@Shylarah@SleepingSilence@LeoricAquila@JewelsAs the hour passed and Mason exited the tunnels nearby the doctor’s apartment, looking for the shortest path to get to Terrence. Mason determined that climbing up the fire escapes would be a dumb idea as they seemed to need repair, and it would be a long climb. The most obvious choice would be an elevator up, but that would put him in a position to be alone with other monsters for a period of time. He would need to figure out if it was worth it to put himself in such close proximity to these disgusting creatures. It wasn’t an idea he enjoyed, but it was the only logical option.
“Fucking monsters…I’ll put them back in the ground where they belong...” Mason walked casually into the front hall of the apartment building and made a beeline to the elevator, avoiding contact with as many of the monsters going in and out of the building as he could.
Once he arrived at the floor that Terrence’s home was at, Mason prepared himself to give his friend a punch in the mouth… mostly due to the fact that he felt abandoned by him. It had been years since he had seen Terrence and he was hurt that he hadn’t heard so much as a peep from him until he finally tracked him down and sent messages to him. It was time to reveal the truth to his long time friend and deliver him his just desserts for abandoning his friends and his family. Mason stood at Terrence’s door, preparing to knock, considering what Terrence would do if Mason did clock him one in the jaw as soon as he answered.
*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*
Mason’s bionic fist pounded on the door before the door creaked open to reveal the entrance way of Terrence’s home and office. Terrence waited, rubbing his eyes some, as the nightmares were definitely starting to affect how he slept and more importantly how awake he felt. He refused to feel this way when he was working with his patients. Figuring that he would have to possibly need a break from his experiments and maybe make some herbal tea to help him sleep. While he continued to sit leisurely with his book, flipping through the pages until he found something he wanted to read.
“...If mixed with this extremely rare seemingly harmless substance on its own, it would rapidly transform into a very lethal, high rising gas. That almost any creature would die if inhaled, due to causing most functions of the brain to shut down causing instant death.” Terrence read to himself as he briefly looked up at the time worried that it was taking him a little longer than he'd originally thought. Hoping that he was alright and would get here soon. Minutes later, Terrence stopped when he heard a knock and several more that were equally as loud, followed his door opening.
“He must be here.” Terrence thought as he stood up, shutting the book, remember what page he was on anyway. He approached the hallway to his door and saw Mason, as he stepped into full view in the hallway. As he could tell it was him but simultaneously he looked quite different than he last remembered. Though he could hardly oppose such a thing given his own circumstances. Terrence smiled at him as it felt nostalgic to see an old friend again.
“It's certainly been a while, please come in...” Terrence offered not exactly sure what to say, though a little wary since Mason didn't seem to share his smile.
“It has been a while...dick…” Mason spoke harshly as he removed his jacket and tossed it onto a nearby chair while he walked into the room and approached Terrence, a slow smile creeping across his face. Excitement overwhelmed his anger. Happiness flooded in as he came in to give his old friend a hug.
“You left us… and we’ve needed you. We’ve missed you, Terr. Your absence created a void that we can’t fill. Not in my heart, and not in your former office in the slums. We need you, man. We’re dying out there.” Terrence looked taken aback from his friend and his actions as Terrence hugged him back feeling a little emotional himself as certain feeling swept over him. Terrence had to keep his emotions under control as he tried to remain calm.
“Believe me, I had no choice in my actions. I couldn't stay in the slums. Not after what they did to my siblings,” Terrence replied, omitting the true reason why he left, it was because everyone would have been too afraid of him. Shortly after Terrence’s comment, Mason broke the hug and nodded, moving to rub the exposed plastic of his bionic arm, keeping it somewhat hidden from Terrence.
“You don't know how much I miss the way things used to be.” Terrence continued just as Mason took a few strides across the room towards where Terrence kept his fridge.
“I know… Hey, you got any beer in here? I’m fuckin’ thirsty, man.” He spoke before looking back at the doctor with an arched brow and a quizzical look on his face. It would please him quite greatly if the answer was
“Yes”.
Terrence could already see certain issues that he had with his body, no matter how Mason tried to hide it. But he left that alone for the time being. He smiled at him slightly as he nodded his head.
“Yes, I don't honestly drink alcohol very often anymore. But I did buy some very recently, should be on the bottom,” he replied to his question as he observed Mason rummaging through his stocked fridge. He wasn't even sure if he wanted to ask him what the serious thing that he wanted to discuss was.
Mason smirked as he pulled a chilled bottle of what looked like a brew made down near the slums by humans. It pleased him to know that Terrence still enjoyed the same swill they used to when they were younger.
“Perfect, always had a good eye for the worst shit. On to the business end of this meeting, unfortunately.” Mason spoke as he showed the very rough tear in his synthetic skin, showing a large open section of his bionic arm. He pointed to the section and laughed a bit.
“First things first, I need you to repair my SynthSkin. Tore it up while I was out the other night helping get some of my men back to their homes in the South End. We found out what Molocaseum has been up to, and it needs to stop. Now.” Mason spoke before he popped open the top of the beer bottle and took a short swig. Terrence watched as Mason, it felt almost surreal, and he was equally pleased to see Mason’s penchant for beer was still the same. Last time Terrence tried to drink alcohol, he drowned in it causing him to cease touching it. But he was glad at least someone was drinking it now. Terrence pushed his slightly sliding glasses back into position as he awaited exactly this was all about. Terrence wasn't surprised at what Mason said, he already knew as all the damaged spots glowed a dim blue. Terrence acted as if he didn't already know as he leaned in to examine it closer, not wanting to look apathetic.
“Molocaseum? Forgive me, I'm not familiar with that name.” Terrence interjected.
“I can help you repair your body, you look like you certainly got in a scrape. I should have enough spare parts to make replacements. Come with me and I can take you to my lab.” Terrence replied, willing to help, as he watched him start to drink.
Once Mason swallowed, he continued, nodding to Terrence, moving to affirm any and all suspicions about Mason. Before he spoke, however, he moved to shut the door and pull out his handgun from his leg compartment. Mason aimed it at the door while he spoke.
“Secondly, I need you with me on this. In recent years, since you left, I became the leader of the group now known among the monster community as Chaos. I am leading a rebellion to save our people, Terrence. I need you by my side to stop these monsters from using us like cattle… like slaves… like playthings. You know what happened to our families, you know what happened to our friends. More and more people are being dragged from the streets, their homes. It’s disgusting and no one is standing up for us. No one but me and the few who stand behind me.”Terrence looked as he saw him pull out his handgun, it didn't startle him being around weapons all too often. But he was very curious at that moment as he heard him plead his case and reveal that he was a part of the rebellion he had been hearing about. It all was said so fast it was hard to process all at once.
“That's...certainly a lot of information you have divulged,” Terrence stated, as he raised his voice in growing concern hearing that he's doing something so dangerous, seemingly to forgot just how he had been behaving the past week alone.
“How can you do something so reckless? Is that how you lost your body?” Terrence exclaimed as he quickly changes his tone to a calmer tone.
“You ask me to join the rebellion...are you seriously the leader of the rebellion?” Terrence questioned, though from Mason's tone, he believed him. But Terrence was just feeling very conflicted, so many things he wanted to say at once but he stopped himself.
“I’ve always been honest with you. I have no reason to lie to you. We’ve been friends for a very, very long time. You know who I am. And… Kind of.” Mason spoke as he followed into Terrence’s lab, looking around at the equipment that his friend had been afforded. Something didn’t add up. Mason knew that Terrence’s skill as a doctor was beyond compare, but why was he allowed to have such advanced equipment. Didn’t make sense.
“You have a nice setup here. Very highly advanced. Guys who gave me these new limbs weren’t as advanced as this, though I should know that you have been taking on monsters as your patients. I lost most of the right side of my body when I got captured a few years back… monsters tortured me, kept me alive while they tried to see how much of me they could remove or break before they got bored. Thankfully they only got what they did before some mystery men showed up.”Mason told this story as he sat in a chair near the operating table and sighed gently, keeping his human arm pointing the gun at the doorway, his beer carefully placed on the floor at his feet. A small pool of condensation formed at the base of the bottle and left the SynthSkin on his bionic arm wet and a little bit more cool than normal, which he normally never felt anyways.
Terrence believed his friend's words though it brought him discomfort to learn that he had been putting himself through this. As soon as he heard of the rebellion, he always viewed it with a pessimistic lens, but somehow his confidence in his friend knowing he was a capable leader, Terrence really started to contemplate his offer analytically, which itself made him feel a little cold. He still felt camaraderie wasn't enough to hold this together, after all the first person Terrence went to all those years back was another old friend and he was shunned and treated just like one of the monsters. Silently the doctor followed him into his lab, which was cleaned up. He observed the look of Mason's face, understanding his surprise was over the amount of equipment that he was in possession of, but it seemed like he thankfully wasn't pressing the issue. Further listening to him explain how he had been tortured which made him looking down, the words crushed him, feeling an overwhelming sense of guilt. He knew just from his patients’ stories that the rebellion was attacked quite often, most confrontations lead to someone getting killed. He wondered at that moment if maybe by saving one monsters life he doomed more of his own kind to their demise. He stood on the opposite side of the table watching his friend clenching his fists tightly just to stop himself from interrupting, being lost in his own thoughts.
“How can I even reply to that, I only wish I could say I didn't have any other choice. My curse killed my bond with humanity, have I not abandoned them would the results been the same?” he thought in his head unable to answer himself.
“I uh… I’m missing my right eye, right leg and most of the organs on the right side of my body. Magic is scary stuff, man. I’m not sure what sort of science would have kept me alive… Hell I doubt science has an answer as to how I survived it. Heh… Ever since then though, I’ve been driven to stop the Elders; Molocaseum, Adrian and Azura. They wield the power to stop this, to finally bring peace… Molocaseum however has been farming our kind to sell as meat to local butchers. It’s truly disgusting. Adrian sees us merely as playthings… And Azura...The First Elder, the head of the three… She could stop this all if she wanted. She could put an end to our suffering if she cared. But humans are the last thought in her mind.” Mason took a deep breath to continue his spiel, but he didn’t get a chance to do so, for he was interrupted.
Terrence shared his deep breath outward, extremely frustrated with himself as he couldn't sit there any longer without least saying something, but when Mason stopped, Terrence noticed faint sounds coming from outside the lab, like footsteps. Able to hear someone else approaching, his heart skipped a beat. He wasn't expecting any guests...he couldn’t be certain but he was concerned that it was one of his patients but that didn’t narrow it down or make it any less unnerving. The only person he could imagine coming here at this time was her, since she occasionally visited him, often times at random, but even if that was the case, she picked an extremely poor time to come….
Reaching Terrence’s floor, Cas had gone down the hallway, the polite but disinterested attitude she tried so hard to maintain for her profession falling away. By the time she reached the doctor’s door, she wore a bright smile. This was a safe place for her. Terrence understood her, understood what she’d been through, and how it affected her. And he didn’t push her when she wasn’t feeling like talking. She’d taken to turning up at his place on a semi-regular basis, often unannounced. So it was this day; she turned the knob and pushed the door open with one hand, hold what was left of her sandwich in the other.
“Terry~” she carolled as she entered.
“Wait until you see what I--” The words died on her lips as she saw a second man inside the room. The young woman scrambled for the fragments of her discarded mask, the detached demeanor that she used as an all-purpose defense to cover shyness and anxiety, and even the kindness that some might take advantage of. Inwardly she was cursing herself. She’d become so accustomed to dropping in that she’d grown careless, forgetting that she was not the only one who did so.
Shakti’s attention sharpened further as the one who carried it fought down a wave of panic, and jumped from its anchor’s shadow to one a bit farther into the room. The girl’s gray eyes flicked to the watching shadow and back to the unfamiliar man by the doctor. Cas was sufficiently flustered that she didn’t even notice the weapon pointed in her general direction.
“I apologize, I didn’t realize I was interrupting. I’ll see myself out.” The words came out stiffly, forced through the tightness that she felt all over.
Mason’s hand tightened on the grip of the handgun as he stared right at the young girl who came crashing into the private moment. He was certain that by the tone of her voice, she was a girl, but the rest of her figure screamed young man. Mason was about to pull the trigger before he noticed something wasn’t normal about her. Maybe a monster? A human mage? Mason couldn’t be sure, and he didn’t trust her.
“No… stay… You seem to think that you can burst into ‘Terry’s’ home and invade any privacy he might have. Which means he either trusts you, or you’re a thorn in his side who just comes and goes as you please.” Mason spoke as his eyes narrowed to stare her down, finger prepared to squeeze the trigger if he felt for any reason that she would be a threat or would run off with sensitive information.
“How much did you hear?”Cas’s heart thudded in her chest.
“He--” her voice cracked on the word, and she tried again.
“He said it’s okay to come in, if the door’s unlocked….” The fingers of one hand tightened on the strap of her bag, the other crushing the uneaten portion of her lunch as she tried to keep them from shaking. Terry was okay; strangers were /not/. She’d just been with people, acting like she was fine. She could do that, most of the time, as long as she focused on shutting them out and her anxiety in. His words cut into her like knives. Terrence thought of her as a friend, didn’t he? He’d never so much as hinted that he disliked her presence. Sure, there were times when she wasn’t welcome, but she’d never protested leaving if asked, nor hassled him if the door was locked. The girl had precious few friends since her Shadow had shown up, and he’d been the very first. The idea that she’d misunderstood things was painful.
“How much? I didn’t -- if I’d’ve heard anything, I would have stayed in the hall, or gone back downstairs until you left.” Her gaze drifted downward.
“I told you, I didn’t mean to...interrupt….” The girl’s uneven voice trailed off as her eyes came to rest on the gun pointed at her, and before she could think better of it she’d taken a half-step back. Again Cas’s focus shifted briefly to the where the hidden demon lurked, before she dragged it back to the man threatening her, though her attention remained with the shade. She didn’t want it killing anyone! If he was a human, he really didn’t deserve it no matter how unkind he was, and if he was a monster, it would only cause problems. And she didn’t want Terry in trouble either, which would surely follow if someone died in his home.
“Please, don’t -- put it away, please.” Only the stiffness of the anxiety already clawing through her kept the girl from shaking.
“Just -- please, I--” Her words came out all tangled, and she had a terrible feeling that everything was going to fall apart. The demon was already painting her vision in blood, its voice hissing through her head. The girl felt dizzy and sick.
“Tell him, Terrence, please --- help me!” Confirming that it was her when he heard her voice calling his name, well what she called him. He didn't know why he hadn't spoken up yet, perhaps it was the fact his was tired, but if that was the case he only had one more thing be blamed for. The tension was palpable, instantly making him anxious. Seeing Mason and Cas and a possible dangerous situation if he didn't respond quickly it would only exacerbate the current situation. Terrence stepped in front of Mason's handgun and put a hand on Mason's shoulder firmly gripping it.
“Please stop! What she says is true, Cas is a friend of mine and former patient. She won't do anything to cause trouble. Please set your weapon away Mason, you'll only make this worse otherwise,” he interrupted, explaining who she was, emphasizing that she was his friend, looking at Mason with a serious expression. Then he looked at Cas. The look and hand on his shoulder prompted Mason to lower his weapon and shake his head. Mason’s eyes lost some of their previous intensity.
“Calm down, Cas. It's alright now. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have let it go that far.” Terrence spoke to her in a calming manner, hoping it would pacify her and her demon. He approached her slowly.
“Are you alright now?” he asked her softly. Meanwhile, Mason holstered his gun in the leg compartment and clicked it closed before picking up his beer off the floor, taking a long drink while the two spoke to each other, saving his speech for when the dramatics were over with.
The girl sagged against the doorframe, the breath caught in her chest rushing out, and she gulped another. She looked at Terry when he spoke to her, before squeezing her eyes shut.
“I’m not sure. No. No, I don’t think so.” Cas opened her eyes again, seeking out his face, but flinched and closed them again, not able to handle the vision of layers of his skin peeling away as if being sliced off. Still, it was plenty of time for the doctor to observe that her pupils were dilated.
“I will be, but...not yet.”Terrence glanced back to make sure Mason was still lowering his handgun, he still had to resolve this situation before it became a problem. Knowing Mason would be on edge after the information he relayed, he didn't want him to believe she was a threat or was scheming any nefarious plots, not exactly able to say she was harmless since the demon was clearly aggressive. However he knew Cas was innocent. Bereft of any better ideas, Terrence went for something simple, having medicine for this that would assist him. He quickly went to the table and pulled some medicine from it. Specifically, a home remedy with a purpose that the smell of it was designed to reduce stress levels and heart rate and various other factors that caused anxiety. He had created it a while ago, having to use it quite often on his more stressed patients and less frequently on himself. Approaching her, he held an open vial close to her nose.
“Breathe in, this will relax you,” he calmly instructed.
“Now that the theatrics are over, may I finish? Thanks… Girl, you just sit there and do… whatever makes you happy, I honestly don’t care. If Terr trusts you then I suppose you can listen as well, but that doesn’t mean you go blabbing what you hear to all your little friends or whatever.”Turning his attention back to Mason as he interrupted, he could tell he was still frustrated with the situation.
“Mason, you don't have to worry about her.” He assured as he looked at Cas with a smile hoping it would make her feel less uneasy.
“You certainly picked an unfortunate time to come and visit me, dear. I sincerely apologize, please excuse my negligence. I should have locked the door when you arrived. So this mess wouldn't have taken place.” Terrence stated and sort of spoke to both Cas and Mason wishing he would’ve considered this, he knew he probably would have if he had just gotten a better sleep last night. Terrence watched Cas lean against the wall as he exhaled figuring this was the best outcome that could possibly occur. Terrence patiently waited for Mason to speak up again, knowing he had far more to elaborate on. He turned his attention to his friend, listening to his words while also trying to keep everything under control, rubbing the back of his head a bit, feeling tense.
“I think I’d rather just leave...” Cas started to protest, but trailed off as Mason shot a glare at her. His expression said she had no choice in the matter. Then he turned in his seat to face Terrence, motioning to his arm to prompt him to repair the damaged skin. The girl slid down the wall to the floor, her mouth twisting down in a grimace. It would be rough making her way home in her current emotional state, but she would much prefer that option. Still, she wasn’t inclined to cross a man who had threatened her just for walking in. She rested her head against the wall and did her best to tune him out. The sharp-smelling vapor Terry had her inhale helped, but it didn’t get rid of her anxiety entirely.
Mason began to speak again,
“Anyways, as I was saying, I have a few plans... one of them requires a certain… expertise. One that I know for certain you would be the perfect man for, Terrence. Killing the Third Elder, Adrian LeRouse the Pureblood Vampire. I heard rumors that he captured his position by poisoning the former elder and killing him. I intend to do the same to him, however I don’t know, personally, what poisons would affect the vampire’s biology. You however would, being a doctor and having that unique ability to read a person’s health. I need to to design and administer a poison that would leave him weak and helpless so that I can come in and clean up the rest of the mess. Molocaseum is a different case. He’s just death and disease… I’d need to use my arm as a last resort against him, I’m sure… He doesn’t seem to have any visible weaknesses yet. I need someone to find out more… someone who can get close without consequence. I can’t put you in harm’s way Terr, not for him.”“Well it’s true that I have learned the different species of vampires and their various weak points from having them as patients, and I could likely create something potent enough to eliminate them in a matter of seconds with some research I picked up. It won't matter what his title is. Although, I'm hesitant that you don't have a better plan than that. You need to be exact in your calculations. Because you might be only able to try your plan once.” Terrence stated bluntly, not wanting to have him speak vaguely about something needing precision.
“The Molocaseum, I think I remember having discussions with soldiers about him. It even sounds like he makes the other Elders’ soldiers nervous. Like he'd go on a rampage against monsters, if he felt like it. It sounds like you might be able to spread enough propaganda and paranoia to maybe make the others fear him, and maybe they can eliminate him themselves while also saving your own skin in the process. But that's only conjecture on what I've been told about him. I've also heard of several rather tall sounding tales of him and possible weaknesses you may be able to exploit, but I don't know how accurate any of them actually are.” Terrence continued speaking up in a rather direct way, taking this conversation quite seriously. He stopped due to hearing Cas whisper something that he quite easily overheard, not surprised at her disapproval.
Though she tried to ignore what was going on in the room so she could focus on calming down, certain words still registered. Adrian LeRouse, for one, though even if she didn’t know who he was, Elder caught her attention as well. Killing, poison...Molocaseum?! Her jaw clenched at the last name. She’d heard of the monster, though she’d never been even remotely near him, thank goodness. Word was that he had a people farm, raising humans for food and who knew what else. And this man was planning to attack them?
“You’re insane,” she whispered as she opened her eyes, though her gaze ended up fixed on empty air. Blood splatters and spectres of the dead still filled her sight, but now they were joined by a memory that was painfully real.
“You’ll end up dead -- you, and anyone else stupid enough to try. They’ll slaughter anyone that gave you even the slightest bit of aid.” Her insides twisted as she remembered something she’d heard earlier that day, something about an armored demon mage that had torched a building supposedly holding held rebels. One of those killed was a child -- that tidbit she’d heard separately, as for the most part only humans cared what happened to other humans. And if the man was part of a rebellion, then regardless of whether the deceased had been members or not, he was partly to blame.
“I don’t want any part of this. ...Terry, you aren’t seriously considering helping him, are you?!” Her panic, not yet banished, wrapped around her throat and threatened to strangle her, and the harsh sound of her breath was audible. She had thought the doctor was an intelligent man, smart enough to know better than to get involved in something like this.
“Don't worry Cas, you don't have to be a part of this. I won't let you get into any trouble. You have my word, I always keep my promises,” Terrence quickly assured the young woman, looking at her. He clenched his fists at her question; maybe when she first met him, he'd have had the answer she wanted from him. His past self had become quite depressed feeling as it everything was hopeless in his previous state of mind, especially because of the whole situation that had been decidedly thrust upon him. Defeating these monsters would’ve been an impossible endeavor in his mind. But after interacting with some of his many patients and examining a wide variety of monsters and their sicknesses, he discovered something peculiar. By heavily observing and keeping detailed records over several years, he saw some monsters were literally dying from the simplest diseases or ailments, learning that many of their immune systems were much weaker than that of his human patients. Even just having the common cold was deadly to some, it was a foreign concept that baffled him immensely, as he hadn’t even had those kind of problems with his human patients that he once saw. As more similar scenarios occurred, he learned that many of the monsters were actually far more frail than they appeared. He had honestly considered joining the resistance for quite a while now, but he had never been so confident in his current decision. His growing bitterness and loathing had never stopped increasing the longer he was trapped inside this metaphorical prison and personal hell of being turned into what he had become. The time to act was now or never, he had to exterminate them all if he had to. Despite knowing he wouldn't exactly be able to kill them all that easily, he was certain he'd be able to massively cripple the monsters and cause widespread destruction. He couldn’t take it anymore. The endless visceral nightmares he had every single night often haunted him even after he awoken from his bed. They made him feel even nervous going to sleep, just knowing as soon as he closed his eyes he'd see his dead siblings again. He frankly didn't care about the ones wanting to live in peace, he had no sympathy left over for the monsters. His curse was all their fault, his family was dead because of them! He had never been more sure. However didn't want to express his honest intentions, figuring being truthful would only cause Cas’s panic to spiral out of control. Though he hated being deceptive, there wasn't another option besides to stretch the truth and keep his true intentions hidden from her.
“Cas, my friend wants my advice. As a doctor I'd be inconsiderate not to at least hear his words, while providing my personal opinions on this complicated matter. Please don't insinuate anything from this. In fact, I think it would be best if you wait in the living room while we further discuss matters. Would that be alright with the both of you? I don't wish to upset you with our discussion. You can watch television while you wait...” Terrence offered making his tone as nonchalant as possible. To discontinue further interruptions, figuring Mason would prefer this conversation to continue quickly, he added,
“Actually, could you please do me a favor and lock my door so we don't have any other guests?”Gray eyes flicked from the doctor to his other guest and back, but the girl nodded silently and started to get to her feet. As she went to push herself up, she realized she still had something in her hand. Look at it, puzzled, she found the remainder of her sandwich, now half-crushed and rather pitiful. Cas no longer had any desire to finish it; her appetite had fled with her smile. She tugged the wrapper so it covered the exposed parts before tucking it in her bag and standing up. She left the lab, closing the separating door partway behind her.
Once out of sight she went to the front door and turned the deadbolt. It slid into place with an audible thunk. The muffled sound of the television soon drifted from the living room, but Cas wasn’t really watching. Unlike the visiting stranger, tv was easy to ignore, and it came to her as a soothing fuzz of white noise, over the sound of her heartbeat pounding in her ears. She wasn’t calm, but she was starting to fall into the cold clarity that let her think best. Her thoughts fluttered a moment before she started organizing them. The man didn’t trust her, that much was clear. He was dangerous, possibly crazy, and dedicated to his cause, or he wouldn’t be trying to enlist others. Dangerous was the main concern there -- and how her shadow would react to such danger. But she knew about the rebellion, and there was no way the stranger would be okay just /hoping/ she’d stay quiet. Paranoia was a familiar thing. Between herself and Ms. Susan, she knew it well. Terry might know about her Shadow, and he wasn’t just a weak human, but she couldn’t put him at risk. The coming confrontation couldn’t occur with him nearby. And if possible, she wanted it to occur with the stranger far enough away that he wouldn’t get hurt either.
Where could she go that he couldn’t? The narrowest parts of the underground tunnels came to mind, places where blockades had only been partially cleared and you could rip your clothing easily if you weren’t cautious. But those were risky at speed, and all farther away than she wished to attempt. She was an excellent runner, but it would be foolish to bet her own speed and endurance to be all she would need. She had to think of something closer. Ideally, she’d come up with some way she could tell him she wasn’t trying to escape, just get somewhere no one else might get hurt, before he was able to reach her.
Maybe she was going about this the wrong way. She didn’t need him to be unable to reach her. She just needed her Shadow unable to reach /him/. With the sun only an hour or so past its peak, that could be just about anywhere outside, as long as there was nothing overhead. The roof, for example. People hardly ever went there, too, so they’d be able to talk. And if Terry followed, he wouldn’t be in danger. The girl’s mouth twisted into a pained smile. She should have thought of that sooner. With her plan of action decided, she pulled out her clipboard and scrawled a note on a sheet of paper. She placed it where it would be clearly visible, and after a moment’s pause, set the small bag of candy on top to make sure it didn’t blow away. Then Cas quietly slid open the window and started up the fire escape.
Shortly after Cas left the room, Mason let out a deep sigh, his eyes trained on the door that she left through.
“You think I can trust her? She won’t go and run her mouth to some monsters about what she heard?” He spoke to Terrence as he turned back to rest his arm on a small table with a few surgical tools on it. Mason needed the repairs to the SynthSkin completed before he left back for the slums or anywhere else for that matter. The beer in his hand was still cool, but it was starting to get to room temperature, which would mean he’d likely throw it away soon if he didn’t finish it. He took a long draught from the bottle and waited for Terrence to get to work.
Terrence carefully watched Cas and Mason as she started to leave the room. The look on her face didn't make him any more comfortable, and he listened intently to the sound of her footsteps walking further away, hearing her lock the door. Hearing the television turning on in the living room, however he couldn’t shake the overwhelming feeling that something bad was going to happen. As Terrence glanced at Mason, the man let out a sigh and asked him a question. He could tell he was still uncertain about the whole situation. But he trusted her to at least not say anything. He nodded his head slightly in response as he prepared what he needed to repair his SynthSkin and moved up the the table.
"I trust her enough that she won't say anything to incriminate myself, you are my friend, I believe she understands that. She won't betray my trust. Though you need to understand, the girl means you no harm. Just please don't provoke her," Terrence explained as he suddenly overheard the window opening.
“Oh no...” Terrence thought, quickly looking at Mason, relieved he didn't seem to have a reaction, knowing Cas just escaped outside through the window and was currently heading down the fire escape. He curses himself in his head, having a feeling he just started a mess through his carelessness. Realizing he was being silent, he spoke up.
“Alright, let's begin.”“Yea… the sooner the better. I have a lot to do still. Thanks man, you have no idea how much it means to hear that from you. But I’m still not sure how I feel about you just ‘giving me advice’. You have as much reason to hate the monsters as I do, so why are you on the fence?” Mason spoke as he watched Terrence lay the replacement SynthSkin over the tear. It didn’t take long for Terrence to work on the repairs, once the skin was in place and self adjusted to the same color as the skin around it. Something similar to a welding tool was used to fuse the new skin to the old, making the skin look almost seamless. About ten minutes later and the skin was smoothed out and sanded down to remove any imperfections.
The skin wasn’t perfect, but it would do until Mason could get back to his base and add some level of realism with ink and other materials. Maybe tattoo over the new skin and try to make it look more real, or at least hide most of the imperfections.
While Terrence grabbed his tools he began to work on the damaged SynthSkin, repairing it as best as he possibly could. While also hesitating in very subtle way, to make it go a little longer, while not focusing on Mason. He wanted to go a little slower than usual because he honestly didn't want Cas to be chased down and caught, which he figured may happen if he were to go too quickly. He heard what Mason said, looking up at him reacting in a controlled way, not wanting to give anything away in his tone of voice.
“I simply just don't want to have unnecessary conflicts with people I know. I'm not on the fence, believe me. I want the exact same thing you do, I just wish to remain cautious. But to answer your question about needing help with the resistance. Consider it done,” Terrence answered as he wiping his forehead as he set his tools down.
“You're finished.” Terrence added letting out a small sigh.
“Thanks Terr, I knew I could count on you.” Mason spoke as he ran his fingers along the new SynthSkin that was in place of the tear. Once he found that he was content with the results, he finished his beer and walked into the living room, noticing first that Casara was missing and that there was not note written on a piece of paper
“Fuckin’ kid…” He muttered when he picked up and read the note:
If he wishes to find me, I’m on the roof. Sorry I caused such a mess. The candy’s for you.
~Cas
When Mason finished reading the note, he glanced at the candy on the table and let out a shallow breath and rubbed the forearm of his bionic arm. His eyes went immediately to the window and to the fire escape, knowing he had to follow her. Mason didn’t want Terrence to be a liar, he wanted to trust his word, but something about the girl made him uneasy… there was something he just couldn’t put his finger on.
”I’m going up there… just to talk, nothing else. I don’t intend to hurt her, that would go against your wishes. Besides, I still need you as my doctor.” Mason laughed as he headed for the window, head peering out of it and upwards once he reached the window sill. It wouldn’t be a long climb, but it would be annoying to make if the girl had intentionally made it difficult for anyone to follow her. Without much more thought, he made a nod and wave to Terrence before ascending to the top of the apartment building by way of the fire escapes.
Terrence looked at his repair work and found it sufficient enough. Though he was self critical about it, because how he felt, he certainly needed to drink something caffeinated to help him feel more awake refusing to sleep and suffer more nightmares. Smiling at him as he spoke though concerned as he followed Mason walking out of the lab. As Mason looked around as he knew that he was finally aware that she had left hoping that he bought her some time. As he observed Mason starting to head up the window before he could tell Mason to wait. Knowing it was too late for that. He didn't necessary distrust his friend's word not to attack, but he was unsure that the demon in Cas wouldn't force his hand and have them both ending up confronting one another. Which is something he didn't want, but would warning him even help at this point? But before he could even say a word, or try to stop him. Mason had gone out the window already.
Terrence walked up to the note she left and the bag which he opened it able to smell them, seeing the butterscotch hard candies in plastic wrappers. He rubbed the top of his head, not entirely certain if he should followed them or not. He certainly didn't want to be spotted in his other form but it was unlikely that he could even catch up. Not able to go as fast as the other two without it, not being as especially athletic or quick in this form. He rubbed his forehead with his fingers, in slight annoyance from Mason's decision to go after her.
“What a mess this all turned out to be...just please be careful I don't want to have anyone else I care about, winding up dead.” Terrence mumbled aloud to himself.
When Mason reached the top of the fire escape, Cas was seated several yards away. She was leaning back, supporting some of her weight on her hands with her legs stretched out before her. Hat and bag lay discarded beside her, and her face was tilted up towards the sun. She opened her eyes when she heard the creak of metal and the scuff of gravel, but didn’t turn their way.
“So.” Far calmer than earlier, the girl fell back into the carefully practiced habit of adjusting her voice so she sounded like a male. It didn’t take much work, but when sufficiently distressed her pitch tended to jump higher, and disguising it required far more concentration.
“How do we proceed from here? I really don’t want to cause you any trouble, but I have no way to convince you of that.” Her tone was different as well, and it was one she rarely used around Terry: detached and lacking cheer.
“Well, we can start with you explaining to me why you just ran out of Terrence’s apartment, then tell me how exactly I am able to trust you. He told me you were trustworthy, and I want to believe him. I have known him far longer than you have I’m sure, so I think I hold some sort of importance to him when I speak. In the same way, his words carry great meaning to me as well, so when he tells me I should trust someone, I trust his word.” Mason spoke as he took a few small steps towards the girl. He wanted to make sure he could stay at a safe distance from her, to show he meant no real harm, at least not immediately.
“You know things that not many others know, and I can’t trust my secrets with just anyone.”“I didn’t run. I won’t say I didn’t think about it, but I’m here, aren’t I? Surely he read you the note.” Cas sighed.
“And even if I had run off--”“If you had run off I could have come after you myself and made sure you didn’t say a word to anyone about what you heard.” Mason interrupted.
“I know,” she replied, tone flat.
“But you’d already threatened me, and I don’t want Terry to get hurt. I couldn’t have this talk with him here, not when I don’t know you at all, and don’t know what you intend.” She let her head drop, watching a pool of blood she knew wasn’t real spread around her feet. Her Shadow didn’t like it in the sun, and was letting her know by violently twisting her view of the world around her.
“I wouldn’t hurt him, and I promised him I wouldn’t hurt you. I’m a man of my word, though admittedly I am not the most likeable man anymore. You heard of my involvement in the rebellion, you know sort of who I am by that. Truth is--”“I don’t want to know.” She cut him off, the words coming a bit louder.
“The less I know, the less you have to worry about, and really, it doesn’t matter to me who you are. I doubt I’d convince you to leave your group -- I doubt they’d let you. But I don’t need to know.”“I’m the leader of the group, it’s sort of too bad if you don’t want to know. Because now I need to ask you what I asked Terrence.”“I’m not going to help you. You think you’ll win? That’s wonderful. Truly -- if you do, I’ll be glad. But...you don’t want my help. People will only get hurt.” Her mouth twitched.
“Besides, you saw how I reacted back there. You couldn’t possibly trust me under pressure -- and you’d be right.”Mason smirked when she spoke of others getting hurt and him not wanting her help. At her comments, his right arm came up slowly, his hand folding back to his forearm to reveal a large circular hole. After a moment of silence, a small whirring sound could be heard and his arm opened up to reveal a very odd looking weapon. It looked like an energy cannon embedded in his arm. Lights along the side flickered to life as a much louder hum of electricity could be heard. Once the weapon was finally active and primed, he pointed it upwards, away from Casara.
The strange noise caught her attention, and Cas finally looked at the self-proclaimed rebel leader, then at the strange machine that was where his arm ought to be.
“It seems I was right,” she murmured, mostly to herself.
“Well? If you’re going to kill me because I’m not willing to join you, get it over with. That’s why I’m up here, and not--ah!” She grimaced, putting her hands to her head. Her Shadow was shrieking in rage. He had to be gotten rid of! He had to be destroyed!
“I made a promise NOT to hurt you. I am merely showing you the strength the rebellion truly wields. I don’t need more fighters, I don’t need more people to put their lives on the line for this anymore. I need people who I can trust to get other jobs done. Jobs that a soldier can’t do. Most of the men that follow me have no skill in espionage, and that just won’t do.” Mason spoke as he took a step closer, not realizing what was going on until he took a closer look at the girl. She was noticeably distressed once he got closer. Her hands were on her head and she looked like she was on the verge of breaking down completely.
It had never been quite this bad before, but then she’d never made a point of staying in a dangerous situation before. Face scrunched in pain, his words still reached her, and her reaction was one of disbelief, before she broke into harsh laughter.
“You don’t really understand what you’re doing, do you? Do you listen to what people talk about at all?” she asked, getting her borderline hysterical amusement under control.
“You think the monsters will care who was a soldier, and who was just helping? Haven’t you heard what they do to those they just /suspect/ are rebels? Or supporting rebels? Just this morning they torched an entire building with people inside. I don’t know if they were yours or not--”“One...more...word, child. One more word, I dare you. I already know what they do. However you seem to be moving freely through this district. From what I understand, you frequent Terrence’s apartment. Meaning you can come and go as you please with little to no interruptions. Your name...Cas? It’s not short for Castor Mallory is it? Funny that you use a boy’s name yet have all the same mannerisms of a young woman. I would hazard a guess that if that’s you, then you are pretty skilled. A good messenger and delivery man… so to speak.”“Terry knows I’m not a boy. It would have been...difficult to overlook, at the time.” She squeezed her eyes shut again, partially against the howling in her head, partially against the increasingly disturbing things appearing in her vision. At least with her eyes shut they weren’t quite so vivid.
“I don’t have to pretend to be something I’m not with him.”“Look, I’m not going to force you, I’m only going to ask you to help us. I’m not going to force you to be someone else. Hell I’m not going to force you to do anything… just can’t let you go without being one hundred percent certain that you are not going to run off and tell some monsters about who I am, what my plans are… I can’t let anyone do that. Not even Terrence. I need to know that you won’t, I need proof, your word… something.”This was going nowhere, and she wasn’t sure she could keep her lunch down much longer.
“Would you even believe me, if I promised?” Cas didn’t seem particularly hopeful.
“All I want is to be left alone. I have no reason to tell anyone about any of this.”“You would have nothing to gain from it? I mean if you don’t think there’d be anything in it for you… Then I suppose I can trust you for now. In the future, try not to burst into rooms before you knock or something, it’s rude.”The girl hesitated. This was it, this was an easy way out. All she had to do was tell him she didn’t have anything to gain. Would he be able to tell she was lying? Even though she was mostly calm, her Shadow was making it hard to think.
”If you need anything, please, don’t hesitate to find me. You know where the slums are… You should be able to find me easily. Ask anyone for Mason Thames, they can point you in a general direction.” Mason spoke as his arm reverted back to a regular arm, concealing the beam cannon and the mechanisms in his arm. After it was fixed and the skin was set, he turned for the fire escape to make it back down to the ground.
She snorted. If he wanted to succeed, he’d better learn how to be paranoid. She heard him moving off, and shook her head.
“Wait.”When Mason heard her speak, he turned to look at her.
“You’re Terrence’s friend, so I’m going to tell you the truth. I can think of a lot to gain. Protection, for one. When you and your rebellion get wiped out, they’d let me live, because I told them about it.” Cas made an effort to look him in the eye -- or rather, the empty sockets she currently saw them as.
“But...I can’t think of a good reason to do so. It wouldn’t be a guarantee, and it wouldn’t last.”A slight smile spread across his face when she spoke, acknowledging her honesty.
“You were just honest with me and took a risk to do so. You are trustworthy, but remember, you know the monsters don’t care about us humans. They would kill us if they got bored. Watch your back out there.” Mason spoke with a slight chuckle at the end, pleased with the meeting.
“You’re a jerk, and you’re going to end up dead,” she informed him, closing her eyes and looking ill, before covering her face with her hands.
“Still, good luck.”“Probably.” He laughed and turned around, back to the fire escape and made his way back to the ground level to return to the slums for the rest of his business for the day. Mason made his way back to the tunnels, taking his time to inspect the new skin on his bionic arm and enjoy the sunlight in the West End. It was rare for him to get any form of a tan in the Slums.
