World 6: Awakened - RP Thread

(Nearly reaching the end of all the explanations, at last )

He laughed at that. He hadn't really been suggesting the possibility, instead hinting that he knew the name she'd given had to be an alias, but she didn't rise to the bait.

How's investigating those other witches going? he asked instead.

Slow, she grimaced. I can't find where they've hidden themselves, they're blocking my scrying...

What can I do to help?

In front of me now stood something, or rather someone that couldn't stand in front of me. "Tom?" I asked with new tears filling my eyes. I knew it couldn't be true. That it was some kind of illusion or the more obvious choice, the shapeshifters trying to fool her. That was what Will had wanted to warn her about, but I couldn't stop moving towards him. He was in front of him, alive.

"Natasha, what have I said about getting emotional during a mission. We need to escape, they could be here any second." Tom said with that funny and annoying tone of his voice when he thought he could order her to do something.

My brain was screaming at me to get out of there, but another part of me wanted to just listen to him, listen to Tom.

"But how..?" I had to ask, it could be him, it had to be. It would make her complete again.

"How I survived? You remember our 3D image cloning device? I heard a noise before we entered the building and so I let my clone take my place so I could come back and make a surprise attack."

"Oh, Tom! It is really you." I said, my tears streaming down my face and with a smile so big. I ran towards him and we embraced each other. Tom's perfume almost made me lose balance and it took all ounce of my willpower to ignore the feelings that was rising to the surface.

I swiftly and stealthily removed the knife from "Tom's" belt that he always carried with him and quickly stabbed it in his back. I felt resistance because of the bones in his body and so I forced myself to push it further in. I noticed how black blood ran down my fingers from the wound that I had opened and so I backed away, sobbing inconsoleably.

I had known for certain that it had been something in disguise when "Tom" had explained himself. Tom wouldn't have left me behind, no matter what, and he would have faced the danger, not running behind some 3D image cloning device. But it didn't hurt any less, killing him. Because what was on the ground in front of me wasn't a monster or a shapeshifter. It was him. His body, his clothes and even his smell. And for the second time during one night, I had been forced to witness his death. But this time was worse, because this time I was the murderer. I was the one who had killed, not him, but the last fragment of him that would ever exist. I crouched down beside him and then buried my face in his chest, drowning his clothes in my sorrow.

I slowly started moving back to the HQ after taking Tom's equipment from the dead shapeshifter. When I reached our HQ where I was embraced by Will for the first time since, ever.

"You are alive!! Oh thank god, I thought you were a goner. I don't know if I could have taken it. After Tom and all that. What happened?!?" I tried once again pushing everything aside and then I started to apathically tell the story with so many terms like "the target" and "ambush" as possible. Will didn't seem to question me and so I went to change my bloadstained coat to my "everyday" clothes. I didn't want to go home that night so I stayed in one of the guestrooms that we had in the HQ, so did Will.

But I couldn't sleep. As soon as I closed my eyes, my hand was pushing the knife further in and every time I heard something like Will turning in his bed, I just heard the crunching of bones in "Tom's" body. The black colour of the pillow in the bed reminded me of the blood on my hands. Nothing made the pain easier. There was only one thing I could do to keep the pain as distant as possible. Hunt.

( )

Even as she spoke though, she faltered. What she'd said had just registered with her - "we". We, already. The grim smile on his face showed that he'd noticed it too, and knew what it entailed.

I guess you can, she sighed. Or try, anyway.... thank you, Agent Brenner.

He started.

How do you know who I am? he asked. I never gave my name, I'm sure of it....

Witch, she smirked.

I woke up with a scream that made Will fall down from his bed. "Whaaisit?" he asked sleepily his head already on its way back to the pillow. His blonde hair was standing out in all directions and from the looks of things, it looked like he didn't get much sleep either.

I forced myself to move and to go through the morning routine, but the bed was almost literally screaming at me to go back and sleep forever and never wake up, and I was tempted. But, I knew wouldn't be able to fall asleep again. Not after that nightmare. It was more the memory of last night than a dream. Now, even my subconcious is shutting down and just hitting replay on my memory.

I took a random mug from the shelf and took way too many sugar cubes and topped it of with a ton milk. That was when I noticed I hadn't even poured coffee in the mug. This was going to be a long day...

( )

The first punch barely missed his head as he narrowly dodged it. That made the witch hiss in frustration. Her eyes were narrowed, hate and disdain showing clearly in them. He could see what she was thinking - he was human, and meant to be easy meat. He was going to prove that wrong.

Dodging to the side again, he threw his own punch at her, felt it collide and crunch into her flank. Beside him, another witch jumped into the same fray. Her attack hit him, driving him to take a step backwards. He'd lost sight of Bethany but he was sure she was fighting just as intensely as he was.

I poured coffee in the mug and drank the sweet taste of sugar with milky coffee. But the taste was distant to me. I could taste it, but I didn't feel it. But that wasn't the only thing that was distant. The feel of the room, the smell of deoderant and sweat and the noise of Will's snores, they were all distant. I was distant.

After the coffee I once again forced myself to get to work. My day-time job as a hotel receptionist. Somehow I needed to pay the rent, and the fact that Will was studying to become a game programmer didn't help that much. I sighed once again and made my way to my motorcycle and drove of.

Seems I wasn't as much of a liability as you'd expected, he remarked, though his tone was light and his teasing grin took any sting out of the words. She shrugged.

You didn't get yourself killed, she conceded.

And you wouldn't have found them without my help, he pointed out. At least not as quickly.... does that mean you'll let me keep fighting with you, without all of these protests?

She hesitated. He was right, he had held his ground and he had led her here.... but all of her earlier arguments still echoed in her mind. She couldn't help it. He was human, and humans weren't meant to be in this fight... they were meant to be completely ignorant of its very existence. But then, she'd already thrown that part away. Slowly, she nodded.

I'll call you the next time I find something, she agreed. Or if you come across anything... weird... in your own line of work. I'd probably be able to ID it as supernatural easily.

Despite her worries, she was by now smiling slightly as she spoke, as she agreed. She was finding that his emotions at her change of heart were infectious.

You were more help than I'd expected, in honesty, she admitted. I thought I'd have to be watching your back more than mine... but it wasn't like that. Only the once. You can hold your own.

Brenner was thinking that he could have told her that earlier, recalling his time in the marines before he'd joined the bureau, but he held his tongue.

I guess we're... equals, then? Or what do you call it.... partners?

You've found something, then? she asked, her smile teasing, as she let him in. About time... I was beginning to wonder....

He nodded, still grinning.

It's a nest of vampires, down by the docks.

And that's good, somehow...? she guessed. He shrugged.

Well, we know how to deal with them, so it's better than a mystery. And it's not like they can be still human... not like... he broke off, not liking the reminder of last time. Plus, hunting them just thrills me, can't explain why.