Chapter 9 : Who am I?
Hahn moved from work station to the next as he gathered different chemicals and compounds. Being the head of not only the Medical and Scientific R&D departments at Piata Academy certainly had it's benefits. Getting what he needed, he made his way back to the rolling table most nurses would use while administering antidotes, and food, to patients, and started mixing things together. He carefully added a pinch of Warildat in with some liquid Niadone. Quickly taking a glass rod, he stirred the mixture quickly so as to not have it mix on it's on. He definitely didn't need to gas the entire lab with noxious fumes. Taking the now pink goo and adding it with some Dimate then placing it in a medical mixer and allowed it to begin running blending cycle. Watching it spin for a moment before becoming slightly naseous, he decided to check on his patient. Rune layed comfortably in a bed, still clad in his travelling clothes. Normally he would have put Rune in a gown but since he had no idea what sort of safeguards might be in place on the Esper's person, he felt it best to just leave things be. Rune had been asleep for almost 2 days now, occasionally mumbling incoherent gibberish. Hahn was originally afraid Rune might have a concussion or some sort of brain disease, but intial scans eased his fears. However all traditional methods of waking someone from sleeping proved useless. Hahn did admit he wasn't completely familiar with Esper physiology, but they were similar enough that some of the more complex treaments should have worked. He stepped over to the side of Rune's bed and decided to just look him over again, to see if anything was missed. After a few moments he was going to give up but then he discovered a strange puncture on the back of Rune's neck, just underneath his pony tail....
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Rune was in total disbelief. After wandering through this blasted ruins for what seemed like an eternity, he rounded a corner and came face to face with Alys! What was even more amazing was she didn't show any effects of the Black Energy wave that ravaged her body during those painful days. It was almost as if he first met her. He stood there, mouth gaping before she spoke
"What's wrong Rune? You see a ghost or something?"
Rune blinked and realized he must've looked like a fool. Snorting, he straightened his cape, determined to get to the bottom of this.
"A ghost? Really Alys, do you think we live in a fairy tale? I'm more aggrivated with Chaz right now. The idiot ran off with the map and has obviously gotten lost and now I have to find him! What're you doing here? I didn't expect you to look for treasure here."
Rune knew this was a trick question, one he and Alys set up years ago in the event they met someone posing as the other. It was unlikely since that ancient cloning technology was mostly on the black market, but you could never be too certain.
Alys smirked "Now now, you know very well there isn't any treasure in this dump. I came looking for you. What are you doing lazing around? You know things have gotten bad."
Quirking an eyebrow, Rune tried to press his former partner for more info, "What do you mean? Besides that fool boy getting lost, things haven't been too bad recently."
"I'm talking about the impending danger to Palma, Rune. I know you're investigating those rumors about creatures made of pure darkness stalking around in the desert. Plus you've been looking for information on Lucas."
Rune's internal alarms were on full alert. No one knew about his mission other than himself and the few contacts he made. Not to mention he's not getting anywhere in finding out how "Alys" is still alive. Not saying anything, he just waited as she walked closer to him.
"Tell me Rune, what do you know about Lucas? I'd like to find him myself, it's been my life long dream to discover something, or someone, from the ancient world." She gently caressed his face and pressed against him as if to embrace. How he longed for those days when they would steal away after a mission and spend some time together. Those afternoon breezes lightly kissing her hair, those kisses. Rune realized all to painfully how much he missed her. Still he resisted the urge to embrace her as he knew something was wrong, but yet it seemed that he couldn't quite put a finger on it.
"I don't know anything Alys. I'm looking for Chaz at the moment."
She laughed that hearty laugh. Although to most it sounded almost gruff and uninviting, it was music to his ears. If only he could remember what was going on. Why was he here? Why was Alys here? Who is Lucas? He snapped out of his daydream as she took his hand and began leading him towards a door that was obviously around the other corner. Or was it?
"Where are we going Alys?"
"Don't worry hon, just follow me and do what I say. We'll find what we need, together!"
Together. Rune clung to that word so tightly it was almost as if she were in his arms this instant. She stepped stepped through the door first and let go of his hand, standing on the other side, motioning for him to come through. He started to step through and stopped, hearing a familiar voice behind him. Turning around he saw Alys standing not too far behind him! What sort of magic is this? She was very much transparent, an apparition if you will, and the signs of the toll the Black Energy wave took on her body were etched into her face. She seemed to be pleading with him, begging him not to go. This didn't make much sense to him because she was standing on the other side of the doorway, waiting for him. He started to move towards this spectre, only to feel the hand of Alys on his shoulder. She turned him around and smiled, placing a kiss on his cheek. Taking his hand again, she took him through the door way. Rune felt a tear run down his cheek as he thought he heard the ghost say, "Rune...don't leave me..."
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Hahn felt Rune jerk and looked up quickly in alarm. Rune's eyes were open and looking around. Elated to see his friend finally awake, he put his hands on Rune's shoulders and smiled, "Rune I'm glad to see...." but he didn't have time to finish as he was throw across the room and onto the back wall from the bed. Grimacing in pain, Hahn fought back the stars dancing before him and shook his head to clear his vision. He had just enough time to see Rune walk through the doorway to the hall. Pulling himself up, Hahn ran to the door way and had to stop and lean against the doorframe as a wave of dizziness washed over him. Carefully leaning outside so as to avoid losing conciousness, his heart sank. All down the hall there was a path of destruction as Rune aparently searched each room, then destroyed it. Slinking around into the hallway and moving to lean against the wall, Hahn made his way down the now ruined all to the exit. There was a large blast door at the end of the hall, but of course that is now nowhere to be seen. Getting about halfway he collapsed as his world began to spin. Almost blacking out, he was brought back to reality by a resident nurse. She asked if he was ok and he waved her off as he started to stand back up only to have his knees buckle and roughly send him back to the floor. Hahn was trying to ignore the fact he might have suffered a concussion but now it's painfully obvious. The RN ran down to get some emergency medical supplies as he slid further down the wall, almost laying in the floor leaving his shoulders and head to rest against the wall. Completely overwhelmed at how quickly this degerated and the aparent violence in his friend Hahn could only ask himself why this happened before blacking out completely.
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The shadowy figure took some satisfaction at the destruction now running rampant in Piata through his target. It took many months to track down the target as he had to keep moving from town to town and underneath the inn. Looking at his wrist, he flipped back a flap to reveal a communications device built into his leather gauntlets. Pressing a few buttons he then raised the device to his mouth :
"Mission is complete sir. Target Delta is now activated."
"Excellent work Agent Orange, return to base." The communcation device crackled a bit then the transmission ended. Replacing the flap, Agent Orange leapt from the roof of the building he was on and disappeared in the dark alleyways of Piata.
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