A foot pressed against the final step leading up to this museum, where artifacts of a forgotten past laid, the burial grounds of a lost time. It was structured like that of a Greek temple from the circular-shaped pillars holding up the angular triangle roof, while in the middle, engravings. Revealing that of a past battle between that of the Angels of light, the demons of darkness against mankind's strongest warriors. As he stared upon that sight, his stomach grumbled, holding his gut, Alex sighed.
A hand wandering to hold onto his shoulder and gently pat it, he turned his head to see the girl he'd left in charge attempting to comfort him. Breaths shaking, eyelids shutting over his whitened orbs, reopening a gradually, a singular step onto this concrete ground had sent reverberations, winds to push back the blinders hiding the light of the truth from shining onto their faces. Just mere inches away, another pebble in the road about to be kicked out, the Agents of ANZEN entered the Smithsonian together, thus beginning their search.
The doors closing behind them, they all darted their eyes to examine this sight, Katie, most of all, marveled by this scenery. Something she'd never seen before, a chandelier attached to the ceiling, glass containers holding weapons from a bygone era. Such as olden weapons originating from the 18th-19th century, pirate hats torn apart thanks to the swift bypassing of time, spears with rusted metal edges near the end. And that was just the entrance, entering further would grant you access to the 'Technological Evolution' section.
Her foot stopping right there as the holographic bright blue words over the doorframe held that name, just before she could run in like a child excited to head to the playground, she was grabbed by the wrist, not forcefully, but just gently enough so she could turn her head. Ace there at the other side, Katie nodded her head and calmed her breaths, walking back to the rest of the group, the five forming a circle together,
"It's quite obvious where we should all search, of course, they're not going to have the information about the truth or beginning of Riverton laying around on the first floor. There's a basement beneath the ground, we should all head there and locate one item: the employee list," Alex clarified for them all gently,
"Why the employee list?" Curiously asked June,
"Easy. Those who worked on this Smithsonian are likely those who were the first ones to come here 11 years ago, using whatever stuff they brought over from the Outside World. If we find the employee list, we should be able to question one of the older workers, wherever they are, and find out the truth," Alex explained to the youngest there, ruffling her long white hair, leading her to smile brightly at their instructor,
"Alright!" June exclaimed jumping into the air.
The groups were assigned. June would be with Kima and Ace with Katie; while Alex stood guard outside, he escorted them to the elevator near the entrance of the Smithsonian. The doors opening manually with the flick of a wrist, Katie rubbed at her chin curiously,
"Uh, wait a second, how are we gonna be able to get downstairs… isn't it like- restricted, or something?" She queried of the teacher already standing within the elevator,
"Yeah, uh, about that, Katie… you should pro'bly hold on tight," The ginger proclaimed as he held onto the elevator's right wall.
Whipping her head right back so she could barely catch a glimpse into his white eyes, a wink was sent her way, and she instinctively grabbed held onto her redheaded cousin. Closing her eyes the same way he did, Kima tightened her eyes shut, she gritted her teeth and whimpered as the elevator shot right down to the basement floor right on Amara's command.
As if a rapidly descending plane continuously falling through the air or a fallen Angel with burnt wings eventually exiting the atmosphere to splash against the ground, June couldn't help but scream,
"WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!" Cried the youngest, letting her hair fly up, the split second before they could be crushed against the pressure of the ground, they halted.
June hitting her forehead against one of the metal walls then falling back, Kima using a Serpent's body to protect herself, while Katie just hugged her cousin- needless to say, it was a bit of a joyride. The doors split open and the contents of the basement were then revealed to the Agents of ANZEN. It was... empty? Stumbling out slowly, June faceplanted directly onto the floor, the other three poking out their heads, Ace was the first one to exit. Raising his flat palm, pushing all fingers together, he lit aflame his hand with a continuous red spark, miniature lightning bolts crackling all around his limb's end. Lighting a path for them, Katie wobbled following her cousin, Kima behind the duo, bending the knee to aid June- they kept moving forward through the darkened underbellies of the underground recesses of the Riverton Smithsonian.
"Alrighty, that should buy me enough time," Alex whispered to himself, cracking all his fingers, he smirked mischievously.
Thumb to his forehead, index extremity aiming to the ceiling, the Judge maniacally giggled, yet only temporarily. Lights flickering swiftly, eyelids shutting over his whitened orbs, he opened his eyes, and there it was, his lips shape had changed to a stoic indifference, Alexander noticing... the abundance of ANZEN soldiers pointing their rifles at his chest,
"You guys really kept me waitin'. And here I thought ANZEN was the all-seeing corporation of the Future. To be outwitted so easily, what a disappointment," Amara exclaimed mockingly to the militants aiming their arms at his figure, stretching out his arms, they flicked out the safety collectively, leading him to frown,
"Aw, come on, guys! We're all friends here, ain't we?" Queried the Judge sarcastically.
Guards splitting apart to form an entrance, feet touched against the ground, though armored, they made no sound as they brushed against the reflective surface. Tips of fingers inches away from touching it suited out to the touch, the nanobots peeled back to reveal the Assassin's muscular shape beneath the outfit. Standing up quickly, Alex, hands now in the pouches of his hoodie suited with that golden zipper, couldn't help but smile,
"Harbinger, nice to see you again. Callum send for me, I assume?" He asked,
"Do not mock the Founder, Remnant! He is the One who shall lead us to Salvation... all I need to do is give him a fraction of your blood, and from then on, IT shall come to fruition," Answered Harbinger, the modifier in their voice audible, overlapping a robotic one with a human female, though that was quite obvious from the bust and the curved waist,
"Ohhhh! So that's what the attack from Cthulhu was for, huh? To try and get some of my blood? Is that why you've come again?" Asked the Judge, snapping his fingers, white eyes glowing, soul radiating the Requiem glow from the Old World, Harbinger couldn't help but irritatedly snarl at the sight before their visor,
"It won't be too hard, of course. I'll take your heart out and give to Founder Callum himself, and then... I'll kill those brats," Harbinger declared, bending their knees, sliding their leg back, forming covered fingers to form like claws; tips of extremities pointed forward,
"Alright well... don't blame me for what happens next,"
Alex's raspy declaration sent shivers through their spines, an invisible shockwave reverberating from his legs to send dust away from his limbs implanted onto the floor, Harbinger grunted from the generated wind. Covering their face, the back of their hand to the front of their visor, blinding themself accidentally, they wiped away their limb temporarily shielding their vision. Gasping, there it was, the sight of his tanned knuckles just about to meet the side of their face, Harbinger managed to just jump back in time- blending in with the shadows.
Bearing their arms right at him, knuckles engraved into the ground forming a hole in the floorboards' pattern, the Judge giggled maniacally. Unfortunately for them, the Unlimited technique was a shielding technique against all projectiles: meaning... that the second those bullets came into a five-centimeter radius with his figure, they flicked back immediately. Entering their heads, rounds filling their bodies, blood squirting out their wounds, brain matter splattering everywhere behind them, the only remaining ones couldn't help but shake their pistols in fear.
~What was this thing?! Was this the kind-hearted instructor... the Alexander Amara that seemed to care for those kids..? Was he really... such a monster?~ Those thoughts ran through the guards' heads, unfortunately, further, than that, there were no other thoughts for them to have, as they were met with the unfortunate fate of a bullet soaring into their brain and exiting out the other side,
"How cruel, don't you have a heart?" Harbinger mockingly asked, the shape of a smug smile appearing through their mask,
"Guess not. Seems I've... left it behind...
Heh."
This is a story of acceptance.
To Be Continued.