((Collab Post between Letter Bee and Lucek))
“Hello, My name is Enrico Hernandez. I am the head security officer for the Mafia of New York City, and, should you choose to accept my offer, your current employer. I’m offering you fifteen million dollars each, to find Akira Kariya, Elizabeth Cortes, Anya Tarnova, and Ken Saddler, and interrogate them. Why, you ask? Because one of them has a MMO that can kill those inside the game if they die. We don’t know which has it, but all four will be at the E3 gaming convention here. When you have tracked them down, you will split up, and interrogate each of them. Use torture if you must, but find the one with the game, and then kill them. Afterwards I want you all to meet in at the Statue of Liberty where I will be waiting with your rest of your payments. You will receive a third in a specialized bank account upon accepting the mission.
If you accept this mission, and fail, you will not be payed, or hired by the mafia ever again.
If you accept this mission, please press the blue patch on this orb, and then proceed to Carmelo’s Coffee shop by midnight tonight. Have a good evening.”
Interesting Omega thought to himself. He sat there in a room far below a bar. The building belonged to him, even if on paper it had multiple owners, all reported to Omega. His room, or maybe it could be called one of his many hideaways. He cared not, still listening to this offer clicked a few times in his head. There was something not right with it. Normally he would decline the job but curiosity got the better of him. The blue button pressed…. By a shadowy finger…
Omega stood up, from his resting place, when he did all of the dark shadows seemed to retreat back into his own. He stood there, now in an empty room. The orb gone after the job was accepted. Omega went out, turning into his spirit form for faster travel, in seconds he went from underground to the rooftop of the bar. After returning to his own form, he invoked the two devices on his belt, the first of them, a magi-tech device, cloaked his form from peoples’ eyes turning him invisible to the naked eye, the second cloaked the magic emitted by him and the devices. Only his presence remained, but that also soon disappeared as for an assassin it was second nature to hide themselves.
He moved without haste, making sure to not leave any traces of his travel. He didn’t need anyone’s attention right now, not before a job. Reaching his destination, a rooftop with a good view of the café he was supposed to meet his employer. He preferred to be overly careful than be surprised later. He was about to turn off both devices as they sapped his own magic power when he felt the magic involved from a nearby alley. Still hidden he moved and observed the conversation down below. He didn’t hear anything as the conversation was already over when he got to the ledge of the building. Still something felt familiar about the man down there, Omega couldn’t put his finger on it but maybe they were from the Agency. If it was true making a deal with those people would be more plausible, after all Mafia was not someone he liked to work with.
Ascot looked up, but saw nothing. Heinz, however, was not the head of the Agency because he looked pretty. He knew that there were four orbs that appeared in New York, and that thus, there would be a maximum of four people in the cafe, including Silas. However, the latter was the only one present in the premises, which was suspicious. Heinz spoke to his nephew, once the conversation with Silas was done and the time-stop had ceased:
Ascot, get the motion detector, he said telepathically, showing no outward sign that he had been communicating. So, it would come as a surprise that the boy took out a device that seemed like a small telescope, and began scanning the area around him with it. His sweep detected someone who was moving to eavesdrop on the already-over conversation between the group and Silas (it was already over because said conversation was held in a time-stop), and, fast as lightning, he moved to intercept.
On the ledge, Omega (and Silas, who was still there) would suddenly be surprised as Ascot, moving so fast he left an afterimage in his trail, appeared over the ledge with a great Timespace and Energy-enhanced leap, before kicking out at Omega's right shoulder.
Omega was certainly surprised as Ascot, suddenly vanished and reappeared next to him, he didn’t expect someone to use timespace to get next to him, much less to attack, even if he felt magic being invoked a split second before. Kid is skilled He thought as he barely dodged the enhanced kick, only thanks to his body reacting before his mind did, jumping back to the center of the roof. Still he didn’t want to fight, not now. So he disengaged both of his devices and reappeared his hand palm up directed at Ascot. It was a gesture of nonaggression, even if he still kept hiding his presence out of habit.
Ascot, now with both feet on the ledge, looked curiously at Omega, before casually putting his hands behind his head in a gesture that was both non-aggressive and confident. The boy then smiled warmly, all guile dropping from his face like wet pain in the rain. He then spoke:
"Hello there. You're one of the assassins hired by those orbs, right? Glad to see you're not insisting on a fight; that means you're reasonable. Anyway, my name's Ascot Harper, nephew of Heinz Harper, head of the Agency; he's the guy below."
"Anyway," he continued, "We're here to hire said assassins to be double agents, and we have the money to do it as well. We can double whatever Enrico is offering, and do much more for you besides."
“Omega.” He stated his name, his voice muffled, giving it a genderless sound. “I don’t really care for money, but the rest of what you’re offering is interesting. I don’t like working for the mafia anyway.” His posture relaxed and he pointed to the alley below. “Shouldn’t we go talk to your Uncle now?” He tilted his head quizzically.
"Yep," Ascot nodded, "let's go talk to him." And with that, the boy floated down to the ground, before running back to Heinz and Silas, the latter who was still there.
"Preliminary negotiations successful," Ascot continued, before gazing back at the arriving Omega. "So, if you don't care for money, what would you want, then?" Heinz looked quizzicaly at his nephew, thinking: That's my line!
He would be a good fighter. Omega thought, shaking his head as that was not something an assassin in this situation should think. He followed the boy, employing his own magic to land near them, slowly walking up to the group, stopping a few steps away.
“Ever hear of the Lead Weavers?” That was his only question.
"A defunct organization of Mage-Assassins, situated in this city, but capable of operating worldwide. They were behind some cases that were tricky even for the Agency, but, in the end, they were eliminated by..." Ascot sighed, and quieted down. His next statement was said in a sorrowful tone:
"Mr. Omega, that piece of information will have to wait until you've agreed to have an oath bound by Fate and Law, courtesy of my Uncle."
Omega nodded to what Ascot said, however the latter part made him raise an eyebrow beneath his mask. Were these people already aware and in possession of the information or were they the ones who did it? Questions plagued the masked man’s mind, but he didn’t like the mention of an oath. Still if they were responsible he’d have a target, but the oath might be a hindrance. What was more important though, was to find out if there were any survivors.
“You realize, what I already heard, not to mention this oath isn’t to my liking. Still tell me what kind of oath it is, then I will decide.” His voice was cool and level, but there was something there only another person with his past would know.
Ascot looked deeply into Omega's eyes, and spoke:
"Simple. You go with the other assassins to E3, and help them for now. Then, once I make my apperance, you turn on the other assassins, quick as mercury. Not just that, but you're also instructed to give our agents a hard time before you change sides, in order to keep them alert and ready, as well as to test them. Simple as that."
Heinz smiled; his nephew was learning the tricks of the trade well.
Omega smiled. This kid has a bright future, must have a good teacher. Then nodded, after all he might as well agree, even if he didn’t care about money, it was good to have. Still the bait he laid out was easily swallowed, both by them and him. He knew he was being coaxed, but he didn’t mind, the kid was fun.
“You’re a great negotiator. But I have two things I will mention or rather ask.” He paused for a few seconds. “One, I’d like a bit of a partnership, after all, if I join with you, no one will want to employ me after. Two… Should I just be a nuisance or try to kill them? I take my job seriously, so I want to know the degree of a ‘hard time’ I should give them.” He crossed his arms. “Aside from that, I see no problems with this deal otherwise.”
"One, of course," spoke Ascot, "and two, well, I like the Agents, so, just be a nusiance." He then smiled, and turned towards his uncle. "So, wanna bind the oath now?"
Omega nodded, he didn’t see any problems anymore. “All right. I’ll agree to it.” No other choice to be had there.
Heinz then walked towards Omega, and held out his hand for a shake. Once Omega had grasped the Fate Mage's palm, the latter would then magically bind the oath, sealing Omega to his new duty...
The masked man took the offered hand, feeling the magic doing t’s work once he did. Now there is no way back .Let’s make the best out of it. He thought about the decision he just made. This was Omega’s new path, he only hoped he didn’t make a mistake in choosing it…