Dr. Kinnaird said she'd see him later. He and Christian were left alone in the room watching the news flying across the screen. Sage hated watching the news it was depressing and the anchors only told you what someone else thought you needed to know. Sage wanted to know what was going on behind the scenes.

He'd reached for the processor several times but stopped as soon as he felt the whirr of the processor kicking into gear. He sighed. "A lot harder than it should be."


"What is?" Christian asked.

"Not doing what comes naturally."


The other man smiled and stood up with his bag and pulled out Sage's laptop. "I figured you'd want this." He started to hand it to Sage but Christian pulled it away quickly. "Only if you promise you won't connect to it. Only typing."

Sage sighed. "How are you going to know?"


Christian looked over at the monitors that were above his bed. "Up there, when you use it your brain activity goes off the chart."

Sage sighed. "Dr. Kinnaird will know when I do and then I can't go home."


Christian nodded. "Promise, Sage. I won't leave it here with you otherwise. I need to get back."

"I promise."


Christian smiled then came over to him and patted his shoulder. "All of you boys are like family. Don't do anything stupid Sage. None of us will forgive you. And then you'll have to explain to Ana, why you did what you did."

Sage knew he had paled a little at that thought. He'd never had a mother who had cared. But Ana was taking the cake and eating it too. Cruz was lucky to have Ana and Christian in his life. He guessed he was too now.

Christian set the laptop on the table in front of him and waved his farewell. Sage was left alone with the one thing he wanted more than anything - information.

Jensen barely squeezed out of the subway car. A big folded sign smacked him in the shoulder. He grunted, but the man holding it hurried away. The platform was packed with people trading places on and off the train. "Are you going to the Patheos rally?" The man stuck in people alongside him asked.
"Yes,"
he replied quietly.
"Me too." The stranger added, but they were quickly separated before Jensen could follow.

He made it to the surface, only to find a cold rain had begun to fall. It gathered into puddles wherever the sidewalk dipped and soaked the lower hem of his pants. It didn't seem like a spring day, but he would never get used to Moscow's weather patterns.

It was a long wait in a line full of wet, cold people. He waited in line behind Jewish men, identified by the kippah pinned to their hair. A glance over his shoulder, only moments after he got in line, and a dozen others had already joined. Among them was a well-dressed young man in a black and white suit Jensen would bet was a mormon. A gentleman of color was dressed in the long tunic of a Hindu, his hair also wrapped modestly. In strange contrast, a couple stood behind him that at first glance seemed completely ordinary, but the longer Jensen looked, the woman's boho skirt and crystal necklace and the man's loose jacket and headband made Jensen wonder if they were pagan.

The line moved more swiftly than he thought it would, and soon he was at the front. He paid the small fee, registered his name and went through the pat-down and scanner without incident.

He shook the water from his coat and hair. The stadium was covered, thankfully.

It seemed the steps leading to the field were endless. A brief scan found no available seats.

A familiar voice came up beside him, "I see you made it."
Jensen recognized the man from the subway platform. He had neatly styled hair and was cleanly-shaven. His wool coat was as soaked as Jensen's.

"I was almost swept away in the flood out there, but yes, I made it."
He smiled slightly.

They both studied the field below. Stages were set up. Wide platforms were set up with a number of empty chairs. A wide sign illuminated the word Patheos behind it. Jensen wasn't exactly sure what to expect, but the time slot for the rally indicated the speakers were on a break.

"What brings you to the rally?" The gentleman inquired.

Jensen wasn't entirely sure how to answer that. Patheos was an online community of every major religion in the world. Their rally at a Moscow sports' stadium was to talk about the meaning of all the changes in the world of recent, and the impact it had upon the spiritual world.

He took a deep, thoughtful breath. "Guidance? Answers? Perspective? Maybe it's none of those things."
He shrugged.

"I know what you mean." He agreed. It seemed Jensen wasn't the only lost soul out there. The stadium was filled with thousands of them. He offered a handshake, "Sigvard Viggo," he introduced himself and the name matched his northern european accent.

"Jensen James,"
he replied and reluctantly shook hands.

Sigvard nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet you in person, Pastor."

Jensen sighed. He should have provided a fake name after all. "A pleasure to meet you too."



Edited by Jensen James, Jan 6 2018, 11:46 AM.

Li saw the press release sitting at the top of his wallet. He had a dilemma to deal with now. He was a god. He was Atharim, and now the Ascendancy was calling for registration for all 'gods' and the Atharim.

Both forms sat staring at him on his laptop while he sat in his hotel room at the Ritz. It was not an easy decision. Signing up for magic registration meant outting himself to the Atharim. But if he signed up on the Atharim he'd have to be interviewed and potentially judged on his choice of work. But if he didn't to the latter he would forever be worried about getting caught as a terrorist.

Registering for both would save some hardships he thought to himself. But it was a hard decision. He had thought long and hard on the situation and it seemed his fingers were acting without hesitation as he typed up his magic registration. But his finger hovered over the button before he moved on to the other form.

Li sat and stared at the forms and pressed submit and turned off his computer. This could end his career he had to tell his agent.

The day that she was given her credentials was a good day. She rode the subway to the Red Square station and walked to the visitor's entrance in the same sort of awe as when she met Marcus. Only, the difference today, was when she stopped at a check-in to report it was her first day on the job. Technically, there was no lab yet as it was still under construction, but she had been busy the last few days preparing for it anyway. There were orders to place, plans to approve, and employees to filter. She still wasn't sure what to do with her students, but she hoped that Marcus would allow them to come along.

Despite the fact that she wore a rather simple black, pants suit she felt sorely out of place. Everyone she passed in the halls were dressed immaculately. Even the man answering the phones had a hawkish look on his face and wore a freaking pocket square in his jacket.

She was given a temporary office to use. It was quite a bit smaller than the office she occupied at MSU, but it was near Consul DuBois' office. She didn't want to know what happened to the person that recently vacated it.

It was hours past dinner time when she finally packed up her stuff and got ready to leave.

Evelyn's sleep was restless, unsurprisingly. She dreamed of hawks swooping from the air, nipping at her. Not to mention that it took ages to fall to sleep anyway. She'd always prided herself on her ability to sleep any where and any time. Perhaps if she had someone to stroke her hair or hum softly, she may have lulled away quicker. Alas, her mind swam with a thousand thoughts. There were so many things to do. So many people to consider. Then, deep down, something nagged her heart, but unable to decipher the message, she ignored it.

FIrst and foremost, she was going to have to watch every nuance to her behavior, every flash of her eyes, and every word she said around Ascendancy. Nobody else could be allowed to know of their relationship. If it was revealed, it would undermine all her work. She would be dismissed as a silly girl, something she already battled being the youngest Congresswoman in history, and all her hard-earned authority would be wasted.

She rubbed the tired from her eyes, dressed and composed herself for their state breakfast. Sofia had already sent her a message asking what time they would meet to walk down together. Evie replied with a time, and inquired as to whether the Secretary of State would join them. No. He's already down there. She thought it odd, but if Sofia said nothing more on the matter, Evie wouldn't read any further into it until it was called for.

She and Sofia Castilla had a great relationship. The chairwoman of the committee, and ranking member as well, was a fellow democrat and threw the weight of her support behind Evelyn's appointment to this otherwise prestigious and hard-earned committee spot. They spent a great deal of time strategizing together over the specific deals they sought to reach with Ascendancy. Some of them were quite practical, but most were efforts in name only. Evie wasn't so girlish and innocent as to think the CCD hadn't utilized power in foreign affairs. For one thing, that blasted video of Commander Vellas in Dominance V proved her exact theory, but neither was she foolish enough to believe US covert operations were completely free of powers. But if the two countries to put to paper (figuratively) their mutual agreement to withhold channelers from combat operations, it would be a start. One of the problems brought up by Evelyn to accomplishing this altruistic goal was that just because the US and CCD agreed to withhold channelers from military operations, other nations were not so easily agreeable. Africa, for one, was rumored to harbor channelers in battle. Nothing so large as to attract large-scale media attentions, but the rumors existed. Similar word drifted out of Mexico as well. Even though she forewarned Sofia, the Secretary of State, and even Secretary Trano of these dangers, she also admitted that as the world's two largest super powers, the CCD and USA could set the example and even demand that worldly authorities follow in their stead. Enforcement would be difficult, true, but they had to try.

Thoughts of Africa certainly conjured memories of the night before. Ascendancy promised a ball to benefit the continent in her honor. He'd taken her hands and begged her to keep him to his word so that every dollar could aid the needy. Evie blushed momentarily, then frowned and dabbed extra powder to her cheeks to cover the rosy hue. Using the power for the greater good would be the more worthy calling for both nations. Two or three skilled channelers could replace heavy, dangerous labor, which would cut costs and save on insurance premiums. Teachers could identify children before they became sick and died from the channeling sickness. So on and so forth.

Of course, this was all a moot point if the USA joined the Custody. Maybe it really was inevitable. There was an entire faction of democrats who thought just as much. They claimed that the US and other countries were living in antiquity, clinging to individual currencies and flags when the clear, economic, and social benefit was derived from one world government, one world currency, and one world leader. Would war not cease to exist if the boundaries of nations dissolved and all were one? In fact, except for one minor uprising last year, an unprecedented time of peace overtook the middle east. Evelyn practically gawked at the transformation in that part of the world. Criminal powers in the Asian subcontinent were rooted out. The lack of competition between nations made trade all the freer. It did make sense. Ascendancy ruled for more than twenty years and had certainly proven himself time and time again. Yes, there were allegations of some human rights violations and abuse of power, but Evelyn would not pin those on Nikolai himself. Maybe somewhere in the middling levels of government where oversight was thinned the allegations may be true. But no where was perfect. Such controversies were rampant throughout DC as well. Evelyn was not involved in any personally, but she had eyes and ears. Things went unspoken. It just meant there was an area to improve.

Her mind was more settled by the time she sent Sofia her message that she was ready. The Senator knocked on her door a few minutes later.
"Good morning, Sofia,"
Evelyn began. Her voice trailed off when Sofia entered her room, closed the door behind her, and turned with one penetrating accusation.

"Traitor."


Evelyn blinked, speechless.

Edited by Evelyn, Jan 1 2018, 09:41 PM.

Scion Marveet
PPC


Scion was occupied with financial spreadsheets when he decided to call the numbers set and wet his throat. His office was complete with a wet bar, but he passed on the vodka in lieu of a bottle of water. His doctor insisted on more of the stuff every day, or else he would be subject to a fucking battery of tests that made him feel like a lab rat.

Sparkling water bubbling away in a crystal glass, Scion held it up to the light in order to admire the quality. Vena gave him the set of goblets. They were Baccarat Crystal and exquisitly made. She was a good girl (in the worst sorts of ways), that knew just when to stroke his ego and when to back down. She might actually stick around a while.

A government announcement overtook his screen. When Scion saw it came from the executive office of the Ascendancy, he quickly maximized the view and listened to the script. The news of a ball was intriguing. He absolutely had to be in attendance. There was simply no other option. If only that old goat Valentin Sulteev would finally die, or even retire, his seat on the Sphere would finally open. Scion had every intention of taking it for himself.

Ascendancy would show off his channeling. Scion scrubbed his chin thoughtfully. This whole ordeal with channeling was certainly a whole new angle. How to play it?

Of course, he did have a child that could channel. He selected a call command on his desk. To the face that appeared once the connection was made, "Bring my son Jaxen to me."

Dorian's wallet rang and he pulled it groggily from the side table and glanced at the number. The ID said 'Emilio Vega' and he sat up straight. "What happened to mother?"
he asked frantically. His father never called him, and definitely not at whatever time it was.

Dorian sighed as he looked at the time. It was later than he had expected but still his father never called him.

"Son you are still in bed?"

"Late night."
Every night had been a late night since the Ascendancy had revealed gods to the world. And not all of them were cop related.

"But nothing is wrong with your mother, other than disappointment I'm sending Cruz to the Ascendancy's fundraiser for Africa."

"What? He can't go."


"He can. And he will. He is my representative in Moscow. He will go. Or has something changed and you wish to attend in his lieu as my successor."

Dorian sighed. That might almost be more preferable then letting Cruz out of the house. "How many tickets did you buy?"


"Two, I want him to go with someone of stature Dorian."

"No. He will go with me or another capable person to defend him, Father. Moscow is not the world you may think it is."


"Dorian..."

"No Father. You will listen to me on this. He's getting a bodyguard. Someone I trust with my son's life."


There was a heavy sigh on the other end. "But he will go!"

"As you wish."


"That is what I need. I will send Cruz the information he will need." And then Dorian's father hung up the phone. This was not going to go well. The Atharim were hunting Nox. Probably knew about Cruz and with Ascendancy in attendance what better place to take down a bunch of gods... This was going to end badly.

Now Dorian just had to find Cruz and tell him. And Nox too. "I'm sure both boys are going to love this."
Dorian said as he stepped into his bathroom to grab a shower.

For immediate release:


The Central Custody of Dominion has announced a ball to be held this Saturday evening with tickets limited to 300 head. The Ascendancy will host with full powers of channeling for all to experience up close. The affair is white-tie at a cost of $10 Million (CCD) per ticket. Tickets go on sale Thursday at 1200 hours.

<small>Funds will benefit African aid.</small>

Her calm was gone. The place she'd saught to find peace gone forever. It hadn't mattered when he fled to Mexico, he was still there, still in this world. Now she'd never feel that unique calm even when he was excited about things he was calm.

Nox had pulled her from her dwelling - the darkness that had started to take over. He carried her over his shoulder like a child. Aria hated him in that moment. Hated the man he was. Hated he wasn't sad at her loss. Hated that he was a god. Hated that he was Atharim. She beat at his back and tried to press him with her emotions but they had worked hard to defeat that chance. Her manipulating him.

He was empty of everything as the fires around them burned. Dane burned. The girl burned. the building had burned around them and Nox walked through fire like a phoenix rising. Her hatred for him and what he represented made her cringe inside. And when he set her down Aria could have killed him then. But he was holding the power. He'd stop her - kill her. He'd break her in half before she could pull the trigger or sheath her sword in the soft center of his chest.

Instead Aria jerked away and ran. Ran as fast as she could away from him. Away with her fury and her hatred. The Atharim would pay. Gods would pay. The world would burn for their folley.

Alex was glad Ivan was finally coming to his senses. Both Atharim were dangerous. It didn't matter if one was a cop he had just proven he was Atharim before cop any day of the week. Alex had the right mind to call in the LT and have them both arrested as sympathizers to the killing of human beings. She was sure there was something that would link them back to the Atharim.

Alex left with Ivan grateful to be away from them, the boy's display of power had been unnerving. The shattered glass in the plaster made her shiver, imagine what breathing it in would have done. Or the pain those tiny glass shards would have caused.

But outside Alex felt like a new person away from the clausterphobia of the Ascendant power - these channelers were everywhere.

Alex laughed at Ivan's good ole boy charm his naivety to the situation. "Idealism is great. But they are Atharim. Stone cold killers."


Alex nodded to his request to walk him home, adding "You aren't some dumb kid."
She opened the door and slid into the leather seat and waited for Ivan to buckle in.

"I can't believe you let a confessed murderer walk free Ivan. He killed that man. There is no forensic data to prove him correct. Why do you trust him? For that matter what do you plan on doing to find the man who murdered those kids?"