, would imply that they are indeed still working undercover with your previous program. Like I said, wait until we arrive at the house, then persuade Corliss to take you to the place. You two could uncover and possible topple the entire NAA if you expose this project."


Meanwhile Corliss was still training in the memory room. This practice was all about subduing enemies while keeping them alive, unfortunately Corliss was not great at that. Her methods were extreme, made for assassinations and war, not taking prisoners. Slightly out of breath she called to Hadrian. "Alright, I'm done for today. Stop the program." After a second the room was once again a simply lit, white, plain room. Corliss stayed where she way, laying on her back, enjoying the feeling of the cool metal floor.


"I understand that the program trained you and two others, would they try and restart the project but with a much more refined search in order to have a higher chance of finding these 'geniuses'? How did they conduct the first trial? Through a computer program that searched the population, or was it some sort of drug?" Hadrian began running through the files again searching for any trace of this program.

 

[King Hastur]

"From what I learned from the other kids most of them had parents that could use magic" Wrath said as he searched his early memories. "Others were orphans from war torn regions, people who would be easily overlooked"


Wrath looked at the images in the files Hadrian pulled up. He did not recognise the man but the woman seemed very familiar. He kept staring at her unnatural smile and cold eyes and suddenly he remembered.


"This was the child psychologist that was in charge of the mental stability of all the children." Wrath's eyes narrowed as he recalled the 'sessions' she had with the children. Any children that voiced concerns of escape or disobedience to her mysteriously vanished or died in an accident within a week.


"She is just as bad as Corliss's father if not worse. She lulled the children into revealing their secrets and uses those weaknesses against them." If this one was still alive she was defiantly on Wrath's list.


"There was only a small group of children they experimented with psychoactive drugs... they were deemed failures and...discarded." Wrath finished with a sour expression on his face.

 

[Aquaria Wolf]

Corliss tapped on Wrath's door. "We're here, you can talk with Hadrian later." Without waiting for him she grabbed her bag and leaving the ship. They were in a small docking area, the air smelled like sea water and the floor was damp. The door that they had come in was shut again, the way this entrance worked was a mechanical door slid away to flood a compartment, Hadrian would dock and the door would shut, then drain the water. Corliss made her way up the steps before unlocking and opening the door out of the docking area.


"Finally, that trip took forever!" She fell into a large comfy couch which was arranged along with two other fluffy chairs around a maple wood coffee table, facing a giant screen. The fireplace sparked into life, and the room was soon warm. Next to this living room was an open kitchen area. This floor plan was set up like a long rectangle, the living room took up half of the space, and the kitchen only a quarter. The other part was a dining room, with a long elegant table covered in a crisp clean tablecloth.


The stunning part about this area was not any of these things though, it was the giant glass wall, leading to a sloped glass room. One of the long sides of the rectangle was made entirely of glass, and through the sliding door was a room that mirrored the other side of the glass. In the floor though was a pool, with still blue water. The ceiling and walls were made of glass as well, allowing you to watch marine life go on.

 

[King Hastur]

"What makes you think Corliss would even agree to taking down a rogue project the NAA refuses to admit it's existence.I doubt thathat it would stop the search for her so what's in it for her?" Wrath stopped as Corliss knocked on the door and announced their arrival. "I will rest up and then find a way out."


Wrath exited the ship to the face if wealth he had never before seen. It was indeed an impressive setup but it made Wrath nervous to see the oceanic trench right through a glass wall. He did not care to try and swim to the surface from this depth, despite his physical ability.


"Being a general's daughter must pay pretty well." Wrath said as he further examined the place. There had to be some kind of vent or emergency path to the surface incase of an attack or accident. Wrath did not plan to make his plans a secret though.


"I am planning to leave soon" Wrath said abruptly.

 

[Aquaria Wolf]

She turned to him, her expression annoyed. "Don't even think about it, if you don't remember I had a squad of NAA soldiers surround me and then try to execute me. You are my pet, I'm not letting you tramp out in the world when people are hunting me. Wait for a few weeks, then we can go and find some war to get involved in, kill a few people, take a few jobs." She looked around, taking in her own house, it was indeed lovely, she had to admit that. Her father had an eye for grandeur, and it paid off. She grimaced, the thought of her father always put her off.


"This place is self sustaining, it actually takes very little money to live here, building it, well, that's another story. I didn't have anything to do with it, my father designed and commissioned it, but he died and left it to me before he ever got to see the place. It's split into three areas, this one is the main area, and if you go down the hall there are stairs leading down to the other ares. Second floor is sleeping quarters, third is the shooting range and training room. Feel free to explore, any door that's locked will stay locked. If you need anything let me know."


She walked to the kitchen and pulled out a soda and an apple. "Foods here, there's a computer in your room and other stuff, clothes too, but I doubt they'll fit you."

 

[Jesika]

Following the man's hand as he reaches over his shoulder to tap the large weapon attached to his back she nods. "Oh" is the only thing that leaves her lips. She stares, not meaning to be rude or anything just that whatever it is that is wrapped up in bindings must be very heavy and he carries it with ease. Looking like he isn't even struggling at all the carry the hidden weapon she can't help but to ask; "What is it?" she says as she nods pointing with her eyes to the weapon he needs to get 'maintenance' on. Soon after though her mind trails off, he just got back but where was he before?. Looking in front of her she continues on her way forwards walking along side Clint and his animal friend. "How bad is it out there?" her voice has lowered now, a little more quiet than how she was speaking before.


OOC: sorry took awhile, lost my internet for a bit there.

 

[BELL]

(It's no problem) "you could call it a sword. My friend calls it a hunk of iron. It has a gun inside." Clint nods as he hears the woman's second question. "Not bad, though I wouldn't suggest the type of life that I live for everyone. There's almost no people, and the monsters are almost everywhere. But it's not particularly bad." He smiles. "Kind of peaceful, when you're not fighting to survive."

 

[Jesika]

Lifting her eyebrow, she looks to the wrapped weapon upon his back once more, and again without knowing what else to say the only thing that leaves her lips is "oh". Nodding she pulls her eyes off of him to concentrate on the road ahead of her. Taking in his words she takes a moment to herself in thought, soon deciding to speak out her mind. "It is probably better out there though" she begins, "almost every day I see wounded and dead men and woman coming back. Even though it is hard and dangerous out there at least they are helping. They are putting their lives on the line to fight and push back the enemies. I have only been out there a couple times but never seen pass the camp." With a small sigh she continues. "I want to kill, or at least see one of these monsters. They took my family. I have nothing here holding me back". With that the girl lets out a soft shaky laugh, knowing she might sound a bit crazy or that she just spoke too much.

 

[BELL]

"They took your family, huh? I'm guessing they were there when North America tried to colonize Quebec." Clint nods grimly. "I lost my family to a different kind of monster, a human one, and my guardian took me to Greenland. Out in the middle of nowhere." He sighs. "I knew that there were rebel factions in the Eurasian alliance, but I didn't know they were powerful enough to require military attention. I Know it must be one of them, as The Eurasian Alliance isn't in any conflicts." He smiles. "I'll probably end up having to pay whoever's causing internal strife a visit." He pats the thing on his back. "As for living out there... It's hard, most monsters are poisonous, it's always winter there. Etcetera, etcetera." He looks up. "Someone like you wouldn't be able to survive for long." Clint looks back town to the woman, smiling a bit. "But, I could take you with me if you wanted. My house gets a bit lonely."

 

[Jesika]

Hearing everything he says, she takes it in word for word. Rene goes quiet for a long moment. The sound of the busy street around them fills her ears as she goes in deep thought. Soon though a small smirk spreads on the girls lips. Quickening her pace a few steps she moves in front of the man with her hands places on her hips. Lifting her eyebrow she stares at his face with the a smirked look on still. "Someone like me?" she questions, knowing it is true it doesn't hurt to joke about it with him. She smiles and gives him a nod "I'll take you up on that offer, someone needs to patch you up if you end up hurting yourself"

 

[BELL]

"Alright, good to know I'll be getting food for four now." Clint smiles down at her. "Let's get my weapon to my friend's place, then let's go get stuff for you." He continues walking, the wolf walking next to him, wisps of shadow coming off of it. "By the way, Kaine's a dire wolf, one of the stronger and rarer monsters."

 

[King Hastur]

"A few weeks will be way too late Kitty." Wrath retorted as he followed Corliss into the kitchen. He was not going to let this matter drop. "We already know the NAA is mixed up in some huge operation that is demanding a lot of their attention. This is the best time for me to make my move without alerting them of what I am up to." Wrath once heard a story about how you should never ask a woman to listen to logic, and soon afterwards the man who muttered that was face down in the bar with several females stomping on him mercilessly. He decided he should not follow in that man's footsteps.


"They are expecting us to go into hiding after the big fuss we made up there and besides.." Wrath smirked and stole the apple right out of Corliss's hand and took a large bite out of it. "You owe me from saving you back at the base, or did you think all the soldiers with their guns on you just fell dead on their own?"

 

[Aquaria Wolf]

"I could have handled it." She snapped. "Who do you think turned off the power at the base? Anyway, isn't it a pet's job to protect their master, at all costs? I don't owe you anything, you just did what was expected of you." She rolled her eyes and grabbed another apple. "You're saying that we should go and gather information on a supposed operation that we know nothing about, right after they put an execution order on my head? For all we know they just want to go to war again. This has nothing to do with me, why should I go and risk my life for something so pointless? I'm not letting you go, and you can't make me go. There, wasn't that easy." She shot a triumphant look at Wrath and took a sip of her soda."I win."