Well, two men and the single, hooded woman standing back behind him with red eyes turned towards the walking path. Captain Stibnite had come as a recommendation to him as a Captain not only in a position to take on new Lieutenants but also one that didn’t take back talk from anyone. His first meeting with her had already shown him she was a tough one to crack. Too bad he couldn’t convince her to transfer.
A light breeze blew past the pair but neither moved until he heard Stibnite shift. “He’s here.” She called out, stepping back slight out of the way. The place they had picked was nothing fancy. Just the dead end area of a hiking trail. They would not been interrupted by foolish white moon here.
~~~
Leaves crunched beneath Isaac’s heavy soled shoes. It was apparent that maintenance didn’t make it out this far very often with all the fallen branches from the rainy season that littered the path. Regardless, up until now he had made a decision regarding Mark’s proposal however his choice of meeting place was starting to question Isaac’s resolve.
He heard the woman's voice before seeing the two figures illuminated by the full moon overhead up ahead. While he didn’t stop in his approach, Isaac did rest his hand on his guns hilt where it remained holstered on his hip.
“I thought you were joking when you asked me to meet out here. Sir…” On guard, listening to every cricket sound, every mouse scurry across the brush, every owl hoot; Isaac’s senses were on high alert. No matter how many times he has hiked these woods, along many of these trails, in his life; there was no shaking the feeling like this was some sort of ambush and he had been lured out here under false pretenses.
If I didn’t know any better I’d think they were going to rip out my heart and offer it to some pagan god… Isaac’s jaw tensed when finally he came to a stop. Muscles taught beneath his shirt if things took a turn for the worse he felt ready for a fight.
~~~
Stibnite’s red eyes flickered towards the man’s gun and she felt herself smirk before shaking her head. “Smart man.” She spoke, before catching a look at his face. Trained and prepared. This General sure knew how to pick them. Many could take lessons.
“Indeed.” Mark offered, grinning himself as he opened up his arms, a sort of peace offering to show he was not armed. “Relax. Neither one of us is here to harm you. This isn’t a mugging. I brought the Captain behind me because from what I have been assured, she is one of the more level headed members of the local branch. Not to mention one of their best shots.”
A snort came from behind him but Stibnite only looked towards the sky. “Don’t waste time. I don’t trust them not to magically show up.”
“Now now Stibs. This isn’t something you rush” Mark shook his own head but his focus then fell on Isaac. Arms lowering to then cross in front of his chest, the older man seemed quiet, as if waiting for Isaac to speak. However, as a light wind blew again, he cracked a smile. “So, have you considered my offer?”
~~~
“I thought I did.” Isaac eyed the woman, had he’d been forewarned that they would be meeting with someone else then perhaps his former resolution wouldn’t have waived. But meeting in the middle of nowhere with some hooded person in black didn’t really set the foundation for trust.
“What’s your part in all of this?” Ice blue eyes leveled with hers of fire.
~~~
For a breath, Stibnite just locked eyes with the man, a war of dominance if one had to guess. It was a war that Mark quickly ended with a clear of his throat. With a huff, Stibnite reached up and threw back her hood. “My part is to be your mentor locally. To make sure you have someone in the Destiny City ranks you can call when the General over here has to see to….” Stibnite glanced towards Mark, clearing picking words with a deeper meaning “Other matters.”
Cracking her neck as she glanced back to Isaac, she cleaned on one leg and crossed her arms. “But let’s cut to the chase here. You accept or not? I’m not keen on hanging out in one place this long. Those ******** white moon are everywhere.”
Mark could only shake his head. “You have to forgive her. She’s rather….blunt. But she does have a point. Even out here, we risk the dangers of being found out and I would rather not force you into something you do not wish.”
~~~
“I just have one question. What do you have that makes you better equipped to find and deal with these terrorists? I don’t see any weapons or tech gear.” No night vision goggles or any sort of artillery in sight. Why meet out here if it left them so vulnerable?
Sharpshooter or not, he’d heard of the destruction the magic slingers could wreck. By the looks of it all they had was the gun he had brought with him; even with the two additional magazines it might not get them very far. To say it was unsettling was a vast understatement.
~~~
The look Stibnite casted at Mark was both of annoyance and of ‘can I please just put this to bed now?’. Had she been running the show, she might even have walked straight up to the male, shoved her hand into his chest and given him a little demonstration of the power they possess. However she was not running the show so all the Captain could do was stand back and wait.
“You are one of the few who asks so many questions.” Mark spoke, a laugh on his voice as he ignored the annoyance of the woman with him. “Allow me to explain a bit more then. Captain, if you would.”
With an annoyed sigh, Stibnite reached her arm up and allowed the silver wrist worn cross bow to appear. Tiny but ouch.
“You see Isaac, the technology that we have as humans has advantages but it also has limits. Stibnite here is in her agent attire because she is acting as a look out as well as being here for your benefit. In this form, we are able to sense the ‘terrorist’ coming without ever having to lay eyes on them. A second advantage is she is currently both faster and stronger than either of us. Frankly, I have a feeling if we pissed her off too badly, she would have us both on our rear ends.”
A ‘huff’ noise came from the woman.
“Yet one of the favorite perks is…” He gave a nod and Stibnite only grinned.
Without a sound, Stibnite locked her eyes on Isaac’s face and disappeared. A breath later, she appeared standing behind him, her silver point at the base of his neck.
“Teleportation. Something those ‘terrorist’ will never be able to accomplish. They have magic. We are stronger. Faster. Not to mention far more organized than they could ever dream of being.”
~~~
In the same second the hooded woman disappeared Isaac had his Glock 18 drawn, barrel pointed at Mark’s chest. His grip on the handle was firm, the pad of his index finger partially pulled the trigger back; the only thing keeping him from shooting the man who lured him out here was the sharp point pressing against the back of his neck.
The only thing keeping him from killing his superior was the woman who now stood behind him otherwise, for the first time in his life, Isaac felt that he could have easily followed through with the act and not have bat an eye or thought twice.
He had been on edge before arriving, and now he was past that point; back on the battlefield with bullets flying by in a firefight. For a moment he heard a phantom scream from one of his comrades shouting at him to fall back while another one yelled out that he’d been hit. Chaos screamed in his mind, events that actually happened and those that only occur once he finally closed his eyes from sheer exhaustion.
“If you’re going to kill me, do it. Otherwise I suggest you go back to where you were.” Isaac’s voice was unfaltering in his command. What happened next was up to the red eyed hooded woman; he would not be at fault for any bloodshed that happened tonight.
~~~
If Mark had any worry or concern in that moment, he didn’t let on. His face hadn’t moved or changed. His body was still carrying itself as a commander. All he did was shift his eyes downward to the barrel of the gun before returning them back to Isaac’s face. “Impressive.”
“Stibnite, if you wouldn’t mind. I believe that is enough demonstration for now.” Mark’s voice held a note of command to the woman. One that told her if she dared to disobey, well…
Pulling her arm back, Stibnite stepped once, twice, three times to put some distance between herself and the male. Though her red eyes were locked on him, she dismissed her weapon.
“So Isaac. What will it be?”
~~~
“What do I need to do to be able to do what she just did?” Even though Stibnite had put a healthy amount of distance between them, Isaac maintained his stance a few moments longer before lowering the gun so the barrel pointed down at empty space between them.
~~~
The comforting smile on Mark’s face began to grow. His eyes followed the gun barrel until it was no longer an immediate threat and once it turned from his chest, Mark step forward.
“The gift of teleportation is earned. Prove yourself to the cause and you will be granted the power to do just that and even more. Our purpose is to stand between the so called White Moon and their Queen. Consider it a mission far more important than the so called ‘War on Terror’ our government fights. This Terror instead walks among us every day as if one of us. Playing the innocent until it is too late.”
Stepping forward, Mark slowly closed the distance between himself and the staff sergeant. In that slow walk though and before Isaac’s eyes, Mark’s appearance began to shift. The street clothes he wore seemed to melt away revealing a dark black uniform far more detailed and decorated than most would expect. His appearance continued to shift, ending in a long black cape moving behind him. He didn’t stop until he was arm’s length from Isaac.
“This is a gift Isaac. One that all you need to do is say yes too and you will have the power to protect all those you love from the true war.”
~~~
If he seemed unsettled by his superiors change, Isaac didn’t let his concern show; not after what he just witnessed with the teleportation at least. For some reason a change in wardrobe felt significantly inferior in the wow factor than the show that Stibs had displayed.
Regardless he remained silent for a moment, leveling his gaze between the two before voicing his decision. “Do it.” He wanted to be able to do what they did, abilities that far surpassed what he could do now and actually make a difference, he wanted what they had.
~~~
The smile on his face widened, almost twisted at the two words. “I warn you. This might sting a little.”
The words were the final warning before he lifted his hand and plunged it into Isaac’s chest. His eyes never looked away as he pumped the life blood of chaos into the new recruit. It was never ‘pleasant’ but the outcome was always...welcomed.
~~~
The gun Isaac held clamored to the ground without incident; metal smacking against a rock but that was about it.
There really was no way to prepare himself for what was happening to him... to his body. His instincts were right on the money, they were going rip his heart out for some twisted ritual; at least, that’s what it sure as hell felt like. Two objects were never meant to occupy the same space which is why saying that this would ‘sting’ was so much of an understatement Isaac would have laughed if it were possible.
Instead his hands instinctively grabbed Mark’s forearm. Gritting his teeth, to keep from yelling out in case anyone else was in the vicinity, Isaac attempted to pull the general’s hand out of his chest. His efforts were in vain, the man in front of him was simply too strong and within seconds the staff sergeant was on his knees beads of sweat forming along his brow. If this is what was supposed to happen then the ******** b*****d could have at least explained it.
Mere seconds felt like an eternity before his superior slowly withdrew his hand. Despite the power that coursed through him he felt weak as if he had just been through an intensive workout that pushed his limits until finally collapsing on the floor. Thankfully he managed to stay awake and keep the contents of his stomach down because lord knew how close he was to retching after that ordeal.
~~~
If there was any sight that Stibnite could not get used to, it was that of someone reaching into another’s chest to pump it full of chaos. There was a difference between taking a starseed and...THAT. Taking a starseed was only as painful as long as you held your hand there. Chaos itself…
She had been lucky only one person had ever done the later. Her husband she could smack later for putting her through pain.
Still, as the new agent dropped to his knees, Stibnite couldn’t stop herself from shivering at the memory of the pain. Beneficial but ow.
The General before her though, didn’t bat an eyelash. He just kept going, carrying that sly smile all the long as chaos flowed through him and into the young man bracing himself before him.
“There now. “ He spoke calmly, taking a step back before he took a knee in front of the man reborn. “All finished. Don’t fight the pain. The sooner you accept it, the sooner it eases up. It’s only painful for the first few moments as your body adapts to its new powers.”
With a sigh, Stibnite walked over, coming behind the new agent and kneeling as well as she rubbed his back. “Puke if you need to. No one here will judge.”
~~~
If Isaac had heard what the captain said he didn't let it show. Instead he focused on his breathing and how the cool air felt like a cold compress against the back of his neck.
Considering in his life he had been shot, stabbed, cut up by shrapnel and had s building fall on him; pain itself was at times an old friend. Not to say he was a masochist; quite the contrary far from it, if possible he would prefer to avoid it all together. But s**t happens as the saying goes.
Regardless of all the broken bones and stitches Isaac received over the years, none of it compared to what just happened. There were no words to describe that kind of pain only action could get that point across such as punching the ******** in the face. But for now he'd take just being able to stand upright without falling.
Isaac cleared his throat of the bile and spit it out near, but not on, the generals shoe. It was only then, as he shifted to get up that he realized the shirt he had been wearing was no more. In its place was a black jacket with odd gloves that didn't even cover all his fingers and these damn feathers that were insistently tickling the side of his neck.
“What the hell?” Confusion distorted his features; brows knitted together as he turned his hands over in from of him. No more than a second passed when he realized that he felt something… he felt them...the auras Stibs had mentioned and it was in that moment he understood what Mark meant by this special ability to find the terrorists. ]‘s**t…’
~~~
General and Captain rose with with Lieutenant as he began to take in the full effects of their gift. It was far more than a uniform change. It was abilities. It was strength. “Your uniform, Lieutenant.” Mark gave as if that explained everything. “In this form, you have access to all the abilities the Negaverse has to offer. You will find yourself stronger, faster, able to heal quicker than you were before even. You will also find you have access to a…” His eyes glanced at Stibnite who only offered a shrug. “A weapon of sorts. It will grow as you do though so do not be surprised if it seems rather useless right now. Consider it part of your training. To learn on your feet before you are given a weapon to assist.”
“A general training that I have asked Captain Stibnite here to oversee. She will be your point of contact here while I see to other things away from Destiny City. She will also be responsible for your progress and introduction into the Negaverse after tonight.”
“General, I think you are skipping over something very important.” Stibnite offered, stepping forward casting Isaac a look. “His name.”
~~~
With all the information the General had omitted it felt like no surprise he forgot to mention a few things. Then again he so eloquently passed on the responsibility to the woman beside them perhaps he simply thought the task of teaching to be too far beneath him.
Either way, whatever the case may be, Isaac had to make a conscious effort not to roll his eyes. “You mean after putting me through all that I don't get to pick my own?” Sarcasm evident in his tone, he leveled his gaze in Mark’s direction and smirked.
~~~
“That depends.” Stibnite offered, a raised brow at the man. “How familiar are you with minerals?”
She left it alone for a moment before the General cleared his throat. “What she means is that in the Negaverse, we are all represented by a different mineral of Earth. Stibnite here for example. Myself as General Validite. Consider it both a way to protect who we are as humans as well as a reminder of the world we protect.”
“Can’t be out on the battlefield screaming ‘Duck Tom’ everytime someone throws a punch. Though duck stupid still comes in handy.” Stibnite offered as well.
“Quite.” Validite cast her a narrow look to which the Captain only shrugged. “Well anyway, I was going to offer you the name Dravite but if you can think of another…” Validite gave a shrug. “It is a stone many believe to offer grounding and stability to the person possessing it. A stone that both calms the mind and quotes the negative thoughts. Something I found you might need given you...background.”
~~~
“You seemed to have put a lot of thought in the name. Almost like you knew my decision to join before even I did.” Either way Dravite sounded suitable enough given their explanations.
“I’m no geologist so I’ll have to take your word on it.” Aside from birthstones he had no reason to really know anything rock related other than how the size can be used for defensive or offensive tactics. Camouflage to hide from an enemy, cover when making a retreat or sand and small rocks to temporarily blind someone coming in to attack. Certain stones had other practical uses such as flint but that went more so into survival training and this was neither the time nor place to really mineral names much more thought.
“You mentioned a weapon; is there a reason I can’t just use my gun?” Dravite leaned over to pick up the weapon he had dropped when General Validite shoved his hand into his chest.
~~~
Validite’s mouth opened to begin but he was cut off quickly by a strong female voice. “If you can remember every time you ‘power up’ to remove your gun from your person and believe that the opponent you are going after won’t make a move to grab it, then by all means.” Stibnite shot Validite a look she normally only saved for Leucite. It was that of ‘you put me in charge of them so shut up.’ Generals had a way of sugar coating things…
“The reason you still have your gun at the moment is because you dropped it when he brought you over. If your gun had been on your body or even in your hand, you wouldn’t be holding it right now. Don’t worry, when you power down everything comes back.” Stibnite waved a hand dismissing that question.
“The other reason we use these weapons instead of guns though is because many of the senshi possess magic that would stop a bullet. Shields and abilities meant to counter traditional methods.” Then she locked her eyes on Dravite. “But also because there are far too many fools in the Negaverse to be trusted with guns.”
~~~
“Fair enough,” Dravite seemed to accept her rather candid explanation without question. regarding her last statement though, the same could be said for every liberal snowflake on the west coast. it is one main reasons he avoided social media.
“So, in the topic of powering down, how exactly do I do that?” While his uniform seemed unique enough, the feathers on his shoulder were becoming quite annoying. Thankfully the sharp pain in his chest had become more of a dull throb though he had to wonder if it would feel like that every time he powered up; of so then this was not going to be a pleasant assignment.
~~~
“Just think concentrate on what you were wearing. With time it will become second nature to you but right now, it may require a bit more focus.” Validite offered before Stibnite could cut in. Still, she seemed to accept his response as she made sure Dravite could see her before taking her own moment to power down.
A woman with teal and white hair, wearing jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt with what looked like a gym logo on stood staring back at him.
“Name’s Imara White. Nice to meet you.”
~~~
Doing as she had instructed he concentrated on what he had been wearing earlier and within seconds the black uniform he had on melded into the clothes he had arrived in. After holstering his gun he reached a hand out to her to shake, “Isaac; Isaac Harrison. Or Staff Sergeant Harrison if we’re on base.” A title that fit him far better than Lieutenant, a rank he did not plan on keeping overlong.
Until now it really didn’t even register that they weren’t exactly formerly introduced; rather their names had just been thrown out in conversation though he suspected General Validite had filled her in on who he was which is why the man had likely felt greetings were unnecessary.
Either way, ‘Stibs’ or rather ‘Imara’ seemed more like someone who didn’t take s**t from anyone; consequences be damned. At least that was his initial take on the teal haired woman with how she candidly spoke to her superior and even interrupted him on several occasions. Not that he had been acting any better in that regard; formalities kind of got thrown out the window early on when he felt threatened.
While he didn’t trust either with a ten foot pole after having an arrow pointed at the back of his neck or hand shoved in his chest, he did at least trust that this woman would at least teach him the ropes. However he suspected some very important topics may be missed and would bit him in the a** later on which is why he intended to be an ardent pupil and observe; listen and do until the pieces of the puzzle that this Negaverse was were fit into place and objectives and rules were made very clear.
~~~
“I wish I could say pleasure but I’m not going to sugarcoat much. You are in for a lot of hard work, Isaac. We have a lot to cover but I’m very grateful to say the least that I don’t have to start at ‘this is how you throw a punch’.” Imara reached out and shook his hand with a firm handshake. There was a sly smirk on her face as she eyed her new charge and was forever grateful to get someone with a brain.
“And we are starting tonight. So I hope you are ready.”
Validite could only shake his head as he watched the Captain. A smart choice indeed. “Then I will see to finishing the necessary paperwork to ensure you remain stateside, Staff Sergeant. As of this point on, consider yourself home for good.”
Sirene Naiads
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