Fantasy The Black Order of Modern Mystics

[Alecto]

Mikhail Novakovsky
The Tracker
Alecto

Alice Jackson
The Nightbird
ShadowHounder

 

[Alecto]

Новако́вский​

It was a busy Friday night in one of the upscale clubs downtown. The dance floor was filled with a writhing, grinding crowd that was almost suffocating to go through; the DJ booth was fairly occupied too with not only the DJ controlling the mood of the entire club, but also with a couple of his friends and a bouncer who looked like he was one touch away from throwing everyone out. Even the private alcoves on the second floor meant for VIPs seemed packed with people, drinking, laughing and mindlessly chatting. One Mikhail Novakovsky was not supposed to be manning the bar, but the bustling crowd proved to be overwhelming with a new person on the team. So he found himself behind the bar, both helping out their new bartender and serving the pickier clients himself to avoid any mishaps and complaints.

Mikhail was just finishing another customer's cocktail when he felt his phone vibrate twice in his pocket before it shut off. A frown tugged on his mouth as he surveyed the conveniently thinning crowd in front of the bar; their DJ now starting a new set, letting the music lull for a brief period for people to get more drunk. The other two were surely capable of handling their own for a couple of minutes so he excused himself to the break room for a couple of minutes.

Exactly five minutes after his phone first rang, another call came in. Mikhail was quick to answer this time, barely waiting for the second ring. "Привет, Новако́вский."

"Are you busy?" came the sharp inquiry from his handler, straight to the point as she usually was.

"I can report for a briefing in-" Brown eyes darted down to his wristwatch before continuing, "-three hours." He could easily skip the last hour and the clean up, having already been inconvenienced with working on his day-off.

There was a pause from the other side. He could almost see the furrow in Moretti's eyebrows, no doubt confused. After all, he didn't work at the bar on Fridays and Saturdays, but he was also certain she wasn't about to ask so he wasn't surprised when she simply replied with an "I'll see you in three hours then." before hanging up. Shortly after a message appeared on his phone, "New recruit at station. Need quick eval, no handler." which he promptly deleted.

Mikhail returned to the bar almost immediately, not wanting to leave the other two bartenders to the demanding and haughty customers their club attracted. He almost laughed at the expression of relief on the newbie's face, opting instead to simply step up behind the bar and take over the more complicated cocktails.

​

Four hours later, Mikhail found himself thirty floors up in a Black-Order owned building, sat alone in a substantial meeting room after the shortest briefing he's had yet with Moretti. She had been pulled out mid-way through a critical mission, so she basically entered the room in a frenzy thirty minutes late, shoved a stack of files at him then left just as quickly. She did, however, return fifteen minutes later, having forgotten to give him the official handler file he was supposed to turn in after the evaluation.

So here he was with files on the new recruit laid out on the table in front of him, as well as the ones on the various operations he could take the recruit on. Files that he had to familiarise himself with before one Alice Jackson arrived later in the day. He shifted in his seat as he pulled the first folder towards him, running a hand through the locks of blonde hair that escaped from his usual low ponytail.

Alice Raven Jackson. 23. Architecture major before facing several murder charges.

And there went his hope for a series of easy, no-stress escort missions.

​

 

[ShadowHounder]

The sound of humming echoed through the hallways of the prison. This was a daily occurane for the guards who were forced to patrol the "protective" custody block. It was more meant to protect the inmates from the girl who's voice filled the dead air surrounding them. Alice Jackson, a serial killer with a creepy tattoo covering her whole back. A serial killer sentence to death... And was immediately being prepared to be sent free. A door at the end of the hall opened, the Warden stepping through as the two guards opened the cell. "Your friends are here to pick you up Ms. Jackson." One of the guards remarked to the young woman inside the box shaped room.

"Really? I wonder if they brought me some new clothes. This orange stuff is so stupid looking." She giggled as she walked out of the room and towards the Warden. The warden and two guards escorted her out of the facility to a luxurious limousine. There, a man in a black suit opened the door for her.

The warden glared at the cheerful woman. "I don't know how you managed to get past the law... but I hope I won't ever see you again."

"Awwww... Don't worry..." She said with a devilish smile. "You won't have to see anyone again~"

Before any of the three men could realize what was going on, the woman's shadow sprang out of the ground and impaled each of them in the heart and both lungs. With three new corpses under her belt, Alice smiled innocently and entered the the vehicle.

----

Mikhail wouldn't have to wait too much longer before the new recruit entered his vision. Alice looked rather innocent... More like an abnormally pale college student then a mass murderer. However, she had a strange mark along her neck... One that a skillful eye could tell was not made from ink.

One of the men that escorted her introduced the woman to makhail and left the two of them to prepare for whatever mission they had to work with. "I've always wanted to meet a soldier boy..." Alice was quick to remark when they were alone. "A nice, strong man who knows his fair share of violence."

It was clear at that moment that something wasn't wired correctly in her head.

 

[Alecto]

Новако́вский​

The scent of blood was evident as soon as his new charge was escorted into the meeting room. Mikhail didn't just sigh. No, what he did was an experience. His shoulders sagged as if Atlas himself placed the weight of the world upon him, head falling back as his eyes rolled skyward - a silent plea towards whatever deity he managed to piss off, as he expelled every inch of air he could from his lungs. He was not particularly religious, but god help him deal with a recruit who already has blood stains on her record before even being formally inductedinto the goddamn order. Not that he was any better with his records, but he didn't stroll up to his first phase reeking of blood and injury while looking unharmed.

He didn't address Alice right away when she spoke to him, no. Instead he chose to shoot a betrayed glance at the retreating backs of the operatives who escorted her, before reaching for his comms, paying half-attention to Alice. "I need a sit-rep on Jackson's previous facility-" There was a significant pause as Mikhail struggled to keep the disbelief from showing on his face. The corner of his mouth twitched before he took a deep breath and spoke with a deceptively calm voice, "Send a clean up team then, and deal with it as fast as possible. I don't need that hindering the induction so I'm pulling rank... I don't care, deal with my shit first... Yeah, thank you. I owe you one." The blonde slumped slightly in his seat as he shut off his comms, bringing a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.

Admittedly, it took Mikhail longer than he'd like to admit, to pull himself together before he sat up straight in his seat once more and finally turned his full attention to Alice. "I'm sure you've met your fair share of soldiers in your previous facility, Miss Jackson." He tilted his head and then continued, gesturing in front of him, "Please take a seat, then we can discuss the Order's initiation procedure and what you will be doing for the next few days."

Blonde brows furrowed as Mikhail realised he hadn't exactly introduced himself yet, "I'm Mikhail, and I will be acting as your handler and contact during your induction period." He should honestly consider pestering Moretti to arrange for his credentials as an official handler; he doesn't get paid nearly enough as a field operative to cover for the difficulties of overseeing recruits and he was damn near certain Alice Jackson was going to be more than a handful of headaches in the next few phases.

"Do you have any questions before we begin?"

​

 

[ShadowHounder]

"I never met any soldiers in prison..." Alice stated with an innocent look while she sat down. "Only prisoners and prison guards. They kept on my nerves though... Good thing nothing could stop me from just killing them." Somehow the woman was able to look innocently at the man while she talked about killing other people. "All it takes is one slight twist and they lose all bodily functionality. One precise strike the their heart can no longer hold in all of your blood. And the best part is... Get can never run from me. Where they go, the darkness always follows them."

The strange markings on the woman's neck seemed to move in place as she spoke... Almost as if her words got it excited. Whatever it was... It was more then just a tattoo or birthmark. For all anyone knew it wasn't supposed to be there at all.

Alice got slightly excited when Mikhail said he would ask her question. "I love answering questions! What would you like to know? My favorite color? My education? My killing skills? The man that visited me in the prison was really interested in that one."

As she waited for the questions, the shadow that her chair casted seemed to begin warping... Only slightly and very hard to notice if one lacked keen eyesight. Alice continued to smile with innocent bliss, leaving it up in the air of she was pretending or if this was how she always acts.