Lucia finished putting the last of her belongings away and flopped down on the bed, exhausted. As glad as she was to officially be assigned to Quad Five, the news of the past couple of days took all the joy out of it. She was so worried about Kris, but for the moment it seemed there was nothing she could do. At least if she took a nap, she might be able to forget about everything for a few hours. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to fade into the blissful emptyness...
A smoky mist filled her vision, and she could feel the crunch of snow and ice and fallen branches under her bare feet. She breathed in deeply, smelling the sharp scent of pine in winter. She did not fear this place, there was nothing here that would harm her, she had been here many, many times before. She began to walk forward, and with each step, the mist cleared more and more, until it finally disappeared completely, leaving her in a small forest clearing. She brushed a thin layer of snow off of an old tree stump and sat down, one leg tucked up underneath her. Just waiting.
She didn't have to wait long. A soft murmur rose from the air around her, and a glowing form appeared before her, a veritable whirlwind of feathers. The air seemed to lose its chill around the form, and she was filled with a sense of calm for the first time in many days. The form spoke, its voice sounding like a chorus of voices.
"The darkness remains unchecked, and even now it reaches out to steal away your companions of the light. You are needed here, and yet you do not act. Already one has been lost. Who will be next?" The forms voice was cooler than she had ever heard it before, and she cringed back almost involuntarily. She opened her mouth to speak, but was silenced.
"Do not worry. We are not angry with you. The darkness is stronger than we had hoped, and the vessel is not strong. But this cannot stop you from acting. We have placed great faith in you." Within a moment, the form had dispersed into the air, leaving behind a swirled symbol on the ground.
The murmur continued unabated as she stood up and walked through the woods. Mist rose up round her feet and in the trees around her, she saw brief glimpses of the ones she had met at her new school. Adam, Jason, Stasis, Lycia, Ezekiel, and the others. Which one of them would be next? The mist thickened until she could see nothing but a smokey white.
...Lucia woke up, a cold sweat leaving a clammy feel on her neck and arms. She sat up, wrapping her arms around her. The room was empty, and the dusky light of evening barely lit up the room. She looked across the quad to Kris' empty bed, and wondered if her new friend would ever be back.
"I need to find her, help her. But how?"
Walk the Misty Path (A "Testimony" related story)
Moderator: Student Council
-
Lucia Adriaens
- Posts: 77
- Joined: Wed Mar 01, 2006 2:40 am
- Contact:
Walk the Misty Path (A "Testimony" related story)
Last edited by Lucia Adriaens on Thu Mar 30, 2006 2:11 am, edited 1 time in total.
Where there is pain, let me bring healing.
Where there is darkness, let me bring forth a light...
Where there is darkness, let me bring forth a light...
-
Lucia Adriaens
- Posts: 77
- Joined: Wed Mar 01, 2006 2:40 am
- Contact:
((OOC - As you can see, this is my entry into the fray (cleared by all appropriate parties) known as "Testimony." I will be posting all of Lucia's actions in regard to this plotline in this thread. Unfortunately, due to computer problems that won't be fixed for at least the next few days, my involvement will be limited only to the forums. I hope you all enjoy this, especially Kris.))
Lucia paced nervously across Quad Five. Back. Forth. Back. Forth. Every so often, she'd stop near Kris' bed, still empty after so many days. She sighed. This was going to be more difficult than she had hoped. The kidnapping was becoming common news, with the result of every enforcement agency in the city keeping tabs on the Saint Joe's students. It was very frustrating. How was she supposed to help Kris if she couldn't even get out of the city?
Not that she hadn't tried. Oh no, that hadn't gone over well. She'd been stopped by Longbow agents when she attempted to get on the helicoptor for Bloody Bay. She had hoped that by going to a contested zone, they might not realize what she had been up to. She was wrong. The headmaster had not been pleased with her "antics," as he had called them, and had forbidden her from attending the Spring Fling as punishment. Fortunately, he hadn't tried to stop her from patrolling the city.It was a bit awkward fighting crime when she knew that tabs were being kept on her actions. If that MedBracelet wasn't so handy, she'd have ripped it off to have an illusion of privacy.
In retrospect, it may have been a good thing, getting caught. Lucia realized that she hadn't been quite sure how she was going to get from the disputed zone to the rest of the Rogue Isles. The Arachnos base had looked hevily fortified last time she had checked, and from what she could see on the maps of the area, it probably would have been too far for her to fly from one island to the next. Obviously she would have to think things through more before her next attempt.
She flopped down on her bed with a huff. A thousand ideas flew through her mind, each considered and rejected as faulty. She was sure she'd be able to handle herself once she got to the Isles; the problem, it seemed, was getting there. As she laid back on the matress, a snippet of conversation floated through her mind, an earlier talk with Jaygo.
"That's because you are a nice girl, Lucia. You need to have the right contacts..." he had said.
"Hmm...I wonder..." Lucia sat back up, smoothed out her bedspread, and went to track down the upperclassman.
She found him outside the entrance to Pocket D.
"Jaygo, I think I need your help..." Lucia pulled him into a secluded area, out of the sight and hearing of the other clubgoers, and explained what she needed. After a few moments, Jaygo nodded slightly.
"Yeah, I know a guy..." he muttered softly. "But it's going to take a few days before I can get what you need..."
Lucia rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet, clearly agitated. "I guess I can wait. It makes me nervous though...she's already been gone for days..."
"She's a tough girl, just like all of us. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she finds her own way home. But if you insist on going after her, you shouldn't go alone..."
Lucia set her shoulders, and half-glared back up at Jaygo. "I can handle this! I'm not going to drag anyone else into it," she hissed under her breath.
Jaygo held up his hands in front of him "Okay, okay. I get the picture. I'll see what I can do about getting in touch with my 'friend.' Think you can hang tight for a few more days?"
"Doesn't look like I have a choice now, does it? Thanks Jaygo, I owe you one."
"No you don't. We all have to stick up for each other, that's all."
Lucia turned and headed away from Jaygo, launching herself into the air, and heading back towards the school. Even having to wait a few days for Jaygo's contact, there was still so much to do.
Lucia paced nervously across Quad Five. Back. Forth. Back. Forth. Every so often, she'd stop near Kris' bed, still empty after so many days. She sighed. This was going to be more difficult than she had hoped. The kidnapping was becoming common news, with the result of every enforcement agency in the city keeping tabs on the Saint Joe's students. It was very frustrating. How was she supposed to help Kris if she couldn't even get out of the city?
Not that she hadn't tried. Oh no, that hadn't gone over well. She'd been stopped by Longbow agents when she attempted to get on the helicoptor for Bloody Bay. She had hoped that by going to a contested zone, they might not realize what she had been up to. She was wrong. The headmaster had not been pleased with her "antics," as he had called them, and had forbidden her from attending the Spring Fling as punishment. Fortunately, he hadn't tried to stop her from patrolling the city.It was a bit awkward fighting crime when she knew that tabs were being kept on her actions. If that MedBracelet wasn't so handy, she'd have ripped it off to have an illusion of privacy.
In retrospect, it may have been a good thing, getting caught. Lucia realized that she hadn't been quite sure how she was going to get from the disputed zone to the rest of the Rogue Isles. The Arachnos base had looked hevily fortified last time she had checked, and from what she could see on the maps of the area, it probably would have been too far for her to fly from one island to the next. Obviously she would have to think things through more before her next attempt.
She flopped down on her bed with a huff. A thousand ideas flew through her mind, each considered and rejected as faulty. She was sure she'd be able to handle herself once she got to the Isles; the problem, it seemed, was getting there. As she laid back on the matress, a snippet of conversation floated through her mind, an earlier talk with Jaygo.
"That's because you are a nice girl, Lucia. You need to have the right contacts..." he had said.
"Hmm...I wonder..." Lucia sat back up, smoothed out her bedspread, and went to track down the upperclassman.
She found him outside the entrance to Pocket D.
"Jaygo, I think I need your help..." Lucia pulled him into a secluded area, out of the sight and hearing of the other clubgoers, and explained what she needed. After a few moments, Jaygo nodded slightly.
"Yeah, I know a guy..." he muttered softly. "But it's going to take a few days before I can get what you need..."
Lucia rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet, clearly agitated. "I guess I can wait. It makes me nervous though...she's already been gone for days..."
"She's a tough girl, just like all of us. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she finds her own way home. But if you insist on going after her, you shouldn't go alone..."
Lucia set her shoulders, and half-glared back up at Jaygo. "I can handle this! I'm not going to drag anyone else into it," she hissed under her breath.
Jaygo held up his hands in front of him "Okay, okay. I get the picture. I'll see what I can do about getting in touch with my 'friend.' Think you can hang tight for a few more days?"
"Doesn't look like I have a choice now, does it? Thanks Jaygo, I owe you one."
"No you don't. We all have to stick up for each other, that's all."
Lucia turned and headed away from Jaygo, launching herself into the air, and heading back towards the school. Even having to wait a few days for Jaygo's contact, there was still so much to do.
Where there is pain, let me bring healing.
Where there is darkness, let me bring forth a light...
Where there is darkness, let me bring forth a light...
-
Lucia Adriaens
- Posts: 77
- Joined: Wed Mar 01, 2006 2:40 am
- Contact:
((OOC: The events of this post span the period from the evening of the 19th to early evening of the 20th. Unfortunately I was unable to post this at the time. Also, please try to refrain from interacting in this thread without asking me, since Lucia is off on her own. Thanks, and enjoy!))
...numb. That was the word for it...
Lucia laid half collapsed into bed, face buried in the comforter, sobbing. Her shoes laid scattered across the floor where she had kicked them off as she had run into the room, still wearing her dress from the Spring Fling. Tears ran down her face, leaving streaks in the makeup and faintly colored spots on the blanket. Her body heaved as she cried out all the pain and sorrow from that evening...
Mist filled her vision again, and the murmur of voices rose around her. The air dripped around her, landing on her skin, and slithering down until it fell to the ground again. Rain. She moved through the mist, towards the clearing she knew so well.
The mist didn't clear. The voices grew stronger, as she continued moving forward. Finally the mist appeared to lighten off to her right, and she moved towards towards the source. A glowing form, a whirlwind of feathers, a chorus of voices.
"She is gone."
"I could not protect her."
"You didn't try."
"She wouldn't let me!"
"And who will be next to be hurt because of your failure to act?" With a burst of light, the cloud dispersed, and the mist began to fade.
She down at her hands and arms, streaked with red. Not rain then.
Blood.
She sank to her knees and wept as the blood continued to fall...
- - - - - - - - - -
Lucia woke the next morning, sunlight streaming through the window and onto her face. She squinted her eyes against the light, hating it. How could she enjoy such a nice day when her friend was dead?
She sat up and looked around. The room was empty, and a scribbled note from Stasis telling her about about the memorial service. She shuddered. It was too soon, she couldn't go. Not yet.
She dressed again, and left the school. Not really caring where she went, she drifted, lost in thought. She answered the calls for assistance from those who asked, spending her day keeping others standing and healthy, when all she wished is that she could have done that for Lish. A penance, a restitution, a paying forward to others what she could not give to her friend. She was numb, none of it really mattered to her right now.
Except for geting Kris back. That mattered. But not everything was in place yet, she still had to wait...
- - - - - - - - - -
The sun was setting when she finally returned to the grounds of the school. She was almost inside, when Jaygo pulled her aside, into a secluded corner of the grounds.
"I've been looking for you all day. I thought you'd be at the memorial service this morning."
"I couldn't be there, Jaygo. I've mourned her in my own way, no service was going to make things any better. Too much emotion there."
"I understand. Are you ready?"
A moment of confusion, then it dawned on her what Jaygo was asking. "I can be...there are a few things I need to arrange, still. You got ahold of your friend?"
Jaygo nodded. "Can you meet me in Independance Port in an hour?"
- - - - - - - - - -
An hour later, Lucia stepped off the train in Independance Port, carrying a small bag. Her school uniform was tucked in a drawer back in the quad, instead she wore dark clothing, comfortable and concealing, just purchased at Icon a few hours ago.
She looked around for Jaygo, and after a moment, finally spotted him. He lead her down to the docks, but they didn't talk along the way. She was too preoccupied for talk. At the docks, they ducked into an alley, and came face to face with a man in a suit. A Family man, then. Lucia bit the inside of her cheek nervously. What was she getting herself into?
"This the girl?" the man asked Jaygo. Jaygo nodded, then turned to Lucia.
"Are you sure you don't need someone to come with you?"
"I'll be fine, Jaygo." At least, she hoped she would be,
"All right. I'm going to cause a distraction to keep eyes off of you. Be careful." He turned and walked off, heading towards where they had seen Longbow agents earlier. Lucia decided that she didn't want to know what kind of "distraction" Jaygo was planning to create. Probably safer that way.
"Well, come on then," the man said. "We're shipping out soon." Lucia followed him without comment to a cargo ship moored at a long dock. A few minutes later, she was settled down into an unused corner, behind a stack of crates and out of sight of the other people on the ship.
Four days. Then she'd be there. Then she could find Kris.
She settled in to wait. Sleep would come at some point, but she did not desire it. She did not want to walk the misty paths of dreams this evening.
For the first time, she was afraid...
...numb. That was the word for it...
Lucia laid half collapsed into bed, face buried in the comforter, sobbing. Her shoes laid scattered across the floor where she had kicked them off as she had run into the room, still wearing her dress from the Spring Fling. Tears ran down her face, leaving streaks in the makeup and faintly colored spots on the blanket. Her body heaved as she cried out all the pain and sorrow from that evening...
Mist filled her vision again, and the murmur of voices rose around her. The air dripped around her, landing on her skin, and slithering down until it fell to the ground again. Rain. She moved through the mist, towards the clearing she knew so well.
The mist didn't clear. The voices grew stronger, as she continued moving forward. Finally the mist appeared to lighten off to her right, and she moved towards towards the source. A glowing form, a whirlwind of feathers, a chorus of voices.
"She is gone."
"I could not protect her."
"You didn't try."
"She wouldn't let me!"
"And who will be next to be hurt because of your failure to act?" With a burst of light, the cloud dispersed, and the mist began to fade.
She down at her hands and arms, streaked with red. Not rain then.
Blood.
She sank to her knees and wept as the blood continued to fall...
- - - - - - - - - -
Lucia woke the next morning, sunlight streaming through the window and onto her face. She squinted her eyes against the light, hating it. How could she enjoy such a nice day when her friend was dead?
She sat up and looked around. The room was empty, and a scribbled note from Stasis telling her about about the memorial service. She shuddered. It was too soon, she couldn't go. Not yet.
She dressed again, and left the school. Not really caring where she went, she drifted, lost in thought. She answered the calls for assistance from those who asked, spending her day keeping others standing and healthy, when all she wished is that she could have done that for Lish. A penance, a restitution, a paying forward to others what she could not give to her friend. She was numb, none of it really mattered to her right now.
Except for geting Kris back. That mattered. But not everything was in place yet, she still had to wait...
- - - - - - - - - -
The sun was setting when she finally returned to the grounds of the school. She was almost inside, when Jaygo pulled her aside, into a secluded corner of the grounds.
"I've been looking for you all day. I thought you'd be at the memorial service this morning."
"I couldn't be there, Jaygo. I've mourned her in my own way, no service was going to make things any better. Too much emotion there."
"I understand. Are you ready?"
A moment of confusion, then it dawned on her what Jaygo was asking. "I can be...there are a few things I need to arrange, still. You got ahold of your friend?"
Jaygo nodded. "Can you meet me in Independance Port in an hour?"
- - - - - - - - - -
An hour later, Lucia stepped off the train in Independance Port, carrying a small bag. Her school uniform was tucked in a drawer back in the quad, instead she wore dark clothing, comfortable and concealing, just purchased at Icon a few hours ago.
She looked around for Jaygo, and after a moment, finally spotted him. He lead her down to the docks, but they didn't talk along the way. She was too preoccupied for talk. At the docks, they ducked into an alley, and came face to face with a man in a suit. A Family man, then. Lucia bit the inside of her cheek nervously. What was she getting herself into?
"This the girl?" the man asked Jaygo. Jaygo nodded, then turned to Lucia.
"Are you sure you don't need someone to come with you?"
"I'll be fine, Jaygo." At least, she hoped she would be,
"All right. I'm going to cause a distraction to keep eyes off of you. Be careful." He turned and walked off, heading towards where they had seen Longbow agents earlier. Lucia decided that she didn't want to know what kind of "distraction" Jaygo was planning to create. Probably safer that way.
"Well, come on then," the man said. "We're shipping out soon." Lucia followed him without comment to a cargo ship moored at a long dock. A few minutes later, she was settled down into an unused corner, behind a stack of crates and out of sight of the other people on the ship.
Four days. Then she'd be there. Then she could find Kris.
She settled in to wait. Sleep would come at some point, but she did not desire it. She did not want to walk the misty paths of dreams this evening.
For the first time, she was afraid...
Where there is pain, let me bring healing.
Where there is darkness, let me bring forth a light...
Where there is darkness, let me bring forth a light...
-
Lucia Adriaens
- Posts: 77
- Joined: Wed Mar 01, 2006 2:40 am
- Contact:
((OOC - This part takes place on Friday, between about 11am and 7pm Eastern Standard Time))
Lucia walked along the pier away from the cargo ship she had spent the last four days travelling on, legs wobbling on the blessedly study land after not being used much during the past few days. She breathed deep of the fresh sea air, hot and heavy with humidity and the smells of a bustling port town. It was almost a different world down here in the Isles, far away from the glistening steel towers of Paragon City. It had a older kind of charm to it, like a town out of time, beautiful in its own way.
Or it would be, if it weren't for the oppressive darkness pulling at the edges of her mind.
Time to get down to business.
Lucia hurried away from the docks and into the center of town, looking for a likely source of information. After a few minutes, she spotted an Arachnos underling, standing by himself near an alleyway. Perfect.
A moment of focus. A swelling of warmth ran through her arm, pooling in her hands. Then, a blast of energy sent the underling flying backwards, further into the alley. His commlink lay broken and useless on the ground where it had fallen. Lucia stepped back into the alley with him, willing for once to let the shadows hide her.
"Where would Arachnos keep a captured hero?" she demanded, pinning the soldier up against the brick wall of the alley. He said nothing, only glared up at her, and spat.
Lucia's fist connected with his jaw, sending a small splatter of blood flying out of his mouth. "Tell me, scum!"
"I'm not telling you anything."
"You are only making it harder on yourself," Lucia said as she unleashed another burst of energy into the man's shoulder. This is right.
Another punch, not giving him a chance to fight back. This is necessary.
In the end, just before he crumbled to the ground, he told her.
This is just.
Fort Hades.
Kris would be there. She hoped.
No, she was there. Lucia refused to believe any differently.
- - - - - - - - - -
Night came quicker in this part of the world, with day giving way to night with only a brief nod to dusk between the two of them. It was becoming quite dark by the time Lucia finally crossed to the end of the island where the ancient fortress stood. She had heard whispers of it being haunted, but those were only stories...weren't they? The thought filled her with trepidation as she crossed the open field leading up to Fort Hades.
She heard the fire of energy weapons, now somewhat familiar from her dealings with Arachnos, and she dropped to the ground, hoping to hide. Further shots were fired, and she realized with relief that they were not being fired in her direction. She heard the curses of the soldiers as the struggled against...something. But what? Propping herself up on her elbows, she peered above the long grass to see a squad of Arachnos troops fighting against a cluster of spectral beings. One hundred yards away, another group. And another. And another. All over the field the spectres and the soldiers were locked into combat.
Panic rose up in her, settling into her chest, threatening to overwhelm her. How was she ever going to get in there?
Very carefully.
Staying low to the ground, she slowly made her way past the vicious fights raging. She was lucky. They seemed too absorbed in their conflict to even notice her presence among them. It seemed to take forever, but she finally made it to the outer wall of the fortress. She stood up, pressing her back against the cool stone walls, and heaved a sigh of relief.
"Hey you! Down there! What are you doing here?" A angry male voice called down to her.
Too soon.
She couldn't fail now. She'd come too far.
The world faded out around her, and she sunk into a glowing cocoon of light and mist...
- - - - - - - - - -
Running. Blood pulsing. There, an opening. The sharp smell of ozone. Falling, and rolling to the side. The heat of a near miss from a energy weapon. The familiar feel of power welling out of her. Detached. Out of control. The burning pain as something hit her. Falling backwards. Flesh knitting the wound shut. Back up. Running, running, running. A thud as a body landed on the ground. Fluid chains of movement now. Seeking weaknesses. Channeling power. No thought, just movement. The feeling of stone beneath her feet. The pure rush of combat...
Freedom.
- - - - - - - - - -
Lucia stumbled around a corner into a darkened hallway inside the fortress, and fell back against a wall, gasping for air. She could hear the alarms blaring in orther hallways, and the running of booted feet. She looked around in confusion, her vision finally clearing enough to see her surroundings.
"How did I get past everyone?" Her voice was barely louder than a whisper as she attempted to get her bearings. The alarms must have had something to do with her, then. She ducked back further into the hallway, hoping to stay out of sight. She needed to find the holding cells, and Kris out of there before they had a chance to increase security. She heard the sound of a group of Arachnos soldiers coming closer, and she ducked back into the hallway as far as she could. She stood there frozen, afraid even to breathe as they stopped and looked down into the hallway.
"There's an intruder in here somewhere. Some hero, probably. She apparently blew through the guards at the outer wall like they were nothing."
"They're calling in the Fortunatas to deal with her..."
"Well, keep a lookout anyways."
After a long moment, they continued on. Lucia's guardian angel was clearly still looking out for her. With that reassurance, she moved back along to the main hallway, and made her way towards where she thought the holding cells would be. A few wrong turns, and many tense minutes later, she finally found them, deep in the bowels of the old building. The area was surprisingly clear. A trap?
It didn't matter. If she didn't get to Kris, this would all have been for nothing.
And she'd never be able to live with herself if that happened...
She stepped forward, heart pounding so loudly that she was sure it could be heard across the empty room, and looked into the first cell. Empty. The next two were empty as well. A bent over and battered female form crouched in a corner of the forth, face hidden behind her arms and knees. Lucia hissed to get the woman's attention. The woman looked up, her eyes dull and hollow seeming. It wasn't Kris. Lucia was about to move on, when the woman's eyes widened.
A black gloved hand clamped on Lucia's upper arm. "And just what do you think you are doing here, girl?"
Lucia swung around, using her arm as a pivot, and brought her fist up to connect with the soldier's cheek, unleashing a burst of energy and forcing him back. His grip on her arm never loosened, and she toppled to the ground with him as he fell. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a red blur, but she ignored it, focusing only on getting free.
"So, our intruder is just a little girl. How embarassing." His grip released slightly, and Lucia yanked her arm free, stumbling back from inertia as she stood up. She gasped for breath as she stuggled to pool together enough energy to finish the guard off.
Pain roared through her mind, as if a dam had just been unleashed. Lucia screamed as she attempted to control a body that no longer responded to her commands. She stood there, not even able to turn to see the Fortunata that had moved in behind her to attack her. In the midst of the pain, she felt a strange sensation at the back of her mind. A tearing sensation, almost. Her head started to swim, and she couldn't stay aware much longer. The last thing she saw as she lost the battle within her own mind was the soldier standing up. With a cruel grin on his face, he stepped forward, his strange energy weapon in hand.
The hard metal connected with her skull, and suddenly the world went blissfully dark...
Lucia walked along the pier away from the cargo ship she had spent the last four days travelling on, legs wobbling on the blessedly study land after not being used much during the past few days. She breathed deep of the fresh sea air, hot and heavy with humidity and the smells of a bustling port town. It was almost a different world down here in the Isles, far away from the glistening steel towers of Paragon City. It had a older kind of charm to it, like a town out of time, beautiful in its own way.
Or it would be, if it weren't for the oppressive darkness pulling at the edges of her mind.
Time to get down to business.
Lucia hurried away from the docks and into the center of town, looking for a likely source of information. After a few minutes, she spotted an Arachnos underling, standing by himself near an alleyway. Perfect.
A moment of focus. A swelling of warmth ran through her arm, pooling in her hands. Then, a blast of energy sent the underling flying backwards, further into the alley. His commlink lay broken and useless on the ground where it had fallen. Lucia stepped back into the alley with him, willing for once to let the shadows hide her.
"Where would Arachnos keep a captured hero?" she demanded, pinning the soldier up against the brick wall of the alley. He said nothing, only glared up at her, and spat.
Lucia's fist connected with his jaw, sending a small splatter of blood flying out of his mouth. "Tell me, scum!"
"I'm not telling you anything."
"You are only making it harder on yourself," Lucia said as she unleashed another burst of energy into the man's shoulder. This is right.
Another punch, not giving him a chance to fight back. This is necessary.
In the end, just before he crumbled to the ground, he told her.
This is just.
Fort Hades.
Kris would be there. She hoped.
No, she was there. Lucia refused to believe any differently.
- - - - - - - - - -
Night came quicker in this part of the world, with day giving way to night with only a brief nod to dusk between the two of them. It was becoming quite dark by the time Lucia finally crossed to the end of the island where the ancient fortress stood. She had heard whispers of it being haunted, but those were only stories...weren't they? The thought filled her with trepidation as she crossed the open field leading up to Fort Hades.
She heard the fire of energy weapons, now somewhat familiar from her dealings with Arachnos, and she dropped to the ground, hoping to hide. Further shots were fired, and she realized with relief that they were not being fired in her direction. She heard the curses of the soldiers as the struggled against...something. But what? Propping herself up on her elbows, she peered above the long grass to see a squad of Arachnos troops fighting against a cluster of spectral beings. One hundred yards away, another group. And another. And another. All over the field the spectres and the soldiers were locked into combat.
Panic rose up in her, settling into her chest, threatening to overwhelm her. How was she ever going to get in there?
Very carefully.
Staying low to the ground, she slowly made her way past the vicious fights raging. She was lucky. They seemed too absorbed in their conflict to even notice her presence among them. It seemed to take forever, but she finally made it to the outer wall of the fortress. She stood up, pressing her back against the cool stone walls, and heaved a sigh of relief.
"Hey you! Down there! What are you doing here?" A angry male voice called down to her.
Too soon.
She couldn't fail now. She'd come too far.
The world faded out around her, and she sunk into a glowing cocoon of light and mist...
- - - - - - - - - -
Running. Blood pulsing. There, an opening. The sharp smell of ozone. Falling, and rolling to the side. The heat of a near miss from a energy weapon. The familiar feel of power welling out of her. Detached. Out of control. The burning pain as something hit her. Falling backwards. Flesh knitting the wound shut. Back up. Running, running, running. A thud as a body landed on the ground. Fluid chains of movement now. Seeking weaknesses. Channeling power. No thought, just movement. The feeling of stone beneath her feet. The pure rush of combat...
Freedom.
- - - - - - - - - -
Lucia stumbled around a corner into a darkened hallway inside the fortress, and fell back against a wall, gasping for air. She could hear the alarms blaring in orther hallways, and the running of booted feet. She looked around in confusion, her vision finally clearing enough to see her surroundings.
"How did I get past everyone?" Her voice was barely louder than a whisper as she attempted to get her bearings. The alarms must have had something to do with her, then. She ducked back further into the hallway, hoping to stay out of sight. She needed to find the holding cells, and Kris out of there before they had a chance to increase security. She heard the sound of a group of Arachnos soldiers coming closer, and she ducked back into the hallway as far as she could. She stood there frozen, afraid even to breathe as they stopped and looked down into the hallway.
"There's an intruder in here somewhere. Some hero, probably. She apparently blew through the guards at the outer wall like they were nothing."
"They're calling in the Fortunatas to deal with her..."
"Well, keep a lookout anyways."
After a long moment, they continued on. Lucia's guardian angel was clearly still looking out for her. With that reassurance, she moved back along to the main hallway, and made her way towards where she thought the holding cells would be. A few wrong turns, and many tense minutes later, she finally found them, deep in the bowels of the old building. The area was surprisingly clear. A trap?
It didn't matter. If she didn't get to Kris, this would all have been for nothing.
And she'd never be able to live with herself if that happened...
She stepped forward, heart pounding so loudly that she was sure it could be heard across the empty room, and looked into the first cell. Empty. The next two were empty as well. A bent over and battered female form crouched in a corner of the forth, face hidden behind her arms and knees. Lucia hissed to get the woman's attention. The woman looked up, her eyes dull and hollow seeming. It wasn't Kris. Lucia was about to move on, when the woman's eyes widened.
A black gloved hand clamped on Lucia's upper arm. "And just what do you think you are doing here, girl?"
Lucia swung around, using her arm as a pivot, and brought her fist up to connect with the soldier's cheek, unleashing a burst of energy and forcing him back. His grip on her arm never loosened, and she toppled to the ground with him as he fell. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a red blur, but she ignored it, focusing only on getting free.
"So, our intruder is just a little girl. How embarassing." His grip released slightly, and Lucia yanked her arm free, stumbling back from inertia as she stood up. She gasped for breath as she stuggled to pool together enough energy to finish the guard off.
Pain roared through her mind, as if a dam had just been unleashed. Lucia screamed as she attempted to control a body that no longer responded to her commands. She stood there, not even able to turn to see the Fortunata that had moved in behind her to attack her. In the midst of the pain, she felt a strange sensation at the back of her mind. A tearing sensation, almost. Her head started to swim, and she couldn't stay aware much longer. The last thing she saw as she lost the battle within her own mind was the soldier standing up. With a cruel grin on his face, he stepped forward, his strange energy weapon in hand.
The hard metal connected with her skull, and suddenly the world went blissfully dark...
Where there is pain, let me bring healing.
Where there is darkness, let me bring forth a light...
Where there is darkness, let me bring forth a light...
-
Lucia Adriaens
- Posts: 77
- Joined: Wed Mar 01, 2006 2:40 am
- Contact:
Pain woke her.
Darkness hovered at the edge of her vision as Lucia struggled to lift her head. She moved slightly onto her side, only to fall back as sharp pain like molten needles raced through her arm. Probably broken.
Broken?
No wait. That wasn't right. That couldn't be right. Not when...
Her fingertips brushed against her forhead and came away sticky. She looked dazedly at her hand.
Blood.
Confusion.
"Why...?"
Too many questions.
She lifted her head again, more carefully this time, and looked around. A small stone room with no windows. A heavy iron door with bars. Nothing inside the room but a small wooden stool and the hard cot she lay on. How long had she been here?
This wasn't the time for questions.
There was only one thing to know:
Her powers were gone.
And without them...
...she was nothing.
- - - - - - - - - -
The once-familiar woods were a wasteland now, bleak and torn. All around her the trees were shattered, as if ripped apart from the inside.
The few bare trees that remained clawed at the sky, grasping, reaching.
The mist was gone. There was no softness to hide the scene, no faded edges to trick the mind.
And through it all, a wind blew. Hollow. Haunted.
She fell to her knees, the hard ice crystals scraping at bare legs. She didn't feel it. Couldn't feel it.
All she felt was emptiness.
~Fin~
Darkness hovered at the edge of her vision as Lucia struggled to lift her head. She moved slightly onto her side, only to fall back as sharp pain like molten needles raced through her arm. Probably broken.
Broken?
No wait. That wasn't right. That couldn't be right. Not when...
Her fingertips brushed against her forhead and came away sticky. She looked dazedly at her hand.
Blood.
Confusion.
"Why...?"
Too many questions.
She lifted her head again, more carefully this time, and looked around. A small stone room with no windows. A heavy iron door with bars. Nothing inside the room but a small wooden stool and the hard cot she lay on. How long had she been here?
This wasn't the time for questions.
There was only one thing to know:
Her powers were gone.
And without them...
...she was nothing.
- - - - - - - - - -
The once-familiar woods were a wasteland now, bleak and torn. All around her the trees were shattered, as if ripped apart from the inside.
The few bare trees that remained clawed at the sky, grasping, reaching.
The mist was gone. There was no softness to hide the scene, no faded edges to trick the mind.
And through it all, a wind blew. Hollow. Haunted.
She fell to her knees, the hard ice crystals scraping at bare legs. She didn't feel it. Couldn't feel it.
All she felt was emptiness.
~Fin~
Where there is pain, let me bring healing.
Where there is darkness, let me bring forth a light...
Where there is darkness, let me bring forth a light...