Adam was walking down the street, the sun setting halfway into the sky. He was on his way back to the agency, a bag of food in his hand that was intended for Edward when he got back.
Knowing that he hadn't likely eaten while he was gone.
He was surprised when he heard Edward left so suddenly. It wasn't normal for anyone in the agency to do a request on their own, due to the safety factors. There were already so few of them. So to risk his life to that extent. Something was either wrong or extremely important.
But there was always the chance that Edward just felt like trying harder to get himself killed.
It wouldn't be new if he did. He was known for that sort of thing. However, Adam was never told why. The only person that he assumed knew was Grace.
Although Edward and Grace weren't the closest. They did have a special understanding between them.
Grace never scolded him for his behaviour on the battlefield, letting him be as reckless as he wanted so long as it didn't put his teammates in danger. And Edward let her examine his physiology when she asked.
There were some bets around the office for why Edward was as durable as he was. But even he didn't know. So they were all just waiting for Grace to figure it out.
He was standing outside of the office building, heading inside.
The other three were around one of the desks, watching the news. Adam walked to him, putting down the bag of food. He could have some bits and pieces of it. Something about a train and an accident.
He stepped closer, looking over Jayla's shoulder to see what it was. "What's going on?" He asked, eyes held on the screen. Grace glanced at him and then spoke. "A train was attacked." She said, looking at the three. "I want you all to go to the train and seek out survivors. If this was the cults doing then we want to know why."
Adam gave a nod, Jayla an annoyed huff and Russell an acknowledging nod before they all left.
"Why the hell do we have to look for survivors? That should be the job of normal people." Jayla said, her hands behind her head, in no rush to make it to the scene. Then again, neither was Russell. But that was for different reasons.
As for Adam, he was already vastly ahead, rushing down the sidewalk, practically having to slide around the corners he rounded.
For him, it didn't take much time until he was standing on the outskirts of the disaster. Medical was already there, as were firefighters and police officers. Although they might not have agreed with the Paranormal agency. And didn't see them as important. They would stay out of their way.
The entire back half of the train had been derailed. The train cars spread around across the small area.
There was one of them that was blackened with the roof opened wide, the windows blown out, laying on its side. Two other train cars, the ones directly attached to this one that had also sustained the same damage but to a lesser degree.
It was likely an explosion that caused all of this. Starting in the most damaged train car and spreading out into the others.
The only people that got lucky were the ones that were further up the train. Since those train cars were left untouched, still on the rails.
He walked through it, corpses lining the ground. Most of them missing parts of their bodies. Arms, legs, heads, torsos. It wasn't unexpected.
Some, likely the ones caught in the explosion. Were bloodied and burnt, their skin made black, peeling from their bodies.
It was a grotesque sight.
Families, sons, daughters, mothers, fathers. A monster had ended the lives of so many people. And for what? What was the purpose of all of this destruction? All of this death.
Adam made his way closer to the train cars, making sure to help where he was needed. Using his abilities to move rubble and make slicing through metal possible.
As for the other two. They were just now arriving on the scene. Jayla looked at everything with a notable shock in her eyes. She was complaining about it sure. But seeing how bad it was had a different effect.
"Do we think Edward was on this train?" She asked Russell, turning her head to look at him. He was in the middle of lighting his cigarette. His eyes scanned over the metal beast that was partially laid to rest. "It's possible. Though if he was. We'll find him."
"You're right." She said in agreement, walking in the direction of the most damaged train car which seemed to be the starting point of the explosion.
He was the most durable member of the team. If anyone would survive, it would be him.
She stepped through the doorway, eyeing it over. Although the walls, seats, roof and floor were completely coated in black ash from the explosive. There was one spot on the floor that was vacant.
She walked over, kneeling. Droplets of blood stained the carpet. What happened here?
"You find something?" Russell asked from behind, leaning on the doorway, his arms crossed. Jayla briefly glanced over her shoulder. "Blood. Could be the bombers. Or it's Edward's."
Russell walked over, looking over her to see the blood for himself. "Do you think that'd be possible?"
When going off everything they knew about Edward, the idea of him being injured was laughable. But if this was done by magick or an ability. Then the chance would have increased.
"We should hope not," Jayla said, standing up. The blood trail was moving down until it was covered by ash.
She pulled a knife free from her side, placing the sharp side to her skin and slicing through.
When the blood landed on the floor, it didn't sink into the fabric, it started to move, following the same path that the trail was taking.
The two of them followed it. Sure they were here to find survivors. But Edward was arguably more important. And so was the bomber. Or rather what was left of them.
They both stepped out of the car. Looking into the nearby woods. The blood leads them in that direction.
Jayla's blood slithered and turned, rounding a tree.
When they went around it they saw what they were following. A female with her arm missing, a foot away from her, impaled on a tree. She was barely alive, blood leaking from her mouth, her head hanging with her eyes glassy.
Jayla knelt in front of her. "So what do we have here." She put a finger to the chin of the woman, tilting her head up so that their eyes met. "I have two questions. Two questions that you're going to answer. And if you don't." Jayla grabbed her by the shoulder, pressing her into the tree.
This didn't do anything to move her. But it did cause more pain. The woman cried out in anguish, her head dropping. "Question one. Was Edward on that train?" Jayla waited for a response. And when she got nothing, she grabbed the woman's hand.
"Torture is interesting. Usually when someone is in extreme pain. There isn't much that can be done to make it worse." She moved her left hand to the woman's face, a grey smoke leaving her palm. "Usually." She added.
The woman tried to pull her head away, to avoid taking it in.
But before she knew it, the world around her started to warp, cracking away until she was on a flat surface, an eye peering down at her with a black liquid pouring from it.
It started to rise and rise, going past her mouth as she struggled to take in air. Her lungs filled with the tar-like substance.
Suddenly, her finger was bent backwards to the point it was touching the back of her hand. She was brought back to reality as she screamed in pure agony, the pain was unlike anything she ever felt before.
"You see. Outside of being a hallucinogen." She snapped another finger back. Making her scream again. "My ability enhances the signals to the brain." She held the hand tight, threatening to dislocate a third. "Now, back to my question."
The woman nodded with tears in her eyes. "He was! He was." She said, panicked, just wanting the pain to be over. "Question number two. Why were you after him?"
She bit her lip, shaking her head. "Fine," Jayla said, forming a grin as she snapped the third. She was enjoying this, completely forgetting about Russell standing behind her.
Then went a fourth finger and a fifth. All of them bent back so horrendously. They would have to be amputated or healed with an ability.
"Would you look at that? You managed to make it through all five." Jayla's hand glided up to her wrist, starting to tighten her hold. "I ask again. Why?" The woman's frightful eyes met with Jayla's, then went down to her wrist, still silent.
"Have it your way." She suddenly twisted the wrist out of the socket, the woman biting her lip so fiercely that the skin was penetrated. Passing out from the pain.
"Guess I overestimated how much she could handle," Jayla said, thinking out loud.
She shifted back, sitting on the floor, Russell putting his back against a tree. "So we just wait for her to wake up?" Jayla shrugged in response. "Pretty much."
"I mean how else are we going to figure out why the cult is here." She added. Russell raised a brow. "You think she's cult?" Jayla looked at her, then back at him. Practically saying 'Are you kidding me' without words. "Do you think anyone but the cult would do this? And since Edward was there he was likely the target." Jayla's tone was belittling, as expected.
She noticed the woman drifting in and out, grabbing her by the hair and raising her head to stare her in the eyes. "Wakey wakey." She shoved her head back into the tree.
"Let's try this again. Why was he, your target?" She glided her hands up the woman's arm up to her elbow, caressing her, in a very intimate fashion. When she made it to the elbow, she stopped, grabbing her above and below the joint.
The woman spoke under her breath in a groggy manner, Jayla leaning in closer. "Louder."
Russell's eyes darted to the side, grabbing Jayla by the back of her shirt and yanking her back as the sound of a bullet rang out, bouncing off the trees.
Jayla wasn't focused on the woman who was choking on her blood, a hole in her neck. Instead, her goal changed to the shooter.
She pushed off the ground and dashed in their direction, smoke starting to fill the forest while she moved. She could see them ahead, running away from her.
"Oh, you're screwed." She said to herself. A nifty trick that she learned about her abilities. Is that if she managed to focus enough? She could force a rift open ahead of her that secreted her smoke, which was very useful for ranged attacks.
She extended her hand, the symbol on her palm glowing a dark grey as a tiny crack was made between the dimensions in the path of the target.
They had too much momentum to slow themself before being hit by the smoke. A large burst of it hit them in the face.
As they started to hallucinate, they pointed their gun forward, Jayla watching them from the sidelines with a knowing smile. And as the trigger was pulled. The smoke was ignited. Knocking them to the floor.
Jayla stood over them, taking off their bandana. "Round two." She stood back up, putting a foot over his neck after kicking away his gun. "Do you know why Edward was targeted?"
She started to apply pressure, it was becoming harder to breathe, though they could still talk. Hitting her leg and shoe.
"Not much of a talker are we?" She knelt, keeping her foot on his neck. "Then let's hear how you scream." She put a hand over his mouth and nose, releasing the smoke directly into his nostrils and lungs.
The man started to push back, eyes wide as the world was changing around him. Tendrils of the old gods replacing the trees. The entire world starting to become black. A ginormous, horrifying figure that could not be described in words towering over the entire universe. And all he could do was scream in horror.
His back eventually hit a tree in his path, not aware enough of the real world to get up and break into a sprint.
Instead, he put his hands to his eyes and started to scratch, digging his fingers into his eyes and tearing them out so that he wouldn't see the terrors.
It was only now that Russell showed up, eyeing the man who was reduced to a crying, yelling mess. "Is that necessary?" He never tended to question the other members of the agency. Nor the methods they implored. But this wasn't being done to get answers.
"How else would we get him to talk?" Jayla asked, not taking an eye off the man. Russell walked in close, grabbing her by the shoulder. "If his mind breaks, or he kills himself in the process. There won't be any answers."
Jayla pulled her shoulder away, looking at him with annoyance. "Do you want to find Edward or not?" She asked, standing face to face with him. "You don't care about Edward. You never have."
He crossed his arms, glaring into Jayla's eyes who did the same back. He could see it. The hint of sadistic glee behind them. The tension was rising and if it kept up. A fight would break out.
They both knew each other's abilities. And unfortunately, Russell was at a disadvantage. Luckily for him, Adam had just shown up.
"Hey, guys. I finished up with the" He cut himself short when he saw the two of them stood there. Like a confrontation was happening. His eyes drifted to the man whose screams by now had died down. Turning to more of a whimpering sound, pleading in silence.
Adam may have been outranked by both of them. But that didn't mean he wasn't capable of stepping in.
He started to approach them, hand over his blade. "Grace would be disappointed to hear the report if it involved us fighting." He took his katana out, stabbing it into the ground, standing to the side of them.
Jayla glanced at Adam, then at Russell. Two on one? That would be a struggle. Sure her ability would make it so Russell's ability was practically useless.
But Adam's ability held many strange properties involving his blood. So it was entirely possible that it might not even affect him.
Jayla raised her hands, like when someone was surrendering or showing they weren't a threat. "No worries. We weren't going to fight. You can put the sword away." She said, turning around to walk to the blinded shooter.
Adam glanced at Russell while putting his blade back into its holder, getting a nod of approval for stepping in.
Jayla grabbed the man by the throat. The smoke was losing its potency by now. Making him more lucid. "Same question."
"Please...Please...Make it end..." He was begging for the sweet release of death. "If you tell me," Jayla responded, moving a hand through his hair.
"The book-The book was on the train...Distraction." He was trying to be coherent. But with the state he was in, it was difficult. "He's connected to it. That's all I know."
Jayla grabbed his hair, keeping his head up. "What book?" She asked. Though she did have an idea of what it could be. It was better to have a real answer.
The man was about to speak, his mouth opening. But no words came out. He gasped, trying to take in a gasp of air, though nothing was taken in. He was being asphyxiated, his throat crushing in on itself.
She got up, eyes peering around, Adam drawing his blade to hunt down whoever was causing this. But no one was in sight.
"So they were after a book huh." She said to herself, looking back at the two men. "A Necronomicon?" Russell looked at the floor, thinking to himself in silence. "Possibly. I don't see what else it could be."
They all started making their way back to the derailed train cars. Informing the police of the corpses before they departed in the direction of the office.
They would tell Grace what they discovered and who they didn't.
But that did leave the question. Of where Edward was? And what became of him?
* * * * *
Hunter walked down a long darkened hallway, hands deep in his pockets. He got to a looming metal door, undoing the latches and chains, going down the lengthy steps.
In the spacious room, tied at the body and chained by the wrists to a large concrete pillar. Was Edward. His clothing was tattered from the explosion that he was dragged from.
"I was told that you were finally awake." Hunter grabbed a chair and pulled it over. The legs scrape against the floor, leaving marks on the cold floor.
He put the chair forward, flipping it around so that the back part of it was at the front.
His eyes ran over Edward, trailing over him until he stopped at his face. "Don't play with me. Raise your head." Edward opened his eyes in disdain, raising his head to stare down Hunter.
"Don't be pissy with me. I didn't even want to bring you here. In fact. If it was up to me. I'd be trying to figure out how to pierce that skin of yours." He looked back in the direction of the door. "But the boss. Well, he has other plans."
Edward questioned their plans in silence, but Hunter could see it in his eyes. "Go on, ask your questions," Hunter said, smirking all the while.
"Why would you blow me up when you need me?"
"Ah. Right." Hunter leaned forward in his chair. "That wasn't us." He admitted.
"Another faction so to say. Wanted something on that train. Just like us. So right place, right time." He said, extending his hands out to his sides, gesturing with them.
"What were they after?" Edward asked, hoping to draw out some answers while this man was in a gracious mood.
Hunter shook his head. "Can't answer you there, friend. The boss would have my neck."
He said, putting his hand to his throat. "And unlike you. My skin is human."
He suddenly stood, pushing the chair to the side as he moved in close, inches from Edward's face. "I wonder how long it took for the old realm to embed on you." He said, grabbing Edward by the chin, and tilting his head to get a look at the marks on his neck.
"Do you know which god lay its perverse hands on you?" Edward pulled his head away, glaring daggers at Hunter, although there was a hint of confusion. Wondering what he meant.
"You don't know do you?" Hunter said with some following laughter, taking a few steps away from him. "Your agency is less informed than I gave them credit for." He spoke with amusement.
"Did you all think that it was only the old realm that granted us with these." He suddenly was in front of Edward again, hand beside his head. "Abilities?" They stared one another in the eyes. Hunter's clouding over in darkness very briefly.
"You're a fool." He shoved Edward's head to the side, going back up the stairs and leaving.