ιт єи∂ѕ ωιтн fιяє: Full!

[Golden Eyed Saru]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx✴. °Mayday✴. °Mayday⇣ the ship is slowly S⇣NK⇣NG ─ ❃
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx⋆⋆⋆ they're all around me circling like █║VULTURES║█
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxthey think I'm CRAZY, but they don't know the feeling
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx⋆⋆⋆ they want to █║BREAK║█ me and wash away my colors

xxxxxxxThe sun was setting over the horizon in fire reds and pinks. Aeliana turned and smiled up at the man beside her before turning back to the colors and resting her head against his shoulder. There was never enough times like this that she could sit and relax and just find comfort that she wasn't as alone as she always felt. It had been almost three years since she had left Elisheva, and though she never was really alone, she was never remembered. It was a little heartbreaking to understand that only seven people in the world would ever remember who you were. "Do you have to go?" she asked Antonius, tilting her head up slightly to meet his eyes. She knew he did, but she couldn't help but hope there was some way to change his mind. When he didn't answer she breathed in deep to stop the tears.

The fire from the horizon suddenly surrounded them, rising up as it burned brightly. Instantly on her feet, Aeliana turned to look at Elisheva just as she stepped through the flames and towards Antonius. "This is all your fault," the blonde whispered bitterly as the man fell to the ground.

Sitting up with a start, Ophelia clasped her hands over her mouth to keep from crying out. Breathing heavy, she pulled the sheets around her tightly. She really had fallen asleep against the man. God she was hopeless. With a sigh she fell back down onto the bed and placed the back of her hand to her forehead. About to fall back asleep, a noise caught her attention, making her sit back up slowly. She sat there for a moment, listening. Someone was moving around. Slowly, she pulled the covers from her and came to stand just outside the door of the room. “Dominic?” she asked softly.

A little startled, Dominic snapped his head up towards the sound. He luckily hadn't gone for his gun but that didn't make getting caught any more fun. "I didn't wake you did I? I was just gathering up some things." Liar. He didn't like it but if he was going to get out on the street to hunt down his old friend, he couldn't put her at risk. Knowing how insistent she'd been before about getting involved, he was decently sure she would demand to go with him and he simply couldn't have that. "I'm sorry."

Shaking her head, the blonde smiled, hoping that he couldn't see her shaking. "Please don't be sorry, it was just a bad dream," she said as she tugged at her hair. She took a couple steps back and stopped, watching his face. "Is something wrong?"

"Hm?" He tried to look innocent but wasn't entirely convinced it worked. He was a poor liar and not at all adept at hiding things when faced with direct questioning. "Nothing's wrong. It's just all these files. Things not adding up, trying to find answers where there aren't any...it's not conducive to sleep." He shrugged and stooped to gather a few papers that had fallen. He tried not to feel self-conscious about the fact that he was dressed with his gun tucked into the small of his back beneath his shirt but she was bound to notice if he didn't get her back to sleep. Glancing back, he gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm fine, Ophelia. You just get some rest."

Again the blonde shook her head and frowned. “I’m not tired,” she said slowly, trying to keep the hurt out of her voice. Not only because she suspected the man had been planning on leaving her again, but because she simply would rather not have to face that dream again. Taking a step towards Dominic, Ophelia wrapped her hands behind her back. Maybe he would let her in? “Besides, Liz says I’m pretty good at this detective stuff.”

A slow sigh escaped his lips. He was caught red handed and it didn't look like he was going to get out of telling her something. "Well, you're welcome to give it a go, though I don't know if you'll find anything at all." He was really going to hate himself in the morning. He set the files on the end table and motioned toward them. "They aren't classified so you can look through them. I have something I...need to take care of."

She had started out towards him and stopped dead in her tracks as Dominic completed his sentence. "So in other words you're leaving me again?" she accused as she crossed her arms over her chest. It hurt. It shouldn't have, but it did. The first time she had understood, but this time was different.

He was reaching for the door but his hand wouldn't move any further. The words stung, despite that the speaker wasn't the same. He was always leaving, always working. It was simply part of him. He turned halfway toward her, looking a bit deflated. "I'm sorry for being like that. I promise, I'll come right back, Ophelia."

Blinking away the tears that threatened to fall, the girl locked her eyes on his. Taking long strides until she stood in front of the man, the blonde scowled. "Look, if I'm not wanted then simply say so and I'll go. But don't leave me like I'm not worth saying anything to. I'd like to think I'm not like the other girls you bring around here." She knew it was unfair to say, to accuse him of that, but she couldn’t stop it from leaving her lips.

Dominic stared at her, completely lost for words for a long moment. When he finally put all the pieces together, he couldn't help a tired laugh. "No, you're nothing like any woman I've ever met. I'm not leaving because of anything like that. If you really want to know, you're the only company I've had in longer than I care to admit. You're staying here because it's safe." He shook his head slowly and almost absently brushed her cheek with the tips of his fingers. "I have work to do and I don't want you getting hurt. I'll be back before you know it."

Ophelia paused for a moment, unsure of what to say anymore. Her anger with him instantly faded, leaving her feeling like an idiot for letting it get the better of her. With a sigh the girl shook her head as her features softened. Before she even knew what she was doing, she was on her toes as her lips pressed up against his. “I’ll head back to my place then. I won’t ever forgive you if you return as a Lost One,” she said softly as she pulled away.

Shock didn't quite reach the extent of the truth. It was almost as if something physically snapped in his head. Whatever it was, he wasn't about to let her get away with nothing more than a little peck. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back to him, capturing her lips once again. He considered the option that it had simply been so long since anyone had been in his life that just a small dose of affection had sent him off the edge. But he had never been that impressionable. He broke the kiss but was more than a little reluctant to let her go. "I'm going after Caleb."

Wide blue eyes looked at the man in shock. Did he just…? She could have sworn that her knees would have given out by now if he still didn’t have a hold of her waist. “I-I know,” she said slowly as she finally gathered herself together. “I want to help Dominic, but I’m also not going to force you to take me with you. Though, considering what Daniel told me, I could be very useful to helping Mr. Ferguson.”

It was one of the first rules of detective work, never take the field alone. He would much rather leave her behind. He worried that he would focus more on protecting her, that he would get sloppy and make a mistake. But she had reached out to Caleb before. No matter the concerns, he knew she could help. "Alright. She's going to kill us both if we get through this in one piece but let's go. Just do me one favor, Ophelia. Don't argue if I tell you to do something. I wouldn't forgive myself if something happened to you."

The girl nodded. “I promise,” she said softly as she held up a finger. Turning on her heel she went back to the room to pick up her phone and wallet that had been set there and grabbed her sweater from the end of the bed. Tugging it on as she came back out, she gathered up the papers the man had spread out for her. “You drive, I’ll look through these and see if I can’t find something that might help,” she said quickly as she touched her bracelet absently. How much would he freak out if he knew what this little piece of jewelry could become or do? It was not something she wanted to think about now. Instead she focused on following the man as she tried to put everything in her hands into order as they made their way out of the building.




Company: Dominic xxxx Location: Dominic's place xxxx Mood: Determined / Flustered xxxx Wearing:This xxxx

♛《 ` sαve ɱe iƒ I ʙecøϻe *⋮┈━═☆ MY δэмøns』║███

[Scriptwriter Mika]

Scenario: The Scourge of London

There had been a string of murders in London tonight, and the mangled bodies of various brothel owners and drug lords were littering the streets. Caleb no longer cared who was innocent and who was not. The rage in him was all consuming to the point where he couldn’t recognize those who could be saved. To him…they all deserved to burn with him. Strangely, he left those that were forced into the business alone, though at times they still got crossed in the flames. He didn’t care, mere casualties for a greater cause. He would purge London, even if he had to burn it to the ground.

That was what he wanted, wasn’t it? No, there was something else…but every time he tried to grasp at that, it flickered and moved away once more. He sighed, locking himself up in a building he had just cleared out in Peckham, debating his next move. No, he knew his next move. Someone was looking for him. He grinned, maybe he would let Dominic find him after all. They did have some differences to settle after all…

The spirits of those he had slaughtered were left disoriented. Not all of them could make their way to the afterlife. Some drifted. Others seemed to be drawn elsewhere in London, to a car that was making its way out of an apartment building. Several hovered around it, one even got in the back seat. All had faces filled with horror and shock of the brutality of their murder.

And then, in the back of Ophelia and Dominic’s heads came a clear voice that sounded like water flowing. I hope you didn’t think I wouldn’t know of your tryst. But the fact that their mentor hadn’t appeared in person meant something, she was trusting them to do this. However, that didn’t mean she would leave them without any guidance.

[Kikiro16]

Location: On the move tab Company: Ophelia tab Temperance: Focused tab OOC: N/A



Dominic led the way to his car and helped Ophelia inside before jumping behind the wheel. He only had part of a plan together in his mind and even that was piteous at best. This wasn't the same man he had known all these years. This wasn't the friend that was as close as a brother. He had to convince himself of that. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to believe that Caleb was beyond saving. There had to be a way. His thumb absently ran over the ring that never left his hand, a comfort habit since the day it had come into his possession. Irrational faith, insane loyalty, selfless sacrifice, all the things he had promised to his dearest friend.

He glanced at Ophelia in the passenger seat as she studied the files with fresh eyes. Bringing her along was not a good choice, regardless of how much help she might be. If worse came to worse, there was a high possibility that he would end up in the one situation he feared, having to choose between saving his friend or saving Ophelia. He couldn't honestly say who would win out in that situation and it scared him. His eyes moved back to the road but his grip on the steering wheel was tighter than normal, knuckles white from the strain. "My only lead is the warehouse in Soho so we can start there. See anything of interest?" He wasn't entirely sure if he really wanted information or if he merely needed to talk for the sake of keeping his calm façade. His nerves were getting the better of him, despite that there were so few signs.

Ophelia had been glancing between Dom, the outside world as it passed by, and the papers strewn in her lap the whole car ride to keep from being car sick. "It's almost like none of it seems connected..." she said slowly, glancing back up at him. "Yet," she huffed in frustration as she flipped another paper over. Actually looking up at Dominic this time, she noted how tense he looked. The blonde reached out a hand and gently brushed the white knuckles on the steering wheel. "Hey, we will find him, and I will help him rest. My power works best with the dead, please trust me, no matter how it looks." She bit her bottom lip, hoping he would understand when it came time to unleash her bracelet.‏

The warmth of her hand eased the tension some, at least to where he wasn't gripping the steering wheel as if his life were dependent upon it. Something soft and light brushed the edge of his memory, not enough to fully show him anything but enough to calm the roiling emotions that plagued him. It was beautiful but tinted slightly with sadness. He was frustrated at his own lack of understanding but at least he could relax a bit. A hand left the wheel and captured hers, his fingers twining with hers as he rested his elbow on the armrest between them. "I trust you, Ophelia. It's me I don't trust right now." He paused, taking a long, slow breath. "Tell me something I don't know about you. Anything. Just...keep talking for a while. It helps."‏

"Oh, um," she said as she thought, looking down at their entwined fingers. "There's really not much to tell. I've always just kept to myself for the most part, especially after Nana died. She was the one who taught me a little bit about the Lost Ones, when I was allowed to see her that is. Apparently she could see ghosts too for the earlier part of her years." She started playing with her hair, slightly wishing the pink streaks were still there. "But after Nana died, I was all alone. Even my mother kind of feared me. So I started delving deeper into the Lost Ones, which was my first mistake if I had wanted things to get better," Ophelia said, her voice getting quieter and quieter as she went on. Taking a deep breath in she smiled widely at the man. "And what about you, Mr. Secretive?"

He felt a little guilty as she recounted some of her past. He hadn't meant to dredge up painful memories, more he wanted something solid to latch onto while they drove. Of course, he also hadn't expected her to turn the tables on him, much less with a smile like that. "It's not so much secrets as...well...there's nothing interesting. My grandmother was killed by a burglar not long after I went into the academy, thus the reason I jumped to detective work." He shrugged slightly, absently running his thumb over her hand. "And that's my life. I think I've actually been at my apartment more this last week than I have in the last decade. Caleb and I used to joke that I only kept the apartment as a storehouse for junk mail and somewhere to shower."

He laughed softly but something caught his eye and he pulled the car over. They were only a few blocks from that horrible place he had been held but something was off. He squeezed her hand gently before letting go. "Stay here. Something's wrong." He left the car running but quickly disappeared down the alley he had stopped by, gun already drawn. It took longer than he expected as there were no lights on in the alley. He waited until he was decently sure Ophelia couldn't see before taking out his flashlight. He almost immediately turned it back off. He had been on scene for countless homicides, some quite horrifying, but this was far worse. The corpse was so mangled he barely recognized it as human. It was almost enough to make him heave everything from his stomach. As it was, he managed to stumble back to the car and sit, pale faced but mostly calm. "I hate to ask this but I don't suppose there's a Lost One lingering around here. I have a sneaking suspicion we just found Caleb's trail."

Ophelia sat and listened to every word as she watched him. It seemed like he had a past that wasn't worth sharing as well. But when he abruptly pulled over, the blonde opened her mouth to protest only to shut it with a snap as he disappeared. With a small huff she leaned as far as the seats would allow, hoping to still keep an eye on the man despite how hard it was to see. Letting out the breath she had been holding as he came to sit back down next to her, the blonde sucked it back in at the mention of a Lost One. "I don't see one," she said slowly as her eyes scanned the area. "Depending on how long ago they passed, most Lost Ones will try to go back to something familiar. Either that or latch on to the murderer." She paused for a moment to look back at Dominic and then passed him with pained eyes. "Or me," she finished as she tore the seat belt off with numb hands and got out of the car.

"I need your help," she said softly as she stared back at the mangled ghost. It didn't move, and neither did Ophelia, keeping the car between them. "Do you remember what happened?" Most didn't, but there was an off chance this one may have. And she couldn't help the disappointment as it shook what she assumed was his head. That's Ok," she continued softly. "What about where they went?" For a long minute the Lost One didn't move, then it slowly turned and froze with its gaze south to what seemed to be an old brick tower that stood alone among the dark sky. With a small nod she hastily got back in the car and shuddered. "Head towards the clock tower," she said as she caught her breath, her eyes never leaving the ghost that continued to stand as still as stone. She couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right.‏

Dominic didn't need a second prompting. He slammed the car into gear and floored it, tires squealing loudly as he sped away from the alley. He snatched up her hand again out of reflex, knowing she needed the comfort of something solid as much as he did. The mangled corpse likely didn't look any better as a ghost and he wasn't too keen on thinking about how that had happened in the first place. Caleb was out of control. This was beyond vengeance. This was pure hate and violent wrath. It made him sick to his stomach. I hope you didn't think I wouldn't know of your tryst. Elizabeth's voice in his head was a small comfort but little more than that. A brief glance told him Ophelia had heard it, too, and he quickly let his own feelings bleed into his response. Tryst? We're not eloping to Paris, you know. He took a slow breath as he dodged what he guessed was another body, or at least parts of it, in the street. Caleb isn't hiding the bodies. I'm betting he's expecting us. We need all the help you can give us, Liz.‏

A smile spread across her lips as the warmth of his hand enveloped hers. "Thank you," she said softly before her gaze turned back to the road, only to jump slightly at Liz's voice. Wide eyed, she looked over at Dominic but kept silent. Did she just...? Liz, you should know more than anyone that I need to help him. Please, she begged back as the voice of her friend, hoping it would reach.

[Luxim]

Retrospective

It was interesting how much the world had decided of late that anything they couldn’t see didn’t exist. For millennia, even if the creator had backed off from more overt involvement – something that, as one tied to Samiel, he knew was not necessarily a bad thing – the humans of the world had taken his existence, in one form or another, as fact. Or if not the creator, then at least the presence of the supernatural in the form of pantheons of pretender gods. But after the so-called age of enlightenment, that began to change. Many who believed the creator existed, or claimed to, didn’t truly think there was anything else out there, not really. Not that different from some members of one of the civilizations he’d taken interest in long ago, he supposed, but far more widespread. The point was, all considered, the way McDonnell was taking this really was about the best that could be expected. Kicking them out and telling them to be quiet, sure. But Elisheva wasn’t being de-badged, he wasn’t being arrested for conspiracy or vigilantism, and neither were being committed. And at least they weren’t trying to burn them at the stake; having been through that a few times before, he wasn’t really a fan.

Dom and Ophelia, though… well, Dominic was always one of the strongest when it came to situations like this, so the fact that he was taking this well wasn’t really a surprise. Ophelia, on the other hand, looked for all the world like she wanted to take the news, shove it in a closet, and promptly forget about it for a century. There was a part of him that was tempted to follow her, bad an idea as that would be… but after the previous day and given his role in the news delivery, that was a task best left to another. And there was also the matter of Yelena, who was to this point almost suspiciously quiet; given that he was the only one of the group at all close to her, and how fragile a state she’d been in even before this, running off now would probably have been unwise. At least until he saw how she reacted as well. Even so, he did start for the door, at least headed for the outer hall to get himself out of the police chief’s office before he changed his mind.

I suppose we were both right, sadly. he started over the link, following a long moment of silence after he had made his exit, pausing in the hall to lean up against a wall in the station house.

I'm not crazy.

Those were the first words that drifted in Yelena's mind. What she had seen, what she had experienced...it was not merely her imagination. It wasn't just Chandler's imagination either. That revelation both elated her and terrified her at the same time. Because if she wasn't crazy, that meant the entire damn world was.

Yelena and Jack left last after their dismissal. She went right after the woman named Elizabeth departed with...

A few flashes came before her eyes. A man with wise eyes gently teaching her how to make the flowers around her bloom. Another man defending her against the horrors of the world. Out in the hall her face went slightly ashen when she glanced at Jack again. Another face...so similar came to her mind, but that face was more gaunt, and it always held contempt, unlike the warmth she felt from this man. She shook her head to clear the feeling. "Why...what happened to those two?" Yelena asked softly of Elizabeth and Daniel.

Next to Yelena stood a tall potted plant by McDonell's office. The leaves slowly browned, wilting, befor suddenly stiffening and turning green once again. Yelena's eyes darted to the plant, widening in alarm before moving away from it and bumping directly into Jack.

Raphael. Rhett. Immortal? Working with Chanoch? Demons and supernatural wars, fire and brimstone, the Devil himself - Jack wasn't sure how much of it was real and how much of it could have been the result of some sort of psychosis.

He hadn't said anything in the meeting. They talked, and he sat with grit teeth through it all. Listening to them talk about his brother. They talked about others, too, but ones foreign to him, so in the end all he'd heard was Rhett. Rhett, Rhett, Rhett.

His head hurt. All he wanted was to find Rhett and take him home. Get him out of this mess. Keep him out of trouble. And if all that was said turned out to be true, then it meant that Rhett would never be out of trouble again. Everything else be damned, Rhett was the only reason why he was even ******** here to begin with, and now... !

Yelena bumped into him. Jack jolted out of his own mind in time to reach forward to steady her. He looked... haggard. Old and sleepless, or at least more than usual, like the weight of the world was bearing down on him and the only option left to him was either at the wrong end of a gun or the bottom of the bottle. "Whoa, hey. You okay?"

But he wouldn't take those options. Not so long as others needed him there. Not so long as there was still something left that he could do.

Dan's eyes immediately narrowed at the sight of what Yelena had done to the plant, his head turning to face it with nothing less than stark fear in his eyes. No... so far already? Granddaughter, what have you been doing?! Still, the look only lasted a few seconds -- he knew what that meant, and right how was not, of all times, a good moment to tell her what it could mean if she continued on this route, not while she was absorbing everything else. But at this rate...

Well. That was that, then. He'd stood off long enough. She had questions, and frankly Jack was doing all too good a Rhett impression right now. He couldn't blame him... but there was so much of his brother in him, and he couldn't stand to see him like this. They both had questions... and maybe, just maybe he could do something to answer them.

"Chanoch... was lost long ago. I'm still not quite sure what happened to him, but once he was a pillar, the best of us. Our leader, almost. But he took everything on himself, never leaning on anyone or finding a way to spread the load. In the end..." He looked down and shook his head. Chanoch, as he knew him back then, really was a good friend, even if his grandfather hadn't approved of them spending time together. To speak of him as he was again... well, it hurt. "But he's gone now. He has been for a very, very long time. As for Rhett..."

His face didn't lighten, exactly. But perhaps, deep in his eyes, there was hope where there hand't been before. " I was the one that taught him the first time around. Well. His first teacher, anyway, and probably his least effective. Honestly? He was always like this," Dan shrugged at Jack apologetically. He'd definitely been dealt the hardest possible card in getting this one as family. "But there was hope for him, once. And he was getting better. ...after a few centuries. But he was also the closest to Chanoch, and when he fell, Rhett went with him. My guess is that he decided he'd be an easy target." A note of anger crept into his voice at that last one. ...well. He was humility, but even the savoir had gotten mad from time to time. And Chanoch was trying to take his first apprentice from him, rob the child of all hope. Again.

The steady weight of Jack's arm around her grounded Yelena, bringing her back to the present. "I feel I should be asking you that," Yelena said softly to Jack's inquiry. He looked so utterly tired and yet his eyes stayed focused, as if he had no choice but to be so.

Father Grigsby's voice captured her attention once again. She took in his words, contemplating and considered everything that was going on around her. There were two options here. She could go bury herself in that bottle like she so desperately wanted to...or she could face what was presented before her. Nothing made total sense anymore, so why go with the logical option. "Let's go find your brother," Yelena said in a stronger voice to Jack.She quickly squeezed his hand in reassurance before letting go, her eyes settling on Daniel and Elizabeth. "I'll be in touch," Yelena said softly and turned her attention to Jack in a 'shall we?' manner.

Daniel paused for a moment, not sure about sending Yelena anywhere near Chanoch... but then he supposed he owed them the chance to try. Still, he wasn't sending them in blind. Especially after what he had just seen. "Three things, if you're going to do this. There is a sort of... mental link between us. I'll teach you more about it later, but if you pray for us to be there, we will, if things get bad. Two... be careful, Yelena. Some of us have powers that can be reused often, but others... have a cool down period. If we don't process what's happened to us, one that can do serious damage to us mentally. You have one of those, and while I know how strong you are, you need to give yourself a chance to work through what you've gone through, or you won't be able to help anyone." It pained him to say that, and he was tempted to avert his eyes, knowing what happened the last time... and in truth he wasn't sure this would be enough. But he didn't. But some for of will, he didn't. He just hoped it'd be enough.

"And third... may the creator of all things guide your way."

"Easy... target."

He didn't care about much for the details of things that were beyond his comprehension. Powers and immortality were impossible things that the rational part of his consciousness had trouble with grasping. Jack had never considered himself a God-fearing man, and even now didn't find himself entirely convinced that there was any sort of "Creator" out there to begin with. So he swallowed what he wanted to say back down, especially in the face of someone who was he was more or less certain was a priest... ish person.

"This's my brother you're talking about." Jack dropped his voice low. He was far from hostile. This, on top of their already strained relationship, was hard to take. "He's a ******** up, but it's... not totally his fault." Like, for example, maybe if I hadn't have pushed him so hard he wouldn't have completely detached himself from our family. "I came here for Rhett's sake. Gods and demons be damned, I'm going to help him." He looked from Father Grigsby over to Yelena. "And the people here in London, too." And back up to Father Grigsby now. "I don't understand what's going on, and I might never understand. But I don't need to understand to be able to recognize people in need of help, and what sort of policeman would I be if I didn't try?" It was harder than he'd anticipated, but Jack smiled. Crooked, but still a smile. "I'll - no, we'll find him. That'll be the easy part."

Rhett never was any good at listening to reason.

"Thanks for the update, Father. Keep in touch if you need anything."

Grigsby gave Jack a sad look. "With all my heart, I hope you can."

But I've been forced to give up on any thoughts I might be able to help him long ago.

Liz looked at the three of them for a while, her expression unreadable. "Rhett was always more than an easy target," she said softly. To who her words were directed at was anyone's guess. She promptly turned and walked out ahead of Daniel and the group, her steps unyielding as she faced forward herself. She only gave a small glance back towards her partner over the past millenia.

My dear friend, the sooner you stop thinking of Raphael as someone you lost to the dark, the better. He was never yours to begin with.

Yelena blinked at the woman that had departed with Father Grisby. All of them carried so much pain that was evident in the way they presented themselves. It was almost as though a weight truly weighned on their shoulders. She had to wonder if either one of them saw that. She shook her head and turned her attention back to Jack. "Where shall we begin?"

[Scriptwriter Mika]

Elizabeth Yeh

"The living have the burden of moving forward for those left behind."

Daniel was going to have to learn to let go of his attachment to Raphael at some point. Liz knew, even as they walked silently together, that he still considered himself a failure to his disciple. But the truth was that no matter how much he wanted to hold onto that guilt, Rhett had damned himself in the last life and this life. And the one person who understood him the most, was the one they both thought they knew inside and out. How different things would have been if Chanoch hadn’t…

But he had. Those were the facts. She could wax depressing nostalgia as much as she wanted, but she still needed to deal with the problems in the present. Daniel was still reeling from the latest encounters. She could practically feel the worry off of him about Yelena and all that was happening. However, she had to make sure her own charges didn’t do anything too rash. Or rather, she had to keep them from continuously dying if they were to do something fairly rash.

“We need to split up,” she said quietly as they exited the police building. London was eerily quiet. The air was cold, almost unnaturally. “I will take care of Dominic and Ophelia. You may want to follow Yelena and Mr. Ames, but our gate keeper demon may be back soon. Can you see if you can pull up his flight schedule?”

Daniel nodded. I'll try not to let them know I'm following, but I agree. I'm not letting her use her powers tonight if I can help it. Not after.../color] Daniel shook his head. He'd just gotten his mind halfway organized; now was no time to fall back into that state, especially when they needed him.

At the second, though, Daniel glanced at Liz and blinked for a moment before reaching down to grab his phone. With all that had gone on, it had seemed like at least a year since the golden cow had last been mentioned. That might well have bene the point; he was always a slippery one. Still, with the network Veritas had, tracking one flight wouldn't be that big of a...

...

...no, of course it wouldn't be that easy.

Dan frowned, then shook his head. Private plane; I guess he decided to make use of his gains and bought out a few flight controllers too. I can tell is that he'll be taking off some time in the next 48 hours for London, but we won't know more until he's in the air. He paused, looking up the plane type he owned to get an idea of how long it would take once he was in the air ... followed quickly by a scowl. Cessna Citation X; we won't get more than about 3 hours warning at most. ...sometimes I almost miss the days when we could track them several weeks out.

Liz hesitated. She didn't want to irritate Daniel, but...there were only two of them. I might have a suggestion you might not like. Instead of tailing Yelena, you might want to trust her for now. While we may be uneasy about her... I can't explain it, but there's something about that policeman that tells me we can trust him. At least with her.

She sighed as they got back to their respective vehicles. Our gatekeeper will hate it if his prospects suddenly lose value. I would like to end this soon, tonight if we can. Can you lure him back here? If we can get him and Belial...there's that much less to worry about.

Daniel blinked as he got back on his motorcycle. Funny how even after all these millennia, he could still misinterpret her. It really had been a long few days. Regardless, he hesitated before answering. I actually get much the same feeling about him. It's her I'm concerned about. There's far too much of her ancestor in her for her own good. Too much drive to help others and ignore herself. Psychologist or not, I don't know if she knows how to handle it yet. I'm concerned she'll push herself too far. Still, he avoided trailing her... yet. As much out of respect for Liz and the fact that, right now, she probably had the cooler head as anything.

As for the second... he paused and considered that for a moment. ...perhaps. Do you remember the mad hatters disease from a century or two ago, or the scares with lead paint and asbestos? Gold-plated phones are hardly common, and even if it is not likely, the rumor going around that something used in the plating of his products could cause... psychotropic... effects could potentially bring about disaster. Certainly a number of those he was targeting would dispose of their devices before the effects were complete. That would probably be enough to call his personal attention back to the city.

Let run with it. Flood the airways, spead the rumors, discredit his products. The moment you need help, call me for me.

Dan nodded, even though by all rights there was no way she could hear it. "I'll head for Veritas headquarters. I take it you have something in mind as well?"

“I have a bone to pick with Belial. But mainly I have to make sure certain people’s hero complexes don’t overcomplicate things. She met his eyes, the cold settling into her eyes, hard as steel. Berith, Belial, we’ve waited…or rather my hesitance has made us wait too long to put an end to this. It stops tonight. Let me know when our goldsmith comes in. She went to her car and drove off, needing to make preparations.

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A thick fog had descended upon a certain area in London. She had been circling the area she knew Belial was in, after all, the bodies left a wide trail. Dominic and Ophelia were surely on their way already. She wanted to make sure no other innocents were there. Many had already fled after the explosion and massacre. Anger was etched in every death, vengeance in every bloodstain. A wrath cover field, one that was so very familiar and yet not to her. And so she had contacted her charges to see where they were, and of course they wanted to help.

“Actually, this time, it is I that needs your help. Because I’m not the one that’s going to get through to him. But he will taunt you, Dominic. Remember this, it is not any vice that will unleash your true potential, but the qualities that make you shine will be the key. I am clearing a perimeter for the both of you. An area where no innocents should be present. I found him. A little slower without my usual tracking partner, but I have a few of my own sources. Ophelia, Dominic, are you following the directions of a Lost One?”

Ophelia jumped slightly at the intrusion in her head. It was better than running around blind, the girl thought back to her friend with a small wince, feeling guilty for jumping at straws at this point.

Well done. Before, you and I...there was no one we could not find. Be more confident in your abilities, Ophelia. And it was the truth. In the past, with the ability to track the dead and memories, Aeliana and Elisheva could find almost anyone that they needed as a team.

He's leaving a trail, Liz. He wants us to catch up. I know my friend and I know what I'm walking into. I'm more than prepared to face him head on, I just need to know how.

Elizabeth snorted at Dominic’s comment. Be kind...and help him forgive himself. Her own thoughts were soon to be rudely interrupted. Looks like I have company. I'll meet up with you two-.... And the connection abruptly broke off.

Ophelia's eyes went wide and panic instantly took hold of the blonde. Liz? Liz! With no answer back, Ophelia couldn't help but start worrying that the worst had happened. Turning to Dominic with tears threatening her eyes, the blonde couldn't keep the worry off her face. "Hurry," she whispered as hers eyes turned to the window.

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A silenced gunshot had caught her unaware, lodging into her shoulder. But she barely flinched at the pain, she simply gritted her teeth as adrenaline flooded her body when she saw him. She couldn’t bear to bring herself to really think of him as the man that was Dominic’s best friend, not right now. Not with what she had to do.

“You can’t possibly hope to stop me, Elisheva. You can’t possibly think that you can still save this pathetic soul that I’ve twisted beyond recognition. Perhaps if he were not a mere mortal you could have hope, but he is my prey. And his very essence is delectable.” The demon gave a chuckle, looking at her with leering eyes.

“You know what your problem is, Belial? You talk far too much.” Elizabeth’s voice was firm, filled with a taunting lilt to it. A whip formed instantly in her hand, lashing out at him, leaving a burning mark on his cheek. Several knives and daggers fly out at her in response, cutting through skin even as she tried to dodge the bulk of it.

“Metalwork? Really, in this era? You were doing so well before. Losing your touch so quickly?” She needed to enrage him. For all of Belial’s powers, he fell easily to his own sin. A crooked smile was on Elisheva’s lips as she remembered how he was when his power resided with Antonius. It was the perfect balance for that demon to have someone that had as sharp and calm of a mind as her former pupil. It was a balance that he was missing right now, and Elisheva was going to use that to their advantage. If she could draw Belial out, it would be that much easier for Ophelia to separate the two. It would be easier to burn the demon away when it lashes away from the human soul, something Dominic could do while reaching his friend. She was the bait, the opening act. She needed to have faith that the pair rushing to her could do this.

Then he came at her, rage and wrath consuming his senses. “And what would you know of it? You failed to stop my manifestation last time and you will fail this time! And even if I don’t reappear, your filthy humans will still dig themselves into the grave!” But this time, she moved. It was different when it was Antonius. That was when she let herself be his punching bag. But not for the creature in front of her. Elizabeth moved gracefully, flowing around his strikes and attacks. She executed speed and precision, knowing when to let his own power work against him. Finally finding an opening, Elizabeth spun, doing a sweep kick and kicking with Caleb’s ankle to take him down.

“You may be right, but there will always be those who will oppose the war. The very fact that this planet is not yet consumed is proof that the human will is stronger than you think.” Her voice was calm, but had a hard, unshakeable faith to it. “Besides, many realize that all the frowning wrath causes is horrible for the skin.” Another stream of water lashed out at him, but he rolled and the ground before rushing her again.

This time his hand grabbed her neck, slamming her against a wall of a building. A knife found its way to her side before she managed to get free right as the building behind her erupted into flames, scorching her skin. As she was flung away from the impact, she spat out a mouthful of as she ripped the dagger out. She knew she was already starting to heal, but she wasn’t nearly as fast as Daniel. Caleb had already moved far away before he could get hurt, and there he was, right before her as he kicked her injured side, causing her to cry out. “Humans don’t want to forgive each other. They simply want to kill and kill and kill. So I’ll let them do just that. Isn’t that right…Antonius?!” The demon flung her away as he looked to the rapidly approaching car and the passengers getting out. A smirk was on his face, his eyes ablaze. But there was still a nervous tick in his hand…as though it were not something he could quite control.

[Lazos]

Veritas was an old organization, of course, dating back even further than the church itself. It was not, as a rule, lacking on funds. Still, the amount each branch put into their individual headquarters varied dramatically. For some groups, an empty warehouse was enough, meeting in secret like a branch of the mafia or a group of kids out on the town. For others, a house in a suburban neighborhood, or the basement of a church.

This was NOT the case with the London branch.

For all his traits as humility, Dan had always had a thing for art. A bit pompus or not, he’d secretly been rather fond of Hagia Sophia. So when he found out Veritas had set up shop in their heart of London, and deep below a government building at that, one of the first things Dan had done upon joining was to abscond with some of the nicer chairs and a hardwood meeting table out of one of the storage rooms. It was around this “borrowed” desk that Dan, in full priest garb, now sat, along with a half dozen other men variously dressed as clergy, police, or, in a majority of cases, simple business suits.

”An actual meeting, eh? This is a mite unusual for you, Father.” Wearing a rather fine blue suit, the first to speak was a slender man with cherry-red beard and hair, his head rested upon on one of his hands out of undisguised boredom. Nathan Daniels; he was a not-so-minor official in the House of Commons by day, and while he was undoubtedly an asset to Veritas, he also absolutely hated to have his time wasted. And generally speaking he filed any meeting that took more than 10 minutes as wasted time. Daniel… tolerated the man.

So, diplomatically as he could, Daniel merely nodded. ”I’ve been investigating the murders our Mesopotamian friend has been committing, along with an ally or two of mine”

”You mean your coroner girlfriend that technically violates about a dozen rules by being on these cases, right?”

Daniel shot fruit hair a glare that time. He merely smiled back, satisfied with his reply. Barely tolerated.

”Kindly stuff it, Nate,” the policeman, a well-muscled man with dark skin and darker circles under his eyes, shot back. Though policeman was an oversimplification; his uniform had far, far too many decorations and honors pinned to it for that. Jacobs was a high ranked Scotland Yard, which meant he was far enough away from all the action that he hadn’t ended up a target yet. But he’d lost a lot of good friends that day, and he hadn’t been in any mood for games all week.

He was also, technically speaking, the head of the London branch of Veritas. He had gotten on Dan’s case for a solid hour about him making a move as overt as swiping said chairs from said storage closet. He also hadn’t said two words about Liz in the whole time Dan had been working with this branch.

”Father. Continue.”

”Right. It looks like Ba’al has been working inside of the Goldgenie for some time now. Most notably, we’ve found copies of those gold-plated phones of his on more than a few pseudo-demonic grunts lately. It looks like he’s infected the devices somehow; you take up one of those phones, and you become, for all intents, his. The symbol on the back is a bit of a giveaway as well, of course; he always did fancy himself a god, and he’s certainly going for as much power as he can with his new worshippers. If I’m right, he’s got the CEO. That’s our target.”

The room fell deadly quiet at that. Even Daniels had sat up straight, now. And in several of the others, most notably a short, elderly member of the clergy, looks that could have given a tiger pause. ”So.” The old man finally croaked. ”When do we make him a dead false god?

”We have to get him here, first. Though I have an idea on that one…”

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“Word has spread through undisclosed sources that chemicals used in the gold plating of the new Apple IPhone 20 release issued by GoldGenie have been shown to have hallucinogenic effects in a small proportion of users, leading to the deaths of several after violent outbreaks. While GoldGenie CEO Bernard Reyonlds is currently out of the country and could not be reached for comment, the company is in full damage control mode as…

Liz? He’s on his way.

There was silence for a while. Then, slowly, Liz responded, trying to focus outside of the pain she was in. ETA? Her voice was quiet, but firm and clear.

Dan paused, listening to Liz's voice as much as her response. Elisheva was good at hiding pain in her voice, extremely so -- but Dan had heard it enough times that, firm and clear or not, he recognized it almost immediately. Still, she didn't seem particularly concerned, which was always a good sign, and physical pain was the least she'd had to go through. ...not that it exactly thrilled him anyway. But they each had their role to play, first.

"Three hours from Vienna," he finally responded. "He thinks he's headed for Heathrow. He's actually headed for an abandoned airfield from the second world war about 50 miles outside of London. No point in letting him dictate the terms of engagement anymore." There was another pause after that. He did trust her to take down wrath, as well as whatever plan she had in place. Never the less...

"I have a few final preparations to make here, but if you need fire support they are not anything Veritas shouldn't be able to handle." ...not that she probably needed it, of course; they'd both worked alone for a long time, and for the first time in a long while she had Antonius and Olivia back again. Even so, he had to offer.

Set it up...call for me when I'm needed.

Dan shrugged, expecting as much. LIz could handle herself, especially with the other two around, though he'd had to make the offer. "Very well. I will arrange for a bit of support just in case. May the lord be with you as always."

Elioenai...be careful.

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It was strange. His granddaughter was back, awakened once more, and travelling in the company of a member of the police who has born the brother of his reincarnated apprentice. Elisheva was still here, at his side, and Antonius and Aeliana slowly remembering who they were. And yet, right now, Dan felt more alone than he had in nearly a hundred years.

Yes, Elisheva was still here, as were Antonius and Aeliana; but they were off fighting Belial for the soul of Antonius’s friend. Nadezhda and Jack were here, but they were tracking Rhett, his fallen apprentice. And Ba’al was due to arrive in less than two hours. There was every chance that, right now, he was going to be the only witness there to meet the fallen false god on that battlefield. It was nothing new of course; he’d fought battles on the physical plain alone before. But he was usually in a sounder mind when he did it – his mental barrier has been strained to beyond breaking over the last few days, and it was beginning to show. If he had to take Ba’al’s memories now…

And so, after taking perhaps an hour to complete preparations, Elioenai had retreated to the small chapel built into the base and closed the door. The truth was that he couldn’t do this alone. He, the weak human, could never do this, no matter how many decades, centuries of experience he had. It was something he had to accept, in the end.

But then, he never was alone, was he?

”Father… creator of all. I know not if I am to go in the company of my fellows or not, but I beg your protection over them this night. They have just awoken, and they are so swiftly thrust into the fire… please, be with them. In where I go this night, I ask only that thy will be done. Please give me the wisdom, the ears to know your will of me, guiding me through this valley of the shadow of death.”

”Just you and the lord again, huh? Look, I know you’ve requested enough ordinance to take down a whole battalion of demons, and it will be ready in time. But you won’t let any of us within a mile, even with your own team preoccupied. Why?”

Dan looked back up, surprised; he’d been deep enough in thought and prayer he hadn’t even noticed the sound of the door opening, or of Jacobs coming into the room behind him. …he merely smiled.

”This is what I’ve been called to do, in part. To face those things that stand against the creator of all in his name, those who would seek to harm his people. It has been my place for, well, a very long time.”

Jacobs gazed at him, into his eyes… and almost past them, if Dan’t hadn’t known better, before sitting down next to him. ”We all joined for that same purpose, Daniel, or some variant on it. To avenge some loved one, or out of a particular piety. And no one doubts what you and your partner can do. But I’ve seen what war can do to people. Hell, I’ve felt it; you should have seen me after Iraq. And that’s especially when you refuse to lean on anyone. And both of you look about ready to crack.”

Dan blinked, surprised, the smile turning sad – but before he could respond, Jacobs held up his hand to stop him. ”No, I’m not done yet. If man was meant to do this alone, Eve wouldn’t have been a thing. You’re supposed to commune with him, yeah, but you’re not supposed to only commune with him. And frankly, it doesn’t look to me like you and Liz are exactly doing a lot to help each other on that one.” Dan arched an eyebrow. How had…? ”You’re not the only one who knows how to operate video cameras, Grigsby. Look. Somehow I get the feeling I won’t get to see you again after tonight. Not sure what that means. But promise me one thing – don’t try to go it alone, not forever. I don’t want to have to come back ten years and find out I have to put you down too, my friend.”

And with that, the man stood from the row and headed for the door. Dan simply sat there in silence.