The Object of My Fear

[Aria]

Aria was fairly sure that the man in front of her, leading the way, was Martin Borovsky. He was a well known hunter, he was a rigid man, with ambition. He was young, yet he held one of the most anointed positions with in the Atharim, next to the Regus himself. Aria remembered him in the Vatican. She remembered watching him train, she looked for weaknesses in all her brethren. It was part of her training, to kill men after all. What better way to learn other than to watch those trained to fight. They were after all the hardest to kill. Aria never once saw weakness, saw a flaw in his stance. He worked to near cold perfection, something Aria herself strove for.

He walked with a the fluid grace of a wolf, the robe made him look like he glided over the floor. She was sure there was a predatory look underneath the hood of his black robe. She'd watched the man for years, but she'd never spoken to him, never worked with him. He wasn't a lone wolf, but he was always leader, he took down monsters that others needed two or three other hunters. Rumors say that Borovsky took down an Oni bare-handed. But that was only rumor, the report read much differently.

Aria had studied Borovsky's record, as she had Antoinette's and Father Dimitri's records. She studied the best of the best of the Atharim. Their reports gave her insights into the world she was working in. It was after all something a young child would do, study their role models.

The man leading the way scared Aria. He was a hunter, he was ambitious, but most of all he believed every word the Atharim told him. If he knew what she was, and from the way he'd spoken her name before she was pretty sure that Martin Borovsky knew that Aria was Sentient. It was fear that guided her feet. She had told Nox it was okay, that everything would be alright, but she didn't believe it. Not for a moment.

He lead her through the crowd, the Atharim parted for him, she was pretty sure they would have done the same had he not worn the full uniform of the Inquisition. He was a legend, one that most with in the Atharim would step widely for. And she followed him, she prayed it was not to her own death.

[Borovsky]

Martin was surprised that the girl had not protested, and followed without word. It was not everyday someone kills another in front of you, and you are summoned by a very powerful man to his office. She showed no fear, she gave no indication that she was aware of the danger she was in. Either she had very little regard for him, or his position, or she just didn't care. Either way he'd ensure this girl understood exactly how far gone she already was.

He lead her down the corridor that lead to his office, well not his office for much longer, it belonged to the High Inquisitor, which he was no longer. But he'd yet to be succeeded either. So for the moment it was his office.

Martin removed the hood from his head and slowly pulled the robe and neatly folded it and placed it on the bookshelf behind his desk. As he turned to sit in his cushy leather chair he saw the girl still standing. Not quite military in stance, but damn near close. She watched him with those blank green eyes and empty face. It was disturbing.

"Sit."
She followed his order and she adjusted her belt as if she were used to weapons being attached, the frown on her face indicated she'd forgotten they'd been removed. At least there was something to her, not just an emotionless android being manipulated by whatever unseen forces he knew of.

Martin leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers and took a long look at the girl in front of him. He couldn't tell she was Sentient. He couldn't tell if she were Furia either. She never twitched a muscle just stared back at him. It was very unusual for someone to make Martin squirm, but she was a master at manipulation. She was a Sentient, and they were master manipulators. He knew that, he'd tried to kill one himself and failed, the only consolation he'd killed one of his spawn. The man had compelled an entire church sanctuary to believe Martin was a saint to be worshiped. It had stopped him dead cold in the water, the throng of people on hanging on to him, blocking his path. In his escaping, Martin had shot the girl he dragged behind him. He smiled at the memory.

With dissatisfaction, Martin sat forward and pushed a file folder towards Aria. "We will discuss each and every document with in this folder. I have questions. You will answer them. But first..."
Martin smile grew darker. "You knew of Father Stone's daughter."
Martin leaned back in his chair, letting the fact sink in. She still showed no emotion, no fear. "Why was she still alive?"
Martin placed a tablet on top of the file folder with the same image that Father Stone was shown.


Edited by Borovsky, Jan 30 2015, 03:07 PM.

[Aria]

Aria watched Martin Borovsky removed his black robe of the inquisition and fold it neatly to place it on the bookshelf behind his desk. He sat down in his leather chair with the command to make herself sit as well. Aria followed without question. Though there were a billion questions running through her head. And the longer he stared at her the more questions and the greater the fear rose inside her. What did he know? How much had he gathered from her friends, from Father Stone before his untimely demise at the hands of the same organization that now held her fate in the balance.

Aria could feel his emotions playing through something, the righteousness of his feelings, the feeling of self-entitlement. He was a proud man, Aria continued to stare blankly at him. He seemed rattled by ther lack of emotions and Aria found a small comfort in that.

He pushed a folder towards her. From his words it must be here file. He'd read every case she'd ever been on. Who else had he talked to? Why was she here? But the moments drew on and he finally confronted her. He told her facts, he showed her an image of Sonja dead, and a foot beside her and Aria looked up at him with questions. Had Mya been with her, from the look in the picture she had been. Lucas was going to be devestated after all the trouble he'd gone through to help them. Borovsky asked her why she was still alive, she assumed before he killed her. Aria spoke quietly through the bubble of no emotions. "I was using her."


"For what? She should be dead, she was a junkie and no one would have missed her."
Aria could feel his hatred of the gods in that one sentence.

Aria nodded. "When I first went after her, my intentions were to kill her."
Though not for the reasons that Martin Borovsky was to learn about. Aria smiled, it didn't reach her eyes. "She choose a moment to use her power, and I noticed something strange."
It was a completely lie, but it was useful, and anything useful could keep her alive and off the headsman's block for a little while longer. "She disappeared from my senses. I assume the Regus told you what I am, or he'd not have one such as you watching me."


He quirked a smile and Aria leaned back in the chair. "Explain it to me."


Aria did the best she could, told him, lies about how she was there one moment, fighting her withdrawl symptoms and then the next she was gone, a small ball of light appeared before her as she walked down the alley way. In reality she learned that fact from Michael when he'd saved her on her first mission in Moscow. It was only a matter of months ago, but it felt like a lifetime.

Martin dropped his hands on his desk loudly, Aria was sure he intended to use it as a scare tactic, and inside it had made her jump a mile high, but outwardly, nothing showed, and Aria could feel the disappointment brewing inside of him. "That does not explain why she was still alive."


"I was studying the phenomenon. If I'm to hunt Ascendancy I will use every tool at my disposal, as per the Regus."
Though Aria was certain that the Regus had not intended her to use godlings to fight the battles for her, but she that was the sole purose of her asking about any tool at her disposal.

[Borovsky]

All tools at her disposal. He wasn't sure the Regus would have liked the fact that the girl was using a known godling as a tool. As a matter of fact he was certain he would not. Martin could barely stand the thought of working with this monster, this Sentient. The thought made bile rise in his throat, he had to push it aside though, this was his assignment.

But he did have to give her credit, if she knew when a godling held the power it could be awful useful in terms of taking one down. Waiting for the most opportune time. He would have to see this feat in action. But that was a plan for a different day, a different week. It was time to learn this monster inside out and out no matter how long it took.

Martin removed the tablet from the top of the folder. "Open it."


The girl opened the folder. The first piece of information was her parentage. A picture of Autunna Luna stared the girl in the face. He watched her expression but it revealed nothing. Fucking Sentient!

The woman had dark hair and hazel eyes, not anywhere like her daughters. But they were definitely related. "Your mother was Furia. How did you keep your secret so well?"
It was something he was dying to know. How did Father Dimitri keep this monster under wraps for so long, if it had not been for her ill-fated timing there would still be doubts in the air about it. Would she still be here if the Regus had not been in Father Dimitri's office that day? Would he be willingly working with a monster in the guise of a Furia? The thought made his body ache, and he wondered how many other monsters and godlings lurked within their ranks. Maybe a test of sorts was needed, maybe he could develop one with this girl... maybe!

[Aria]

Aria did not like the emotions the wafted from this man. It was not that he felt bad, just the way he held himself, the way his emotions spoke to her. Aria feared what he could do, what he would do in the end. For now thought she took a small comfort in the fact that she was still alive. He knew what she was. If he knew who her friends where she doubted they or she would still be alive at the present. The image of Sonja's broken body and Mya's floated through her mind. This was a man who enjoyed his job.

He asked how she'd kept her secret, she gave a small curt laugh, "I didn't know what I was until the day the Regus himself found out for sure what I was."
Aria smiled but it didn't reach her eyes. "It's easy to keep a secret you do not know yourself."


He didn't budge his facial expression as Aria continued on, "But I don't suppose that is what you were asking. I was trained to be Furia. I was taught what emotions were supposed to smell like. I thought I did, though if you ask me know if I smell anything, I can distinctly tell you no, I don't, and I never did, it was a manifestation of my mind to keep me safe."
Aria knew deep down that she was in danger from the moment Scott had left the Vatican seemingly never wanting to see her again. "I was sensitive to every emotion. It was easy once they kept me from people. Locked me away until I was useful, or as the case has it, until I was expendable."


He smiled and Aria cringed inside at his emotions, she couldn't even begin to imagine the things that had just gone through his mind. "So you know then, who your father is? I see you've done your research on him most recently."


Aria smiled. "My father tried to kill me. I still am healing from the bullet wound he gave me as a parting gift."
Aria sneered at the memory of what he had done to Lucas. "I intend to hunt him down and kill him."


Borovsky smiled and leaned forward. "Do you now? That would be an impressive footnote in your already impressive file. An Ijiraq, solo. And a dranaika. And one a mission to kill Ascendancy himself."


Aria frowned. "As I said in my report. I did not kill the dranaika. I found it that way, dead, killed by something else."


"And the report, from Father Stone says you were lying. Now why would your supervisor lie about it, he is, no was, a man of the clothe after all."


Aria shrugged. "He doesn't believe anything I tell him. I could tell him I killed a God and he wouldn't believe me unless he saw it with his two now very dead eyes."
Aria smiled at the thought of his glazed over eyes, how he must have died in darkness. Aria wouldn't have given him that justice, she would have watched him take his last breath.

Aria took a deep breathe and looked past her dark desires. "I tell you I did not kill the dranaika. The only possible explanation is it was a godling. Someone who can disrupt their sight."


"And do you know of any godlings?"


Aria smiled. "You already know the answer to that. You killed the only one I'm aware of and the second I don't expect to be victorious over."

[Borovsky]

Sarcasm was so annoying. But her words were as cold and as quiet in voice, but he knew sarcasm when he heard it even sarcasm devoid of emotion. She had hidden in plain sight, mostly. Sensitive to emotions, there were all sorts of varying degrees, if she walked like a Furia and talked like a Furia she was Furia by all outward appearances. He didn't like knowing that she walked in their halls for a good 29 years without someone so much as blinking. A Sentient. And she had watched him when she was a child, he remembered the girl who lived in the gym and training areas. Book in hand as to feign studying but she watched like a cat watches a mouse.

He shook his head at the memories. She showed some emotion when she discussed Father Stone's death. Almost like she had enjoyed it, maybe she had, Sentient were dangerous. Very dangerous. He must always remember that. Her father had escaped them twice, and she thought to hunt him down and kill him. For shooting her. Or was it more, did she truly believe in their calling. He would put that to the test.

He did believe her on the account of her own report instead of the traitors. The dranaika had been stabbed multiple times. There was no way this girl, no matter how good she was could have done that and not come out unscathed. Something else killed it, and Martin had a pretty good idea she was right about the what. The godlings were making themselves known all over the place. He would speak to the Regus about testing for the ability to wield this power. It has to have some way of figure out who else is traitor inside the ranks.

But his thought digressed. Martin leaned back in his chair. "Tell me of Nox Durante and his sister."
The name brought no emotion, he hated this sentient thing. But she was not hiding anything other than her reactions. He didn't feel lied to. She seemed to speak openly, these twins of hers, American by birth, Atharim in all but name, yet neither bear the mark. He would know why.

[Aria]

Aria tilted her head to the side, curious. Why did he want to know about the Durante twins? What could she offer him that was not already in their file? Had it been only because she brought Nox in?

Aria smiled. "What little I know about Aurora you, I'm sure, have already read. She's Nox's older sister by a matter of a few minutes. They were born in the United States to Bryan Durante. A decent Atharim hunter, quite a few prestigious kills under his name. He saved his wife, their mother, from a dranaika I believe. She died to a Hellhound, Bryan died from grief. The twins came to Moscow, were in a plane crash, and lost their memories. Took them a while to understand who they were, Nox is on the right path, Aurora is still finding it."


That was all she was going to tell him. He didn't look surprised by any of the words she said. "Why come to you for help then?"


Aria shrugged. "He didn't come to me for help. I stumbled across Nox while hunting in the tunnels. He didn't remember what he was, but he was still called to the darkness. There I saved his life, and we fought the monsters in my report."
Aria added nearly absently, "I wish I knew what they were."


Martin watched her and he wanted her to continue with the story. Aria did there wasn't much more to tell. "When it was all over, I knew he had to be a hunter despite his lack of a tattoo, he fought too well. He wasn't phased by the monsters. I looked him up, it wasn't hard to figure out really. It seemed to jog his memory. A few days later I brought him in for initiation. Now we work together to hunt monsters. Nothing more to it."

[Borovsky]

Martin gave a curt laugh. "I doubt that's all it's about."
She many be a monster, but as human females went she was attractive. And for a boy of 21 he was most certain that was not all it was about.

She had yielded nothing of note in her telling of their tale, except that they had both found themselves lost in a world with amnesia. How convenient.

It was time now to boil everything down report after report. He removed the pictures from the top of her folder and to her first hunt. He smiled. "Tell me about this one."


****

It had taken them several very unending days go through her files with every bit as much detail as Martin wanted. He had made notes, he thought he understood the girl who was a monster in wolf's clothing. He pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose. She never showed any emotions, even late at night she was empty of everything but the task at hand.

Never once did she look at her phone, he could hear the vibrate mode go off periodically, her friends were worried. He caught her when he'd let her take a break texting or calling someone. But it wasn't often and she seemed even less concerned when she returned.

Martin was tired. She had to be too what little he could read of her. But there was still a lot to discuss. Today would be different. He'd brought food in to his office, rather he had some get take out, Italian from a local restaurant, around the corner. It was a good place, he enjoyed it. It was her native cuisine, but it wasn't why he'd opted for it. He wanted truthful answers. He didn't want the lies and stories she spun out of habit. He wanted to know her plan.

She came back in and stood and stared at shock at the layout of food. She sat down in the chair. Martin had to laugh, ever the skeptic. "Eat. I know a change of situation. But I'm satisfied you are Atharim. We discuss your future now."
He waved in the direction of the food. She only took the bread but she did eat something in front of him. That said something.

"Tell me of your plans to kill Ascendancy."
It was the true purpose behind everything he'd just put her through, and what he too had to endure. It had a goal in mind.

[Aria]

Days blurred into each other. Aria wasn't sure what day it was, or the time. Her wallet had vibrated many times over her stay at head quarters. She hadn't bothered to go home, slept in the office or the infirmary, wherever she could find a place to hole up for a few hours until Borovsky found her and started asking more questions.

He had wanted to know about every mission she'd ever been on. Everything in her file. Every injury averted because of her skills. Every life saved, ever dangerous monster caught and executed. Everything.

He asked about Cai Mai, and Antoinette. He even inquired into Father Dimitri and Scott Fitzgerald. It was the moment question he'd asked her before he'd given her a much longer break, like he had been processing everything up to that point.

She had returned to food sitting on the side of the room. He commanded her to eat, but the venom of their first meeting had dulled. Aria could still feel his hatred of her, of what she represented. But inside there was also another fire burning, one to which Aria knew well. It was what every other Atharim had felt towards her, the fire of using a tool that was precisely what they needed or wanted. Martin Borovsky intended to use Aria. Aria nibbled at the bread she'd picked up on command. But it did little to ease the fact that she was again, nothing more than a tool to be used.

And then the real meat of the entire journey started. "Tell me of your plans to kill Ascendancy."
It all boiled down to this, how she could best be utilized against Apollyon.

Aria nodded. "The Ascendancy is the most powerful man on earth, he can't be take out like a godling in an alley way, or down some country road. A bullet to the head is just as easy to do here, if you find the right time, the right moment. I'm looking for that moment."


Aria glanced back at the door she'd come in. "I can show you better."
Without a second thought he stood up and motioned for Aria to show him. He was now a man of very little words. Nothing she had said had phased him, but he wanted to see.

The halls of the Atharim were still busy after the convocation, everyone was still hanging around waiting on orders, or for invitations into the new orders of Archangels. Aria still hated the name, hated the use of the religion they stood under to validate the murder of innocent people. But that was for another day, today she fought for her own life.

Aria opened to door to the office she'd been keeping. The walls were plastered with articles. The computer screen was off. "Everything I've learned about the Ascendancy is in this room. I've been looking through successful and failed mission reports of other godlings. Looking for keys, for what went right, and what went wrong. I'm learning about the man himself. Trying to find an angle, something to find that right moment."


She turned to Borovsky. "One missing piece is what happened in Siberia, at the monastery. I intend to go there. To see what I can find."



Edited by Aria, Feb 5 2015, 03:06 PM.

[Borovsky]

The girl showed no extraordinary senses when it came to laying out her plan. Not really, it was common sense, only a fool went after their opponent with no clue of what they were, or how capable they were. Yet every hunter had failed to kill Ascendancy. The girl was doing everything he would have.

The room she had commandeered to do her work was well thought out. It was quiet and unused and out of the way. Perfect for a girl who could feel everything. And perfect for the type of thing she was doing. She had rhyme and reason, but nothing extraordinary.

That was until she told him a piece that was missing. The monastery had eluded everyone, Martin was sure that was exactly what Ascendancy had wanted - for no one to know what he'd done there.

She thought she could figure something out. Martin sat down and pondered on the topic. What did she want to garner from the situation? How? Where every reporter known to man had tried, what was her advantage. Her senses.

"You think your talents can tell you something it doesn't the rest of the world?"
He didn't doubt it. But he didn't understand. Martin pulled a pen and paper towards him on the desk in front of him. "While you are at it, tell me what about your abilities. And what you know of your kind."
It was a curiosity. Had anyone really sat down and discussed the abilities with the condemned? No one cared enough to learn, they were dead anyway. But he had a tool. He intended to use it at the best of its ability, and that meant to know what the tool did. He would learn what these monsters were capable of. She might have been correct in letting the bastard child of Father Stone live while she studied her. He might have to get another toy.