Bay 12 Games Forum

OOC:
I'll update in a day or two, hopefully. Heat's picked up here (again) and made me sick.
Sorry!

"But-" you protested as Joy gave you a stern look.
"It's for your own safety, I don't care how powerful you might be, you're an untrained civilian and he's either a trained soldier, or worse. This is bad, though," came Joy's words as she swung the car over to one of the layby spots on the road to park the car.
"Why is it bad?"
"Do you know anything about him?"
"He's a military trained bodyguard, and he... He's powered in some way I guess?"
"Yeah, about that. The agency he's from declared only a handful of supernaturally talented entities amongst their ranks and he wasn't one of them."
"So, they... They hid him from you?" you responded in disbelief.
"Alyssa... I don't know what he is, but that might not even be the 'Tom' you knew," Joy sighed as she adjusted the mirror, watching as the agency jeep pulled up in the road behind you.

This was a nice area you told yourself as you glanced at the surrounding buildings, it was a shame it was about to see conflict.
You could see heavy stone facades on the buildings and exposed brickwork, a combination of old properties intermingled with more modern ones that had been built up over time to turn this into a posher neighbourhood.
It must, given its proximity to the river, been an expensive place to live.

"He's after you Alyssa, so if he gets past me, take the wheel and get the fuck out of here," Joy stated as she unfastened her steatbelt.
"I... I don't know how to drive," you mumbled in response as Joy pinched the bridge of her nose.
"You... Shit. You can't drive, I can't get backup. You're supposed to have been accompanied by two officers for reasons exactly like this. Okay, you stay here, I'll deal with him and then we'll get back underway."
"You'll be okay, right?"
"I'll be fine."
"He's armed like a soldier."
"I'll be fine."
"You're not wearing body armour right now," you pointed out as Joy turned to look at you, one hand on the door as she shrugged.
"I've been shot before, I'll recover. What I'm worried about is that he might be able to recover as fast as I can."
"What'll you do then?"
"Shatter his bones and tie his legs in a knot so they have to be rebroken to heal right."
"That's..."
"A fast way of incapacitating him in a worst case scenario."
"No, that's not going to work, if he-"
"Alyssa, shut up and keep your head down."
"Okay..."

The prior mania you had been feeling faded as you slowly felt the reality of the situation setting in - the heat you felt in your chest diminishing alongside the belief you had fostered that you could have accomplished anything.
As Joy exited the vehicle you felt very small, pressing yourself into the seat as you twisted about to look about the headrest at the jeep that had pulled up behind you - the occupant of what, Tom, if you could really call him that, finally climbing from the vehicle he had arrived in to meet with Joy.
From here you could hear them both talking, faintly, but with enough clarity for you to catch the entire exchange.

"Hand the girl over," came Tom's words as he came to a halt a distance from Joy, his hand resting in a threatening manner upon his assault rifle.
"How did you get past Ego, how did you follow us?"
"That is of no concern to you. Hand the girl over or I will dispose of you as well."
"I somehow doubt you disposed of Ego."
"He screamed for mercy as I-"
"Ego, scream for mercy?" Joy laughed, mirthlessly as she rolled her head, audiably popping her neck. "Don't try and feed me that crap, how'd you escape him?"
"Surrender the-"
"Did you turn into a mouse and meekly run away?"
"This is your final chance."
"No, this is YOUR final chance. Who do you work for, who are you, why shouldn't I leave your carcass to be picked clean by the vultures?"

A burst of gunfire was the sole response Joy was given as Tom raised his assault rifle, leaving Joy staggering backwards as she laughed, gurgling laughter as she raised a hand to her chest. A second burst followed as Joy stopped staggering, striking her across the chest again as she started to lumber forwards.
Even from here you could see the shift in her bodylanguage as she took on a hunched stance, her shoulders rolling as the jacket she was wearing was disarded.
Across her shoulders and down the back of her arms as far as her elbows were silvery scales that glinted where the sun caught them, scales that cover the back of her neck and vanished beneath her hair.
Even so, a third burst of gunfire was fired at the small woman as she laughed one more, her laughter roaring and mocking now as she advanced upon the uncertain looking soldier.

One hand was brought back and swung overhead in a clumbsy and easily predictable manner as she retaliated, a blow that Tom effortlessly stepped aside from - yet it wasn't clear if she was just slow, or he hadn't been the target of that initial retaliation from her all along as the blow never changed from its initial trajectory.
The bonnet of the jeep buckled as it was crushed inwards, the front wheels popping from beneath it as that blow left the vehicle in a clearly inoperable state.
A further attempt to shoot Joy was met by her swinging her other arm outwards as she batted the gun from the soldiers hands, the force of the blow snapping the strap that held it about his neck. The buckled gun sailed from his grasp as he leapt backwards, his fingers contorted grotesquely.
Brielfy.
A quick wave of his hands and they snapped back into place, appearing little more than bruised as he reached behind himself, drawing a machete now.

"A knife, really?" Joy taunted as she growled at the man, a growl that you could see was accompanied by a malicious grin from this angle.
"It's treated with an elixier of immortality, it's more than sufficient to bring you down, Jötunn," came Tom's response as he paced about Joy while twirling the blade in as intimidating a manner as he could manage.
"That stuff needs injecting like a venom, not slapping on me like a poison," came Joy's response as she sneered at the man.
"What?" came Tom's response as a look of confusion with a tinge of concern crossed his features.
"You can't even get close to a lethal dose of that coating your blade, i'd know, i've been injected with a lethal dose before. Didn't work either," she growled as she stepped towards the man. "Gave me a hell of an appetite though," she snarled as she batted at the blade tauntingly with one hand.

Tom was fast to take advantage of the opening, twirling about as he gained momentum, the blade raised as he lashed out at her neck.
Fast as he was, Joy had barely any time to react to the blade as it met her neck - even as the blade failed to bite deeply, catching against her scales as sparks flew her head came down to trap the blade against her shoulder, her shoulder pushing up as the sound of metal giving under the immense pressure she was applying was coupled with Tom drawing away maybe six inches of blade.
The rest of it clattered against the road as Joy released it, her dark blood flowing briefly from the wound to her neck, before it slowed as it started to knit.
Her retaliation had Tom batted off his feet as she used a backhanded slap to his chest to propel him into the side of the crippled jeep.
Even from here you could see him reaching for a new weapon amidst the various straps and pouches, one you couldn't see the nature of from this angle - though it didn't matter.

You were decided, you were going to get into the drivers seat and pray you could learn to drive fast in the event that this man somehow came out atop Joy.

You barely took your eyes off them as you clambered into the drivers seat, shifting the gearstick as you glanced down at the peddels and prayed you'd picked up enough knowledge of how a car worked over time to be able to do this.
You had to press the clutch in and... then the accelerator and... Then...
No, you had no idea, you'd just have to pray it was as easy as those two steps.

"Lights out, Jötunn," came Tom's words as he vaulted towards Joy, his hand thrusting towards her head as you caught sight of a palm sized green object in his hand.
Was that a-

You felt the rumble of the grenade going off shaking you as the deafening explosion echoed through the streets, car alarms and horns going off as...
As Joy's body - or what was left of it from the chest down - flopped down in the middle of the road.
Tom wasn't unscathed either, he had been thrown backwards by the explosion, streams of black oozing from his shredded bodyarmour and the stump of the arm that had been holding the grenade.
He rose unsteadily as you stared in shock, his face streaked with black blood from a myriad of gashes from the grenades shrapnel, shrapnel that you knew you had been hit by as shock gave way to warmth, as you felt blood welling up from an injury to your shoulder.
It had to have passed through the back of the chair, but that wasn't important.
Right now, you had to get out of here.
Foot on the clutch, then the accelerator, tires squealing-

Then the car lurched backwards as it slammed into Tom as he staggered unsteadily forwards - followed by the jeep as you pinned him against it.
This hadn't been what you'd intended, you'd planned to drive forwards, pull out of the layby and get out of here - you hadn't realised you'd put the car into reverse.
Worse still, your efforts to change gear and start moving forward were met with grinding sounds from the engine, telling you that you were going nowhere.

It was just you and him, as Joy was dead in th-

No... You could see bone reforming, you could see muscle knitting up over those bones as her body...
Joy could recover from THAT?

You stumbled from the driver side of the car as you patted at your back, feeling for whatever it was that had gone into you, though all you managed to do was find pain and blood where your fingers brushed against the entry wound.
"You're... You're coming with... Me... Alyssa..." came Tom's defiant though weary sounding words. "When I recover from this, I will... Will bring you in. Surrender now, save... Save yourself the... Trouble."

His words would have been of no concern if you couldn't have seen his injuries actively knitting - it was plain to see that he would recover much sooner than Joy could possibly do so.

You were being threatened by a one armed man pinned between to vehicles while the Guardian whom had been trying to protect you lay headless in the road - and merely, you truly hoped, incapacitated from such an injury.

For now you had the upper hand yet you knew it wouldn't last at the rate that Tom was recovering - you had to act and fast.

---

I enjoy reading some of the things you propose - creative uses of power vs creative ways of handling a situation without it make for an interesting balance.

"I was reported missing?" you echoed as you gazed upon the man in the doorway with a sesnse of disbelief. The agency had the nerve to report you missing, after one of their agents had made it clear how they planned to treat you in general now they'd what you were to a degree that you fell into some neat, pre-defined plan?
"You sound surprised," came Ego's words as he craned his head forward ever so slightly. "Is there a problem with this, Miss Smith?" he inquired in a cold and professional tone. It wasn't that he didn't care, you told yourself as you shrank away from the man, no, it was that he was likely remaining disconnected from any feelings he had upon the matter as he was in a higher up position than most.
"Is that all he said?"
"The message hasn't suffered from a series of chinese whispers, Miss Smith."
"So he didn't report that by showing compassion to Anxiety, that I was circumventing authority, or that-" A hand was raised, cutting you off as the faintest hint of curiosity crossed over ego's features.
"Forgive the interruption Miss Smith, you can continue your emotional tirade momentarily," there was a pause as he stepped into Joy's office fully, closing the door behind him. "Could you elaborate upon the situation with Anxiety?"
"Why?" you grumbled as you stared back at the man. "Why should I, when you won't even let me finish trying to tell me how I think I'm in danger?"
"Because, Miss Smith, you have all the time in the world while you are here. They will not dare venture beyond the front desk without prior permission-" he paused, though you took this opportunity to challenge the point he had just made.
"Why won't they dare do such a thing?"
"Because, Miss Smith, I, Director Ego, am in charge of the Guardian two point oh programme, if they step out of line, they are fully aware that I have the authority to send some of the most advanced war machines in the world - en masse at that, to besiege their decrepit headquarters," came the mans words as he delivered what he had to say in a matter of fact tone.
"Now you sound like you're trying to play up how you'd respond just to appease me."
"Perhaps, but it remains factual that this station is not one that they wish to attempt to cirucmvent the authority of. Perhaps you have noted the response time we have towards dealing with internal threats. Should they provide such a threat to you, to us, they will be neutralised. Now, Miss Smith, please answer my question. What condition was Anxiety in?"
"She," you sighed as you rubbed at your arm. You could feel the clammy sensation of cold blood soaking the sleeve of your attire against your hand. "She was a mess. I'm the first person she has spoken to since her imprisonment, apparently. She thinks I'm someone else, had an outburst in what she threatened to kill me, then she was terrified of being alone again. She regrets how she ended up there and she has suffered for it, so I promised to speak with people about stopping her being the victim of such inhumane treatment."
"I see. Now, how does this relate to the issue you have with the agency?"

You turned your head to the side, looking towards the window as you took a deep breath.
How didn't this relate to your issue with the agency?
You'd had them turn on you the moment you were done with Anxiety, you'd been told you were a worst case scenario.
You'd been made to feel afraid of how they would handle you.

"When I left her holding area after I was done speaking with her, Tom, my assigned bodyguard, told me that I was attempting to circumvent authority with the manner I had spoke with her and promised her what help I could as another living being. He wanted to forcibly subdue me as I wouldn't get in his jeep and return to the agency without question, to force me through psychological examinations. He told me that I was a worst case scenario, based upon what had been overheard from the conversation I had with her and told me that need to know means I didn't need to know what that means," you frowned as you turned back towards the man. "This is the reason I collapsed, bleeding, outside the front of the station. I was trying to get away from him and the agency, I was-"
"If I may, Miss Smith, you didn't collapse outside the station, you had a high speed collision with one of our cars that resulted in you temporarily expiring. Continue."
"I," you mumbled, thrown off by this. There was a sense of finality that you couldn't quite shake in the concept of you having expired, even if you had recovered from it. This was twice you'd done so. "I was scared, that was why I came here. There's always posters up trying to improve the image of the police, telling people that when they're in trouble that they can rely on you, that you're not the bogey men that you're sometimes used as. I don't know what the agency will do with me and I don't want to find out. As far as i'm aware they don't have any claim to me, I'm not their property or responsibility. I'm not leaving with them."

You backed towards the window as you finished speaking, your mind echoing how you had 'temporarily' expired. If you were going to be forced to leave with the agency, you could jump, you could pray that you'd only temporarily be down from the fall onto the ground outside.
It was a strange and desperate plan, but it was the only plan you had at this point - if you used the power you had inside the stations grounds, armed police would no doubt swarm you.
If you dived, they'd no doubt swarm you as you came too, but you'd have a chance to run that way at least.

"Curious," came his sole response as he made his way towards the window, standing beside you as he looked out over the built up skyline with you. "You have no other accomodation in this city, no money?"
"No, I don't," you mumbled in response as you looked up at the man.
"Again, curious. If you will permit me a moment to think on this, I'll have a course of action given the circumstances worked out in short order."

With that the man seemed to lose all interest in you, instead focusing his attention upon the city skyline as you turned your attention towards Joy.
"Joy, I'm sorry for all the trouble i've caused you, it has been rough for you, for me, for everyone involved. Is there any way I can make it up to you?" you asked, as you turned your attention towards the other woman.
"You don't need to make it up to me," Joy responded as she glanced over at Ego.
"I need to make it up to him?" you asked, not entirely following her bodylanguage.
"No, no. He doesn't often take this long to think of a course of action. Then again, he normally has nice easy situations where he deploys one of the various suits we have againts the things that go bump in the night."
"Why do you call them that?"
"They've always been called that, ever since they first turned up."
"When did they turn up?"
"Back in the eighteen hundreds, they're probably part of a cycle where something turns up in a new form every so often though."
"Joy, do you think it'd be possible for me to meet with... Pride?" you asked, watching as the womans expression changed to one of extreme discomfort.
"Alyssa, I don't think that's wise, you're... You see... How do I put this?" Joy sighed as she rubbed at her face. "Eurochkoles wasn't exactly on good terms with any of those that bore the title of Pride and you, having such a similar vibe to him might... Complicate things."
"I'm not him though, I'm-"
"I have come to a conclusion," Ego interrupted as he turned to face the pair of you. "Miss Smith, I am placing you under arrest for vagrancy. By your own admission, you are such. Given the circumstances of this development you are to be taken to the-"
"Don't you dare say what I think you're about to say," Joy snapped as she glared at Ego.
"-Guiding light shelters and kitchens for the unfortunate," he finished, while Joy visibly fumed. "I know that you wish to keep Pride safe, that you wished to ensure that Miss Smith here understood the gravity of what it was to meet with them given the historical emnity that may have been involved, but, Pride seemed quite delighted that Miss Smith here was requesting an audience with her."
"You were talking with Pride all this time?" Joy spat in response.
"Yes. I am aware that you lack the same capability as I do to commune over such distances with like-minded individuals, but Pride herself has her warmest welcome and to extend her hospitality to Miss Smith until it is no longer desired."
"That's bullshit, how come you get to skip protocol and-"
"Officer, please stand down. Circumstances dictate that Miss Smith here requires accomodation, safety and guidance. Pride will offer all of those things in the measures she requires, without attempting to ensnare her for her own ends as the agencies are prone to."

Of course, they would say that they were better than that infront of you - they wouldn't admit if they were as bad as the agencies before you while trying to push you into their hands.
Joy seemed rather unhappy with this development however, as if the last thing she had honestly wanted was for you to meet with Pride.
Technically though as you were currently under arrest, the agency couldn't simply take you from the custody of the LPD and back to their headquarters without causing a scene.
A scene that would go very poorly for them given the amount of firepower that existed within the grounds of the station.

"Now, if you will excuse me, I shall escort Miss Smith to-"
"No, no you don't. I'm taking her," Joy snapped as she moved to stand between you and the door.
"If you insist Officer, then I shall allow you to accompany us," Ego responded in an almost detatched manner.
"No. I'm taking her."
"I have given you the compromise I am willing to make, either stand aside or fall in line, Officer."

There was a long moments delay where you could almost feel the way that Joy was sizing the pair of you up, as if working out what options were available to her at this moment.
You were honestly certain that the petite woman was a lot more powerful than she looked, yet there was a relucatance in her eyes to go against Ego physically.
Was this because he was greater than her, or because she knew that he could have half the station come along and subdue her with a single thought?
For that matter, could he read your mind?
Was that even possible?

"Fine. I'm coming with you," Joy eventually grumbled as she opened the door to her office and stepped from it.
"I am glad we came to an agreeable conclusion, Officer Joy, as I would not have taken any pleasure in the disciplinary action that would have followed your inevitable attempt to assault me.
"Shut up, Ego."
You were getting what you wanted, you reflected as the pair of them bickered, though not quite in the way you had envisioned it.

You were lead down the corridors and back towards the front of the station, back towards the waiting area where Tom stood with the most serious expression on his face you'd ever seen.
You could tell that he was waiting for you, for them to hand you over to him, yet as he moved to intercept you and your escorts, Ego simply raised a hand to indicate for you to stop.

"May I help you?" he asked as he stood before Tom completely at ease.
"I'm here for Alyssa Smith, if you'll hand her over I'll be on my way," came Tom's response as he glanced past Ego towards you.
"I'm afraid I cannot relinquish her into your custody as she is currently under arrest," Ego responed as Tom frowned visibly.
"The agency wants her back, step aside," came his words as he moved to shove Ego aside, only for Ego to step back in the way.
"I would advise against such a course of action. Miss Smith does not wish to-"
There was the impact of flesh against flesh as Tom swung for Ego, striking him forcibly.
Yet Ego simply turned his head back to face the other man, his voice completely impassive still as he resumed speaking.
"-be involved with your agency at this time. However, as you have chosen to assault me, I can only suggest that you surrender peacefully-"
Tom swung again, only this time Ego effortlessly deflected the blow with one hand as he gracefully twisted Tom's arm behind his back and moved to put him in a choke hold with his free arm.
Tom just as rapidly countered this by bucking to flip the other man over him, only for Ego to surprisingly roll over him as he used the momentum to fling Tom across the waiting room.
The room reverberated with the sound of his body impacting against the wall, though Tom, with a black substance oozing from his nose, sprang back to his feet as he reached for the handgun on his belt.
"Surrender her, or else-" Tom started as Ego sighed.
"Do you see this, Officer?" came Ego's words as he turned to look at Joy.
"I do. We have a problem, don't we," she growled as she moved to stand between you and Tom.
"We do, now, if you will co-operate with us and place your weapon down-"
"This is your final chance, surrender her."

Ego simply advanced upon Tom as he was given this final warning, the sound of the handgun echoed about the room out as Ego's hand became a blur of motion, snatching the discharged bullet from the air with deceptive ease.
"Do tell Pride that I am sorry I could not make it, Joy, you'll have to take Miss Smith alone while I handle the paperwork from this apparent attempted suicide."
"The only suicide here is-" Tom started as Ego darted forwards, batting the gun out of his hand before he could take aim once more.
"Silence, you," Ego responded as he lifted the man up by his neck. "Either you will co-operate or I will crush the life from you. Now, let us start with the basics..."

With that Joy ushered you from the waiting room, pushing you out the door towards the parking lot and one of the police cars there.
This was done in silence, silence in what you found yourself wondering just what you'd witnessed - just what you'd been caught up in.

"Get in the car," came Joy's words, her evident disgruntlement over the fact she had been told to take you to see Pride still registering despite the scene she had left behind. "I'm sure you have plenty of questions for her, but let me make it clear. You hurt her, I'll hurt you. Are we clear?"
"We're clear," you responded as Joy settled down in the drivers seat, while you stood by the open passenger side door.

So, now you just had to get in and then you could...
Then you could be taken to meet Pride, discuss whatever you needed to with her. Whatever that was.
You had a bad feeling though - everything about everything was... Off, and you couldn't tell if you had enough pieces to this puzzle to figure what was out of place yet.
What was your plan to be?

You had plans, you just needed to take a step back away from how deeply unbalanced you felt to see them. You'd see what you could do for Anxiety as you felt that if nothing else, she deserved another chance to live a life beyond this imprisonment, a chance to be rehabilitated and brought into this century.
You needed to call your parents, speak with them to ground yourself, to see if they had any hidden secrets about your past that bore relevance. You doubted it, but you weren't going to rule the possibility of it out at this point given all that had happened.
Joy was another person you needed to speak with, to see what had happened after she was dredged up with the body of the thousand soul - to get answers there that would give you more of the picture.
Beyond this, you needed to find some middle ground between exerting yourself and flexing your powers and concealing them, so you could safely train them without drawing too much attention - where you attacked at this point, you were uncertain if you would be more of a threat to the individuals attacking you or yourself.

Possibly yourself.

"I'll see what I can do for you," you uttered once more in an effort to reassure the woman behind you as you gave her a soft smile.
"Before... Before you go... I..." she started, fumbling her words as she looked down almost if ashamed.
"What is it?" you asked as you turned towards her, maintaining a friendly posture as you watched her become bashful.
"Could I... Could I have a hug?"
"A... Hug?" you echoed, somewhat taken aback by this request. It was somewhat out of the blue.
"A hug. I don't know... How long I have been here, or if you'll be back, I just... Want this as it's something... Something... Something nice."

Oh, that expression on her face broke your heart, it was one of someone who had long since lost hope and seemed only now to have dared to dream once more - someone who had been broken by their long imprisonment.
Someone who you felt if nothing else, you should do what little you could for.
This was part of that little you could attempt to do for her, wasn't it?
Of course it was.

A few steps was all it took for you to cross the wooden floor that stretched between the pair of you, to bring you close to the kneeling woman who hung her head now as if she had requested something unthinkable of you.
"It's easier if you stand," came your words in soft tones as you watched the woman slowly but steadily rise to her feet - her head still hung as you reached beneath her chin with one finger to lift her head up, to have her gaze meet your own. "Better," you stated reassuringly as you moved to wrap your arms about her, carefully finding a way to hold her that didn't press your arms up against her haphazardly folded wings.
"Thank you," she whispered as she pressed close, her form feeling lighter against you than it should have - Avian bones were a possible mutation, you reasoned. "I think I like you more like this," she added after a moments silence.
"Why's that?" you asked, allowing genuine curiosity to colour your words.
"You're pretty."
"I'm pretty average," you laughed softly.
"I think you're pretty," she huffed as she leaned back to look at you.
"I don't swing that way-" you started only it was her turn to laugh this time.
"If you mean what I think you do, you never swung either way. You were always weird. Thank you for this, though. I feel better for it."
"I'll see if I can talk some sense into people, see about getting them to relent on keeping you imprisoned here in such a cruel manner," you stated as you slipped back and away from the other woman, a gesture that had her let out a plaintive whine as she reluctantly relinquished her grasp upon you.
You could hear her sighing as you made your way towards the door leading from the chamber at the top of the tower and back towards the stairwell, as you swung the door open to find the waiting men on the other side giving you the strangest of looks.

"What?" you challenged as you stepped through the door. You presumed the looks were because they could hear you through the door. "It's rude you listen in on a personal conversation," you added as you stepped through the midst of the group and started making your way down the stairs ahead of them.
You needed air, you needed chocolate, you needed a cigarette.
No, you didn't need the last one, that was a habit you had no desire to start at this time.
"I trust that you recorded that, so I don't have to repeat the entire thing to your boss?" you called back as you listened to a single set of footsteps falling behind you. That must have been Tom.
"It was recorded. I'm sure he'll have plenty of questions regardless."
"I might answer them, though I don't see what he could possibly get by asking me further questions when that was all new to me."
"Your attitude's changed again. Mood swings?" there was a pause. "Manic depression?"
"You know how to make a girl swoon, you smooth talker, you."
"I'll put a recommendation in for the medical team to do a pyschological examination, then."
"Pretty sure you can't make me do that," you responded as you swung the door at the bottom of the stairs open. "Besides, you're the one who has had a complete turn of attitude akin to a moodswing. Either you have a problem with me, or you're giving me shit suddenly for no good reason. How do I even know you're the same person I left outside at this point?"
"If I didn't know better, I'd have sworn that you were simply getting friendly with the prisoner and telling her exactly what she wanted to hear. As it is, you're trying to cirvcumvent-"
"Seriously?" you interrupted as you turned back to look at the man. "Compassionately wishing to see if I can improve someone elses lot is an attempt to circumvent authority or some such thing?" you laughed, mirthlessly.
"She's in there for treason," came Tom's response as he frowned at you, the expression visible over the rim of his sunglasses.
"She has been in there for treason for over a hundred years, I'm the first person she has spoken with since going in there. I saw a frightened woman who had lost everything she ever knew, then forgotten it. If you want to give me shit for consorting with the enemy or whatever your issue is, then-"
"Then what?"
"Then," you paused as you turned towards Tom. "I'll walk back to the damn agency as I don't want to be in a vehicle with someone  giving me shit every time I open my mouth. What's gotten into you?"
"You showed your true colours in there-"
"Let me guess, I'm everything you and your agency hates?"
"No, you-"
"Oh, so it's not about my compassion towards a woman who responded soley because she thought I was someone else, so it's not because I made promises to see if her suffering could be eased because she was straight with me where nobody else had been?"
"No, it's-"
"You don't even know what it is, you're probably just having a knee jerk reaction to the fact I feel wrong to you somehow. Welcome to my fucking world, last week I was a perfectly normal girl, now I'm some fucking monster, but you're used to dealing with people who aren't normal. What's the real issue here, Tom?"

"She confirmed that you're a worst case scenario," Tom breathed as you felt him staring at you from behind his sunglasses.
"Care to elaborate on that?" you asked as you folded your arms.
"Need to know," he responded, as he mimicked your stance.
"Of course, I don't need to know how much your agency wants to shoot me for some check list I'm not privvy to."
"That isn't what-"
"Of course it's what you're saying, worst case scenario means you have a plan for dealing with me tucked away in a secret file some place."
"We don't-"
"Sure you don't. What's the issue, that I've been confirmed by her to be some patchwork fucking god?"
"I can't say."
"Of course you can't, you can't because you can't give me a straight answer. What is it, that something like Jack the fucking Ripper came up as a possible reason for my existance?"
"Again, I can't say."
"I'm done with you, I'm going to go for a walk."
"I can't allow that."
"I suppose that means you're going to stop me somehow, then?"
"If I must."
"Four guys up there, I'll scream."
"They won't stop me subduing you and taking you back in."
"Then I'll run, simple as that."
"I can run faster than you in full battle gear."

A step was taken backwards as you watched the man advance a step upon you in an attempt to intimidate you, to menace you into believing that whatever course of action you took would be met with failure.
No, you wouldn't believe this, perhaps he was physically in better shape than you were, perhaps he was capable of subduing you if he got his hands on you, but he had to get his hands on you first, and you, well...
You believed that it was better to try and fail, to make it clear that you were defiant, than it was to meekly surrender.
He was a soldier, he lacked the ability to charm you as Millicent could and furthermore he was an asshole who clearly didn't care to sugar coat things and get you to co-operate favourably.
You ticked all the boxes that he feared, you ticked all the boxes that his agency feared.

You had no plans to fail.

As you took another few steps backwards, matched by him as he kept pace with you, you commanded  your body to your very will. You would find a way of channeling that power you had, to make it work for you for once without causing you to fling yourself into a book case or something of the like.
You didn't care if this went against how you had been warned, at this point you simply had to get away from this man, to get someplace safe, to wait for his boss to try and smooth it all over while you called the question of your safety with the agency into the spotlight.
At this point, it felt as if the agency themselves could potentially be one of those enemies that you had to worry about if one of them was going to so openly attempt to intimidate you after calling you a worst case scenario.
A hand lunged for you, a hand that you twisted away from as you kicked backwards off of one of the nearby walls, twisting and turning as you broke into a full - though admittedly pathetic sprint.
Fight or flight, and again you chose flight.
It was at this point that you willed your body to yield to you, begging it almost to respond to the energies you had yet to figure a means of controlling as you willed them to channel through you.
Almost immediately the burn of those energies started to spread through your legs and chest, threatening to steal your breath from you as you started to stave off the familiar and immediate onset of fatigue that accompanied them.

You didn't care, they would bow to you.

Those energies would bow to you until you were spooked enough to collapse and deal with the consequences of pushing them upon yourself without consideration.
But not without thought, no, you willed them to suffuse your being, to empower you as you told the world about you that the puny muscles in your legs were better than that - you were an olympic level athlete, you were running for your life, you wouldn't stop until you had to.
You needed more lung capacity, you needed to carry more oxygen in your blood, you needed to be the very peak of human fitness.
And so you were.
Reality could scream all it wanted as you perverted natural order, but here you were the best nature could offer for the brief time you needed to be.
You'd crossed a hundred meters in ten seconds.

It wasn't enough though.
Two hundred meters in eighteen seconds.
Three hundred in twenty five.
Four hundred in thirty.

You could feel the intense pressure in your chest from this level of exertion telling you that you'd not just hit a wall you shouldn't have approached, but you'd far surpassed it and that when you stopped you were going to pay for it heavily.
But you didn't care, you were racing from the grounds of the Tower of London and back into the city at a speed you knew had to be impossible for a human.
You could feel the empowered impact of your feet against the tarmac as you took to the road and ran alongside the traffic causing microfractures in the structure of the road.
You could feel all eyes upon you from the pavements and the surrounding cars as you ignored all safety and ran through the traffic lights you encountered.
The pain in your chest blossomed as it became a molten heat, threatening to consume you from within, yet you didn't stop.
You couldn't stop - you were surrendering to panic, milking the effects of adrenaline for all they were worth as you pushed your body beyond any reasonable limit.

Following instinct you rounded a corner, ignoring the manner in what your vision was starting to fade at the edges as oxygen deprivation started to kick in - you were pushing yourself beyond your physical ability to compensate, but you just needed to push a little longer.
Who needed air, anyway?
Oh, right, you did.
A spray of dislodged tarmac followed the impact of your rapid deceleration, the small impact crater absorbing the energy as you broke into a sprint down the new road, as you wheezed for breath now.
You couldn't figure how to trick your body into accepting the little oxygen it got as sufficient, but you didn't care - you knew exactly where you were, exactly where you were about to be in several seconds time.
A chain link fence greeted you as you ploughed headlong into the compound you had instinctively aimed to reach - followed by your entire body colliding with a metallic obstacle, sending the already faded world tumbling about you as you rolled over the bonnet of a parked car.

Reality reasserted its hold with brutal relish as the damage the impact had done to you, as well as the damage your run had done to your body kicked in.
All you could feel was a dull warmth spreading through you as you lay there, a moment taken to try and catch your breath - your laboured breathing coming in gasps as you struggled in vain to move. Your body was unresponsive, yet you were... Alive?
You were bleeding, however.
You could see red pooling beneath the side of your face from what you presumed to be your nose bleeding.

Right on cue, the front of the building you'd ran toward's front doors burst open as armed police poured from the station to see, well, you, laying there all contorted.
You couldn't tell why they looked so horrified, you couldn't feel a thing after all!
Well, apart from that spreading sensation of warmth that had thankfully replaced all other sensation.
"We need a medic out here!" came a distant sounding voice as several armed officers ran over to your side.
"You're going to be okay, just don't panic and... Don't move," came another voice as an officer carrying first aid supplies ran out of the buildings front.
"Don't panic, you've been in an accident, but I'm here to help you," came the voice of the officer with the medical supplies. "Can you talk?" they asked as they reached for your wrist, recoiling away they made an effort to find your pulse.
"I... I'm really tired... I'm going to sleep this... Off," you mumbled in response as you blinked a few times.
"No, I need you to stay awake, keep talking to me. What's your name?"
"I'm Alyssa, but I'm really... Really tired," you mumbled as you inwardly grumbled to yourself. Why wouldn't they let you sleep off how tired you were and then talk with Joy, like you'd come here for?
"Alyssa, you're badly hurt. You need to stay with me while we get an ambulance-"

Your eyes refused to co-operate with the mans wishes, however as they drooped down and closed, while the officer tried to rouse you with timid motions and blood all over his hands.
Must've put his hands down where your nose had been bleeding.
The look of horror on his face would have been funny if you weren't so tired, and well, if you didn't think it made him look like a total drama queen.
You just wanted to sleep off this exertion and hide from Tom and the Agency here, what was so hard to understand about that?
Well, apart from you not having told them that yet, oops.

The heat that suffused your form built into a raging crescendo focused in your chest, one that had you uncomfortably roll over to clutch at yourself as you felt discomfort centered around your heart - and a fair sense of exaustion.
There were shocked screams too, from the officers that didn't want you to sleep because-

Oh.
They...

There was a scorch pattern focused about you on the pavement and several of the officers were dancing back away from you as they tried to pat out flames.
"Um, sorry if I did that," you offered lamely as you struggled to your feet. "I ran here to come talk with Joy and... Get away from some agents who're trouble, and... Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You..." came the voice of the officer who had been handling with the medical supplies. "You were just laying there a second ago dying, you were like a sack of meat full of broken glass, your bones had been broken that badly, how are you... How are you alive, how are you fine now?" came his words as you saw awe and terror dance in his eyes.
"I wasn't hurt that bad. Can I talk to officer Joy now?" you paused as you looked down at your attire.
That was... That was a lot of blood.
Just how badly had you been hurt?
"Oh. I want to call my family too. Maybe eat, too, I'm kinda hungry..." you mumbled as you shook your head slowly, as if trying to clear away a mental fog that had you feeling dizzy.
"Ah, it's the lovely Miss Smith again, you can all stand down," came the voice of a familiar balding man in a suit stood at the entrance.
You were sure he was Edgar or something from what you briefly saw of him prior.
"Can I speak with Joy?" you asked, as you turned your attention towards the man. You felt so light headed right now.
"Director, I don't think it's wise to-" came a voice from behind you.
"Stand down, men and inform officer Joy that she's to question Miss Smith here."
"I want to question her, actually," you responded petulantly as you staggered towards the front entrance.
"I'm sure you can do so at the same time," the man responded as he stepped back inside.

Perfect! You could ask Joy about what she had done with the body- no, that sounded wrong. You'd ask her about what had happened to the body of the thousand soul after she'd been recovered.
Then you could ask her other questions like... What did you want to ask after that, actually?
Well, regardless, after that was handled, you'd call your parents, then handle things like... What did you want to handle after that for that matter?

It was a weight off your shoulders to once more be within the jeeps metal frame, to escape the world of the rich, the world of those who didn't quite see the world as others did due to their disconnection from the struggles of the common man.
Once you had dreamed of being rich and famous, but those dreams had died with your innocence, many years ago.
Oh, how you had been disillusioned with that kind of world, that kind of lifestyle. You had seen the various stars you had looked up to as role models being pushed into rehab, falling out with the police, even dying as they indulged their self destructive lifestyles.
You had wanted nothing to do with it, no part of a lifestyle fueled by excess driven by an inability to be happy with what you had and an ego the size of the universe.
Of course, you'd had a taste of that ego and reigned yourself in, you knew that the taste of power was intoxicating, yet...
Yet, you couldn't justify becoming like those people you'd had pushed upon you as familiar figures you should have looked up to. You'd disconnected yourself from that particular treadmill and lived life as your own - somewhat paranoid - person.
No, you didn't want to be the next household name, the next starlet that the world aspired to be - you were just like the stars before fame got to their heads.

Flawed, in many ways, but still aware enough of your flaws to work towards overcoming them.
You would overcome them, too.
There was nothing you couldn't do if you put your mind to it.

Tom's discontent was apparent to you, yet you felt that it was far from the right moment to address how he was practically seething before you - no, you'd give him a little time on the road to cool off before you addressed this.
Your ability to deal with people online didn't translate smoothly into real world experiences after all - online you were queen of such, able to mediate and solve issues while in the real world you floundered and struggled as you'd been out of the loop somewhat since school.

You'd had a bright future ahead of you, your teachers had said.
You were a bright young lady who could get far, they'd said.
Work in your area had been something you'd never been able to get, and further education was something you couldn't afford without work to support it.
Perhaps, you dared to hope, if you were employed by one of these agencies, you'd be able to afford to pay for higher education. You'd be able to get your own place - not too far from your parents, you wanted to be close enough to visit. You'd be able to get further education, pick a subject and reach for the stars
You'd make your name known in whatever field you took for your accomplishments - you'd show them all that you were a genius who didn't need her damn near divine power to get ahead.
Of course, that power wouldn't hurt, but...

"Hey, Tom?" you ventured as the jeep pulled up to a set of traffic lights, as traffic rushed ahead of you. A few taxi's, a double decker bus and a fair amount of regular cars passed by before the man beside you finally turned to look at you, to utter but a single world in response to your attempt to gather his attention.
"Yes?"
"You were tense back there, what about the entire situation was getting to you?"
"That's need to know."
"Right, Thomas VICTORIA."
"That's not my surname," came his response as he tried to keep a straight face, though there was a hint of a smile.
"Damn, games and movies lied to me. You should have been the Queen's estranged son, furious that you had to return there and deal with her refusing to acknowledge your existance."
"I wish, I wouldn't have to work this job then."
"So, want to talk about it?"
"As I said-"
"Oh, yeah, sure, need to know. That's entirely bullshit you know, you were sent to tag along with me because your boss is grovelling at my feet right now as I present so many opportunities. This is personal, isn't it?"
"No."
"You don't like HMSO, that's a given. Can't blame you, bunch of egotistical assholes who don't operate properly. You were recruited from the armed forces, right?"
"Right."
"So, you get the value of a chain of command, you want order, accountability. They lack that. But it's not that, either. No..."

You fell silent for a long moment as the lights changed and you turned towards the river, towards what you presumed was the way towards the tower of london.
It wasn't really much of a tower, you expected with a name like that, that it would have towered on the skyline like some grim needle, but you had to keep in mind, you figured, that this was a tower built many centuries ago before they figured how to make a building stand as tall as a skyscraper would tumbling down.

"It wasn't the Queen either, she's just a grumpy old lady as far as you're concerned, it was the Minister, wasn't it?"
"Are you done grasping at straws?"
"Nope, it was the Minister. He's a monster with no soul."
"As a member of the Tories that's redundant."
"So, what was it?"
"It was the minister, he doesn't have a heartbeat."
"Oh."
"You say that as if you don't think it's signifigant at this point."
"Well, yeah, the Queen's two centuries old, I died recently and got better, Millicent wears peoples bodies as clothes and your boss sees dead people. You can blame modern media for how fast I get disillusioned and over everything."
"You do realise this means he's deathless, or worse?"
"Wait, deathless, as in-"
"Yeah, the people who will want to exact revenge upon you for things you never did."
"Well... Shit. What's the best way to kill them?"
"Varies, most of the ways involve shooting them in the head miss 'I play games and watch movies'. You should have known that."
"Yeah, and you're still evading the question. What bothers you about the deathless?"
"It's not so much what bothers me about them, it's the threat that they pose to you that bothers me. I'm here to make sure you come to no harm, and historically, the information we have on the deathless amounts to a whole lot of nothing."
"And you know this because...?"
"Combat training, I have to know how to take care of any unnatural entity efficiently."

You slumped back in your seat as those words were uttered in response.
Here you were with power beyond your wildest dreams at your fingertips and you couldn't use it effectively enough to defend yourself against these things.
So far, you'd managed a grand total of one kill with them - yourself.
When trying to manipulate air currents.
You needed an instruction manual to inform you how to do this stuff, as you didn't know how you'd accomplish control otherwise.

The journey continued in silence as you approached the Tower of London, as you took note of how the building you approached had a fair number of people going in and out of it.
It was a tourist attraction, this shouldn't have been a surprise for you.
Yet, the fact that this place was a tourist attraction and functionally acted as a prison for one very special inmate was what surprised you.
If the woman here had killed someone of immense - even if diminished - power, was it safe to have tourists come through this place if she was able to escape?

While you didn't have the answer for that, you knew that she hadn't spoken since being imprisoned, so it was potentially a fruitless endeavour for you to be here in the first place.
Perhaps the time she had spent here had dulled her, left her no longer capable of rationalising the concept of escape - perhaps she was as sharp as ever and simply had nothing to say to those that were here.
You'd know once you were face to face with the woman, you knew that much.

"So, the Queen said she'd have us cleared by the time we arrived," you started as the jeep pulled up into the parking lot nearby. "Does this mean you're just going to escort me with guns in plain sight?"
"Of course," came Tom's response as he pulled a pair of sunglasses from the glove compartment of the jeep.
"Isn't that asking for trouble?"
"I have my identification on hand on hand to get us through security checks."
"Are you a Major?"
"No, why?"
"Just wondering, you could have been Major Tom."
"Oh, that song."
"Ground control to Major Tom..." you hummed to yourself as you hopped from the jeep, though your intent to follow behind the man was shattered as he gestured for you to take the lead. "Why?" you questioned, as he sighed in response.
"Just take the lead, I need to be able to keep you in sight while watching you in any public location. If you get snatched, it's hard for me to react as quickly if you're behind me."
"But-"
"No buts."
"That's what Millicent told me," you grumbled, remembering how she had been quite clear that you had no ass.
"What?"
"Nothing," you sighed as you stepped ahead of the man. "At least I know I have nothing to stare at. Fuck you Millicent."

You could feel the confusion washing off the man as he fell into step behind you, one hand upon the weapon slung about his neck. He didn't have context and you were content to keep it that way for the foreseeable future.
Potentially indefinately.
Perhaps as long as it took you to forgive Millicent for saying that your slender form was flat.
Maybe you should be worrying more about the fact you were being escorted by an armed man who could potentially look like he was using you as a human body shield.

Predictably, it was at the entrance to the Tower of London, a place that was more of a keep with a curtain wall surrounding it than a proper tower, that you were stopped by armed security.
They'd obviously seen you approaching before you had arrived via either the watchmen that stood atop the walls or the camera's they had placed within the various nooks and crannies that'd permit them to watch the surrounding area's without being entirely obvious.
It was as you approached the portcullis leading in that they became visible - they in this case being the Yeomen, the people that you'd thought were nothing more than people employed to dress up and look the part about the grounds of the place.
"Okay, stop there Alyssa, they're trained soldiers," Tom stated as he placed a hand against your shoulder, then stepped before you with his hands held out to the sides as not to appear threatening. "I believe you're expecting us?" Tom stated as he nodded back towards you. "I believe Her Royal Highness, Queen Victoria should have arranged for us to visit a certain individual in holding here?"
There was murmering amongst the ranks of the rifle armed guardsmen as they gestured for Tom to approach them and present his identification, something that had them quickly relax as they gestured for you to approach next.
"Follow us, we've been expecting you, but you can't be too careful these days," came the ones voice as you fell into step behind the group.

But this wasn't what you wanted now, no, you didn't want to simply follow the group when another idea was burning its way into the forefront of your mind.
"Hey, before we do that... I hate to be trouble, but do you sell camera's at a tourist stand or something here?" you asked, prompting the guardsmen to turn and face, giving you the chance now to see that each one of these men looked to be at least in their fourties. "It's silly, but I'd really like to get a photo of myself with you while I'm here," you added as you smiled sheepishly.
The group of men glanced at Tom as if to ask him if they really should, a nod from him being the sole response that they were given as he reached into his pockets to retreive a handful of bank notes.

As one hurried away to obtain the camera with the money they had  been passed by Tom, Tom himself stood a short distance from you talking with the group about things as deployment and other such military things that you had little interest in. It was the perfect chance for you to look about, to take in the details of the tourist attraction you were in as you took note of the inner side of the curtain wall's details, as you glanced at the main keep - a palace, a fortress in its own right.
You still were't certain why it was called the Tower of London, but it did have a few towers on its corners that you presumed one of which served as the residence of Anxiety.
Before long had passed, standing in the pleasent heat of a summer giving way to autumn, the guardsman that had departed to obtain the camera returned, handing it to you while you reached over to pass it to Tom.
"Snap one of me with them first, I'll get one of you with them after," came Tom's response as he moved to pose with the group, saluting smartly as the camera was raised and with a flash of light, a picture of him was snapped with two guardsmen either side.
No sooner had that been done, he stepped back towards you to repeat the process with you - though you didn't want a picture that was so formal, no, you wanted some cheerful picture to send back home.
Your one had the men positioned about you as you smiled brightly for the camera.

As the group started leading the way once more, Tom reached to pass the camera to you, only for you to shake your head as you held a hand up to dismiss this.
"No, not until after I've met with Anxiety. I don't want to risk the camera being damaged as it'd suck to lose those pictures," you stated as Tom gave you a slight nod.
"Fair enough," came his response as he placed the camera's carry strap about his neck. "I'll return it to you once you've finished the meeting with her."
"I can't wait to be done so I can change out of these clothes," you mumbled as you idly straightened out the frilly clothing you wore.
"You look nice in that."
"Easy for you to say, it's not the kind of thing I'm used to wearing. I can't run in these shoes and this skirt," you mumbled in response as you entered the main keep - the difference in heat was immediately noticable as you felt the warmth on your face and the heat permeating your clothing give way to the coolness of the Tower itself.

"There's a few things to keep in mind while visiting the inmate, Miss Smith," came one of the group's voices as they turned you through one of the doors marked as being off limits. "While she has been restrained in advance and has shown little activity in the years she has been here, she is still to be treated as dangerous. Getting close is something you do so at your own peril."
The heavy door slammed behind you, reverberations echoing down the stone corridor as you were guided towards a spiralling stairwell.
"Similarly, she has not spoken in her time here, and while we have been informed that your presence may be enough to provoke a verbal reaction from her, we have also been informed that she may simply elect to remain silent, if she still remembers how to speak," they continued, their voice reverberating about the stairwell as they lead you upwards and past the doors leading off onto each floor.
You were being taken to the very top of the stairwell, to the top of the small tower.
"A final warning, the taint she bears is in an advanced stage, as such she is no longer entirely human. Do not allow her appearance to alarm you, however. If she grows rowdy or attacks you, shout and we will enter the room and provide you with assistance."
"You're not entering with me?"
"No Miss Smith, we've been informed to admit you alone, as it is unlikely she will speak with any other."
"What about me?" Tom immediately asked as a frown became visible behind his sunglasses.
"Sorry, you're not permitted entry either. In the event that Miss Smith is assaulted however, you're fully authorised to subdue the prisoner with any level of force you feel necessary given that she will recover swiftly from even lethal injuries."
"I see," Tom grumbled as the guardsmen placed a heavy key within the lock of the door at the top of the tower and opened the door.

The room that greeted you as you stepped through the heavy oak door was not entirely what you expected. It was bare, that much you expected, made of heavy stones, this you expected too, but it looked like something from the last century.
The room was littered with black feathers, straw and a few tattered books that sat in stacks gathering dust, it was illuminated by light filtering in through old latticed windows with glass panels set within, glass that was barely translucent enough to permit light through, let alone to permit you to see out.
There was an iron rung set into the floor beside a simple wooden bed frame with chains leading beneath the sparse covers, covers that bore a shape that was lumpy in a way that looked almost like a person, yet at the same time it was all wrong unless... Unless that person was a giant.

"Anxiety?" you ventured as you watched the shape beneath the covers shift lazily, the sound of those chains clinking followed by silence. "I have come to speak with you, if you'll permit such," you added after a long moment's silence.
The covers shifted again as a hand with delicate fingers tipped with claw like nails reached out, patted for the pillow that sat at the end of the bed, then in a futile gesture, flung it your way.
The pillow sailed past you by a wide margin, striking the wall as a cloud of dust burst forth.
"If you do not wish to speak with me, say so and I'll leave, Anxiety," you ventured once more as you watched the covers slowly pulled down. The form that was unveiled was one that lay on its side, facing the wall away from you - a figure that had to roll over towards the wall to turn to face you as not to roll over the large, unkempt wings that stood on its back.
That figure was one of a woman dressed in a plain, though by now grubby white dress, a woman with vast black wings on her back. A woman whom with a face framed by long, unkempt black hair, that gazed at you with solid black eyes that looked almost akin to those of a bird.
As she pushed the covers aside and sat up, you could see the short chain that restrained her sat about her ankle, preventing her moving more than a short distance from the bed - though as this room was small, you figured you barely had more than a few feet more that she couldn't reach into if she chose to leap at you.
"Do you recognise me?" you asked, hopefully as you watched the woman stretch out, her hands clasping above her head as her wings stretched out, fluttered and settled behind her back.
Yet there was still no response, only an alien expression as the woman regarded you as if you were an intruder in her territory.
"Of course not, you've been here so long you don't remember anything but the tower," you sighed as you turned towards the door.

This was fruitless, the woman was a dead end as she was dulled by the long years of imprisonment - the one time companion of the thousand soul, his killer, reduced to a caged bird with no song.
You'd tell the boss that she had ultimately been a dead end, that perhaps with further visits you'd get some result, but as it was... She was simply not going to be of much help until the peson she once was, was roused from the stupor of such lengthy imprisonment.

"W-waa-waaaait."

That slurred and stuttered word was just what you'd hoped for - some form of response, some form perhaps, of recognition.
You had hoped that she would respond to you and here was your window.
The chains clinked once more as she stood, as she clambered from the bed and stood there with her head tilted curiously as those alien eyes regarded you.
"Anxiety?" you whispered as you took a cautious step forward.
"Are... Are y-y-you here for-for me?" came her words as she rubbed at her throat gingerly, with the back of her hand. It was as if she trying to dismiss an unwelcome sensation.
"Yes Anxiety, I'm here to visit you," you responded in a gentle tone.
"Wh...Why are... Why are you... A woman, You-choo-keys?"
You-choo-who?
Oh. The thousand souls name, it was an awkward one, it was a wonder she even remembered it after all this time.
"I'm not-" you started, only for her to take a step forward. You couldn't help but feel intimidated, there was something distinctly predatory in her nature that had taken root in the absence of her humanity.
"It suits... Suits you. Always delicate. Delicate delicate. Pretty now. Like," came her stilted statement as she swallowed akwardly. You could see the light of recognition in her eyes shining through that haze as she seemed to be rapidly awakening from a deep slumber.
"So, you recognise me?"
"Yesss," she hissed. "Delicate girl. Slender, easily broken. Want... Want... Want to... Take me from... Cage and... Let me... Protect?" came her words as that predatory edge tainted them, a half step forward from her mirrored by you as you took half a step back.
"I don't think they'd let me take you from here," you whispered nervously in response.
"Ask... Nicely. Do thing with voice. Ask?"
"I'm not able to do that."
"Oh. Need remember how then, remember from last time and... Ask. Then... Then I will keep you safe. Never let you get... Hurt again," there was some hint of regret in those words, but the mention of remembering how to do something from last time struck your curiosity.
"What do you mean, remember how to do it from last time?"
"Yes."
"Could you explain?"
"Not remember?"
"I don't remember anything."
"Oh," she paused as she sniffed at you. "Yes. Just need remember, like did with... Past lives. Was able to... Make magic, talk to past self. Use past skills. Just need remember and... Do again?"

This was interesting, but you were pretty certain at this point that you had no means of accessing the skillset of a dead immortal. Still, if this thousand soul had different skills across different incarnations and was able to access them all somehow, that was a fairly formidable trick.
But you didn't want tricks, you wanted true power with what to change the world and get results.

"Anxiety, I... I don't remember anything," you started, you didn't like that you were lying to her, yet you knew that allowing her to believe you were the entity that she had once killed was your best chance to get her to co-operate. "What am I?"
"Delicate," came her solitary response.
"What am I, other than delicate?"
"Pr-eeee-tty," she cooed.
"Um. Thanks, I guess," you mumbled as you shifted uncomfortably. This wasn't a response you'd wanted from her of all people, you were fairly average.
"Face okay. Pretty under."
"Wait, what?" you hadn't meant to state this, but it seemed the shocked response was what she needed to hear to elaborate.
"I see... Colours. Pretty colours, like last time. Thousand colours. More colours than others. Not as smooth, maybe put back together wrong?"
"How could I be put back together wrong?"
"Not know, just see... Colours not flow together right."
"So, what am I?"
"Pr-eeee-tty," came her coo once more. This wasn't going to get you anywhere, you had to approach the question slightly differently.
"What does that make me?" you sighed as you slumped down and settled upon your knees on the hard wooden floor. You felt weary.
"Makes you... Put back together. Were broken. Most parts not original parts. Body new. Delicate. Colours old, but new. Not understand what that mean."
"How can you see those 'colours'?" you asked as you watched the woman settle down opposite you.
"Not sure what it mean. Maybe... Way of breaking cycle," she mumbled to herself, no longer listening to you. "If colours not smooth, maybe... Can't shatter colours," she continued as she made a stabbing gesture towards her neck with her finger, a gesture that had her draw a dark fluid that you could only assume was blood. That blood welled up only briefly as it darkened the neck of her dress before the flow stopped.
"Who am I, Anxiety?"
"Already say. Delicate. Pretty."
"People call me a monster, is this true?" you asked as you watched her eyes widen.
"No! You... You not monster, different. Not tired anymore. Not monster, no. Who call you monster, say so... Can make pay?"
"I don't want you to exact revenge upon-"
"Re-venge. Are... Are you... Are you here for revenge?" she asked as you saw realisation dawn across her features. She clearly remembered what she had done and had finally put two and two together with the puzzle pieces you had left her. If you had been that entity, it was possible, you supposed, but you didn't have any reason to wish to exact revenge on a woman you'd never met before now. "Did you... Stitch yourself back together so... So I couldn't stop you again and... Come to kill me for what I did?"
"No Anxiety," you breathed as you shook your head slowly. "I'm not here to hurt you, I just want answers."
"No... You're here to... To kill me. You always knew how, always saw dirty, dirty truth. Tainted soul, tainted body, broken immortal, needing you to live. Stolen power, but then you went and... My body adapted. Don't need you, don't need your stolen power. Ways you could kill me don't work now, sick, sick monster. Leave me here for longer than I remember, then come to kill me when you're done letting me suffer."
"Anxiety-"
"Won't let you, can't let you. Waited too long, your knowledge doesn't work now, not the same flesh you knew."
"Anxiety?"
"Leave me, I don't bow to a patchwork god born of stolen human parts, just because I can't see how you can be killed anymore doesn't mean you can't be. Try to kill me and I will tear your throat out and stab you a thousand times, I will break you again as I did so before-"

You stood and folded your arms about your chest, the more she raged the less intimidated you felt. She was dangerous, yet deep down you felt that the worst she could do was scream at you as long as you remained out of her reach.
"Goodbye, Anxiety. I'm leaving now, I don't think I'll return if this is how you're going to treat me," you stated as you turned towards the door, only for the woman to let out a wailing cry.
"Don't go, I'm sorry!" she screamed as she leapt forwards, the chain about her foot causing her to fall flat on the floor behind you as she scrabbled in vain to make up the meters distance it'd have taken to reach your foot. "Don't go," she sobbed over and over as she scratched at the floor, while you slowly sank down to sit before her once more.
Gingerly, against your better judgement you reached out with one hand to place it against the back of one of hers in a comforting gesture, a gesture that had her snatch your hand with both of hers, grasping it as you looked up at you with an expression that was almost childish in how innocently distraught she seemed.
"Please don't... Don't leave me. I can't take being alone anymore," she whimpered as she implored you with tear filled eyes to remain.
"Will you answer my questions?" you responded cooly as she nodded her head frantically in response.
"Anything, just don't... Don't go!"
"Why did you do what you did, Anxiety, why did you kill... Me?"
"I had to, I'm so, so sorry. I had to. If I didn't you'd... You'd leave and... And never come back for me. I didn't know you were too weak to... To come back again," she sobbed as she tugged on your hand, drawing you steadily towards her as she brought your hand to her cheek.
"How did I come back?" you asked as you brushed the back of your hand against her cheek.
"I don't know... Maybe... Maybe Jack stitched you back together. Always following you, calling you... Boss. Didn't need him, only needed me, didn't need Joy either, just me. Just us, always just.. Us."
"Who is Jack?"
"Calls himself... Lord of souls, lord of the dead... Was once here, people called him the ripper. Sometimes talks to me in dreams."
"What does he say?"
"Don't know, never listen to him. Never speak to him. Just... Sat there waiting, waiting for you to... To come back."

"I," you started as you rubbed at your stomach. You could feel nausea rising as the entire surreal experience started to get to you. Here you were, struggling not to let this situation overwhelm you as you turned paler than usual. The implications of what had been said, along with the frayed sanity of this woman were things you hadn't been ready for, and yet, you knew you were in for more of this in the future.

You just had to remain collected long enough to swallow that anxiety, to either present her with further questions or to bid her farewell with whatever promises it took to allow you to get out of the door safely.
You were going to make false promises, weren't you?
...You couldn't just promise the inevitable question of taking her with you, that you'd honestly talk with people about her being released, could you?
That was crazy, wasn't it?

What on earth were you going to do about this madness?

The breakfast spread before you contained everything you could have wanted, yet you knew that you had to be sensible about what you took.
It wouldn't do to shame yourself before the Queen, to take slices of cake for breakfast as you would have otherwise done. No, while you had the kind of metabolism that could handle such a poor diet with ease, you were going to take a proper breakfast, the kind that was sensible and polite.
Toast, not your favourite thing, though you had no objections to it.
Tea, something you were quite content with.
Crumpets, because, well, why not add another savoury bread based thing to your plate?

And then an awkward silence in what you conducted yourself with as much grace as possible, nibbling daintily upon your breakfast and sipping in a measured manner at your tea.
You just had to give the moment a chance to pass before you addressed the monarch once more, to ask her something that was, you felt, an important matter that had to be dealt with as soon as possible.
You had to meet with Anxiety, get her side of things, learn the story from the point of view of the one that had betrayed the thousand soul.

While the Queen herself was busy with her breakfast, Minister Smith had made no effort to take anything more than his water. He wasn't watching you, however, despite being sat opposite you. No, he seemed to be watching Tom out of the corner of his eye.
This would have surprised you more if you hadn't ascertained from his knowledge of your... State of being, that he was a part of the agency that currently lay within the Queen's hands.
How odd though, that a politician would be a member of that agency, when the original agency had been taken away by polticians and mismanaged into the ground.
Or so you assumed, anyway.
Was he here to slowly wrest control away from the Queen?
No, he seemed to bow to her will, to address her as if he cared for her well being.

Not that you could tell if those gestures were real or not, the pair of them were beyond your comprehension.
You were sat here with a Queen who was two centuries old now, with a politician who was friends with the Queen and clearly trusted enough to be a part of her agency. There was a puzzle here, yet you couldn't see any pieces for it.

Yet.

You'd figure this out eventually, but here was neither the time nor the place for you to concern yourself over the affairs of the Queen or her company.
That was, unless it somehow threatened you, or her, or him for that matter.
Just how could she be this old and still be alive?
Perhaps it had something to do with the thousand soul, to do with the Enlightened, to do with... Anything.
You'd learn the answer sooner or later, but again, this wasn't the time or the place.
Right now you had more pressing matters to concern yourself with.

It was a long moment however before you mustered the courage to address the Queen, you didn't like to issue apologies at the best of times, but this time you were left feeling the crushing weight of anxiety upon your chest as you steeled yourself.

"Ma'am?" you started as you turned your attention towards the Queen. "I'd like to apologise for any offence I may have caused you. It wasn't my intent to upset you, it's just with everything that has happened I allowed myself to get carried away with my efforts to grasp at answers and as such I did not keep in mind such concerns as how what I may ask may distress you."
As you paused for breath the Monarch let out a weary sigh, her fingers interlaced about her teacup as she shook her head.
"You lack his presence, his way with words. Perhaps that is for the best, however, for an apology from him would have been accepted without second thought. I understand that this matter is a concern for you, and I thank you for realising, late as it may be, that it is a sore one for me. it will continue to be a sore one for me, but, I must come to terms with that should I ever want the rest of the answers to the mystery myself."
"Perhaps I can help with that then, given that I am so similar to him?"
"I do hope so, Miss Smith. I do truly hope so, as I cannot hold onto this grief without closure for centuries to come."

With the air of tension dissolving you figured now was a good moment to pause, to let this effort at warmth you had kindled linger as you addressed the Minister and made small talk. Or an effort at it.
At least after giving things a few moments longer before you moved onto the next topic.

"So," you started as you gave the Minister opposite you as polite a smile as you could muster. "I never dreamed I'd be sat at breakfast in such a manner. With the Queen of this fair land and a noteworthy member of the Tories. I'm not big on politics, so you'll have to forgive my ignorance on your position, but what exactly is it that you do within your party?"
"I assume you are a Labour voter, Miss Smith?" came the mans response as he gave you a warm smile in response. His attention was drawn away from Tom, that meant that your bodyguard had a moments breathing room as he was no longer under the scrutiny of this hawk eyed man.
"I am, though I feel it would be unfair to bring my political prejudice to play when in pleasant company. I was simply curious as to what your role is, as you're not one of the names ofen seen on the news."
"Fair enough. I handle aspects of culture, heritage, tourism and the like. Important sites need preserving, the culture of this island needs to be put on display, and tourists, well, they bring in some of the much needed revenue that we allocate to things such as public works, education and so on."
"That actually sounds like a nice job to have," you responded before you sipped at your tea.
"It is quite an exaustive one to hold, but, it is one that I am glad to perform. If we do not preserve some of the iconic landmarks we have, then they would fade into obscurity and leave a hole in the very soul of this land."
"Do you have a favourite landmark?"
"Hmm. I would have to say that stone henge is given the mystery that surrounds it. People are still divided over the function it played to our anscestors. Is there one you have yourself?"
"Not as such, but I do like some of the old cathedrals."
"I ensure they are preserved too, as they are are historical landmarks that show us how ancient engineers overcame the issues of making such grand buildings persist to this day."

There was further silence as you finished up your breakfast, as you finally turned your attention back towards the Queen, having figured now how you were going to address the matter of how you'd attain answers to the mystery, as it was.
"Ma'am, if I may make a request, as we both desire answers to this mystery over my identity-"
A hand was raised to silence you.
"I desire answers to the mysteries surrounding him, you however will get the answers ascertaining to your identity in due time," came the monarchs response as she shifted to place her tea cup down upon its saucer.
"Yes ma'am, as it is though, I have been told I was reminiscent of... Of him by officer Joy, I was given a piece of his revolver by a Jötunn that claimed it was mine. My powers are not the same as his, but I feel that they share a similar root. I am afraid of what I may face out there, what may come for me as it mistakes me for him."
There was a pause as the Queen turned her attention from you to the minister.
"Is there anything you have to say on this matter, Jack?" came the Queen's words as she addressed the Minister by name this time.
"No, ma'am. There's nothing I have to say at this time," the Minister responded as he shook his head.
"Very well. Alyssa, we do not know the extent of his enemies, though we do know that his enemies were numerous. Various immortals, the deathless, various civilisations. He was apt at making enemies, but there are things out there beyond mere men that he no doubt raised the ire of. There were nights over the many years I knew him for where he would vanish, only to return with the most haunted of looks in his eyes as he confided in me a pained voice how he had been too late,  that he had seen and fought horrors. Each time it took him longer to recover, both physically and mentally from the ordeals."
"What ordeals where they, Ma'am?"
"He never told me, Miss Smith, he simply told me that he had ensured that I would be safe, that he would never permit harm to come to me. I am sorry, Miss Smith, that his legacy is to become yours in such a manner."
"If it is possible then, ma'am, may I... May I speak with the one responsible for his ultimate demise?" you paused as you took a breath to steady yourself for what you wished to say next. "If I am to deal with the issues that arise with my similarity to him then speaking with her will give me a chance to understand the mysteries that-"
"Miss Smith, she has not spoken to a soul since her imprisonment, but, if you wish to do such,  I shall have you cleared to visit her. As it is, I believe breakfast is ove and we have no other matters to discuss, so, I shall bid you and your bodyguard farewell. By the time you reach the tower you shall be cleared to visit... Her." the last word was filled with disdain as the Monarch rose from the table and started to make her way towards one set of doors leading out of the dining area.
This left the Minister to guide you out of the doors you had entered by, leaving you with the waiting agents to be escorted back to the entrance to the palace by the same route they had brought you by.

The very thought of meeting with this woman filled you with dread however, as you didn't know what to expect. She had managed to kill one with a similar nature to you in the past - did this mean she was also the one who could kill you, too?

That concern was one you'd address later, the thing that concerned you now was that this woman had been a prisoner for over a century. This meant that she was...
...Surprisingly still sane, given this lengthy imprisonment?
...Somewhat frayed around the edges, though that was hardly a surprise?
...Deranged, she'd snapped and in her madness she thought you were her victim returned to life?

Did you have any specific questions or matters you wished to address with Anxiety when you met her, or would you simply see where the meeting went?

"Okay, lets get out of here," came Tom's words as the jeep pulled out of the agencies grounds, the force of the vehicles sudden acceleration pressing you back - briefly - into your chair as you pulled your seatbelt on.
"Could I put the radio on?" you asked as the man beside you gave you a brief shrug.
"Sure, but it has to go off once we reach the palace grounds, wouldn't do to serenade the Queen with the squeaky voices of whatever pop idol they're playing after all."
"Okay," you laughed, the thought of the Queen looking on in horror as she was subjected to some egotistical pop star's whining voice was quite an amusing one. You were certain that she wouldn't approve and you could almost hear her command to 'silence that dreadful racket' as you reached down for the radio's knob.
A few buttons and switches were pressed and flicked as you turned the radio on and tuned into one of stations it was able to pick up.
Then you paused.
Classical wasn't what you were after.
You flicked through a few more channels as you go talk radio, the weather, the news, and finally, between snippets of 'classic' music from a few of the oldies themed stations, you finally got something more modern.

With that as background noise to provide a more comfortable and familiar vibe for the journey, you settled back in the chair and watched the passing scenery go by. Residential and business, the alternating weight of the two's numbers was apparent as you drove along the main roads where the greatest amounts of custom where to be found.
It was comforting in a way to know that things never changed in that respect, that you could go anywhere and find something of an echo of home.
At the same time, it was disquieting to know that this city kept up the illusion of normality while it had monsters slither about in the darkness.
Monsters, like you'd been called.
You couldn't let that one slip, as it felt as if it could be true.

You weren't just different, you were supremely different.
Even the Enlightened with their inhuman features and various powers were far from your scope.
It was a lonely mountain to sit upon, but it wasn't as if you had plans to use it to distance yourself from others, no. It was simply a means to measure just how different you were from others, how you were well and truly unique.

With the time to muse on it, you reflected upon the dream you'd had, on how what little you could still recall of it was still fighting to flee from your mind even now.
You had encountered someone - no, something - that you felt you couldn't afford to anger.
Something that had taken offence to your dream self acting like, well, yourself in a dream.
You could have easily dismissed the entire thing as little more than a dream fabricated by your mind to help you cope with how everything you had every known was changing - and you with it - but you couldn't account for the fact you'd awoken to the taste of dirt and... Well, the vague sense that you'd seen an echo of the past in that dream.
Whom's past, you had no idea, but you knew that it was a snipped of another life, stolen and presented to you to give you a sense of connection to the dream itself.

This meant that there was another player amidst the various factions you already knew and had dealings with.
There was ASP, the people that had found you and wished to keep you from leaving their hands.
There was HMSO, the people that wished to poach your talent whom's ultimate authority seemed to be the Queen herself.
There was the rogue agents from HMSO and the outsider whom had tried to snatch you, telling you that there was another faction making a power play out there.
There was the LPD and the Guardians, the police and the Enlightened that worked for them.
You didn't know where the Enlightened proper fitted into this puzzle yet, but you were starting to see the various ties between the groups that had their histories fit together.

There was also The Guild, whom had made no effort to approach you - likely due to a lack of awareness over your existance at this time.
And now there was this entity, who had warned you off using your powers freely. As they had so simply conveyed it, the brighter you burned the easier you were to see and well, the LPD were proof of that. Every time you'd used your powers they'd come running in one form or another to ask about it.
They'd sent armed officers last time, telling you that even if the uses of your power so far had been far from impressive in some senses, that you were doubtlessly lighting up all kinds of warning lights.
If they could detect you, others could.
ASP had, HMSO likely had.
Whom, or what else was out there that could?

You shuddered at the thought, there could easily be ancient things out there that had seen you, that you had yet to see yourself.
And you were at a disadvantage as they could come for you before you knew of them.

You'd figure a way to deal with that when it came, but for now, you were going to watch the scenery go by and... And...
Well, you'd just let the scenery go by and listen to the radio.

"We're being followed," Tom's voice stated, snapping you from your reverie as you went to turn about, to look to see what was following you this time. "Don't turn, you'll be too obvious. They're likely HMSO's lot, making sure we get there, but you can never be too careful. If not, well, you'll be fine, I'll make sure of it."
"That's not very reassuring," you mumbled as you reached down to rub at the back of your legs where you'd been shot last time. There was no tell tale sensation of discomfort, no sensation of some foreign body telling you that you still had bullets lodged in your flesh.
"No, don't worry about it. If they try to pull anything, I'll react accordingly."
"You'll shoot them?"
"If it escalates to that point, yet."
"What if they shoot you first?"
"If they manage that then we're dealing with something more than garden variety agents."
"And you'll be dead."
"Only if they get a clean headshot."
"You're very calm about this."
"I've nothing to far from them, so calm down. We'll get there no trouble," Tom smiled as he pressed his foot down against the jeeps accelerator.

You could feel yourself pressed back into the seat once more as the jeep weaved between traffic, as Tom put distance between you and the pursuing car - briefly it seemed, as the stolen glances and sour expressions he pulled told you all you needed to know.
"They're definately following us. Okay, we're sticking to busy roads remaining visible as a precaution."
"How do they know who to follow?"
"Either they're picking up on you, that's unlikely, or they're going by the registration of this vehicle."
"So, they're using a little guess work and a little-" you paused "They could have bugged it, too?"
"There's always that as well," he muttered as he turned the wheel and took the jeep onto one of the busier roads.

You were uncertain if this was wise, if they really wanted you then they'd use the more densely packed roads to get you while you were unable to move as fast, snatch you in borad daylight.
Yet, Tom had promised you that you would be okay, he was armed and confident.
Was that confidence his downfall, or was he right to be so?

It was twenty more nerve wracking minutes of being followed by the other car before the palace finally came into sight, before Tom reached down to flick the radio off as he pulled papers and identification out of the driver side door's inner pockets.
An array of guards and gate keepers were flashed those papers and passes as you arrived at the gates of the palace and were ushered inside.

As was the car following you.

"See, nothing to worry about," Tom muttered as he gestured back. "Just to be sure, I'm going to talk with them, though."
"But-" you started, only for him to silence you with a wave of his hand as the jeep pulled up into a parking area out of sight of the gates.
"Alyssa, you need to worry less."
"Okay..."

As you both clambered from the jeep, a pair of agents in black suits clambered from the car - sunglasses and suits, disguising their otherwise average features so you couldn't hope to identify them later.
You could see their expressions starting off warm as they approached - aiming to approach you as Tom was partially concealed by the jeep, though that warmth quickly turned to concern as he stepped around the jeeps frame and started making his way towards them in what you had figured by this point was battle gear.
"So, care to explain yourselves?" he challenged as he almost casually permitted his hands to come to a rest atop the weapon slung about his neck.
"We could ask you the same thing," came one of the pair's voices, wavering with uncertainty.
"I am Alyssa here's plus one and body guard, here's my authorisation," he paused as he reached for something inside his pocket to hold up to show the pair. "Consider my presence a vote of no-confidence in you or your people's ability to provide adequate security. I'm certain you were briefed on our arrival however, as I was cleared in advance. Right? Right. Your turn."
"We were sent to escort-"
"No you weren't. Nobody informed us of escorts. You might be agents of HMSO, but you have-"

As one of the agents reached for their inner pocket Tom's hands were a blur of motion. In the blink of an eye they snapped down to a pair of pistols on his belt and back up, trained upon the agents before either of them could do more than yelp in surprise.

"I was just... I have the papers in my pocket, just..." the one almost whimpered as they moved to hold their hand in the air while the other reached to hold their jacket open, to show the papers they had been reaching for.
"Hold them up for me."
"But you-"
"I can read them from here."

You couldn't, however, so as those papers were held up for Tom's scrutiny, all you could make out was a few black squiggles printed upon the paper and the remains of a red wax seal that had been broken to open the orders.
"Checks out. Lead the way, but remember - no funny business."

The pair nodded fearfully as they started leading the way towards the front entrance with you and Tom trailing behind them.
It was surreal to think you'd almost witnessed a gunfight on the palace grounds - that Tom had been about to gun the pair down simply because things didn't add up.
"Tom, what were you thinking?" you hissed to him as you followed the pair towards the steps leading into the palace proper.
"I was told to take no chances with your safety. This doesn't add up, it could be an oversight or it could be something else."
"You told me to stop being paranoid-"
"You're here for breakfast, I'm here to ensure your safety. I can justify paranoia."
"Bullshit."
"Language."

You grumbled at Tom as you were ushered past the various guards stood on duty inside and out of the palace, into the well illuminated halls decorated with all manner of finery and paintings that lead ever deeper.
The walls were decorated with red wallpaper with gold fern patterns and weaving designs, the paintings towered above you, the floor was a creamy marble and covered in red rugs with golden tassels.
It was the very image of decadance, yet you couldn't stop to gawk at the opulant display as you were taken deeper into the palace.
You were lead through a myriad of corridors before you were taken up a graceful staircase to the first floor then lead into a dining room that overlooked the rear grounds of the palace.
"Her Majesty will be with you shortly," came one of the agents words as the pair of them ducked out of the room - more pleased to be out of Tom's presence than to have done their job.
No sooner had they left the pair of you alone was he pacing about the room.
There was no awe with the opulant surroundings, no interest in the decor.
These were the movements of a person who was consumed with a task - the task in mind in this case seemingly where he could take up position in this room to cover as much of the room as possible.

He had barely had time to find a position when doors on the farside of the large dining hall opened and a woman in an elegant, though rather bulky looking black gown, a woman bent double with age as she leaned for support on a walking stick walked in whom was followed by a suited man with an entirely different vibe to the ones you'd seen before.
This one wore a suit that looked expensive, one that was well fitted, made of a grey fabric, with a white shirt and a red tie beneath it that looked every bit as expensive as the suit.

This man was no agent.
This man was worse.
Much, much worse.
He was...
A Tory.

"Minister Smith, when I invited you to come for breakfast I did not wish for you to fawn upon me and treat me as if I were helpless simply due to my advanced age," came the womans words as she chastised the man.
"Alexandrina, my appologies. You know I merely wish to provide you with assistance."
"Yes, and it was entirely unsolicited. Now shoo, go seat the guest if you wish to make yourself useful," came her words once more as she, the Queen, ushered the man away as if he was little more than a servant.
And so, almost dutifully, he made his way over to you, pulling a chair out for you to sit yourself at as he gave you the kind of practiced smile only a shark could while regarding its prey.
"You must be Miss Smith," came his words as he gestured to the seat. "Please, be seated, her Majesty does not wish for you to stand on ceremony."
"Oh do be quiet," came the words of the woman - a woman you could scarecely believe you were meeting today now that you were in her presence.
"I..." you started, only to find yourself lost for words as you looked upon the elderly monarch, upon Queen Victoria herself as she gave you a little, though dismissive wave of her hand.
"Do seat yourself dear, I called you here so that we may talk over breakfast. Quite honestly, you appear to be in need of a good meal," she paused to look across at the politician nearby as he hurried to take a seat nearby. "Look at her, she's all skin and bones. What is your party playing at with their budget cuts?"
"I believe she is simply of that nature, Ma'am," sighed the politician as he seated himself.
"Indeed, now... As the serving staff are rather tardy, perhaps we should address just why I requested your presence here Miss Smith," there was a pause as she glanced towards the politician. "No relation I presume, Minister Smith?"
"No relation, ma'am."
"While I am... Shall we say, grateful, that you returned a piece of an item that has been confirmed to have once belonged to a dear friend of mine, I have been torn since this news came in. Minister Smith, you have had more time to read up upon this than I, so perhaps you would like to address the matter while I prepare myself some tea?"
"Yes ma'am," came the mans words as he turned towards you. "Miss Smith, what her majesty wishes to convey is that your very existance, impossible as it should be, breaks her heart. Back during the war, an immortal, a friend of hers, fell for his thousandth time and ceased to reincarnate. Since that time, we have been able to quantify the type of power that he once bore and for you to resonate much the same pattern as he once did is... Troublesome to say the least."
"Why is that troublesome?"
"Ah, I cannot say."
"Yes, you can, Minister."
"Ma'am, I would-"
"Tell her the truth. You are still capable of that, are you not?"
"Yes, ma'am," came the mans defeated response as he steepled his fingers. "Miss Smith, in mans history there have been many wonders and many mistakes. There are the immortals, men and women who have ascended beyond the reach of time and eluded the grasp of death. There are the horrors that have always been there, monsters that even now plague our subconscious thoughts despite how they are now few and far between. That immortals exist at all is a testamant to mans spirit, how unwilling to accept his lot, he has the gall to challange natural order. That you exist is troublesome, as you are an echo of the very first immortal. Unlike those that came after him, he was different. He was not human, never was, no. He was the personification of a force of creation that in its curiosity over man and his existance took his form. Man has always been cunning, man used his magic to ensnare this spirit of creation in the human form it had taken so that it would always be a man."

The minister paused to pour himself a glass of water.

"Man shackled this force of creation and stole from it the power man needed to live a life eternal. It was not perfect for there was always a means to kill such an empowered man, some would say it was fitting that man could still be slain in some manner with such power, for in mans arrogance to take from something eternal, man did not realise the same magic that had permitted them to do so, left that weakness in them too. Over a thousand lifetimes this entity sought to undo the magic that had shackled it, as it all but killed magic in its efforts. Today, magic is but a hollow shell of what it had once been, but that is of no importance to what I am telling you. After a thousand incarnations, with countless immortals having stolen power from it, this entity was a mere shadow of its former self. Once, it had the power to shatter the very earth. By the end it was a fading light, in an inky void."

He paused again as he sipped at his drink.

"And then, repeating the same transgression we had countless times before, the same weakness that immortals inherited from it, that permitted it to be controlled by man so that it would never escape... Was used to slay its mortal form once more. That you are an echo of a very force of nature is impossible Alyssa, that you are an echo of that one is even more so."

He fell silent as serving staff entered with platters laden with toast, cakes, cereal and other such things suited to breakfast entered the room, placed the food down in the midst of the table and left while bowing respectfully to the Queen.

You were reeling, you had just been told that man found, shackled and murdered the nearest it'd ever found to the god it always sought?
Just what did this mean for you?
Was man the thing YOU had to fear?
Were you going to silently, awkwardly eat breakfast and pretend you'd heard none of this, or did you have questions you wanted to ask?