Thread: Shadows in the Light: Prologue

Last big installment for a bit. Will actually have to write more to warrant another post after this one methinks. Hawaii was hotter than either man liked, but the job was the job. And it needed to get done. That's a nice shirt you got there Barry. Not real practical though, is it? Nicolas asked. Barry frowned, looking at the close fitting t-shirt he wore. He looked back at Nicolas. The light, airy button down cotton shirt was splashed with flower patterns, making rather...attention grabbing. Or it would have been anywhere else. Countless people wore a similar shirt, making it Barry that seemed a little out of place. Compared to that? All that flowing material...gets in the way when you have to move quick. Remember? I remember you like that shirt. Yeah, and? Never mind. Come on. Work to do. The two men smiled, and set off down the beach. It was a small building on a resort ground that needed their attention. So what's so bad about the place? Barry asked the resort staff member. The man looked uncomfortable, and looked towards the boarded up building. Don't worry, if you're not supposed to talk about it, we won't rat you out. Still looking uncomfortable, Nicolas pulled a fifty out of his pocket, and offered it to him. The man took it gingerly, but then began to speak. It was never...the best place on the resort, you know? But then...well, there was a man who took some drugs. And he killed his wife. Two of the women who worked here too. And then himself. The place was never the same after that. Sometimes you heard screaming. And then...well, the owner's daughter had an accident there. After she was hurt, we boarded it all up. Had a company come down to see about pulling it all down, but the man who looked at it...well, he ran out. Looked terrified. And no one else would come to see about it. As he trailed off, he noted that Nicolas was looking at the building more than him. Thanks for telling us. We don't want to keep you from your job. The man nodded, and moved on. Barry and Nicolas exchanged a glance. What do you think? Barry asked. Revenant, or instigator? Not sure. Let me take a look. Nicolas replied, closing his eyes, and opening them again to See. The building didn't look all that different a layer deep, but he saw blood splashed all over the walls. However the people had been killed, it hadn't been clean. He focused, pushing his Sight deeper. The Second layer showed more, the blood pooled into symbols on the wall, shimmering with a kind of power that made Nicolas desperately want to look away. He caught sight of something moving, and noted that the window wasn't tall enough to show the head of the figure. And that would put it well over seven feet tall. And it looked nothing like human. Instigator. He said calmly to Barry. Two layers in. How do you want to do this? We do this on the surface, it's safer. And loud. Yeah. We might have a hard time getting out of here afterwards. So, go after it? Let's do this. They both crouched, and pulled out similar daggers. The edges were razor sharp, but there were marks all along the weapons that made it look like they'd been beaten with hammers. They both made a vertical slash, and Stepped through the gashes. They made the same gesture again, and Stepped into the Second Layer. The normally manicured grass that the resort had all over the grounds was gone, and only patches of wild grasses showed. Otherwise they stood on sand. Both men stepped forward, heading for the door. It was hanging off the hinges, and they slipped inside. The building had once held five rooms to be rented to guests, as well as a larger room that would have been used by all the rooms as a kind of rec room. Nicolas pointed to the wall, and inclined his head, letting Barry know where the target was located. Barry nodded, and the two crept forward, keeping low and quiet. The door to the room Nicolas had seem the form in was gone. Not torn away, but purposely removed. The floor before them was a thick carpet that had not started out as crimson. But it was most certainly that colour now. He could see a woman on the floor, her body torn up, ribs pulled wide. Her heart had been ripped out. Barry let his breath out in a low hiss. Both men knew that it wasn't the real body, just the echo of what had happened. But the echo was enough. What was more, there was nothing left in the room besides the body. They checked the next room, finding two women dead inside it. Both of them were in similar states as the first. Whatever had done this, it was clearly not just a man who had lost his mind. Something had steered him towards this. A piercing scream shattered the quiet, sounding like a young woman. It came from the rec room, and both men moved as quickly as they could, while staying quiet. They pressed their backs to the wall on either side of the entrance way, and carefully peered in. A young woman was hanging from the ceiling. Hooks had been driven through her arms, and she hung from them. Blood dripped from the wounds, and she looked like she'd been tortured otherwise. Her clothes were torn, and wounds were clearly visible. Nicolas made to move forward, when Barry waved him back. A large shape was moving into view. Come now mortal, we can make this easier. Give me what I ask, and the pain stops. The voice was entirely too smooth and silky to be coming from the form. Over seven feet tall, and nearly six wide, it was huge. Thickly powerful limbs showed inhuman skin and muscle, while a head that looked very much like a stony mask that had been crudely carved with primitive tools topped it off. Nicolas didn't know it specifically, but he had a good idea of what they faced. N...no...never... The woman mumbled, barely seeming conscious that she'd spoken. Never is a very long time. The form said, reaching out a clawed finger, and pressing down on her shoulder. She screamed as the hook pulled on her arms, and the claw cut along her skin. Barry nodded to Nicolas, and the two charged into the room. The form was fast, far faster than anything that big had any business being. A closed fist met Barry in the chest, sending him falling back, while Nicolas bent low as he came on. The other hand, open with claws raking at his face missed by a hairs breadth. He sliced his dagger along the arm of the form, but felt resistance. The blade scraped along the flesh, but failed to penetrate. The path it had taken smoked, showing that whatever substance the form was made of, it didn't respond well to the blade. Nicolas threw himself into a roll that let him barely avoid a crushing stomp that shook the room. Nicolas was rolling to his feet, and ripped the shirt wide open, letting it fall to the ground. He focused, and with body lit up with the blue light of his tattoos. Barry was struggling to get his shirt over his head, the close fit making it a chore to do in a hurry. The form began to advance on him, when Nicolas ran to cut it off. It was not the time for rules of fair play, or chivalry. Nicolas leapt at the back of the form, and brought the dagger down, blade down to better transmit his momentum. The time the blade penetrated, slamming through the tough hide. Nicolas pulled it free, and dropped away. The form spun, swinging an arm out, hoping to swat away the irritant that had the temerity to wound it. Smoke wafted from the blade, showing that what passed for blood in this creature could not last in contact with the metal. The form seemed to recognize what he was facing. Binders! Why have you come here? He roared at Nicolas. The man pointed to the hanging woman. You really have to ask? He demanded, incredulous. The form looked to the woman, and then roared in pain. Barry had gotten his shirt out of the way, and made a good hit from behind. As the form turned on him, Nicolas lunged in. As the spirit lifted it's arm to make an attack on Barry, Nicolas stabbed. The blade slammed into the armpit, and sank to the hilt. Shoving hard, the form roared, but the roar kept rising in volume and pitch, even as Nicolas pulled away. The trailing smoke followed the blade. The form raged at Nicolas, swinging arm that passed through the man. The roar became a tortured wail that grated on the ears, and the woman jerked in response, rattling her chains until the sound faded, the form now gone, the last of the smoke seeping into the dagger. Neither man spoke as they slid a low table over. Barry stood on the table, and gripped the chains that held the woman while Nicolas stepped under her, and lifted her in the air, taking the weight off of the chains. She groaned, but didn't otherwise react. Barry slipped the chain out of the hook they hung from, and they lowered the woman onto the floor. She didn't react as Barry gently got the hooks out of her arms. She slowly curled into a ball, keeping her wounded arms tight to her. She began to shiver and weep. Nicolas stood, and looked at Barry. I'm not sure she's not been here all that long. How long did that assignment sit in our office? He asked the other man quietly. Barry pulled the page from his back pocket, and checked. Counting our travel time, we'd known about this for...eight days. Barry replied. Nicolas looked at the woman, and then back to Barry. How long ago was the last incident? The rep from the demolitions company? Uh... He hesitated, which was telling Nicolas a lot. ...three months. Nicolas sighed, but then had a sudden thought. When did the owners daughter have her accident in here? Barry looked again. Six months. She's in a coma and not responding to oh fuck me Nick. Tell me this isn't her. Tell me she hasn't been in here for six months, being tortured by that sick fuck. Nicolas sighed, and crouched beside her. What was her name? Maka...Koa? Maka Koa? Is that right? Barry stumbled out the words, but she seemed to stir at the sound of the name. Nicolas sighed, shaking his head. Just another day at the office he supposed. Maka? Ca you hear me? He said softly. She shied away from him. No...won't...won't let you...can't have it... She mumbled. Nicolas looked at Barry. You don't think it's been trying to get her to give up her essence this entire time? He asked, not really believing the potential that he was hearing. For six months? No way. Not a chance. The kind of willpower you'd have to have... They turned to look at her. But there seems to be some compelling evidence that says she might have. Holy hell. So...what do we do with her? Nicolas and Barry both sat on chairs nearby. The world was still hazy with the feel of being two layers in. Maka Koa was curled around her wounded arms, but she seemed to have either passed out, or at least gone to sleep. So what do you want to do about this? Barry asked. Nicolas sighed. What do you think Barry? Can you just leave her here? Waiting for the next thing to pick up on her, and come to finish the job? Nicolas asked quietly. His voice wasn't accusing Barry of anything, just asking after it really. Barry sighed. No. Of course not. But you know as well as I do, we just stick her back in her body, she'll probably never use her hands again. Spiritual wounding is too deep. We'd need to see if it's healing at all, nurse her to something that might resemble being sane again, and hope. Could be a long time in the layers. Nicolas nodded. Ten hour shifts then? Hell with that. I say we pull her to the First Layer where it's a bit safer, and wait it out. If she hasn't started to get something back together in twelve hours, she isn't coming back. Barry said bluntly. Nicolas knew he was right. But it was his first assignment since coming back. This one soul, this one person...she mattered more than she should to him right now.