Well, I think a ton of you would never have expected me to come back to this fiction. Honestly I was quite tilted after the website got changed and the chapters font and everything got ruined. I was also busy with College and life.
In the end those are all simple excuses. I apologize for not publishing anything in like 6 months and not telling anyone why.
I even botched reworking the lower chapters because its so much work and I am quite simply a lazy person in that regard.
I hope you guys can enjoy a new chapter but do not have too high hopes that I can do the same amount of chapters as in the past, I have a lot to do between College, Work and life in general.
As in the past, if anyone notices mistakes feel free to tell me in the comments
Enjoy.
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What. The. Fuck.
Looking down at the book in front of me I was about to cry. How can anyone learn this language, these rules, the wording, the pronunciation. Everything.
"Gah!"
Shouting out I throw the first grade German book on the ground in front of me. Next to me Liam gives me an accusing look. Karen had decided that me and Liam would be taking civilian methods of transportation instead of the military planes. It would be better if anyone decided to look up some information on us, if they did that they'd at least find out that we had arrived by normal means and not that we just suddenly appear out of nowhere.
"Don't sweat it, if worst comes to worst I'll just send you what you need to say. I just want you to get the basic of the language."
He bows down and picks up the book with his hand. His normal one, everyone of A3 had met up in the lab before heading out. There they told me to insert my limbs into one of the diverse devices and after a few seconds my limbs had been covered in some kind of skin like substance that hid the metal. Even nails had been added onto my fingers to make everything even more believable. Liam had undergone the same procedure and eventually we both looked like normal humans once again. It was a great disguise and everything would feel like actual biological limbs but we would not be able to use the entire capacity they offered. If we did the synthesized skin would quickly burn off due to the heat generated by our artificial legs and arms.
Handing me the crumpled book he leans back and closes his eyes. Of course he would sleep while I had to go through some messed up grammar from that country. Sighing I muster my surrounding. I was clothed in simple jeans and a t-shirt while Liam actually wore a suit. We had decided to act like cousins wanting to live in Germany due to problems with the family, with him being the successful one of course.
The plan would be to join the Cult in a city in the outskirts of Frankfurt [Bavaria]. The Clan had operatives stationed there that would help us. If we showed them that we could be of use we were pretty sure that they'd let us meet with some higher ups in the rankings. If we did that all I had to do was to copy their memories and knowledge.... Only problem was that I still wasn't able to clearly read anyone's thoughts, the best I could do was make out slight whispering if I focused absolutely on one person. But even this changed from human to human, from Karen there was only silence but I could almost make out a voice if I concentrated on the people inside the plane.
Well, it didn't matter right now. My biggest problem was this darn grammar...
Looking back down into my book I felt... despair.
Who in the world is able to actually learn this stuff?
In the end I didn't even study for an hour on the flight, getting sidetracked by the monitor in front of me I started to procrastinate. Four hours and two movies later a voice announced that we would start landing. The touchdown was rough and woke Liam up but there was no big interference and we soon left for the conveyor belt to get our luggage. We had only brought two suitcases with us, we didn't have that much to begin with and the Clan would provide us with anything else should we require it.
To my surprise everything seemed normal... ok, I've never been to anywhere else but the US so I wouldn't know any better. Outside was a man waiting for us, we would have missed him if it were not for the sign he was holding stating Liams last name 'Jensen'. The man was bald... in fact he did not seem to have any facial hair at all, not even eyebrows. His entire expression seemed pained as if he was trying to suppress something and his eyes seemed clouded. He wore normal clothing and greeted the two of us with a smile.
"Oh, there you are. Sorry that we had to put you through the flight but it was easier to just have you actually arrive here than forging the data about it."
Liam and I simply nodded and after he gestured us to follow him we eventually walked outside of the airport and towards the parking lots. On our way there the man simply kept talking with a coughing voice.
"Name's Sieg, since the Captain already filled you in on the Clan I can just be honest with you here. I don't know why the Clan head let you do these things above us but she ordered us to help you in any way possible. This does not mean that you are allowed to act highly against us, we are still your superiors in this, understood?"
I muster Liam from the side as his lip slightly twitches up but he seems to suppress his emotions quite quickly and simply nodded.
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"Our Captain has filled us in on what we can do and what not."
Sieg stopped in front of what seemed to be a taxi and we threw our luggage into the trunk. After driving off Sieg mustered us through the mirror.
"You don't seem to remember me Alex but we already met, though I was wearing my normal equipment back then. As you can see my real appearance isn't that nice to look at. I lead you out during your questioning after Commander Ithild helped you out."
Tilting my head I tried to remember him but I had to truthfully answer him.
"I don't remember you, sorry sir."
He seemed to raise one of his non-existent eyebrows before answering.
"I introduced myself as
With that the conversation seemed finished for Sieg and he focused on the road ignoring us completely for the rest of the ride.
You met this guy already?
Liams voice called out for me inside my mind.
Yes, he was the one that told me he could control Radical molecules. He also mentioned something about having cancer, maybe that's why he has no hair?
He seemed to think for a split second before denying it.
The hairless thing probably comes from chemo. Maybe he's been through something like that but it's not important for us right now. What I wanted to ask was whether you can make something out from his mind... I'd be good to know if he has anything worth knowing in that head of his.
I honestly didn't know but I guess there would be no harm to try... unless he somehow found out.
Liam? You sure I should try this? If he has any way of making out what we're planning things could get ugly.
Mustering him from the side I can make out a slight shaking of his head.
I don't think they would do anything too bad, after all we are here to fulfill this mission whether they want it or not.
Very well then, guess I would try. Closing my eyes I pretend to rest but in reality I slowly extend my mind towards Sieg's aura. My first reaction was to almost puke, it felt like I had touched something cold and disgusting. Everything seemed infected and heavy and I barely was able to hold my stomach as I tried to pry further and concentrate. But due to the pestilent nature of his aura I had to soon back out again. Before I completely retracted my mind I could barely make out a thought of his.
I don't ... the Clan head is thinking, why ... want these outsiders to participate ... search?
It was cryptic and I knew that it would not be of much use. On the bright side Sieg did not seem to have noticed anything and was simply keeping his eyes on the road. Still watching the back of his head I contacted Liam besides me.
I don't know what's up with him but his aura is disgusting, it almost made me puke but I'm still not proficient enough to spy into what he's thinking. The only thing I could make out was that he doesn't get why the clan head would allow us to take part in this mission.
His expression did not budge as he answered.
Felt the same, though I still cannot make out anything about him. His aura seems terminally ill. But I guess that this has to do with his power, you said he has cancer so it might have to do with that.
I nodded slightly, that was probably it, thought I still didn't like the feeling surrounding him. I realized why the people during my questioning had avoided him in the first place. Neither Liam or me said or 'thought' anything for the rest of the ride, there was nothing else we had to talk about.
It took almost an entire hour to drive us to our own location it was a city called Nilkheim counting almost 80 thousand citizen and boasting a pretty big community of Arthus' Cult. One could even go as far as say that most of the population was part of it.
"We're here, you should get out. You should get comfortable inside, we'll contact you in a few days, try not to scare the neighbors away. Your Captain will be given our information by then."
Sieg turned around and threw something at Liam, I quickly noticed a pair of keys, probably for our house. After we had taken our luggage out of the trunk Sieg simply took off without a word of goodbye, it was clear that he did not really approve of us butting into their mission.
Liam simply shook his head and we finally where able to look at the house that would be our home for the coming future. It was one of a whole chain of buildings mirroring our exact setup. There were seven in one row and multiple columns dominating the entire part of town.
A few hundred meters away I could make out a small park with an even smaller playground build in it.
“This whole neighborhood is dominated by small families with children, all in all pretty harmless if you look at it.”
Liam laughed in silence as if he had told a joke, then simply opened the door to our house and led me inside with a gesture.
“Don’t be fooled by anything Alexis, everyone here could potentially be our enemy and part of Arthus Welten.”
The interior of our new home was quite simple, two bedrooms, a kitchen that opened up into the living room, two bathrooms and finally a small storage downstairs. We were not allowed to own any special equipment at our new home due to the risk being too high should any of our neighbors ever find out about it.
After closing the door behind us Liam pushes luggage into the middle of the living room and heads straight for the kitchen.
“There’s nothing we can do at the moment but be patient. I suggest we just try to fit in with the neighbors at the moment. How good are you with children?”
Confused I tilt my head and look at him, except for the siblings of students in my high school I had had almost no contact with anyone younger than 18.
“Not a lot, why do you ask?”
A small smile formed on Liam’s face.
“Currently you are an unemployed woman in her early 20ties, if we turn out to be friendly I am sure that there are some families you could work at as babysitter.”
Dumbstruck I look for anything in his face that would imply that he was joking but found nothing.
“Are you actually being serious right now? I have no idea how to handle small children.”
The slight smile still remained as he answered.
“Of course I’m serious Alexis, I am sure you’d be a perfect guardian for the smaller ones and with your cooking skills it shouldn’t be a problem to make them like you.”
Still baffled I just shake my head.
“I don’t know if that will work out how you’re imagining it.”
Sighing Liam takes a bun from the kitchen and bites off it before continuing.
“There’s another reason, first of all your German is still pretty rudimentary, talking with the smaller ones should help you honestly and your power to mind read should improve as well. I am pretty sure it is easier for you to read them compared to adults.”
I couldn’t argue with his train of thought so I simply nod in agreement.
“And if that plan works out and parents actually entrust their children to me? What are you going to do while I am babysitting someone?”
He raised one of his eyebrows as if to taunt me.
“Alexis, while you are an unemployed cousin of mine I am a semi rich advisor in a company so of course I will work.”
“You’re kidding right?”
That was one of the most foul lies I had ever heard from him, what he had just said was his part in the cover story that had been up for us. The company he was advising was something that only existed on paper and not in real life. Slightly aggressive I point a finger at him.
“So you’ll be basically sitting at home the entire time doing whatever you please?”
Now he gave me a heartily smile.
“I wouldn’t have put it like that but you got the jist of it.”
I throw my hands up in played despair but was secretly happy that we could joke like this. I had already accepted the role I would have to play. In the end we would get our real orders from Karen. But until that moment arrived we were better advised to befriend everyone in the vicinity. With a final smile I walk into my own bedroom to unpack everything.
Just you wait Arthus, we will find you.