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Post by Emiko on Apr 1, 2018 22:25:06 GMT -6
The nation of Arithia... A small nation comparable in size to that of real world France. Its population of nearly 40 million souls live scattered across its vast, diverse landscape. To the north lies the mountainous, polar region while to the south is a vast desert with scattered oasis as well as an endless track of sand. To the west lies the technologically advanced cities living along the land's pristine coastline while to the east lies the vast prairie farmlands that supply much of the nation's food. Though the country is well known for the diverse landscape within its boarders, Arithia is even more famed by its tragic and bloody history. Much of that tragedy originated from a large city located directly in the heart of the land... The capital city known as Veritas...
For over a thousand years Veritas served as the prime location for Arithia's sitting government. A century prior to the present time, the nation moved away from centuries of monarch rule and formed the nation's first republic. However, the newly formed republic was filled with corrupt, power hungry politicians that ruled through a single party system. The republic would last for only 60 years before a military coup was orchestrated against it under the guise of bringing true democracy to the land. The coup ended up being successful, but came at a high cost with nearly a quarter of the land's population being wiped out. And what came out of it was not the promise of freedom many had hoped for, but instead the formation of military dictatorship. For the next 40 years, absolute power resided solely in one man alone; the coup's orchestrator, President Eric Calvert.
Under Calvert's rule, Arithia saw the decline of democracy in ways it had never experienced before... Freedom became nothing more than a distant dream under this man who ruled with an iron fist. To secure his power, the dictator carefully sought out the gifted individuals who were blessed with unique, mystical powers. Making up nearly twenty percent of the land's population, Calvert saw people with these power as the only true threat to his regime. Upon meeting them, if he couldn't conscript them into his military or subjugate them, he would have them eliminated. Through this tyrannical policy, Calvert successfully amassed the most fearsome army in the country's history. However, even a mighty military wasn't enough to bring everyone under his tyrannical rule.
Thirty years after Calvert came to power, a fierce civil war broke out. The gifted individuals who hadn't been forced into submission joined in a collation to fight against the dictator. Despite being heavily outnumber, the rebels proved to be a formidable opponent.
For ten long years the war raged in a stalemate with neither side being able to claim victory over the other. Territory was equally gained and lost on both sides over the course of time with only massive casualties to show for their efforts. Realizing full well that victory was dependent on destroying the leader behind the front lines, both sides met for what would be the final conflict in the place where it all started... Arithia's fate would be decided on the battlefield that was none other than the capital of Veritas...
On sunrise of the present day, the rebels launched a full out assault on the city. The attack was so fierce that it took Calvert's forces by surprise. In a matter of hours, the rebels had miraculously broken through the dictator's first line of defense and were pushing deep into the heart of the city towards the capital building. However, their advance was halted when Calvert sent in his special unit, the psychics.
A group of women endowed with powerful psychic abilities, Calvert had saved these rare individuals as a last line of defense. And an effective defense it proved to be... With the ability to control objects at will, the rebels were bombarded by attacks on all side they couldn't even see coming. Worse yet, any soul that was unfortunate enough to find themselves gazing into the eyes of a psychic lost complete control of their mind...
Possessing the ability to control the brain of whoever was unfortunate enough to make eye contact, the psychics were capable of incredible things. Once inside they could do anything from altering and erasing memories to controlling a person's very being as if it were a puppet. These powers proved to be beyond what the rebels had prepared for. Within minutes of engagement, the anti-government forces began to mysteriously fight against each other. In some cases, rebel soldiers even ended up committing suicide lessening their ranks due to the instilled notion that it was "the right thing to do"... While every psychic on the scene was doing something to cause trouble for the rebels, none were causing as much havoc as one particular woman...
A young girl 25 years of age with shoulder length, raven-black hair seemed like an average woman. However as she used a finger to side-sweep her bangs out of her eyes, her face told a different story. With piercing red eyes, the heartless woman watched with a sadistic smile as soldiers she had 'converted' began turning on their comrades...
At a distance, this woman seemed like some sort of phantom with a very pale complexion. Only a pair of black boots, black pants, a black sleeveless shirt and a pair of long, dark gloves hid her otherwise ghostly complexion. Strangely attached to her hip were two coil holders that held up to fifty feet of a metallic wire each while on her back were two sheathed short swords. With as much damage as she was doing with her psychic powers, one could only imagine the danger she possessed with this equipment.
The answer to that came when the woman found a couple of soldiers attempting to retreat from the battlefield. Drawing a single sword from her back with her right hand, she used her left hand to telepathically activate the wire in her coil. Out of no where, the wire began to fly to a nearby building not far from the fleeing rebels as if by magic. It's sharpened tip eventually pierced and clung into the wall. With a quick leap in the air, the woman used her power to telepathically retract the wire and pull herself along with it at a high speed...
In a matter of moments, the woman was upon the two fleeing rebels. Releasing the wire's sharp edge from the building, the wire retracted to it's rightful place. Despite traveling at such a high velocity in midair, she was able to precisely land a decisive blow to the back one of the fleeing soldier's neck. Without even cutting clean through, the woman managed to cut just deep enough into his spinal cord that it severed the link of the man's brain to his body. As fast as it began, it ended as the woman came to a sliding halt on the ground, the man's lifeless body falling just moments after.
Stunned by what he had just seen, the other man stopped running and stared straight ahead at the woman who was smiling sadistically at her foe. She gazed upon him for only a moment to show him those piercing red eyes before acting again. In a split second with astonishing agility, the woman ran forward and sliced through the remaining rebel's neck again displaying her amazing precision as she cut just deep enough to slice the jugular vein.
As the rebel soldier fell to the ground eventually bleeding to death, the woman callously wiped the blood free of her blade on one of her gloves before sheathing the sword once more. Then without a second thought, her eyes returned to the battlefield looking for the next opportunity to cause more death and destruction...
The rebels had done well to get this far, but the tide was beginning to turn in a bad way... The psychics proved to be a formidable force that even their hard fought resolve couldn't overcome. Knowing defeat was inevitable this day, one of the captains ordered a full scale retreat. To cover their retreat, explosives were set in the surrounding buildings to block any followers.
As the cold woman looked about for her next victim, she heard the rebel leaders giving the order to retreat. With this order came the explosions that filled the area with falling debris and smoke. It did well to provide a cover for the fleeing soldiers, but the woman would not be detoured... Drawing both of her blades, she proceeded into the smoke to do her work.
Following after the fleeing rebels, the heartless woman swiftly cut through soldier after soldier with deadly precision. She managed to cut through at least twenty before she cleared the smoke and found one particular soldier standing his ground. Attached to his body was an explosive and though nervous, he seemed to know what he was doing. In a last ditch effort to save his comrades, he planned to detonate and take his life in the hopes of taking the enemy with him.
Not prepared for the radical move this man was making, the cold woman for the first time showed concern on her face. When the man saw this look on her, all he could do was smile knowing the tables had been turned...
"...This isn't over... This is just the beginning..."
These were the last words the man spoke before he set off the bomb. The explosion obliterated the man and sent the woman flying into a nearby small building. Crashing into one of its structural walls, the whole thing ended up collapsing on top of her nearly burying her alive... It was a drastic move...but one that proved to save countless lives...
In the explosive retreat, several psychics ended up losing their lives to falling debris. The casualties for the rebels however was far greater... The battle concluded, those that remained on either side returned to their respective quarters to count their losses and prepare to fight another day... Little did anyone realize though, this battle would prove to be a pivotal turning point in the war... For out of it would come the least likely of allies and perhaps the greatest of tragedies...
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jojo
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Post by jojo on Apr 1, 2018 22:33:05 GMT -6
Hours later, the carnage was still so fresh that it was practically in the air. It was as if the aftershocks were still hammering through the air like a military march. The scene was littered with debris and remains, a sight that was sadly becoming more and more a part of the nation's history. For soldiers it wasn't their duties to question their orders, but it didn't make the role of clean up crew any easier for the unfortunate souls who were sent there. While other members of the military forces were providing aid and comfort to the survivors, other soldiers had the grim duty of digging up any of their comrades ho might have survived the ordeal.
Garrett was one of the soldiers who had been blessed, or maybe cursed, to been endowed with an ability, though he wasn't nearly as powerful as the psychics that he had been hearing about. Though he had no psychic powers, his ability did grant him an edge on the battlefield, if only for when his body could handle the strain. His uniform was covered in filth as he was removing debris from bodies, the grime and dirt making it look like he had crawled out of a shallow grave himself. Blood was staining his boots as he moved through the mountain of what remained of the building, disdain filling his body like a case of food poisoning. His brown eyes had since dulled after several hours at ground zero, even after he had succeeded to have found a couple of surviving individuals. Though he hated the idea of more tragedy and war, at least in battle he had no chance to contemplate the violence that he was a part of.
He spotted something moving out of the corner of his eye and turned quickly, fists raised to defend himself against any radical dirtbag who decided to play copycat. He stopped short and grit his teeth as he realized that he was about to punch his ally Amber right in her face! He reeled back and stumbled, catching himself as he panted for breath. He was only 27 and here he was getting so jumpy. He was acting like some kind of rookie private. War was never easy, life was never easy, but surely he could handle this. Handle cleaning up a tragedy. Garrett sighed and straightened himself up, looking away from Amber as he cleared his throat. "Sorry about that, Amber. Next time announce yourself. Some of us are on edge thinking that there will be copycats so there might be some itchy trigger fingers," he said as he looked around for any subordinates. Nobody. Great.
"Gonna level with you, I hate this detail," he said glumly as he looked up at the sky, a grey haze hung overhead to add to the somber mood, smoke hanging as well despite the fires being put out. "It's like the worst game of chance," he grunted as he moved a slab of wall onto its side, wincing and covering his face as he had once again found another lost soul. "You either find remains, or some sad soldier just doing their job who won't be the same ever again," he spat on the ground, punctuating his disdain.
"Sorry," he sighed as he walked with her slowly, surveying the scene with his eyes as they walked in stride of each other. "I didn't think to ask how you were doing? You okay?" He asked as his attitude began to fall back into its more casual state when he was around trusted allies.
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Post by Emiko on Apr 1, 2018 22:35:04 GMT -6
Any onlooker who may have been fortunate enough to be alive would have seen Garret and thought he was alone. However, this proved to be far from the case when a young woman, named Amber ran to catch up to her 'partner' in search and rescue.
An 18 year old girl, Amber was a young woman with long blonde hair tied behind her back. A pair of light blue eyes and fair skin gave onlookers the impression she didn't get out much... Her attire consisting of casual boots, jeans, and a black t-shirt further cemented that fact. While she didn't necessarily get out much per say, she was vital to the rebels cause thanks to her healing abilities.
Catching up to Garret, Amber instantly halted and squeaked when the man assumed his fighting stance. Only after he settled down and scolded her for her carelessness did she settle slightly. Though...it wasn't without words...
"Garret, calm down you big lug! I told you I was going to search over to the south and would meet you here. I know we are in a war zone, but please. Don't get all fidgety on me! What would the boys back at the barracks think if they knew you were scared of a little girl like me?"
Amber clearly seemed to have a sunny disposition with an optimistic attitude. Even as she stood with Garret among the debris and carnage, she still managed to keep a positive attitude. No one was was sure why or how Amber was so optimistic, but she took pride in her joy.
As Amber and Garret walked down a pile of rubble to another patch of debris, the young woman listened as Garret vented about his frustrations in the search. Amber could concur with everything the strong man was saying. She too thought this search and rescue was distasteful and hated it inside almost as much as he did. Still...she didn't let it sour her attitude and did her best to keep an upbeat atmosphere around her partner.
"It's bad, I'll give you that... But, hey! Even if those we find won't be the same, being able to live to see another day is something to treasure. Heaven only knows we've lost so many lives in this war... I'd take being damaged and able to live over death any day..."
Only moments after giving Garret these words did Amber notice that Garret finally began to ease up a bit. She would have liked to think it was her optimistic attitude that turned his frown upside down. She knew otherwise, and was honestly just glad that her partner could loosen up a bit in spite of the grizzly circumstances.
"Me?" Amber asked, taken back by his initial question of how she was. "Oh, I'm fine! Not too thrilled to be on search and rescue when my healing abilities could be of more help to the wounded back at the barracks, but I'm ok. Glad I'm with you though! Not going to lie, when I heard about those psychics and what they had done, it scared the crap out of me! I'm glad I have a big strong man like you around to protect me! Even if you are jumpy around helpless healer."
With the end of those words came a giggle from the cute blonde. It wasn't but a moment afterwards that her eyes went straight forward and a frown took her face. Before her was the sight of the horrific battlefield where the psychics had done battle with the rebels... From just a glance, it was plain to see that anyone that wasn't buried in rubble was cut or shot in vital places... Finding survivors in the area ahead looked to be an impossible task, and it hit Amber incredibly hard...
"...I had heard this was bad, but...I never imagined..." Amber whispered, fear finally breaking that sunny attitude she had moments before. "...I don't think I've seen this much carnage since the battles down south. I had heard about the powers of these psychics, but...I never imagined this would be the result... I guess the stories they told us during our debriefing were true..."
All Amber could do in that moment was stare over the battlefield in disbelief. The longer she stared at it, the less inclined she felt to go through it. However, she knew there were lives in there waiting to be rescued... And Garret and her were possibly their only hope for survival...
After nervously gulping and regaining her composure, the timid girl glanced towards Garret with a forced smile on her face. When she tried to speak however, her voice was weak and shaky at best...
"...So...are we going in there...? I mean...are we going to search this area for survivors? I know it's our duty, but...look at this mess... Can anyone truly be alive out there...?"
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jojo
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Post by jojo on Apr 1, 2018 22:36:16 GMT -6
Garrett clenched his fist as he realized what a selfish fool he was being. Amber wasn't just a friend or an ally but another soldier. Someone of his rank was supposed to boost morale and give her hope to carry on and here he was letting himself wallow in the sorrow of what should just have been another disaster. He wasn't a private or a cadet anymore but he clearly had more to learn. He took off his hat by gripping the brim of the bill with his gloved hand, revealing the combed back sandy blonde hair underneath. He practically looked like a business man in an officer's uniform. He had slight stubble that was haunting him but he would take care of that in the barracks. Garret turned to Amber and grinned, his teeth straight and surprisingly white despite busy lifestyle. "You're the one who has so much hope Amber. Let's go give it to the survivors we find," he said as he wiped sweat from his brow with the back of his sleeve. He put his hat back on and clasped his hand on her shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze for reassurance as he made his way towards the rubble. Being a taller man of 6'1'' he could see over some parts of the terrain that Amber couldn't, giving him a better vantage point.
"I ever tell you the first time I was called in while on active duty?" He asked Amber, a wry smile on his face as he tried to make conversation. Nothing like a good story to pass the time and keep fear at bay. "Now, imagine a younger version of me. Little shorter. But still devilishly handsome," he added while striking a pose before getting back to walking. He spotted a slab of debris and gripped it tightly with both hands, gritting his teeth as he pulled back and tossed it aside. "I'm on patrol, doing rounds and I'm wound up tighter than a clockwork toy," he laughed softly. "I hear a noise and I'm so on edge that I almost jump out of my skin. What I thought was an assailant was an alley cat!" He said dramatically as he bared his teeth like fangs.
"The moral of the story Amber," he said with a sigh as he only found more devrisnbut no body, "is you can prepare for the worst but sometimes that won't be what you find,"'he said with a wink. "Some soldiers join to defend the country or to fight an enemy. You don't lose sight of why you do this. Grip it tight and hold it here," he pounded his fist over his heart.
"I will say this. I kinda wish I had better powers," he said in an almost envious tone as he turned a corner. "Imagine it Amber! Telekinesis! I'd lift all this rubble up off the ground with just a thought," he declared and raised his hands to the air. "Then we'd find any hidden treasure and be done in mere moments," he said as he dropped his arms. "Buuut no. I get my own little trick," he said earnestly. Though he didn't mind it when his own unique talent saved his life. This was more like it. The commanding officer being a confident clown to boost the morale of his comrade, even if it was a bitter smile. Radio chatter continued to pour in from their handhelds, declaring more casualties and fewer survivors.
"It would be so--" he paused as he and Amber had both come to the same realization. They weren't alone! He whipped his head around to see someone standing before them in be middle of the street. Not a soldier, that was for sure, the two of them were the only ones in this quadrant. Who was this person? Friend? Foe? He took a step in front of Amber, acting as a shield if this individual was dangerous. "Hello..?" He asked, his voice calm and firm, communicating safety if that's what this person needed.
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Post by Emiko on Apr 1, 2018 22:38:14 GMT -6
Garret's decision to dodge Amber's question turned out to be a very clever move, and showcased why he was high in the military ranks. He could have so easily given into the fears and concerns that had to have been present within him. Instead, he helped to boost Amber's morale by explaining how just because she had the hope, it was worth trying. It was something that the young blonde greatly appreciated
Proceeding into the debris field, Amber was a bit more optimistic, but still had her doubts... Life seemed to have ceased everywhere, and any location they looked where the duo thought survivors might have been proved to be wrong. Around every corner, under every stone, life was no where to be found... It truly seemed like the pair were doing little more than walking through what was now a massive graveyard... As depressing as it was, Garret once more stepped up to inspire his comrade with a tale from his past.
As Garret told her his story with all of the fun little quirks included, it was more than enough to bring a genuine smile back to Amber's face. The young woman even went as far as to burst out into hysterical laughter when she found out he had been scared by a simple ally cat.
"My gosh, Garret!" Amber replied between her laughter. "And here I thought you were only scared of young girls. But to find out you are also petrified of cats, too? What would everyone at the barracks think if they found out about that?"
Amber was joking of course, but the light conversation did well to distract them from the depressing task at hand. Even as the topic changed towards their unique abilities, the mood never once seemed to drop.
"I know how you feel. Honestly, I wish I had more helpful abilities, too. All I can do is heal people, and even then the best I can do is just close up wounds. I can't fix broken bones, heal bodily organs, or anything like that. If I had an ability...anything that I could use, I would be fighting on the front lines with you guys."
With this, Amber let out a giggle daydreaming about what it would be like being the hero who ended the civil war. Oh, that would be something! However, her daydreaming as well as the conversation came to a grinding halt when the duo noticed something...or someone rather standing before them...
Just up ahead was a young woman clad in black clothing with her back to Garret and Amber. Though they couldn't see her face yet, with two coil containers on either side of her hips and two currently empty sword sheathes strapped to her back, it was obvious just what was before them...
"Oh my gosh, Garret..." Amber nervously whispered as she hid behind her partner. "...That's one of the psychics.... Her attire, her weaponry... All of it matches what our superiors told us during our debriefing earlier today...
Sure enough...standing before them was indeed a psychic from the battle that had taken place earlier. However, this psychic wasn't just anyone... It was the very woman who had sadistically slaughtered so many fleeing rebels and taken a blast from a suicide bomber at close range. A blow that should have spelled certain death to her, and yet here she was...
It may not have been clear to Amber and Garret just who they were in the presence of quite yet. However, there was no denying what was before them. Instead of attacking the onlookers though as she heartlessly did to the rebels earlier that day, the young woman instead just stood there staring up towards the sky quietly. In many ways, it was almost as if the woman didn't even know the duo were even there...
For what had to have seemed like an eternity, the raven-haired girl silently stood her ground doing little more than watching the various clouds go by. It wasn't until Garret offered a firm hello that something other than the sky caught her attention... Hearing Garret's voice, the young woman slowly lowered her head before finally turning to face the rebel search and rescue team. As they saw her face for the first time, the sight they received was surely something beyond anything they could have ever expected...
Dripping down her face was a stream of blood that seemed to be gushing from a serious gash on her head. No doubt it was the result of the explosion she had taken head on. Strangely though, with the visible part of her face mostly hidden behind a bloody crimson veil, the one thing that seemed to stand out to the pair were the woman's eyes which were different from before... Her eyes now were a deep shade of blue; a stark contrast from the piercing red eyes so many had seen before their deaths in the battle before.
It was impossible to say how her eyes had changed colors, but that was far from the only thing that had changed. Also different was the woman's composure which made her seem much quieter and gentler. In a way...she almost seemed like she was lost and confused. The way her eyes looked at Garret and Amber was with a look of confusion rather than one of hatred... This woman may very well have been a psychic, but something was seriously wrong with her...
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jojo
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Post by jojo on Apr 1, 2018 22:39:10 GMT -6
Garret's keen eyes drank in everything with analytical precision. Hi face was neutral in its affect as he looked at this situation objectively per his training. A head wound, likely from the explosion, the gash would require medical personnel immediately to preserve brain functioning let alone her life. His eyes darted to the surrounding terrain, was she alone? Did she have allies? Everything seemed still and the girl herself was almost despondent in the way that she had reacted to the presence of two soldiers. That uniform...a psychic? His teeth clenched down as his mouth was closed. An injured psychic was worse than any wounded animal, he was sure of it. Though, that look in her eyes seemed far from blood thirsty. Garrett decided to take his chances and turned his eyes to Amber. "Call it in, we need med evac here, survivor found with severe head trauma, will need immediate care," he ordered as he looked back to the girl. If she was a psychic, his ability should be able to handle the damage. And it wasn't likely that she could have too much offensive capabilities with that wound.
"I'm Garrett Heinkel with the Arithian Military. I'm with the relief detail here to escort survivors of the recent incident to safety. I'm announcing myself to you and mean you no harm," his voice was calm, clear, and deep, a mix of authoritative and supportive. "Behind me is Amber, she's just going to inform our comrades of our location so that we can get you medical care as soon as possible to prevent that wound from getting any worse," he said as he walked towards her, his arms out wide as if asking for a hug to show that he wasn't reaching for any weapons.
"Please bare with us and we'll get you some help," he said as he unwrapped a red scarf that had been tied loosely around his neck, eyeing the bleeding gash on the girl's skull. So as to not frighten her by getting too closely he held up the scarf, "May I put this on your wound? We need to prevent any further exposure or bleeding," he explained calmly, his dark eyes meeting those deep blue ones as he stood across from her, now only a mere two feet away. What a fool he was. With that kind of wound on her head she could already be in shock.
Garret unbuttoned the jacket of his uniform and peeled it off of his shoulders, draping it around the young woman to emphasize the safety and comfort that he intended to provide her. The white button up shirt underneath was a stark contrast to the young woman's black outfit, practically glowing on this dreary day. This woman, regardless of who she was, didn't deserve judgment for any past crimes or wrong doings. For now, she was yet another victim of that he was charged to see get out of here with her life. "Can you...tell me your name?" he asked calmly.
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Post by Emiko on Apr 1, 2018 22:39:57 GMT -6
When Garret gave the order for Amber to call this in, the young girl was stunned. She glared at her partner from behind in disbelief for several moments refusing to budge an inch... She even went so far as briefly argue this decision.
"...Garret, are you out of your mind? This girl...She's a psychic... She's our enemy...someone who helped slaughter so many of our comrades earlier. How can you expect me to just..."
It was in that moment that Amber saw on Garret's face how serious he was... He wasn't about to judge this girl for her past sins and his will was as strong as his abilities when it came down to it. She knew arguing was futile and bit her lip deciding to follow through on the task she was given...
"...Fine...but...our superiors aren't going to be happy about this... I need to retrace our steps back out of this debris field to get a better signal... Otherwise, they won't be able to hear me. Please...be careful and don't do anything rash..."
Following her statement, all Amber could do was sigh before taking out her communication device and proceeding towards an opening not far behind them. In following through with Garret's orders, she was leaving this man alone with what was the enemy... Needless to say, Amber was more than a little concerned...
Meanwhile, before Garret stood the raven-haired woman who seemed incapable of doing anything other than staring. Even as he introduced himself and proclaimed his intentions to help her, all she did was silently stare in his direction. In her eyes though was still that same look of confusion and wonder. The more time that passed, the more likely it seemed that the girl was indeed in a state of shock...
Though the woman didn't seem like she was comprehending much of what Garret said, she wasn't necessarily backing away in fear either. Even as he approached her with the offer to cover up her injury with his scarf, she showed no other emotion other than confusion. It...didn't seem like on the surface she had any problem with the man getting close to her and made no effort to flee or attack when he did...
Within moments, Garret was right in front of her. He even went as far as to remove his coat and gently place it around her shoulders to give her something to cover up in. All the while, she just carefully watched him with this look of awe and confusion... In some ways, it seemed like she was experiencing something like this for the first time in her life... Could that...really be possible...?
After having his coat wrapped around her, the woman heard Garret ask for her name. When asked for this simple form of identification, the woman's look grew even more confused than it already was. It was to this question that she finally spoke...for the first time...
"...M-my name...?" She asked, almost as if she didn't even know what a name was. "...My...name...? My name..."
Thinking about it to herself for a moment, the young woman finally glanced away from Garret and down towards the glove on her right hand. Using her left hand to remove the long glove from her right, revealed a silver metallic bracelet that seemed locked onto her wrist... What the bracelet was for was anyone's guess, but still she lifted to Garret for him to see. On the bracelet was an inscription that read "S-103"
"...My name..." The woman replied once more, indicating that the inscription on this bracelet was her identity... Was it really true...? Was this woman simply known as S-103? If so...why?
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jojo
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Post by jojo on Apr 1, 2018 22:40:55 GMT -6
Reflexively, Garret took a small step back as the young woman reached to remove her glove. His heart began to pick up speed, adrenaline beginning to pump through his veins as that familiar survival instinct began to scream at him to ignore his humanistic attempts to help this potential psychic and get out of there. As soon as the glove cleared the woman's and the metallic bracelet came into his view, his eyes slightly narrowed. Those serious moments always had a way of aging his young face. His jawline was a handsome shape that would've gave him quite a promising movie career. Garrett looked at her face, studying it carefully like he was playing the highest stakes poker game of his life. This lasted for a mere two seconds before he gave a small laugh. "Oh dear Miss, that wound must be worse than I thought," he responded kindly, placing his hands on his hips and looking up at the wound with a small shake of his head. "If I may..."
Garrett gently placed the scarf around her head, wrapping the cloth up and over, taking care to not tighten too hard to cause pain but still firmly enough to apply pressure and stop any bleeding. "There. For now, it'd be best that you not move too much," he said as he looked from the scarf back to her eyes. Though he was sure brain trauma had plenty to do with the limited ability she was showing communicate and process language but a sinking suspicion had him concerned enough to form a hole in his stomach. This didn't look like a dog tag. There was just a number. At least if he was taken out on the battlefield he'd have that to identify his body. Did these psychics not care about their own? Only one way to find out.
"Come now," he said, his voice a low and gentle hum as he looked at the bracelet and showed her his dog tags. "See this? Mine has my soldier number but my name too. Gar-rett Hein-kel," he said as he read the words and sounded them out for her. "But I'm guessing you guys want to be more secretive..." he said as he moved a little closer, taking in more of the details of her face as she appeared to be doing the same. "You're safe now...no need to keep a secret from someone wanting to help right?" He asked with a smile as he tucked his tags back under his shirt collar. "Pretty woman like you must have a lovely name, and it'd be my honor to know it," he said as he nodded to her bracelet, "whatcha think? Can you tell me the name behind the number..?" He wondered aloud, portraying a kind curiosity to emphasize that she had nothing to fear of him.
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Post by Emiko on Apr 1, 2018 22:44:07 GMT -6
Upon hearing Garret's random comments about how her wound must have been worse than he thought, all the woman could do was tilt her head curiously. She was quick to return it to a more upright position though when the kind man went to work wrapping his scarf around her injury. Even as he did, going so far as to put pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding, the young girl showed very little emotional response... Either she was in such a state of shock that she felt no pain or...she had been conditioned to ignore such pain... Regardless of which the case may be, it was scary to think about...
The entire time that Garret worked to ease her wound, the woman seemed very quiet and content. She was so passive at the moment and didn't seem capable of resisting anything. Why this was the case was difficult to say. For the time being, it at least made working to seal her wound a little easier with her being so calm.
After a bit, the woman's eyes turned back to Garret and then ultimately to his tags when he pulled them out. Upon seeing a name under his number, she gently tilted her head to the side once more seeming as if she didn't understand...
Bringing her bracelet up for her to examine herself, she quietly listened as Garret explained how to pronounce his name and attempted to coax her real name out of her. While he spoke though, the young girl didn't say a word. Instead, she was so transfixed on her bracelet that she didn't seem like she was listening at all...
Finally after several moments, the young woman looked up to Garret sadly with a single tear gently rolling down her cheek. Lifting her bracelet to him again, she showed him the inscription once more... Just as her bracelet came into his line of vision, the tags that Garret had just put away mysteriously began to float up on their own sitting side by side with the woman's bracelet. In that moment, the woman confirmed that she was a psychic, using her powers to levitate Garret's tag... However, what he discovered as a result of her powers proved to be more terrifying than her abilities...
"...I...don't understand..." The woman replied sadly. "...That's...your number and your name... But...my name...?"
It was then that it became pretty clear that the woman didn't even know her own name... Not only that, she seemed like she was looking for it in a place where it should have been compared to Garret's tag. Not knowing her name seemed to hurt the young woman intensely as it clearly brought her to the point of tears... Worse yet, how tragic was it if this woman truly was known as a number and nothing more?
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jojo
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Post by jojo on Apr 1, 2018 22:45:14 GMT -6
Garrett witnessed the tears streaming down her face with a delicate consideration. He mentally scolded himself for his insensitivity of the situation. This poor woman had already experienced something traumatic and here he was practically interrogating her after she suffered a head wound. Regardless of her being a psychic and him needing the information, surely he could've waited a few moments to let her come back to reality. Clearly not having her name to refer back to as a foundation was enough to rattle her quite deeply. He looked down at his hands cautiously and gently pulled his right glove off, exposing a pale hand underneath. Very gently he cupped her cheek as he gave a small smile, wiping her tears with his thumb.
"Please forgive me...I've been so wrapped up in my duties that I forgot to be a human for a moment," he said with a butter amusement, his training practically a second nature to him by now. His brown eyes found her clear blue ones once again as he gave a sad smile. This wasn't the clown that had tried to cheer up Amber and ignore the carnage. This smile was one to communicate to her that on some level he understood. He didn't know what happened to her or what she'd been through, but that sad little smile on this stranger's face told her that it was okay to feel sad and to be vulnerable, that it was safe for her to be. "Will you accept my apology?" He asked kindly.
With the back of his hand he dried the tears on her other cheek, carefully studying her face and features. Well, until she remembered her name, he had to refer to her with some kind of name. His eyes looked at her dark hair. Raven? No, too forlorn. His eyes met hers again, appreciating the clear blue just like-- ah, that was it!
He wiped the last tear away and proceeded to put his glove back over his hand. "Well, you're not going to be called S-103...that isn't a good fit for you. Would it be okay if I called you Sapphire?" He asked politely, nodding his head to indicate her eyes, "It would fit with those baby blues of yours. What do you think?" He asked calmly, attuning his affect to hers to emphasize a safe and neutral attitude.
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Post by Emiko on Apr 1, 2018 22:45:59 GMT -6
Tears continued to gently stream down the young girl's bloody face until Garret removed his glove and wiped them dry with his bare hands. As he gently cupped her cheek, she softly refocused her attention back to his eyes. In her own eyes, the kind man could see just how sad and lost she was... A girl with no identity to call her own...
The sadness she felt, and the pain Garret could see never once lifted. Even as he offered her an apology and a smile to assure her it was ok to feel pain, it did little to help the situation. Tears continued to slowly stream down her face with the emotional pain she felt stronger than ever... However, Garret was finally able to break through the pain she felt with what he said next.
When Garret refused to acknowledge her by her number, he instead offered to her a name in a reference to her deep blue eyes. Hearing that name seemed to strike a cord within the young woman. Almost immediately, she gasped in surprise as the tears finally ceased. There was a small moment of silence before she finally spoke to answer his question regarding the name...
"...S-Sapphire...?" The young woman repeated with a small blush spreading over her face. "...Sapphire... It's...so pretty... I...I like it... I...I'm Sapphire..."
Taking an obvious liking to her name, another tear rolled down the girl's cheek before a genuinely happy smile spread over her face. As one last tear rolled it's way down, it became obvious that the tears at this point were now tears of joy. By simply having a name, the girl seemed like she was no longer lost or sad.
The newly named Sapphire gently wiped her own tears away before moving forward to Garret. Without warning, she slowly wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a warm hug. In her own way...this seemed to be the only way she could say thank you. If there were any doubts as to how she felt about her name, this was sure to put those to rest.
Sapphire hugged Garret tightly for several moments with nothing else in the world seeming to exist. However, their tender moment soon came to a crashing halt when an explosion was heard not far off. The explosion was terrifying enough as it was, but not as much as the voice the came from it screaming out in fear...
"Garret!" Came the voice of Amber who was running as fast as she could to her partner. "Garret, we have to go, now! Calvert sent in his own search team, and our location has been compromised!"
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jojo
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Post by jojo on Apr 1, 2018 22:48:14 GMT -6
Garrett was suddenly reminded of what used to be his reason for seeking out justice, for enlisting and putting forth his life and skills to a cause that he had believed in. Not for any glory, fame, or rank. Not to push forward his own agenda or desires for the world. But to have a life of value, one that meant a difference for others. This woman, whomever she was, had given him a greater reward than any medal, any commendation, or any sort of recognition. A simple embrace from somebody whom he had helped. Though like any sort of peace, this one wasn't meant to last. As the tremors and aftershocks made the ground quake, Garrett's muscles clenched and his hair stood on end. That familiar sense of danger and adrenaline pumped into his body. The familiar sound of approaching enemies began to reach his ears as the crunching of military boots was getting closer and closer. "Sorry about this," he muttered quickly, his voice a hushed whisper as he pulled Sapphire against him. It was quite possible that she could feel the sensation of his heart thundering in his chest as he ran back to Amber, his eyes scanning his periphery for the possibility of enemy snipers.
Garrett took off his cap and threw it to the ground, causing his carefully combed back hair to messily spill out in the wind. "You two stay here and don't come out until the gunfire stops," he ordered, pointing a gloved hand at them both, his pose commanding a force of will that was practically putting pressure in the air. "I'll be back as soon as the last one of them is kissing the ground," he assured, popping his neck and loosening his shoulders as he took a deep breath. His skin began to harden and take a more metallic sheen, no longer the soft skin layer of a human but now like a living armor of some kind. It had given him quite the reputation and the ability to intimidate opponents but he knew better than anybody of his own limitations. He would need to end this quickly to avoid overextension of his body. Garrett took one last look as he removed his white collared shirt to reveal the white undershirt underneath. "Can't let another one get ruined," he joked confidently before giving a quick salute. "Be safe, I'll be back. I promise," he assured and took to the battlefield.
Taking to a higher vantage point, Garrett climbed to the top of a small mountain of debris, peering down at a small response team of five armed soldiers, each with their weapons at the ready and their eyes scanning around them in a V formation. Their tactical gear was impressive as always since Calvert had such an eye for precision. Their automatic weaponry was at the ready, their bodies totally covered in riot gear that hid their faces and would make piercing them with any blade more difficult. It was going to be quite a challenge. He smirked grimly. Good.
Garrett jumped into the air, raising his right leg towards the sky as he plummeted several feet down like a miniature meteor. The soldier in the back right had just enough time to look up to see the heel of Garrett's boot come crashing down onto his mask with a powerful kick. The weight of his gear and the force of the blow sent the soldier diving head first to the ground, shattering his riot mask and leaving him with what would be quite a concussion once he woke up. The other soldiers sprang into action with three jumping back to open fire as the fourth drew a combat knife. The bullets bounced off of Garrett's body like hail on a car, thudding and tearing his shirt but otherwise leaving no damage. Garrett swiftly crouched and grabbed the knocked out enemy's rifle and sprang forward to the nearest soldier who tried to shove the knife straight ink his eyes. Garrett's arm rose to meet the blade, breaking it at the handle as his other hand swung hard, striking a critical blow to his head with the butt of the rifle. The soldier staggered back, trying to keep his balance only to feel a hand grab his helmet and shove his head downwards as Garrett's knee rose to meet it.
As the second soldier dropped lifelessly to the ground, Garrett turned to the other 3 soldiers. They continued to open fire, riddling his body with lead but leaving no distinguishing impact. The s wouldn't last long though, he had to wrap this up. Garrett ran head on into the barrage of bullets, now standing between the three and thus causing a cease fire lest they shoot each other by mistake. "Smart move," he complimented, though his tone suggested he was patting himself on the back. He stomped the nearest soldier's kneecap, forcing him to buckle and kneel before performing a spin kick to his head, shattering the side of his helmet.
By this point the final two soldiers decided to cut their losses and beat a tactical retreat. If they could just call for reinforcements they could continue the mission. They weren't prepared for this freak! Garrett was amused but unsatisfied by this and gave chase, grabbing the knife off the his third victim. He reeled back and threw all his weight behind a fling of the knife, leading to a punctured calf for one of the soldiers attempting to flee. The trick to admiring was knowing the weak spots. Like the calf as the armor was usually facing the front. Or...
When the last soldier turn his body around to look in terror at his fallen comrade, Garrett aimed a commandeered rifle and fired, shooting his foot through his boot. Riot gear didn't come with armored boots, making them another weak spot. Garrett trotted up nonchalantly and delivered two more swift blows, leaving them all unconscious. There the lean, muscular soldier stood, his shirt torn smith to show his battle hardened body underneath, his pants full of holes as well. He groaned, " I hate having to ask for new uniforms..." he muttered as he grimly aimed the rifle and finished the job.
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Post by Emiko on Apr 1, 2018 22:48:59 GMT -6
Sapphire rested in Garret's embrace for what felt like an eternity to her... However, the sound of the explosion along with Amber's cries brought the tender moment to its tragic end. She felt him embrace her just a bit tighter while offering an apology before breaking the hug. As Garret stepped away, all Sapphire could do was tilt her head curiously as if she didn't understand why something good like this had to end...
It was about this time that Amber finally made it to where Garret and Sapphire were standing. As she came to a stop before her partner, the only words she received were orders to stay put until the gunfire had ceased. Hearing this along with seeing her partner's skin turn into that metallic sheen that was his trademark ability, the young healer knew what he was thinking...
"Garret, I..." Amber replied, in a voice that showed great care and concern for her partner. "...I know you are strong and all, but...I feel like a tactical retreat would serve us better... Still...I know there is no reasoning with you when you have your mind set... Just be careful and don't do anything reckless..."
Amber no more finished her sentence when Garret turned on the group and made his way in the direction she had just came. As he left the two girls by themselves, all Amber could do was sigh before smiling at her partner's resilience.
"...That man... He really is something else. He's got the strength of a hundred men, but the heart of a lamb..."
Just as Amber watched Garret disappear around the corner, something else instantly caught her attention. Looking to her right, Amber witnessed a confused Sapphire slowly walking over in the direction Garret had just went. And with an obvious expression of concern plastered on her face, Amber naturally knew what their psychic friend thinking. Without skipping a beat, she hastily ran in Sapphire's path to block her before she could get too far.
"Woah, hang on there!" Amber shouted as she stopped just feet before Sapphire. "...I'm pretty sure I know what you are thinking, but Garret can take care of himself. If you go over there, you'll just be in the way."
As true as that was, Amber's words seemed to fall on deaf ears. Not once did Sapphire look away from the corner that Garret had just disappeared behind. Worse yet, her worrisome look became even more intense as the sounds of gunfire started to sound off in the distance... It was more than enough to make Sapphire start to tremble with extreme anxiety...
Completely ignoring Amber, Sapphire simply walked past Garret's partner again proceeding to follow the man who had shown her so much kindness. However, Amber wasn't about to let Sapphire go after her partner. She intervened once more with a bit more force by reaching out to Sapphire's wrist and jerking her to a halt. The force of the jerk not only caused Sapphire to come to a halt, but also sent a jolt through her body that caused the scarf and coat that Garret had given her to fall off to the ground...
"Hey, did you hear me!? You CAN'T go over there. If you do, the only thing you'll end up doing is being taken hostage and used against Garret! I know you are worried, but he told us both to stay here and wait for him. We just need to obey his orders and trust he'll be ok."
Only moments after hearing this did Sapphire finally react to Amber's attempts to stall her. What Amber received though was something far different than what Garret had witnessed in Sapphire up to this point...
Slowly, Sapphire turned towards the woman who had grasped her wrist. As she did, Amber gasped in shock as Sapphire glared at her with an expression that one could only describe as pure evil... Her pretty blue eyes miraculously seemed to fade into a reddish tint before she spoke for the first time in a voice as frightening as her appearance only to say, "...Let...me...go..."
Being the timid girl that she was, Amber instantly let go of Sapphire's wrist and took several steps back in fear... She nervously watched as the strange woman before her gently knelt down to grab Garret's coat before again heading in his direction. As Sapphire too disappeared around the corner, Amber silently stood her ground quietly wishing that this evil woman did end up on the wrong end of a rifle...
As Sapphire once more made her way towards the sounds of the gunfire, she could hear the number of shots beginning to lessen. With a sense of fear spreading through her body that the worst was happening, she went into an all out sprint to get to the battlefield before it was too late. All the while, her eyes seemed to fade into a darker, more piercing reddish color... As she turned around a corner of debris however, she gasped in surprise seeing Garret. Not only was he perfectly fine, but it looked like the battle had just ended in a victory for him.
The sight of Garret alone was enough to cause Sapphire to smile with a tear gently rolling down her cheek in happiness. As that single tear fell, her eyes once again changed with the darkening reddish tint fading to leave her with only the sapphire iris for which she had been named after. Whatever had just happened to Sapphire had seemed to have passed for the moment. While Garret couldn't see what was going on in Sapphire's eyes at a distance, her presence alone was impossible to ignore. A raven-haired girl with deep blue eyes clinching to her chest a coat she was given was hard to miss.
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jojo
New Member
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Post by jojo on Apr 1, 2018 22:49:48 GMT -6
Garrett had finished his grisly work, the confidence in himself from his recent triumph over the enemy soldiers causing him to feel a sense of safety and security. Had he known of another member of the hit team whom was staying out of his line of sight, he wouldn't have allowed himself to fall into such an unwise position. Just like Garrett himself, this soldier relied on the higher ground to take aim only to lose his shot for the moment as Garret began to make his way back the way he came.
He stretched his arms over his head, groaning softly as he looked to a shape in the distance. There was that raven-haired mystery once again, clutching his coat like it was the only thing keeping her anchored to this world. He looked at her with kind relief but then realization came back to him as he took a step forward.
"Hey...I appreciate you checking on me but we need to get you out of here," he said in a hushed voice, stretching a hand out towards Sapphire with the intention of gently grabbing her shoulder. Though he couldn't see it, Sapphire was perfectly in position to see the glint of the sun off of the sniper's scope, swiftly alerting her that her new protector was in danger of being taken out permanently if someone didn't act
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Post by Emiko on Apr 1, 2018 22:51:22 GMT -6
Sapphire was so relieved to see Garret unharmed that she just wanted to run to him and pull him into the biggest hug that she could. However, before these feelings could materialize into anything other than mere thoughts, a faint glimmer of light began to reflect off of something in the distance right into Sapphire's eyes.
The source of this light wasn't explicitly clear to Sapphire at first and left her more or less confused as to what was causing it. Naturally, she couldn't help but squinch her eyes in the light's direction to try and get a better look. As her vision of the light's source not far off became clear, a sense of panic set in through her body... Not only was the evening sun's rays reflecting off of a sniper's scope, the soldier behind it had his sights on Garret and was prepared to pull the trigger...
Instinctively upon seeing this, Sapphire dropped Garret's coat to the ground and took off running into a full sprint in his direction. At first, it seemed as if she was indeed going to run into his arms and hug him. Just as sudden as her reaction was, the mysterious girl suddenly pivoted and ran right past the kind man. Where she was going Garret would likely have no idea. However, Sapphire had seen something Garret could not and deemed it dire enough to push herself to its location... All that considering the gash on her head was still very much present and sent a small stream of blood down her face with each hasty movement...
Sapphire had moved so swiftly that she was within 30 feet of the sniper's range in just mere moments. Once this close, she came to a sudden stop only to lift her now gloveless hand towards the sniper's direction. Her actions initially to either him or Garret might have been confusing... However, it all became clear when the sniper's weapon suddenly jerked out of his hands by a strange, unseen force and caused the weapon to fly on its own until it came to rest short of Sapphire's feet. The psychic had just used her telekinetic powers to stop a fatal shooting...
As the sniper's rifle came to its resting place, Sapphire swiftly knelt down to it and picked the weapon up. Acting quickly, she discharged the readied bullet and pulled out the gun's ammunition clip. With the rifle now disarmed, she dropped it once more to the ground and threw the bullet along with the ammo clip as far away as she could in a different direction to make sure the gun couldn't be loaded again... It was only after this that Sapphire once again glanced in the sniper's direction to make sure he wasn't going to make another attempt on Garret's life... Little did she realize...by saving Garret, she most likely had just put herself in mortal danger...
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