Practice
The Institute of War
"YOU LEFT ME TO DIE!"
Isaac's eyes shot open, scanning around for a weapon. Any weapon. Just SOMETHING to defend himself with against the source of the ear shattering voice. He reached under his pillow and brandished a dagger, frantically looking all around the room for his enemy.
Wait... Isaac collected himself, Right... just another nightmare... he let out a long drawn out sigh, and fell back onto the mattress. Just... just another nightmare, that's all. He rubbed his eyes, cursing his dreams.
Thanks to that nightmare though, he was wide awake, which meant it was no issue getting to the shower.
You'd think I'd be able to move on now... Isaac thought, shaking downcast head as the warm water soaked his skin. How many years had it been since her death? Too many, yet apparently not enough as the nightmares never stopped.
Even as he suited up, the memories stuck with him.
"Another nightmare?" Mute asked him as he grabbed his helmet from the stand. He left his armor lying around in the open more. Although he still didn't fully trust the League, it had been nearly a week since he had arrived in Valoran. And seeing how nobody had stolen any more of his things aside from what was "confiscated" at day one, Isaac didn't feel the need to hide everything as strongly now.
Isaac maintained a neutral expression as he looked at his reflection in his helmet's jet black visor. How much longer did he have to suffer from these nightmares?
Until you can come to terms with what you've done.
"Isaac?" Isaac could see Mute's avatar appear behind him in the reflection. She had a look of concern on both her face and in her posture. "You... ok?"
Isaac placed his helmet over his head and sealed it before saying a word. "Yeah... just... just a bad dream."
"Sounds like it was worse than just a bad dream."
"Leave it be Mute."
Mute rolled her eyes. "If you insist..."
Isaac ensured the door to his room was locked before he left for the sparring room. It had been three days since his League match, and he was STILL restricted to the confides of the Institute of War. On the positive side, they were now allowing him to wander the halls as he pleased, granted he stayed out of the restricted areas.
During his initial tour of the Institute, Isaac had either seen or encountered the other champions residing inside the building. Some he had already seen before, such as Kayle and Malphite, but the others he ran into he found to be a little... off.
The first one he noticed was Brand, who was apparently some kind of... "fire spirit" that was bound inside a deceased human body. He was also being held inside some sort of magic prison similar to the one Isaac had been held inside. When Isaac tried to get close to him, the creature tried to burn him with magic, but whatever prison he was being held in prevented it from hitting him. Isaac left him alone after that.
He quickly found out that Brand wasn't the only "champion" that was being confided in a cell of sorts. And Isaac's attempts to converse or get close to resulted in the same situation as Brand had. He was able to get Mute to scan each one however, which was a satisfying result in its own. But Isaac couldn't help but to feel a little unnerved at the sight of these creatures. Especially one called Nocturne; Isaac didn't even attempt to get close to that one. He just had Mute scan it from a distance and left it be.
Something that controls nightmares... that is the LAST thing I want to get close to, let alone talk to. Just looking at the shadowy aberration had Isaac on edge, and he was never afraid of anything. Anything but my dreams.
Nocturne, Brand, Renekton, Kog'maw, Cho'Gath, Fiddlesticks... like me none of them seem to be here of their own free will. Only difference is that they won't even make a compromise, they're just hostile to everyone and everything around them.
But the Institute seemed to house more than just imprisoned champions, Kayle and Malphite were two of such. Isaac attempted to converse with them to try and figure out more about Valoran, but his results varied. Malphite seemed incredibly wise, but the way he spoke made Isaac feel like he had to decode everything afterwards. Nasus wasn't much better, but he seemed to pay Isaac little heed, apparently he was too focused on Renekton to answer any questions.
"I'm sensing some drama here..." Was what Mute had said about that.
Isaac tried to talk with Vayne as well, but before he could even get a word in she started to interrogate him. Are your powers black magic? Are there black magic users in your world? The questions... they didn't stop. Isaac shook his head thinking back on it, but then again, he was also going to question her... just in a more polite fashion. After he had answered her questions, mainly with a bunch of NOs, she seemed satisfied and walked off. The only words Isaac got out of his mouth were an apology for attacking her earlier. Best to butter that up a bit, since I'm sharing a roof with someone who I tried to kill... then again, she never once mouthed something that passed off as an apology for trying to kill me...
Others we're similar, asking Isaac all sorts of questions about his own world, and each time Isaac gave bare minimal answers. I don't know if I can trust much about my home to these people yet... maybe people outside this Institute yes, but these so called summoners still make me a little uneasy. Vega seemed trustworthy enough, from what Isaac could tell, but still Vega had a boss, and that boss had a boss, and SOMEONE up that line wanted to know certain things about Isaac's world. Of that, Isaac was certain.
OR maybe I'm just paranoid about all this... Isaac let out a sigh. After his day of touring he found himself spending his time in the Institute's library reading books on the world, or inside one of the many training rooms to work on his skills. This morning, Isaac felt the need to move around after that dream.
Maybe if I vent on those training minions they got here, I'll feel a little better. Isaac thought has he hit the switch in the training room, which caused a wave of magic to be released into the circular room lined with pillars. Several human sized minions appeared, each with a variety of weapons from swords, to spears, to axes.
Isaac rolled his neck around and drew two of his own swords.
"Seven on one?" Mute asked him, "Feeling a bit under the weather today?"
"Shut it and just monitor me..." Isaac mumbled and charged, semi-aware that he wasn't the only one in the room.
House Du Couteau
Noxus
"Well?" Was the first question that Katarina was asked when she entered her older sister's office.
"It's not Demacia." She replied, walking up to her sister's desk, shaking her head. "They've got the same problem."
"Hah! And you believe them?"
"Only because every other nation in Valoran is suffering from the same problem." Katarina replied, gazing away from where her sister sat and up to the picture of her father that hung high on the wall. Father... where did you go? She thought sadly, making sure that her sadness towards her missing father didn't show on her face. Not that it really mattered in this room, her father's former office now her eldest sisters'.
"I guess I lost a bet then..." She heard her sister mumble. Katarina looked away from her father's picture and back down to her sister Marina. She was Katarina's senior by two years, and the heiress to house Du Couteau. She scratched her head, her shoulder length light red hair waving around as she did. "So who does the league suspect?"
Katarina crossed her arms. "They don't know. In fact, the only thing the Minister of Security knows is that every nation has filed a report on missing people. Other then that, they know nothing."
"Or there just not willing to share anything." Marina looked back down at the papers she had been examining before Katarina had entered. "For all we know they could be suspecting Noxus. Again."
"I doubt that," Katarina shook her head. "The Minister seems to suspect that new champion instead."
"Ah... yes... I had entirely forgotten about him. What was his name again?"
"Archangel."
"Right. He is of no concern." Marina shook her head. "What IS of concern is the numbers of missing people, and that is only because they seem to be taken at random." She passed one of the papers she was holding to Katarina.
Katarina looked it over quickly. A list of names... and who they work for. Katarina didn't really care as long as she didn't recognize any of them. However, she did notice what her sister meant. Some are taken from house Darkwill, others from house Killion, others from...
Katarina snarled. Some of the kidnapped had been soldiers of her own house. Sure they were just grunts, but that didn't change the fact that whoever was swiping people of the streets was willing to make enemies of the Du Couteau's. And enemies of the Darkwills and Killions...
"Whoever these people are, if there even people at all, they're willing to piss off every military family in Noxus... and the rest of the world too from what you're telling me." Marina shook her head. "And the League is grasping at straws to find someone to pin the blame on." She leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temple.
So we have nothing... Katarina dropped the paper back onto the desk. "Did you find anything?" She asked, turning her head to the concealed person in the room. A hooded figure stood in the shadows, emerging slowly. Talon.
"Nothing." He said, walking up to stand next to Katarina. "All the other families seem to be in the same situation. Even the Grand General himself has no suspects."
So the reports he gave me we're true in that part. Katarina thought. She believed the reports were actuate, Noxian intelligence always was. What she didn't know for certain, was that Swain had no suspects. That man can't be trusted, not now, not ever. Those had been her father's words. But now her father was gone, vanished without a trace. She knew that her father's disappearance had come as a shock to many in their family, herself included. Her youngest sister, Cassiopeia, had been hurt the most by it.
She also opposed Marina taking control of matters the most as well... Katarina remembered. Marina had only been the de facto head of house Du Couteau for three months. Originally they had clung to the hope that the investigation into their father's disappearance would've come up with SOMETHING, but after a year without any results, someone had to fill in the void left by his departure.
She just didn't want to face the truth; the truth that father might be dead. She thought, looking up at his picture again. I don't want to face it either, but we all have to... he may be long dead.
"The Grand General finds no suspects, because it appears he isn't even looking for any." Marina said, her face clouded. "The only reports I've received from him are recruitment orders and the like."
Recruitment? "So? Noxus always needs more soldiers." Katarina stated the obvious.
"Not these numbers... it's almost as if we're gearing up for something big..." Marina looked back down at the reports on her desk. Father's former desk.
"It's not just us," Talon spoke, "It's all the houses, everyone has received similar orders to build up forces."
"Maybe it's to rebuild our army, we took a great deal of foolish loses during the transition of power from Darkwill to Swain."
"If, that could even be called a transition and more so a borderline civil war." Marina snorted. House Du Couteau had taken no part in that, Noxians fighting Noxians was a foolish thing after all when they were surrounded by enemies.
"Added up, these numbers would put Noxus's total military strength at par with what it was prior to the invasion of Ionia." Talon stated. "And seeing how there seems to no signs of these recruitment orders stopping, we'll soon pass that point."
Katarina frowned. Why? What could Swain be up too? "So what do we do?"
"There should be no question about that." Marina replied. "We do as the Grand General says."
And then what? Katarina folded her arms out in front of her again. "What do we do about the missing people?"
Her sister cocked her head to the side. "Why, Kat, it's simple. We do nothing unless it truly affects our own house. A few missing guardsmen from our ranks isn't all that serious if we're just going to recruit massive amounts of new ones. This is Noxus! The strong survive, while the weak perish."
She's just dodging the responsibility... Katarina glanced at the picture of her father one last time. What would you've done father...? She asked inside, fully knowing she wouldn't get an answer.
I guess I'll have to figure this one out myself.
The Wings of Demacia
Southern Demacian Region
The farmstead was deserted. Not a soul in sight. No signs of struggle, no signs of a break in, no nothing. It was as if the entire family had been turned into ghosts over night.
It's the same as the last two... Quinn chewed on her lower lip as she scanned the master bedroom. The bed was still made, undisturbed. Did the mother and father even go to bed? Did the children? There was no evidence, no nothing. Just an empty house and a bunch of hungry farm animals.
This is troubling... She pulled out her notebook and jotted down her findings... or lack thereof. Another abandoned shack... She left the empty household that had once been home to a family of seven. She brought her fingers to her mouth and gave a whistle. "Val!" She called out to her companion. Two seconds later, she heard her partner screech, and she looked up at the bright sky.
Valor... Quinn felt a smile grow across her face as she sighted her closest friend. The blue Demacian eagle swooped down and perched himself on her arm, looking her in the eyes.
"Squawk!" Valor said to her. Did you find anything?
Quinn shook her head. "Nothing Val, just like all the others. Deserted."
"Squawk." Valor shook his head. Great, empty handed again.
"Don't worry, we'll find what's behind all this. I'm sure of it!" Quinn reassured her friend.
"Squawk!" Valor replied. I know, I know. I just hope we're not too late. "Squawk!" Hey, want to hear a joke? Knock, knock?
Quinn rolled her eyes. Here we go again! "Who's there?"
"Squawk." Cat.
"Cat who?"
"Squawk!" Cat find anyone either!
Quinn gave Valor a humorless look. "Really?"
"Squawk!" Sorry, hard to find humor in this situation.
"Oh brother..." Quinn sighed.
She mounted her horse again and they set off for the next farmstead. As Valor patrolled the skies, Quinn opened up her map, checking it over. Nothing... every farm and community in this region either had no idea about missing people or is a ghost town.
Quinn chewed on her lower lip again. She wasn't happy about the idea of returning home empty handed again. She knew her superiors didn't want to hear her reports on missing people as much as they wanted answers. Maybe Garen got some while he visited the Institute of War... maybe...
That did little to help her out in the field though. I can't return empty handed... I won't disappoint my commanders, and I won't disappoint Jarvan!
Quinn folded her map up and placed it back in her pouch, her resolve hardened. I will find the bastards responsible, and bring them before my prince!
"Squawk!" She heard Valor call out to her.
What? You see something washed up on shore...? Quinn frowned. I better check it out. She rode over to the location Valor had pointed out to her. It was a small beach that should've been deserted. But something caught Quinn's eye. He narrowed her eyes, using her hand to block out the sunlight as she looked the beach up and down.
It's a person! Her eyes went wide open and she ushered her horse onward. Oh, please be alive!
She raced up to the person lying in the sand. Dismounting, she sprinted over to the individual and flipped him over.
Oh god... Quinn covered her face. The body stank, and there were holes all over the torso. Looks like he's been shot... rapidly... Trying to avoid smelling the body, she scanned the remains, trying to identify who it was. Her eyes quickly fell on the Demacian crest on the man's shoulder and tugged on it to get a better look.
Captain Jack Reynolds...? But... Quinn realized what she discovered. The captain of The Winds of Honor! But that ship went missing three days ago! She looked the body over again. Who... killed him? He's been shot multiple times...
"Squawk!" Valor called out to her. Over here, take a look at this.
She gazed over at Valor. The eagle was standing on top of a large plank of wood that had washed up on shore along with Reynolds. Wandering over to it, Quinn looked it over. It was unremarkable, all things considered. But what Valor had noticed wasn't the plank itself, but the writing on the side of it. Winds of Honor... Quinn read. This giant piece of wood is from the ship itself... that means.
"Uh oh..." Quinn muttered. This was going to be an interesting addition to her report. She could see it now. Sorry my prince, I didn't find any clues regarding our missing people, but I found out what happened to our missing ship...
"So..." Quinn asked out loud to no one in particular. "Who destroyed the ship?"
Isaac finished off another wave of minions. He parried the blow from one, ducked as another took a stab at him with spear, and rolled to the side as a third tried to crack his head open with a war hammer. Isaac quickly leapt back to his feet and took up a fighting stance as all three minions charged at him again.
Got them... Isaac parried the blow from the swordsman first, striking out with his second sword. The blade cleaved through the minion's chest, and it vanished in a white flash. One down. He threw one of his blades from his right hand, catching the minion with the war hammer in the neck. Like the previous minions it too vanished, and his sword fell to the floor with a clang. Two down. The final minion, armed with a spear, charged at him, thrusting its weapon out. Isaac side stepped the attack and grabbed the spear with his free hand, yanking on it as hard as he could. The minion stumbled forward from the force of Isaac pulling on its weapon, and he finished it off with a slash across the neck.
Too easy... Isaac casually walked over to where his sword had fallen and picked it up. Now... for whoever has been watching me...
"How long are you going to stalk me?" He asked loudly as he sheathed his swords.
"So you did notice me." A hardened female voice responded, and out from behind one of the pillars came an angel clad in gold armor with a large golden blade in hand.
Kayle... Isaac turned to face the angel. "So, did you need something?"
"Your fighting style is curious. Who taught you?"
Isaac flexed the fingers on his right hand. Should I bother? "An... old friend." He answered. More like someone who gave me a chance... or did she just take pity on me? "What of it?"
"Nothing really..." Kayle took a few steps to the left until she was in the center of the room, meters away from Isaac. "I suppose idle curiosity."
Isaac eyed the so called angel carefully. He didn't believe that was the only reason she was here.
"I don't think it's just idle curiosity..." Mute muttered.
Isaac turned to face the angel. "Well? Was there something else you wanted? If not I'll be going."
"Yes there was something else." She replied, and pointed her sword at Isaac. "I want to test those skills of yours."
"Knew it." Mute grinned.
"You want to fight me?" Isaac asked, unsurprised by her challenge.
"A duel, yes." Kayle confirmed. "No magic, just swords. Do you accept?"
"Careful Isaac..." Mute cautioned him. "I think that was more of a demand then question here."
Great... Isaac let out a sigh. I guess this is karma for never going to church. He reached to the X shaped sheaths on his back and drew out two swords. "Fine. Let's do this." He replied.
Kayle nodded, and gripped her sword with both hands. "Then, let us begin!" She shouted and leaped into the air.
Oh great.
Kayle dove right at him, using her wings to get a quick and amazing burst of speed.
Oh shit... Isaac cursed and jumped back, raising both his swords to catch Kayle's downward swing. Their weapons crashed into each other with deafening clang. Isaac pushed her sword away and tried to slash at his new opponent. Kayle quickly flew away from him and hovered in the air for a moment before readying herself again, sword over her head.
"Have at you!" She cried out and dove at him again. Isaac readied himself to block this one two, expecting her to fly right at him again. However the angel twisted her body and brought her sword down at his side.
Shit! Isaac rolled out of the way, "feeling" her blade knick his armor as he barely got out of the way in time. He rolled back onto his feet and searched for his target. It wasn't hard to spot her; she was keeping herself a few feet off the ground.
And she was charging again.
Isaac parried her strike with one sword and countered with the other. Kayle flew around to the side of him just as fast though, causing him to hit nothing but air. She swung down at him again, and Isaac quickly found himself on the defensive without any way of countering. She danced around him in the air, driving at him time and time again with her large blade. And the only thing Isaac could do was parry each blow, trying to find an opening.
She's got some intense speed there... The size of her sword made it difficult to block with one sword, but he needed to counter somehow. I just need to think... wait...
Kayle swung down at him again, and Isaac raised one sword to deflect the blow. But rather then counter with his free sword, he dropped it. As their blades bashed against one another, Isaac took a leap at Kayle, grabbing her foot with his free left hand. Got her. Isaac twisted his body and flung Kayle towards the ground with all his might, and the angel came crashing down to the earth.
Kayle let out a grunt as her body hit the floor with a loud bang. It must've taken her by surprise because she made no attempt to soften her landing. As she tried to scramble to her feet quickly, Isaac tackled her back to the ground. The two rolled for a second, and Isaac pinned the angel to the ground with himself on top of her. He grabbed her sword arm by the wrist with his free hand and brought his own blade to her neck.
"Yield!" He shouted.
Kayle didn't move, but after a second she nodded.
Whew... Isaac relaxed and dismounted his defeated foe. He sheathed his sword and gave the angel a hand in getting up.
"Well done." Kayle nodded to him again. "I can't say I was expecting you to grab my foot like that."
"Well, you didn't leave me with many options with that constant barrage from the air." Isaac chuckled as he picked up the sword he had dropped.
"This has been an enjoyable experience Archangel. I hope to duel you again in the future." Kayle said and then bowed. "Until next time." And with that she left the room.
"She doesn't seem so bad." Mute chimed in. "I mean, if she wanted to kill us she had her chance today."
Isaac rubbed the back of his neck. "Maybe... but then again I don't think that angel is one of the people we should be cautious of."
"And just who should we be cautious of Isaac?"
"When I figure that out, I'll get back to you."
Mission
The Institute of War
Kasubel let out another sigh. It's no use... there's nothing in these reports that give me any new leads. He tossed papers that the League had submitted to him into a random desk drawer. It had been nearly a week since it became "official" that every nation in Valerian was suffering from the missing people crisis, and Kasubel had made no progress whatsoever. No, the only mystery semi-solved was that of Archangel...
Kasubel stood up from his chair and looked outside. He was straight out of options; he would have to ask Archangel if he knew anything. And if Kasubel wasn't satisfied with the champions answer, he would have to interrogate him. I'm that desperate it seems...
There was a knock at his door. "Enter." Kasubel called out, and a young summoner entered his office.
"Excuse me Minister, but there is a letter for you." The young summoner meekly said.
Kasubel didn't turn away from the window. "Put it on my desk."
"Of course Minister... good day." And with that Kasubel was alone again.
I'm letting this case get to my head... Kasubel took a deep breath in and slowly let it out. Maybe I need to take a walk, or a break... He slowly walked back to his desk and took a seat, eying the letter that had been dropped off.
He picked it up and scanned the name of the sender. Sheriff of Piltover? Caitlyn? Kasubel frowned and opened the letter. I hope it's not just more numbers of missing people. Those numbers aren't helping me solve anything, there just making me stress over the importance of this matter more.
Kasubel pulled out a bundle of papers from the envelope. The introduction letter was clearly written by Caitlyn herself; professional, straight to the point, with just enough detail.
A gang of mana crystal thieves caught... trading with hooded figures of unknown origin... pictures included. Kasubel folded the letter up and dropped it on his desk, flipping through the pictures Caitlyn had sent him. Most of them were of an exchange between a gang and three hooded figures; others included mug shots of the gang and pictures of their confiscated mana crystals. Wow... they stole a lot... Kasubel raised an eye brow at the photo that had been taken of several crates, all filled to the top with blue crystals.
But how does this help me? Stealing mana crystals had little to do with the missing people. Sure the hooded figures were interesting. For some reason they really wanted those crystals and in large supply, but did that really link to the missing people. No link I see... Kasubel sighed again and flipped to the last photo.
My god...
He dropped all the other photos, eyes wide open looking the last one over and over again. That's... impossible! He was here this whole time! We've made sure of it! Kasubel scanned the photo over and over again. Wait, there's a difference, the helmet isn't the same. That armor seems more damaged as well. Was there more than one of them? That was entirely possible. But what was this figure doing in Piltover?
Kasubel quickly placed the photo in his desk and bolted from his chair. I need to see him... NOW!
Well this is a surprise... I guess... Isaac frowned as he raised his hand to knock on the Minister of Security's door. "What do you think he wants?" He asked Mute.
"Don't know, but from what I know about this guy, it could be anything." She replied.
One way to find out. Isaac knocked. "Enter." Was the response.
Isaac cautiously opened the door and stepped into the minister's office, finding Kasubel sitting at his desk with his hands together. He closed the door behind him, but didn't take another step inside. "You asked to see me?" Isaac asked.
"Yes, please take a seat." Kasubel said, waving his hand towards a chair opposite of him.
"I'd rather stand." Isaac replied, walking up to the minister's desk. "I'm going to assume this isn't about letting me out of the Institute is this?"
Kasubel nodded. "No, but perhaps it could lead to that." He leaned back in his chair. "I want to ask you something."
Big surprise there. "Shoot."
"Did you come to this world alone?"
Isaac paused. Should I be honest and tell him that the rest of my team may be here? Then again, it's not like any of us came here by choice...
Isaac decided to go with that. "It's not like I came here by choice you know, you're summoners pulled me out here."
"Yes, but you we're already crossing the void when they did so. And that doesn't answer my question." Kasubel leaned forward, elbows resting on his desk. "Did you come here alone?"
Before Isaac could say anything else, he heard Mute's ahem. "Isaac, maybe they can help us locate our squad. Just tell him."
Isaac sighed. Fine. "There... might have been two, maybe five others that came across the... void aside from myself."
"You don't know for certain?"
"No," Isaac shook his head. "Like I said before, we didn't come here by choice. Some sort of, rift, sucked us in. I was the third one it pulled in."
"So you know for sure that there are at least two others like yourself that came to Valoran?" Kasubel's expression seemed natural. "Why didn't you tell us?"
Better play it safe. "You never asked." He shrugged.
He heard Mute laugh inside his helmet.
Isaac crossed his arms, ignoring his AI partner's laughing. "So, why did you want to know suddenly?" He asked the minister.
Kasubel pushed three small pieces of paper towards Isaac. "I want you to have a look at these." He pointed to the papers.
Isaac picked them up carefully and turned them over. Photos? Sure enough, they were photographs. Black and white photos, but still very good quality pictures. He looked at the first one. In it there were two groups of people, one group looked like a couple of goons, and the other wore strange looking robes. They appeared to be in the middle of some exchange.
"What am I looking at?" Isaac asked, puzzled by the pictures. I see two groups of people I've never seen before...
Kasubel stood up and slowly wandered over to a window, looking outside. "The group on the left are a bunch of mana crystal thieves, all arrested shortly after those pictures were taken. The group on the left wearing the hoods, I'm afraid we have no idea who they are."
"So why are you showing me these?"
"Look at the next picture."
Isaac complied and flipped to the next photo. This one had nothing in it aside from a ton of crates, which appeared to be full of blue crystals. What are those?
"Those crates you see are full of mana crystals, which contain small amounts of mana. Those hooded men in the first picture were paying the thieves a very large sum for those crystals, and I haven't an idea why." Kasubel said before turning his head to look at Isaac with his questioning eyes. "You wouldn't by chance know anyone or anything that would have such a need for mana crystals would you."
Isaac remained silent. No, I don't know anything that would since I just got to your bloody world. But... if Mute's theory about the Ascension stockpiling mana is correct... then maybe. But from these pictures I can't tell for sure.
So, Isaac lied. "No, I've been restricted to your damn institute this whole time so I wouldn't know any such people." Well, it's not really a lie as more so really twisting my words.
Mute must have read his mind. "That's still lying..."
Kasubel's expression didn't change. "Very well, now, the last photo."
Isaac flipped to the last picture, and his eyes shot wide open. That's! The picture had been taken at an angle in the dark, with the only source of light being at the feet of the single individual in the photo. The subject of the picture was a man in a suit of armor similar to Isaac's, expect it looked like there was a pair of goggles strapped over top.
Firewall?!
"Where was this taken?" Isaac asked.
"In the Everdeen Mines, near Piltover. That individual had been following the sheriff of Piltover as she took those pictures. The one in that picture managed to escape the scene before he could be apprehended, but then again according to the report he did nothing but watch the entire scene." Kasubel paused before adding. "So, who is it?"
Isaac bit his lower lip. He couldn't lie his way out of this one since he had already displayed an interest in the picture. But that doesn't mean I have to be a hundred percent truthful. "He... if the one in that armor is who it should be, he's one of the ones who involuntary came to this world with me." Isaac slowly placed the photo down on the desk. "Involuntary. Don't forget that, none of us came here willingly."
Kasubel nodded, and sat back down at his desk. "I understand that. But, as loathe as I am to admit it, I need your help."
Isaac thought carefully. I have no need to help these people. But... if helping them sets me on the right track towards the Ascension, and to a way off this world then I better do it. And if helping this League doesn't get me anywhere I'll be outside this Institute anyways, so I'll be able to bolt if I have to.
He nodded. "What would you have me do?"
"Across all of Valoran people are going missing, and I'm not talking about small cases of random disappearances, I'm talking about masses of people vanishing from their homes and streets at overnight. And these disappearances aren't restricted to a single location, there happening all over the continent." Kasubel leaned forward. "Now, if I suspected that someone, or something on your side of the void may have a hand in all this, would you consider me insane?"
"Maybe..." Isaac muttered, "but maybe not..." I can't see what use the Ascension would have for such mass abductions. Small cases of kidnapping people, yes I can see that, but why would they need so many people?
"But you do have an idea who it might be, yes?"
"I might, but I can't see them having a need for the numbers you're talking about here." Isaac replied. "What do you think Mute?"
Mute's avatar appeared next to Isaac. One of her hands was gripping her chin and the other across her body as she appeared deep in thought. Kasubel eyed Mute carefully; he clearly wasn't used to seeing her. How could he? They all think Mute is some sort of ghost spirit, not an artificial intelligence.
"The possibility of it being the Ascension behind your kidnappings isn't zero, after all we have reason to believe that the Ascension have been carrying out operations in your world. However, like Archangel, I can't find a good enough reason to label the Ascension as your mystery abductors." Mute paused, and faced Kasubel before continuing. "But, I can't see any solid evidence to eliminate them from the list of suspects, so you might, just might, be sane."
The minister nodded, seemingly satisfied with Mute's explanation. "Then this is what I would like you... both, to do. Go to Piltover, see if you can find anything about the missing people and this organization you call the Ascension. And while you're there..." Kasubel picked the photo of Firewall up, "see if you can find any traces of this man. After all, if he's with you, that should be all the more reason to do so, yes?"
Isaac paused for a second before answering. Seems like I'm following orders again. But this concedes with my own goals, so I'll play the soldier. "Very well. When do I leave?"
"Tomorrow, I need to prepare an escort for you to Piltover, since you have yet to even set foot outside the Institute. Be ready to leave by six AM." Kasubel stood back up from his desk and wandered back over to his seemingly favorite window. "Honestly, I hope that these abductors are not this... Ascension. I don't deal well with... aliens. No offence."
Isaac shrugged. "I've been called worse. Alien is nothing."
Kasubel remained silent for a few moments. "I see. You are dismissed then, just be ready to leave tomorrow."
Isaac nodded, and showed himself out. Well, this is an interesting turn of events. He thought as he walked through the halls. "Mute, what do you think about all this?"
Her face appeared in the usual spot in his HUD. "Well, it's good that we can finally leave. And on top of that we basically got sanctioned to do some investigating. So this is all in our favor."
"What do you think about the abductions?"
"That's..." Mute furrowed her brow as she thought about it for a second. "It COULD be the Ascension, but as I said I can't see them needing SO many people. Why? Why would they kidnap so many seemingly pointless individuals? It doesn't add up." She paused and closed her eyes. "But, they are here in this world, I'm sure of it. After all, there stockpiling mana. And, those guys in that first picture we're dealing for those mana crystals so there is a possibility that they are either Ascension, or working with the Ascension."
Isaac shook his head. "That's too many possibilities and not enough concrete evidence Mute."
"I know... but we've got nothing here." She sighed. "Well, at least Firewall seems to be alive..."
Isaac nodded at that. "Yeah... but he's out there alone and likely without as much knowledge as us at the moment. So we better get there quick." It's going to be a long wait until tomorrow.
Unknown Location
To: General Edward Alcatraz
From: CONTROL
Subject: Shadow Team/Solomon Island Explosion
The investigation of the mysterious explosion on Guadalcanal has been completed. Results as follow.
SHADOW TEAM
Captain Vasilisa Nikolaidis "ORACLE" - MIA
UNIT AIXB45995123 "PEGASUS" – MIA
Lieutenant Luka Schulz "BLITZKRIEG" – MIA
UNIT AIXB45994190 "GOTH" – MIA
Sergeant Jessica Smith "RAPTOR" – KIA
UNIT AIXB45993102 "BOTSON" – DESTORYED (records RECOVERED)
Sergeant Isaac Miller "ARCHANGEL" – MIA
UNIT AIXB45990011 "MUTE" – MIA
Sergeant Raymond Grayson "JACKHAMMER" – MIA
UNIT AIXB45991239 "STARK" – MIA
Corporal Adam Chase "FIREWALL" – MIA
UNIT AIXB45998724 "CEO" – MIA
Corporal Sarah Youngson "ATHENA" – MIA
UNIT AIXB45997466 "ARES" – MIA
Mission was a SUCCESS: Ascension base DESTROYED. Shadow Team declared LOST.
As you know, there was a massive explosion as the site of the former Ascension base. This explosion devastated the surrounding area killing an unknown number of the local population. The explosion has left behind fallout containing unknown readings. Local cleanup efforts (supported by Australian and Japanese military) are at a total standstill. All personal refuse to approach site due to unknown dangerous matter in explosion area. Further investigation into unknown fallout matter required.
Records recovered from destroyed AIX unit "BOSTON" revealed some very interesting facts, as well as what happened to SHADOW. According to the data, 5/6 members of the squad were struck by an unknown entity and vanished. Initially the squad members seemed to be outright incinerated, but additional analysis proves that they may have instead been "sucked in" by the entity, and transported to parts unknown.
(See Professor Jans Oslen's notes on multidimensional travel)
Recommendation: Further investigation into the missing members and the "entity" that was encountered inside the Ascension base is needed. Additionally, investigation into the fallout caused by the explosion is required.
-CONTROL, Commander of Meta-Human Warfare and TRANS-Ops