As quickly as it started, the fight just as quickly ended. And strange as it may look, the white wolf cocked its head towards Claudia and grinned, showing off all her sharpened teeth. It wasn't a feral grin but more like a grin a human would give. And it was accompanied by a distinctive female laughter echoing through all the wolves' minds. I give it to you, vampire lover. You fight well, Sonja commended and she lowered her head at Caius' twin, a sure sign of respect. Welcome to the pack, she added.
Claudia narrowed her eyes towards the white wolf. She stared at Sonja for a few minutes before acknowledging her welcome. She had apparently earned the respect of the female through the fight. Thanks, was all she could really say.
Sonja raised her head after Claudia acknowledged her welcoming words. She looked towards Darric, gave him a bow as well before limping back towards the other wolves. She didn't bother acknowledging the alpha's mate. Even when she spoke up, Sonja didn't react.
It was the russet colored male that spoke in response to Casey's words. His voice was deep and had a relaxed yet strong tone to it. A vampire raising a wolf pup. That is curious, yes. In my long lifetime, I have yet to witness a vampire showing that kindness to our kind. Perhaps, an alliance with this vampire is called for, Darric? He turned his wise brown eyes towards Casey then to Claudia. Our two newest additions to the pack certainly show high regards for him.
I believe so as well, Aeden. And I am glad you see it the way I do. Darric replied, obviously not bothered by the fight that had just happened.
Gabriel North
Gabriel continued growling at both the dog and his adoptive father. Without the protection of his mother, he really didn't know what else to do. It was his built in instincts. But When Alex didn't seem to turn hostile towards him, he looked at him almost quizzically. And then, he eventually crawled into the vampire's lap. From there, he continued growling at the dog, occasionally looking up at Alex and pointing his finger at it.
The past few days weren't so great for Lily. She spent most of it getting bothered by her stigma, worrying that she had no place in the world and basically just feeling down in the dumps. She didn't even feel like eating even when there was an overflowing supply of donuts. The people she thought could be her friends, she avoided. All thoughts of trying to get to know them and maybe make things better for herself by having friends dashed instantaneously by either her stigma or herself. She wandered around campus, wondering what to do. In this mood, there really wasn't a lot of things that interested her.
Sleep, maybe. She yawned. She was tired and sleepy. Perhaps it would be best to take it easy today. Maybe find a secluded corner...maybe under a tree or something...or back to her dorm.
The idea was tempting. But then again, sleep ironically tires her out more. With the constant nightmares, there really wasn't any place for rest and relaxation. She shook her head. No. Maybe coffee... that should at least wake her up.
She walked around more, contemplating on getting coffee and trying to avoid people. She failed miserably at the latter, as she had a tendency to lose herself in her daydreams and walk into them. Some were actually used to it by now. She could have sworn she had walked into the same boy five times in two days. He always grinned at her but never said anything. Most were irritated and chastised her. She'd say sorry but then she'd do it again. There was really no use apologizing but she'd do it again and again anyway.
Losing her interest in coffee, her thoughts drifted towards wanting to at least try to do something productive. Yesterday she had spent hours swimming laps in the pool and continued doing so long after everyone else have left. It had been a wonderful exercise, the muscle pains she still had was proof of that. She wondered if she should just head on over to the pool and do some more laps today. She was good at it and if she wanted to keep fit to keep up with everyone, swimming would be it for her.
But then, she didn't feel like swimming today...
Maybe she should learn more about her powers? How to best manage it, how to get stronger and how to make herself more useful in combat.
Lily nodded. It seemed like a good idea. But where should she start?
Should I maybe ask someone for help? The teachers? The Director? That absurdly powerful pink haired boy? I wonder how he got to that point? Was he like us before? It made sense to ask for help in a school but would these people really help? How would they know how to help her? As far as she knew, she was the only one around with the messed up power that she has. Would the crystal creating boy actually share stuff about himself? Somehow she doubted he'd even talk to her. Benediction, maybe? That last thought sent a thrill through her and almost brought her out of her current mood. But not quite. Like every thought she had, it sounded silly. The Precursor probably had a lot to do than to entertain starstruck teenagers.
Lily sighed as her feet led her past the Security Outpost. How to make myself more useful... Should I learn to maybe injure myself? I can't ask people to keep hurting me, can I? Ugh. That sounds a little morbid, when I think about it. Hey, Marcus, can you shoot me in the leg again please? Yeah, that doesn't right at all. I must have traumatized him a lot. I should---"
"Hey! Watch where you're going!" shouted a familiar, angry male voice.
Lily looked up and found herself staring at the irritated face of the same USARILN guard she collided with a few nights ago. He was holding a half finished donut. "Oh, it's you," she said in a flat tone of voice.
"Oh, it's you? What's wrong with you kid? You like walking into people? This is your second time crashing into me. Are you looking for trouble?" the guard demanded, his eyes narrowing as he took an uncharacteristically large bite on the half donut he was holding.
"Maybe," Lily shrugged nonchalantly. If she was in a better mood, she would have laughed at how the guard tried to finish off his donut as quickly as he could. "Don't choke yourself. I'm not taking your donut this time," the dull eyed girl said in a similarly flat tone as she continued walking past the guard.
The guard coughed, thoroughly embarrassed. He would have shouted at the girl but all he could really do was stare incredulously at her as she walked past.
Lily soon found herself in the library. It appeared that her feet knew where best to take her even if she hadn't made up her mind yet. It was certainly convenient and she found no fault in it. But now that she was there, several more questions came to mind. Where should she start? Biology books maybe?
You're serious about hurting yourself? You're that desperate to make yourself useful to people who aren't even interested in becoming your friends?
The same mocking voice in her head.
What do you care?
No one cares.
Trying to ignore the mocking tone in her head, she looked around and her eyes fell on two familiar faces. Siena, her team mate and fellow Benediction fan, was talking to a white haired boy. Lily didn't know his name but she recognized him from orientation. He didn't look particularly friendly but her initial thought was to say hi all the same. Siena had been, after all, nice to her.
Or was it just because of our shared interest in Benediction?
Lily sighed at the thought and ultimately decided to duck into a nearby aisle sandwiched between two book filled shelves instead. She reached up as high as she could and randomly took a book.
Night Watch (ΠΠΎΡΠ½ΠΎΠΉ Π΄ΠΎΠ·ΠΎΡ) - by Sergei Lukyanenko
Hmmm... She flipped the book to look at the back cover. ...confrontation between two opposing supernatural groups...Looks interesting. Golden eyes gleaming with curiosity, she sat down onto the floor indian style and flipped open to page 1.
Hours later, Lily walked out of the library, Night Watch and the next book, Day Watch, clutched against her chest.
The next day found Lily in the same depressed mood. Not being able to sleep well because of her nightmares (and probably made worse by her disorder), she had gotten up early, showered and changed. Using the bathroom so early in the morning wasn't a bad idea. No one was there. There were no lines and no waiting. And she had the place all to herself.
After her bath, she went back to her room and laid on the bed, wet hair and all.
She was staring glumly at the ceiling of her room, wondering for the nth time who Sebastian was. Although she had actually remembered her face during that one time in battle, she couldn't remember it now. All she had was a name. She was contemplating on asking around if anybody knew a Sebastian when a guard came to her room and roughly told her to move out by gesturing with his rifle.
Lily complied, finding no strength in actually trying to resist or even ask where she was being led to. A battle again, maybe? There were no announcements. She looked down at her ankle cuff. It hadn't turned blue like it had before. So, probably not?
Like a meek sheep, she let herself be herded with everyone else into what looked to be a classroom with bare walls and only the bare necessities. Classroom. So we're suppose to be learning stuff after all. I thought we were just here to be sent to battle anytime they felt like sending us, she thought. Well, a school's a school after all. I hope there aren't too many homeworks. I don't any more paperworks. She silently found her seat beside the window, barely noticing who sat around her. As soon as she sat down, she didn't bother inspecting her table like what most would have done. She stared blankly at the schedule posted on the board. Ugh. Calculus and Physics. She wrinkled her nose in distaste and then promptly turned her attention out the window.
It would be nice to be out there in the sun instead of being cooped up in a stuffy place like this one.
She only turned her attention back towards the front of the classroom when a male voice began speaking. The words floated meaninglessly in her mind. Fred, Ms. April Rivera, Math, Presents. She turned her dull golden eyes towards the cheerful new addition to their classroom. A long list... she repeated the words in her head and then looked around. Did they get her what she asked for?
'More Donuts, My memories and Sebastian.' Those were what she wrote. She stopped looking around. It was absurd to expect anything. Was she actually expecting to see a golden haired boy walk into the classroom? Maybe a folder narrating specifics about her past life before she came to USARILN? And the donuts...she didn't even want to eat.
Silently, she watched as her classmates received the things they asked for. Electronics, musical instruments, bags, boxes, pens, toys, weapons... USARILN was more generous than she had imagined.
Seeing everyone receive stuff while she got nothing only made her sink lower in her depression. Maybe she should have asked for stuff after all. That should at least give her something to do than just gawking at everybody. She sighed inwardly and settled for sorting through her desk, at the supplies placed in there. She looked at the notebooks, the schedule and the pens with a bored expression on her face. This is all I'm getting today. Better than nothing, I guess. She didn't bother looking up anymore as she took out one of the notebooks and a pen.
The next few hours was spent with Lily doodling random words her teacher said, not really paying attention to what was actually being taught as she lost herself time and again in her disturbing daydreams.
When Fred came back in and announced lunch, Lily automatically put the notebook and pen aside and silently got up to head for the dining hall.
Getting to the dining hall was remarkably easy as Lily managed not to bump into anyone despite the fact that everyone was making their way towards it. It was probably thanks to her grumbling tummy that she actually paid attention to where she was going. Once there, she decided that she'd at least a little bit more than what she had been eating the past few days. Her stomach rumbled in agreement and she fell in line behind a chattering pair of girls. They didn't pay any attention to her and in return she didn't eavesdrop on whatever they were giggling about.
She took a plate with a clubhouse sandwich on it, two chocolate glazed donuts and a bottle of apple juice. Donuts, she thought a little cheerily as she looked around for somewhere to sit. Not wanting to encounter so many people or make any small talk with anyone, she chose a small table tucked in a corner. She sat alone and silently ate her food, careful to keep her head down so that she didn't draw attention to herself.
Catch up post finished! I'll try to post a bit more after the next update.
Lily made her way back to her dorm room, lost in thought as usual. Her mind was filled with the faceless golden haired boy, the battle they had just luckily survived, the Precursor who had healed everyone, the irony taste of blood, the pink haired boy who made crystals, the monsters that they had dealt with, the dead students and that excruciating pain from taking too much injuries she can handle. She tripped thrice but luckily caught herself before she fell flat on her face and ran into walls and people a couple of times. It didn't really bother her, being this clumsy, being this absentminded. Nobody else seemed to mind. Well, almost nobody...
"Hey, kid! Watch where you're going!" An angry male voice exclaimed when Lily once again ran into someone.
"Hmmm?" the small golden haired girl looked up at the irritated, glaring face of a USARILN guard.
As soon as the guard saw the X mark on Lily's neck, he automatically raised his rifle and pointed it at her. "It's way past your curfew, Subnatural. Head on straight to your dorm," he said in a stern voice, probably desperate to hide the nervousness he felt in encountering an Aberration. They were all like that.
"I was just heading back there from the ho---" Lily stopped short as a scent caught her attention. She sniffed the air and then perked up. She felt her tummy rumble. She held out a small hand to the towering guard. "You have a donut. Hand it over. I'm hungry," she said in a sing song voice.
"Wha---? Didn't you hear what I said?" The guard wasn't thrilled to be dealing with Aberrations longer than he should be. He gestured with his rifle towards the general direction of the dorm building. "Get going."
Lily shook her head and stood her ground, he hand still outstretched towards him.
And thus, started the staring battle between student and guard. Both stood there for a few minutes, both refusing to back down. Finally, the little girl gave him a look as she glanced towards the his back pocket. "Donut." She bounced on the balls of her feet.
The look was enough to make the guard almost take a step back. Realizing that it would probably be easier to just hand the damn fried dough over than forcefully shove her all the way back to her dorm, he reached back and took the small paper bag he had brought with him. "What the hell are you? Some sort of food sniffing hound? Here. Take it and get back to your dorm." His eyes flicked towards the X on her neck again. "Now."
"Hee. Thanks," Lily cheerfully grabbed the paper bag, turned and skipped towards her dorm.
The guard stared after Lily, letting out a relieved sigh. The look the small girl had given him gave him the creeps and he was glad that his encounter with her was finally over. He just hoped that she didn't make any other side trips. He didn't really want to deal with her more than he already did.
As soon as she was back on her room, Lily turned her attention to the stack of papers on her desk. She sighed. She never really liked paperwork and on hind sight, was actually a little glad for the battle that had happened earlier. It was, in a way, a sort of excuse not to work on the tedious exams. A morbid excuse but nevertheless an excuse. Of course, now was a different story. She still didn't know why they would give placement exams to a girl who had no idea what her real name was, much less remember how to answer a calculus question.
Does the equation y2 + x = 1 represents a function y in terms of x? What does that even mean?
"I suppose I would have been saved from this if I had died," she mumbled, this time glancing at the small paper bag she held in her hand. If she died, it would mean not being able to eat any more donuts. Well, that would be really sad... She peeked into the bag and was pleased to find a chocolate butternut ring inside. She immediately took the donut out and happily devoured it. Happy with what she ate, she turned to her paperwork, ready to work on them. But before she could sit on the chair, she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the small mirror that sat on the table. She looked down at her torn and bloodied clothes. I should shower and change first.
She nodded and then walked towards her small closet, pulling out whatever touched her fingertips first. She headed to the communal showers, humming a soft tune as she did. She continued humming happily as she cleaned herself, her mind filled with images of her favorite treat. It was a rare thing for her mind to be occupied by things other than her stigma and for a moment, she looked like a normal cheerful girl. It was, however, short lived. As she turned off the showers, harsh words began filling her head. Faceless people pointed accusing fingers at her. She quickly toweled her hair dry, put on clothes and rushed towards the door of the bathroom as if hurrying away would leave behind the thoughts that had started to invade her mind.
You'll kill us all. You...you're a menace.
I am, aren't I? A useless healer that hurts people instead.
The dark haired man lying face down on the floor flashed through her mind, causing her to collide on the bathroom door. The small blonde let out a surprisingly loud expletive that probably sounded strange coming from someone her size. She reached up and rubbed her forehead where she hit the door and then opened it with a huff. She really need to pay more attention to where she was going. But even with that thought, her mind began wandering off in another direction again. But I did some good in that battle, at least. Maybe even made some friends.
Some friend you are, trying to blow up a team mate with your poorly aimed grenade.
Lily gasped as the image of the blonde haired boy formed in her head. Was he the one saying all those harsh words? His face was still cloudy but his lips were strangely clear. It had a sneer on it. Was he just an imagination borne out of the trauma she had gone through earlier?
Imagination or not, the faceless boy was right. How could anyone think of her as a friend when she obviously botched everything on the battlefield. Her feet carried her back to her room as her mind tried to find another redeeming act to wipe that mocking look on the boy's lips. But I was able to help heal people...
In her mind's eye, the man lying face down on the ground in a pool of his blood looked up. The same sneer was on his lips despite the rest of his face being blurred still. Healing by taking their injuries onto your body? You think anyone wants to hear you scream out in pain? You think that would make you likable? Make them thankful? They pity you. That's all you'll ever get. As soon as the supposedly dead man finished speaking, he slumped back down onto the ground and was again still.
But I... But I... Lily's hand shook as she pushed the door to her dorm room open. As soon as she stepped in, she hung her head low in defeat. The door clicked close behind her. With a heavy heart, a very very depressed mood and a strong reluctance, she sat down on the chair and stared at the stack of papers. The acquisition form was sticking out. It had only two words on it. More Donuts.
She stared at it for a long time. In her manic mood, she would have thought of a lot more stuff to write on it. A teddy bear maybe, fluffy towels, a TV, a cute night light that projected small stars onto the ceiling, a camera, a cellphone... So many things. But her present mood didn't want any of those. There were only two things she wanted at the moment. And these two things she scribbled on the request sheet.
My memories.
Sebastian.
She stared at what she wrote for almost half an hour, as if to ascertain that it was what she wanted. She didn't really know. She didn't even know who Sebastian was or if getting her memories back would somehow make her feel better. With no real conclusions, she shrugged and put the paper aside. Maybe she'd look at it again later on and perhaps write a bit more stuff in.
With a sigh and a confused mind, she slowly, slowly went through the papers that was stacked on the table. She encircled the best answers she could think of... or guess at. With very slow progress, she didn't even realize that she had worked through the night and into the day.
A rumbling tummy and a dry mouth were the only things that made her realize that she had skipped breakfast and lunch the next day. With tiredness and sleepiness apparent on her face, she got up and trudged towards the cafeteria. If she saw anyone in the cafeteria, she didn't really notice them as her mind was plagued by questions of how she lost her memories and why. Distracted as always, she took only a sandwich and a bottle of water. Without lifting her head, she headed back towards her room, mumbling sorry to people she ran into.
Back in her room, she ate her measly dinner and then crashed onto her bed. She was asleep even before her head hit the pillow.
It would have been nice if she had nice dreams. Maybe a peaceful field of flowers with fluffy bunnies hopping around and colorful butterflies flitting by. But her dreams were as unforgiving as her thoughts during her waking moments. Faceless people crowded around her, spitting, yelling, accusing. No matter how hard she tried to see their faces and why they were so angry, she just couldn't remember. In the end, she felt that familiar need to hurt them, to completely erase them from her head, blur them the way their faces were blurred so that they could no longer bother her.
Lily woke up the next day feeling more tired as she had been before she went to bed. The same questions echoed over and over in her mind. Who am I? Why am I here? How did I become what I am? What choice did I make? Why did I choose to be an X? Who are the faceless people? Why do they all hate me? Do they hate me because I chose what I did? Who is Sebastian? Where is he? Why does his name keep popping into my head when I don't even know who he is? The questions didn't help at all with her mood.
Attired in a simple, white dress and armed with the stack of papers, she made her way to the Registrar's Office. One step in front of the other. And then another...It seemed like it would take forever, each step punctuated with unkind words muttered in her head.
Useless.
Freak.
Forgotten.
Friendless.
It was as if the words were on a continuous loop, playing over and over in her head and making her feel more and more depressed.
Killer.
That last word. Killer? Who did she kill?
The image of the dark haired man came to mind and Lily almost walked into a tree. She blinked, her nose only a few inches from the rough wood. Several people stared at her, some actually snickered. But she was oblivious to it all as she sidestepped the tree, her eyes widening at the sudden realization. Did I... kill that man? What sort of person was I before I came here? she asked herself.
But there were no answers. Only the merciless words.
One step in front of the other. Until finally, she was in the Registrar's Office.
There were no words exchanged. Lily merely submitted her paperwork, stood there and waited to be dismissed. The woman behind the desk who entertained her studied her, her eyes flicking towards the X on the base of her throat. She gave the girl the same look the guard she had took the donut from gave her. The look didn't escape Lily's notice. But it didn't really matter.
Everyone in this place probably looked at her the way the woman did.
When told to go, she nodded and turned away, walking back on the same path she took on her way there and then veering off to the general direction of the Gym.
One step in front of the other.
Until she found herself back n the Track and Field. She stopped as she saw two dark haired boys there. One was tall and gangly while the other one was slightly shorter. No matter their height difference, both were towering giants to Lily. She stood there for a moment, watching them. Should she walk towards them and maybe start a conversation?
No... Her mood was off today and she didn't really feel like socializing.
I'm sure they won't want me to interfere with them, she thought glumly as she climbed up the bleachers and sat there. She stared at the track, trying to get her mind off of things she didn't understand nor have any hopes of understanding. "Maybe if I trained the way the others students are doing then maybe that'd help...take my mind off things and...maybe let me find something to work towards. Maybe then will I be useful in battle," she said softly, her mind bringing up memories on her failed throw. At that thought, Marcus came to mind. Maybe going off to find him would help. He did say that they made a good team. But did that mean that he'd want to talk to her?
She watched a girl trip and skin her knee on the ground. It didn't look funny but everyone seemed to find it funny when it happened to her.
Her thoughts abruptly turned to Angelique and Callan, two people who showed some concern for her when she woke up in the hospital. It did her heart good to remember them. And she thought it would be nice to run into them again. Maybe she should...No. I'd probably be just a nuisance to them. This time she didn't need any of the people in her head telling her that she'd be unwanted.
The golden eyed girl strained to steer her erratic thoughts back to her original musings. Training.Yes, training. I should, maybe... wait. How will I do that? Practice my skills? But then I'd need to hurt someone to practice. Hurt myself then hurt someone... or the other way around. T-that won't work at all. But even as she thought that, she couldn't deny that there was that strange pull, that irresistible temptation to make someone feel the pain she felt. Maybe her confusion can be transferred too. Now, that's an interesting concept. The edges of her lips twitched and curved up into a grin.
After a moment, she shook her head to clear it. Strange thoughts. I should keep that out of my head.
The thought of practicing, training and even seeking out possible friends all flew out of her head, her train of thought obviously running on a completely different track. She didn't bother the two boys as she got up and wandered off again.
Eventually, she found herself in the pool where she did laps with several students she didn't know. It took effort to match their pace, her being the smallest there. But like everything else, she didn't mind as her thoughts drifted off again to things she wasn't sure she'll ever figure out.
When Yazmin got her answer from Commander Hale, she nodded and asked no more. Donovan Mars. Meeting this man will be inevitable and she'll know soon enough why his name sounds vaguely familiar. Given, of course, that I'm assigned to the infiltration team. If not, well then, I won't be able to find out... When she thought about it, it really didn't matter...or at least, she'd like to think that it didn't matter. The reason why this man's name was familiar to her was probably because she was from UNF before. That was it. Nothing else. All the important people in her artificially made life were no longer of this world anyway. Or was there some reason why his name sounded familiar? Is it plain curiosity?
Still mulling over the scientist's identity, she gave the Commander a salute and as soon as she acknowledged, she turned and headed towards the hangar.
She sought out Captain Aura and waited for her briefing, watching in silence as she welcomed the new addition to their team. It wasn't the friendliest or the warmest welcome but it made sense and was well placed. Hearing it made her think back to the time when she first arrived at the Ordo base. The welcoming committee was most definitely not welcoming. And most of the people were hostile towards her.
"Why would a UNF pilot defect? She's a spy, I tell you. I say we find out what she knows and then do away with her. If she's not executed, we'll have only a few days... hell, probably less than a day for this base to be ran over completely. I don't even know why they're letting her live. I mean, what? Is she gonna be fighting for us? That's bullshit. It's obvious that she's a spy. Girl was just stupid enough to walk in here in a UNF uniform."
"Reverse psychology, man. She probably thought that walking in here wearing that uniform would convince everyone that she really deserted UNF. And I agree. We need to get rid of her immediately. We should go to the Commander. Petition for her early execution. I hope it'll be me who get to pull the trigger. Pay back for the family I lost to the UNF scums."
Yazmin had looked over to the two men conversing loud enough for her to hear. Was she supposed to be scared that these people wanted her dead? Was that the right emotion for this situation? Should she resist if it came to it? Should she try to escape? Even though she was completely surrounded by Ordo people, she had no doubt that she can escape execution, she had her rigorous training in the UNF to thank for that.
Something to thank UNF for, at least.
She sighed inwardly. But it's also thanks to the UNF that I might actually end up dead where I stand here today. Or should she accept the fate she had walked into? She knew the repercussions of walking into an enemy base very well. On her way to this base, she had thought long and hard about it. Should she join in the opposing faction? Or should she just hide out somewhere nobody knew her and try to live out her life as normally as she could? But then, what was normal? Nothing about her was normal. Would she fit in? Would people accept her? Would the death of her family let her stay hidden and silent for long?
After a while, the need to exact revenge for the death of her family took precedence and she found herself heading towards the direction of the base even before she had made up her mind.
The people of Ordo would most probably have her head. It didn't really sound so bad. If she died, then she'd be reunited with her family.
The thought brought about a completely different string of confusing thoughts. Reuniting with her family of clones.
Did all of them even have souls?
The two men met her gaze, equally. Both men's gaze were filled with murderous hatred. If the Captain hadn't issued the order to leave her alone, one of them would have probably pulled the trigger the moment she stepped into the room.
The shorter of the two shivered unconsciously under Yazmin's dull stare.
"Ugh. She gives me the creeps. Looking into her eyes gives me the impression that there's nothing there. An empty shell. I can't wait to be relieved of this guard duty," The shorter man looked away and he lowered his voice but not enough for his words to escape Yazmin's hearing. He turned to the taller man beside him. "By the way, I know you could be relaxing by now, given that they run you ragged from doing all those maintenance work on the Valkinais but thanks for keeping me company, dude."
Empty shell...Am I an empty shell?
Yazmin's thoughts shifted back to the last time she was in the UNF laboratories. The day her father, brothers and sisters were killed.
"These things... these clones don't have souls. They're empty husks, built to blindly follow whatever commands we give them. They exist for that sole reason and nothing else. And when we decide that they die, then they die. They're not even permitted to flinch when we deliver that last blow." A harsh laughter came from Candice, the female UNF soldier Yazmin always thought had been nice to her. She stood in the spilled blood of her scientist father. "And this man had been playing god for too long it's getting scary," she pointed her gun at the still body of the scientist.
Yes, a very warm welcome for an empty husk indeed, Yazmin thought a little sarcastically. Sarcasm wasn't difficult to learn, especially in the situations she continuously found herself in. Fortunately, it took only a few weeks for the people to start warming up to her despite her lackluster social skills. Of course, there were still some who preferred to avoid her but most of them were comfortable enough to at least talk to her once in a while. A handful even took the effort to actually hold lengthy conversations with her. She never really expect to make friends in the base, but she most certainly appreciated the occasional hi, hello or good morning. It did her heart some good.
She turned her attention to the newest addition to their team, her thoughts earlier making her miss the way he had stared at her. She, however, noted how his face turned slightly reddish. But she immediately attributed it to perhaps excitement for the upcoming mission. He was, after all, fresh out of training. This time around, it was her turn to study him. He was easily the tallest and the most built in the team and the Valkinai behind him was huge and obviously designed for destruction. Having him around would definitely make their odds of succeeding in the mission higher.
She would have continued analyzing him and trying to deduce his personality from the way he looked (she found it entertaining to do so, especially in a place with such a diverse population) but the Captain's words made her set it aside for now.
Hearing that she was to be in the infiltration team, her thoughts shifted back to the scientist. Donovan Mars.I'll get to sate my curiosity, after all, she thought to herself and then brought up a mental image of the base. While the lay out they had been provided seemed to coincide with the image in her head, she hoped that it hadn't changed so much since the last time she was there. That'll definitely make it easier for them to finish the mission without the real need for any casualties. A flawless victory, as Neil had said.
Balls deep.
Did that mean the same thing as victory? Yazmin blinked, the phrase unfamiliar to her, turning her ever curious eyes towards Neil again. It was curious, the way he spoke. She made a mental note to familiarize herself with it later on when she gets the chance.
When the time came for the mission to start, Yazmin was ready. She made sure that her Glock 17 was loaded and her karambits sharpened, sheathed and strapped onto her legs. Ordine was ready too, well maintained by one of the men who had insisted she be executed just a few weeks ago.
"Take care out there and get back home safely." The man's name was Lance. He gestured towards Ordine. "Ordine's revved up and ready to go."
"Thank you, Lance. I'll do my best." Yaz responded in the most pleasant way she can. Lance did come a long way from hating her to wishing her safety on a mission. She appreciated it. Once in a while, she could still see the telltale sign of mistrust in his eyes but his words made her want to do her best.
Lance nodded and stepped aside.
Maybe having friends wasn't such a bad idea after all.
"I suppose defense to a witch is different from defense to a wolf. All I really need is my other form, my teeth, my claws, my speed and my strength... But don't get me wrong. I can see how useful charms can be," Caius said, making small conversation, as he let Callie lead him to where they would be collecting her herbs from. "So, tell me a bit more about yourself. I mean, I know your name, where you once lived and what you wanna do. Oh, and I know that you like pizza. But I don't know anything else aside from that. It'd be weird that we've already gotten to know each other intimately but not know anything else about each other." He smiled sheepishly.
Audrianna stepped back when Ben held out his hand and then watched with amazement as he jumped straight up 18 feet into the air. "Uh, maybe you can catch him if he manages to fly back towards us..." she suggested and then jumped when Lex appeared out of nowhere. "W-where the hell did you come from?" she asked, momentarily distracted from Ben and the fireball that was streaking across the sky. But when he said that he might be able to help Jae, Audrianna turned her gaze back upwards. "Well, he did say that he wanted to practice. It's a good enough time to do that. But I really don't want him to get hurt," she said and then nodded to Lex. "But try not to hurt yourself in the process, okay? Jae would probably be too hot to touch." She heard Harley's voice coming from behind her. It made sense what she said but she could only hope that Jae wasn't panicked enough to heed her words. Or that he was near enough for him to hear.
Or he can actually figure it out for himself, she thought and then watched again in amazement as Lex turned himself into sand. "Whoa. This is really turning out to be some kind of hero movie from Hollywood," she commented as she watched wide eyed the dust particles fly to the direction Jae headed towards.
Meanwhile, up in the air...
Jae gulped as he sped across the sky, actually heeding Audrianna's words. He tilted himself down but the ground hurtled so fast towards him he was sure he'd become just a red splotch if he crashed head first into it. He tilted himself horizontally. His flight became a little more stable but it was carrying him far from the group. How will he get back? "Why the heck are you giving advice when you don't know how to fly???" he shouted back frustratedly. But by the time he finished his tirade, he was probably too far away for Audrianna to hear. He took a deep breath and tried doing what the other female voice he heard before he got too far shouted to him.
"Jae! Point your head in the direction you want to go. It should be like swimming!"
"Ugh. Like swimming? Easy for you to say... Should I wave my arms around?" he muttered as he focused his attention to the matter at hand. He veered right and then left, his burning body slicing smoothly through the air. "Oh, I suppose it is as easy as she said," he laughed. "Now, to figure out how to stop and--- What the hell is that??? his eyes widened when he saw a dust cloud flying towards him. Without being aware of it, he stopped flying mid air and hovered there for a few seconds, his flames buoying him up. He stared at the sand cloud, hoping that it was just what it looked like. A harmless dust cloud. He hoped that it would stop and be blown away by the wind but when it continued heading purposedly towards him, he panicked. Is that thing gonna attack me? he thought frantically as he resumed flying, burning himself a little hotter and streaking across the sky a little faster. With escaped from danger the only thing in his mind, he turned back towards where he wanted to head towards and sped back to where he had taken off. Force field. Force field. Aud can make a force field around me to protect me from this sand thing... Just... just need to figure out how to land. Tilt down, try to slow down and then... and then... uh... land. Ugh. Here goes nothing...
When Audrianna, Ben and Harley came back into view, he began waving his hands frantically. "Force field! Force field! Force field! There this sand cloud that's out to get me!!!" he shouted, the movement of his hands coupled with his panicked state accidentally shooting a fireball towards the group. It landed several feet away from them. "S-sorry! I didn't mean to do that!" he called out as he followed through with his plans and tilted himself down. He sped down towards the ground. "Argh! Slow down slow down slow down slow down," he chanted as the ground drew closer and closer.
Audrianna gawked as Jae sped towards them, flapping his arms like some sort of giant fire bird. "What the heck is he doing?" she mused out aloud and then jumped when a fireball came hurtling down towards them. It hit the ground a few feet away from her, igniting a small patch of dried shrub. "Are you trying to kill us?" she shrieked. And then wide eyed, she watched as the young Korean continued speeding towards the ground. He was yelling about a force field but he was still too far that she couldn't figure out the rest of what he said. By the looks of it and by how near the flying human fireball was to the ground, she figured that he wanted to do a crash landing, she willed her force field towards his young friend. "Slow down!" she shouted.
A bubble immediately encased Jae, his flames igniting the small space he was confined in. "Aud! I can't see where I'm going! I--- Oomph!" he crash landed even before he could finish what he was saying, the force field absorbing most of the impact and rolling him away behind a large boulder.
As soon as Jae hit the ground, Audrianna dissipated her force field. The young man, exhausted from flying and from generating too much heat, stayed face down on the dirt, unmoving, his flames slowly extinguishing around him.
Audrianna, worried about her friend, rushed towards the boulder and found a very naked Jae lying face down on the dirt behind it. "Oh," she exclaimed, immediately turning her gaze away. "JJ, are you okay?" she asked.
"Mmm mmmmmnd mmmf mmmmnd mmrph mmmfphr mmm"
"What?"
Jae turned his head to the side, too exhausted to move the rest of his body, having burned out all the adrenaline in his system. "Ugh... Some kind of sand was after me."
"That sand wanted to help you."
"Oh," was all Jae could say before he slumped his face back onto the dirt.
Claudia walked out of the cafe across Callie's shop, marveling at how the vampire offered to hold the door for her. Whaddya know? This old timer has manners after all. Can't hurt that he's handsome too, she thought.
As Scott stepped out, he looked around, still not used to being in the city. Something had pulled him here and he wanted to know what. But if he was staying, he'd need somewhere to stay. He turned to Claudia. "Where do you reside?" he asked.
Claudia looked at Scott, still amused by how old fashioned his way of speaking was. "In Caius and Callie's house for the moment. I'm still thinking if I should actually settle down here with them or you know, just be transient. I can never get tired of running."
Scott nodded, understanding what she meant. But then he shook his head. His actions strangely made sense to Claudia.
"I don't suppose you have a place to stay, do you? Why are you in Carson City anyway?" she asked, pausing across the street and watching Caius step out of Callie's shop.
Scott turned his grayish green eyes to Claudia and then followed her gaze towards her twin. "No, I do not have any human habitation to stay in. And I can not say what it is that brought me here. Perhaps it is the coming war."
Claudia raised a hand and gave the male wolf across the street a wave. Caius acknowledge her with a nod of his head. "Huh. I guess you being an original can sense it too," she sighed. "And human habitation? You can just say that you don't have a place to stay at, you know?" She scratched her head and then gestured with her head across the street. "Come on. It won't hurt to ask my brother if we can have you stay with us for a while. My brother's mate is a human, okay? Don't eat her."
"Why would you want to invite me into your home? And why would I eat your brother's human?" Scott asked, confusion apparent in his voice.
Claudia rolled her eyes. "I guess it's really been a while since you were in civilization. A thank you would have sufficed." she walked across the street.
Scott followed suit. "Thank you," he said quietly.
"Hey, Cai. Would you mind having Scott stay at the house for a while?"
Caius looked from Claudia to Scott and then shrugged. "I don't mind. But you'll have to ask Callie about that. It's as much as her house as mine."
Caius noticed the look of embarrassment on Callie's face and chuckled. He wiped his mouth with his table napkin, folded the cloth neatly and then placed it beside his empty plate before he stood up. He closed the short distance between him and Callie, draped an arm on her waist and then pulled her towards him. "You've seen me naked, I won't mind if you stare at me when I'm fully clothed," he teased, his eyes glinting with humor. He leaned forward and kissed her, his lips moving hungrily against hers. "I prefer being naked together though. We can stare at each other all we want," he said suggestively as he pulled back and released her.
"But yeah... herbs. We should go get them, I guess," he grinned sheepishly as he ran a hand through his hair. "Come on then," he said, offering his hand for her to hold.
As soon as the twins arrived, Claudia positioned herself beside Casey, bowing her head low. Caius, on the other hand, gave Darric a small nod of his head as acknowledgement and then stood to the right of the alpha, signifying his position in the pack. His fierce blue eyes watched the shadows as the wolves arrived, one after another, each of them bowing low to Darric before positioning themselves in a semi circle.
First came a russet colored wolf. A male. He looked towards the two females, his brown eyes confused why one of them smelled strangely like a vampire. He issued out a low grumbling sound from his throat as an indication of his discontent.
A gray female came next, her golden eyes shifting briefly towards the two additional females. She too smelled the scent of a vampire. But unlike the russet male, she quietly took her place.
A brown wolf came forward followed by a black and white one. After which, several smaller wolves in different shades of brown and gray came out of the shadows.
Soon, 12 wolves stood in the clearing, 10 with their heads bowed low to the alpha and beta wolves. A cacophony of greetings filled each wolves head, the 8 pack members chattering animatedly with Caius particularly, the two females temporarily forgotten. Darric, on the other hand, looked towards the trees as a pure white wolf padded slowly towards the group. She carried herself regally and by the looks of her shiny coat, it was obvious that she took great care of herself...or someone took great care of her. Her golden eyes met Darric's gray ones and then she abruptly turned her head towards the two females, showing particular interest at the relatively new wolf, Casey. Realizing what no one else apparently did, she glared at Casey then turned her eyes to Darric, an accusing look in them.
You have imprinted.
It was a simple statement but it was enough to silence the chatter and thoughts inside each wolves' head. All eyes turned to the white wolf.
I have, came Darric's smooth baritone. This was answered by a displeased growl from the white female. This is Casey Green, acknowledge her as a member of this pack and my mate. And beside her is Claudia Aluredes, Caius' twin sister. Acknowledge her as a member of this pack. From this day forth, they will run with the Crimson Keepers. continued his commanding voice. He turned his fierce gray eyes towards each member of the pack, settling them last on the white wolf. You will acknowledge them as well, Sonja.
The white wolf turned her head back towards Casey and Claudia. She stared for a long moment at Casey, her gaze openly unfriendly. Darric took a step forward to place himself in between her and his mate. Annoyed but knowing that she can't do much about Darric's imprinting, Sonja turned her attention to Claudia, this time baring her teeth. And you even have the guts to bring in a vampire sex toy, Darric, She bared her teeth at Claudia.
But Claudia wasn't one to turn down a challenge or take an insult lying down. Even before Caius, the more level headed twin, could interject, she had already bared her own teeth and flung her own insult to the female wolf. "Just because you're feeling angry that Darric imprinted on Casey rather than you doesn't give you the right to insult me. Not that you know how it is to imprint."
Claudia's words were harsh and it was enough for Sonja to launch herself at the black wolf, fangs and claws ready to tear her apart.
Darric simply watched the two females go at it. It wasn't uncommon for fights to break out between wolves. It was how they settle disputes in the pack and he wanted to see who would come out on top.
Claudia proved to be the faster and superior of the two and she easily outmaneuvered Sonja's attacks. The white wolf yelped in pain when Claudia caught her jaw with her front paw, her claw opening a deep gash on her left cheek. When the other wolves began egging both women to continue fighting, Darric finally decided to put his foot down to end the fight.
Enough! he boomed, his tone effectively silencing the wolves. Caius came forward and placed himself in between his sister and his packmate. Blue eyes met the gold ones and a silent understanding passed between the twins. Claudia bristled but she stood down.
Gabriel North
Gabriel didn't like being left alone in a big house that smelled unfamiliar and a strange. Being around his adoptive father wasn't exactly reassuring as well. Sure, it didn't seem like the vampire would harm him but he smelled so differently that the little boy still felt scared. He looked longingly towards the door where his adoptive mother and uncle disappeared out of and had half the mind to run after them. He pulled his little legs up and hugged them to him as he carefully tried to avoid the vampire's gaze, keeping his eyes glued on the TV,
When the dog came in and growled at him, Gabriel jumped and then crouched down on all fours on the couch, growling back at the dog even before Alex could say that he could. Aggravated by the unwelcome gesture of the dog and being left alone, he looked at Alex and growled at him too.
Member
I'll try to post a bit more after the next update.
