FanFic: The Fallen [Chapter 5]

[Stormsworder]

((This is the sequel to my story Eternal Darkness: The Coming Darkness. I hope you like it and feel free to comment on it))

Dark clouds threatened to bring rain upon the land. A cool wind blew, but none noticed the darkness that rode in with the breeze. No living being was in sight that day. It was as if the animals sensed some unknown evil and wished not to be found by it. It was empty everywhere, and the wind blew through the town with a howl like the demons of Hades.

All of it centered on one long figure that now walked the streets, unfazed by the events around it. It was a girl in her early twenties. Her brown hair, pulled back in a ponytail, fluttered in the breeze. Blue eyes carried a dark and haunted look. A scar was on the right side of her face, stretching across most of her cheek. Her wrists bore thin lines of healing scar tissue. Her right hand bore the deepest of her scars, as if it had been pierced through. She wore green cargo pants and a white T-shirt, along with a slightly darker green jacket.

Any who met her would do their best to avoid her. One look at her scarred face would send shivers up a person’s spine. Darkness followed in her wake, as if chasing her and trying to engulf her.

She stopped walking, a black-cloaked figure in her path. The figure’s face was hidden by a hood, and black gloves covered their hands. Time seemed to stand still. Even the wind had fallen silent upon their meeting.

“Why fight the darkness? Why try to stop it? It’s in your blood. You know it.” The girl kept silent, her expression betraying nothing. “Oh, ye of so little faith. What hope do you have for the world? Why do you want the world to live when you yourself have lost all will to live.?”

The girl remained silent, a flicker of something behind her eyes. The scars on her wrists tingled, reminding her of what she had tried to do.

“Roivas, the darkness will win. Nothing you do will change it.” The figure pulled back its hood, revealing the face of a girl just a bit older than her with brown hair also worn back. She almost bore some resemblance to the one in front of her. “You know it. Because it is you who will bring the darkness. You will be the world’s downfall. For you have no faith in yourself, let alone the world. The evil in your heart is eternal. Nothing shall change that.”

The girl, the youngest of the Roivas line and cursed by the darkness within, stared at the figure before her… and grinned.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Stormsworder on 2006-12-09 07:32 ]</font>


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Stormsworder on 2007-04-16 18:36 ]</font>


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Stormsworder on 2007-04-17 14:38 ]</font>

[Stormsworder]

((Wow. I just noticed I changed this a bit from what I had on paper... Either that or I forgot to type in something when I did it... *shrugs* http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif And yes, I do have characters from Final Fantasy VII in here. My friend and I were joking around in PE about what to name the owner of where my person works, and we just decided to choose Tifa for the heck of it. The Turks are intentional, though. >> They just seemed so cool and perfect for something like this... XD))

Chapter 1: Normal Again

“You know it wouldn’t hurt to go out and have some fun once in a while.”

Danielle Roivas didn’t even glance up from her textbook, focused on her work. “I can’t, Rika. Too much work.”

Rika Hikari folded her arms, a stern look on her face. “That’s what I’m talking about! You always have work to do! The only nights you don’t have work are Sunday and Wednesday, and then you don’t even want to go hang out with me!”

Danielle sighed as she finished her last problem and set her pencil down. “You know that I do church and youth group. I’m already cutting it close with my job. If I weren’t such a hard worker, I wouldn’t even have a job right now.”

Rika sat on the edge of her bed, frowning. “Why do you have to work, anyways? Can’t your parents send you the money you need?”

“No, they can’t,” Danielle replied, shutting her textbook. She knew what Rika was going to bring up again, and she didn’t want to talk about it.

“What’s the deal with your parents? You act like you hate them and never talk about them.”

They had talked about this several times since the start of their first year of college. Rika was Danielle’s roommate and closest friend, even though they were opposite in several ways. Rika kept pressing Danielle about her family, and it was really starting to get irritating.

Danielle didn’t reply as she changed into her black work uniform and khaki pants, but Rika persisted with her question. “Come on, Danielle. What happened? Did they get into a lot of fights or something?”

Danielle had slipped her keys and wallet into her pocket when she looked back at Rika, a hand on the door handle. “You want to know the truth? My parents are dead, Rika.” Danielle slammed the door shut behind her as she walked out.

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Danielle was in a foul mood by the time she arrived at work. Some jerks had siphoned the gas out of her car, so she ended up having to get her skateboard out of the back of her car and use it to get to work…

The owner looked up as Danielle walked in, brushing a strand of black hair from out of her face. “You’re late, Danielle.”

She nodded, noticing how tired and wore out she was. “It’s okay. Just go get yourself washed up a bit and get to work. It’s not too busy for once. It may actually be a bit of a slow night.”

Danielle nodded and quickly went to the restroom, washing her face off before heading out to server tables. The owner, Tifa, had been right… It was almost empty in here. “That’s pretty weird, especially for a Friday night,” she muttered, going to her first table.

And just my luck. I get a table full of weird looking people, she thought to herself. There were four people here, three men and a woman. All were dressed in expensive-looking dark blue suits that were crisp and fresh with the exception of one man’s unkempt suit. There was a man with long black hair and an air of authority about him. Beside him sat a young woman with short blonde hair and a slightly annoyed look on her face. Across from the man with black hair was a young man with spiky red hair that was long enough near the back of his neck to be worn in a ponytail. He was the one with the disheveled suit. Beside him was a bald-headed man with several ear piercings and dark shades that hid his eyes.

Danielle took their orders, noting their different personalities. They all acted completely different, and they all seemed to regard Danielle with mild interest. Danielle suppressed a slight shudder as she went back to the kitchen, giving the cooks their orders. Even while she served other tables, she could feel the stares of the four suited people on her back the whole time. Thankfully, Danielle’s shift was shorter than usual, since Tifa had told her that she needed to go and get some rest…

Danielle was finishing up at the table with the four suited people when the red-haired man knocked over his drink onto the floor. “Reno!” the young woman chided, although there was a strange tone in her voice, almost like she wasn’t serious about it…

“I’ll get someone to clean this up,” Danielle said, picking up the cup and setting it on the table. She gave them their ticket, and the black-haired man put a twenty in her hand.

“Forgive us for Reno’s clumsiness. We don’t mean to trouble you or keep you longer,” the man said.

Danielle shook her head, surprised that he had given her such a generous tip. “Nah, it’s fine. You guys are my last table anyways.” She slipped the twenty in her pocket. “Thanks, and have a nice night.”

The man nodded. “You, too.” He and the others stood up, walking to the register to pay for the meal. Danielle sighed a bit and spotted Tifa heading over to her. “Well, you really want me to go now?” Danielle asked.

She nodded. “You work harder than anyone else. You deserve a bit of rest. And the next time you don’t have a ride, call me, okay? You look like you’re about to pass out.”

Danielle shrugged. “Someone siphoned the gas in my car, so I had to skateboard here from the dorm.”

Tifa raised a slender eyebrow. “That’s pretty far to go. No wonder you’re exhausted.” She frowned. “What’s with the way people treat you? You seem like an average nineteen-year-old teenager to me.”

Danielle sighed. “Beats me. People probably believe all of those stupid stories about my family. Anyhow, I should get going. I’ve got a long way back.”

Tifa nodded, now looking a bit worried. “Okay. Take care, Danielle. It’s not safe out there on your own in the middle of the night.”

Danielle nodded back. “Thanks… Oh, and some guy spilt his drink over there, so we need a person to clean it up,” she said as she jerked her thumb over her shoulder. She walked away as Tifa went to the back to find someone.

Danielle headed past the register, stopping as a hand gripped her shoulder gently. She spun around, heart racing, only to see that it was the red-haired man from before. “Sorry about earlier,” he began, his tone light and relaxed. “Really didn’t mean to do that to you.”

Danielle felt the stares of the woman and bald-headed man on her, but she kept a slightly cheerful expression. “It’s okay. It happens sometimes. A split drink isn’t something to worry about.”

The man nodded, a slight smirk on his face. “Well, we come here often, so maybe we’ll see you again.”

Danielle felt a bit nervous. “Yeah, maybe. I… I have to go.” Danielle pulled away, heading quickly out the door without looking back. She went around to the back, grabbing her skateboard from where she left it. Danielle went onto the sidewalk a good couple of feet from the restaurant before getting on her skateboard, glancing back at the building. The four people were standing there, the black-haired man at the front. He caught her gaze and smiled, but it wasn’t a kind and gentle smile. It was one that sent chills up her spine. Turning away, Danielle took off on her skateboard, the setting sun blazing ahead of her as she left the suited strangers behind.

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The black-haired man’s smile widened as he watched the girl depart. Things had gone exactly as planned. Better, actually. The only problem encountered was her slight suspicion of them, but that was to be expected. Anyone would be suspicious…

“Did you get it, Reno?”

The red-haired man, Reno, held up a small black wallet with a smirk. “Of course. She didn’t even notice it.” He opened it up, reading the information on the license out loud. “Danielle Roivas. Birthdate November 19, 1982, weight 145, female, height five foot five, two restrictions… This is her all right.”

The woman snorted. “We didn’t need to steal her wallet to find that out. It was easy to tell that our waitress just so happened to be the one girl we’ve been searching all over Rhode Island for.”

“You talk too much, Elena,” Reno muttered as he looked through the wallet.

“At least I’m not slow on the uptake like you are.”

“Hey!” Reno growled, stepping towards Elena.

“Enough!” the black-haired man scolded. “That license gives us just the information we need. Elena, Reno, Rude, keep an eye on her. We can’t let anything happen to her. Understood?”

“Yeah, yeah… I gotcha,” Reno replied in a bored-sounding voice as he put the wallet in his pocket. “I still don’t see what’s so special about one kid.”

The black-haired man smirked slightly as he began to walk off. “I’m quite sure that she doesn’t see her own importance, either. You know what we were ordered to do. No harm can come to Danielle Roivas.”

Reno stood back near Elena and Rude, a serious look on his face. “Consider it done.”

“Good. I leave this in your hands. Elena, you will report back to me when the mission is complete or if something happens.”

Elena nodded, looking just as serious as her companions. “Understood.”

The black-haired man walked off without another word, leaving the three of them alone. Reno smirked slightly. “Let the fun begin,” he muttered softly as he followed after Rude and Elena.

The Turks had arrived.

[CupOfCoffee]

Huh. Usually I'm not too big on crossover stories, but yours is well-written and carries a well-developed sense of forboding. I also like the introduction, which obviously doesn't flow quite in chronological order. I like that kinda stuff.

However, you've got a few small mistakes in here. For one, if Danielle were born on November 19, 1982, she'd be 24 and not 19. Unless, of course, this story takes place in 2002. Also, a little bit of the dialogue seems sort of unrealistic or forced, but it's actually not a problem since I imagine your command over dialogue in general is a whole head and shoulders above most everyone you know. Anyway, keep posting, and I'll keep reading!

[Stormsworder]

Yeah, it takes place in 2002, two years after the events of the Eternal Darkness game. XD I flipped out when I read that, then my mind sorta registered what you were saying.

Yeah, dialogue gave me some slight problems in the first chapter. I redid that chapter so many times it's not even funny. Trust me when I say it was a lot better than what I had thought up before. I coulda done better with that argument with Rika though, that's for sure. I just couldn't think of anything, and me like the idiot I am forgot to detail some of the things like the characters, the room, etc.

I'm glad you like it nonetheless. Makes me really happy to know people like my writing. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/anime1.gif

[Stormsworder]

((I probably should have emphasized more how my person had serious doubts about a decision in this chapter, but I completely forgot to when I was writing and I can't think of what to add in at the last minute, so yeah... XD))

Chapter 2: Homeward Bound

“You’re just avoiding hanging out with me, aren’t you?” Rika joked lightly.

Danielle chuckled. “Maybe. I won’t be gone for long. Something just popped up in Newport, so I have to go.” She was busy packing up a bag while she talked, putting enough clothes to last her for about a week into the blue duffle bag she used to use back in high school.

“But why aren’t you just driving there?”

“Because I know you need the car so you can go visit your parents.” She tossed Rika her car keys. “I can handle a dull bus ride, don’t worry.”

Rika caught the keys and smirked. “Just don’t lose your wallet again, okay? It was bad enough the first time you did.”

Danielle let out a sharp laugh, shaking her head a bit. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to lose it this time.”

It had been a month since the night she lost her wallet, and she had almost completely forgotten about the strange people she had met while waiting tables. Tifa had found her wallet outside in the parking lot the next morning and immediately dropped it off at Danielle and Rika’s dorm room, giving Danielle a long lecture about taking better care of things such as her wallet.

Danielle zipped up her back, tightening the black fingerless gloves on her hands before slinging the duffle bag over her shoulder, the strap cutting into her neck a bit and forcing her to adjust it. “Well, you take care of yourself, Rika. I’ll see you next week.” As Danielle left the room, she felt a slight pang of sadness. Rika had invited her to spend Thanksgiving week with her at her parents, but then the call had come…

Inspector Legrasse of the Rhode Island police in Newport had said a man claiming to be Devin Sterling had been brought in to the hospital in critical condition. When he woke up he had been frantic about finding his “little sis”. The only relative the police could think of that was still alive and fit the description was his adoptive sister.

Danielle walked silently through the streets, heading for the bus stop, deep in thought. It was an overcast day, clouds blocking out the sun. By the feel of the air around her, it was likely about to rain soon. Plus it just smelled that way… It was a bit hard to explain, but there was just a peculiar smell in the air when it was fixing to rain…

“Why am I thinking about something like that?” she muttered to herself as she finally arrived at the bus stop. She carried her bag with her as she boarded the bus, glancing around to find an empty seat. Most people didn’t pay any attention to her, which she was thankful for. It was annoying to have them stare at the scar on her face like it was some kind of neon sign on her skin…

Danielle sat in an empty seat by the window, thinking about the call once more.

He’s been missing for two years and suddenly shows up in a near-death state. Just what happened to him? Where has he been, and why didn’t he try contacting me or something? It doesn’t make any sense…

Danielle slowly pulled out the silver chain that had a single blue ring on it from under her shirt. Alex, her sister, had given her their grandfather’s ring when she had been released from the hospital. It was all she had to remember him by. Alex had known their parents and grandfather more than Danielle, while Danielle had only seen Edward once, on the very night that he was killed…

“Mind if I sit here?” a woman asked, startling Danielle. She looked up, spotting a familiar-looking woman with short blonde hair and an expensive dark-blue suit.

Danielle shook her head. “I don’t mind at all,” she replied as the woman sat in the seat next to Danielle. Danielle gazed out of the window silently, her ring still hanging out of her shirt.

Where have I seen this woman before? Maybe it was during work or something…

The bus started to move now, setting off for Newport. Danielle hadn’t been back since she started college. She had always expected to go back during the summer or holidays and hang out with Alex when she was out of college, but…

The woman beside Danielle held out a hand to her. “My name’s Elena,” she said, introducing herself.

Danielle hesitated before shaking her hand. “Danielle.” Elena’s grip was firm compared to Danielle’s, as if measuring her…

“Why are you going to Newport? Family there?” Elena asked as she let go of Danielle’s hand and sat back in her seat, trying to start up a conversation.

“Sorta. My brother’s in the hospital there.”

Elena looked curious. “What’s his name? I may know him.”

Danielle hesitated slightly, wondering why some random stranger she just met was asking all these questions… “Devin Sterling,” she answered.

“Sterling… I know that name. My boss was associated with them before… well…” She shook her head. “I don’t recall them mentioning a daughter.”

Danielle thought for a bit. Someone connected to her adoptive parents? She wasn’t expecting that. “I was adopted by them when my parents died. I wasn’t exactly their favorite, so they never talked about me too much.”

Elena gave her a sympathetic look, but there was something off about it. “I see… I should visit Devin while I’m there… I thought the Sterlings lived out in Highland? That’s a bit far from Newport.”

“They did, but Newport is as close as I can get by bus. I can stay at our old house over there at least. It’s just going to be a long walk to get there.”

Elena nodded, a thoughtful look on her face. “I’m meeting two friends in Newport. We can drop you off at your house if you want.”

Danielle frowned slightly. “I appreciate it, but…”

“I understand. You don’t trust me since you’ve just met me.” Elena locked eyes with her, a strange look in her eyes. “I just want to help, that’s all. I owe the Sterlings a lot, as does my boss.”

Danielle hesitated again. Elena seemed sincere enough… “Well, I suppose. After all, you did know my adoptive parents.”

Elena nodded, looking satisfied. “Thank you. At least there is something small I can do to repay the debt to your parents.”

Danielle shrugged wordlessly, staring out the window once more. She watched the scenery pass by in silence, Elena just as quiet.

I must be nuts to be going with someone I just met, but she seems trustworthy enough… And just where have I seen her before? Who is she, really…?

Sighing softly, Danielle closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep.

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Elena watched as Danielle fell asleep, her eyes narrowing slightly. That had been too close. Of course, it was expected that Danielle wouldn’t trust Elena. She had been lucky to convince the teen to trust her…

She looked Danielle over, frowning slightly. Why did Tseng and the boss want this one kid so bad? She didn’t seem like much at all. Elena noticed the thing scars barely visible from under her green cargo jacket, the black fingerless gloves she wore almost covering them. What were those from…?

Elena shook her head, looking past Danielle out the window at the growing storm clouds in the distance. No matter how much she hated getting stuck keeping an eye on this kid, she would do it. Orders were orders.

She’s too cautious. She can read people better than the average person. Unless we’re careful, she’ll mess everything up.

Elena pulled out her cell phone, dialing quickly. Not many people had these, but she was one of the few that did… “We’re coming,” Elena said quietly, her eyes flickering over at Danielle. She was tossing and turning slightly in her sleep… “She’s coming willingly. Be ready just in case.” Elena silently hung up the phone without even saying good-bye, watching Danielle’s restless sleep. One kid… How could one kid hold so much importance…? Elena looked away, patiently waiting for the bus to arrive at its destination nearly an hour away.

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By the time they arrived, it was pouring down raining, lightning crackling in the air. Danielle slung her bag over her neck, the strap cutting into her neck again as she rushed off the bus. She was immediately drenched in water, but luckily the clothes in her bag couldn’t get wet because of the bag’s material…

Elena grabbed her by the arm, shouting over the roar of the wind. “This way! The car’s over here!” They both ran through the rain towards a black car with a suited man standing outside it, black sunglasses hiding his eyes. He opened the door for Danielle, allowing her to get inside.

“Man, you’re soaked!” a familiar voice said as soon as the door closed behind Danielle.

Danielle looked up as a red-haired man passed her a towel to dry herself off with. Just like Elena, she had recalled seeing him before… “Thanks,” she said as she took the towel, drying off her face and hair. Elena was in the front passenger seat, and the bald man with the sunglasses was driving. The red-headed man was in the back with Danielle.

The man nodded. “By the way, the name’s Reno. We met back at that restaurant last month. Sorry for creeping you out like that.”

Danielle instantly recognized the three people now. She had server their table and found them a bit suspicious. She instinctively grabbed the handle to the door and tried to open it, but it was locked.

Reno frowned. “Whoa, calm down! We aren’t going to hurt you!”

Danielle hesitated a bit. “Just who are you?”

“Already told you. I’m Reno, you’ve already met Elena, and this is Rude.” He jerked his thumb at the driver. “We didn’t mean to creep you out like that back then. Tseng tends to do that.”

Danielle relaxed, but only slightly. They seemed nice enough… Maybe she was just too cautious and paranoid for her own good. “It’s okay. I shouldn’t have freaked out just now…”

Reno smiled. “Don’t worry about it!”

Elena glanced at them. “Would you rather us bring you to the hospital to see your brother, Danielle? I know you’re probably worried about him, and this storm may let up while we’re there.”

“Okay. Sounds good to me,” Danielle replied with a nod as she put on her seatbelt.

As Rude drove towards the hospital, Reno glanced over at Danielle, his left arm on the back of the seat, his hand near Danielle’s head. “Anyhow, how’d you get that scar on your face? I noticed it that night. Got in a skateboarding accident or something?”

Danielle paused for a second, not really sure how to reply. “Uh, yeah, something like that.”

“Reno…” Elena muttered, sounding annoyed.

Reno blinked quickly. “What? I was just asking!”

“It’s okay, Elena. He didn’t do anything wrong,” Danielle said in a quiet voice.

Elena gave Reno an annoyed glare but didn’t say anything, turning back to look out the windshield.

Reno gave Danielle a bit of a grin. “So, we’re going to see your brother? What’s he like?”

“Devin’s pretty nice… Cares about me a lot. We’d always hang out whenever we could when we were younger, and he actually taught me how to skateboard.”

“Ah, he sounds like a cool guy… So, he’s your only sibling?” Reno asked.

Danielle shook her head. “Devin’s actually just my adoptive brother. My sister lives up in Washington. She’s almost finished with college, so she’ll be coming back to Rhode Island in a few months.”

Reno nodded. “I bet it’s nice to have siblings, a person to hang around with. Me, I’m an only child. Always wanted a brother, but…” He chuckled a bit, shrugging.

“We’re here,” Reno said abruptly, starting Danielle and cutting her off before she could ask Reno a question.

It was still raining hard outside, so they had to run into the hospital to avoid getting drenched. Danielle pushed her dripping wet bangs out of her eyes as she looked around. Two years ago she had been in this very hospital, near-death with her older sister sitting by her side. She clenched her right hand into a fist, the fingers moving a bit slow and her fist not closing all the way. An injury that would forever remind her of that nightmare she had faced…

“Danielle Roivas?”

She looked up as a man with short black hair and a tan trench coat approached her. “Yeah, that’s me.”

“I’m Inspector Legrasse. I’m glad you could make it on such short notice. Come with me. Devin just woke up.”

Danielle glanced at Elena and the others, receiving a nod from Elena. Danielle walked after Legrasse, noticing him carrying two Styrofoam cups. “Here. Knew you’d probably be wet and tired, so I got you some hot chocolate.”

Danielle took the cup he offered her and nodded her thanks, drinking from it. It tasted a bit off, but it made her feel better. “So, you said Devin woke up, right? Is he okay?”

Legrasse opened a door nearby. “See for yourself.”

Taking a deep breath, Danielle steeled herself as she stepped into the room.

[Stormsworder]

Chapter 3: Dark Discovery

Danielle felt tears come to her eyes as she saw Devin. “Can I talk to him alone?” she asked Legrasse, who nodded and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him. Danielle set down the now-empty cup, walking over to Devin’s bed.

Legrasse had been right… Devin had been seriously hurt. His short black hair was messy and unkempt, and several cuts covered his face. His blue U.S. Navy shirt had been shredded, deep gashes visible on the skin beneath. His blue jeans were also cut up a lot, injuries visible beneath the tattered material. But most of the wounds had been centered around his chest and neck, like something had tried to burrow inside of him…

Danielle swallowed hard, trying not to think about it as she looked at Devin’s face again. “Hey bro, can you hear me?”

Devin slowly opened his green eyes, wincing. “Danielle…?”

“Yeah, it’s me.” She gently gripped his hand. “How you holding up?”

“Been… better…” He frowned a bit. “You alone…?” he asked in a soft whisper. Danielle nodded. “Good…” Devin took a deep breath. “I know what happened to Mom and Dad… How they died…”

Danielle’s blood ran cold, her heart skipping a beat. “Devin… I…”

He cut her off. “I know… You had no control… You would never hurt anyone…”

“I don’t get it. How did you find out, Devin? I mean… I didn’t think anyone knew. No one was there that night.” She hesitated. She thought what she had seen in that vision was just a nightmare… Danielle had found out a few days later that it wasn’t…

“A man… No, a monster… Pious Augustus… He tried to turn me against you… I went along to find out more… but I never doubted you… He told me everything… about the Ancients… about you… All of it…”

Danielle’s eyes narrowed at the mention of Pious Augustus. “So, he told you about the Ancients…” She frowned slightly. “But how did you get hurt so bad? Did Pious do this to you?”

“No… I escaped… I knew Pious could find me easily… The servants of Chattur’gha… aren’t exactly easy to run from…” Devin winced, and his voice was starting to sound weaker than before, as if he was straining himself to try and talk. “Something’s going on… Something bad… groups working in secret… They want power… Ancients…”

Danielle gritted her teeth, once again surprised that someone would want to even summon the Ancients. Did they really think those monsters would give them power? If anything they would just kill the people or torture them for eternity… “So, they want to bring back the Ancients. Go figure… But Chattur’gha’s dead, Ulyaoth bound, Xel’lotath sealed… There’s no way they can be brought back, right? I mean, the Artifacts are all gone…”

Devin closed his eyes, looking exhausted. “There’s a way… Be careful, though… Legrasse… I don’t trust him…”

Danielle frowned a bit. That made two of them, then… “Okay. Just get some rest, Devin.”

Devin opened his eyes a bit, gently touching her face, his fingers tracing the scar on her left cheek. There was a look of pity and sadness in his eyes. “Just… don’t die on me, sis… Not after I’ve… got to see you again…”

Danielle nodded slightly. “Don’t plan on it, bro.” Devin closed his eyes again, lowering his hand and slipping into a light doze almost immediately. Sighing softly, Danielle walked out of the room, closing the door slowly so that it didn’t make any noise.

“Did he tell you anything? Maybe who attacked him?” Legrasse asked. Danielle shook her head. “Oh well… Hopefully we’ll find out soon enough. What’re you going to do now?”

“Probably stay at my parents’ old house. I’ll come by again tomorrow.”

Legrasse nodded, a strange glint in his eyes. “Farewell,” he said as he walked off.

Danielle frowned as she watched him leave. He was really acting strange… She shook her head, walking back to the lobby, her hands in the pockets of her cargo pants. Elena strode over to her, but Reno and Rude were nowhere in sight. “How is he?”

“Good. He was able to talk to me at least. I’m going to come back tomorrow to see him, though.” She looked around. “Hey, where’s your two friends at?”

“Reno and Rude are waiting in the car for us. The storm hasn’t lessened up any, though. It’s good to hear Devin’s doing okay. We’ll probably come to see him later on, maybe a few days from now.” She pause for a second. “I take it you’re ready to leave? It looks like you get the creeps from being in this place.”

Danielle rubbed the back of her head a bit. “I’m surprised you noticed it… I just don’t like hospitals all that much, so yeah, I’d like to get out of here.”

A small smile crept across Elena’s face as they headed out the doors of the hospital. They ran through the rain and quickly got into the car. Rude drove off almost immediately after they were seat belted in, heading out of Newport. The buildings were soon replaced by the open country as they drove, and Danielle realized just how much she missed her old home.

Reno looked over at Danielle. “So, you live out in Highland, right? Rude knows that place like the back of his hand. Actually, he remembers his way everywhere…” When Danielle didn’t reply, Reno fell silent and looked out the window.

The Ancients… I thought the trouble with them was over… And now I come to find out some idiots are trying to bring them back into this world. But… it took Pious two thousand years to summon them. I know Alex and me used the three Artifacts to summon Ulyaoth, but those went missing when we beat Pious and Chattur’gha. So just how do these guys plan on bringing them into this world?

Danielle looked up in alarm as Elena screamed something to Rude, spotting a black-cloaked figure in the distance before the car lost control.

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Danielle’s head throbbed painfully as she slowly came around. She could hear frantic voices nearby, and yet they sounded so distant to her…

“Elena! She’s hurt! Help me get her out of here!”

Danielle tried to open her eyes but couldn’t. Something warm and wet oozed down the left side of her face. The whole left side of her body hurt badly. What had happened…?

Gentle hands undid the seatbelt around her, going along her body and gently feeling along the left side of it. The hands stopped when they touched whatever was dripping down the left side of her face.

“Her head… It’s really bad. She’s bleeding from it.”

“Be careful with her, Reno! We can’t make those injuries any worse! You know what would happen if she died!”

The hands now carefully pulled Danielle out, but even the slightest moment of her body brought fresh waves of pain. It felt like she had been hit by a truck going full speed or something…

“Careful! Keep an eye on her, Reno! I have to help Rude!”

Someone lifted her up slowly, and she felt warm droplets splatter against her face. There was a strange hiss from nearby, and it felt like something was probing her mind, testing it. Danielle opened her eyes slightly, the rain still falling in her face as she glanced to the right. She could barely make out the blurred shapes, but she could tell one was Rude. He was fighting something small with three spheres of green light in place of its head…

Bonethief, she thought to herself, panicking slightly.

The presence in her mind seemed to react to her thoughts and pushed in deeper now, as if trying to get inside… She heard a loud crack as someone fired a gun, taking down the Bonethief with a well-placed shot to the chest. The presence Danielle had felt in her mind vanished instantly, and she could hear the shouts of the others as they regrouped, Danielle still being carried in the arms of Reno.

“The Ancients?! What are they doing here?”

“We need to get her somewhere safe. I’m betting they’re after her!”

“Right! Let’s hurry before more of them come!”

Danielle closed her eyes, trying to make sense of what happened. So it really was the Ancients that had attacked. She could recognize a Bonethief anywhere. But how had they known about the Ancients? Almost no one knew about those accursed creatures, so how did three people she had first met in a restaurant know about them…?

She couldn’t think straight anymore as her head throbbed painfully. A thick fog had settled itself in her mind, distorting her thoughts. She just felt like sleeping… Maybe when she woke up she would ask them about everything they knew regarding the Ancients. Danielle released herself to the unconsciousness she had fought against, and darkness engulfed her mind.

--------------------------------------------------

Reno followed Elena into the house, the rain finally having let up a bit by the time they had arrived. Rude brought up the rear, closing the door and locking it behind him. He turned on the lights, turning to look back at Reno and Elena.

They had made it to the former Sterling household. Elena had brought Danielle’s bag with them from the wrecked car and managed to find a key to the house in the girl’s wallet, which she kept in the bag instead of her pocket for some reason. The three knew that Danielle would be suspicious of them now, since they had found the house without her directions. Of course, she would probably be out of it long enough for them to discuss and excuse, even if it was unlikely that she would believe it.

“Find some medical supplies,” Reno told Rude, a serious look on his face. There was no time for jokes or messing around now. If they didn’t do something, it was possible that Danielle would die… Rude nodded silently and walked off, and Reno entered a bedroom as Elena went to grab some old towels and sheets. It didn’t take her long to find them, and she put some of the sheets on the bed. Reno set the unconscious Danielle down on the bed over the sheets, blood staining the white cloth almost immediately.

“Just what happened?” Reno asked Elena.

“There was someone in a black cloak in the middle of the road. Something blew us off-course, and we crashed into that tree. I think it was a gust of wind…”

Reno looked at her in disbelief. “How can the wind get that strong in just a single instant?”

Elena frowned. “I’m not sure. It was so precise… The brunt of the damage was right where Danielle sat in the car. And did you see that Bonethief? It was one of Xel’lotath’s. I think it was after her.”

Rude came back in with some medical supplies he had found, ending their conversation. The three of them immediately got to work on Danielle’s injuries. They all had knowledge of first-aid, and they were fortunate that Rude was able to find the supplies. Elena, the most knowledgeable in first-aid, treated the injury to Danielle’s head, cleaning the wound and creating make-shift stitches for the injury. Reno and Rude worked on the lesser injuries that covered the left side of her body and her left arm, cleaning them and covering them with bandages. After what felt like hours, they managed to clean and bandage up almost all of the injuries. Danielle was still unconscious though, her skin pale, beads of sweat on her forehead.

“Concussion?” Reno suggested.

Elena nodded. “Most likely. We can’t risk bringing her to the hospital with Legrasse there.”

Rude spoke up now. “I don’t think it’s just a concussion. She’s running a fever.”

“Wait, didn’t Legrasse give her something to drink?” Reno asked, a slight frown on his face.

Elena nodded. “This kid really is more trouble than she’s worth… But how did the boss know something like this would happen?”

“How am I supposed to know? Reno muttered as Rude pulled out a small black case that Tseng had given to them. Elena had a point. How had the boss known Legrasse would try to poison the kid? Did he really give them the right antidote to use? This was all just too strange…

A knock from the front door made Reno’s eyes narrow. “Reno, go get that. If the boss is right, that will be Legrasse.”

With a nod to Elena Reno left the room, adjusting the leather strap on his right wrist. Cold steel pressed against his skin as he readied his weapon but kept it hidden in his sleeve. Reno opened the door, not at all surprised to see Legrasse. Something about the man just sent chills up Reno’s spine and made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end…

“Is Danielle Roivas here?” Legrasse asked, the surprise of seeing Reno quickly passing.

“Afraid not,” Reno replied, keeping his voice even. “She went out not too long ago and told us to stay here.”

“Really? And just who are you?” Legrasse’s eyes narrowed slightly. Apparently he didn’t believe Reno but didn’t want to show it.

“Name’s Reno. I’m a friend of Danielle’s. Is there something you need?”

Legrasse’s eyes narrowed a bit more, as if deciding whether to force his way in or not. After a few seconds he merely nodded. “When she comes back, tell her I’m looking for her. It’s important.”

Reno nodded back to him, trying to keep the anger out of his voice. “Yeah, I’ll tell her.” As Legrasse turned and walked away, Reno shut the door, locking it before going back to the others. “It was Legrasse all right. Told him the kid wasn’t here, but he didn’t believe me, I think. He knows she’s here, either way.”

“Then we’ll just have to bring her with us,” Elena said.

Reno shook his head. “We can’t. Besides the fact she shouldn’t be moved right now, we can’t just take her there without telling her anything. That would probably just make things that much worse. We’ll try telling her just a small bit about us and see if she’ll come.”

“If she doesn’t?”

“Then we’ll call Tseng to find out what to do. The plan’s pretty much useless. And besides, we need to tell him about that figure that attacked us. I’d bet you anything that whoever it was, they summoned that Bonethief to attack.”

“Wow. Reno knows what he’s talking about for once,” Elena muttered dryly, causing Reno to glare at her.

“Now isn’t the time for messing around, Elena. Just call Tseng now and tell him what happened,” Reno said, a hard edge in his voice. Even though Elena was obviously ticked off at being ordered around like that, she left the room to make the call. No need taking any chances of Danielle overhearing the conversation on the phone…

Reno stared back down at Danielle, his eyes narrowing slightly. “You have no idea what kind of mess you’re involved in, kid…”

And you probably won’t be walking away from this one.

[Stormsworder]

Chapter 4: The Turks

You cannot escape what you are, Danielle. You thought you were free of the nightmare when it has never left. You will be my body. Through you shall my will be done. It is hopeless to fight it, Danielle.

Danielle...

“Danielle?”

Danielle opened her eyes a bit, blinking slowly. Where was she…? It looked familiar…

My old bedroom?

“Good to see you awake,” a voice said softly. Danielle looked around slowly, spotting Reno sitting on the edge of the bed. “You took a nasty blow to the head. We fixed it up as best as we could and gave you an antidote to that poison.”

Danielle frowned slightly, gently feeling the side of her head with her hand. The hair was matted with dried blood, and she could feel stitches over the skin. She lowered her hand, blinking slowly again. “Poison…?” she whispered in a raspy voice. Her mouth was dry and parched, and she felt beads of sweat on her face.

Elena spoke up from near Reno, standing with her arms folded. Rude was to the left of her. “We think it was Legrasse. We were lucky to have been warned of the possibility of this happening. That’s how we knew to have an antidote ready.”

Warned? What was going on? Danielle slowly glanced around, taking in the room again. This was definitely her old bedroom, but how did she get in her house? Had Reno and the others actually known where she lived? “Who warned you…? How… did I get here…?”

Reno glanced back at Elena, eyes narrowing slightly before looking down at Danielle. “After the crash we brought you here. As for the poison… Our boss warned us about it, said that Legrasse would try to use it to weaken you enough for him to get you without a fight.”

Danielle closed her eyes. Legrasse? Devin had warned her about him, but she hadn’t taken it seriously… “But how did he poison me…?”

“You took a drink from the cup he gave you, remember? It was probably easy for him to put the poison in there without you knowing it.”

The drink… There was something a bit off about it after all… I can’t believe something like that happened to me. But what does Legrasse want with me?

Danielle opened her eyes again. “I don’t get it… What does he want?”

“We aren’t too sure, to tell the truth. We’re hoping to find out, though.”

Danielle considered what he said. She probably wasn’t going to find out any more information concerning that topic… It was time to find out just how they knew where she lived. “How do you know where I live, anyhow…?”

“We have the Sterlings’s address from when they were associated with our boss. You could say it slipped our minds, and we forgot to tell you about it. Sorry.”

Danielle hesitated. None of this felt right. Something about their story just didn’t seem right at all. And their boss knew that Legrasse would try to poison her? She even recalled one of them mentioning the Ancients after the crash, when she saw that Bonethief attack…

“How do you know about the Ancients…?”

Reno shook his head, sighing softly. “I’m not at the liberty to say that.”

Danielle frowned slightly, growing suspicious now. Why wouldn’t they tell her? “Just who are you…? Who do you work for…?”

He paused for a second, as if thinking of how much to tell her. “We’re the Turks. And as for who we work for… I can’t tell you.”

Danielle was growing irritated now. “Why not, huh…?” she asked angrily.

“Just can’t. Orders are orders.”

“I don’t care about orders!” Danielle shouted, her voice weak. “I have a right to know!”

Reno kept his expression neutral, but a hint of anger crept into his voice. “Our boss doesn’t think the same. He wants to make you an offer, though. Either you come with us and we protect you, or you can stay here by yourself and deal with Legrasse when he comes back. Your choice.”

“Get out of my house,” she growled, her head throbbing slightly. Her outburst of anger had made her head throb…

Reno looked back at Elena and Rude and nodded as he stood up. “Fine. Let’s go, Elena, Rude.” They walked out of the room without another word or a backwards glance at Danielle.

Danielle sighed tiredly and closed her eyes. Maybe she had been too harsh with her words, but if someone who had lied to her about who they really were and kept secrets from her expected her to go with them... She was just still out of it from the car wreck, probably…

She looked at her watch silently. Only two in the afternoon? Just how long was she out, anyhow? She couldn’t remember what time it was when she left the hospital…

I should go make sure they’ve left, but I don’t even think I can stand up. I’m sure they left though. I probably should have at least said thanks for them taking care of my injuries, but I was just so mad… Who the heck are they, really?

Danielle closed her eyes, feeling exhausted, her head still throbbing in pain. She knew she should call Alex, but right now, she couldn’t even recall her sister’s phone number. She was going to just sleep for a bit and then make the call whenever she woke up. Alex needed to know what was going on. If the Ancients really were back, they were in trouble.

--------------------------------------------------

Reno stood outside with Elena and Rude, the sun glinting slightly off the black goggles she wore on his head. His usually relaxed demeanor was gone, replaced by a serious look. He took out his phone, dialing Tseng’s number quickly.

“She doesn’t want to come.”

There was a pause on the other end. “Then we have no other choice. Use whatever means necessary. Just don’t kill her.”

Reno smirked coldly. “Don’t worry. We’ll get her. She’ll regret not taking our offer.” Tseng hung up, and Reno pocketed his phone. “Let’s go. We have work to do.”

--------------------------------------------------

When Danielle woke up, it was nearly ten at night. She had slept for eight hours straight! She slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes. The wound on her head throbbed slightly, but not as bad as before. She looked down at herself, noticing the deep gashes that covered most of the left side of her body, even in the darkness. That wreck must have been really bad…

Danielle stood up, moving slowly and carefully as a rush of dizziness hit her. She shut her eyes, letting her equilibrium return to normal before she opened her eyes back up. She reached a hand out into the darkness and turned on the lamp beside her bed, blinking rapidly as the light came on. When her eyes had adjusted, she picked up the cordless phone from its received, pausing to struggle to remember her sister’s phone number. As soon as it came to mind, she dialed the number quickly, hoping silently that Alex would be there to pick it up.

--------------------------------------------------

Reno and Rude stood in the basement of the Sterling household, searching for the fuse box. They had managed to get back into the house without difficulty, especially since Elena had decided to keep the key to the house when they left.

Reno spotted the gunmetal gray box on the wall, smirking slightly as he walked over to it and pulled open the door. “Bingo… Ready, partner?” Reno asked as Rude joined him, looking over all of the switches.

“Of course,” Rude replied simply.

“Heh. Lights out,” Reno muttered to himself, flipping off every switch in the fuse box, cutting off the power to the house.

--------------------------------------------------

“Yeah, I’m fine, Alex. I just took a really long nap when I got here,” Danielle said as she stood near her room’s window, staring out into the night.

“Well, that’s good. You had me worried, especially since you promised to call me as soon as you got home.”

“Uh, yeah, I’m sorry about that… I didn’t mean to Alex. I was so tired I couldn’t even remember what your phone number was.” She sighed softly, closing her eyes. “Listen, I found out that the Ancients are back. Devin was attacked by them.”

Alex gasped in surprise. “The Ancients? Not good… Somehow I knew it was too good to be true that they were gone for good. Danielle, whatever you do, don’t—“ The line suddenly went dead just as the lamp went out.

“Alex? Alex!” The only thing Danielle heard was dead air from the phone. She stared down at it, muttering darkly. Why did the power go out? It wasn’t storming anymore… One glance out the window revealed that the light on the telephone pole a few feet down to the street was still on.

Danielle tossed the phone on her bed. There was a normal phone somewhere in the house that she could use to call the power company and find out what was going on. But first…. She was going to check the fuse box down in the basement just to see if one of the fuses blew out.

“I’ll need a flashlight first… If I try and go down those steps in the dark, I’ll end up breaking my neck.” Danielle felt her way to the bedroom door, her eyes still not yet adjusted to the darkness. The flashlight was in the kitchen if she recalled correctly, and she had to go past the living room and foyer to reach it.

Danielle walked out of the room and stopped, frowning slightly. She thought she had heard the creak of a door nearby, but more than likely it was just her imagination. Her eyes still adjusting to the darkness, Danielle walked into the living room, her footsteps making the wooden floor creak with each step. If she remembered right, the flashlight was here in the living room. “But just where at in here…?” she muttered softly to herself, barely able to make out anything still.

“Looking for something…?” a voice rang out in the darkness.

Danielle gasped and spun around, her eyes scanning the darkness, but she couldn’t see anything. She took a step back, glancing around quickly, trying to remember where she had heard that voice before. And where had it come from? She knew it was somewhere here in the living room…

“Scared like a little mouse,” another voice said. It was one even more familiar than the first. “So, you got two options. You can come with us the easy way… or you can come with us the hard way…”

Danielle recognized the speakers now. It was Reno and Rude! “I already told you before. I’m not going with you. Now just leave me alone!” She looked around quickly again, her heart racing. She couldn’t tell where they were, and when Reno spoke up again, his position had changed.

“Why do they always choose the hard way?” Reno said with a sigh. “Hey Rude, care to do the honors?”

Danielle frowned, then gasped as Rude replied from right next to her. “My pleasure.” A gloved hand grabbed Danielle’s arm, holding on with a grip of steel.

Danielle’s eyes widened in surprise as she tried to pull her arm away. “Gah! Let me go!” she shouted. There was no reply as an arm wrapped around her waist and lifted her up. She could tell that Rude had picked her up and was carrying her on his shoulder. Danielle gritted her teeth, reacting on instinct as she rammed her left elbow into the back of Rude’s head, a jolt of pain lancing all the way up and down her arm. He grunted slightly, dropping Danielle and holding his head while letting out a pained groan. Danielle staggered away from them, clutching her arm, unable to move it. She had made a bad move. Her arm hadn’t exactly healed up from the crash enough for her to try and fight with it.

“You okay, big guy?” Reno asked Rude from nearby.

“No problem. Just a bit more trouble than we thought,” he replied, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

How strong is that guy? An average person would be knocked out from that, even if it was with my injured arm!

Footsteps pounded on the floor as Danielle saw a dark shape lunge towards her, punching at her. “You’re not getting’ away!” Rude shouted. Danielle instinctively ducked under the punch, trying to uppercut Rude in the stomach with her right arm. The attack hit home, and Rude doubled over in pain.

“Guess it’s my turn to jump in!” Danielle heard Reno say from her right. A smaller dark shape rushed at her, aiming a kick to Danielle’s side. A burst of pain took her breath away as she stumbled sideways, struggling to catch her breath, her head throbbing painfully from all of the quick movements. She clutched the side of her head, wincing, barely managing to keep her balance. Danielle gasped in surprise as her legs were suddenly kicked out from under her, sending her crashing to the floor. Danielle groaned in pain, her head throbbing as she struggled to get up.

Uncovered hands grabbed her arms, folding them behind her back and holding her in place. Reno’s voice came from directly over her. “Game’s up.”

Danielle thrashed around, still trying to get away. She heard Reno sigh, apparently annoyed. “Rude, hold her in place for me.” Rude’s gloved hands grabbed her arms, pulling her to her feet without any effort at all. Danielle continued to try and pull free, but Rude’s grip never faltered.

“Let go of me!” Danielle shouted as Reno walked right up to her. Her eyes had finally adjusted enough for her to be able to slightly make out his face in the darkness. There was a regretful look on his face.

“You brought this on yourself, kid. You should have just come with us in the first place.” Reno put a hand over her mouth, muffling her shouts. He pulled out a steel rod and held it up before her wide eyes, pressing a button on the handle. Danielle heard an electrical snap from it as he did so. Her eyes widened even more as he lowered it, pressing the tip into her stomach. She felt a tingle where the rod came in contact with her stomach, even though her shirt was in the way.

Danielle tried to shout for him to stop, but her voice was muffled and unintelligible. Reno pressed something on his rod without a word. Electricity surged into her body, making her scream in pain. Her cries were barely audible because of Reno’s hand covering her mouth, and Reno continued to hold her in place silently, even though he was probably getting shocked slightly. Reno finally pulled the rod away and locked eyes with her. She was shaking, her face pale. Reno hesitated before raising up his rod again.

“Antorbok, Redgormor, Xel’lotath!” Danielle shouted, her voice still muffled. Reno looked surprised as three glowing green runes appeared on the floor around Danielle, and green lightning shot into both him and Rude, throwing them back to the floor.

Danielle immediately took off running for the front door in the foyer, wrenching it open and running out into the cool night. But just as she exited the door, an arm wrapped around her neck, holding her in place. “Gotcha,” she heard Elena hiss into her ear as she pressed a cloth against her face, covering her nose and mouth. Danielle immediately held her breath as she caught a slight whiff of the fumes and felt herself get slightly light-headed. She struggled against Elena, trying not to inhale the fumes while trying to get free.

“I said… go to sleep!” Elena jabbed her elbow hard into Danielle’s side while keeping the cloth against her mouth and nose. Danielle let out a gasp of pain, now inhaling the fumes from whatever Elena had put on the cloth, most likely a drop of chloroform. She immediately felt weak and fatigued, her eyes starting to close as her struggles gradually weakened. “Gotcha,” she heard Elena say again as her own grip loosened in response to Danielle’s weakened struggles. Danielle closed her eyes all away, losing consciousness as the chloroform knocked her out completely.

--------------------------------------------------

Elena held the fallen teen in her arms as she gave in to the chloroform. Reno and Rude stepped out of the house to join her, the younger of the two rubbing his head. “Mission accomplished?” Rude questioned, his arms folded as Elena dropped the cloth and picked up Danielle completely. She wasn’t going to be waking up anytime soon. That chloroform had her knocked out cold.

“Yup, she’s all ours,” Elena said with a slight smile on her face, easily able to carry the teenager.

Reno lowered his hand, nodding slightly now. “Good. Let’s go. It’s time that we got back to the boss.”


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Stormsworder on 2007-04-16 18:38 ]</font>

[Stormsworder]

Chapter 5: Revelation

A blonde-haired man stood alone in a small office, the walls a plain white color. Maps hung on some of the walls, pins stuck into them at different points, as if the owner had been tracking something. Along with the maps were several bookcases, their shelves filled with various books ranging from history to volumes of information on the occult. The owner of the office stood near a window overlooking the forest below, his back to the entrance of the office and the mahogany desk covered with papers and folders.

The man narrowed his blue eyes slightly, hearing the barely-audible sound of his office door opening. “Do you have her?” he asked.

Elena walked in, accompanied by both Reno and Rude. The two men were carrying the unconscious Danielle Roivas with them, setting her down in the chair just in front of the man’s desk. Her head rolled back, clearly revealing the long gash that ran up the side of her head from the car wreck, along with the several smaller injuries. “Yes, sir.”

The man slowly turned around, unfolding his arms. He wore a three-piece white suit that was crisp and starched. One look at his attire was all it took to reveal that this person obviously had some money for such expensive clothing…

“I take it she resisted you?”

Reno was the one who spoke up now. “Tell me about it. I didn’t think that kid had any fight left in her after the car wreck, but she managed to get both me and Rude good.”

The man walked around his desk, peering down at the unconscious teenager. “Yes, she is very remarkable. Despite the severity of her injuries, she managed to defeat the two of you at the same time… No normal person would be capable of that. Of course, she’s far from normal.” He looked over Danielle, his eyes unblinking. “When her survival instincts kick in, it’s as if she pushes all the pain out of her mind so that it won’t distract her from her fight… Or maybe it’s just the enchanted blood that runs through her that does it… It’s impossible to tell.”

Elena, Reno, and Rude glanced at each other. It was almost as if their boss had seen the fight himself. He hadn’t asked for any details, and yet he knew that Danielle had fought with amazing skill for someone who had just been in a car wreck and probably got a concussion…

The man stood up straight, looking towards the three Turks now. “Take her to the infirmary. The first-aid you performed was just barely enough to help her. She’ll need better treatment if she is going to recover from her injuries, not just basic first-aid. I will soon join you.”

The Turks snapped to attention. “Sir!” Reno and Rude picked up Danielle once more, carrying her out of the room. Elena followed after them, but paused at the doorway, looking back at her boss.

“Sir, I have something to ask.”

The man only slightly nodded. “Go ahead.”

“How… How did you know that Danielle fought back? I know that we didn’t tell you anything, sir.”

A very slight smirk spread across the man’s face, but his blue eyes remained emotionless. “Another time, Elena. Another time.”

--------------------------------------------------

“So, you’ve finally woke up,” an unfamiliar voice said.

Danielle winced at the throbbing pain in her head and left arm, barely managing to force her eyes open a bit. She was laying face-up on a small bed with several pillows stacked up so that she was propped up a bit. Danielle slowly sat up, a wave of dizziness washing over her as she did so. She ignored the nausea that she felt also, breaking out in a cold sweat. Bandages were wrapped around her left arm almost completely, and one was on her head where she had been hurt in the car wreck.

Slightly dazed, Danielle looked around the room to find the one who spoke. A man dressed sharply in a three-piece white suit stood there not too far away from a plain brown door, staring at her with blue eyes, a few bangs of his blond hair falling in front of his face. She had never seen the guy before, and yet their was an odd sense of familiarity…

Danielle tried to fight off the daze she was in, struggling to clear her mind of the fog that had settled itself in it. She fought to remember what happened before waking up here…

Those guys, the Turks… They attacked me when the power went out… I was about to get away when Elena put something over my mouth… Chloroform…? I fell asleep…? No, knocked out by it…

Danielle carefully stood up from the bed, her legs shaking slightly but managing to hold out. She took a few steps forward away from the bed, now in the middle of the room. Her eyes flickered around the room, which was pretty much spartan in appearance. It was completely plain, the walls, floor, even the ceiling all made of concrete. There were a few bits of medical equipment present…

She looked towards the man in front of her now, eyeing him warily. “Who are you…?” she asked, her voice slightly strained. She was still messed up from the pain in her head…

The man smirked, but his face was devoid of any emotions, sending chills up Danielle’s spine. “You aren’t in any position to be demanding my name,” he simply replied, starting to pace around her.

Danielle frowned slightly, following the man and not allowing her back to be to him. Before she knew it, he was standing near the bed she had woken up in. “And just what do you mean by that?”

The man nodded, and Danielle felt the cold metal of a gun’s barrel pressed against the back of her head. Reno and Rude stepped up from behind Danielle, steel rods drawn. “You could be subdued before you even have a chance to move. And judging from your injuries, I don’t think you would be able to fight against all three of them…”

Danielle swallowed hard, not daring to shift around a single inch. As if the two armed men weren’t enough, she had a loaded gun to her head. She really had no chance of escaping.

The man walked forward, locking eyes with her. “I must admit I’m surprised that one such as you was chosen. You, a mere child.” He cupped her chin in his hand, rubbing his fingers gently over her face. Danielle flinched, unable to pull away. “But of course, their evil knows no bounds… They’ll take even the innocence of a child.” The man traced the scar on the left side of her face, and as he did, Danielle felt a burning pain in it. “Ah… This was caused by Pious…” he murmured as he placed his fingers in the center of the scar, the pain fading away as if it had never been there in the first place. He locked eyes with Danielle again, pulling his hand away. “You are a very lucky girl, Danielle Roivas.”

Danielle felt her heart skip a beat, all of her senses going on high alert if they weren’t already… “Who are you?” she growled.

Once again, the man smirked. “I told you before. You’re in no position to be demanding my name.”

Danielle’s eyes narrowed slightly, information on her surroundings shooting through her mind almost all at once. She didn’t even feel her body’s fatigue as she kicked backwards without warning, landing a powerful blow on Elena’s shin, knowing that the woman was the one behind her. Elena let out a surprised cry as her leg was kicked out from under her, jerking the gun away from Danielle’s head as she fell to the ground.

Reno and Rude charged in, swinging their rods quickly. Danielle ducked under them, dizziness coming over her, but she ignored it as best as she could as she grabbed Reno’s wrist and twisted it tight. He let out a yelp of pain as she released the rod, but it was attached by a cord to a leather strap on his right wrist.

Rude came in now, bringing down his rod. Danielle released Reno’s wrist and slid out of the way, blinking rapidly as she snapped a strong kick up into his stomach. Rude grunted slightly, getting knocked back and doubling over in pain. Danielle glanced up at the white-suited man and got to her feet, breathing a bit hard. She charged at him, throwing a punch at his face, but he caught it with ease.

“You may be the Liche of Xel’lotath, but I’m far stronger than you.” Danielle’s eyes widened as he slammed the palm of his hand into her chest, knocking her back and forcing the wind out of her. “You have guts. I admire t hat. No wonder you were able to resist her.”

How does he know…?

Danielle was caught off guard as Reno and Rude suddenly grabbed her arms and held her in place. A sharp kick in the small of her back sent her to her knees with a grunt of pain. She winced, pain lancing through her left arm and her head. It was so bad that she could barely even focus, but she managed to lift her head to look up at the man as he approached. He crouched down in front of her, face-to-face with Danielle now. “If you wish to know my name so bad… I am Rufus Shinra, leader of the Turks, and the Liche of Ulyaoth.”

Danielle’s eyes widened in surprise, the pain in her body forgotten. Almost. “You’re… a pawn of the Ancients…”

Rufus smirked. “I was. But so were you, once. Killed at the age of thirteen to force Xel’lotath to indwell you with her power in order to weaken her, you lived without knowing what happened. Then you killed your dear adoptive parents two years ago while under the control of Xel’lotath. You met Edward Roivas, who revealed the truth about your heritage to you. Alexandra and you searched for the truth behind his murder and instead discovered the Ancients. Pious revealed to you that you were Xel’lotath’s Liche. And in that final battle, when Pious struck you down, Xel’lotath took complete control. Your own sister had to nearly kill you to save your life…

“I know that you’ve tried to run from the past. But you never can. The past will always be there, just as the scars you bear will.”

Danielle frowned slightly. “How do you know all this…?”

Rufus’s eyes narrowed, and he ignored her question. “What will you do? Will you continue to run like a scared little child?”

This touched a nerve, and Danielle’s question slipped out of her mind as anger boiled up inside. “Shut up!” she shouted. “I’m not scared, and I’m not a child!”

Rufus smirked, as if she was playing right into his hands… “You are because you keep running. I fought it, tried to make up for what I had done while serving Ulyaoth. Just like you, I haven’t been a Liche long, but I’ve done far worse things than you.” His smirk had fallen away, and Danielle saw the first bit of emotion from him in his eyes. Sadness, regret… “That’s why I had you brought here. If Legrasse got his hands on you, innocent people would die. Would you really want to carry the burden of being the reason more people have died?”

Danielle hesitated, her anger dying away. Rufus has struck home with that comment. She had never gotten over killing her parents. Even thought it hadn’t been her in control, the guilt still gripped her heart. She didn’t want anyone else to die. “No, I don’t,” she replied quietly.

Rufus nodded, appearing satisfied. “Good. That’s what makes you human.” He stood up straight, looking down at her now. “Let her go,” he ordered. Reno and Rude complied after helping Danielle to stand.

Danielle looked around at Reno, Rude, and Elena, who were still watching her cautiously. She focused on Rufus now, staring him straight in the eyes, trying to keep her tone even. “I have a couple of questions about what’s been going on.”

Rufus nodded his head slightly. “I figured as much. Much has happened in two years. The reappearance of your brother is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.”

“What’s Devin have to do with this?” Danielle asked, interested now. Her adoptive brother had been missing all this time, and now all this strange stuff had to do with him…

“There is a reason Pious sought him out. Chattur’gha wanted a back-up plan of sorts. If Pious were to fail and Chattur’gha defeated, the Ancient would have a way to live on. Pious was ordered to confront Devin and try to turn him against you. He made sure that no matter what Devin decided to do, he would take the place of Pious if he ever died.”

Fear and sadness gripped her heart, her voice barely above a whisper. “So you’re telling me that Devin is the Liche of Chattur’gha…?”

“More or less, yes. That is correct. He is the last remnant of Chattur’gha’s power and one of the three keys needed to complete Legrasse’s plan.”

“And just what might his plan be?”

Rufus had a serious look on his face as he replied. “The revival of the fourth Ancient. The Keeper of the Ancients, Mantorok.”

Danielle felt numb as she heard this. Mantorok? That was impossible, wasn’t it? Pious had bound Mantorok inside the temple in Cambodia. Could Legrasse really do something like that. “Who… are the other two…?”

“Do you really need to ask that? I am one, of course, for I am Ulyaoth’s Liche. And then there’s you. But of course, you’re a special case… You aren’t just a servant of Xel’lotath. You’re her very vessel.”

Danielle shook her head quickly. “No… No… That… That can’t be…”

“Unfortunately, it is,” Rufus said softly. “It happened on the night you and Alexandra fought against Pious. You recall that Xel’lotath took control of your body, correct?” Danielle could only manage a nod. “Well, that wasn’t a normal binding spell performed. If it was, your very body would be beyond the Veil of Reality. For some reason, Xel’lotath’s spirit, which was controlling you at the time, was actually sealed within you. There’s no telling why the spell did what it did, but that is the only reason you are standing here today.”

Danielle wasn’t sure what to even say. Her mind was reeling from the information that the very Ancient that had nearly driven her insane in those few minutes of being in control was now sealed inside of her very body. This definitely news a person didn’t hear every day… But of course, not everyone was a Roivas and had weird stuff happening in their family throughout the generations…

“So… She… X-Xel’lotath… She’s really sealed inside of me…? She’s not gone from my body…?”

Rufus nodded solemnly. “That is why Legrasse so desperately wants you for his plan. Of the three Liches, you have the most power hidden deep inside of you. As clichéd as it may sound, you have the power to save the world or destroy it.” He clasped his hands behind his back, slowly pacing around her. “And this brings me to my offer to you…”

Danielle watched Rufus walk in a circle around her, keeping in place and turning her head to follow his movements. “Offer…?”

Rufus seemed to be thinking to himself as he walked, falling silent for a moment. When he finally stopped, he was at his original starting spot in front of her, turning to face her once again. “Yes… We are fighting against Legrasse and the other Ancients. While the Ancients wish for him to be stopped, they also desire to return to our world themselves. My offer is this: If you agree to help us fight, we will protect you from Legrasse and the Ancients to the best of our abilities. We would even protect your brother, Devin.”

“And if I refuse?” Danielle asked.

A smirk spread across Rufus’s face, sending chills up Danielle’s spine once more. “If you refuse… Well… Let’s just say that I’m sure Alex would be torn with grief over discovering that her beloved sister had been killed so abruptly and in such a gruesome manner…”

Danielle felt her blood run cold, her body numb, her legs threatening to give out from under her. She couldn’t even speak, her mouth dry, not to mention no response came to her mind. Was he serious?

As if to prove his point, Rufus motioned with his hand, and Elena’s pistol suddenly pressed against the back of her head. Reno and Rude had their rods out again, electricity crackling along the steel surfaces. In one single move, Danielle could be brought down without time for retaliation. She had been lucky before, but not this time.

“It’s your decision, Danielle Roivas. I hope you make the right one.”

Danielle stared Rufus in the eyes.

She had no other choice. Rufus had won.

Danielle Roivas had a promise to keep.