Set In Motion (11-04-2022)

## Sovereign Office, Arthur’s Bay, Camelot [11-04-2022]

Heralda walks into the office and sees the Avery, the Sovereign. She smiles and slaps a file onto their desk. They look at the file and then look back up at Heralda and ask, “What is this, Ms. Lake?” She nods at it and Avery opens it up, revealing a few documents with pictures attached to them. Avery picks up a portrait of a man with a rather unassuming but sinister look about him. “Is this the leader of that alien organization? The Synthetics? The Sympathetics?” Heralda responds, “The Syndicate, and yes, he is. I’ve talked with him a bit and he seems like a very ambitious person, who also wants to get rid of the aliens on our moon.”

“So you made a deal with aliens that we don’t fully know their intentions about. Behind my back as well.”

“Well, I’m not obligated to do that. Plus, this is what you wanted right? You wanted safety and peace in Camelot. You’re gonna get that with the Syndicate’s help.”

Avery stares at Heralda and adjusts in their chair. “How did you go about meeting this Syndicate?”

“They came to me upon hearing of my campaign. They proposed a joint mission in getting rid of any type of threat in Camelot.”

“And you just…said yes?”

“They were very convincing. They brought me to their ship and showed me what they can do.”

“If I remember correctly, weren’t you the same person that called the Roundtable Council out for blindly accepting help from the aliens on the moon?”

Heralda pauses for a bit and thinks, then smiles and says, “Avery, how much damage has the Group done to Camelot and other countries since they’ve been around? Millions, maybe even billions of crowns that could've gone to our nation instead of paying for their damage? That university is still in repair from that reckless fight with those mages and the Unified Frontier has a whole new biome. With the Syndicate we can prevent that from ever happening. They have ways and methods to inhibit anomalous abilities and even get rid of them completely. They’ll do what the Group never could! Instead of containing them and hoping they don’t break out and wreak havoc, the Syndicate could cure those people. They can walk amongst everyone else as humans. No threat to anyone. And to add, the Group has an alien as well in their second-in-command, with two more members of the council being criminals that broke out of prison. Murderers. Yet you let them walk under the assurance of the Director, which is now an inhuman being. I’d say we both have gotten our hands dirty for the safety of this nation.”

Avery looks at Heralda and then back at the file. They think for a while and then sigh and push the folder away conceding, “This better work. Both of our jobs are on the line here. I’m already risking it trusting you. I don’t even know who you are or where you came from. They say you’ve been a citizen all this time but you just suddenly pop into the picture as a candidate lawmaker and win? What is this damn state coming to?”

“The people spoke, and I speak for the people.”

“How cliché. Alright, leave. Don’t give me any trouble with these aliens while you’re at it. If push comes to shove, you’re gone. Do you understand me?”

“Loud and clear your Brightness.”

Heralda collects the folder and walks away, her innocent smile turning into a frustrated look. She says under her breath, “They’ll all die...”

## Syndicate Inquisitor, Atmosphere of Grail [11-04-2022]

Wraith emerges from the shadows inside the main bridge of the ship, and walks towards the Admiral’s seat, where Judas rests. Without looking, Judas calls out, “Excellent work, Wraith. That’s one of the Roundtable down.” Wraith looks a bit surprised that he knew he was coming, despite him being so silent. He responds, “Thank you, General. I only did as you and Keira asked.”

“I see you even took a few souvenirs? Mind if I take a look?”

Wraith appears in front of Judas from his shadow, though he feels a tingling sensation from doing so. He coughs and pulls out Specter’s sword and Mist Bands. When Wraith pulls them out, he feels more tingling around his arm, this time stronger now that Judas is reaching out to take the items. He almost immediately retracts his arm, feeling that if he didn’t back away, he would become burned by a strange force. Judas looks at the sword, then gives it back. He focuses his attention on the bands. He explains, “From our knowledge, this only worked with Specter. He was attuned to these spirits.” Wraith comments, “I absorbed Specter. So they should work with me.”

“Is that so? Impressive. Not only did you kill him, but you took his powers. I had honestly low expectations from a Child of the Voyd, but you’re proving me otherwise.” Judas puts on a band, with it immediately trying to reject him. Judas sits unfazed and stares at the band. It snarls and whispers to him with a collection of spirits trying to fight him off and instill fear in him, however Judas continues to stare deep into the bands. The brand on his neck begins to glow dimly and his eyes flare up. The band becomes enshrouded in a maroon aura, quickly turning into a cage. The spirits exclaim in surprise and struggle to escape the confines of his corruption, but to no avail. The General looks deeper into the bands with his piercing and devilish glare. The Spirits try to protest more until the cage suddenly juts out spikes from its bars, hurting them. They shriek and yell in pain and eventually quiet down.

Wraith looks on in terror, watching Judas take control of the mist bands by sheer terror and power alone. He watches him give a toothy maniacal smile, knowing that he’s relishing in the torture of those apparitions. He eventually dissipates the cage and takes off the bands. He looks at Wraith and gives them back. “It seems they really are only akin to Specter, which since now you are him in a way, will be akin to you. At least, by default. But to use both, you need both hands, I would presume,” Judas says as he points at Wraith’s missing hand. “Come closer. Think of this as your reward for completing the bounty. Raise the arm.”

Wraith hesitates for a bit before putting out his stub. Judas puts his hand on the arm. The brand on his neck glows again and his eyes grow devilish. Wraith feels a searing pain in his arm and kneels a bit on the ground. The searing pain becomes overwhelming, activating his PTSD of when Creed burned Wraith alive where he stood. Wraith begins to yell out, trying to escape Judas’s grip, but can’t, much like his previous killer. Judas grins and increases his intensity, as Wraith’s stub slowly begins to form back into a hand. The hand creaks and cracks, forming and fitting itself to Wraith’s structure, to which he feels every bit of it. The hand finally finishes itself and Judas drops his grip, causing Wraith to fall. He lays there for a few seconds and Judas simply watches him. Wraith looks at his new hand and moves it around, working just like it should. He looks over at Judas, now losing his smile and looking down on him. Wraith slowly gets up and stutters as he shows his appreciation, “T-Thank you, General. Your gift is gracious.”

Judas nods and responds, “It’s only fair. Now, there are eight members left. I hope their deaths are as smooth as Specter’s. You are dismissed, Special Agent.” Wraith nods and quickly dissipates into the shadows.