Daud took a deep, exhausted breath. He couldn't believe that it would come to this.

Not a day has passed, and he'd already made a reputation for himself. The masked man who beat up a squad of 9 armed police officers, to protect a bunch of sick civilians.

Dealing with them wasn't easy, to say the least. Fighting armed groups weren't uncommon for him, but those officers were physically stronger than he expected, and they were able to take more beatings than he usually needed to dish out.

He might've even been easily outmatched without the benefits given by his Mark. His vitality and strength were far more than that of the average person, courtesy of the Outsider's gift. Even with that, it took a lot more out of him than he'd expected. He figured it might be something to do with their animal traits somehow giving them better physique than the regular humans of his time.

All in all, it took him some extremely careful movement so as to not get hit, very precise strikes to the head and joints with his stolen baton, and simply abusing the hell out of Blink. The mana exhaustion was already setting in, a sign that he needed to end this quickly.

Then he remembered there was actually 10 of them, with the last one still standing . Albeit very shaken, and no doubt was now looking for a hasty way out. He kept his eyes on the last standing officer. He might have a good idea of what was going on in her head.

The last remaining officer gripped her police baton as tightly as she could, while she kept a sturdy composure on the outside, mentally her mind was running all over the place.

All of her fellow officers were now on the ground, either groaning in pain or simply unconscious. None of them were getting up anytime soon. All because of this masked stranger, with powers she had never seen before.

There was no questioning it, he must be an Arts user. He must be Reunion. She had never met anyone uninfected who'd be willing to literally put their lives on the line this far, to protect a group of Infected.

Should she call for help? But the damn masked bastard might get to her faster than she could actually do so. He was fast. Too much so for it to be natural. Every time one of her fellow officers tried to attack him, he seemed to disintegrate into ashes, and in the blink of an eye, was already right behind one of them, waiting to pounce.

And there was also the fact that much earlier, this same man managed to intercept all of their arrows, and then threw them back, aiming precisely at the arrow tracks of their crossbows, rendering them unusable. No one should be that fast. It was just... impossible.

She wasn't completely unfamiliar with the concept of Arts herself, but she'd seen nothing like what the masked stranger was capable of.

She gulped. There was no possible way for her to deal with this by herself, no matter how skilled she was with melee. The entire Chernobog police force needed to be alerted about this. It was a risk worth taking.

As fast as she could, the officer pulled out her cellphone to dial the nearest police station. Just as she expected, the masked stranger once again disappeared from sight, but she knew where he was going to be.

Turning around, she narrowly blocked the masked man's swing. His strength was considerable compared to hers. Which meant he was most likely to be an Ursus underneath that disguise. She knew there wasn't much time to waste, and so took the only approach and jumped backwards, her phone now dialling.

She just needed to stall time long enough to call for help. All she had to do was keep her eyes on that mask. And watch her back.

But she was not aware that the masked stranger had more tricks up his sleeve.

In a stupefying act, the latter held out his left hand, and the officer's cellphone flew out of her grip and into his.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that, lady." He mocked, the cellphone now in his grip.

"Wha-!?" She was too dumbfounded to even comprehend what happened, or how.

Daud took a good look at the strange contraption in his palm. A black, rectangular piece made out of lightweight metals and glass. It must work like a two-way speaker which you can fit in your pocket, and without the need for cables of any sort. It could be magic through complicated runes and charms, or simply very advanced science.

He'd think about it later. But for now, he was sure the last remaining police officer was all out of ideas. He had a hunch that she was going to somehow call for help through this device, which would've been a huge problem for him. Meanwhile...

'Shit, shit, shit, shit!'

She was all on her own now. Her one shot at calling for assistance was literally taken away. And now she was caught between a very angry mob of Infected, and this son of a bitch with powers she couldn't hope to deal with, wearing a mask seemingly crafted by a psychopath.

And said mob apparently realized it as well, as seen with them now slowly approaching the lone officer and the rest of her downed team.

"There's only one of them left standing!"

"Hey, they're helpless now! Come on, let's kill them!"

"This is what you get for treating us like this, you assholes!!"

Unbridled fear filled the officers, as they desperately tried to retreat from the approaching mob. It was obvious the tables have turned now.

But Daud had a different idea. Behind his, or rather, Corvo's mask, he grimaced as he looked at the angry mob of Infected.

They had every right to be furious. And part of him wanted to simply leave and let karma decide the rest. But these people were going to commit assault and possibly murder on law enforcers. Wouldn't this simply make themselves a bigger target by this very city? Who's to say they wouldn't have their doors kicked down and their homes invaded by whatever government's running this city the next day?

There was a time when Daud wouldn't care about all of this.

The suffering of the people, it used to matter little to him. He only cared for those under his wing. His sight was only focused on the ones above the common folk, and the ones on his contracts.

But that was a long time ago. Time changes people. Him being here, a solid proof of that. He abandoned the Whalers. Abandoned Dunwall. Abandoned the peaceful life he wished for. All for a change of heart.

He obviously had no clue about what was going on in this world. How much it has changed over millenia. The origin of this plague. The people affected by it. And the divide in society it was causing.

But he knew his own instincts. And they were telling him to act.

And so, he took a step forward. Not with his feet, but with his hand.

Before one of the protestors could so much as throw a rock towards the group of police, Daud materialized in front of the crowd, halting them.

"Stop." One word, was all he said. And it came as a shock to them.

"... What?" Responded one of the Infected, in confusion.

"You don't have to do this. Go home." His words were genuine, but stern.

The mood immediately shifted from that of a surprise, to confusion, and now anger.

"Go home? Is that a joke?"

"What are you talking about? I thought you were on our side!?"

"You just beat the crap outta those uniforms and now you're protecting them!?"

Their frustrations were no longer focused on the officers, but rather on the masked stranger whom, just seconds ago, they thought were their ally. Even the police officers were now bewildered by the behaviour of this masked man. Just what was he trying to accomplish?

Daud didn't want to have to resort to more violence to prove his point. He only intervened in this mess because he was trying to stop innocent lives from being lost. But now, he wasn't even sure if that was the right call. This mob was driven with pure hate. Hate for what? The ones in uniform? The system? Their own government?

What was he supposed to do should his words go unheeded? Raise his weapon towards the same people he just defended? Should he just leave these people to their own and let them do unspeakable things to the injured officers? But that would mean them just sealing their own fates...

"I'm sorry... but I can't let you take another step." The former assassin reaffirmed his stance. These people were blinded by hatred, and they couldn't see the unforeseen consequences of what they were about to do. He felt like he was staring into a mirror.

Before the tension could be broken between the two sides, something strange happened.

A thick cloud of mist suddenly began forming around the entire area, within almost an instant.

And within seconds, an air of turmoil erupted.

"Huh!? What's going on?"

"Where the hell did this fog come from!?"

The mist was thick enough to cover almost the entire town square, prompting even nearby civilians to flee out of confusion and fear. The thick mist caused great discord amongst the Infected mob, as they struggled to regain a clear view of what was happening.

In the midst of the unexpected disturbance, the senior police officer, whom still remained standing on her own the whole time, realized it was the perfect time to retreat.

"Everyone! Get up if you can, we're going back to the station!! Hurry up before anything gets worse!"

She signaled the rest of her squad, who've had enough time to somewhat recover their strengths, to stand up and make their way back. Those who were still struggling were given a helping hand by their teammates.

The senior officer had no idea what exactly happened, nor could she even comprehend it, but it would be stupid not to take advantage of the current situation. The masked stranger, she'd have to deal with later.

There was no doubt going to be a lot of paperwork ahead. She was already cursing her job.

The mist lasted for minutes. As it dissipated, the mob of Infected was scattered, most had left the area and went into hiding in the emptied streets. And there was no trace of the masked stranger in red.

_

Forgiveness was a rare thing in this world. Daud knew that well. And it seemed like no amount of time could change that.

Truth be told, he was just glad he didn't have to beat up any more people today. Hopefully. And all because of a mysterious fog.

That same fog gave him enough time to leave without drawing attention, while at the same time providing the perfect distraction, as well as making for a rather effective crowd dispersion tactic.

It was too convenient. Daud wasn't sure how they did it, but he did notice someone from the mob taking a step forward, and within seconds, the fog began obscuring everything. He also wasn't sure why anyone would do that.

But perhaps he was going to find out soon enough.

As he looked down from the top of an empty terrace of a closed down apartment, eyeing the various streets below he sensed that he was no longer alone.

"Eharts Daiz."

He activated his Void Gaze, and took a sweeping look around. As he predicted, there was a silhouette hiding behind a nearby wall.

"I know you're there. Just show yourself."

His demand was short and simple. He hoped this particular person would be more cooperative than the crowd he had to deal with earlier.

The silhouette, realizing their cover was blown, finally walked into his sight.

The first thing Daud noticed, was the red hair. Followed by a black mask covering the face, a black hoodie, a long orange scarf wrapped on the right arm, and... a tail. A wolf's tail, from what it seemed.

This person, whoever she was, looked surprisingly young. And yet, deadly. Her body language alone suggested that she was someone who wasn't unfamiliar with murder. Not to mention the sheathed knife on her left shoulder. After all, it takes one to know one.

"... Most people wouldn't have realized I was here. Some people would've realized it too late."

Her tone sounded friendly, but her choice of words suggested anything but. Well, he could play that way too.

"I've met plenty who knows how to bark, young lady. They usually don't bite as hard."

The red-haired woman narrowed her eyes. She knew of his capabilities. After all, she went and hid amongst the rioting crowd when the masked man appeared, acting as a scout to the whole situation. And Daud himself was aware that the woman must've seen everything that happened.

A period of silence followed suit. After a staring contest that felt like it lasted an eternity, the woman decided to break the ice.

"I know you're not from Reunion. That's not what they usually wear. And also that mask. You're not from around here too, am I correct?" She concluded.

"And I suppose you're Reunion?" Daud dodged her question, while asking his own. She wasn't having it.

"So you're not. Someone of your combat prowess, here in this city, of all places... suspicious." She had no clue what a foreigner would be doing here in Chernobog. But he was formidable.

She had never seen such efficient use of Arts before. The masked stranger moved faster than a blur, performing feats one would say almost impossible, even with a high apttitude in Arts. Catching 10 crossbow bolts out of mid air? Disappearing and then reappearing in a different place in an instant?

All she was able to surmise, was that this man was able to utilize a form of Originium Arts that greatly enhanced his speed and perception, to an almost imperceptible level. She couldn't think of a more logical explanation. Yet even that couldn't explain how he managed to snatch away that one police officer's cellphone from her grasp.

This man is a true mystery that she was tempted to unravel. More importantly, a powerful one. The movement would need all the manpower they could get, if their plans for Chernobog was going to go over well.

Which meant this person would be a great asset to the Reunion Movement. If she could persuade him.

Daud could tell that she was thoroughly examining him, contemplating.. something.

"I'm assuming you've already seen what I'm capable of. So I'll ask you just once: Why are you here?" He questioned.

"Before I answer that... let me ask you something first: Why did you do it? Why did you protect the Infected?" Her question made him widen his eyes, though she couldn't see it.

"And why does it matter to you?"

"I'm not going to ask twice." She stated, coldly.

Why did this girl seem to care so much about his reasons for doing what he thought was right? Unless, she was also one of the so-called Infected. And her demeanor, her looks, her tone, it all suggested that she may be part of this "Reunion".

And even the way those policemen he encountered earlier spoke of this group, it led him to believe that this Reunion thing may he some sort of pro-Infected movement. And he may have inadvertently engaged in a conversation with one of them.

Should he tell the truth? If he tried dodging the question again, it may force this woman to become hostile. And he wouldn't want to waste any more of the remainder of his energy tonight. He could still just stop time one last time for the day, and then simply knocking her out, or snapping her neck would be a trivial task... but right now, he needed information. Something she may be able to provide.

"You're one of them. That's why you were in the crowd..." He assumed, if her behaviour was anything to go by.

She said nothing in response. Daud continued.

"... Those officers were going to kill civilians, infected or not." He explained.

"But in the end, you protected the uniforms too."

"That mob was going to kill them. Protest and murder are very different things. It wouldn't have ended well for those people."

"So you have morals. Or maybe you were just defending your people." She assumed.

"I'm not infected like them."

The woman raised an eyebrow. That answer... didn't make sense at all.

"A healthy person, going out of their way, risking their life to protect a group of Infected. Sounds illogical. You're lying." She concluded.

"I don't care if you don't believe me, but I am telling the truth." Daud claimed.

In truth, the girl herself couldn't tell if this stranger was telling the truth or lying. The full face mask was kind of a problem. So she could only judge from his tone of voice. His words.. sounded sincere. He could still just be a good liar, which would be make more sense than the other conclusion, a crazy person with morals.

Regardless, she had to make sure this man would be on their side.

"Are you aware of what the Reunion Movement hopes to achieve?"

Daud didn't have enough information yet to answer the question correctly, but he might have an idea of what they represent, judging by the treatment of these "Infected" in this city, and the hostility of the local police towards anything "Reunion".

"I know that you support the Infected's rights. And maybe even a real thorn on the government's side."

"Not our fault that the law is unfair towards Infected. Surely you can see that." She responded. He guessed correctly.

"And your best course of action is to rise against the system? You realize that'll just bring bloodshed, on both sides."

"The government treats those infected with Oripathy as subhuman. Not just the government, but the rest of the world as well. We weren't given a choice but to fight back."

Choice. That word always haunted him. There's always a choice, even in the most unlikely of times. It took him a while to finally see that.

So the girl confirmed it. Oripathy is the new "Rat Plague" of this era. The plague alone was terrible enough, but this Oripahy seemed to be on a much bigger scale. The way the wolf-tailed girl worded it, this disease might not be confined to just one city alone.

This little talk has given Daud some new insights into his current situation. But more importantly, he thinks he'd figured out the purpose of this meeting.

"You're trying to recruit me into your cause, aren't you?"

"I know you care for the Infected. I saw it with my own eyes. Reunion's always looking for new believers in our cause. Especially someone of your strength. We'd need someone like you for our fight, for equality."

Daud understood what she meant. He just couldn't believe in their goal. A fight for true equality, was like praying for a perfect world. Quite wishful thinking.

"What makes you think I'll join your cause? And why tell me all this?"

"I know you're not the law, and you don't trust it. We are the only ones trying to make a change. If you really want to protect the Infected, like you did before, you would join us. Infected or not." The girl resolved.

Daud had never believed himself to be a saviour of the people. After all, he used to look down on them. But that was a past he was adamant on leaving behind.

Fighting for a just cause, it sounded like something he could get behind. Another chance for him to make up for his past mistakes. He had taken so many lives before, but now he might be able to save them instead.

But there was still so much more he didn't know about this Reunion. Their goals may sound hopeful, but he has yet to see their methods. Anyone could mean well, but it takes more than promises to do well.

"Before anything else, I think a form of introduction would be polite, wouldn't you think? Do you have a name?" An exchange of names or titles, as a sign of trust.

Frankly, neither of them had any good reason to trust the other as it currently is. But both of them were looking for something from the other. A friendly gesture could go a long way.

"... Call me Crownslayer." Not a real name, but it was something to identify with. She gave him what he wanted. Now it was only fair for him to return the favor.

"Whaler." The name of his old gang, which he'd sworn to himself that he'd never look back to.

The girl thought that the title sounded strange, but kept it to herself. Now, she was waiting for his actual answer.

"I appreciate the offer... but I'll have to think about it." Probably not the answer the redhead was expecting. But he found that it pays to be cautious at times.

"In that case, we'll meet again."

As the red-haired woman finished her sentence, she began turning around. Before she took a step, she gave Daud one final message.

"If you tell anyone about this conversation, I'll know about it. And I will find you." A final warning, from one killer, to another.

The wolf-tailed woman sprinted and leapt off the terrace, almost immediately disappearing into the shadows.

Daud took a deep breath. He was getting into far more than he had previously thought. Depending on what he might choose to do, this Reunion might end up as a potential ally, or a fearsome enemy.

Whatever threats may come, he needed to make sure he was prepared for it. He didn't have his crossbow or any of his equipments aside from the mask of Corvo Attano, and some outdated coins. Considering the local law enforcement here are apparently issued with crossbows, that shouldn't be an issue. He'd still need to find a suitable short range weapon, just in case.

He could definitely use some alcohol right now. He doubted there'd be any Rivera Fig wine that survived ten millenia, but surely the quality of beverages hadn't gone down after all these years. Otherwise, it'd be quite a disappointment.

Looking up into the sky, Daud was reminded that he still needed to look for a place to stay for the night. Sure, he could sleep without a rooftop, gazing at the two moons, but the comfort of a bed was always going to be more tempting.

Wait. Two moons?

... Well, it still wasn't the strangest thing he had seen.

A girl found herself in a dark, and empty space. Unaware of how she got there.

Indescribable, obsidian rocks littered the endless space, floating. There seemed to be a light casting over everything, but no visible light source. It only served to prevent her from seeing nothing but pitch black.

She struggled to breathe normally. The air felt heavy. Her body felt heavy. It was telling her something. That this was a place where she shouldn't belong.

From a far away distance, she could see... something. Wait no, it was someone.

A humanoid silhouette, lacking any distinctive features. But as she continued staring at the figure, somehow she could feel the being staring back at her.

The figure suddenly vanished into smoke. The light became dim, and eventually.. disappeared. It was now pitch black. She could not see anything, except herself.

The air suddenly felt heavier. Even more so than the pressure she was used to under the vastness of the ocean. She struggled to move her body, or to even breathe.

A sharp burning pain in her left hand, caused her to slightly wince. She looked toward the back of her palm. It was a mark. Unlike anything she has ever seen before. It looked so.. archaic, and alien.

Yet, it looked... familiar.

_

Skadi, the Abyssal Hunter, awoke from her nap. Sweat covering her entire body. An uncommon thing to happen to someone like her.

She immediately looked towards her left hand. There was no mark. Yet the burning sensation still lingered, very faintly. Or maybe it was just all in her head.

She remembered what that mark looked like. But absolutely no idea as to what it would mean. Nor did she know where the dream took her. Or whom the figure was meant to be. They must mean something important.

After all, this had not been the first time she experienced similar dreams.

It's been happening for almost a week now. It always started the same way. A dark, empty space stretching endlessly, with featureless rocks and shards floating everywhere. A sense of nausea following suit. And her struggling to breathe normally, every time.

But this time, some things were different. The silhouette watching her from a far distance. The mark that burned itself onto the back of her left hand, but it felt like it burned, from the inside. They weren't there before.

Was all this just a string of meaningless nightmares? Or were they alluding to something bigger? And why her, of all people?

Maybe she was actually going insane. All the time she had spent as a living weapon, all those experiments she had gone through... maybe the Seaborn hivemind was finally enveloping her mind.

But that mark... why did it look so familiar? Had she seen it before? She could faintly remember the time she first saw that mark, but her memory seemed to have failed her.

She needed more information. Whatever that nightmare was, it couldn't be just that. Could it be a vision of sorts? Leading to what? That mark was the most vivid part of it, and there must be a reason for it. Maybe, she needed to look for it.

She escaped the seas to pursue a more freeing life. And to escape her scarred past. But this nightmare, or vision, may lead her to something bigger than any bounty hunt she'd ever take part in.

The shores of the ocean where the kingdom of Ægir were far behind her. Skadi hoped this supposed vision wouldn't lead her back.

_

Author's Note

Well, this is quite a chapter. And I'm honestly surprised I managed to publish it this quickly.

It's about time I finally introduce more characters, but I haven't decided when to finally include Rhodes Island, as this story begins a little while before the events of Arknights. So obviously things are going to diverge from the main storyline very early on.

So Daud's first interaction with another faction is with Reunion. That might shake things up, depending on where it's going. I thought Crownslayer was a little underutilized in the main story (and also kinda feel sorry for her for being so easy to bully), so her being Daud's first introduction to Reunion is going to affect things. And let's face it, most of us would probably want her as an Operator, anyway.

I didn't initially plan to introduce Skadi so early, but some of my drafts for this fic was going to include a lot of the Aegirs and Abyssal Hunters, so it might be better to have a POV of one of them early on. Also, one of the comments inspired me to finally include them, since the ocean does play a big role in the Dishonored lore regarding the Void.

Regarding the Mark and its effects, I'm going to take some leeway and use the Dishonored 2 version of it, where the Mark also enhances the user's strength aside from reflexes and vitality. Otherwise Daud would have trouble dueling against, well pretty much anyone in Terra who's an Ursus, or just someone like Mountain, who's like a literal mountain.

(No, I don't have any plans to pit Daud against Mountain in a fair physical fight. Although that would be a fun sight to behold. Also I just realized Mountain is only 2cm taller than Corvo. All of a sudden it makes more sense how Daud lost against him.)

Depending on where I'm going to take this story next, the next chapter might not take long, or it might take a long while. Here's to hoping my inspiration doesn't immediately hit a wall.

Thank you for reading as always, and until next time.