Ww - the coming storm

[Coro]

Hope's innocent look contorted into a sinister grin.


"Well then, I think you might want to make a decision. My men are poised to take the mountain he's currently located in. Brother, or Meido. Your choice, Miss Deathlind." Hope explained, feeling triumphant.


~


Faith, the second in command of the Astrumregis family, cousin and right hand man to Hope himself, stood on a ledge overlooking a specific mountain in the German mountain ranges. He looked somber, simply doing his duty. His very light blonde hair shone in the low sun, and his light blue eyes, akin to Hope's, glowed with an intellect that was far above the norm. He flickered out of existance, and appeared at a giant gate, one Argo, Xavier and Vent had all gone through recently. He'd been monitoring it for while. Why Hope didn't have him kill the Vent-boy, he didn't understand, but that was not his place. His place was to do Hope's bidding.


With magical light, Faith created a barrier around the magical mountain. This would stop anyone who tried to enter, or so he hoped. Large scale magic was somewhat difficult in such a magic saturated area.

 

[Esme]

Alec smirked, before bursting out into laughter. "That's really cute..." Bowing her head to the side, "I see I made a mistake in coming here. I suggest you fix your plan to something that doesn't include the Meido magic." Standing, she continued, "As to Xavier, I cut ties to my family the day my mother died. He means nothing to me now." There was no lie in what she said. It was a secret vow she had made sitting next to her mother's body that day, she despised herself for it but it helped keep her sane, to an extent.

 

[Coro]

Hope's grin grew larger.


"..... I like having enemies with nothing to lose. I'll admit to a draw this round, Miss Deathlind. But, next time, you won't get the better of me." Hope said.


"Any final thoughts or offers? I would like to aquire Meido." Hope continued, now looking into Alec's eyes.

 

[Esme]

"As I stated before. I am not your enemy Hope." Alec said simply, her face completely blank. She bowed to him, "As to Meido... unfortunately, after that last attempt of of having me under toe, I have deemed you not worthy of taking it, maybe Vent would do better with it..." She grinned darkly as a portal opened under her feet. As she sunk into it the last thing she told him, "You shouldn't toy with a **tch like me." The portal closed quickly allowing no one to follow her.


Appearing back in the camp she had left before, back in her normal uniform, no longer needing to look formal. Seeing the new addition of the hut, she smiled. "Those boys really do know what their doing..." Shaking her she set to work on building a pit and a nice warm fire so they needn't worry about that aspect.

 

[Riddle78]

Borghen came up the stairs,carrying Leslie,and into the main foyer,and saw Hope there. "Sir! Leslie requires medical attention. She...Kicked my armour while we were sparring and broke her leg."


~~~


Joseph was a light sleeper. When he heard something outside the hut,he sprang up from sleep,and conjured a C6. He rolled out the door and brought his gun to bear. He couldn't see anyone,but he knew they were there. "This is private property! Come out now with your hands where I can see them,or I'll light this whole area up!"

 

[Esme]

Alec raised an eyebrow as she heard Joseph"Chill Dog of War." She said raising her hand in greeting as she saluted him from the tree she was hanging from, her other hand full of twigs to add to the pit which at the moment, was just a circle of rocks.

 

[Riddle78]

Joseph stood up and dismissed the gun. He sighed,and said, "I may have been a dog of the military,but I'm willing to bet all the world's wealth that you think I'm a mindless grunt who gets paid to shoot things."

 

[Esme]

Alec tossed the twigs down into the pit, before flipping back up and going back up into the tree to gather more. "No shit, sherlock. That's all you dogs are. Meatheads who think that a gun makes you tough shit."

 

[Coro]

Vent, at a standstill with Jet, faked a punch, and disappeared in a flash if lightning.


Who was that guy? How did he know who I am? Vent asked himself, coming to a normal speed. He opened a telepathic channel with Steven.


'Hey bro, sorry, been busy. Coincidentally, know any healing magic?' He asked, chuckling lightly afterwards.


~


Hope's grin never faltered, and he nodded at the appearance of Borghen and Leslie. He motioned for them to follow him.

 

[Riddle78]

Joseph sighed and shook his head. "I was a medic. I SAVED lives,not take them. I served in Afghanistan. I saw brave men and women die in an effort to serve an ideal they believed in. I treated half of them. I saved a quarter of those I treated from leathal injury. I'm only trained in firearms because it comes with Basic Training...Which comes before training to become a medic."


~~~


Steven replied telepathicaly, "You know I don't...Ask Alec...Or Joseph...He was a medic..."


It was obvious he was dead tired.


~~~


Borghen nodded,and followed Hope.

 

[Esme]

"Oh, so what your saying is, you saved the lives of people who went out and killed more people. Good job man, good job. More fuel for the death machine." This time, a large branch crashed to the ground from the tree, barely a foot away from where Joseph was standing. "Also, one medic to another, it's only lethal if it kills you. If it's treatable, it's not lethal. " She mumbled something else, it really didn't sound nice, and it probably wasn't something he wanted to hear anyway.


~


Leslie's fist tightened and she made a faint noise, but otherwise remained the same silent way she was before.

 

[Coro]

Vent sighed. He locked onto Steven's position, and used the Umbralus Terraquitus to teleport there. He landed precisely beside Steven, covered in burns, and as usual, missing his shirt.


"..... Hehe, I'm a mess, huh?" He asked, shaking some ash and cinder from his hair.


~


Hope brought Borghen and Leslie to an infirmary style room, and took Leslie from Borghen's hands, smiling at her and placing her on the bed with the gentlest of touches. With that, he proceeded to look at the injury, studying it for a second. Then, with great care, his hands shone the same soft blue as his eyes, and placed his hand on Leslie's injury.


"Soul Recovery. My own brand of healing magic, neutralizes other magics in the wounds, great for Mage to Mage combat." Hope explained, as Leslie's wound knite's itself up and healed perfectly, as if it was never broken.

 

[Riddle78]

Joseph was growing irritated at Alec's ignorance. "I didn't just treat Canadian soldiers. I was obligated to treat ANY injured individual I came across. That INCLUDED the men we were fighting. That included civilians. A medic's mission is to heal all wounded. They swear allegiance to no one. I don't agree to it,but war is part of the human condition. Medics like us exist to help reduce the casualties."


~~~


Steven rolled over,looked at Vent,went, "Meh..." and fell back asleep.


~~~


Borghen observed the healing process,and taken particular note of the magic energies that flowed around Hope and Leslie. He realized just how powerful Hope was,but felt confident that he could replicate this healing technique...With practice.

 

[Esme]

Alec flipped out of the tree, eyes narrowed. Folding her arms over her chest, she locked eyes with him. "The human condition is to lie, kill, and cover your ass with shit reasons to keep doing that, hence what you think your job is. It's just a way to sustain the cycle of stupidity."


~


Leslie watched Hope, a bit confused before wincing then feeling nothing. She was highly impressed and stunned, but couldn't find the words to say anything about it, her expression though, said exactly it.

 

[Coro]

Hope looked at Borghen.


"Don't try. You may be capable of replicating the desired magical energies, but your demonic energy would interfere. The best you could hope for would be an advanced self-regeneration. I'll help with the fine tuning, but later." He explained, shooing Borghen away.


Then turning to Leslie, Hope smiled.


"How is it?" He asked, sending Borghen a telepathic message.


'Go secure the peremiter, and make sure it's well done. I don't want any more rats getting in today'


~


Vent sighed as Steven went off to sleep, and left his side. He stayed quiet after immediately sensing Alec and Joseph's presenses. He hid his own. He knew Alec was incapable of sensing magical pressures, but he didn't know if Joseph could or not. He listened in to their conversations, feeling some sympathy for Joseph. The guy had been through a bit of trouble. But Alec was just being all pessimistic. He knew she wasn't the most happy-go-lucky person ever, but it was like she was trying to pick a fight......


When Vent heard what she said about the 'human condition', he stepped into view, releasing his magical pressure with a gust of wind, signifying his presense with flair.


He looked quite saddened.


"...... You don't actually believe that, do you Alec?" He asked, his eyes looking into hers.

 

[Riddle78]

Joseph sensed something,but it quickly vanished. He was about to ask something when he felt the sensation again,this time accompanied by a gust of wind. He dive rolled to the side and conjured the C6 again,aiming it at the source. When he saw it was Vent,he lowered it and said, "Great timing,chucklenuts." He saw the burns all over Vent's body. "Jesus Christ! What happened to you? Get a nuke dropped on your tiny head,or something!? Come here!" Joseph was on Vent in an instant,and dragging him into the hut,while attempting to conjure the medicines needed to treat the burns.


~~~


Borghen left the room,and sent a simple affirmative to Hope,and went straight to the merc compound in the grounds. He gathered up five teams of six,and ordered them to patrol the grounds,always keeping another squad in their line of sight. He began to patrol the inside of the manor,knowing he'd have the advantage.

 

[Coro]

Vent struggled out of Joseph's grasp, his eyes set on Alec.


"Screw off, I'm trying to talk to her!" He yelled, his eyes trying not to leave Alec's as he fought. Breaking free with relative ease, Vent swirled with wind.


"I'm still walking, I can stand another five minutes. Trust me pal, I've had worse." He spat, walking right up to Alec this time.


"........ Do you really mean that?" He asked again, the saddened look returning.

 

[bettsyboy]

Marco's intercom beeped ::


Intercom: "Mister Highland, we have a call from you're training center"


:: she meant the battlemage temple ::


Marco: "thanks, patch it through"


: he was put on a line, a voice came through ::


Voice: "Unit 7781, we have a code1 emergency"


Marco: "i'm listening"


Voice: "forces traced back to the criminal "hope" have been reported in the german mountain ranges"


Marco: "there is no way that i'll stand a chance, how much backup?"


Voice: "a group of 35 individual battlemages will be sent including you"


Marco: *groan* "okay fine... what are the enemy numbers?"


Voice: "unknown:


Marco: "damnit"

 

[Esme]

Unable to keep eye contact with Vent, and not wanting to tell him something she knew would probably upset him, she held out her hand. "Here." Picking up his hand she pressed the meido crystal into it as she turned and went back to gathering stuff for the fire, which by now was well stocked for what she was trying to do. She figured she might as well, since now that Vent was here, there was no way he'd let her issue a fight with Joseph.


Flipping up into the tree with pure skill around, she moved quickly snapping off small branches and such for kindling."You said before you wanted to to use something like it" She said hidden in the tree. "So i figured you'd do best with it." Alec hated saying that, and she knew it was a lie, she knew from the start Hope would have been skilled at it, but he had to go play a card that brought up something she'd rather forget. Human Condition...right?


~


Leslie nodded her head a bit shyly for a second, before realizing that doing that answered nothing of what he asked. Bowing her head and looking at her leg, she smiled faintly, face a pale pink. "F-fine."

 

[Coro]

Vent sighed, looking at the weird stone? "Wha- .... Meido?" He asked, throughly confused.


"Nuh Uh!" He shouted, clenching his fist around the stone. His drill-bit pendant swung around his neck as he leaped up into the tree. "I can't take this!"


Landing with precision, he winced slightly, and straight up glared at Alec.


"..... What's wrong?" He asked.


~


Hope smiled back, his blue eyes simply shining.


"Good. Anything you need?" He asked, even losing the formal tone of speech.

 

[Esme]

"Nothing's wrong." Alec said, after having quickly formed a blank expression. "And yes, you can. So please, do." She started to climb higher up into the tree away from him.


~


Leslie's blush darked a little more. "N-no, Sir."

 

[Coro]

Vent growled.


"Answer me. I'm not stupid!" He shouted, leaping up after Alec again, following close behind her as they scaled the tree.


~


Hope sighed, still smiling.


".... Then, if you don't NEED anything, would you LIKE to join me for lunch?" He asked.

 

[Esme]

"Don't tell me what to do."Alec growled back at him, anger flashing behind her eyes for a second, as she moved to another tree with a jump.


~


Leslie's head snapped up, eyes wide in surprise. "You...you r-really would off-offer that?"

 

[Coro]

Vent sneered, a big grin replacing his scowl as he saw Alec get ready to jump. He planted his feet firmly against the trunk of the tree, and blasted himself into the air, tackling Alec out of the tree. With acrobatic skills of his own (assisted by his wind magic, of course) he landed deftly on the ground, holding Alec in his arms.


"Tell me now. What's wrong?" He asked again, but much more calm, actual concern written all over his face.


~


Hope rubbed the back of his head.


"Yeah, why wouldn't I?" He stated, cocking an eyebrow up. He shook his head. "Any suggestions, somewhere you want to go?"

 

[Esme]

A bit shocked at what had just happened, Alec narrowed her eyes. "Nothing!" she muttered exasperated .


~


Leslie raised an eyebrow, was Hope really this....normal, underneath it all? Smiling a bit, she shook her head. "I really wouldn't know, Sir." She said, answering both questions at once.