Within the hour, a fully geared Alexander and I were sitting in the back of a meta ride cab on our way to the drop site, the sounds of wheels rolling over a wet road echoing thru the cabin joined only by the rhythmic clacking of Alexander's finger drumming.
Click , “we are arriving at your first destination, thank you for choosing Meta cab and we hope to see you again.” The following click marked the end of Alexander's drumming.
After all this was his stop, alexander popped his door open and stepped out into the shadow of the above overpass, his steps accompanied by twin shallow splashes “remember alex don’t enter until you receive the signal that i'm in position.”
“I know Alastor, I don't need a babysitter.” Alexander said this not with agitation but with obvious excitement and glee, “I am aware Alexander but it never hurts to review in case you run into any problems.”
“Pff, there are no problems I can't handle, with this suit and acts’s help I can fight my way out or escape with ease.” this could be an issue, If he lacked caution his chances would plummet. “Alex I understand that you are capable but I feel the need to remind you that caution” “yeah I know caution is a valuable tool.”
With his rude interruption finished Alexander closed his door and jogged deeper into the shadows where he would find his entry point.
Click “we will arriving at the second destination in a few minutes so sit back relax and enjoy your short ride.” this cabie was a bit enthusiastic probably a new hire, hopefully he knows enough to mind his own business the rest would come with time.
So hoping to avoid triggering my over enthusiastic driver I sat in dead silence hoping alexander would actually follow the plan, after all my career was hung on this case, if i can't move it forward I will be removed and end up who knows where.
Click “Excuse me sir but while we here at meta cab do possess highly resistant cabs designed for xeons we still request that all passengers refrain from using their powers white riding with us.”
Looking down I realized there where small streams of green had started flowing from around my neck, spinning my weave I pulled on them causing them to come back to my neck crossing over one another some growing thicker as they fell in on themselves until all threads were accounted for and all smog was contained.
Click “thank you sir for your cooperation and I am pleased to let you know we are about to arrive at your destination. I hope you enjoyed your drive with meta cab hope you will choose us again should the need arise.”
As the cabbie finished his spiel we came to a stop in front of a small unremarkable building, bars covering its black windows, its beige paint was chipping and there was a padlock on the front door only visible due to the exposed lightbulb that hung above the inset door.
Grabbing the briefcase at my feet, I opened the door and stepped out heading straight for the safe house. The square metallic clap of the cab door echod behind me as I reached the door.
Once inside I walked thru a small entry haul until I reached a second door, opening it the buildings facade fell away this room appeared to take up the entire building, a large table sitting in the middle a the symbol of a lilac eye covering its center cables connecting to ports along the edges of the table.
monitors covered every wall, each showing a footage of a different hidden camera some on the property others showed the end of the street and most nearby alleys, under the screens were mounted weapons and crates of supplies.
Sitting down at the table i opened my briefcase pulled my laptop out and set it up on the table, plugging in one of the cables hanging from the nearest edge alexander hud appeared on the left while a digital map of the tunnels and basilica shown on the right.
Pressing M I tested the connection “Alex, can you hear me.” I must have caught him off guard because the video jerked, “I hear you Alastor, I'm at the entry point and ready to go.” Looking at Alexander's feed I saw he was standing over what looked like a mix between a drainage grate and skylight, in several places the glass had broken showing the bare mettle of the supporting bars.
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“I am ready Alex and will be waiting for you at the safe house.” Alexander wasted no time, lifting the grate and jumping down.
I watched as Alexanders feed came to life a dim light lit the haul as his hud sparked into existence the world before him becoming overlaid with a green grid “I'm in alastor, heading to the entrance.” A line appeared both on Alexander's hud and the digital map on my right.
As Alexander moved he passed old storefronts and dilapidated street sighs, his footsteps a gentle tapping on the stone floor as he walked rife at the ready. Reaching a dilapidated building set into the wall, debris filling the doorway.
“Alastor, how do I open it?” selecting the point a mix of mine and Miss Blackwood's notes appeared over it, “Press the dry-goods sign above you Alex, it should open the passage way.” Looking up, Alexander saw an old wooden sign set into the doorway, Jerry's Jry-Goods painted on it in large stylized print.
Reaching up, he gently pressed the sign, there was a light click then the debris filling the door slid aside revealing a hallway lit with fluorescent lights and looking far more sterile than the previous one with stone block walls and sleek gray floors.
“Where to now alastor.” checking the map I selected the best route, alexander's hud responding by laying a digital green line to show the way, “This path should lead you to a less used side entrance to one of the upper levels of the basilica, however this does not mean you won't encounter any cultist just that the chances of a clean entry are greater.”
“Understood alastor.” with that alexander headed down the tunnel, rifle barrel and iron sight just below what acts labeled as optimum position, this in no way helped the swirling that has been gradually spreading across my form I mean why dose blackwood even need this stone, according to the information from her source it appears to only function when all five heads unite in activating it.
“Alastor, we might have an issue.” with those words, I could now feel my fingers rotating in my gloves, checking the screen I saw alexander had his rifle in hand but lowered, he seemed to be pressed against a wall in some kind foyer with tapestries covering the walls, some depicted images of humanoid figures praying to both the five or the stone while other showed ancient battles and the fall of some forgotten rival.
“What problem alex.” for a moment alexander just stood still there probably waiting for acts to confirm something, then he moved leaning to his left he peared thru a large doorway where the aforementioned problem lay, alexander was not on one of the upper floors but rather on the main floor, five massive raised thrones incirculed three standing people all wearing gray robes.
The gray robed individuals stood in the center arms outstretched and head raised forming a triangle, that however was the least of our worries the enchanters crown floated above the three, veins of power connected each gem to an outreached hand originating from the five thrones and if that wasn't enough about one hundred robed individuals bowed before the scene.
“Alex, pull out and meet me at the safehouse, something is wrong you shouldn't be here.” before answering he moved back behind the door “What about the deal with Victoria, don't we need the money.” his hushed tones were twisted in a way that felt foreign like hairs wriggling under my skin.
“I made a deal alastor and I WILL complete it, that woman won't take a single thing that belongs to me.” Alexander rushed from his hiding spot and headed straight for the crown, his movements were agile and mechanical; each push launched him forward with absolute efficiency.
In moments he was upon it reaching as the lines of power flowed like rivers into each gem then my screen flashed and sparked going dark “Alexander can you hear me, Alexander!” the screen with static showed nothing but black and white static as buzzing filled the air, then
“Alas##, r#n##g, got ###, ##ck.” my screen began to change as the broken audio came threw the white and gray started to reveal shapes and trailing movement “N##d direc####, quikly.” the video seemed to be focusing or adjusting, the audio however cleared quickly, “ALASTOR, I NEED FRIKIN DIRECTIONS MY NAV IS DOWN.”
“Alex your feed is still fuzzy and its safe to assume the map we possess is all but useless, however if i can get your location I should be able to guide you to a likely access” I was cut off the crack of wood and the sound of rushing footsteps
“Alex I have company, keep to one direction and you will find an edge of the basilica, follow it and you will find an exit when you make it out meet me at the house.” With those words I ripped the laptop off the table, disconnecting the cord as I tossed it into my briefcase and turned to face the door as it burst open.
Four oddly armored individuals burst in, each wore sleek black plates overlapping some kind of leather, each wore a rounded black helm that covered their heads completely, the only color was an image on their helms of golden threads or possibly wheate stock weaving together into an incomprehensible tapestry.
Each pulled what looked like spindles or wands from their waists, a small steel rod with pointed ends, a black stone covered in gold markings sat just beneath the top “HOLD Infidel the Dominus futurism seeks your presents and he shall not be denied.”
The stones on their weapons came to life, the symbols glowing as they began to spin, strings of faceted golden glass extended from their wrists winding up the metal spindle until they reached the stone where they wove into a thick whip “Submit infidel, and you may yet find mercy in the eyes of he who weaves the strands of fate”
My form swirld, twisting and writhing how did they find me so fast, Ms.Blackwood is known for her clean work they couldn't have known about her safehouse
One of the cultist stepped forward the others falling into a diamond formation behind, “Will you submit infidel” I threw myself at the nearest wall and three wips followed after me each moving with such speed that everything else appeared to slow before them there faceted surfaces becoming my soul focus as my fall changed the feeling of movement vanishing as I grew still floating there as nothing moved nothing made a noise it was all just so still.
The only sign of movement in my world was the facets, images flickering in the wips surface each facet held different moments, places, and people all of them were familiar some I knew well others felt more like deja vu, there were faces ,voices, colors, heat and cold and for a moment I could see myself, not This form of green strands and smog not this gray suite or these black gloves but my face, my real face with blue eyes, brown hair and that thin scar I got from running into a shelf when i was eight, I still remember how cool I felt going to school with my ‘wizard scar’ running along my forehead.
Then I watched as my skin boiled, melted, cracked, and shattered it changed color and shape my eyes seemed to stretch warp and implode as a green smog leaked from my very core it rushed in all directions bending twisting and creating shapes I have no name for, there was no shape no will just chaos and the echoes of my own voice.