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 Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2014 11:30 pm
Each fragment that broke off fell to the ground and respawned as a separate entity. Most of them had reached torso length, some had even budded half-formed hands that wasted not time reaching for the only living human source around.
The portal was closer to Rep than he had estimated, thankfully, to the point where he could hear the separate hum of it behind. It was only the smallest of graces that whomever on the other side had not closed it yet, or were just being very lax in their duties.
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Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2014 12:28 am
When he was close enough to risk it, Rep turned and bolted through the portal, desummoning Tracey as he did so.
He was not cut out for this Death running away thing.
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Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 9:21 pm
The portal wobbled and lurched a fair bit more than usual-
- and then stopped.
Instead of reaching the sanctuary of the lighthouse, Rep was stuck. He was trapped in neither here nor there, in a simple white space, and in front of him were four figures staring at him. All of them were wearing a mask.
"He is not ours," the first voice muttered, wearing a green mask, ornate and organic, "he is tainted. We cannot stop this."
"We will not take him either," reaffirmed the white mask, a smaller figure, about the same size as a slim child, "he has rejected our offer."
"There is enough pride, but even then it is not enough." The third, in a golden mask, shaped like a crown, tilted away.
There was a lapse of silence, and then the fourth appeared, tall, taller than the others. He wore no mask, but he also had no appearance, and bore the face of whatever, of whomever Rep considered bound by honour, bound of hope and protection.
"I will watch over him," affirmed the last voice, "there is always hope, and as long as there is a wish to protect, there will be a chance."
A hand reached out to Rep, but it was bright, it was gloved. It looked like that person. "Do you still have something you wish to protect?"
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Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 9:45 pm
Rep's initial response to the portal misfiring was sheer deep rooted panic, he'd read too many articles about the Eldridge and the Philadelphia experiment and didn't want to be the guy who came back fused to a wall or completely scattered through space and time for ever. His panic was only derailed by fear at the four figures who stood before him. By the time his mind finished reeling they'd spoken in turn and he'd realized that he'd seen their colours before, they cropped up so often how could he not?
But they did not want him, and it was something he was used to, being turned away and rejected at every turn no matter what he had to offer. The silence weighed heavy on him and he hung his head, not sure what to say, unable to argue his worth to the masked judges the same way he hadn't been able to argue with Edith when she'd told him she didn't want him.
When the fourth figure appeared, he looked to Rep like Harrison, like the other Harrison from that strange world, and yet subtly like neither. But his appearance didn't matter, all that mattered was that here was someone who would watch over him, who didn't turn him away, and for that simple fact, that simple gesture, he would give them everything in a heartbeat. He was uncomplicated in that way.
And there was no doubt in his mind that he had something he wished to protect, all his life he'd been a destroyer, ruining his own life and the lives of those around him, but Harrison had changed something deep and undeniable, he had given him something to care about and defend. He could never be a Moon, they would never have him, but he protected with offense, with his sharp tongue, sharp blade and sharp wits. And to keep Harrison he would defend this place, this life they lived. He did not care for the world for its own sake, but he cared for it for Harrison's
He took the man's hand without hesitation or fear. "Aye." he said. "Aye, ah dae."
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Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2014 2:38 pm
Whomever, whatever Rep saw grasped him strongly by the hand, and in that single moment Rep would be aware, innately, intuitively, they knew everything about him and did not turn back. The pain in his arm subsided, and then there was a sheer white noise, sharp and static in the background.
The figure's voice became muffled. "-Soon. Protect."
Blinding blue, then white.
When Rep woke up, he would find himself face down on the training fields. He would feel sore, he would feel his muscles burn at ever small sensation. But, stranger than that, was the unmistakeable feeling that he had done something very right.
His cell phone, lying face up next to his head, was buzzing. It seemed whatever ordeal had happened, despite all odds, that cell phone had somehow persisted.
It read a single text. Text from Caelius I will see you in my office
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Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2014 2:55 pm
Rep didn't flinch at the contact, he simply let the resulting reaction wash over him, expecting anything that looked into him to recoil away on principle. But they didn't, they held on, and that in itself was a reassurance. He might have been panicked by the noise, almost painfully static, but it became bound up with the sensation of the ache seeping away from his arm, conditioned pavlov's style into something safe.
He still did not know where he was, but he wasn't afraid any longer.
--
When he opened his eyes it was to a much less ideal situation, once again he found himself in some degree of pain, but nevertheless alive and feeling almost elated, satisfied in some undeniable way despite the way his body protested. He sat up, peering out over the quiet training fields before finally and reluctantly seeing to the damn phone once again.
He frowned at the text, brow furrowed with worry but nevertheless obediently pushed himself to his feet and made his way to Cael's office. He wasn't one for insubordination, he liked being alive.
Entering he simply stated "Reporting in sir. Sorry about that." and then anxiously waited for whatever further strangeness awaited him today.
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Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2014 3:04 pm
As Rep opened the door the first thing he would see was Mark and Oz slowly and carefully lifting a body bag, that was very clearly dribbling dark red blood and also sprouting white crystals, onto a side table. Mark yelped as the door opened and nearly dropped his half of the bag, probably assuming Rep was someone else.
There was actually no sign of the Death lead at all, he had probably wandered off either to be stuck in an office building as a sales representative, get a bagel, kill everyone on Mimsy's hitlist, or destroy the world, in any of those orders of random interpolation.
The two managed to get the body safely on the table, where Oz promptly placed what looked honestly like a mirror on top of the bag. Immediately, the crystals scattered, dissolving into fragments. A shape was forming on the surface of the mirror, it looked almost real, the trapped face of a hapless Hunter perhaps, staring emptily from the void. Neither Mark nor Oz paid it much attention.
"Oh, you're that guy." Oz hopped off the table and helped himself to the tissue box on the table. "So, how did you want to get paid?" Mark for some reason, having returned with quite a fabulous tan (sunburn, his skin was still quite a swollen red), looked the other way and feigned ignorance, but wasn't really good at feigning of any sort.
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Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2014 3:24 pm
Rep was really starting to worry about all these bodies, he wasn't too concerned with them as individuals - because that was how he got through the day - but they represented a real threat to the island and by extension Harrison and him. When he spotted the mirror, he raised a brow. "Wasn't Ace like..stuck in...." he stopped himself mid-sentence, he really didn't expect these guys to answer his questions.
Speaking of these guys. Mark looked like he'd been somewhere nice.
"That guy." he repeated. "Rep. And I'd like to be paid in money. Or some equivalent dropping the ******** third world level debt I've been carrying around without making me start a ******** bandaid concert."
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Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2014 3:36 pm
Oz gave Rep a flat look, which was pretty much the only look he knew, other than smouldering angst and possibly brooding emo. "First, I don't know you, and I don't care to know you. Second, I hate you." This wasn't to be taken too offensively as Oz hated everyone but because this was Deus Ex and Hunters were Hunters who thrived on paranoia and gluttony on a tiny, isolated island, Oz ranked third on the island's misunderstood charts and fifth on the angry lone wolf one. "Third, you can be paid either by cash or direct deposit, and I don't run accounting or charity so you'll get paid whatever it is listed on your pay stub."
The third most misunderstood Hunter on Deus Ex didn't wait for Rep to answer and unsealed a manila folder, giving Rep the eye as he counted the wad of hundred dollar (USD) bills that seriously looked like they had just come right out a millionaire's cold dead and possibly lying on the table's body. "Also you're not actually in debt. Mark just says you are-"
- Mark was boggling and giving the Oz the abort mission expression-
- "but he didn't actually take anything off your account so stop crying and whining like a freaking manbaby, you give emo a bad reputation." He stopped counting after hitting exactly five hundred. "There. And Caelius says he ******** hates you. Actually he didn't say anything, but I'm going to assume he ******** hates you because everyone does. And if you ever need more work please come back, because nobody in our division is willing to do the work you did so congratulations."
There was a loud snap as the mirror shattered on the body on the table. Oz continued to glare at Rep as Mark looked extremely busy staring out the window.
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Posted: Sat Aug 23, 2014 7:06 pm
Rep gave Oz a nod that in so many words said it was completely fine to hate him and yes, he'd heard it a billion times before from many, many different people. "Cash suits me just fine." he said as the other man fished out the bills, he was about to reach out to receive them when he was completely derailed by Mark's comment. "******** seriously?" he said, in complete shock, giving Mark a look of utmost betrayal.
He took his payment like a scandalised old woman and shook his head incredulously. "Well thanks, I guess. And if you need me for missions.." It had been an awful day, all chaos and hurt and near death experiences, but the fact remained that despite all of this, he'd actually had fun. It had passed the time, he'd got to break things and he'd gotten paid.
"Well then I'll help." And he still wasn't sure if it was incompetence or knowledge which made them ignore things that he considered probably very important. "Or if help is too strong a word, be your ******** gopher."
He gave the broken mirror a very concerned look. "You do a ******** hard job." he said, though he didn't look at Mark while he said it.
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Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2014 7:11 pm
Oz shrugged and recounted the five-hundred much like a small crime lord paying off a henchman for whatever it was Hunters of the Caribbean henchmen did. He idly unzipped half the bag containing the body and patted down the crystal free regions of it until he fished out another crinkled hundred caked in blood and added that to the collection as well. That was all handed over easily, with Mark eyeing them in the corner with a small throat-clearing of protest, and then Oz zipped up the bag again. A tuft of bloodstained hair was sticking out of the zipper.
"He does the hard job," he pointed at Mark, "I do the stuff I hate." It was hard to tell if hate was like, but since Oz was into the goth thing hate was probably better than liking something. "If you want division duties, you talk to that guy," thumb jab towards Mark," and if you want recreational duties, which by the way pays about ten times better, you come talk to me and wear something less unflattering, if that is even possible."
Rep received one more eyeroll, and then there was an awkward silence where Oz just stared. "This is the awkward period of time where you're supposed to leave so you don't make this any more awkward so that when you leave I can talk about how painfully awkward you were."
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