\u201cThe hell did they go?\u201d Doug asked as he clambered out of the crater he and Harper had been squatting in. The others began to gather around him, Annie helping a half blind Thad who was furiously blinking his vision back. Parkinson slid down the ropes that led down the cliff whereas Blaise opted to take Gratin\u2019s offer of carrying her down, the two descending directly next to Doug. Tupper jogged over from the pipe looking quite proud of himself for successfully preventing the squat man from blowing the pipes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was a mix of magic and science! That\u2019s how they were blowing the pipes! The symbols he was drawing must\u2019ve made his explosives more powerful somehow!\u201d the scarred man babbled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s very nice Tupper but now we gotta work out where they went,\u201d Annie patiently explained to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNot many places they could have gone,\u201d said Blaise as she turned towards the monitor station. The others followed suit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI can sense them in the building,\u201d agreed Gratin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey\u2019re cornered then. There\u2019s only the one exit,\u201d this came from Harper, the scouse beginning to march towards the building in question. The others began to follow, the trio of mercenaries hanging towards the back of the larger group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Blaise was still picking thorns off of herself, throwing whatever she found away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat was a pain in the arse. Your end go alright?\u201d she asked Doug, looking up at her friend with genuine concern on her face. Doug grunted, obviously still feeling sore, and quickened his pace as he followed the others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLets just get this over with,\u201d he muttered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The interior of the Monitor Station was pitch black, the power completely knocked out. Plain corridors stretched out in front of them, various offices and computer rooms branching off of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The group came to a halt as they approached a crossroads, three paths branching out before them. Gratin summoned three flaming orbs each the size of a tennis ball and directed each one down one of the paths before them. There weren\u2019t any signs of life down the darkened halls but there was evidence that something had passed through each of them; droplets of blood splattered on the floor, a bloody palm print on a wall and scuff marks created by an overly large boot print. Thad knelt down and examined some of the blood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLooks like we’re going to have to split up. If Annie and I go down the left corridor, Harper can watch Tupper and Parkinson\u2019s back as they go down the middle and-\u201d he was cut short as Doug shoved past him and wordlessly started striding down the left hand corridor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOr I suppose Annie and I could go right\u2026\u201d The gentleman muttered, clearly annoyed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe has a lot on his mind right now. Gratin will be in touch if we run into any problems,\u201d said Blaise nervously, watching as the tense figure that was Doug became engulfed in the darkness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou be careful now sugah. Last thing ah wanna see is you becoming collateral, ya hear?\u201d Annie clasped Blaise\u2019s shoulder for emphasis, giving it a squeeze. Doug\u2019s current demeanour was clearly unsettling her. Blaise felt it herself, her stomach in knots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe will. Meet you back here in a bit,\u201d Blaise forced a smile and led the mage into the dark, the two needing to hurry to catch up to Doug, who was steaming ahead with little regard as to if the others were with him or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The silence that followed the trio as they made their way down their corridor was not the sort Gratin was used to. Normally the one following their group was the content kind that settled among old friends happy simply to be in each other\u2019s company, the need to fill the void absent. This silence had an edge. It was like a beast stalking them, pacing aggressively back and forth, waiting for the smallest slight so it could pounce on whatever drew its attention. Gratin knew the cause must have been the little private chat his companions had engaged in before the terrorists had arrived. Doug\u2019s mental state clearly hadn\u2019t improved after the fight. Gratin could practically see the irritation pouring off of him in waves. The ex-soldier made no moves to slow down as his companions caught up with him and fell into step behind him. His fists were clenched at his sides and his face wore a mask of grim determination, the opposite of what Gratin was used to seeing when the prospect of a good fight was on the cards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Blaise\u2019s demeanour was less intense but just as worrying. She wasn\u2019t walking as confidently as usual, the mistress withdrawn. If the smelting pot of emotions battling in Doug\u2019s head could be said to be boiling over, then the ones the mage could sense radiating off of Blaise could freeze the air around her. Unease, fear, sadness: all were present and were slowly pressing in on the gunslinger like a glacier as she tried to keep up with Doug\u2019s angry strides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDon\u2019t run off too far. We should really stick together-\u201d She tentatively began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDon\u2019t you start. I haven\u2019t forgotten our little chat yet,\u201d growled Doug. Gratin felt the spark of anger within the frosty shell of Blaise\u2019s psyche. She frowned deeply at the back of Doug\u2019s head.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat do you want me to say, Doug? Sorry for being scared that you might top yourself? Sorry for being concerned for your well-being? Sorry I have a past that I\u2019m not at liberty to disclose right now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Doug came to an abrupt halt and rounded on her. The anger inside him found a focal point and began to flare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDo you really want to do this again? Here and Now? I\u2019m not having you fucking patronizing me, saying everything you\u2019re doing\u2019s for my own good!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m not patronizing you-\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt fucking feels like it!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis isn\u2019t easy for me either, you know! I\u2019ll be happy to come clean with you and explain when this is all over but not here! Not now!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m tired of you always lying to me! I\u2019m starting to think I don\u2019t know you at all!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019re one to talk! I can\u2019t explain myself right now but there\u2019s nothing stopping you! Just once you could stop being such a stubborn ass and let me help you!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI never asked for your damn help!\u201d The anger was now burning so intensely, Gratin\u2019s head was beginning to feel as if it were on fire, the mage flinching. Part of him was amazed that Blaise was still standing her ground, although her eyes were beginning to well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd I never asked to care about you, but here we are!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFuck off! You don\u2019t care about me! Ice queen\u2019s like you don\u2019t care about anyone! Why the hell should you care about me?!\u201d Blaise was momentarily stunned. The emotions inside her own head began to churn, a maelstrom beating at the edges of her mind as anger, depression and a sense of inevitability battled for dominance. The only outward sign of the emotional struggle being the hot tears threatening to break free of their ducts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI… I shouldn\u2019t have to justify myself to you!\u201d She exclaimed. Doug laughed bitterly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s because there\u2019s nothing to care about! Stop wasting our time!\u201d inside his head, everything was beginning to turn red and the sound of distant screams began to echo through his skull.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Blaise took a step forward, her features hardening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf you truly believe that then why are you still here? Why pretend our friendship even mattered to you? Why go through the motions of trying to socialise with Gratin and I if there\u2019s nothing here worth caring about?\u201d she seethed, staring him down. Doug stared back, unblinking. The screams were getting louder as they reverberated through his brain. It was getting difficult to hold onto the moment…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBecause they wouldn\u2019t want me to be alone!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWho\u2019s they?!\u201d asked the bewildered Blaise, confusion adding to the storm within. Gratin felt it too, not just due to empathy. Although there was something else sitting on the edge of his senses. Something focused. Something watching. Something close by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Mage cast his eyes over the entry ways to the various darkened offices and computer rooms connecting to their narrow corridor, a small fireball blinking into existence within his palm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy friends-\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFuck off Archie, this has nothing to do with you!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDon\u2019t snap at him! You need to calm down!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cStop telling me what I need!\u201d There was laughter now too, mingling with the screams. It was deep and left Doug feeling sick to the bone. The red was slowly subsiding, revealing the ancient ruins of Jehoth IV under the cold, alien night sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFine! Shall I stop talking to you altogether? Do you want me to just disappear? Would that make you happy, McCracken? Because everything else I could possibly do is clearly wasted on you!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMaybe you should!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen you can get on with what you came here for!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGood!\u201d There was blood soaking into the ancient stones. Three fresh corpses lay before him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSend Salmanic my regards!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c…Salmanic?\u201d Doug stared at her with unfocused eyes. In his head, he was looking beyond the corpses, at some crates at the opposite end of the room. There was a familiar logo emblazoned on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m sure you\u2019re going to love being their new lapdog!\u201d she practically spat the words, hatred oozing from her voice. Doug was still staring at the imaginary logo: a blue diamond with entwining \u2018S\u2019s etched within it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI FUCKING HATE SALMANIC INC!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Movement to his right. The glint of light reflecting off a blade. Blaise could just about make out the silhouette of the largest Dark Worlder. Doug saw an eight foot tall, fully armoured war lord covered in blood. His mates\u2019 blood. Kraken<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before anyone else could react, Doug let out a feral scream, pivoted to face the crouching figure in the doorway and pounced. He caught the figure around the waist, tackling him, the two men tumbling into the room and out of sight. There were crashing sounds, furniture being broken, the startled cries of the surprised Dark Worlder and more of Doug\u2019s rage-filled screams followed by what sounded like a wall collapsing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Blaise stood stock still, shocked. Gratin tore his gaze away from where Doug had disappeared, focusing instead on Blaise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…Mistress?\u201d he placed a hand tentatively on her shoulder. She began to shake under his touch, the tears beginning to run freely. Gratin removed his hand, startled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI should\u2019ve seen the signs…\u201d she muttered, barely audible. The anger had disappeared now. Gratin could still sense the fear and sadness but they were being thawed out by what Gratin could only describe as compassion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat signs were those?\u201d he asked, bewildered. Blaise was rubbing her eyes, drying them as best she could.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe only ever talked about Jehoth IV when he was drunk…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c…That was the battle where he lost his arm, correct?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe lost more than that. I think I get it now. Why he wanted to come out here…why he wanted to take this stupid job… he had the exact same plan as them…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs who?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe need to find him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Blaise strode to the door Doug had vanished through, determined. Gratin didn\u2019t share the sentiment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe was quite clear in his feelings towards us…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe didn\u2019t mean it. Not really,\u201d Blaise assured the mage. Gratin stared back, silent as ever. Blaise sighed as she realised Gratin clearly was feeling sceptical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe has survivors guilt. I\u2019ve seen it before. Experienced it first hand when I was younger. Doug\u2019s got it bad. Normally he\u2019s good at hiding it but since we took this job…\u201d she shook her head, deciding not to go too far in explaining her private moments with Doug, \u201cthe point is, he\u2019s not thinking clearly right now. I\u2019m not about to abandon him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe gave you little reason to stay…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGratin, please, I need to fix this. I need your help,\u201d she pleaded, turning determined eyes towards him. He didn\u2019t need an empathic ability to know that she would go to find their lost comrade regardless of whether or not she had his support. He also had no intention of letting the people he cared about run into danger without him either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He turned to face the doorway, sending some small, marble sized fireballs through it to illuminate the room beyond. The furniture inside was now smashed and broken, the flimsy plaster wall opposite them now sporting a fresh hole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI sense that they haven\u2019t strayed too far. It should not take long to find them,\u201d stated Gratin, causing Blaise to smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThanks, Gratin. I owe you one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n