Futuristic A Final Dawn

[volchan]

Nike spent the next few hours going from one shop to another to look at things, even spending a little time in a tea shop to sit and watch the other shoppers walking along the streets. It wasn't perhaps the best usage of her free time, but it was better than sitting at home watching TV all day or surfing the web.


Checking her phone to see the time, she cleaned up her place at the table and left. She had about thirty minutes before her appointment, so she made her way a few blocks down until she reached the doctor's office. Technically speaking, her doctor was more of a therapist than a physician, but he had helped her over the past several years to get control of her ailment. Upon entering, she was made to sit and wait until, about fifteen minutes later, she was led into Dr. Williams' office.


“Good afternoon Nike. It's been a while, hasn't it?” The man smiled. He was clean shaven and seemed well taken care of. Appearances wise he seemed to be in his 40's and had a bit of a salt and pepper look starting to form from whitening hair.


“Yes, I guess so.” She smiled back, taking a seat.


“So, what brings you in today? Is the medication I prescribed you working alright?”


“Well...” She started, looking a little uneasy.


“...it was, until yesterday. I mean, you know I sometimes still get headaches or small relapses, but yesterday I had the worst headache I've felt in a long time. It came on suddenly out of nowhere and I was out within a minute or two.” She explained. The doctor seemed a little concerned at the news, and leaned forward a bit in his chair.


“Did you harm yourself? Anyone else? Do you know how much time you lost?”


“No, I wasn't hurt, and as far as I know no one else was either. I'm not sure exactly how much time I lost......things were kind of jumbled up last night. I thought I was awake, and then it turned out to be some kind of weird dream, and then I was really tired.” She admitted. The doctor seemed puzzled, but relieved to hear no one had been harmed. He held her patient chart in his lap and began scribbling down some things, probably what she'd told him. After a couple of minutes he looked at her again.


“Well Nike, I'm sorry to say there isn't much I can do at this point. Any stronger drugs out there would cripple you. You wouldn't be able to function while taking them, not to mention what kind of side effects you'd be dealing with. I'd only recommend them if I thought you were in immediate danger of harming yourself or others.” He sighed. He knew it wasn't what she wanted to hear. She was young and had so much life ahead of her; he didn't want to steal her life from her by drugging her up when she didn't need it.


“I see......” Nike replied, looking a little deflated. She felt concerned after what had just happened. What if she slipped again and hurt someone; hurt herself? What if she lost more time?


“Nike, have you been keeping a journal like I asked?” Williams asked.


“Yeah. I mean, I didn't write anything about last night yet, but I've been keeping track of headaches and lost time like you said.”


“Good.” He replied.


“Make sure you write things down as soon as you're lucid. You could forget something important.” He warned before standing up. He scribbled down a note and handed it to her.


“There. You can refill your prescription. If something happens or you're worried something might happen, please call my office. If I'm not here you know my business number.” He said, still looking slightly concerned. He'd been working with Nike long enough to know she wouldn't come here unless something was serious.


“Thank you, doctor. I'm sorry for wasting your time.” She replied, taking the prescription note.


“No, no. You haven't wasted anything. Make sure you keep up that journal and let me know if anything changes.” He assured her as he led her back out into the waiting room.


Nike refilled her prescription at a nearby drug store before making the trek home. She felt a little defeated at the moment. She'd already felt that the doctor wouldn't have anything stronger for her, but it still was a little frightening to know that she either had to destroy what life she had by taking stronger medicine or she had to risk everything by staying on the weaker pills. Why had it come back all the sudden? Sure, it popped up briefly every now and then, but it never showed up so suddenly like that. Something felt wrong, but she honestly didn't have a clue as to what it could be.


Reaching her apartment she went inside and locked the door. Removing her outerwear and shoes she took the new bottle of pills and opened them. She stared at the tiny blue and yellow capsules for a moment before taking two and popping them into her mouth. A little water from the sink and they were both swallowed and on their way into her system. She just hoped these pills would be enough to keep her from doing anything bad.

 

[Icerex]

Octavian~


116 A.D. 


Province of Britannia


Legio IX Hispana


Lightning rent the sky, illuminating the underside of looming thunderheads and creating an ominous air. Men from the 2nd cohort of the legion cursed as they labored under the torrential rain. Dirt was thrown into a makeshift breastworks as the legionaries worked to dig a defensive trench.


Centurions walked up and down the line of straining men, threatening, reprimanding and sometimes striking the soldiers who worked too slow. Tents were set up in the standard organized fashion, and the legion prepared to make camp for the night. 


Sentries and mounted patrols circuited the camp, as scouts had reported an increase of enemy activity in the area. 




The clump of dirty snow slid across the slick road and into a drainage grate. Octavian scowled as he kicked at another lump of snow. Yesterdays momentous revelation weighed heavily on him, and he was unsure what to do. He had left Cog in the mainframe to do some more digging on the recent discoveries, as well as to give himself some privacy in the meantime. A dozen plans had gone through his mind, and he had rejected all of them for one reason or another, leaving him with no concrete solution on how to proceed. 


Octavian had always been good at coming up with solutions for a given problem, a talent that had landed him a top position in the Imperial forces after one of his campaigns. He continued to think as he walked, not really paying attention to where he was going as he did so.


Awhile later and he slowly came to a stop as his wrist-mounted computer softly beeped. Looking up, Octavian found himself in front of a brick apartment building. The one in which that one girl lived. His computer must have registered the proximity of his surveillance equipment and let him know. The hairs on the back of Octavian's neck rose as he remembered what had happened in the girls apartment. He had never considered himself a superstitious person, and had always regarded the gods as no more then the highly-evolved beings they were. But the thing that he had felt in that room.......well, he had felt that way on only a few occasions, all of them unpleasant. 


He gazed up at the building, an idea slowly beginning to take shape in his head. 

 

[volchan]

Nike went to the living room and sat down on the couch, thinking over what her doctor had said. She'd been keeping a journal, yes, but she hadn't been filling it as often as she should. She felt uneasy about documenting the whole thing. What if her doctor thought she was dangerous? What if she was dangerous? Would she end up locked up somewhere? If it somehow got out that she had abilities, what would happen to her? She assumed she'd end up dissected at best, and kept alive for experiments at worst. She sighed; these weren't the kinds of things a young woman like herself should be thinking. She should be out with friends having fun, or in a relationship, or even traveling around and discovering herself. Instead she was spending all her time either working or hiding out in her apartment. Perhaps things wouldn't be like this if only she didn't have these blackouts. Why was this happening to her? Was it because of her powers, or something else entirely? If only she could honestly tell her doctor what was going on, but if she did that he'd either think she was insane or worse; he'd believe her. As scary as things could be, she couldn't tell him the truth about herself. She'd just have to hope that the medicine he gave her would stave off whatever this affliction was.


She sat there for a few minutes before looking over to the kitchen. She wanted some tea...but she didn't really want to get up. Glancing around for a moment out of habit, she then concentrated on a particular set of cabinet doors. Moments later they opened by themselves and a mug came floating out. Within a few minutes it had been filled with water, placed into the microwave, and was on its way to heating. Out flew some honey and a packet of black tea next, along with a spoon. Once the water was ready, the mug made its way to the table where the honey and tea were added and stirred. Then, carefully, the mug floated over to the little table in the living room. Nike couldn't help but smile to herself as she looked at it. She didn't often use her powers, but when she did she felt a sense of pride. As much trouble as they could cause her, they were still a part of her.
 


Reaching out she picked up the mug and took a small sip, humming to herself. She wished she didn't have to feel so nervous about using her abilities, but in a world like this any number of terrible things could happen to her if the wrong person found out. Taking another sip she looked out the window at the gray sky. It seemed more snow might be on its way; a good reason to stay indoors for the evening.

 

[Icerex]

Octavian~


Octavian pushed open the heavy door of the apartment building and stepped inside, mindlessly stomping his boots to rid them of snow as he looked around. The main entrance was slightly cramped but clean, with tiled floors and a long carpet leading to the stairs. Squaring his shoulders and taking a scan of the surrounding area, Octavian started up the stairs, a grim look on his face. He reached the third floor and walked to the end of the hall, coming to a stop near on of the many doors lining the hallway. His sensors affirmed that it was the residence of the 'target.'


Pulling out his folded helmet from the inside pocket of his parka, Octavian activated it and slipped it over his head, the seal at his neck pressurizing with a sharp his. He brought up the hood of his parka over his helmet, and pulled on his gloves. 


He cracked his neck with a sharp 'pop' and took up position near an edge of the door frame. Breathing out, he reached over and knocked sharply on the door.       

 

[volchan]

Nike was in the middle of another sip of tea when a knock sounded from her front door. She perked up a bit, a look of confusion crossing her expression as she sat there for a moment listening. Who would be knocking on her door? She supposed it could be one of her neighbors, maybe an unexpected package delivery.


Setting her mug down on the table she got up and went to her door.


“Coming!” She called out to whoever it was waiting on the other side. Unfortunately for her there was no peephole to allow her to peek outside. As she unlocked the door a familiar chill ran down her spine, but it didn't register until she'd already opened the door to find no one standing there.

 

[Icerex]

Octavian~


A gloved hand darted out and grabbed Nike by the wrist, wrenching her arm behind her back in a painful hold as she was spun around. Another hand clamped down over her mouth as Octavian brought his unnatural strength to bear and pushed her away from the door, closing it with a kick behind him. Hugging her close to his body, Octavian un-clipped a set of restraints from his belt and slapped them on the girls wrist, grabbing her other hand and similarly restraining it.  He unceremoniously pushed her onto the couch in the living room, drawing his handgun, putting one foot up one the coffee table and resting his forearms over his knee. "I would urge you to not make any rash decisions, nor to call out for help." His voice was rough and gravely from behind his helmet as he studied the girl in front of him. 

 

[volchan]

Nike could only gasp in shock when she was suddenly grabbed. She barely had time to register what was happening before her arm was painfully pinned behind her back and a hand was clamped tightly over her mouth. She could feel her heart throbbing rapidly in her chest. It was so intense she could even feel it beating in her ears. Within seconds both her hands were bound behind her back and she was forcefully moved and shoved onto her couch. Upon coming face to face with her attacker, her eyes widened in surprise. That helmet....what had happened the day before......it wasn't a dream?


Her gut tightened at the sight of the gun, as well as the threat. Panic was coursing through her entire body, but she was doing all she could to keep calm. What was going on? Who was this person, and why was he doing this to her?


“W-Who......are you?” She asked, her eyes locked to the gun. If he'd wanted to kill her he would have done so before, so why was he back?


“Wh...what do you want?”

 

[Icerex]

Octavian~


"We've met before, and suffice to say that I am not someone you want on your bad side, so I suggest that you do your best to cooperate." He took his foot off the coffee table and stalked around till he was face to face with the women, leaning down and peering into her eyes, looking for that speck of madness. Straightening, he cracked his neck and sighed. "Look, I'm in a bit of a situation at the moment, and I need to something good to show for all my research here in a couple of days." He looked at her again. "And you just might be what I'm looking for. I mean, honestly, a real-life psyker! You will be invaluable to the Imperium once you are properly trained and broken." 


He tapped the metal-backed fingers of one gloved hand on his forearm as he thought. "Now, you seem to have already manifested some measure of your power, and whether or not you can control it yet, I will warn you that I am not above using deadly force to subdue you."


He frowned under his helmet, pushing back the parkas hood to bare the entirety of his helmet. "Now, you have two options. Either come with me quietly, and I promise not to damage you in any way, or I can knock you out and carry you back to base. Your choice."

 

[volchan]

The young woman watched anxiously as the stranger threatened her again and then came closer, leaning down as if to get a closer look. He could obviously see her, but she couldn't see anything through the thick face shield of his helmet. As he continued talking she listened closely, trying to figure out how much trouble she was in. She wasn't sure about everything he was saying, but it seemed he was part of some sort of military faction. She'd never heard of the Imperium before, and the equipment he used was more advanced than anything she'd ever seen or heard of before. He was obviously part of some super secret special force. She wasn't sure how he'd found her in the first place but it didn't really matter now, did it? It certainly sounded like it wasn't going to end well for her. The thing was, what were her chances of escaping? He seemed ready to hurt her if he needed to, and she could already tell he was well trained and very strong. Would it be better for her to surrender for the time being, or to try and run away?


She stared at him wearily as he provided her with two choices....neither of which sounded beneficial to her. She didn't know what to do. She didn't want to hurt anyone, but this guy was threatening to harm her.


“You don't know what you're dealing with.” She said, trying not to sound threatening. Honestly it was more of a warning than anything. He'd called her a 'psyker', so he might have some idea of what she was, but she wasn't so sure he knew what was buried deep down inside. She'd seen what it could do before, and it horrified her. She wouldn't let that darkness be used by anyone, including herself.


Suddenly the hot cup of tea she'd made slammed and broke against her attacker's side, the hot liquid soaking through his clothes. In seconds cups, pots, books, and other items began flying at him. Taking her chances, she scrambled off the couch and ran for it, flinging whatever she could at him to keep him away from her. She didn't have time to think or worry about anyone seeing, she had to get out and somewhere safe before she ended up dead or worse.


The door to her apartment burst open as if it had been blown away by a bomb, Nike running out and leaping over the side of the railing to try and get to the bottom floor as quickly as possible. She didn't have shoes or a coat on, and her hands were still restrained, but the only thought in her head at the moment was escape. If she could just get somewhere and hide, maybe she could avoid being captured and used as a guinea pig or weapon for some dark organization.

 

[Icerex]

Octavian~


"Filius canis!" Octavian cursed as he was bombarded with flying projectiles, quickly activating the small deflector shield on his arm, sending up a latticework of shimmering blue octagons that deflected the flying objects. He battered a metal pot out of the air and turned to chase the girl, a snarl of rage on his lips. He dashed out the door just in time to see the girl actually jump over the stairway railing in an attempt to get away. The sonic propulsion units in his boots thumped twice as he used them to leap ten feet to the edge of the railing, bringing him right behind the girl. "Mulier stulta- ah, stop you stupid woman!" What was she thinking? Did she mean to kill herself rather then be captured? Either way, Octavian had to stop her and get to a safe place before the local authorities were notified. He lept over the edge without a thought and plummeted down towards the bottom. He reached out with one arm and caught hold of the girls sweatshirt, thrusting out his other hand in a super-human punch straight into the wall of the stairwell. Shards of wood and a cloud of debris and dust cascaded down on them as hey continued to fall, Octavian grunting with effort as his hand tore through the wall, finally jerking to a stop as he grabbed hold of a thick wooden beam.


They hung there, about thirty feet above the lobby floor of the apartment building, dust and debris continuing to sift down from the large rent in the wall made by Octavian's fist. Thankfully, no one seemed to have taken particular notice of them, or if they had, they were nowhere to be found. Octavian groaned as he shifted his grip on the wooden support beam. Looking down at the girl, hanging suspended from the grip he had on her sweatshirt and undershirt, he noted that she appeared unhurt, which was good considering the situation.


He flexed his left arm, testing the strength of the wooden beam, and started to slowly raise himself and the girl, one-handed, up to the closest level of the building, which was just a few feet above them.        

 

[volchan]

Nike was preparing to ease her landing when she felt something grab hold of her clothes. She'd known the man was close behind, but she hadn't counted on him being so fast. She grunted when he punched through the wall and suddenly slowed their descent. The sudden jerk had her head and neck hurting, but at the moment her main concern was that he'd managed to catch her. She squirmed a bit, trying to get lose from his grip. She could feel him trying to pull them both up to the closest floor, but she had no intention of just letting him kidnap her.


“Let go of me!” She shouted. She no longer cared if anyone noticed; it seemed the cat was out of the bag anyway. She wasn't about to just let herself be tested on or used, not without putting up a fight.


Her hands were still bound behind her back, so she wasn't able to swat at him. Her only option was to use her abilities. She hadn't used them on another person in a long time, but she really had no other option if she wanted to break free. Taking in a steadying breath she focused on the hand grasping her clothes. If she could put enough pressure on it maybe he'd let go, if not she'd have to break it.


“Let go.” She said more calmly, the pressure on his hand beginning to increase to uncomfortable levels.


“I don't want to hurt you, but if you don't let go I'll break every bone in your hand.”

 

[Icerex]

Octavian~ 


"Sorry, but I can't do that. I have to-" He grunted with pain as the pressure on his hand tightened, a cold lance of pain shooting up his arm. "I have to make sure you won't cause any problems in the future." He continued to pull himself, as well as her, up to the above floor. 


The pressure mounted, turning to a vice-like grip around his hand, and Octavian could feel his polymer-enhanced bones beginning to bend, the pain growing tenfold. "Faex! Will you stop that!? I'm trying to help you here, and you clearly need it given your apparent lack of any formal training, yet you continue to use your powers!" He cursed again, and gathering a tremendous burst of strength, yanked the girl up and flung her over the above railing, to land on the second floor of the building.


Octavian grunted, then used both hands to slowly pull himself up over the second-story railing and landing with a thud on the carpeted floor.     

 

[volchan]

Nike was surprised by how resilient the man was to her ability. Any other person's bones would have snapped by now...what was he?


“Problems?” She huffed.


“You're the one attacking me!”


She applied more pressure, trying to get him to let go. Unfortunately for her, it didn't seem to phase him enough to make him release her. With a sudden burst of energy he threw her up and over the railing, causing her to hit the floor with a thud. Of course, this broke her concentration, and without the use of her hands it was impossible to brace herself as her head struck the floor. She groaned in pain for a second before trying to shift onto her knees. It took a few moments since her hands were restrained, and by the time she'd managed to get to her knees her assailant was already standing over her.


“Help me?” She asked, glaring. She was quite afraid, but was doing her best not to show it.


“You're trying to kidnap me!”


Her eyes darted quickly over her surroundings, trying to spot anything she could use to get her out of this situation. His body could obviously take a lot more damage than normal, so unless she was able to stun him somehow or slow him down her chances seemed slim.

 

[Icerex]

Octavian~


Octavian reached up and pulled the angular black helmet from his head, tucking it under one arm. He turned his head and spat blood from his mouth to the side. He must have damaged his false teeth during the fall. "Kidnap? Yeah, you could say that. Bu' I can 'arantee ish a hell of alo' be'er den da alterna'ives." As he spoke, he stuck a finger in the side of his mouth, rooting around before giving his jaw a sharp yank. Two white objects and a spatter of blood flew from his mouth as he grunted in pain. "Damn implants." He muttered as he took a few steps closer to Nike, crouching down in front of her. He gave a wide grin, the newly revealed set of needle-sharp teeth glinting faintly with fresh blood.


"Now, what's it going to be?"  

 

[volchan]

Nike's eyes widened in shock when the man pulled off his helmet.


“Y-You're...”


She recognized him. That stranger who'd visited the cafe a couple days ago...but who was he? She stared wide-eyed as he spat blood and then stuck his fingers into his mouth, obviously trying to dig something out. When he yanked his jaw she could hear the bone crack, causing her to cringe in discomfort. The sight of what appeared to be teeth being spit out of his mouth made her stomach turn a bit. Of course, her attention centered right on him as he approached and then crouched down. When he grinned, revealing ungodly sharp teeth coated in blood, she felt a chill run down her spine.


“W...What are you...?” She managed to ask, stunned. She'd heard of people filing their teeth before, but nothing like this. There were too many strange things about this guy...who was he working for exactly?


Suddenly the distant sound of police sirens reached their ears. Someone had obviously called about the shouting and loud noises.

 

[Icerex]

Octavian~


The sound of the local security force reached Octavian's ears just as he was about to respond. "Deodamnatus!" Octavian cursed, reaching behind him and pulling an object from his belt. He flipped it in the air, caught it, and slammed it down, point-first, into Nike's leg. The potent sedative was injected into her bloodstream and went to work almost instantly.


"Sorry about that, but it seems that your decision has been made for you." 


He reached up and slid his helmet back on his head, then grabbed Nike's waist and hoisted her over his right shoulder. He drew his pistol and glanced around to make sure no one was present. Seeing nothing, he started at a quick jog towards the nearby fire escape. 


Sliding the window open, Octavian thrust one leg out, bringing the limp form of Nike out next as he grabbed hold of the top of the wooden window frame. He saw red and blue flashing lights growing closer in the distance, and decided to just take the short way out. 


Slinging Nike around until he was holding her in both arms, Octavian let out a long breath, then jumped. He landed with a thud, bending both legs so as to absorb the majority of the impact, his strengthened bones being able to handle the punishment. He shouldered Nike in a fireman's carry, then typed in a short sequence on his wrist, his camouflage activating and obscuring both him and the form slung over his shoulder. Looking back, he started off at a slow jog, eventually reaching a run.


In Nike's apartment, more than a dozen hi-tech pieces of surveillance gear and other bits of equipment were running through their self-destruct sequences, melting into balls of hard plastic, or burning into a pile of ash.


Octavian sighed as he pushed open the door of his apartment, still invisible of course, and shut it behind him as he pulled off his helmet, tossing it on his couch. He dropped the limp form of Nike down on his bed, removing the restraints from her wrists so he could bring her arms out in front of her, as apposed to being secured behind her back. He reattached them however, as he wasn't that trusting of the girl. He left to go rummaging around in his equipment locker, muttering all the while, before finally finding what he was looking for and returning to the bedroom with it. 


removing the plastic cap of the injector pen, he slid the sleeve of Nike's sweatshirt up over her arm and pressed the pen  to the smooth skin there. It buzzed as he activated it, then beeped as it finished injecting its contents. Octavian slid the now-empty pen into one of his pockets and left the bedroom, heading to the kitchen to make something to eat.   

 

[volchan]

Nike panicked for a moment with the man's sudden movement, letting out a sharp gasp when she felt the instrument plunge into her leg. Unlike last time, she had no chance to respond. Within seconds her head began to spin and her vision began to blur. She barely heard the man speak before her eyes rolled back in their sockets and she went unconscious.


The first sensation she had upon waking was the feeling of something soft under her. Her eyes felt heavy and her body weak as she made a small sound under her breath. She could recall being drugged, but her head felt fuzzy and it was hard to focus. Her main concern at the moment was her safety; where was she, and what had happened while she was out?


It took a few minutes for her to get her eyes to open. She'd had her wisdom teeth removed a few years back, but couldn't recall feeling this drowsy from the anesthesia. Whatever he'd given her must have been quite strong. Her eyes adjusted and she slowly realized she was in someone else's bedroom; most likely the guy who'd attacked her. A new surge of fear rushed through her at the thought of what might happen to her. She wasn't totally sure what he or his superiors were planning, but she certainly didn't want to find out.


Giving a small grunt, she tried to sit up. It was easier now that her hands were bound in front, but with such a weak body it was a real strain to move. She edged herself towards the end of the bed, planning to try and sneak away. As soon as she tried to stand, however, her legs caved and she fell to the floor. She groaned, her body shaking from the strain as she tried to move again. She couldn't stay here; wherever here was. She just hoped that if she did manage to escape she wouldn't find herself thousands of miles from home.

 

[Icerex]

Octavian~


Octavian took another bite of his sandwich as he inputted another data-set into the computer. The previous days trove had been uploaded and sent off to high command, and he guessed he'd get a response in a few hours. He glanced over at the ever-present timer projected to the side of his desk. Two days, 13 hours, 26 minuets and seven seconds. Six seconds. Five seconds.....   


A muffled thump from the direction of his bedroom caused Octavian to jerk his head around. He stood up and covered the short distance to his bedroom door in a few long strides. He pushed it open and flicked on the light.  


The girl was laying limp on the floor, and although still under the affects of the sedative, very much awake.


"Hmm, that sedative could have drugged a full-grown Ig'comen, but here you are, awake." Octavian stooped down and hefted Nike up by her shoulders and set her down on the edge of the bed. 


"Now," he spoke, stepping away. "I must warn you not to try and use your powers at the moment. You will need to be examined by a medicus first, as well as go through the usual set of training and implants." Octavian continued on in a somewhat cheery tone, seemingly oblivious of the girls attitude. 


"I'm sure you can get assigned to a decent legion when the time comes, although you will most likely not be able to stay here or join any of the new legions from this planet." He studied her for a moment, quickly coming to the realization that she was hopelessly lost. 


"Oh, sorry about that. I seem to have gotten ahead of myself. Why don't we start with names. I am Kiliandii Octavian Leuren, of Legio X Ferreus."

 

[volchan]

Nike's gaze darted swiftly to Octavian when he entered, feeling whatever muscles she could use currently tense in response. She flinched when he lifted her up and sat her on the bed, nearly falling over again due to her weakened state. She managed to stay upright, but her head was bobbing a bit as she tried to maintain focus.


The man started speaking, but most of what he said was either highly unnerving or going right over her head. She stared at him with a somewhat dazed, but mostly bewildered, look. Legion? Medicus? And what was with that strange name? Why was he talking as if he was from outer space?


She continued to stare for a minute, just trying to process what was going on.


“...What are you talking about? Where am I?” She asked, her voice slightly groggy from the drugs.


“What do you mean 'legion'?”


Her confusion was beginning to turn into frustration. This guy had stalked and kidnapped her, and from the sound of it he, or whoever he was working for, was planning on using her in some way, possibly as a weapon.


“I don't care who you are; I'm not going to work for you or whatever organization you're affiliated with.” She stated, glaring at him as much as her current state would allow.


“Let me go, or I'll use every ounce of my power to cave in that chest cavity of yours.” She threatened angrily. Who did this guy think he was? She wasn't some pawn to be used or weapon to take advantage of. She'd die before she let herself be turned into some kind of killing machine.

 

[Icerex]

Octavian~


Octavian's forehead creased with a frown. Right. I'm not like these people. They don't know whats going on, or what its like to go through......that. 


He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Ok, I'll start at the beginning." He reached up and dabbed at each eye with his forefinger, a pair of contacts coming away. Blinking owlishly, he leaned down, coming face to face with the girl. His eyes seemed to glow, as they were now a bright green, with golden strands woven throughout. Most striking however, were his pupils, which were now slitted vertically, like a cats.


"You see, I'm not human."    

 

[volchan]

Nike watched wearily as the man dabbed at his eyes and then leaned down so that they were at eye level. Gazing at those otherworldly eyes sent a chill down her spine and made a strange sort of sensation stir in the back of her mind.


“...no shit.” Was all she could think to respond with at his sudden revelation. She wasn't sure it was completely registering for her yet, but if it was true he wasn't human than it certainly would explain the advanced technology and resistance to her powers. She felt uneasy now even more so than before. If he was an alien, then what was he doing here on Earth? There were only a few possible scenarios that could be in play; and most of them wouldn't end well.


“Am I supposed to assume you're alien, then? Or are you some kind of weird mutant or something?” She pressed. It wasn't like she had much to lose at the moment anyway.


“Either way, what does that have to do with me?”

 

[Icerex]

Octavian~


"Well, to begin with, nothing." Octavian straightened and leaned against the door frame. 


"I only took interest in you because of a routine brain scan I did back at our first encounter. You had the most unusual brain pattern, and I wished to look further into it." He rubbed the back of his wrist as he continued.


"You see I am what you would call an alien. I am not from this world." 


Octavian studied the girls reaction for a moment, then proceeded.


"You mentioned you enjoyed superheros yes? Well, I am as close as a non psyker can get to being one. A super-soldier if you may. My job is to kill things for the Emperor, and I am very good at my job."


He clapped his hands together in a tight grip, a only-slightly mad grin on his face.


"And that is why I am here. You could call this a vacation of sorts, a nice out of the way surveillance assignment away from the Capitol or front-lines. A prime planet ready to be absorbed into the Imperium, its resources and manpower to be used against the ever-growing Threat."


Octavian clasped his hands behind his back and took a step towards Nike.


"And it was all going as planned until you showed up. Imagine, a real-life psyker, and a pretty one to boot, out on some barbarian planet without even the remotest of training." He leaned down studying her. "Honestly, I'm surprised you haven't killed yourself by now." 

 

[volchan]

Nike listened closely as Octavian explained how he'd found her and what he was. It still seemed hard to grasp, but from what she could understand it seemed he was part of some kind of alien empire; a scout or front-liner that was sent here to gather intelligence on the planet in order to take it over...great. Well, it seemed her concerns had been well founded; aliens were officially plotting to take over the world. She supposed she should be more shocked, but having grown up with strange powers herself there wasn't too much that could sound far-fetched. What she was most concerned with now was her own fate, as well as what fate awaited this planet she called home.


The grin on his face was creepy enough without him closing the distance to observe her more closely. The way he talked about her made her insides squirm a bit; was he trying to be weird or did that just come naturally?


“You keep calling me a 'psyker', but I don't know what that is. Is that just the word you use for someone that moves things with their mind?” She asked, trying to keep her cool for the moment. Even if she managed to throw him back with her powers, her body was still too weak to make a good escape. Unless he became aggressive she'd just have to sit and wait for her chances to improve. Besides, she was getting a good deal of useful information from this guy...not that anyone would believe her if she told them.


“You mentioned a threat...what is the threat?”


Whatever it was, it must be huge if it had this guy and his commanders going around taking over planets; especially one as 'barbarian' as this one.

 

[Icerex]

Octavian~


The girl seemed somewhat frightened and confused, disturbed? Either way, Octavian didn't have time to make her feel at home, she would have to get used to the vast dangers of the galaxy, and those beyond it. 


"A psyker is an individual that can harness the power of the Ventu'cidaum, a power source that runs along the, ah, fifth dimension lets say. Psykers are extremely rare, or are currently very rare at the moment, some say that they were more numerous millennia ago."


He paused, letting that sink in. "The most powerful psyker is the Emperor himself, sitting in his Crystal Throne, where he has been for two thousand years."


"As to the Threat, well, lets just say that the Emperor battles it constantly and we all owe him our lives." 


Octavian took a step back, rubbing the back of his neck. 


"Now, we have about two days before the planet is annexed, so I would get comfortable and just sit tight if I were you."

 

[volchan]

Nike couldn't wipe the confused look off her face as the man explained what a psyker was. She didn't even know where to begin. What in the world was ventu'cidaum exactly, and how could she, a human, tap into such a thing? Did that mean she could do more than move things with her mind? It was a little frightening to find out she probably knew less about herself than this alien did. Was it possible that being a psyker, as he called it, had anything to do with her strange black outs?


“So...does that mean you actually don't know what the threat is? Have you even seen it?” She asked skeptically. Whoever this Emperor was, he'd been ruling a long time and obviously had a lot of power; who was to say he wasn't just manipulating everyone? It seemed a little strange that his answer had been so vague.


The young woman felt her stomach flip and her body go rigid when Octavian revealed that the take over would begin in two days. Two days?! The very thought of what would occur made her feel sick. There was no way she could let this happen!


“Do you seriously think I'm just going to sit here and let you and this emperor of yours take over my home?!” She snapped.


“I don't care what you're fighting; I'll die before I let you or any other power threaten this place!”


Even as she said it, she felt strange. Was all of this actually happening? If it actually was, what could she really do? Sure, she talked big, but in the grand scheme of things she doubted she could do much at all. Even so, as far as she knew she was the only one that had the ability to try and defend this planet. As corny as it was, she might be the only hope Earth had; how could she ignore that?


As if to back up her words, she tried to force the other back against the wall with her abilities. As soon as she tried, however, an almost unbearable pain erupted inside her skull and flowed through her veins with a burning sensation. She grasped her head and cried out in pain, what was this? She'd had headaches and migraines before, but nothing like this. It felt like her head would split open! Doubled over in pain, she looked to Octavian with one eye clenched shut as she fought not to scream.


“W-What did you do to me?!” She cried, her body starting to shudder from the torment. The tough look she'd been wearing was starting to fade as terror began to overcome her. She couldn't use her abilities; for the first time she could remember she was completely defenseless. Now, at the time she was most needed, she was useless.