Thriller The Reckoning

IC: Jane
Enterprise, Nevada

Jane raised her eyebrow hearing the story of how the world ended. Kawin was there, Alpha and whoever Anna was. Not surprising that Jane and Chad weren't mentioned, she didn't read too much into it. She wasn't the wrench what was thrown into the works to stop the end of the world.

"I already spoke with the President." Kawin spoke up, "He knows and is ordering up that nuke. So Angel I would say take a look but protect yourself if you want, I know where we are going is no place for younger you and destruction we will have rained down here was made on choices from Jane that predate your input."

"Still not exactly clear on how the world ends," Jane shrugged her shoulders, if it was in nuclear hellfire then she has a part in the end of all of this. Though it was kind of Kawin to suggest that she was instrumental in the decision to nuke the contentinal US. She had said it more as a joke, but if it got the job done and averted a dystopia. Looking across the table she saw the man shake his head and begin drumming his fingers. Jane was no mind reader, her powers lay elsewhere, but she could see the nerves, a little bit of fear, maybe?

"You know." She said lowering her chin a little, "You don't need to come Kawin. Might change history if you stayed here." A dark chuckle slipped between her lips, "I think surviving one nuke is enough for anyone." She slipped out of the booth and made her way towards the truck she apporeated from the base. "But, if you want to come along I won't stop you...you're my lucky charm." She giggled, hiding her own fear. There was a sense of finality to all of this. That this was the end for a lot of people. Herself most likely included. She'd never feared death before, she feared the powers appearing around her, being captured and tortured, but she never feared death. She knew it was always waiting for her, on one mission or another she knew she would die. Though this felt more certain than any other time. With a shrug, she made her way to the truck waiting for the others to join her.

TAG: @Mitth_Fisto @DarkLordoftheFins

 

IC: Kawin Muthurangu
Layola's Diner, Enterprise - Nevada

Jane decided to lay her cards down on the table and then to promptly walk away. He started and grinned slightly before fumbling with his polio canes. "Nuke buddies don't go playing with a blast without their nuke buddy!" he called out as he started trying to get moving.

He hadn't forgotten the heavy nature of things, nor had he neglected the others. The truth was they needed to get moving, and they needed to already be on their way. Also, focusing just a moment on something whimsical and fantasy such as even this dark humor was better than the even darker future they weren't hoping to stop, weren't hoping prevent or cure, merely one they wished to mitigate. To give the smallest drop of hope and society.

Compared to all that, there was little else he could do than joke. Even if the mirth would never reach his eyes.

@galactic-vagabond422 , @DarkLordoftheFins

 

Anna Talbott
Black Rock Facility

Anna watched the clock count down and resisted the instinct to slow down time ... no she actually wanted it to speed up ...

Which it surprisingly did. The countdown rushed down, the cloud moved quicker, down there men in cars left in lightning speed ... until she breathed sharply in. Time resumed it's normal speed. 00:31:23 the clock said and it took a long and drawn out second to become 00:31:22.

Anna gasped. Suddenly she wanted more time to prepare. It made no sense. Taking out her gun she breathed in sharply and then slowed down time ... walking down the dune towards the four guards standing down there spread over the grounds. She walked up to one who had his back towards her ... he barely moved in a visible way. He would never hear her, see her, know who had ended him.

Anna wiped tears from her eyes. She was ashamed of them. Then she patiently raised her gun and pressed the trigger. She simply passed him as the bullet began an endlessly slow journey towards the man's head.

Next was the bearded man to what she believed was the north. She walked right at him and saw his eyes widen in panic as she approached. They widened in slow motion. His mouth opened and ... second time was easier. She raised her gun and fired between his eyes, before walking over to the third and fourth. The third, a handsome younger guy with an assault rifle, was lighting a cigarette of the fourth who was another bearded specimen with a submachine gun on his back. She halted for a moment and then aimed and fired at the heads of both men.

Finally she stepped back and breathed heavy. Closing her eyes she allowed time to resume and heard the shots simultaneously, before all four bodies dropped to the ground.

Anna felt like throwing up, but restrained herself and opened her eyes. The two men in front of her lay dead in the send, blood sipping from their head wounds.

Anna swallowed hard and tried not to cry. She knew there were many more people to kill here today.

She made her way to the front door and again wiped tears from her eyes. These people had killed Laura. They had pissed off the wrong Instagram influencer.

Tag: @DarkLordoftheFins (combined with)

 

Black Rock, Mojave Desert, Nevada


Angel smiled a sad smile. "The virus. It kills everybody." She answered the question of Jane and turned to the little girl, taking her hand.

Chad, Jane and Kawin got into their own car and soon they were on the way to Black Rock. They drove through the empty ghost town Enterprise had become. The streets were as empty once they made it out. Within the quarantine zone life seemed to have vanished. It seemed non existent. An outlook on the future.

Getting near Black Rock was easier than it was supposed to be. No guards were there anymore. The men were obviously deployed somewhere else. As impressive as Taylor's private army was, it probably was stretched thin with the sheer numbers of operations.

It was getting dark now and as their car was approaching the facility, they actually heard shots. Anna had obviously begun without them.

When they arrived on site they saw the dead guards and Anna Talbott standing in front of a huge iron door. Jane knew that behind it lay the elevator to the lower levels where the real facility was hidden.

Jane and Anna had never seen each other, so Jane would probably be surprised their hope rested on a fragile little girl holding a gun that seemed to big for her.

"Anna." Chad shouted out as he got out of the car and walked over to the nearest dead guard, taking his G36 and ammo from him.

Tag: @galactic-vagabond422, @Mitth-Fisto, @RachelTyrell

 

August 2003, Dunes above Madiq Village, Southern Mali

The scream rang into the night sky and the fires illuminated the dunes. Simon looked down at the village and observed the destruction of her home with his cold blue eyes. "Do you see this?" He asked the others and turned to the dozen who had followed them. "We could have fought them, we have power!" Tariq shouted at Simon. Simon gave him a sad and sympathetic smile. "It is not our destiny to die here and today. It is not the will of Allah." He raised his arms. "Allāhu 'akbar!" He yelled out and the others repeated the words as an answer.

"Look at this unholy act of the infidels and never forget it! Never forget the cruelty and injustice those blind to the teachings of the prophet bring!" He shouted. "Allāhu 'akbar!" They replied again.

Ayshe turned to Simon and he smiled down at her. "Tell me what you see, Sister." He said in a gentle tone. She told him the truth.

"War." She replied, terrified by the vision she had ... by the death and destruction she saw coming. "Great fires and cities burning in their shadows."

Simon answered the horrible vision with a smile. "A holy war." He only said and she knew he was not afraid. He could not wait for this war to begin.


January 2004, Training Camp, Lybia

Ayshe had forseen the war, but not their absence from it. Her fate and that of her people was still something she could not predict. What she had seen had been defeat and Simon and his superior Salim had listened to her and avoided their people being send there. The true war would begin once the wrong one was over, Simon had explained them. Now they prepared for this true war. The others had trained for month in the camp. Not only with weapons, but also their gifts.

She watched Karim appear from nowhere in the middle of the camp and nobody even looked at it. Al-Qaida had absorbed her people and the blond man she had found burned many nights ago had become their leader. Ayshe had made peace with the fact. But the burning thirst for revenge she did not share.

She had seen Aya age prisoners within seconds. She had seen objects appearing from nowhere and vanish again. She had even seen time slow down for the rest of the world until it seemingly stopped entirely and only those with gifts could move freely. She had seen mountains vanish and crumble to dust only by Simon looking at them. She had seen a thousand miracles and yet, she had not seen their enemies defeat. Maybe her vision was not clear enough or the defeat was still outside her view. But she saw more now. Millions of outcomes, defined by the tiniest actions. The men without gifts called her a witch. One had even tried to kill her. She had seen Simon reduce him to a pile of flesh, as the limbs and muscles of the attacker twisted and imploded.

She was lost in thought. Simon stepped next to her. "What do you see, Sister?" He asked and folded his arms. "Is it time?" He asked her. Ayshe locked at him. Then she sighed. "No, if we go now we will change nothing." It was only half the truth. She did not see what they would do. This future was not revealed to her. But she knew if she let Simon know he would not listen to her anymore.

"Then we shall wait." He smiled at her and walked over to Karim. "Allāhu 'akbar!" He greeted him. Karim smiled. "Indeed!" He yelled. And both men disappeared again, appearing a few meters away.

She wondered if she did the will of her God by keeping them here. Maybe her visions of defeat by the infidels were meant to show her the necessity of their intervention. Ayshe was left alone with her doubts, as the men celebrated their camaraderie.


October 2004, Training Camp, Lybia

Simon had gathered them all in the tent. Only those Gifted were present, when he finally spoke.

"Your visions are a gift from Allah, Sister. But they are not complete. You have said this yourself, a hundred times. Our wise leaders have been bestowed with their own vision and the will of Allah has been revealed to them." Ayshe stared at Simon. They were the only ones standing, while everybody else was sitting on the ground. Ayshe looked around and the young Karim looked back at her. He was still a teenager. "And what is the will of Allah, brother?" She asked Simon. "The will of Allah is that we begin our holy mission in the lands of Iraq." He simply said. Ayshe stared at him. Their leaders were growing desperate and wanted to put their secret weapon to use. They had no visions. Ayshe understood this. They would all die, those leader ... before the decade was over. She had seen it. She had not told anyone. They could have been saved, but tonight they were ready to sacrifice her people and so Ayshe was sacrificing them. "Who am I to object the will of Allah." She only said, knowing she had no choice.

"Then we shall leave tomorrow for Fallujah. There our holy crusade shall begin and we shall finally spill infidel blood!" Simon smiled at her and then the room answered with a resolute: "Allāhu 'akbar!"

Ayshe left the tent and left the celebration to the others. This night she searched her visions like never before. Million of choices became billions became trillions. Only her own fate and that of her people remained in the dark as always. She did not have to see, to know their fate though. In the ocean of possibilities she did not see their enemies defeat. They were doomed.

 

IC: Kawin Muthurangu
Black Rock, Mojave Desert - Nevada

Chad, Jane and Kawin got into their own car and soon they were on the way to Black Rock. They drove through the empty ghost town Enterprise had become. The streets were as empty once they made it out. Within the quarantine zone life seemed to have vanished. It seemed non existent. A grim view of what was to come.

Getting near Black Rock was easier than it was supposed to be. No guards were there anymore. The men were obviously deployed somewhere else. As impressive as Taylor's private army was, it probably was stretched thin with the sheer numbers of operations.

Kawin was somewhat glad, or at least trying to see the silver lining of all of this. At least at the moment only his back hurt and he wasn't having those dreadful phantom pains down his legs. Still, as night was falling, still surprisingly quick to his northern Canadian mind, he heard the pops. Rapid like a automatic weapon. Either something was afoot or Anna was already here.

As they pulled up Kawin craned his neck to see, what he saw made him wish he hadn't. It was again what he had hoped to protect her and those new to their powers from. The dead guards laid out about and around Anna Talbott who was standing in front of a huge iron door. Clattering his polio canes he popped his seat belt and worked to get out of the vehicle as soon as it came to a stop, to hustle himself quickly to her.

"Anna." Chad shouted out as he got out of the car and walked over to the nearest dead guard, taking his G36 and ammo from him. Smart man, very military of him. Kawin ignored the other bodies and clack-walked his way toward Anna.

"Are you okay?" he knew it was the wrong thing to ask as soon as he said it. His head dipping in shame before looking back at her through his thick glasses. "I'm so sorry little one. I - I. . ." he sighed knowing he could add nothing more, or perhaps had already said too much.

Tag: @galactic-vagabond422 , @RachelTyrell , @DarkLordoftheFins

 

Anna Talbott
Black Rock Facility

Anna looked at the door and decided for the best way to open it without damaging whatever lay behind it.

She spread her hand and began to speed up time. Seconds became hours, years, decades ... until a minute would turn into centuries for the metal door.

Then someone spoke her name. Slowly she turned, seeing Kawin and Chad with a woman she had never seen before leaving the nearby car. She smiled in relief. Reinforcement. At least the burden of what was to come would be a shared one.

"I did not know you were coming." She said smiling to them. "Or I would have waited for you." She left the rapidly aging door to itself and walked past Chad who she had only briefly met towards Kawin giving him an honest yet careful hug. "I am good." She lied to comfort the visibly concerned man. Then she looked at the unknown woman. "Hi, I am Anna." She simply said and was embarrassed of her dried tears.

Tag: @Mitth_Fisto , @galactic-vagabond422, @DarkLordoftheFins

 

IC: Jane
Enterprise, Nevada

It was a long lonely drive through the Nevada desert. It was quieter than usual the virus wiping out everyone it touches. It was a glimpse of the future or so she thought. No one and nothing for miles, a deathly silence greeting them wherever they went. The hope was they could stop this, that the world could bounce back from this. Their only hope now lay with the only other God-tier gifted that fought for the 'good guys'.

Coming up the gate the sound of gunfire reached her ears. Coming to a stop at the door she pulled out her pistol and did a brass check. She still had a bullet in the chamber. Getting out she followed suit with Chad...or whatever his name was and gathered up a rifle and ammo from one of the fallen guards. He called out to a figure standing before the blast doors, a young woman with a gun far too big for her...this was their last hope?

Jane forced a stoic expression on her face as the woman turned around and address the group. She looked away slightly as Anna gave Kawin a brief friendly hug. It was clear there was a connection there, he worried about her, and his own failings.

Jane checked the rifle watching the door crumble away.

"Hi, I am Anna."

"Jane," she replied curtly bringing the rifle up to her chest. They were about to raid a base crawling with artificial gifted backed up by a god, the odds were long on her surviving. That didn't mean she was just going to throw her life away here. There was still a chance of survival.

TAG: @RachelTyrell @Mitth_Fisto @DarkLordoftheFins

 

Black Rock, Mojave Desert, Nevada


Chad joined them and gave Anna a nod, loading his rifle through. "How much time do we have left?" He asked and felt obviously uncomfortable with the coming nuclear strike. He had problems taking the situation with the same humor his two companions took it.

The heavy metal door meanwhile crumbled to pieces and finally turned to dust carried away by the mild breathe that was in the air.

Behind it lay the elevator Jane knew too well by now. Below was the labyrinth of tunnels and laboratories that contained what they were coming for. To the left where the labs with the scientists and most likely also the vaccine. To the right was the ops center and the bureau of the rogue General Taylor.

But once they went down there ... there would be four guards to deal with first. All armed with shotguns, the perfect weapon for a fight at that close range.

For Anna there was something else. A shimmer, a trembling in time itself only she would feel. One had to have a sense of time to perceive such subtle changes. It grew ... clearer. More defined. As if it was coming closer. As if it was ... arriving. Soon.

Tag: @galactic-vagabond422 , @Mitth_Fisto , @RachelTyrell

 

IC: Kawin Muthurangu
Black Rock, Mojave Desert - Nevada

Despite Anna's reassuring hug he wasn't sure about her, about all of this. After all he had somewhat been in her shoes not to long ago. Granted with far less success then she seemed to be having, but still. Something was off with her and with that door.

That door that promptly crumbled at the soft breath of the days air. Introductions were made and Chad asked the silliest of questions. Time? Time! OF ALL THINGS! TIME. It was the one thing that they never would have enough of, and also never truly realize when they were going to run out of until it happened.

Letting that merely be his own facial roll of the eyes and head, he nodded forward. "Anna, however you see best to aid us in proceeding. Up to powers? Or natural egress? If natural Jane should have point." he simply said with a firm nod as he began clacking his way forward on his polio crutches.

TAG: @galactic-vagabond422 , @RachelTyrell , @DarkLordoftheFins

 

Anna Talbott
Black Rock Facility

"30 Minutes. But time is hardly our problem, is it?" She sighed and then looked at the four of them. It was good they were all here. She felt much less alone. Yet, there was something else. The vibrating feeling of time bend. He was coming. "30 minutes until the nuke. But I think we have less time until Alpha is here. So let us get going."

Anna looked at Kawin and then at the elevator. "We got multiple targets, right? I would say you go after Alpha's men and I get the vaccine and data." She stepped into the elevator and took the gun into both hands. "But we take the welcome comittee together I guess."

She pushed the button down and slowed down time outside the elevator, while keeping them at normal time. Whoever awaited them once the doors opened would never know what hit them.

Tag: @Mitth_Fisto, @galactic-vagabond422, @DarkLordoftheFins

 

IC: Jane
Blackrock, Nevada

Jane couldn't help her chuckle as Chad asked how much time they had. She looked to Kawin, a half smile on her face. They both knew, that properly applied, they had all the time in the world. Entering the elevator she closed her eyes visualizing the base as she remembered it. This was the only point of entry, that she knew of, they weren't exactly quiet on their approach. Possible someone would be waiting, likely loaded for bear.

"I can take point," She offered, "but, we are a bit split like you say. The labs are to the left you'll have a few doors you'll have to get through and quickly. Taylor's men are a mix of artificial gifted, and normal soldiers. All of them have military training and believe in this stupid cause." She turned to Anna, "You sure you want to try and face that on your own? The Labs are not going to be undefended, they might even be more heavily guarded, given that our main goal is there. Taylor is not dumb, he would move to secure his ace in the hole, the vaccine."

Her hand moved around to the small of her back drawing her knife. "If it comes to hand-to-hand you think you can handle it?" She asked of the young woman. "In my experience powers don't affect other gifted, but still affect the world, bullets slow down, but the people you aim them at don't." She was speaking from experience, that first night she found she had powers. She looked to Kawin face falling a little…"They also have a teleporter...not as bad as the one from New York, but...Watch your back." She understood the irony of that statement.

She readied her knife, and her powers, she would activate them as soon as the doors opened, should give her an opening as the guards were swapping to their knives, she could at least get one.

TAG: @RachelTyrell @Mitth_Fisto @DarkLordoftheFins

 

Anna Talbott
Black Rock Facility

Anna had to smile as the teleporter was mentioned. She could not believe what she was about to say. It so did not sound like her.

"I got that one in L.A. I think." Anna shook her head. "And my powers affect everybody." She looked to the others. "So I will be fine." She breathed out and in again. She slowed time itself, much like Laura had told her LEGO did. A power of which there was no escape.

"Everybody except Alpha." She added. He had been immune. Was it because their power shared the same source as he claimed?

He was coming ... she felt him coming.

"He can teleport two. Among other things."

Tag: @Mitth_Fisto, @galactic-vagabond422, @DarkLordoftheFins

 

Black Rock, Underground, Mojave Desert, Nevada


The door opened and as expected two assault rifles and a handgun were directed at them and as Jane made the world slow down, the bullets left the gun in slow motion and the black dressed armored warriors almost froze at the spot. Not the fourth one, though. He gestured with his hand as if he threw something at them ... yet nothing happened.

"I don't think so pal." Chad sighed as he blocked whichever power he tried to use. The man was unaffected by Jane's power though and after a second of shock he drew his pistol to fire at the four arrivals.

Tag: @galactic-vagabond422, @Mitth-Fisto, @RachelTyrell

 

Anna Talbott
Black Rock Facility

Anna saw the doors open in terrible slow motion and then the four black dressed armored soldiers opened fire.

The bullets crawled through the air as Chad obviously blocked the only artificial Gifted on the other side and his ability.

Jane seemed to possess an ability not unlike her initial power, yet slightly less potent as the Gifted were immune to her power. The enemy Gifted wanted to draw his gun and Anna slowed him down ... more so even then Jane had slowed down the three original attackers.

She felt no urge to kill when not necessary and left the dirty work to this new woman who seemed so used to it. Instead she stepped out of the elevator, dug below the bullets and started to orient herself. The vaccine. It was all she focused on. These people ... these enemies ... they were just in the way.

Tag: @Mitth_Fisto, @galactic-vagabond422, @DarkLordoftheFins

 

Matt Andrews
Motel

Matt stepped to the window and looked out. It was getting dark. The countdown was running. He wondered if he would see the light from here. Brighter than a thousand suns, they said.

"Sir, please step back from the window." His Secret Service Agent told him. Matt turned and nodded. "Of course. How many agents do we have here?"

"Twenty, Sir. But we got a full CDC unit on their way here and await heavy support within the hour." The Agent replied. Matt gave him a smile. He was still having Thompson's gun he realized. He took it out and smiled.

"Sir, you have been trained how to use this?" The agent asked. Matt gave him a thin lipped smile. The man obviously had never been briefed about the Veep.

"689th Combat Communications Wing." Matt said with a nod.

"You served, Sir?" The man nodded respectful. "Pilot?"

"Ground crew. But I was a good shot." Matt replied. "Should we not secure the parking lot?" He asked then and nodded to the window.

"We did, Sir. Three agents patrol." The Agent said and Matt smiled sadly.

"I figured they would strike before we got reinforcements." He sighed. "Sound alarm. We are under attack."

The Agent stepped to the window and then gave the President a frantic look.

"Phoenix is on fire, repeat ... on fire."

Tag: @DarkLordoftheFins

Combined

 

IC Jane
Black Rock, Underground, Mojave Desert, Nevada

The door slid open and they were greeted by the welcome wagon, four armed guards with their weapons drawn. She closed her eyes and took a breath slowing the world around her. The guards fired their weapons but, the bullets few in slow motion, the guards as well, good, no wannabes...well one wannabe that was quickly shut down by Chad. Her knife was already out ready to draw blood. She swapped it over to her other hand and drew her pistol with lightning fast reflexes. As she moved, ducking below their fire, she fired off three shots of her own each aimed at the heads of the three frozen guards. As soon as time resumed, they would find lead traveling between their eyes.

The last one she charged thrusting her blade up, aiming for his throat. It would be quick and messy, but she didn't feel like taking the time to be clean. They were on the clock. As Anna headed towards the labs, Jane rushed towards Taylor. If they didn't kill him, it could all start again. He needed to die, to end this nightmare.

TAG: @Mitth_Fisto @RachelTyrell @DarkLordoftheFins

 

IC: Kawin Muthurangu
Black Rock, Mojave Desert - Nevada

The ride down the elevator had been relatively calm if a little tense. When the doors opened he was met with what he had been praying wouldn't be there, well he had prayed not to face an army of gifted on the other side of the doors, only instead he saw himself faced with four. Only these four didn't seem surprised enough for his liking, and as he realized what was happening it seemed that just one was actually gifted.

What happened in the time it took him to figure that much out was that Ana seemed to just walk through it all as Chad and Jane double teamed the rest. Pulling out his .22 he prepared to awkwardly hobble walk out and follow where the team was going. For the vaccines. Of course unlike Ana he could not just brazenly go, and with no clear shot he stood out of the way to the side. Waiting for this to be cleared up or for him to be needed to shoot. That and making sure none of the slow moving bullets headed into the elevator where on a path to hit where he was standing.

TAG: @RachelTyrell , @galactic-vagabond422 , @DarkLordoftheFins

 

Black Rock, Underground, Mojave Desert, Nevada


Command Center

The bodies collapsed in slow motion as they split and moved towards their targets.

Jane lead the way towards Taylor's office, going through the largely abandoned underground facility. Chad stayed a little behind her with the assault rifle, covering her. He remained eye contact with the slower Kawin. The guards they encountered were no Gifted and Chad easily disposed of those Jane did not take care of immediately.

They made it quickly to the command center, when suddenly shots were heard again as right next to Jane a table was ripped apart. Three men had taken cover behind the large command table in the center. Somehow they had negated the effect. Chad pushed Kawin to the ground.

"Big mistake to come here Jane! Big mistake to side with them!" It was Ambrose yelling to her.

"Block them on three!" Chad yelled from behind and then shouted "Three!" And Jane's world slowed down again.

Kawin saw something else from his back-up position. A single man in a combat dress had sneaked up from behind and took cover behind two large weapon boxes.

Tag: @galactic-vagabond422, @Mitth-Fisto





Laboratories

They were ready to defend the labs. Two dozen guards were taking cover and the second Anna entered the corridor the pumped hundreds of bullets into the air.

One of them had a knife though and waited at the entrance to the lab itself. He began to vibrate as if he tried to contain his power to speed up his body. He seemed even faster than Farmer had been.

Tag: @RachelTyrell

 

IC: Kawin Muthurangu
Black Rock, Below the Mojave Desert - Nevada

They had split up now, with Jane leading the way towards Taylor's office, going through the largely abandoned underground facility. Chad stayed a little behind her with the assault rifle, covering her. He remained eye contact with Kawin, which honestly just made Kawin feel worse. It didn't matter that he had gotten in shape, that he could practically walk with his arms as he shuffled forwards, in the end that was the problem. He could really only shuffle onward. Luckily, the guards they encountered were no Gifted and Chad easily disposed of those Jane did not take care of immediately.

They made it quickly to the command center, when suddenly shots were heard again as right next to Jane a table was ripped apart. Three men had taken cover behind the large command table in the center. Somehow they had negated the effect. Chad pushed Kawin to the ground. A humiliating and scary proposition. No matter how much he understood the reasoning, in an assault against a Gifted riddled site you didn't want to reset so that the enemy knew where you where coming from and doing. That's actually why he had reset before when they were being attacked and loosing people, not that it had done a whole lot of them that much good against the mole.

So he was down on the floor, noting that they needed to hire a second janitor when a voice rang out. Something just to highlight that they were truly in trouble now.

"Big mistake to come here Jane! Big mistake to side with them!" It was Ambrose yelling to her.

"Block them on three!" Chad yelled from behind and then shouted "Three!" And Jane's world slowed down again.

With so much noise and zealous shouting Kawin was taking in a quick lay of the land as it were. After all if you cannot appreciate the point of view from the floor you really haven't died that much. Normally the mind and life was active just long enough to a faint last glimpse from the floor before the reset and many times he knew that that last little bit of information could make all the difference. Whether that natural training or just luck from the new Kawin saw something else from his back-up and down position. A single man in a combat dress had sneaked up from behind and took cover behind two large weapon boxes.

Setting himself up in a quick prone shooters laying position, elbows and pelvis acting as the three points of the tripod for his upper body he focused on this rear threat and left Chad and Jane open to the front. Taking aim he remembered the basics of such a fighting situation. Aim for the vulnerable spots and end the threat, either by death or by whittling. After all most people can't aim if they are being repeatedly being shot.

Aiming for groin, shoulders, eyes. That was the trifecta he knew to go for. Shoulders first. Try and remove the arms as the body was likely armored so that the man can't aim or shoot as well. Eyes were good, but unknown whether they would work and they moved too much and too tiny with bad angles for the brain or spine so it wouldn't end anything. Then there was the groin and hips, nice target area often not armored due to the need for flexibility with the legs. Slight chance for the main arteries and veins but still too slow of a kill shot to be used unless you had cover. Upside of course was pain and shock that shot could render. That brought him to the fourth target, neck, a good place to end it once your target was stunned from other shots so you could aim and choke/bleed/paralyze. Smaller targets for each but clustered to form a decent one in the end.

He prayed this worked. Lined up quickly, and squeezed. Ready to shoot three times at whatever he could. Half breath. Shoot again.

Tag: @galactic-vagabond422, @DarkLordoftheFins

 

Anna Talbott
Black Rock Facility

Anna saw the room fill with bullets. Hundreds of them. Thousands maybe. The others were on the way towards their target, so she was alone now.

The bullets slowed down until they barely moved and Anna made no effort to take cover. She lowered her gun and slowly raised her hand ... and then she let go. Aging everything in front of her by ... years. Hundreds of years. She breathed in as she realized she was about to kill all of these men. All except the speedster perhaps. She had the feeling he would not be so easy to get rid off.

Getting rid off ... Anna felt the pain of realizing that was how she referred to this act of mass murder. But it was what it was. The labs were right in front of her and these men were in her way. For the sake of all humanity ... she had to get rid of them.

Laura would have been proud of her. She knew she would have been.

Tag: @Mitth_Fisto, @galactic-vagabond422, @DarkLordoftheFins

 

IC: Jane
Blackrock, Nevada

The former merc turned double agent blitzed her way through facility, running on her memory of the place, liberally using her power along the way. It was somewhat liberating for her rushing from room to room leaving nothing, but bodies in her wake. Well she didn't get to everyone, Chad cleaned up those she couldn't get to or were out of her way. They were making good time, with a nuke screaming down on them from above. Rounding a corner, bullets cut through the air. She dropped onto her legs sliding on the floor to cover. Why hadn't they been effected? Didn't matter Chad was about to sort them out.

"Big mistake to come here Jane! Big mistake to side with them!" Ambrose's voice called out over the din of gunfire.

"I'm sorry Ambrose...I'm sorry it turned out this way."

"Block them on three!" Chad informed her, she tensed her muscles. "Three!" Her legs snapped like rubber bands as she sprung forward out of cover ducking underneath the bullets caught in the air. Leveling her pistol she looked Ambrose in the eye and pulled the trigger. He deserved that much, to look her in the eyes while she took his life. In the cacophony of battle she moved close to him firing off a few more rounds at the men behind him.

"Tell my Uncle hi from me when you see him." She said, right against his ear, to the man that gave her this opportunity. There wasn't time for too much sentimentality. There were still foes between her and the general.

TAG: @Mitth_Fisto @DarkLordoftheFins

 

Black Rock, Underground, Mojave Desert, Nevada


Command Center

Ambrose had obviously no chance to react as time was slowed down, but at least he died instantly. The second one was kneeling with closed eyes, his face showing veins coming forth. Probably the one who had negated her effect. He died quickly as did his third companion who was firing in slow motion at her former position.

Kawin waited patiently in his cover as the man who had sneaked up on him appeared and was aiming at Jane's back. He never took the shot as three bullets from Kawin put him down. One had at least hit him outside his body armor as he kept laying on the floor with blood spreading. But Kawin saw the man grabbing something attached to his chest. Three hand grenades were pinned there and he ripped the security lever of one free.

"Move!" Chad said and brought Kawin to his feet with one powerful push. Then he suddenly stopped and Kawin felt blood in his face. A knife was buried in his skull.

Jane saw him collapse and from his cover in their back Malcolm appeared. He took a second knife from his belt and took cover. The man had used his soldiers as bait, waiting patiently in cover to strike now.

Kawin knew the grenade would go off any second now. The question was did he wanted to escape it?

Tag: @galactic-vagabond422, @Mitth-Fisto





Laboratories

They crumbled to dust before her eyes. All of them except the speedster just ceased to exist as they aged a hundred years in a second.

The Speedster hadn't though. Not surprised or shocked he accelerated. Way faster even then Palmer he was almost at normal speed as he came charging towards Anna, a knife above his head and his face a grimace of pain and fury.

Tag: @RachelTyrell

 

IC: Kawin Muthurangu
Black Rock, Mojave Desert - Nevada

Kawin had waited patiently and took his shots as trained, three bullets from Kawin put him down. One had at least hit him outside his body armor as he kept laying on the floor with blood spreading. But Kawin saw the man grabbing something attached to his chest. Three hand grenades were pinned there and he ripped the security lever of one free.

"Move!" Chad said and brought Kawin to his feet with one powerful push. Then he suddenly stopped and Kawin felt blood in his face. A knife was buried in his skull. Not his own, but Chad's. It took a moment to register that it wasn't his and that he wasn't resetting. Letting his ally and ace to his own peaceful death someday fall to the floor he stood there looking at Jane, thinking of angles. Remembering what they had done, what they might have to change. Counting the seconds to aim for to go back just far enough as he faced the blast with arms precariously open. He would fall any second now, but he just needed that little push. . .that little nudge. Chad would be back, they would have a split second to both dive if he timed it right. Just had to focus on that moment, that length of time. Reset to being lifted up and they could dive down together away from the blast.

Just another second now. . .

Tag: @galactic-vagabond422, @DarkLordoftheFins

 

November 2004, Fllujah, Iraq

The tank crumbled as if it was made of paper, as Simon extended his arm and showed the grin Ayshe had come to fear so much. "Karim, up there. Sniper. Second window third story." Ayshe said and took cover again. Karim nodded and vanished. Salim stayed next to her and held his AK 47 close to his chest. "Soldiers, west end of the plaza." Ayshe hissed and time slowed down around them as a nearby explosion now send shrapnels over the plaza they had picked for their stand. The pieces of stone and wood were almost beautiful as they made their way through the air in beautiful slowness. Salim jumped up and aimed, giving a series of deafening bursts from his gun and dived back into cover as time resumed it's speed. The explosion nearby let those beautiful shrapnels rain down on the house Ayshe was hiding in. Somewhere four soldiers died never knowing what hit them. Ayshe looked through the window once more. The tall building at the end of the plaza collapsed as Simon moved through it. The last of the Americans had been hiding inside yelling for air support that would never come.

"Walther." She gasped the name as suddenly she realized the man who would come was named Walther. He would not be alone. Ayshe knew they would kill hundreds. She saw them die day and night. Hundreds more would come. They had already lost five of them. And at some point they would all fall. One by one. Simon seemed not to care. He had war in his heart. He had come here like a prodigal son returning home.



November 2004, Fallujah, Iraq

Ayshe sat at the fire and waited. Karim was as always at her side. Like a big sister he looked for the comfort of her presence to escape the terror of this place. Minutes counted down. Second by second. She saw the man called Walther take position at the tower nearby and prepare the gun he had taken with him. He had stalked them for days, studied them. Now he would strike and then his men would attack from their nearby hideout in the dark alley. Simon would be the first to go down. Alive. She would have preferred him to die and the others to survive, but she had not had that choice.

"Tomorrow we will attack the blockade at Saq-al-Haim." Simon explained to Salim and the others and smiled. "They will all die." He said triumphantly as if the destruction of the blockade would change anything. The logic of war. Kill, kill, kill.

5, 4 ...

"Put down your gun, brother." She whispered to Karim and took out her pistol and put it into the sand before her.

3, 2 ...

Karim looked at her, but in his faithful way he followed her example. Walther was taking aim. She could see that.

Ayshe went to her knees and put her arms behind her head. Karim looked surprised.

1 ...

"What are you doi ..." Simon never finished his sentence as his hand went to his neck and he collapsed. Salim could not slow down time as a bullet hit his head. Karim looked at her in terror as the shooting began. They were effective, these soldiers. The others died in seconds. Only Karim and her remained. "Shall I ..."

"No." Ayshe stopped him from teleporting away and Walther put another of his tranquilizers into the back of the boy. He collapsed and Ayshe remained there, as the soldiers approached from all sides.



Antville, Alaska, December 2004

Ayshe entered the empty room. She was the one of them not sedated.

"What is your name?" The Officer asked.

"Ayshe Asa ..."

"Your name is Gamma. You will only go by this name from now on." The Officer answered and Ayshe turned towards him. She smiled and nodded.

"Gamma, certainly." She nodded. "Let me guess who is Alpha." She then replied and looked at the plain white walls. The officer laughed behind her and left the cell. Before he could close the door Ayshe turned to him. "Sorry about your son." She said and nodded. She saw the man widening his eyes and then cut off as the door was sealed. He would understand in a week. When the truck hit that little body. Ayshe could have warned him of it, but what was the life of one child? An enemies child? No, he would come back to learn more and so it would begin.

Her thoughts went to Simon and Karim. Karim's power would be useless unless they found out where they actually where. But Simon they would probably keep drugged. For a while, then he would somehow manage to get ill. She could still not see anything around him. But she did foresee the discussion of the Doctor, telling them the drugs could make his condition worse. They would suspend the injections and then ... they would die. All of them.



Antville, Alaska, May 2005

They thought they had imprisoned her, but the truth was they had set her free. Her brothers had been a blind spot in her vision, but now they were imprisoned and also they remained an unknown constants their lack of influence over the world left the black spots smaller and smaller. She saw now everything. Trillions of decisions every minute and uncounted possibilities. In the beginning it had overwhelmed her. It had been so bad she had tried to carve her own brain out with a spoon. The drugs the doctor gave her had at least silenced her vision. It did not stay like this, though.

But once she returned from the hospital wing she saw more clearly. With her regained strength she had learned to adjust and concentrate. To channel. She could isolate strings of events. Consequences were eliminated and her vision expanded by being reduced. In time she would be able to see the outcome desired and calculate the path. She trained with the guards, the doctor. Small things. Making them quit smoking by have them talk to heavy smokers about something and being disgusted by the smell. Mentioning a city and have them look it up, which lead to holiday planning month down the line. Soon she would start unraveling more useful schemes. Colonel McIntyre was a rough man, so she would have guards talk to her about personal stuff. She would reveal intel, small things. When that intel was analysed his ban of talk between prisoners and guards would be reviewed, leading to frustration and anger that lead to bad decisions that again lead to his dismissal a few months down the line. Carver would take over and retire in 2008, recommending Thompson as his successor. Faithful Thompson who suffered from his unfaithful wife far away in Arizona. Something he would be eager to learn about from the Source in front of his eyes. Ayshe.

Slowly she understood it was only a matter of time before this cell would be the place from which she ruled the future.



Antville, Alaska, November 2005

The houses were only ruins. Dead soldiers were everywhere. Their bodies mutilated and often reduced to shapeless bulks of flesh and bones. It had been an army and all that was left now was their dead flesh.

Alpha had been successful with his illness and regained his power now fueled by untamed rage.

And amidst this chaos he stood, still wearing the overall of an inmate of the facility he stood ... grinning and slowly turning to her. His face was lighted by the burning remains of a Black Hawk helicopter he had reduced to a pile of burning pieces. He looked like the mad God he had become.

"Oh they send you, sister? Smart. Very smart of them." Alpha ... as he referred to himself now ... turned and raised his arm.

"I asked them to let me come. They were foolish enough to allow me to." Ayshe tried not to show her fear. Her vision was darkened by his presence. The future was a gaping black hole of uncertainty. He blinded her. She could not foresee his actions. Only the result. The burning remains of a word ravaged by him was all she saw ...

"You should not have made their war yours." He smiled and Ayshe smiled back. "I haven't. I have made your war mine. I always did, brother. I am here to save you." She said this and then a long moment passed. He had not killed her, she realized when his hand lowered again. She continued. "You will die. In thirty minutes from now you will die." She stepped to her former comrade and carefully raised her hands. Gently she touched his face. "If you do not stop you will loose today." She whispered.

Alpha looked at her, but did not keep her from touching him. "I thought you can't see me?"

Ayshe nodded. "I saw them and their unholy triumph." She said and lied. Alpha blinked and then sighed.

"But you can succeed. Not today, today you must let them capture you. One day though ... one day they will be ready. Alpha. Ready for us. They will despair and their world will break apart and all they will have left will be their agony and bitter ashes to feed upon. In their desperation they will look for God. For a new God. They will kneel before you and ask you to save them!" She whispered now. Coming closer with her face to his.

Alpha looked down at her. "I will say no." He only replied. Ayshe looked at him and then nodded. He was gone. The already difficult man Alpha had once been was consumed now by hate and bloodthirst. She realized what she had to do.

"What will you do?" She asked and one hand left his face. Slowly she fingered for the syringe they had given her. She put it out, not hiding it from him. "What will you do when you wake up?" His hands raised now and it was her face he took now between his hands.

"Ayshe, my poor Ayshe." He sighed. "There will be a Reckoning." He whispered back now and Ayshe looked into these feverish insane eyes and rammed the needle into his leg.

"Of course there will be ..." She whispered and knew she could never allow him to wake up again.




Antville, Alaska, Interrogation Room, February 2007

She folded her hands and looked at the two men in uniforms. So proud, so arrogant. So blind. She would enjoy seeing them break and ... well, she had enjoyed it already.

"Gentlemen, I am glad you finally found time to meet me in person and I am glad our relationship is now entering this ... stage."

"We got no relationship, Prisoner Gamma. You think we owe you for getting your friend under control and into coma? Don't think we're fools. You know and we know what we would have done, had this dragged out any longer." He smirked.

"I know."

"I know that you know. And now you know that I know that all you have been doing was to save your sweet, little butt."

Ayshe looked at him. Then she smiled. "Delivered well, General. Really."

"What?" He demanded in a firm tone. It was hiding insecurities.

"When Kyle Roberts advised you yesterday to play aggressive and with slight sexual undertones as this is most likely to gain a reaction from an Muslim woman you had doubt you could do it. But that was an excellent performance." She lay her head aside. "Too bad he leaves by the end of the week to join Senator Van Hagen, taking with him some dirty secrets that they will use to blackmail you. You obviously find a way out of it, but only a bloody way which will leave a stain on your reputation. Rumors and such. It will lead to an early retirement and you will be missed on the council when this lybia thing goes down." She sighed. "But that is 2010 and 2011, we got more pressing issues to discuss." She unfolded her hands. "In my room you will find a list of 24 men in the U.K. who will in 33 days assemble an explosive from Softdrinks on a plane from London to Seattle. You should use Roberts to send the U.K. a memo and they will put surveillance on them and capture them in time." Now she had both men's attention. "Also don't push the President for the executive order. He will release it, but it will have an adverse affect of radicalizing a man called Hashim Banari, who will become a security risk. Alternatively you can have him liquidated, but that will lead to Mr. Simmons being identified or captured and again damages future operations, especially after the Antville you pulled off last year in New York. You are welcome for that one, by the way." The hands folded again. "The Saudis are also lying about Al Nashar, as you suspected. Do not let it go, as planned. It is one of many paths to an all out war in the Arab region that you should not take. Almost none of the billions of outcomes such a war could take are favorable for the USA." The men kept silent and listened. "Also we should talk about loosening my restrictions and especially those of BETA. I can warn you about a million things, but I can only do as much without the direct ability to influence things. Because many possibilities unfold with every adjustment I do and I believe it is not in our interest to loose control once we begin to do this." Again her smile. "So now you have a lot to talk about. Work with me. Kill me. Silence me. Isolate me. You know the options."

The General who had not talked yet smiled at her. "I guess you have already foreseen our reaction."

Ayshe returned the smile. "Certainly."

And her reign had begun ...


Antville, Alaska, January 2017

Darkness. It spread and consumed everything beyond a certain point. A few months and all her visions ended beyond that point. Slowly paths were cut of, tangling without predictable outcomes. She felt helpless suddenly. What had happened? Was she growing weaker? No, there was something different. She searched the mist, looked for those far future decisions she could still see. There were more holes than she suspected. Mali. She had never again been able to see her old home and what happened there. Now another hole gaped in her vision right here on the continent. It took her weeks to find the right approach. It had been before her eyes all the time. There was an awakening. More like her were about to get created. And like Beta and Alpha they left her blind. Small spots. And in their midst there was one black hole, consuming all certainty. Absorbing the light of her vision until there was only darkness. Who was he? Ayshe needed to find out. She needed to kill him. She knew she needed to kill him, or all was lost ...