Fantasy Changes of Heart (w/ Vada)

[CanaryCry]

Julius Koehler
28





It was very, very late when Julius began the trek home from work - or, if one looked at it another way, very early. It was a time of night when there were no pedestrians strolling through other than himself, and hardly any cars either. He did have a motorcycle, but he enjoyed walking under the light of the moon and dim streetlights, when everything was silent and still, and had taken the subway most of the way back. Even alone, there wasn't much left in the world that Julius had to fear. In the dark it was easy to hide his shield if he needed to use it, and he was confident in his ability to stop anyone trying to steal from him.

Which was why he walked for almost twenty minutes after noticing he had a tail, instead of losing them straight away.

It was too dark and empty at this time of night, too difficult for anyone to follow except by being blatantly behind him the whole time or skulking around in ways that were highly suspicious. He had noticed her as he was getting off the subway car, actually, and the fact that he had lost track of her for a while as he continued on his way home spoke volumes about who she might be and how well trained. As a precaution, he let his shield slide into place across every part of his body but for his exposed hands and face, and finally just stopped walking.

“You can just come out now.” He turned, finally, to look behind him and called loud enough for her to hear, though not so loud as to carry far enough to draw onlookers. This was as good a spot as any for a confrontation, a street full of unattended businesses in an area with low enough crime rates there weren’t many cameras outdoors. “If you’re here to kill me, I have some unfortunate news for you.”

It would be difficult, though he was not quite arrogant enough to say impossible, if the light footsteps trailing after him meant to end his life. There were only a few likely possibilities he could think of. Either this was someone related to work, who wanted to gain access to the warehouse he had been helping to guard, or it was someone sent by the people that made him, finally here to decide if he was worth the trouble of killing or not after he’d been out of their grasp for nearly six years. Up until this point, he had been sure they thought he wasn’t worth it. They would never regain his services, after all, and he hadn’t stepped on their toes once since he’d escaped with a few others. If there had been a change of heart after so long, he had to wonder what had caused it.

 

[vada]

T'ae Se-Yoon
24


Se-Yoon worried the inside of her cheek as she walked some distance behind the man, the only sign of a nervous tick. She was cautious, careful, and quiet enough that he seemed oblivious to her presence, until he suddenly turned and called out to her where she stood, momentarily hidden by the lack of a street lamp above her.

She had followed him for some time, several blocks in fact, after watching his place of business for an entire day. It had taken her far too long to track him down - weeks instead of days, and now that she’d had him, she wasn’t about to let him out of her sight. Waiting for the perfect moment to approach had seemed like a good idea, but it was hard to say what the perfect moment was. On his way to work? Or on his way home? At his home? A public or private setting? All choices held merit… and danger.

Which is why she’d resolved to let the perfect time show itself to her on its own, whenever or wherever that may be.

Which, apparently… was now.

Urged forward by his words, Se-Yoon stepped into the light of the nearest street lamp, being sure to keep a certain distance between herself and the man before her. He was dangerous, this legend, and she wasn’t foolish enough to walk into a trap without exercising prudence. Her stance, though inwardly as tense as a panther ready to spring, appeared calm and loose, her hands falling to hang harmlessly at her sides. She wore all black, all the better to blend into the shadows; a black long sleeve top, jeans and sneakers, her dark hair pulled back from her face in a french braid. Her eyes, forest green and alert, looked him over, noting the places where weapons may be hidden on his person, but then her gaze lifted to meet his and she offered him a small, seemingly polite smile.

“I am not here to kill you,” she replied. Her voice, though soft-spoken, held no trace of the Korean accent she was born with, all individuality being crushed out of her during her stay within the organisation.

“I need your help.” It was a simple statement; no introduction, no details that may give either of them away to whatever, or whoever, lurked within the shadows of this unfamiliar city. She lifted her hands, palms out, in a show of peace, then took a few, deliberate steps closer. “May we speak in private?”

 

[CanaryCry]

Julius raised an eyebrow at the woman as she drew closer, thumbs still hooked casually in his pockets and standing his ground with a relaxed, easy stance. Letting her get close was ideal if they were to fight, anyway. Close quarters combat was always an easier way to utilize his shielding than any distance work, and he had no weapons on him so it was best to simply let her get closer and see what happened.

"I’m not in the business of giving help," he said, distant but not caustic. Her request was a strange one, and not one he was going to fulfill, but he couldn't truly fault her for asking. "Especially not for free."

He reached into his back pocket just to see if it would make her flinch, pulled out his wallet and from it a business card. If she panicked at the motion and rushed him, or if she stayed completely still and showed no concern at all, it could give him some insight into her level of skill and experience.

"If you’ve got security concerns," he said, putting his wallet back in his pocket, "you can give Starlight Security a call. I’m on a job already, but they’ve got other resources."

He held the card out in her direction, curious to see if she would come close enough to take it and what tricks she might try to pull if she did. For now he would play stupid, as if his confidence was just that of a young, strong man who still thought he was invincible and overly important, rather than someone who knew exactly what he was capable of. If she had followed him specifically, he had a sinking feeling it had nothing to do with his current work and everything to do with his past. Which meant this woman could be overconfident and foolish, or she could have a gift up her sleeve strong enough to feel safe near him.

 

[vada]

Se-Yoon shook her head, lowering her hands back to her sides as she came to a stop. She was still a good ten feet or so away from Julius, not moving any closer to accept the business card. “I don’t have a security concern,” she said, her eyes never leaving him. She had watched him carefully as he reached for the card, but didn’t react to the little piece of paper, not even flicking her gaze in its direction when it was held out to her. Her eyes remained on his face, analysing, trying to figure out a way to retain his help without the need for violence.

She had thought this over during her travels, not knowing whether or not he would even hear her out. She didn’t cherish the thought of hurting him just to make him listen, but if it came to that, she knew she would without hesitation. If it meant changing things, then it was her belief that the end would justify the means.

Still, that time had not come… yet. If she could just get him to listen, for even a minute, then maybe it wouldn’t need to. Maybe.

“I have payment,” Se-Yoon offered, gesturing with the light tap of her forefinger against a black bag harnessed to her thigh. It was a small, canvas fanny pack that in the dark looked more like a bulky pocket than a bag. It held the small amount of supplies she’d needed for this trip - two forms of false identification, a burner phone, and enough cash to get her where she needed to go.

“It’s not a lot,” she admitted with another small shake of her head. “Getting here was more expensive than I anticipated. But I can get more… later.”

 

[CanaryCry]

Julius watched, careful and patient, as the woman before him stayed far out of arms' reach. She was smart, then, he could gather. Smart, well-trained, likely very skilled. If his hunch was right, if she was not following him because of any work he’d done for Starlight and actually knew who he was, who he’d been raised to be, she could even be Gifted. That presented a whole lot of other potential problems, including but not limited to the fact that he had no idea what her gift was.

When she offered him payment he let his eyes flick down towards the small bag on her hip, then just raised an eyebrow at her even as he stuck the card she wouldn’t take back into his pocket. "I get that this is a decent part of town," he said, eyes never leaving her and very carefully watching every move she made despite being very calm, "but you really shouldn’t advertise to someone that you’re carrying large sums of money on you."

She was asking to get robbed. Surely she knew that.

There was a long moment where they simply stood staring at each other, waiting for someone to flinch first. Finally, Julius ended the stand-off with a sigh and turned halfway away from her as if he were about to walk away. "Look, let’s just cut to the chase. I don’t need your money, and we're not doing business. Tell whoever sent you I'm not interested."

 

[vada]

Se-Yoon frowned then, just a slight wrinkle of irritation forming between her brows. He was stubborn, determined to not help her, and she didn’t know why. Nor did she particularly care. Because she was just as stubborn, just as determined as he was, maybe even moreso. She hadn’t come this far for nothing, and she sure as hell wasn't going back empty-handed. As Julius began to turn away from her, she took one more step toward him and sighed with frustration, willing her ability to come forward.

Julius was suddenly pulled to the ground, the gravity directly around his being increasing drastically, immobilising him on the flat of his back. She made sure he wasn’t yanked down so hard that his head would bounce off the pavement, since she didn’t want to actually injure him, but she did make certain he was good and stuck.

Walking over to him, Se-Yoon looked down at him where he lay, her expression fierce but not outright angry. “I am trying to be nice. I came here to ask you for your help. But if asking won’t work, then I must demand it. There are lives at stake here, and you are the only one I know who can help me save them.”

There was a ferocious determination in Se-Yoon’s eyes, that of a mother lion who had witnessed someone hurt her young and was now out for blood. “Please do not make me demand it, Julius. Neither of us will enjoy that, I promise you.”

 

[CanaryCry]

Julius had just started to take a step when he felt the pull on every inch of his body, and it buckled his leg beneath him almost immediately. He might’ve managed to fall to his knees otherwise, but as it was ended up crashing down flat on his back, a knee still raised with his foot braced as if he could do anything about it. He’d snapped his shield up into place the rest of the way over his head and hands the second he’d felt it, so the fall didn't injure him but he still ended up staring up at the stars with little clue as to how he’d gotten there.

A bit dazed, both by the crushing feeling of it pushing on his chest and the very dark memories he associated with being held down, Julius didn’t make any sort of protest at first. He laid still, gritting his teeth and attempting to move just a hand to test her hold on him. If he tried hard enough he thought he might be able to get himself rolled over and up to his knees, but he knew he wouldn’t get much farther, nor would he be able to fight at all. He was stuck.

Finally, after a second or so to pause and figure out just what was going on, he gave a little huff that was equal parts amusement and derision. "So you’ve got me," He prodded despite the pressure on his lungs, a faint smirk on his face that was likely not visible through his shield in the dark, a slight strain in his voice from the force of her hold. "Now, what? I’m genuinely curious. What was your plan from here? You can’t crush me. I can’t do anything for you from here. And you haven't even explained what you wanted me for. A vague cry for help is pathetic, not motivating. You’ve got a captive audience - now do better."

It was part bravado and part genuine bemusement. She could hold him down until they both died of starvation, and then what? She hadn’t even said what she truly wanted his help for, and she wouldn’t be getting him to do anything if she never let him up.

 

[vada]

Se-Yoon glared down at Julius, her frustration steadily turning to anger. He was right. She could feel the density of the shield protecting him, even if she hadn’t been able to see it. Normally, she would be able to apply enough pressure to the man’s chest that bones would break, ribs would burst, and he would die. She had done that, a lot, for those monsters at Phoenix House, before she’d managed to escape. It wasn’t something she enjoyed, but it was something she was, unfortunately, good at.

Except, here, they were in a stalemate. The shield surrounding Julius’s form kept her from forcing him to do anything. She was left with altering the gravity beneath him, instead of the gravity of his being. So, she could keep him pinned here, or let him float off the ground several feet, neither of which would get her very far. And she didn’t actually want to hurt him.

Glowering, she turned away from him to pace back and forth, muttering under her breath. She needed to be extremely careful here, she knew that. Saying the wrong thing, in the wrong place, would lead to some very dangerous people on her trail, and that wasn’t something she had time for right now. No… this situation needed to stay as much within her control as possible. With a noticeable frown etched between her brows, tightening the corners of her mouth, Se-Yoon stalked back over to where Julius was still immobile, and with a heavy sigh, she knelt down beside him on the sidewalk to speak, her voice barely above a whisper.

“My name is T’ae Se-Yoon. Twenty-three days ago, I escaped the confines of the Phoenix House… to find you, Julius. You are a legend among us, inspiring a great deal of escape attempts. Hardly any have been as lucky as I, which is why I need your help. That… place… The powers that be are readying themselves for something. War, we believe. There is talk of rebellion among the prisoners, but most are frightened, unwilling to defend themselves. Many will die, including people I care about… deeply.”

Her expression was still hard, irritated, but there was also a glimmer of a plea in her forest green eyes. “Please, Julius. They need me. And I need you.”

 

[CanaryCry]

He’d have made faces at her if it were possible to see his expression through the shield, but mostly he ended up just rolling his eyes. A legend? Him? He supposed he’d been the instigator, quietly figuring out who of the footsoldiers he’d been raised with were brave enough or desperate enough to risk dying in the escape, picking the right place, the right time. He’d led the charge since shooting him had very little effect, and he supposed he could be picked out as the one who made it possible. But a legend was too much. He was just another tortured soul who’d had enough.

There were four others that had escaped, and they'd scattered to the four corners of the earth for all he knew. Two more had died in the attempt. He only knew the location of one of them, the House's healer, and that was because he’d left her there himself, confident it was somewhere they would never find her again. It was unclear whether her absence had been good or bad for those that hadn’t dared to try escaping, whether it would keep the House from risking more dangerous tests or if it would just lead to longer recoveries and more painful injuries. Julius hadn’t let himself weigh those options too deeply before deciding to take her away. He hadn't been able to afford letting doubt stop him.

Regardless, this girl must have been from a different physical location, or otherwise kept separate from him. If she’d been living in the same places he had, he would have remembered her as he remembered the others.

"Better," He said finally when she was done, something almost but not quite annoyed in his voice at his persisting inability to get up. At least now she’d explained. "Well, Se-Yoon, I hate to crush your hopes and dreams, but I'm no hero. I got myself out and I took care of myself and no on else." He was, resolutely, ignoring the fact that he’d taken their best healer away in hopes those remaining wouldn’t be able to be caused so much pain anymore, and that he’d left her somewhere where she was safe and out of their reach. It wouldn’t do to start looking like he cared during this negotiation.

"What makes you so convinced I could do anything about it, anyway?" He added, honestly curious though still wary of the way her gift made his lungs feel like they would collapse should he let his shield falter. "Legends are never as accurate as you'd like them to be. I’m only one pawn, and I removed myself from the game. You’d have had better luck turning others on the inside." He could think of several that could potentially be convinced to cause chaos, but there was no telling if she would know any as he had, or that she was careful enough to gain them as allies without tipping anyone off. Most of them, even if they were powerful enough to break free, had been so thoroughly broken they couldn’t even think of the possibility of fighting back anymore. Really, Julius mostly just wanted to know if she even had a plan.

 

[vada]

Se-Yoon sighed softly, shaking her head. She didn't understand. Why wasn't Julius jumping at the chance to take down the people who had hurt him? She was, and she knew so many others who wanted to see the organisation taken to its knees, but he seemed less than interested, and she just couldn’t wrap her head around his indifference. “I know legends aren’t everything they seem to be. But you escaped. That makes you special. Can’t you see that?”

She lifted a hand to scratch a spot behind her ear absentmindedly, her thoughts momentarily drifting back to those she’d left behind at the compound. Her friends, the people she had grown to see as family, trapped, lost, alone. “Plans, or the beginnings of them, are in motion, but I don’t believe much will come of them if I go back without you.”

Pausing, she pressed her lips together contemplatively, not sure how much information she should divulge while they were still exposed in such a way. “There are others, awaiting my return… a traveller, a telekinetic, a probability manipulator… but like I said, they are frightened, broken. Convincing them, empty-handed, will be next to impossible. Much like convincing you, so it would seem.”

Standing once more, Se-Yoon looked down at the trapped man. She needed to get through to him, but she was at a loss, almost resigned to the fact that this entire trip had been utterly pointless. Nothing had gone as smoothly as she hoped, but then again, nothing ever did. Wordlessly, she readjusted the gravity under him to his original state, releasing him from the hold she had him in. Extending an olive branch, so to speak, she offered a helping hand to him, her expression still imploring. “Please… I couldn’t live with myself if they died and I did nothing.”

 

[CanaryCry]

Julius waited, listening, not saying any more as she spoke her peace. It wasn’t fair. He'd helped get others out, he’d gotten himself away, started to survive well on his own if not truly make a new life for himself. It was enough. It had always had to be enough. Those that were left behind had to disappear from his thoughts or he would never have been able to move on - and here this girl was, pulling it all back out of the depths of hell he’d left it in, reminding him of their suffering. Telling him he mattered to them.

When Se-Yoon extended a hand, he only paused for a moment to remember how to breathe without the pressure, then finally took her hand and let her help him to his feet as if he needed it. When she didn’t try to trap him in any other ways, he took it as a peace offering and let his shield pull away from his head and hands, as if he were letting his guard down. Finally, as her voice went soft and pleading, begging for help to save her fellow captives, his eyes narrowed at her.

"Now that's just cheating," He muttered with an irritated scoff under his breath, and made a show of dusting off his clothes. He shook his head, heaved a put upon sigh, and gestured vaguely over his shoulder before turning to walk away. "I don’t live far from here, but I’m sure you already know that." He looked back at her over his shoulder, calm, unbothered by how she had treated him thus far, and waited for her to follow without truly slowing down. "Let’s get inside. We'll talk."