I'm sorry that this took a while, but I have been under a lot of pressure form school, upcoming exams and National Guard, but I feel that I'll be back on track now and able to write again.
I hope that you enjoy this chapter I put more time thinking about it than I had about the most.
After about minute of Althaisa's mad driving in city we had passed few gates and after each one of them city became more and more advanced and at last we arrived at the large building that had at least thirty floors in it. She decelerated rapidly drove into garage that had a large coat of arms on its door, only thing that I managed to see before door went up was that it had a soldier standing in the shadow having dual pistols in hands and sword at the hip.
"We'll manage your belongings, but for now we need to find Lucifer, because he will want to meet you." Althaisa said getting out of the car. "There is no need, suitcase isn't so heavy and belongings that I have in there is the reason why I'm here."
"Really? I would never imagine that former Overwatch agent would come to the most notorious and law disrespecting merc band that isn't giving a single fuck about everyday threats that are coming their way from every law organization that is existing. So let me ask you one thing before I let you in through doors, why us?" Atlthaisa stood next to large metallic door having her head turned over to me. "Well I heard that you keep the word, I was wanting to ask this to your boss, but if you asked me I will will ask this to you, can you promise me that you won't use technology in this suitcase to harm anyone?"
Althaisa closed her eyes for a few seconds, then inhaled and said "Yes, my word is my seal" she said to me and then looked at key pad near door and said, "Va fail, elaine - caed'mil, folie! Glaeddyv dorne aep t'enaid, bunn'droh ithne i'yachus "Aen me Glaeddyv, zvaere a Bloedgeas que evellienn evelienn deireadh" Door hissed and opened, silent music was playing in background, staring with piano and then having some one rap on it about being 'King of Darkness' nonsense by all means, but adding that to the rumors that were around, that Lucifer was really The Lucifer, was giving this creepy sensation, like some one was watching you and you could feel the stare tingling of your back.
Then I heard Althaisa chuckling, "What is so funny?" I asked her, "The way that this room hallway is impacting you feels funny, but never mind that, we will need to go to Lucifer ourselves because he won't be back till the night." she said that and walked to lift which doors were looking even more fortified than those that were at the start. Althaisa put her thumb on a plate next to a display that was asking for authentication. She hold her thumb on it and after few seconds pulled it back the pad had a small patch of blood on it, "It is impossible to fake DNA and have a blood with oxygen in it if you somehow got the blood without of someone knowing."
We walked into elevator and I could feel how fast it was going, and it was going down. After about ten seconds we walked out into large room that was greenhouse? I couldn't recognize any of the plant that were growing in here and many of them looked really interesting so I stopped to look at one of then, to my amaze it turned to me. At that moment Althaisa pulled me away from it "Don't stand near them, some of them can kill you really fast, we use most of them to get specific poisons." She said and walked to one of the doors at the end of greenhouse.
We walked through door and in the same moment I felt two cold blades, one at my throat and second just so it could be trusted into my heart, "Glaeddyvan vort" Althaisa said and at the same time both blades disappeared. I looked around and saw two women standing near door one had the same coat of arms that was on the garage door, but other had one with star in middle of dark background with radiating red eyes on it and lower part of it was blood red almost looking like sea of blood.
But if anything, their faces looked lifeless, like they had no interest in any thing that was happening around, they were just guarding this place. The way they had moved I could easily understand that there is something here, that they don't want any to know about. We started walking again, but this time Althaisa was walking little faster and was looking back like every fifth second, 'So she is now paranoid about something, by her actions no one would ever think that it would be possible.'
And then Althaisa stopped and didn't move, so I looked past her and saw a someone standing at the end of passageway, and it was "Wait a second, is that Lucifer?" she couldn't see him detailed, but she had a feeling like she had seen him before, or even known him.
"Nah, that isn't Lucifer, it is only is specter of his power, and as it looks he has put him as a guardian so he won't be happy tyouo let us get past." Althaisa said with a smirk on her lips. "What will you do?" I queried, "It is Easy, Angela. Everyone who is allowed past this point has fought with this specter and won him, it is like initialization process for our most advanced operatives." She said and took sword that was on the wall.
"Wait a second, I have pistol so I'll be able to help." I said opening my suitcase that had been moved next to two guardians. "Hah, like second in command of 'Lux ex Tenebris' would need a backup for fighting one person." She started laughing and running towards the specter. It moved only when she was five meters from it, but the specter was moving way to fast, much faster then normal human would and by the looks of it it could be even faster than Tracer.
One attack was all it took for Althaisa to behead the specter, she had moved in close and blocked a hit from specters sword coming for her right side aiming for elbow. She had just put sword next to his elbow, blocked the hit, and when she was right besides him she put her blade at his throat and spin as she was putting her blade. As a result she made two spins and specters head flew few meters forward. When she got closer to it, it emanated something like aura of fear that was just oppressing and then whe came some black smoke from it and they went just beneath the doors.
"Well that isn't showing anything good." Althaisa said walking to doors, I myself was jogging towards the same door so we could get there in the same time. "Why isn't it good, will there be any more guardians?" I asked as we were already at the door. "No, there won't be any of them, but Lucifer is using most ton of power because that is only cause for him to call on that energy that." she said and I could see that there was worry in her face, she was obviously hoping that everything is alright.
Althaisa opened the door by typing some kind of code on keypad next to it. When the door opened it revealed large room in which there was few types of armor, many different weapons, 2 armors and 2 stands that were put and should hold 2 more of the same kind of armor. "I'll need you to help me get some peaces of armor on me, I could do it myself, but it would just take one thing that we don't have much to spare, the time" Althaisa said taking one of 2 armors and taking off her skin thigh pants. I had never been attracted to an another women before I thought as I watched her stripping till being naked, while doing that my self.
She started to put her armor on and I started to take mine Valkyrie suit out of the case, "Oh, you got suit, I will need to take a look at that so I could upgrade it if I can." "I don't think that you could, I and other Overwatch members put a lot of time in our suits, and had teams of professionals to build them." I answered to her and understood that that wasn't a query.
I helped her to get her armor onto her and she helped with mine, then she got some kind of lenses and gave them to me, "These will connect to closest combat suit or processing core and use their processing power to display friends and foes as well as any notifications that will be set up for users." she said walking little bit further into this armory and walking out just as I had put one of the lenses in my eye, "I will need to attach this to you, the best of all would be on back." she said as she came to me with disk like device that was in the same size a Frisbee.
She attached it to my back and backed off, blue sphere surrounding me as I inserted second lens in my eye. There came up a display showing many different stat and having green aura around Althaisa. "Okay, the device I sicked on your back is a shield generator as well as IFF processing core that will connect to your lenses and send signal that you are an ally." She said taking something I could only think of was a sniper rifle and sword, I would actually want to see who is better, she or Genji.
We walked over doors that you could easily tell were made for high traffic, and then she turned to me. "What you are about to see is a secret to most of people in this "City"" She said making air-quotes, "By all means it needs to stay as secret and please don't get too exited or scared." She said opening the doors that revealed massive construct of stone that were shaped as gates.
Middle of these 'gates' were slightly glowing dark blue and it radiated some kind of aura that made me feel little bit endangered, Althaisa had felt me stalling or she just had been besides many people that had seen this 'thing'. "Don't fear it, it is just a part of a power that you don't even need to understand, only ones that have died using it are those who were killed in the other side." She said with a smile on her lips "Also, you're traveling besides with second in command of all this and third strongest fighter of our 'Organization'." She said showing some kind of gesture to what looked like control room and the 'gates' filled with blue type of energy and I could feel myself being pulled in it.
"Well, no time like present, let's get moving before something can happen." Althaisa said almost inside these 'gates'. This was the first time in my life that I saw something that I had no understanding of, every project I did, I knew at least basics and had crude understanding of what can happen, but now seeing this thing made me think about how far am I ready to go, to help people in need, never in my days as an Overwatch agent I was always adamant about my decisions. Now I was thinking what had happened to me, why I couldn't just do something and not so much think about how it is going to play out.
As I thought about it I stepped inside portal and was free falling, but something stopped me in air for enough time so I could react and activate Angelic Descent to slow my fall and the force retracted form holding me in place.
As I looked around I could see clouds and some kind of darkness clearing and behind darkness I saw something that pulled back some memories that I didn't want to remember. Then in corner of my vision I saw two figures closing in, not knowing why, either by their looks or because of the memories my training kicked in that I got from Jack, so I pulled my Caduceus Blaster and aimed it at the one of them that was covered in blood, the second one was looking as scary as first, but the fact that his suit made him look like death made me think that he was more of a show off than a fighter because wings as big as his should make his moments restricted because I had to look over the same problem when I was making my Valkyrie suit.
What I could see on the first ones 'face' was a grin or what I could tell would be a grin because his face was covered by a mask that showed his emotion with somethings that looked like colored smoke inside his helmet making a face.
I started lowering my weapon as I understood that even if I would shoot it probably wouldn't even scratch his armor as it resembled Althaisa's armor, but it looked thicker in chest, arms and legs, but it had same type of moving parts and in the same places as hers and if looked closer it resembled armor that Lucifer was wearing, well at least what I had heard about it.
"Well, well, what do we have here." voice came from armored man while man with wings and Althaisa walked few steps away, by that moment I was sure that person I was speaking to was Lucifer, but his voice was different that I had expected. I thought that his voice will be the one of a veteran soldier, but his sounded young, but the manner that he said it was like some one who had knowledge of things, but the most disturbing thing was that his voice was flowing like honey, slowly drawing attention and making you listen to him and just wanting to hear his voice.
"Angela Ziegler" I managed to snap out of effects of his voice and saw a smile on his 'lips?'. "Hmm, well easy tricks won't work on a former Overwatch member, hadn't expected anything less." He said and looked at one of three, well four armies the fourth army looked broken their morale low and fear in their eyes, he put two fingers to his helmet that probably activated his coms and his face just disappeared probably so no one unneeded would know what he said. As he lowered his hand his face reappeared and one of the army's joined other and only now I saw that it had coat of arms above them and it was the same one that was one of guards that I had brief run in.
"I'm sorry that I can't show my face at this moment, but even trusted people can turn on you. As an example I could provide Amélie Lacroix, and yes I know it isn't information for public, but I bet you already know that my information channels are wider than most people would want to" He said half looking me in eyes and then glancing to battle that was unfolding next to us.
"Hmmm," he uttered, "It looks that it will be under control in about two hours plus the time for men to get a drink and all." he said under his breath, then his mask turned black, it was so dark that it looked that it was absorbing light around him. Then his mask went back to displaying his 'face' which with no surprise to me had a grinning expression on it.
"Well it looks that one of Alfa squad is wanting to test her fate" he said starting to laugh, that just sounded as manically as his looks were at this point. Covered in blood still dripping from his arms, with a gesture like slashing air he threw blood in direction just behind me and I heard, now a know sound of 'portal' opening behind me, He started waling to it but got grabbed by the shoulder.
"Shouldn't you take care of our guest as fast as possible" Althaisa said, her voice now void, without any emotion. "Of course I should, but some one should had thought her apprentice to know when she can throw a challenge for a spot as a leader!" Lucifer said with a slight hint of anger in his voice, not enough for most of people to feel it, but enough to hit someone out of his or in this moment her comfort zone, but it looked like it hadn't done anything for Althiassa, "Touché" she said releasing his shoulder and gave him direct path to 'portal'.
"And now if you excuse me I have bad child to teach" he said gesturing for us to follow, his voice now with amusement, probably because of my reaction to his tone, because my appearance clearly showed that it had effected me.
As we stepped out of the portal I was greeted by a place I hadn't seen before it was a lounge overlooking some kind of arena where in center was standing a woman. She clearly was a good fighter, I had learned how to tell difference in my time, her stance was ready for anything to be thrown against her her armor looking pretty plain only covered by camouflage pattern, but it clearly was very expensive, because I could recognize some of the materials used in it.
Only then I saw old man standing up from second chair form left in a chairs that were placed to overlook arena so they would be seen from arena. He slowly walked to her, he was clearly old, but his step was still full of vigor. "So you must be Doctor Ziegler, I'm glad that you will be joining us, tho I feel like the show won't be to your liking." Man stood tall taking my had as I was going for a hand shake and putting his lips to my knuckles, and old and unexpected gesture form someone clearly sitting side by side with these criminals.
"I don't know about this 'show', but I'm pretty flattered from such a warm welcome, Mr?" "Morningstar." He said with a smile "I'm too old for games like these, but I think I could move my old bones if you would leke to see me in action." he said his smile warm and comfortable and with a slight hint of seduction clear in his tone.
The I heard laugh, or more like giggle, form a side as I saw Althaisa walking past me and sitting down in a chair that was fourth from left, "Common old man, don't mess up your first impression." she now had stopped giggling but amusement still in her voice. "Well, there is saying, strike while iron's hot" he said with a laugh, and then his face went as expressionless as Althaisas had as he moved back to his chair.
"I'm sorry that I hadn't time to introduce myself." said a voice that belonged to man with wings, "My name, well as it goes these days, is Thanatos, but I think we have been already introduced before when you were making flying systems for your Valkyrie suit." Thanatos said, but even if he looked familiar I couldn't manage to remember his name.
"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Thanatos, I'm almost relived to see that another scientist is already here." as I said this I heard door open and close behind Lucifer, but after few seconds elevator opened up behind Thanatos and through it stepped a man, he must had been youngest of them all. He was wearing armor that looked like the one Lucifer or Althaisa was wearing, but there were few blood stains on it that looked like he had just stepped out of the battlefield, then took a shower and had been in a large dryer.
"Sorry that I'm late" young man said and then looked at me, "Oh, you must be Dr. Ziegler, my name is Mike, heh, probably only one that sounds odd between Death's, Demon's and Devil's Daughter's names" he said bowing mid sentence and then rising and laughing quietly as he ended his sentence. He moved forward his face turning to stone cold as he approached chairs and sat on the firs on the left while he was walking Thanatos had already moved to last chair and turned to me.
"Come Doctor, sit with us, as Lucifer is out you can take his place." I slowly walked over to chair doubt still in my mind, "Don't worry he won't be mad, he might even be honored that you stayed and looked at the fight sitting besides us." Morningstar added, and only now I noticed that he was only one sitting here without armor, well if you could call mine suit an armor because between all these it looked like toy.
I sat down in chair and it activated showing many many options from which one of them stood out, 'Kill or not?' I looked down where I could see Lucifer now standing out in arena looking at me. I looked besides me and saw everyone looking at me and saw Althaisa making gesture like encouraging me to make a choice. Of course I pressed button with writing 'Don't kill'.
After me pressing button Althaisa stood up and walked forward next to the glass, "We have come to agreement that this fight will last till some one isn't able to continue fighting. May the strongest win." She said and walked back to her chair and sitting down, her eyes glistening with excitement. "She is one of the best fighters I have, in past month our score was 15-21 … Me losing the most of the fights." Althaisa said clearly feeling that I had seen the excitement.
"And what is Lucifer's score?" I asked clearly expecting something like 50-0. "His score, if I'm right now is around 372 – 18, all the loses had been against me when he was still learning." Morningstar said smile on his lips, that made me think how old actually was Lucifer.
Then the fight started other for had screen pop-up un their displays in which they pressed few buttons and there were four crates coming up next to woman, I looked at Lucifer and saw him grin. "Why there are crates next to her?" I asked purely out of interest.
"Well we choose to give her some kind of advantage and even playing field just a little bit." Thanatos said carefully looking at the arena, "Well I say the battle will be over when Lucifer gets to her" Althaisa said falling back to chair. "Why do you think like that?" I asked, "Because we looks pissed at her and she has deserved that because she didn't take in fact that he was in field before throwing out and challenge." Althaisa answered looking relaxed, but her eyes still locked on arena.
I looked at Lucifer and thought that it could get really bloody if they got few hits done and by the looks of it woman had range advantage because she already had some kind of rifle in her hands and lot of granades around her belt. I looked over console on Lucifer's chair and saw button saying 'Drop price' I got interested and pressed it.
In the same moment small box dropped form the roof and in the same time I say fear manifest in woman's eyes and grin increasing on Lucifer's face till his face looked completely mad. Then the case fell on ground and shattered revealing a sword that was on Lucifer's belt when he was on field, I could feel that this sword wasn't normal, but I couldn't manage to grasp it.
