Dissidents: Winds of Change

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Makarios Lilis, orange
As the weight was lifted off of him, Makarios found the time to breathe. A flurry of questions hit him at once, with as much force as a strike to the gut. 'Why the hell did I do that? What came over me?' His breath quickened and panic began to set in.

He gritted his teeth, struggling to his feet. "No!" he growled as he looked at the man who had just fallen via Caleb. He looked up just in time to see Joseph act like a man unhinged. His movements fluid like someone who could....well frankly, like someone could see. His moves were precise and even took Makarios by surprise. That level of skill? He must have been a force of reckoning in his gymnast days.

'That's right, keep your mind trained on others. You're good...you're good. You've got this. Come down, come down.' He let the thoughts wash him clean, removing any trace of that....thing that had crept up from inside him. He made it to his feet, struggling with each movement. But his mind seemed to be calming down. Even the world seemed to be lightening. His terror subsided and he focused mainly on getting his classmates out. That's all he needed to do. Just get out. That was it.

His eyes locked on the man struggling to get up. The smaller one. He held a fever in his eyes, wild and sporadic. Makarios even noted the slight dribble on his chin. There was a fervor in him. It hit Makarios instantly. The sensation came back and he lunged, a growl escaping his teeth. His movements jerked, and his lips pulled back. With the spirit of Wolf, he tackled the man, yelling as he did so. He swatted at the man, a strength from an unknown source sending him flying back. A small crunch could be heard as the man hit the wall and slumped down. Instantly, a spasm made its way down Makarios' spine, and he arched his back, falling down again. A heavy sheen of sweat decorated his forehead and his breath came ragged and labored. The weight of his actions, both physical and mental, hit him at once. But before he could mull over them or let his body rest, he found arms around him, lifting him up.

Caleb!

Against his will, clarity left him and the world darkened again. Makarios found himself slipping from his mind.

The feel of leather, for some reason, brought him back to his senses. From far away in his eye, he saw Caleb close the door and shout something. He felt movement, enough to bring him back closer to the world around him. The red flit of hair he glimpsed him back.

***

"Makarios! Makarios, wake up!" Alyssa shouted, her eyes wild with anxiety. She could see him, struggling to come back. Her panic rose as the speed of the car rose and the world blurred around her.

"What in the hell....do you think you're doing here, Alyssa? God....I'm gonna...I'm gonna kill you," came a slurred response, finally, after an eternity of silence.

She breathed a sigh of relief, sinking in her chair. "You little homo, I'm ripping you a new one when we stop."
 
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CALEB FITZROY, #003366
Several police cruisers whipped by Landon's Charger as Cal directed it back towards the school. Having just got off the phone with Sam to let her know everyone was alright, the car had fallen sullen and quiet. Even Alyssa was quiet as she sat in the back with Makarios and Skye, making sure both were okay while Joseph sat silently in the chair beside Cal, a scowl on his face.

"You saved the girl, the cops got the bad guys and yet you're still scowling." Cal said in a low voice as he took a turn guiding the car onto the overpass as he steered in the direction of the hospital. "What's bothering you?" Cal glanced into his rear view mirror, before looking forward again. Unlike earlier, his mind was reacting as quickly, there was no guided path for him to follow. Instead his head was pounded and it almost felt like the world could start spinning around him at any second. Beside him, Joseph let out a sigh as he turned to answer the question.

"Twice today, I've felt like myself again. Twice today I felt like I could see, I could move and flip through the air just like before and yet it only lasts for a few seconds. My body and mind, it's like for a moment they're perfectly in synch and I'm moving like a champion gymnast and then 'BAM' it's gone again and I'm left literally in the dark blinded." He slumped down in his chair, arms crossed. "I know it might seem petty, but... He groaned roughly before turning away from Cal and looking out the window. "Ah nevermind. You of all people wouldn't understand. You have everything you could ever want."

"Not everything." Cal muttered bitterly under his breath. Perhaps Joseph couldn't see, but Cal had lost his mother again. Not that he could bring her back, but in order to save his classmates, he had to ignore his own goals and stop the Butchers. He didn't get a chance to question them, he didn't get a chance to ask them why they killed his mother, why she was their only victim who wasn't a teenager. Inwardly, Cal was screaming as he realized once against how many answers he was likely never going to get. Giving his pounding head a shake, Cal tried to shake the thoughts as he wiped a single tear before stifling back any further emotion as he pulled into the hospital. Landon was already there, shaking his head disapprovingly but Cal could see a proud grin trying to slip out. Climbing out of the car, Cal stood back as paramedics rushed the group. Alyssa tried to shoo them off her but they insisted in checking her for wounds. Cal of course knew the only thing they'd find is a slight tazer burn. He rubbed the back of his neck as a smirk crossed his face before he too was pulled away by the paramedics who escorted him inside to ensure he was bandaged.

Wincing as the wound was cleaned up, Cal looked up to see Landon enter the room followed by a pair of detectives.
"Hey Cal, these guys want to talk to you." Landon said before asking, "Did you want me to stay?"

"No I've got this." Cal said confidently before calling to Landon. "Just wait for me okay?" Landon nodded, a small smile crossing his face as he walked out of the room.


SAMANTHA RUSSELLS, #4dff4d
Sam spun the dial on her lock as she quickly entered in the three nunber code before popping her locker open. It had been nearly a week since she had helped to apprehend the Butchers. All in all she felt pretty good about everything that had gone that day, while it was terrifying at the time, in the end everything somehow turned out alright. The real bonus here was that she had gotten some new friends out of it, Alyssa and her had shared a lunch table a couple times this week and even Makarios was stopping to chat a bit. Heck even Cal was talking to her again, although Sam couldn't decide if that was a good or bad thing given how he also was stopping by Skye's locker every day. Naturally she was also keeping up with Joseph. He had in fact worried Sam for quite some time as he hadn't returned to school until yesterday, but thankfully he seemed alright. Probably just a little shaken up as he was actually taken by the Butcher on top of being blind. Tiresias was alright too, the golden lab's leg was decently healing and he was happily guiding Joe around the school once again.

A sudden thud beside her caused Sam to jump as she turned to see a smirking Cal who raised his eyebrows at her as he brought an apple to his mouth and took an obnoxious bite out of it. An equally obnoxious crunch almost drowned out the hustle and bustle of the hallway as she turned to address him.

"And to what do I owe this displeasure?" She asked in a light hearted tone.

"Not your good looks." Cal said, spinning the apple around before biting down on it again.

"So I have good looks do I?" Sam replied as she batted her eyelashes mockingly towards him.

"That's not what I... I need a favour." Cal responded as he changed the subject. Sam could have swore she almost saw some pink in his cheeks. Then again considering who he spent time with, he could have been drinking between classes.

"Last time you needed a favour lives were on the line. Please tell me the stakes are lower this time." Sam tried to subtle examine his cheeks further, maybe he was blushing.

"It's a small one, I promise." Cal said as he finished his apple off and tossed the core over his shoulder. Sam's jaw nearly dropped as it amazingly went into the trashcan nearly ten feet away.

"You're kidding me?" Sam exclaimed to which Cal gave a confused look. "The apple... Nevermind, what's the favour?

"Want to hack the police mainframe and get me everything they have on the Butchers?" Cal said as he jokingly returned her gesture of batting eyelashes. "I can even make bail if you get caught."

Sam scoffed as she pushed Cal back before shutting her locker and beginning to walk, waving for Cal to follow. "I'm not going to get caught, but realistically what's in it for me?"

Cal smirked in his usual arrogant manner as he glided up beside her on his skateboard holding out two ticket stubs towards her. "How about two tickets to see Scream Queen when her tour comes her in three weeks. I know how much you love her music."

"That was just a phase." Sam replied hating the fact it was now her turn to blush. Quickly snatching the tickets as Cal went to pull them away she responded to him. "Fine I'll do it. I'll have the reports for you by the end of the day."

"You're a doll!" Cal called back to her as he skated into the cafeteria leaving Sam walking on her own. Shaking her head she looked down at the tickets and groaned. "Good going Russells, you let the amateur con artist buy you off like a ten dollar hooker." Turning towards the yearbook room, she let a smile cross her face. "But you're a ten dollar hooker who gets to see Scream Queen live!"


CALEB FITZROY, #003366
Skating into the cafeteria, Cal looked around as he flipped his board up into his arm. Spotting the blue stripe, he walked over to Skye, tapping her left shoulder as he slipped around her right side.

"Hey you," Cal said as he flashed his million dollar grin. While the first few days after the Butchers' incident had been tough, especially after talking to the police and the grilling that Landon gave him. Cal began to realize the benefits of it, he had forgotton how much he liked Skye and she still seemed to be pretty into him too. If he played his cards right, he might just be able to land one of the hottest girls in school, well next to Sam. Cal had to admit if things had gone differently, he may have ended up with the girl next door. But Sam was a friend at least, so it's not like he had lost her from his life.

"Hey you to you too." Skye replied with a smile as she turned with a tray full of food. "Are you getting anything?"

"Yeah I'm going to grab a slice and Cherry Coke." Cal said as he looked over the cafeteria spotting Makarios on the far side. "Hey Makarios is sitting over there, why don't you go grab us a seat and I'll meet you there?"

"Sure thing Caleb!" Skye replied in a sing song voice as she walked away. The best thing that had come out of the Butcher attack was that Skye no longer smoked, she was far too afraid to go outside and light up especially after learning that it had made her an easier target. Ordering a slice of Hawaiian Pizza and grabbing a Cherry Coke out of the fridge, Cal pulled some crumpled ones from his pocket as he threw them down insisting the girl behind the cash keep the change before he made his way to the far side of the cafeteria and sat down across from Skye, raising his hand to wave to Makarios.

"Ready to team up and go fight crime?" Cal asked jokingly, though despite his tone a part of him wanted to be serious. With what they had managed to do, something the police hadn't even done it was obviously they had talent of some kind. Or perhaps just dumb luck but either way it had been a rush for Cal and it wasn't like Chicago couldn't use the help.

The hiss of his Coke opening brought Cal's attention back as he turned to see Skye stealing a gulp of it with a giggle as she rushed to put it down. She quickly turned away to cover her mouth before the pop came out of her nose as she stuggled to subdue laughter at the dirty look Cal gave her.

"Seriously? That's a crime right there. Stealing a man's Cherry Coke, that is the lowest of the low Skye."
 
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Makarios Lilis, orange
The following days hadn't been easy for Makarios, to say the least. Physically, on the outside, he felt fine. The doctors at the hospital during his initial check-up were slightly baffled at his cuts. They seemed to have already started the healing process. They couldn't place the exact reason for his rise in temperature, but didn't place much weight on it. Sending him off through the bland and voidly lit halls of the hospital, they had told him to take it easy and given him some pain pills for any internal trauma. He had to resist the urge to throw them away almost as soon as he got them.

His brisk walk out of the hospital had passed through the boys in blue and even a familiar red head that shouted his name. But Makarios was lost in the crowd of reporters and the like, bustling for answers and with the wrong questions to boot. Their bodies provided a natural barrier for him to glide through as he lost any and everyone who knew him and made his way straight home.

Closing his door and hearing the familiar click of his locks sent a signal to his mind. Instantly the mental exhaustion billowed throughout him and he sunk against his heavy oak door, ragged breaths providing the only ambient noise. His hands found the tangles of his hair as he felt his eyes sting from the assault of oncoming tears. His eyes strained to find something in the floorboards he stared at. Something of an answer as to why he had lost control. An answer as to why he was the way he was. Why he couldn't get rid of this damned power. Who he was.

"And, why I'm alone..." He spoke out loud, his voice unsure, almost as if questioning the validity of itself.

----------

The following week saw Makarios doubling his time at the gym, constantly slinging at the punching bag until his hands were bloody and bruised. On the first day, he couldn't stop until he was hunched over, cradling his hands and urging himself to be normal. He found himself attempting to meditate again, but he couldn't work past the images of him holding the Butchers over his head and snarling.

To the rest of the world, he tried to hide it. He flashed smiles and nodded to all. Maybe he could even fool Alyssa if he worked at it enough. But, in his mind, he kept wondering what had come over him. He kept trying to prod at the urge that had filled him. The brief urge to claw through a mans skin and end his life. What had possessed him to do that? Why couldn't he control this thing that hung on his neck? Was he forever resigned to a life of fear and light treads through the throngs of normal people? What did Caleb and Skye think? They'd seen it all. Would they tell someone?
----


The night came with vivid images of a twisted and vile nature.

They swirled through his mind until his astral body found its footing on something solid. His body didn't seem to be his own though. His skin had become ivory white and inscribed with familiar symbols, but none that he could decipher. On his hands was a familiar ruby liquid. He looked ahead of him and saw a mangled body, shrouded in shadow. But what he could see was a tuft of familiar fiery hair. Panic set over him and he tried to run, but all he could do was turn his head and come face to face with the only woman he had ever loved.

Her familiar face seemed mangled by claw marks that he had the sinking feeling had come from him. Through the marks, she shed tears of a black ichor. "How could you? You let it enfold you? You can never go back!" She screamed at him, lunging at him. His movements weren't his own as his hand shot out and caught her throat. His other hand, clawed and foreign, it's talons sparkling in contrast to the black abyss that surrounded them, ripped at her throat. He screamed in protest, but his body continued....

Makarios jerked from his sleep with a cry. His body held a sheen of sweat, yet he shivered without end. He brought his knees up to his chin, cradling himself and trying to steady himself. All the while, he could feel a familiar pulse on his chest.

"What's wrong with me?"


----
Makarios shook his head, he didn't have time to think about that now. In the midst of the lunch crowd, he probably looked like he was brooding. He picked up his book on the human psyche and continued reading.

His thoughts were interrupted by someone sitting down next to him. He looked up with a raised eyebrow to see Skye. Lately, she and Caleb had been spending more time together. Though it was natural that traumatic experience could often bring people closer together, it still threw Makarios off. Knowing that, Makarios knew he could expect Caleb, but he wasn't sure whether he was in the right state of mind to be around people today, not after last night's dream. Sure enough, Caleb appeared. Makarios had to admit, there was a change in his fellow classmate. Chalk it up to a high or good vibes, but he seemed a lot more open these days following their incident. He waved to him and flashed the both a smile, asking them if they were doing well.

"Ready to team up and go fight crime?"

The question made Makarios tense up, he could feel his neck bristle as well. His eyes darting quickly to make sure no one was around, he closed his book. "I...umm," he struggled to find the words. "I don't know what you mean. Sorry." He began gathering up his things, leaving his food. He snatched his book up.

"I've gotta go. Studying and all, have fun. The pizza's good today." He hurried off, his backpack half-closed.
 
JOSEPH PEAKS, #ffff4d
The smells and sounds of the cafeteria was almost overwhelming as Joseph sat off in his own corner brooding while Tiresias lay at his feet. Rubbing his eyes, he bit down on the sandwich Rose had packed for him before taking another sniff of the air.

"Must be pizza day." Joseph muttered to himself, he didn't need to be able to see Tiresias to know the word 'pizza' had gotten the dog excited as he felt the repetitive thud of a tail against his leg.

"I don't think any of it's for you boy." He muttered as he reached down to scratch the dog behind his ears as he felt the weight of Tiresias' head on his lap. "If you drool on my pants again, I'm not going to be happy." He mockingly threatened. "I'm pretty sure enough people stare at me already without you leaving a goobery wet patch on my crotch."

Finishing his sandwich, Joseph began to pack up his things. Normally Rose would have sat with him to make sure he was alright but he didn't like keeping Rose from her social life and had swore at the beginning of his senior year that he wouldn't keep her at his side no matter what his parents told her to do. Besides enough people felt sorry for the 'poor blind kid' that he didn't need Rose to go out of her way for him, almost everyone else in the school could do it.

Though Joseph would give anything to get his vision back. The day he lost his sight it was as though a shroud had been pulled over his eyes, like they were seared shut by the strange vision he saw. Thinking back to the incident with the Butchers, Joseph only felt anger as he saw flashes of vision telling him where to dodge, where to strike. His moments and mind synced like they had been honed to be and yet here he was again today, blind as a bat and relaying on a dog to guide him.

Well perhaps not in the usual sense, Joseph thought to him as he looked at the hallway through Tiresias' eyes. The world in the canine view was a whole new place. It was blurred and almost everything was taller than you, it took quite the adjustment for Joseph to learn how to watch out for object which endangered him and not Tiresias, but between the two of them they managed to get around quite well.

"Ugh I can't believe he asked you to an art show." A voice came from behind Joseph causing him to pause as a more familiar voice replied.

"It's not an art show, it's a new exhibit at the Field Museum of Natural History. He knows I'm a history buff and he managed to get tickets to the opening through his work." Rose's voice replied.

"Whatever girl, I still think it's lame. I'd rather go see a movie and find a nice dark corner to make out in."

"That's 'cause you's a ho." Rose retorted as the two girls laughed. "Hey big bro!" She suddenly called towards Joseph.

"What's this about a boy?" Joseph asked, an amused smile crossing his lips. "I may not be able to see but I'm still your big brother."

"Relax!" Rose replied. "He's a nice guy, wants to take me to that new exhibit at the Museum."

"Oh the exhibit you haven't shut up about at home?"

"Like you'd know, you come home and put your headphones on to listen to that dreadful depressing music of yours."

"I have to!" Joseph protested. "Otherwise I hear everything in the house." He added with a slight laugh.

"It seems you still do." Through Tiresias' eyes, Joseph watched as Rose held out her arm for her brother. "C'mon, I'll take you to your next class."

Reaching out with his arm, Joseph felt Rose take a hold of it before he started speaking. "So he's taking you somewhere public, obviously he's not planning on murdering you." He teased.

"Nope, he's just into public displays of raunchy tantric sex." Rose replied smugly.

"That's not funny." Joseph replied with a slight shudder. "Don't make me sick Tiresias on him."

"I'm laughing." Rose taunted back. "Besides, Tiresias wouldn't hurt a fly."

"Good thing your boy isn't a fly then." Joseph answered with his own smug expression.

"Relax, everything will be fine." Rose said as Joseph rubbed his head. A slight burning sensation coming from behind his eyes as his connection with Tiresias was temporarily lost.

"Somehow I get the feeling it won't..." He muttered as Rose looked at him.

"Hmm? I didn't quite catch that."

"I said thank you for walking me to class." Joseph said forcing a smile as he tried to ignore the sensation crawling through his skull.
 
Arianna, #FF1493
Eliza Fischer frazzled about the exhibit, making sure everything was perfect. The lighting still wasn't to her liking, but apparently they didn't have the budget for the type of light filters she had wanted. Which was interesting because the Civil War exhibit seemed to be using those filters just fine. But, she couldn't worry about such trivial things. At the fresh age of 27, she would be one of the youngest to actually run an exhibit. Maybe that drive to prove herself is why she stayed behind after everyone else had left. This Romani exhibit would be one of the first of its kind in the States. Since they were a traveling people, they Gypsies never had overwhelming monuments to deities or practices. Much of what they did practice and worship was passed through word of mouth. Things stayed in the family and secrets were kept with tighter lips than that of the Secret Service.

It was difficult task to gather anything of note, to say the least, when it came to the Romani.

"Which is why this will be ground-breaking," she breathed to the museum, surveying all that was around her. Their "Cultures of America" exhibit was sure to be hit, she just knew it. She'd never heard of something so expansive, covering so many ethnic minorities in the U.S. and tying them all in to the development of their great country. The fact that so much had been found on the Romani people, so many artifacts, had been simply astounding. She just hoped that people would actually show up. And that the security would stay on their toes. There was precious stuff here, things that couldn't be replaced if they were lost.

She turned and looked at one in particular. Bathed in lights that seemed to create a halo of golden lights that seemed fitting, it was the center piece of the Romani portion of the exhibit. Among everything else, it held the most value due to it's oddity in simply existing. The Romani people were nomadic essentially, so they didn't normally erect lasting monuments to deities or religious icons, yet this was here.

It was a statue of the Saint Sarah, an amalgamation of alabaster, gold and other stone-work, with a fist-sized jewel situated in the Saints heart. The different elements were a testament to the fragmented lives of the Gypsy folk, and it looked beautiful. Standing at seven feet, it was rumored that the statue was more than 300 years old and had been brought over from Europe. Numerous stories floated around this statue, but the one she loved most was the one that told of a wealthy Italian sculptor who had fallen madly in love with a gypsy woman. Her dances had captivated him and her world stood as a beautiful mystery for him to explore. In a fit of love, he had toiled endlessly over the statue, poring all of his money in to it. He presented it to her finally and she had been so overcome with love, because it had been made in her likeness, but also Saint Sarah's likeness. Looking upon it, Eliza could definitely see the beauty in the face. A youthful yet wizened one. One full of hope and virtue.

But the rest of her community hadn't seen the love in the statue. They saw blasphemy from the sculptors hands. To one man in particular, another man who had loved the gyspy woman, he saw it as a sleight against their Patron Saint. He convinced the rest of the gypsy group to rile against the man and the woman, killing them in cold blood in front of the statue. Legend has it that one of the members of the mob had looked up to the statue as a wave of clarity and sanity passed over their eyes, only to see the statue weeping tears of blood and a black ichor. Legend also states that the jealous man had riled the mob in such a way through the use of dark magic and his penance was insanity and a cursed life, but not only his, but that of his children as well.

Eliza, lost in thought, shook her head as she played the story in her head and found her hand resting on the statue. Maybe it was just her over zealous nature and excitement, but it was almost as if she could feel power radiating from the statue. A terribly powerful aura. It made her hair stand up and she had to back away quickly.

"It's just opening day jitters, Fischer, that's all," Eliza told herself as she fixed her blouse and hurried off, checking other parts of the exhibit.

Tomorrow was opening night and she had a feeling that it would be one for her to remember.
 
SAMANTHA RUSSELLS, #4dff4d
Sam shook her head as she saw Cal waiting by her locker, tapping on his wrist as she approached.
"Don't you have anyone better to bug? What about your new girlfriend?" Sam asked, trying her best to keep her voice neutral and playful. A slight flushed burned on her cheeks as she heard some snide filter into her question.

"She's not my keeper, nor is she my girlfriend." Cal stated matter of factly. "That position is still open to all interested candidates." He gave Sam a playful wink before holding out his hand towards her. "Though more importantly, I believe you owe me something." He motioned with his fingers as Sam smiled reluctantly and pulled out a stack of freshly printed pages held together by single paperclip.

"I don't think you're going to like what you find in there." She added as she passed the pages to Cal who quickly began scanning the pages as he flipped through them. "They admit to every murder... except for your mothers..." Sam said quietly as she watched Cal's eyes narrow to angry slits before placed the report in his bag and forced his face back to it's cocky expression.

"Well..." His voice almost cracked before he got it back under control. "I mean obviously they're lying because she was a cop." He shrugged as he threw his board to the ground. "Criminals are after all a superstitious and cowardly lot." He backed away with a small wave and took off. Sam couldn't help but feel sorry for Cal though, he finally thought he'd have answers and yet he had hit another brick wall. Letting out heavy sigh she gathered her things from her locker and headed towards the bus stop.

"Sam!" A female voice called out to her as Sam turned around to see Skye running towards her. "Hey!" Her voice had an edge to it and Sam could only imagine where this was going.

"Hey Skye!" She said, forcing herself to appear happy to see the other girl.

"Don't you pretend like we're girlfriends, because we aren't Russells." Skye stated flatly. "Look, I get it you and Cal are neighbors, you're the girl next door and you two have been friends for 'like ever'." She emphasized the mocking aspect in her voice for the last bit. "But look, obviously you two aren't meant to be. You've both had chances and he's stepped away but all of a sudden you seem to think you can just come back into his life. No way, it's my turn now and you need to step off."

Sam's face burned as she couldn't believe the words coming out of Skye's mouth.
"I won't stand here and take this." She turned to walk away only for a hand to take a hold of her blonde hair.

"You're not going anywhere bitch! I'm not done yet." Skye said as a crowd began to gather around the pair. Sam gritted her teeth as she placed her bag on the ground and took a step away from it to intoduce slack into her pulled hair.

"You have the count of three to let go of my hair." Sam muttered as she stood with her back to Skye.

"Or you'll do what? You're just some nerd. Bitch please, you didn't grow up on the wrong side of town like me. You're just a stuck up bitch and I'm sick of you getting everything you like. You get to come and go wherever you please because you're 'Yearbook' committee. You have a key to the computer labs so you're never locked out. Like what makes you more deserving than the rest of us. At least let Cal go, he's over you."

"I think if that was the case, then you wouldn't be here right now." Sam retorted. "You obviously do see me as a threat otherwise we wouldn't be having this confrontation and look Skye, I don't care where you grew up, I can still kick your ass from here to Kingdom Come."

Skye chuckled slightly, opening her mouth again. "Bit..." She barely got the first syllable out before the sole of Sam's shoe imbedded itself in her stomach, a few golden strands of hair remained in her hand as she crumpled onto the floor.

"Bitch, please." Sam muttered as she picked her back up and walked away before the cheering crowd attracted a teacher's attention.

CALEB FITZROY, #003366
Cal spent most of the night pouring over the files that Sam had gotten for him. His mother's murder just didn't add up, and it looked like the Butchers weren't lying. Examing maps of Chicago, Cal had marked out all the Butchers' targets and circle them, his mother's murder site lay way outside it. His mother had also been killed where she was found, unlike all of the Butchers' targets and it's not like his mother had been the first victim either so it wasn't a matter of the Butchers not having their M.O. figured out.

Perhaps they were lying and it wasn't planned, but then why even bother risking it. Looking at the dates of the other victims and their times of death, nothing else matched up. Did that mean that his mother didn't find them? Or perhaps there was another body still missing. Cal leaned up against the wall as his head began to spin. He was only looking at pieces of the puzzle and the other pieces were still missing. He needed to find out what his mother was working on.

Picking up his cellphone, Cal saw he had several missed calls from Skye accompanied by a barrage of angry messages.

"Sam's a bitch eh?"
Cal mused as he scanned down the one sided conversation. "Crushed your ovaries?" Standing up bemused, Cal shook his head. Sam actually stood up for herself, the Sam he knew at the start of highschool wouldn't have done that. Perhaps those Tae Kwon Do classes had been rather good for her. Somehow he got the feeling that tomorrow was going to be a very interesting day.
 
Makarios Lilis, orange
Makarios stared at the board, his mind absent in the moments before his first class started. Alyssa had sufficiently chewed him out the night before for his demeanor.

---

”Look here, bitch, I don’t know what’s been going on with you, but it stopped being cute about one hour into it. You been moping round these halls like a limping dog!” It didn’t seem possible, but her hair had looked to hold a more vivid red than normal. She stood on her tip toes to reach his face and even from his higher vantage point, she was a frightening site. Brow furrowed, eyes glistening murder and justified wrath, she kept her tone even. Each word was deliberate and punctuated, every syllable perfectly annunciated. ”As your friend, you don’t get to pull away from me like that. You don’t get to shut down after something like that, not letting me in. I’ll be damned as hell if I let that happen. As sure as my dad’s rifle, I will not let you feel like you’re alone.”

”What, do you think I’m going to try and off myself?” Makarios had responded with a wave of his hand. He hated that tone. He hated what she was doing.

The minute she’d barged into his house, arms full of groceries, he’d known it would be bad. She always loved to angrily cook and hash out problems. The thud of an assortment of greenery and sides signaled the beginning of this evening’s main event. “We need to talk,” she had told him, immediately going to his fridge.

Now they stood in the kitchen, her eyes locked. The harsh light made her eyebrows that much more fierce. “With the way your ass is actin, maybe. I don’t take chances like that,”

”Are you’re saying that I seem that weak, bitch?” He stood taller, his eyes narrowing. She didn’t have to say it out loud to know what she meant to say.

She caught him off guard and poked him. “I’m saying that you’re acting like a little bitch, not the Makarios I know.”

It was enough to make his pause.

Hours later and in true best friend fashion, he was listening to her lecture him, prying for this information and that. It had taken a lot of work, but Makarios began to tell her more. His necklace never came up, but his stress and his loss of control had. In a way only she could, Alyssa had berated him for his idiocy in thinking she would somehow be afraid of him, all the while lifting him up and dusting him off again. It had taken the entire night, but they had ended it with a hug and cuddle session.

---

However, now he sat with drooping eyes, unsure of how he would survive the day. His sleep had been shitty to say the best the past few days. The only fortunate thing he could note was that his bed head looked amazing.

In strode a bound of tight curls teased to fall down in feathery fashion, copper in appearance and numerous. Alyssa seemed like she’d just awoken from a three day slumber. Her smile consumed her face as she flitted to him. “Don’t look so slouchy! It’s a wonderful day! Here, I got you some coffee.”

He’d stopped questioning her ability to function from virtually no sleep at this point and simply accepted the coffee graciously. He pulled all of his efforts into a passable smile, which she ignored as she continued talking.

“So, I’ve got to catch you up! Guess who’s fighting! Good, you give up. Samantha and Skye! Yeah, I saw it yesterday. Skye went cow prod mad and just attacked Sam. I couldn’t get through the crowd fast enough, but I had an ass whooping for Skye, reserved and ready to go. It’s like I told you—“

“Alyssa, you’re too loud.”

“Nuh uh. Anyway, I told you Skye looked a mess. She was shifty as hell. Bitch is jealous over trivial idiocies. Like, for real, mind your damn business. It’s not that hard to just trust tha—“

“Girl! Shut up!”

“Oh my bad!” Alyssa covered her mouth, noting her volume. Luckily no one seemed to be paying attention. “You know I get excited, and I’ve got caffeine.”

“Well damn, we’re all going to die today, huh?” Makarios settled down in his seat, taking a sip of his coffee. The warmth was welcome.

Alyssa slugged him from behind as the teacher walked in and began class.

He would have to keep a close eye on Caleb and Samantha today. To be honest, he had never been the biggest fan of Skye, but he never thought she’d go so far as to attack Samantha. Sam looked like the type who could scrap.

‘Guess Skye got introduced to that fact real quick,’ he thought to himself with a chuckle.


Arianna, #FF1493
Eliza bustled through the throngs of last minute workers, noting the time for the fifth time in the last ten minutes. They only had a few hours.

“Okay, let’s move it people. Henson, I want those lights shining over the Asian American entrance. Wilson, where’s the soundtrack for the railroad? Someone get the intern and tell her to make sure the reel is playing at the end.” All the while, she checked on this exhibit and that. She even checked that the carpet was cleaned, noting no flecks in the obsidian expanse they stood on. She finally found herself staring at the Saint statue once more, the centerpiece of the Gypsy exhibit.

“Don’t let me down, baby,” she told it with all the hope she could muster from so little sleep. She hurried off, remembering they had to finalize parking details. The statue stood in silence.

---

She could remember fear, but only fear. Nothing else seemed to exist, save the image of a face. Not her face. The face of someone she knew…before the fear. She had known something besides fear with him, but the name escaped her.

It trailed in to the darkness, becoming part of the mass the surrounded her.

Nothing felt. Nothing tasted. Nothing sounded. Nothing seen. But she knew she existed.

Vaguely aware of a presence just beyond her peripheral but…lightening her realm. Where did it come from?

‘Don’t let me down, baby.’

 
CALEB FITZROY, #003366
The sound of a car horn awoke Cal as he sat up straight, something sticking to his face as his groggily rubbed his eyes before realizing he hadn't spent the night in his bed. Pulling the paper off his face, it took Cal a minute to take in his surroundings as the pale morning light shone through the blinds into the dim and dusty office space. Outside the window, rain poured down on the windy city indicating a rather somber day.

The office in question was part of an old two story building, what lay beneath it was a garage that had long since been out of service. Looking up, Cal spotted his grandfathers' war medals from when the older man had come back from Vietnam. His mother had made sure this place was kept exactly as it had been before he passed away and now the family's money ensured the building would be passed down to Cal as his father had been written out as a possible heir when the man up and left his mother.

Pulling out his cellphone, Cal nearly fell backwards in the old chair when he noted the time and date.

"Frak." He muttered realizing he was due at school in thirty minutes and yet he was at least that far from home by transit. If he had a car, he could probably make it to school only a few minutes late. But at this point he wasn't going to slip by Landon's rader. Landon was less than pleased about Cal involving himself in the Butcher Case and his patience had been short since.

Quickly gathering up his things, Cal tried to remember how he even got to Grandfather's office. The memory of taking the midnight train from Lincoln Square to Logan Square seemed familiar as he realized he came here to look for any casework his mother might have left behind. Rebecca always claimed that looking over files in her father's Private Investigator office gave her some of his sharp mind, the same mind that she claimed Cal himself developed.

Pausing, Cal stopped to take a look at the paper he had pulled from his face as his eyes widened. It was financial records from Roman Locke, and it didn't take much of a mind to figure that the numbers on the page shouldn't have balanced. Chicago had always been a mob city, but from what Cal was seeing, it might still be a mob city. Either way, he'd have to worry about that later as he grabbed the folder off the desk and put it back in the open safe before closing it behind him. School was waiting, and he had no doubt that both Sam and Skye were anxious to have a word with him.

JOSEPH PEAKS, #ffff4d
"Mornin' Mom! Mornin' Dad!" Rose's voice sung out as she skipped down the stairs into the Peaks' kitchen. Joseph sat at the table, eating his breakfast in silence as he stabbed on his plate aimlessly for the last bit of his waffles.

"Well someone's in a chipper mood today." The siblings' father said with a smile as he turned to greet his youngest. "What's got you so upbeat today? It's certainly not the weather." He added as rain pelted against the window.

"Well Daddy, we're still alive, we're still breathing, the ducks are happy..."

"And she's got a date tonight." Joseph suddenly piped in as he interrupted his sister.

"JOSEPH!" Rose shot a glare towards her brother, purely out of instinct before realizing it was a rather futile gesture. Joseph meanwhile shoved a fork full of food in his mouth as he quietly chuckled to himself.

"Rose, is what your brother said true?" Her father asked as her mother entered the kitchen.

"Is what true dear?" She asked, planting a kiss on her husband's cheek.

"Our youngest has a date." Joseph's father replied as he brought the frying pan over to Rose's plate and slid a pancake onto it.

"With a boy?" Their mother asked as both parents turned their heads in the direction of their children.

"Don't ask me." Joseph responded. "I've never even seen the guy."

"Hilarious Joseph. You're a riot." Rose retorted as she slugged her brother in the arm. "He's a nice boy Mommy! We're going to the new museum exhibit tonight."

"Well that's a relief. I was worried he was going to be in a gang and show up in leather and chains on a hog." Her dad joked before his face turned serious. "But Rose, you're only fifteen, I don't know if I like the idea of you dating yet."

"Ahem," Joseph heard his mother clear her throat before she conitnued speaking. "I do recall a certain seventeen year old young man asking out a very beautiful fifteen year old girl."

"Times were different then though hon." Rose smiled as her dad immediately relented to his wife. "Alright, but I want to meet him. Have him pick you up here please."

"Deal Daddy!" Rose squealed as she rinsed her plate off. "Tiresias! Get Joseph to hurry up!"

Joseph let out a groan as Tiresias barked towards him. "You're a traitor, you know that?" He ruffled the dog's ears as he stood up and made his way towards the door reluctantly. School was not on the top of his priorities for the day.

SAMANTHA RUSSELLS, #4dff4d
The brakes of the bus came to an abrupt halt as Sam stepped out her seat and joined into the single file of impatient students as they trotted down the steps out onto the pavement below. Walking towards the school, Sam turned up the volume on her iPod as she pulled up her hood. The last thing she wanted was to hear all about her 'fight' and she had no doubt that this being highschool it was the one of today's hottest topics.

Speaking of her fight, she hadn't noticed Cal on the bus this morning. Considering the two were only separated by a hallway, it was odd that she hadn't at least seen him get a ride with Landon. Perhaps Cal wasn't too eager to show his face around school today either, not that Sam blamed him after seeing what kind of psycho laid inside Skye.

Despite her headphones, Sam could hear someone going on about her fight with Skye turning as she heard a male voice scold the individual in question with a sassy 'Girl! Shut up!'

"Hey Makarios," Sam said as she turned and pulled her headphones out of her ears. "How's it going Alyssa, cute top! Where'd you get it?" Sam asked avoiding making Alyssa feel awkward. The front doors suddenly burst open as Cal slid in on his skateboard before pushing through the crowd.

"Hey guys!" He yelled over to Sam, Makarios and Alyssa as he made his way towards the locker rooms. Sam couldn't help but notice his clothes looked like he had slept in them and his hair was a mess.

"Huh, he looks rough." She muttered before turning back to her friends.

"Anyways guys, I have to get to my locker. We should all do something after school, there's a new Frozen Yogurt place opening up I'd like to try if either of you are interested?" She called back as she began to walk towards her locker.
 
Makairos Lilis, orange
Makarios tried in vain to suppress a snicker as Alyssa’s face became flushed with red. He had a feeling Samantha had heard their little debacle of a conversation and he had to hand it to her, she could handle her composure as well as she could handle herself in a fight.

“Hey Sam,” he stood up to give her a hug, working on intuition that she might slightly need one. “How’s it going sweetheart?”

For all it was worth, Alyssa bounced back quickly and flashed a smile to Sam. He knew Alyssa and knew she would fess up and clear the air immediately. “Hey darlin! I actually have no idea, I’ve just re-purposed it so many times. Girl, I know you may not want to talk about it, but just know:” she paused for a second to look around this time, for which Makarios was vaguely thankful, before leaning in slightly to the two of them, “That heifer Skye ever comes around you, holler for me, okay? I’ve gotta cattle prod brand waiting for her.”

Makarios let his head hit his hands as he shook his head in unadulterated judgment. “I swear to God, I’m going to die getting you out of a brawl, aren’t I? I already see it coming.”

“Not, if I’ve got my daddy’s shotgun, you won’t.”

Makarios rolled his eyes as Caleb made his entrance and greeted the lot of them. Makarios was still slightly hesitant around Caleb after the incident at the barges. Though Sam and Alyssa had been involved, Caleb had been the only one to glimpse firsthand what was nestled in Makarios’ psyche. And after his abrupt departure from him and Skye the other day, Makarios carried a vague amount of concern with him today. He hoped he hadn’t made a scene. He nodded his head in agreement at Sam’s comment adding on to it. “He smell awful. A compilation of sweat, musk and a heavy air from an old building.”

Both Sam and Alyssa looked at him wryly, no doubt wondering if he could actually smell those things, and Makarios felt panic creep on him. However, Sam moved on, beginning to head to her locker.

“Umm yeah, sure we cou—“

“We have a date,” Alyssa piped up, taking Makarios by surprise.

“We do?” He asked her, taking a step back.

“Yeah. That new exhibit that’s opening up that you most likely haven’t been keeping up with so I don’t know why I’m talking like you know what it is. Anyway, it’s a new exhibit you’re taking me to.” Makarios simply folded his arms and raised an eyebrow at her, waiting for her continue. “Pleeeeaaassse. I wanted to go with Sammy, but he’s not here! And you know you’re my gay boyfriend and you have to fulfill his duties when he isn’t around.” She wrapped her arm around him as she began to drag him toward their joint locker, pushing through a slew of students.

“Ugh! Fine, but you SO owe me for this. And please, no fish taco nonsense.”

She slugged his arm, “You’re disgusting, you know that?”

------

The day dragged on slowly for Makarios, as if he was anxious for something. But he couldn’t place his finger on what it was. Alyssa went on and on about the new exhibit they were supposed to see, about how progressive it was and the implications it had on the preconceived structure of American ethnicities. He had talked her in to opening the invite to Sam and Caleb if they wanted to go and she had explicitly stated that Skye wasn’t allowed, of course he had to talk her in to the presenting that fact in a softer tone.

One thing he was anxious about was getting out of class and going to the gym. He had frequented the area since the day at the barge and after his talk with Alyssa, she had encouraged him to keep going. It was a healthy outlet and he could release so much and not hold back as much, especially when there was no one around. Thoughts of revisiting the school’s wrestling team flitted through his mind. In middle school, he had been naturally good at it, but his necklace had flared up during a competition, causing him to spasm out.

Regardless, the end of the day couldn’t come soon enough. He walked the halls on his way to his second-to-last class, before he heard a familiar yip and looked down to see Tiresias. “Hey there, buddy, how’s it going?” He bent down to give the dog a pat and ruffle his ears. He looked up at Joseph, “And hey there buddy to you too!” he joked with him. “How’s it going, man?”
 
JOSEPH PEAKS, #ffff4d
Leaving class for the day, Joseph allowed Tiresias to guide him through the hallway, not even bothering to use the dogs eyes to see. Suddenly the dog let out a small yip, a sound that Joseph recognized as the dog talking to a friend. Hearing a familiar voice address him, Joseph cocked his head towards the sound as he tried to line his face up to the speaker's.

"About as good as it gets, how about yourself Makarios?" He spoke, trying to keep his tone from seeming too flat. Unlike his sister, he had nothing to look forward to for the rest of the day and as such just wanted to go home and listen to music or something relaxing. Taking a step, he tripped over one of Tiresias' hind legs, stumbling forward before he caught himself as he caught a hold of Makarios' shoulder. A searing pain suddenly rocked Joseph's head as he stumbled backwards and fell to the ground. Images of Rose huddled in a corner while armed gunmen held their weapons towards her flashed before his eyes as he saw a picture of Makarios, wild and unhinged like an animal pouncing towards one of the gunmen. Snapping out of it, Joseph pushed himself up as he felt for Tiresias. Feeling the fine golden fur in his hand, Joseph merged the dogs eyes with his as he scrambled to his feet.

"Sorry Makarios!" He called as he began to walk away. "I've... er, I've got to run. Nice talking with you."

CALEB FITZROY, #003366
Sitting on the bleachers with Bryce and Skye, Cal twiddled his phone between his fingers. Sam had texted him about going to a museum with herself, Makarios and Alyssa later this evening. She had however stressed that Skye was not welcome which worried Cal, then again it wasn't a surprise since Sam was friends with Makarios and Alyssa but not Skye. So it was only naturally that they would side with Sam over the fight from the other day. Cal on the other hand had no idea whom he was siding with, though he had still declined the invite deciding to use the night to instead continue looking into his mother's former cases. Shooting a text back to Sam, Cal lied and claimed her already had plans before getting up.

"Catch you later Bryce, I'll call you Sam." Cal muttered as he suddenly got up and left. A bad feeling sat in his gut as he threw his skateboard to the ground and headed towards the bus stop.

SAMANTHA RUSSELLS, #4dff4d
Looking down at Cal's text, Sam shook her head as she walked down the school's hallway. Rolling her eyes, she silently lamented to herself she was going to be a third wheel at the museum but at least Makarios and Alyssa weren't actually a couple. Lifting her head up, Sam had looked just in time to see Joseph hurry away from Makarios as she walked up.

"What was that all about?" Sam asked before looking for Alyssa. "So are you guys heading right over to the museum, or were we meeting up later." She flipped her phone over in her hand before adding. "Oh yeah, Cal's not coming." Sam muttered quietly as she turned to look for Alyssa again. "Oh there's Alyssa now!"
 
Makarios Lilis, orange
Without warning, Makarios felt his amulet flare up, legitimately. He could feel heat rising from the object, something he’d never felt before. It seemed to singe his skin and left him with a frenzied look in his eyes. Instinctively, his eyes narrowed on Joseph and his first reaction was to lash out. However, he restrained his growl for the most part, the beginnings of it becoming lost in the ambient noise of the students surrounding them.

Before he could say anything further, Joseph was taking off hurriedly with a thrown excuse. Maki found himself panting after a few seconds, beads of sweat forming at the nape of his neck. What was that? Had Joseph done that intentionally? Whatever it had been, his amulet had not responded well. His chest still felt hot where the amulet had suddenly rebelled against him. The odd thing was, he couldn’t feel any specific animal impulses, just an overwhelming feeling of aggression, something he wasn’t accustomed to.

He had just finished clearing his head when Sam came up to him, asking him what was going on. “I’ve no fucking idea,” he blurted out, rubbing his temples. His words came more harshly than he expected, lashing out at Sam. He backtracked before she could speak, realizing how he sounded. “I’m sorry!” he half-screamed, reaching out and setting his hand on her shoulder. “I mean…I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to lash out like that…and I guess I’m sorry for half-screaming at you just now,” he told her, nervously laughing. “Umm…well I know Alyssa wants to go right away, but I was thinking about hitting the gym a bit beforehand. So, I could meet up with you guys a little late. Heh heh, y’know I can’t skip cardio day,” he finished lamely. His body was itching for some type of stress release at the moment. Whatever Joseph had done to him had put him on edge.

As Alyssa walked up, they quickly decided to play the night by ear somewhat. Makarios would meet up with them, they’d go for food and try and be at the museum by 8 at the latest.

---

Makarios slugged away at the punching bag in front of him. Ducking, weaving, spinning and shifting sides, he darted around the bag, jabbing this way and that. Each connection evoked a slapping sound as the time-worn red bag creaked dangerously on its hinge. His furrowed brow and tightened lips let everyone who remained in the gym know that Makarios wasn’t in a talking mood. He had a goal to accomplish.

’Tire the demon out. That’s right, lull him back to sleep,’ he told himself as his pants became heavier. The ambiance of feral energy in his head became lighter as his movements began to blur and time appeared as fluid as water, washing over him without his notice.

Before he knew it, his eyes drifted to the clock on the wall.

“7:30!? SHIT!”

He knew he wouldn’t hear the end of it.


---

“Will you shut that damned thing up?”

“Girl, she’s agitated right now, she’s running on fumes!”

“Well, that’s what you get for holding us up. Your ass goes hungry,” Alyssa told him as they made their way to the exhibit. Though it was supposed to be low key, Alyssa had pulled out a few of her stops. Her hair had been done up in a high fashion, white pins intricately placed in her hair to hold its structure while it contrasted with her vibrant hair. A pallid green double layer collar blazer complimented her eyes while her eggshell white pants brought attention to themselves.

“I’m surprised you even got here on time, as dolled up as you are. Low-key my ass,” Makarios chided her, evoking only a mock hairflip from her as she wrapped her arm around Sam.

“We always look our best. You should know that, Maki.”

Makarios rolled his eyes as they made their way to the museum. Part of him hoped that they would see Caleb waiting for them as they walked up, but he knew that wasn’t going to happen. He didn’t see much of the point in staying with Skye and she didn’t seem to bring much positive energy. Past that, he and Sam had been friend for years. And wasn’t the saying ‘Bro’s before hoes?’ Makarios shook his head as he realized he was already getting lost in his thoughts. He turned his attention to the girls as they made their way inside. The room looked grand and had attracted a massive turnout. One woman stood in the center of it all, with a smile that threatened to overtake her face. He pointed to her, “No doubt she’s the woman who put this all together. It’s a damn good turn out.”

He smelled something in the air, a familiar scent, but chalked it up to a repetitive fragrance. As they walked through the first part of the exhibit, Alyssa spoke up. “I have no idea what it is, but there’s…..a sort of power in the air, you know? Something just feels damn powerful in this area right here. Y’think it’s all the history and culture?”

Makarios had to nod his head, he could feel it too. But something in him told him it wasn’t from the history. He just hoped tonight would be a safe and good night.
 
SAMANTHA RUSSELLS, #4dff4d
Despite having lived in Chicago her whole life, Sam hadn't ever made it to the museum before. Her family had always gone out of the country for vacations and the one time her school had a trip planned, Sam had fallen ill and was unable to attend. Looking around the museum with a sense of awe, Sam struggled to keep up to Makarios and Alyssa as they made their way towards the new exhibit. Turning to her left, she saw Joseph's sister Rose, giggling nervously as she held onto some cute boy's hand. Elbowing Alyssa, Sam pointed towards the pair.

"Looks like little Miss Peaks is having her first date. Ain't it cute?" Sam said with a giggle of her own as she pulled out her camera to snap a few pictures of the exhibits before an attendant quickly beelined for her and asked her to turn the flash off on the device.

"Oh sorry about that!" Sam called to the rigid older woman as she walked away. "Man, who let her out of her exhibit." She muttered as she turned back to the sights at hand. Makarios and Alyssa had walked ahead and Sam suddenly realized that no matter how welcomed she had been, in the end she was still just the third wheel tagging along. As much as she hated to admit it, it would have meant a lot if Cal waltzed through the door with that cocky grin of his on his face. Reviewing her pictures, Sam couldn't help but wonder just how expensive some of these exhibits were, surely some of the relics locked up in here were priceless.

Screams erupted from near the doors as the lights were suddenly killed. Several flashes lit up the museum's foyer as the deafening sound of gunfire echoed through the high ceilings. Sam dropped to the floor and quickly crawled behind a display as she scrambled through her bag for her cellphone. Looking around, the emergency lights flicked creating a dim but terrifying atmosphere throughout the building, Sam didn't see Makarios and Alyssa anywhere. Quickly texting them when suddenly she felt a rough hand reach out and grab her. Sam's cell phone went flying out her hand as she was hauled up to her feet, the muzzle of a gun forced up against her back.

"Over there." A gruff voice ordered as he roughly shoved Sam towards the other hostages. In the back of the crowd was Rose and her date, the small girl huddled into his chest, tears rolling down her face. Turning to move towards them, Sam felt herself pulled back as a hand curled around her arm and her face ended up with the haughty breath of garlic blown into it.

"This yours?" The voice growled holding up her cellphone in front of her. Behind her, Sam heard a gun click as she swallowed hard, nervousness setting in. Nodding slowly, the man's face turned to a snarl only to suddenly drop as Sam delivered a quick kick to his groan while snatching back her phone. Using what little momentum she could, Sam spun the man around just in time as the other criminal discharged his weapon. The already groaning man suddenly crumpled as Sam ran fro cover, glass shattering behind her as the other man emptied his clip. Sliding under another exhibit, Sam booked it for the back of the museum.

"Let her go!" A loud voice cried as the leader of the thug's walked into the foyer. Snarling at the hostages, he frowned at the dead body before him before slapping the man carelessly firing his weapon. "You're going to damage the prizes moron! We have the building surrounded, she's not going anywhere." Motioning towards two others, he pointed towards the first hall of exhibits. "Now get to bagging those relics, we need to get in and get out."
 
Makarios Lilis, orange
Alyssa seemed to be in her own little world as she waltzed through the museum, subtly pushing past this person and that. Makarios had to struggle to keep up with her while enjoying the exhibit at the same time. His eyes caught beautiful set-ups and tidbits of information. Growing up, his mother had taken him to the museum only a few times, but the sense of history and legacy had resonated with him every time he went. He would stare at even the simplest dinosaur or early American history with a sense of wonderment.

He saw Joseph’s younger sister in the crowd and couldn’t help but smile. Though, the thought stuck him on Joseph a while. He hoped the other male was all right and he wished he could see him loosen and enjoy a moment of peace. Makarios had a feeling he knew something of what it meant to feel trapped in your own body, but to be trapped without sight was a concept he didn’t want to even delve down.

As they neared the center of the exhibit, Alyssa erupted with girlish glee. “This is it!” She proclaimed running to a statue in the middle of a woman. It was ornately constructed and Makarios felt himself drawn to it. But, it felt like more than that.

“I can’t believe it’s actually here,” Alyssa started, grabbing him by the shirt and jerking him forward. “You see, this piece is one of the Gypsy or Romani pieces. It’s great because it’s so out of place. They never made things like this, being mainly nomadic. This is a testament to something great happening in their group, or something terrible. If I’m not mistaken, it’s of one of their saints or something to that affect.” She prattled on, giving a lecture to all around her, pointing to different aspects of the particular portion of the exhibit and stating the significance of each. Makarios found himself drowning her out and staring at the statue, his nostrils flared. The statue seemed laced in a familiar scent, but he wasn’t sure why. He shouldn’t recognize anything about it. But yet, something familiar was resonating from the statue. It was a familiar yet old scent, as if it had been stagnating for years. It was almost as if it was emanating from within the statue, but that couldn’t be right, could it?

He didn’t have time process any more of the thoughts as he heard the first screams.


Eliza Fischer
Eliza seemed to sense the trouble before it happened. In the middle of her conversation with one of the museum’s generous benefactors, she caught on her words and something made her instinctively turn toward the door of the museum. That might have been what saved her life. She was able to tackle the benefactor just in time to miss a stray warning shot bullet. She scrambled to the corner, panic setting in.

This could not be happening right now. Not tonight of all nights. Where the hell were the security personnel?


Makarios Lilis, orange
For what it was worth, Alyssa only screamed for a second before she gained control over herself and heard Makarios screaming at her to get down. She seemed to come back to this world and leaped down, diving to a corner. Makarios looked up just in time to see Sam get grabbed. He lurched up until Alyssa’s clamed around his leg.

“Don’t!” She screamed, pulling him back down. “You’ll get yourself killed!”

She’s going to get killed!”

“No she’s not. If she’s smart, she’ll play a good hostage and they won’t off her. Makarios, get down!” She turned to her side, pulling a woman closer to her who was exposed and began comforting her and her screaming child, her demeanor immediately changing to a soothing one for the child. Even in the midst of chaos, Makarios couldn’t help but marvel at her composure.

However, he still worried about Sam and even worse, Joe’s younger sister, who he couldn’t seem to see.


Arianna, #FF1493

There was panic around her. Chaos and madness. So much fear in the air. It shuddered her being. She knew this feeling, it was what had put her here….wherever here was.

Screams pierced her darkness, jarring her from her state of stasis. Panic, urgency, feeling, life. Something tugged at her mind. The panic reminded her of a sensation. A sensation that she could feel the fringe of, but couldn’t place. What was it?

What was this sensation?



Makarios Lilis, orange
Among the chaos, Makarios felt oddly calm. He couldn’t fully identify why, but he wagered it had to do with the constant state of his mind. He was consistently in flux and now, it was just on the outside of his mind. He heard a gunshot and a scream. Making sure no one was watching, he touched his amulet, praying for serenity and a calm mind. Now, more than ever, he needed control.

The amulet shuddered form his touch and he felt the familiar aura wash over him. Though this time, without fear and desperation. His nose picked up a scent and his eyes widened as a blur of blonde streaked past him. On instinct his hand jutted out and grabbed her, pulling her in. A fist met his chin and he reeled back, releasing a string of curses. “Gahdammit Sam, it’s ME!” he told her as he released her and felt his chin.

“Are you all right? What happened?” He asked, peeking from around the exhibit at the armed men. If the other clues hadn’t been enough, he now knew what was going on. “A robbery? On opening night? That’s bold.” His mind started working in overdrive, trying to come up with a plan.

“Okay,” he turned to Sam and Alyssa. “I’m not sure if there’s much we can do, but we have to play smart. I think they’re solely trying to rob the place. If we can stay quiet, we can make it out of here alive. But, we’ve gotta get word to the outside. Sam, send a text out. The cops may get word, but still, we’ve got to make sure word spreads fast.”


Eliza Fischer
Eliza couldn’t believe what she was seeing. The security should have been able to handle this! Why wasn’t anything being done? Behind her, the benefactors she had been schmoozing up to were cowering in a corner, the wife crying and the husband trying to find an escape route. She was smart enough to know better. Peering over the balcony of the second floor, she could see the men moving down below, swiftly and efficiently.

“What are you going to do about this?” The woman behind her hissed, her pearls rattling against her shaking frame.

“The same thing you are, Mrs. Fortenberry, try and stay alive.” Eliza answered her curtly, pulling out her phone and texting the head of security. He would pay dearly for this. She worried about the exhibits, but there were many lives at stake now!

“Miss Fishcer,” Mrs. Fortenberry emphasized the ‘Miss’ in her name, “we have a grand sum of money sunk in to this show. Where is the security? Where’s the protocol?”’

The Brooklyn side of Eliza came out before she realized it, “Look bitch, don’t you think I set that shit up? Obviously something gone wrong. Now shut up and pray that you get out of here alive!” As she turned her head and looked down again, Eliza realized something. If she didn’t know better, she would swear these men were moving too efficiently. They passed over the exhibits that attracted the eyes of most people but weren’t the most valuable and moved to the subtly rare items. Almost as if they knew.


Arianna, #FF1493

She could sense a presence before her. This presence filled with nothing but malice and discontent. She’d felt this before, in her own self and others. But, she couldn’t remember the others, nor the time of it. So much was hazy.

So much lost.

This man held so much discontent, malice and evil. He radiated in such volume that it seemed to shake the space around her.

Was he the man who had put her here? Was it him? Why had he done this!?

She could feel something. Something besides the abyss she had known for so long. Something clear and concise.

Rage.

 
JOSEPH PEAKS, #ffff4d
The mellow tones of Pearl Jam flowed in Joseph's ears as he lay sprawled out on his bed. Reaching a hand down beside him, he felt the tin foil bag of the chip back crinkle in his fingers as he pulled the bag closer before retrieving a handful of ships and slowly passing one after another beyond his lips before they met their demise with a satisfying crunch. The combination of saltiness and spice were a satisfying distraction from the pounding headache that was only further emphasized by the burning sensation behind his eyes.

Every since his run in with Makarios, Joseph's mind had been racing. He had seen a great deal of visions, all of which had come true in some manner. Perhaps that's what had him so disturbed, the fact he had seen his own sister in danger. His father's voice came from downstairs calling him for supper as Joseph sat up on his bed as Tiresias yipped jumping down beside Joseph who leaned down till he found the harness and let Tiresias guide him down the stairs into the kitchen where the smell of pasta and chicken warmed his nostrils.

"Sorry supper's this late tonight. Miscommunication between your mother and I. With any luck though it might be warm for when your sister gets home from her date." Kenneth Peaks said as he walked from stove to the table before he spooned some of the food onto a plate in front of Joseph. "Any guess as to what supper is 'Super-Nose'?" Ken asked as Joseph cracked a small grin.

"There's chicken and pasta involved," Joseph paused as a he took a deep whiff. "I'd say...pesto. That means you likely made Chicken Pesto Penne."

"Right again there 'Super-Nose.' You spend some much time with Tiresias, I'm wondering if he's been teaching you some tricks."

"Not like I have much of a choice there Dad." Joseph replied flatly.

"Huh, well then." Ken replied as he turned away. "You don't mind if I flip on the news do you bud?"

"Go for it." Joseph replied as he picked up his fork and began to eat. The soft flicker of the TV coming to life echoed in his ears. Turning his head towards the TV, Joseph listened in as the breaking news sound rang out from the living room.

"This just in, there's a situation developing at the Chicago Museum of Natural History. It appears that armed men have taken a hold of the Museum and set up a hostage situation inside. Police have been contacted by a girl inside but no word on the safety of the hostages. Stay with us as details continue to develop."

Fear flooded Joseph as he nearly choked on his food.

"Dad...!" He cried as Ken was already racing across the room for the phone.

"I know Joseph!" He cried as he picked up the phone. Joseph pushed himself away from the table, brushing off Tiresias as he took a hold of the dog. He had no idea what to do or who to contact as he urged Tiresias up the stairs and into his room. Feeling his way to his desk, Joseph moved the mouse on his computer as the narrator told him what the screen before him was. Opening Facebook up, Joseph typed in Caleb Fitzroy's name and began to hammer a message out from his braille keyboard.

'Don't know who else to contact. Have you seen the news? My sister is inside the museum, you were able to save me, can you help her?'

Pressing send, Joseph felt his head began to pound as the horrifying image of Makarios burned into his eyes again. He could only hope that Cal would respond.
 
Makarios Lilis, orange
Makarios watched as one of the gunmen ran past him, his body indicating he was obviously in more a hurry than he should have been. He ran to another of the gunmen. This one was different from the rest. In the soft glow of the angled spotlights of the museum and amid the people, he stood still, watching the others work. He pegged him instantly as the leader, as did Alyssa who leaned and whispered to him in the midst of her consoling the whimpering child she held.

“He’s the leader of the rodeo, Maki. That one’s the trouble,” she spoke as if she expected him to do something about.

And she probably did.

“Yeah, I can see that,” he whispered back, his eyes warily sizing up his stature and build. The last thing he wanted to do was cause a scene with so many witnesses and liabilities, but he needed to be prepared.

There were too many variables to account for to not be.

The henchman made it to his boss, huffing slightly. “Cops are here!” he lamented, his voice was quick and squeaky almost cracking. Makarios wagered the man couldn’t have been in this business long, especially with how his finger was itching over the trigger of his gun and he kept checking his surroundings. “Whaddwedo? We ain’t expect them so soon.”

“Fuck,” one of the headman said flatly as he moved through the museum, stepping over the cowering people as if they were nothing to him. “We cut the silent alarm, right?”

“Yep.”

“And you set-up the signal jammer for the cell phones, right?”

“…”

The headman paused in his walk, adjacent to where Makarios, Alyssa and Sam had holed themselves up. “Say it,” he told his henchman.

“I…I didn’t. I’m sorry boss, I think I got—“

“Don’t think. Just do. You forgot, that’s that,” the headman told him, beckoning the man over, his gravelly voice somewhat softer. The henchman shifted over, making his way to him only to be met with a swift strike to the gut that reeled him over. “Don’t do it again.” Without a word , the man walked off, shouting at the top of his lungs. “I want everyone’s phones, rounded up and in my hand. Workers, you have 3 minutes to do so. NOW!”

All of the gunmen, including the one he had just socked froze for a moment before registering his words and getting to work. There were cries of protest as everyone tried to resist, but the click of guns and threats made them think otherwise. As the slugged henchman made his way over to them he barked an order at Alyssa. “Shut that fucking kid up! Y’hear!?”

Even in the midst of this situation, Alyssa was still Alyssa. “Hey! Stop that, you’ll get my damn phone, heifer. Don’t do that, she’s already scared enough,” she reached in her pocket, disregarding the man’s incredulous expression and Makarios’ on edge one as he tried to process what possessed her to talk back to the man.

Not one to be taken down a peg, the man hefted his firearm up. “I said do it, now.” He pointed it at Alyssa, who began to pale. Instinctively, the child’s mother lurched up to cover her daughter. At her movement, the man whirled around and knocked her down. The action sent the child in a frenzy of screams and weeping. Alyssa flared up again.

“Stop it!” she screamed, holding her hand up in a protective fashion. Makarios could feel his skin bristle and his muscles tense as he feared the worst.

“Look,” he stood up, trying to defuse the situation. “Please, let’s not make this any worse than it already—“

The henchman lurched forward, grabbing Alyssa by her hair and yanking her from the child. Her cry of protest was all Makarios needed. Instincts taking over, Makarios lunged at the man. Before the henchman could pull Alyssa to him, Makarios’ hand took hold of the man’s wrist and twisted it, feeling it almost snap. However, he relented at the last second. Instead his other hand shot for the mans throat, pushing him back to the wall. A growl escaped his lips as he pinned the man back.

Even though Makarios’ body was the one that was acting, his mind wasn’t fully there and he was dimly aware of a child screaming in the distance.


Gordon Durham
Gordon Durham, the head gunman, stood before the statue, what he was really after. The Romani relic seemed to glow with power. Gordon was no fool. He knew the stories behind. The antique held such power and fortune in its very existence that standing before it, excitement swelled within him.

A man of few words, he had but one to say to the relic as he gazed in her awe and wonder. “Amazing.”

Something about the statue seemed to draw him in and repel him at the same time, but he was unsure of what. Standing in the center of the display, it swelled in his eyes almost as much as he did with pride. He couldn’t believe it. Finally, the statue of Saint Sarah.

He reached out his hand gingerly, feeling power pulsing from the statue. Was it just him or was there actually energy stored in this. Was the spirit of Saint Sarah really within it?

With a measured breath, Gordon reached his hand further, past the velvet rope to ward off normal prying eyes and extremities. He laid his hand on the cool stone, feeling the smooth yet slightly grainy texture, a smile playing on his lips.

And then everything went black.
 
CALEB FITZROY, #003366
The musical screams of Lzzy Hale filled the small office as Caleb Fitzroy mulled over numerous files that he had managed to free from an old safe. The dates ranged anyone from days before his mother's murder to the years while his grandfather had still been a private detective. Numerous cold cases littered the files, and along with each case came various notes. These notes ranged in their details, some seeming like Grandpa Murdoch had simply just been writing down what groceries he had to pick up on his way home from the office while other contains numerous notes whether it be passages hidden in the old subways or the going ons in the back rooms of Chicago's countless speakeasies.

One thing they did all have in common though was the name 'Roman Locke.' No matter what the crime was, his mother and grandfather had always found a way to trace it back to Roman Locke. While it sounded like the stuff of conspiracy theorists, Cal had to admit they may have been on to something. The gangs were too controlled, their activities very rarely violated the territories of the others. These were gangs who were being manipulated by a puppet master, their strings pulled and bent to his very will. It wasn't just the gangs though, not according to the notes he had, the police and most of the politicians were bought off too, this is why Chicago was so subcumbed to the crime. Constantly beaten down because there was no one left to fight against it. Perhaps it was the rum and coke he had been sipping speaking, but Cal felt as though he had the ability to do something about it. Pulling out another piece of paper it happened to bill from a store down the street. It appeared his grandfather favoured scotch opposed to Cal's preference for rum.

A chime from his laptop directed Cal's tired eyes elsewhere as the screen felt like it was burning into him while he squinted at the Facebook notification. With a simple click, a message from Joseph Peaks popped up in front of him causing Cal to almost spit out his drink. Opening a new tab on the browser, Cal quickly punched in the local news' website as he streamed the live feed. Sure enough there was something big going down at the museum. Opting to tell Joseph the police likely could handle it, something suddenly clicked inside Cal as he realized that's where Sam had invited him to. Sam was inside that building and therefore Sam was in danger. Chucking back the rest of his drink, Cal stood to his feet as he tried to think what he could do to help. Hanging on a nearby coat hook was his grandfather's old garb, a long trenchcoat, a fedora and a blue scarf. Moving without regret, Cal threw on the coat as he wrapped the scarf around his face and tossed the hat on. Remembering seeing a gun in the safe, Cal opened the heavy steel door again pulling out the wrapped holster to reveal his grandfather's old revolver. Strapping the weapon to his hip, Cal heard something jingle in the coat's pocket as he reached in and found a set of keys, one of which was engraved with the word 'FORD'. Remembering a garage beneath the office, Cal hurried down the stairs as he opened the door. A large object covered in a tarp lay before him prompting Cal to grab the closest corner and tug. Beneath the dusty and fabric lay a beautiful black car, the word 'MAVERICK' emblazoned upon the tail end of it. Rushing into the driver's seat, Cal jammed the key into the ignition hearing the engine groan as it struggled to turn over before suddenly purring as the vehicle came to life. Attached to the sunblind was an automatic garage door opening as Cal put the car into gear and drifted out of the garage onto the road. Closing the building behind him, he punched the car into gear and took off towards the Museum of Natural History.

SAMANTHA RUSSELLS, #4dff4d
Sam's eyes went wide as Makarios made his move, rushing forward like some feral beast he took the gunman by the throat. Having snapped the man's wrist, his weapon clattered to the floor which allowed Sam to lunge forward and grab it. Rolling from her cover spot, she snatched up the weapon in a fluid motion as she disappeared from sight again. Looking at her cellphone she noted that the service was now gone meaning the perps had managed to get their signal jammer up and going. Looking back up, Sam was shocked to see Makarios still holding the man by his throat despite the criminal's desperate cries for breath. If Makarios didn't snap out of his rage he was going to alert the others to them and then they'd be nothing but a bunch of swiss cheese. Gripping the gun tightly, Sam quickly ran towards the man and swung it hard at the back of his head.

"Drop him Makarios, he's out now. You don't want to kill him." Turning to Alyssa, Sam held out her hand. "Are you alright?" She asked as she helped Alyssa to her feet before escorting them all back in cover along with the mother and her child. "Stay here, you'll be safer." Handing the gun to Alyssa, Sam nodded to her. "I imagine you know how to use this better than I do." Looking around at all the cameras within the building, Sam knew they were cut but she bet that she could get them back online and get them all out of this mess.

"Makarios, can you get me up to the security room do you think?"
 
Makarios Lilis, orange
With a rush, his senses came back to him and Makarios felt a sharp intake of air almost as if he were resurfacing from a mental cavern of water. With a jerk, he let go of the man and tried to level his breathing. He became aware of multiple pairs of eyes on him and felt his face reddening.

’Why are they looking at me? Just stop!’ The hair on his neck bristled as he tried to situate himself. He had to be more careful with how he acted.

He registered Samantha and what she’d done, silently thankful for her. He watched her hand a gun to Alyssa who gratefully accepted, checking the clip and aiming it. The girl seemed to be in her element now.

He balked at Alyssa’s question for a moment, weighing the options. These people needed someone to look out for them and out of everyone in this room, he was the most well-equipped to do so. But…what if he lost himself again? Not to mention, he had the itching feeling that Sam didn’t fully understand what he was, not that he could blame her by any means. What if she saw him delve in to his amulet and it terrified her? This was a girl he had to interact with on a daily basis.

’But…someone’s got to do something,’ He thought to himself.

Steeling his nerves, he pulled Samantha aside, speaking in a hushed tone. “All right but…whatever you see and you have seen of me, please…I’m not a freak…I promise. Just, don’t look at me any differently.”

Almost as soon as the words left his mouth, all of the lights in the area went out, leaving them in complete darkness. Oddly enough, not even the emergency lights came to power. There was pure darkness for a second and then a flash of a brilliant, pink light. That’s when power was restored. Without hesitating or pausing to wonder what had happened, Makarios Sam’s arm, this was the perfect cover of confusion.

“C’mon let’s go!”


Gordon Durham
As soon as Gordon’s hand touched the statue, there was flash of light that propelled him back a few feet. His body slid across the ground, but he kept his gun in his hand. What the hell had happened?

As soon as that happened, he looked up only to see the light leave the room. But, it was almost as if it had been absorbed by the statue. While complete darkness filled the room for only a second in lieu of the light that had graced it before, it was enough time for Gordon to wonder:

’Just what is this statue!?’

That’s when another, larger flash of light emenated from the statue again in a wave, almost blinding him.


Arianna Albescu, #FF1493
She felt a tugging sensation over her chest, as if some hook had found its way deep inside of her and was yanking her from her state of slumber that she’d unknowingly been in for so long. She felt the sensation of emerging from ice cold water and feeling, for the first time in almost a century, the sensation of air and the feeling of full consciousness.

But her eyes remained closed, even in this…outside, wherever it was, whenever it was. Her limbs felt weightless as she hung in the air, by no other force but her own. Her head tilted back and with a surge of energy she finally opened her eyes and gasped in cool air for the first time in a long time. She could feel! She was alive! The sensation could only be described of being birthed from the womb a full grown individual. Senses and sense intact, knowing that something wasn’t right and the feeling of a jarring new world all hit her at once.

What was she doing here? Where was here and how had she been moved here from her home? Flashes of fire, piercing eyes, blood and hands pierced her mind as she struggled to remember. The effort exhausted her and relented.

Arianna Albescu descended to the ground, her form completely bare and her eyes solemn, still unaware of what had really occurred to put her in the statue. Her feet gingerly touched the ground and the weight of Earth, a now foreign concept, struck her, causing her body to hunch over slightly until she readjusted. It was cold without clothes and she wrapped herself in her arms, trying console herself. She reached out to nearest individual, seeking aid. But when she focused on the man’s eyes, she could feel the evil lurking underneath. An evil so familiar.

Was it the same evil that had put her…wherever she had been?

Without a second thought, Arianna shot to her feet, her instincts of protection taking over and her eyes began to glow, a low mumbling able to be heard from her lips.


Makarios Lilis, orange
Maki and Sam made their way through the museum, ducking and weaving in the precious moment they had in the midst of confusion to get to the security control room. For a moment, Maki foolishly believed that they would get there without pause. The hostages were too frightened to say anything and many of the gunmen had rushed to the source of the explosion of light.

That was when he heard the click of a gun to their left. Without missing a beat, he touched his amulet, feeling the surge in energy. The smooth movements enveloped him, the ferocity and swiftness of thought took over his senses. The air began to taste a little more and his eyes narrowed as Cobra came over his being, settling over him with the subtlety that only it could.

“Don’t even think about—“ The gunmen didn’t have the chance to finish the sentence as Makarios ducked down, faster than his eye could process, pulling Sam down with him. He darted forward, arm shooting up and knocking the gun out of the man’s hand. His fist came swiftly and connected with his opponents chin, causing him to reel back. Makarios righted himself, putting his arms up in a fighting pose. He didn’t give the man a chance to recover as he released a series of jabs that the human eye had difficult following.

One hit, the man was stunned. The next one, he was losing his balance. The third, aimed for his stomach, doubled him over, leaving him open for a swift knee to forehead that promptly sent him from commission. Makarios turned around to where Sam stood, beckoning her to come along. “C’mon!” he hissed.

They continued forward, nearing the second floor where another gunman was descending. When he saw them, he fired on sight. Acting quickly, Makarios shoved Sam to the side and pressed their bodies to the wall, the two shots narrowly missing them. He darted forward once more, his body low and grabbed the man at the waist, hauling him up the last few steps. Lifting him up a little more, Makarios slammed him down on the ground. He straddled him and attempted to slug him, but the man was quicker, bringing up a knife that he attempted to sink in to Makarios’ thigh. He deflected it but missed the right hook that knocked him over. The gunman scrambled for Makarios and Maki was quick to shield himself from another blow.

He risked another Call, feeling the power shift to his legs. During that transition, the sensation of power left him and felt drained, but he concentrated on functioning and warding off another blow to the temple. As the aura of Goat settled over him, he flexed his muscles and kicked the man off of him, the power of his kick sending the man high in to the air. Makarios rolled to the side, only to be grabbed once more. He scuffled to his feet, pushing the man back and delivered a swift kick to the new attacker, causing him to double over. The first man landed, but still wasn’t out for the count. He scrambled to his feet, lunging for Makarios. But he tripped over his own gun, falling face first.

As Makarios wrestled with the last attacker, he turned to Sam, motioning for the door. “Go!” he barked.
 
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CALEB FITZROY, #003366
Dialling Joseph's cellphone number he had downloaded from Facebook, Cal put his phone on speaker as he rounded another corner before shifting the old car into a higher gear as he built up its speed.

"Hello?" Joseph's voice came over the speaker. It was strained, obviously he was distressed but likely also confused as to who was calling him.

"Joe, it's Cal." Cal said quickly before continuing. "Look I need to know everything I can about where your sister is and what she's doing. Can you get ahold of her with your cellphone?"

"No such luck I'm afraid. But..." Joseph paused before standing up in his room. "There may be something else I can do..." His voice was slow and hesitant. Getting up from his bed, Joseph felt his way out of his room and down the hallway. The door to Rose's room slowly creaked open as Joseph walked inside.

"Well?" Cal asked impatiently as he swung the Maverick wide, passing several cars before just narrowly making it back into his lane. A flurry of angry honks echoed through the phone as Joseph winced feeling his way to Rose's bed until the soft fur of a Teddy Bear was in his hands. All of a sudden his eyes opened wide and he could see around the inside of the museum.

"I'm in." Joseph said flatly.

"What do you mean you're in?" Cal asked as he took the turn towards the museum going around a side road to avoid running amuck of the police.

"This is going to sound bizarre, and perhaps even crazy but I'm seeing through Rose's eyes. I'm looking at the museum. Though she keeps placing her head in some boy's chest so I'm having some trouble." Joseph replied as Cal shook his head.

"Look I had a Rum and Coke before I left and I could swear you just said you can see through your sister's eyes. And I'm assuming you weren't speaking in metaphors." Cal asked as he felt the buzz from his drink really starting to kick in.

"No, I can't say I was." Joseph said with a strained voice.

"Okay good. Just checking." Cal added as he brought the car to a halt and climbed out. Checking the chamber of the revolver, he pulled a bluetooth piece out of his pocket and tucked it into his ear. Luckily for him the side entrance wasn't covered. At least not yet which meant he had a way into the museum. "How many gunmen are we looking at?"

"I've seen at least three. Also there's one out cold." Joseph reported as he counted.

"Makarios." Cal mumbled to himself only for Joseph to respond confused. "Nothing, just keep your mind on the task at hand."

"Caleb I'm sure there's more than just the three." Joseph could feel the anxiety taking over him. Caleb was way too nonchalant about this whole thing for his liking.

"That's okay, I have eight bullets." Cal muttered as he popped open the door and slipped inside.

"I can't believe you're drunk." Joseph muttered bitterly cursing himself for calling Caleb. He should have known better than that.

"Buzzed!" Cal retorted. Suddenly he bumped into a stray gunman who had been standing guard at the side exit. Having the revolver in his hand, Cal's first instinct was to pull the trigger. The hammer dropped as the trigger was squeezed, a flash and loud bang erupted as Cal's ears began to ring. The criminal in question dropped to the ground screaming about his leg as blood flowed from a hole in his thigh.

"That was loud." Cal muttered as he slammed the butt of the revolver down into the screaming man's face silencing him as he turned to find a place to hide in the museum. Looking around, he saw the crowd gathered by the front. Sam had to be close by.

SAMANTHA RUSSELLS, #4dff4d
Following behind Makarios through the museum under siege had to be the single most terrifying experience that Sam had ever underwent. The speed and fluidity to Makarios' movements were remarkable, in all of Sam's martial arts lessons she had never seen someone move with such grace and ferocity at the same time. Sam didn't even have to try to defend herself as Makarios made quick work of the various gunmen. Suddenly Sam found herself pressed up against a wall as her protector moved her out of harm's way. Sam felt her jaw drop as Makarios kept going battling through the men until suddenly his urging "Go!" got her to her feet and through the door.

Entering the security room, Sam saw a spare baton laying on the desk which she promptly turned and tossed to Makarios.

"Heads up!" Turning her back, Sam's fingers began to fly across the keyboard as she rebooted the system and began to search for the error. She only hoped that the goons hadn't done too much physical damage to the cables or system so that she could actually repair. As the system came back up it appeared that it wasn't actually the perps who had damaged the system but merely the fact it had been poorly maintained in the first place. Rerouting the emergency power Sam could get the lights back on but it likely wasn't worth while. Looking up at the numerous screens a flash caught her eye as she saw someon in a trenchcoat and fedora shoot one of the gunmen.

"Where did you... Makarios!" She yelled over her shoulder as she had no doubt he'd have finished with any lingering perps by this point. "Makarios, someone new just entered the museum and I don't think it's a cop."
 
Makarios Lilis, orange
As Sam rushed passed him, Makarios turned his attention back to his attacker and growled. He shifted his weight, slinging the man against the wall and down.

His ears picked up movement behind him, something he hadn’t realized he could even do. His amulet was granting enhanced senses across the board! Is this what it felt like to accept the entity inside of it? Inside of him? At the same time he heard a voice:

“Heads up!”

Instinctively he turned to the sound and let his body take over. He caught the baton tossed to him in mid-air, and spun around, swinging and connecting it with the face of the gunman who had been rushing to meet him with his knife. He followed through by bringing his foot around and kicking the man hard enough to send him flying a few feet.

He felt arms wrap around his neck and he reared back, slamming the last man in to the wall with a grunt, feeling nails rake across his face. He let out a roar that didn’t seem to be his own as he slammed back again. Bringing the baton back, he jabbed the baton in the man’s stomach, causing him to relinquish his grip. Flipping the baton in his hands, he brought it down on the man’s shoulder and brought it back, only to follow up with a swift punch to the stomach and a final kick to the side that sent the gunman flying.

Seeing that all of his opponents were down, he dropped the baton and breathed a sigh of relief.

He rushed to Sam, seeing what she saw. “Who the hell could that be?” Whoever it was, he couldn’t tell if it would bode well or worse for them. His eyes caught a glimpse of something else on the monitors, near the Romani exhibit. “And what the hell is that?”


Arianna Albescu, #FF1493
The mumbling became louder as Arianna raised her hands above her head slowly. This man would pay for what he’d done. For where he’s put her. Everything! Her magic hadn’t been used in some time and It took effort to channel. Her words failed her as she spoke them, the Language of Order seeming to fall flat. But she repeated her commands again and again as she rose and took steps toward him.

“Payment will be mine,” she uttered, her voice thick with contempt.

“Veni ad me, et vento occidentali. Quae mihi potestate sapientis. Intende mihi, quaeso. Fac me a turbine habendi.”

She felt the welling of power within her, the outpour or energy bubbled like a fountain. Her years of pent up magic energy swelled, threatening to burst out, but she controlled it. The air around her swirled, seemingly of its own volition. The swirling quickened as it tossed hair and stray papers alike. Bystanders looked in awe, but Arianna only had eyes for him. As the wind whipped around the room, suddenly it began to concentrate into a vortex. She poured her energy in to it, bending it to her will. Particles of energy could be seen, carried with the wind, creating a rose aura of sorts.

The vortex began to shrink. But, it wasn’t losing power, it was condensing on her target. He begant to be lifted from his huddled position, terror on his face. The vortex spun him around, limbs flailing about. With a gesture, Arianna tossed him to the end of the room. He slammed in to the wall, knocking down a carriage and other miscellaneous objects. Somewhere in the distance, she heard a cry of protest, but cared not for it.

She willed the wind to toss him up and brought him down again, spinning him around. Vengeance would be hers, and as soon as she saw the glass box to the side, she knew what to do. Smashing the man in to it, the glass shards were picked up by the wind and whipped around him, just barely out of reach from tearing him to shreds. It took control, control she hadn’t practiced in some time and she was unsure how long she could hold it, but she wanted answers.

The man cried in protest, but resisted trying to move and she willed the cyclone closer to her until he floated a few inches from her.

“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t end your life?” She asked him, her eyes narrowed and her jaw set.
 
CALEB FITZROY, #003366
As he came out of the backhallway and into the main exhibit hall, Caleb couldn't believe his eyes as he saw the woman who he could only assume was in control of the vortex, whip a man around. Tapping the bluetooth piece on the side of his head, Cal spoke to Joseph in what was probably louder than intended but still attempted to be a hushed tone.

"I know I'm buzzed, but please tell me your sister is watching a crazy Romani whip around one of the thugs who broke into this over-sized antique shop?" Cal held a tight grip on his gun as he kneeled down behind an exhibit. All eyes would be on this woman now and he should be able to find Sam in a heartbeat.

"Uh, how do you know she's Romani?" Joseph asked to which Cal assumed that meant he could see the woman in question.

"The markings around her, her skin colour, I can hear her accent as she speaks what I can only assume is a spell. Don't you re... Nevermind." Cal muttered before getting back to matter at hand. "What do you see right now, help me pinpoint your sister so I can get her to safety and then find Sam."

"I see... well I see the 'Romani' exhibit." Joseph replied. "I'm honestly not familiar enough with this stuff to tell you much else."

"What side is the Romani woman on for you?" Cal asked with an exasperated huff as Joseph promptly responded.

"She's on Rose's left." Upon hearing the response Cal shook his head cursing his luck.

"Naturally she'd be on the other side of the museum." Snapping open the revolver Cal realized he was holding a six shooter and was down to five bullet. Rummaging through the pockets quickly he pulled his hands out empty, apparently his grandfather didn't keep ammunition in the pockets of his coat, which in hindsight was probably a good thing. Staying low, Cal moved quickly attempting to cross the museum, rounding a corner he nearly tripped over a gunman who was attempting to get a shot in at the Romani witch. The man in question was just as surprised as Cal when he collided with him. Panicking, Cal got lucky and managed to knock the man's weapon loose before landing a kick to the groin on the gunman.

"Can't say I fight fair. How unfortunate for you!" Cal grunted as he slammed the but of his revolver down on the back of the man's skull. Gunfire ricocheted nearby as he seemed to have given away his position and shook the remaining thugs out of their trance as their attention was taken from the Romani to Cal.

"What are you wearing?" Joseph's voice suddenly came in over the phone.

"Not really the time for that!" Cal said, clutching the hat down over his head as gunfire sent splinters flying everywhere around him.

"No but seriously, really? You went to rescue my sister dressed like what.. Dick Tracy?"

"How the heck do you know who Dick Tracy is but you don't know what a Romani is?"

"How is that even a fair question?"

"Why are we still talking about this?" Cal shouted as he suddenly let several shots loose from his revolver. A cry of anguish meant he had gotten
extraordinarily lucky. Grabbing the fallen weapon beside him, Cal holstered the six shooter and unclipped the safety on the semi automatic weapon. Hearing the gunmen reloading, he laid down his own spray of coverfire as he rushed forward.

"Umm, Cal." Immediately Cal knew he didn't like the sound of Joseph's tone. "All the shooting has stepped up the police's procedure, they're sending SWAT in now. You need to get out of there."

"Frak." Cal's tone was dead as he stopped in his tracks. He still hadn't seen Sam anywhere and there was a good chance someone was now going to get killed. What had he been thinking? Suddenly an alarm went off as the armored panic door smalled down at the front of the building. Likewise the windows were suddenly blocked off as the museum's lockdown procedure was iniated. Considering the gunman's confusion, Cal knew only one person capable of this.

"Sam."
 
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