Brickstown
The Zig
Solitary confinement.
Nephilim sat in her cell, it had been a week since she met her "parents", it had left... confusion. Seraph almost seemed disappointed with her while Tish... the look of distrust, along with the threat... that had hurt slightly for reasons she couldn't explain.
She could hear the voices of her AI's echoing in her mind, logic and chaos, they had been there as long as she could remember, but ever since she had returned from Praetoria, they had grown more and more quite, no longer telling her what to do, but instead offering her advice.
The voice of logic spoke up first, calming cool and emotionless. "You are confused by your current emotional state, correct?"
She nodded.
"I believe that this is partially due to the memories and personality traits ingrained in your mind. You have two parental units that, on some level, you wish to please. Their reaction to you has hurt and confused you."
The second AI spoke up, its' voice, low and menacing. "Why should it matter? You have completed your mission, that is all that matters."
Her mission; somehow Dib had got his hands on all the data she had collected in Praetoria. Only to have one of his agents inform her that due to the incident at portal corp, she was burnt.
She was a known quantity now, if she kept working for Dib, how long till the Arachnos cover story fell apart and people found out about his connection to Crey?
Her train of thought was interrupted by a tap at her cell door. Looking up she heard the dead bolts slid back before it opened, two guards pointed guns at her while the warden yelled out "Hey, got a visitor, move it."
Nephilim snorted. "I though I told you, I didn't want to see any one."
The warden chuckled nastily. "Don't matter if you don't, this is Longbow asking to talk to you."
She paused as the guards came in to shackle her. "Longbow... what do they want with me?"
"I don't ask, they don't tell, longbow wants to see you scum, they see you."
Looking down at her restraints she almost had to laugh, even with the power suppression field she could have snapped the chains as if they were nothing, but then the warden probably had that in mind, easier to get away with shooting an escapee.
Shrugging she let the guards lead her through the Zig towards a plain white room. A large mirror took up most of the wall, meaning there was probably God knows how many cops and armed guards on the other side.
Sitting at the table was a dark skinned man, short cropped hair and a simple uniform suggested military or something similar. A simple longbow badge identifying his affiliation. Sitting down from across him she laid her hands on her table. "So... what do you want?"
The man adjusted some papers in front of himself and cleared his throat "I am called Counselor and I will get to the point then, Miss Seraph."
She shook her head. "Not Seraph... "
"Fuego?"
She chuckled darkly. "No last name, no family, just call me Neph. I'm guessing you want me to cut a deal or something, right?"
He looked up at her with cold grey eyes. "I doubt you could shed any light on the activities of your maker and his organisation. But- I am here to make a deal."
"What sort of deal?"
"As you are aware, Longbow is a militant group dedicated to the destruction of Lord Recluses and his army."
Neph snorted "I know all that BS, get to the point."
"I wish to offer you a job."
She looked at him carfuly
"I have read your files, it seems even though you have show highly aggressive tendencies, along with a some what odd understanding of right and wrong."
Neph growled, the voice of chaos whispering in her ear, goading her to snap. "Highly aggressive?"
"Yes, two reports catch my attention. One where you assaulted a guard, but no charges where pressed, the other involved you beating an inmate in the shower block."
"Hey, they deserved it! The guard was a rapist and that cat... troll... thing shouldn't of talked about da- Seraph like that." She cursed inwards at the slight slip.
If he noticed the slight slip, he didn't let on as he continued. "Despite this, you seem have caused very few problems. Besides these occasional... 'Outbursts' you are prefect for our needs."
"So, I become your personal attack dog or something?"
"More a... 'Freelancer.' An agent of longbow that can work outside the system to do what is needed."
"So I stay in the shadows doing longbows dirty work?"
Counselor nodded. "Not entirely, you are aware of how we operate in the Isles, correct?"
Neph nodded. "More of a Vigilante?"
"Yes, Miss Liberty's ideals were grand, trying to take down Recluse and Arachnos... but she fails to understand that to achieve this goal... some laws must be bent."
"So, a member of your dirty squad then..."
"Indeed, but this offer will not be opened indefinitely." He collected the files and slowly rose. "After all, I would hate to lose some one of your skill to the next Arachnos raid."
As he headed out Neph sat there, his offer applied to her on some level, but at the same time, could she just give up her old life? Have the slate wiped clean with the click of a finger? The thoughts chased them selves around in her head as she was lead back to her cell. Sitting on the small bed she lay down and closed her eyes, maybe her head would be more clear in the morning, failing that, logic might have a better answer.
- - -
Nerva Archipelago
Blade Base Alpha.
Dib sat in the darkness of his office going over the details that had been recovered from Nephilim's mission to Praetoria. Personnel reports, tech specs, anything and everything the AIs had deemed important had been recorded for later study.
The fact that Nephilim had lived long enough to return to Paragon had been a slight surprise. He was sure her mental state would of devolved into nothing more than a puppet, dancing on the strings of her AI guardians. But from reports, she had somehow stabilized the personality fragments he had given her and grown into her own person. Troubling, if it wasn't for the fact that he had already wrote her off as dead.
As he turned his attention back to the files about the Praetorian clockworks, a small message popped up on the screen, opening he smiled slightly as he read it.
- Bait laid, subject is likely to bite. Control can be regained.
C.
Dib smirked slightly to him self. While he hadn't expected Nephilim to return alive, sometimes it was good to have back up plans, just incase.
- - -
Brickstown
The ZigSolitary confinement.
The sound of an alarm wailing jerked Neph awake, grumbling she sat up and saw the red light flickering through her cell door. Logic spoke up as she walks to the door. "It appears that there is an Arachnos raid going on."
"No shit, Sherlock." She muttered as she heard boots pounding along the corridor followed by small explosions. Stepping back from the door she heard the footsteps stop outside before a muffled talking. Seconds later the lock started to glow before it blew out, the heavy metal door slowly swung open and two Arachnos Wolf Spiders entered, maces pointed at her.
One glared, the lights on his helmet glittering. "Nephilim Seraph, you have been chosen by the glorious Lord Recluse to be part of project Destined One, you will follow us to the carrier." The head of his mace starting to glow brightly.
Neph grinned as she slowly stood up. "You know... I think I have an idea... " the light of the mace illuminating her eyes as she slowly let the Chaos AI take over. "How about, we do thing my way?" With a blur of motion she slapped the mace to one side as the mace fired, tearing a chunk out of the other spiders arm. The other fell with a scream of pain, Neph rammed her elbow into the first one's gut before grabbing the back of his head and slamming him into her knee.
He fell to the ground, blood streaming from under his half helm, she went to the other one and rolled him onto his back, picking up a mace she pointed it as his face. "You know, I was having a bit of a dilemma about what to do with my life... " she pressed the mace to his face. "Remember this... I could have killed you." She smacked the mace into the side of his head and walked out the door.
Looking down the hallway she growled and hunched over, just like the night she arrived in Paragon, she let Chaos AI take full control. With a brutal roar she hurled herself down the corridor.
- - -
Neph winced as the Counselor sat down across form her, the left side of her face feeling like she'd been hit by a tank.
Clearing his throat, he read some of the file in front of him. "13 agents of Arachnos now sit in the Zig hospital because of you, it seems as a side effect they only lifted three inmates in total with this latest raid. It may be their most unsuccessful raid to date."
Neph just grunted a reply.
"It also says it took five longbow agents to stop you... I'm sorry if they were... over enthusiastic."
She gave another grunt. "They cracked me in the skull with a rifle butt half a dozen times, that's not enthusiastic, that brutality."
The councilor nodded. "And they shall be dealt with."
"Killed?"
"Suspended with out pay. We are not monsters, Miss Nephilim. But now onto the true mater at hand, have you considered my offer?"
Neph nodded. "But a few questions first, if I join you, I will be free right? Time served?"
"Indeed, your slate shale be... wiped clean, so to speak."
"No. My crimes stay." She growled slightly "as a reminder."
"Very well, are there any other questions?"
"Lodging, pay rate, uniform what can I expect?
"As for lodging you would normally be assigned to a barracks, but a you would be a freelance. We can provide you with decent quarters in the city. Pay will be discussed after you sign the papers, but will include hazard pay."
"And the uniform?" Neph asked, hoping like hell he didn't say she had to wear those stupid tights.
"As long as you have the longbow colors it shouldn't be a problem, there is a dress uniform for formal occasions, but you will not be required to attend many of those."
"All right then, where do I sign?"
He slid several papers over to her along with a pen. "Oh and one last, minor detail."
Picking up the pen she looked at him. "And what is that?"
"As a precaution, you will be assigned to a super group, they will be your... 'Parole officer' of sorts. After last night's events, I believe you have earned the right to chose who you wish to be assigned to."
"My choice?"
"Indeed."
Looking at the paper, she grinned and signed her name, the AI's chittering in the back of her mind. "I know exactly where I want to be sent to." As she signed the last piece of paper and slid them back, she looked the Counselor. "The Legendary."
- - -
Bait taken, subject will be under close watch.
All is proceeding as planed.
C.
The Zig
Solitary confinement.
Nephilim sat in her cell, it had been a week since she met her "parents", it had left... confusion. Seraph almost seemed disappointed with her while Tish... the look of distrust, along with the threat... that had hurt slightly for reasons she couldn't explain.
She could hear the voices of her AI's echoing in her mind, logic and chaos, they had been there as long as she could remember, but ever since she had returned from Praetoria, they had grown more and more quite, no longer telling her what to do, but instead offering her advice.
The voice of logic spoke up first, calming cool and emotionless. "You are confused by your current emotional state, correct?"
She nodded.
"I believe that this is partially due to the memories and personality traits ingrained in your mind. You have two parental units that, on some level, you wish to please. Their reaction to you has hurt and confused you."
The second AI spoke up, its' voice, low and menacing. "Why should it matter? You have completed your mission, that is all that matters."
Her mission; somehow Dib had got his hands on all the data she had collected in Praetoria. Only to have one of his agents inform her that due to the incident at portal corp, she was burnt.
She was a known quantity now, if she kept working for Dib, how long till the Arachnos cover story fell apart and people found out about his connection to Crey?
Her train of thought was interrupted by a tap at her cell door. Looking up she heard the dead bolts slid back before it opened, two guards pointed guns at her while the warden yelled out "Hey, got a visitor, move it."
Nephilim snorted. "I though I told you, I didn't want to see any one."
The warden chuckled nastily. "Don't matter if you don't, this is Longbow asking to talk to you."
She paused as the guards came in to shackle her. "Longbow... what do they want with me?"
"I don't ask, they don't tell, longbow wants to see you scum, they see you."
Looking down at her restraints she almost had to laugh, even with the power suppression field she could have snapped the chains as if they were nothing, but then the warden probably had that in mind, easier to get away with shooting an escapee.
Shrugging she let the guards lead her through the Zig towards a plain white room. A large mirror took up most of the wall, meaning there was probably God knows how many cops and armed guards on the other side.
Sitting at the table was a dark skinned man, short cropped hair and a simple uniform suggested military or something similar. A simple longbow badge identifying his affiliation. Sitting down from across him she laid her hands on her table. "So... what do you want?"
The man adjusted some papers in front of himself and cleared his throat "I am called Counselor and I will get to the point then, Miss Seraph."
She shook her head. "Not Seraph... "
"Fuego?"
She chuckled darkly. "No last name, no family, just call me Neph. I'm guessing you want me to cut a deal or something, right?"
He looked up at her with cold grey eyes. "I doubt you could shed any light on the activities of your maker and his organisation. But- I am here to make a deal."
"What sort of deal?"
"As you are aware, Longbow is a militant group dedicated to the destruction of Lord Recluses and his army."
Neph snorted "I know all that BS, get to the point."
"I wish to offer you a job."
She looked at him carfuly
"I have read your files, it seems even though you have show highly aggressive tendencies, along with a some what odd understanding of right and wrong."
Neph growled, the voice of chaos whispering in her ear, goading her to snap. "Highly aggressive?"
"Yes, two reports catch my attention. One where you assaulted a guard, but no charges where pressed, the other involved you beating an inmate in the shower block."
"Hey, they deserved it! The guard was a rapist and that cat... troll... thing shouldn't of talked about da- Seraph like that." She cursed inwards at the slight slip.
If he noticed the slight slip, he didn't let on as he continued. "Despite this, you seem have caused very few problems. Besides these occasional... 'Outbursts' you are prefect for our needs."
"So, I become your personal attack dog or something?"
"More a... 'Freelancer.' An agent of longbow that can work outside the system to do what is needed."
"So I stay in the shadows doing longbows dirty work?"
Counselor nodded. "Not entirely, you are aware of how we operate in the Isles, correct?"
Neph nodded. "More of a Vigilante?"
"Yes, Miss Liberty's ideals were grand, trying to take down Recluse and Arachnos... but she fails to understand that to achieve this goal... some laws must be bent."
"So, a member of your dirty squad then..."
"Indeed, but this offer will not be opened indefinitely." He collected the files and slowly rose. "After all, I would hate to lose some one of your skill to the next Arachnos raid."
As he headed out Neph sat there, his offer applied to her on some level, but at the same time, could she just give up her old life? Have the slate wiped clean with the click of a finger? The thoughts chased them selves around in her head as she was lead back to her cell. Sitting on the small bed she lay down and closed her eyes, maybe her head would be more clear in the morning, failing that, logic might have a better answer.
- - -
Nerva Archipelago
Blade Base Alpha.
Dib sat in the darkness of his office going over the details that had been recovered from Nephilim's mission to Praetoria. Personnel reports, tech specs, anything and everything the AIs had deemed important had been recorded for later study.
The fact that Nephilim had lived long enough to return to Paragon had been a slight surprise. He was sure her mental state would of devolved into nothing more than a puppet, dancing on the strings of her AI guardians. But from reports, she had somehow stabilized the personality fragments he had given her and grown into her own person. Troubling, if it wasn't for the fact that he had already wrote her off as dead.
As he turned his attention back to the files about the Praetorian clockworks, a small message popped up on the screen, opening he smiled slightly as he read it.
- Bait laid, subject is likely to bite. Control can be regained.
C.
Dib smirked slightly to him self. While he hadn't expected Nephilim to return alive, sometimes it was good to have back up plans, just incase.
- - -
Brickstown
The ZigSolitary confinement.
The sound of an alarm wailing jerked Neph awake, grumbling she sat up and saw the red light flickering through her cell door. Logic spoke up as she walks to the door. "It appears that there is an Arachnos raid going on."
"No shit, Sherlock." She muttered as she heard boots pounding along the corridor followed by small explosions. Stepping back from the door she heard the footsteps stop outside before a muffled talking. Seconds later the lock started to glow before it blew out, the heavy metal door slowly swung open and two Arachnos Wolf Spiders entered, maces pointed at her.
One glared, the lights on his helmet glittering. "Nephilim Seraph, you have been chosen by the glorious Lord Recluse to be part of project Destined One, you will follow us to the carrier." The head of his mace starting to glow brightly.
Neph grinned as she slowly stood up. "You know... I think I have an idea... " the light of the mace illuminating her eyes as she slowly let the Chaos AI take over. "How about, we do thing my way?" With a blur of motion she slapped the mace to one side as the mace fired, tearing a chunk out of the other spiders arm. The other fell with a scream of pain, Neph rammed her elbow into the first one's gut before grabbing the back of his head and slamming him into her knee.
He fell to the ground, blood streaming from under his half helm, she went to the other one and rolled him onto his back, picking up a mace she pointed it as his face. "You know, I was having a bit of a dilemma about what to do with my life... " she pressed the mace to his face. "Remember this... I could have killed you." She smacked the mace into the side of his head and walked out the door.
Looking down the hallway she growled and hunched over, just like the night she arrived in Paragon, she let Chaos AI take full control. With a brutal roar she hurled herself down the corridor.
- - -
Neph winced as the Counselor sat down across form her, the left side of her face feeling like she'd been hit by a tank.
Clearing his throat, he read some of the file in front of him. "13 agents of Arachnos now sit in the Zig hospital because of you, it seems as a side effect they only lifted three inmates in total with this latest raid. It may be their most unsuccessful raid to date."
Neph just grunted a reply.
"It also says it took five longbow agents to stop you... I'm sorry if they were... over enthusiastic."
She gave another grunt. "They cracked me in the skull with a rifle butt half a dozen times, that's not enthusiastic, that brutality."
The councilor nodded. "And they shall be dealt with."
"Killed?"
"Suspended with out pay. We are not monsters, Miss Nephilim. But now onto the true mater at hand, have you considered my offer?"
Neph nodded. "But a few questions first, if I join you, I will be free right? Time served?"
"Indeed, your slate shale be... wiped clean, so to speak."
"No. My crimes stay." She growled slightly "as a reminder."
"Very well, are there any other questions?"
"Lodging, pay rate, uniform what can I expect?
"As for lodging you would normally be assigned to a barracks, but a you would be a freelance. We can provide you with decent quarters in the city. Pay will be discussed after you sign the papers, but will include hazard pay."
"And the uniform?" Neph asked, hoping like hell he didn't say she had to wear those stupid tights.
"As long as you have the longbow colors it shouldn't be a problem, there is a dress uniform for formal occasions, but you will not be required to attend many of those."
"All right then, where do I sign?"
He slid several papers over to her along with a pen. "Oh and one last, minor detail."
Picking up the pen she looked at him. "And what is that?"
"As a precaution, you will be assigned to a super group, they will be your... 'Parole officer' of sorts. After last night's events, I believe you have earned the right to chose who you wish to be assigned to."
"My choice?"
"Indeed."
Looking at the paper, she grinned and signed her name, the AI's chittering in the back of her mind. "I know exactly where I want to be sent to." As she signed the last piece of paper and slid them back, she looked the Counselor. "The Legendary."
- - -
Bait taken, subject will be under close watch.
All is proceeding as planed.
C.