Mission 6

They reached in what was familiar territory to Garrett. The area was none other then the place where the Great Tragedy happened and where Garrett's troubles began. Seemly never to cease til the day he dies. Akira however seemed unconcerned with the section of the city that most people wished to forget "this place is just littered with safe houses. I am mostly shocked that no one ever thought to live in them" he said with pride as he waited for Garrett scaled down the heavily damaged wall, great idea! I would love to have a roof fall on top of me or zombies gnawing at my intestines... dropping down to the rough cobblestone ground, Garrett readied his best friend blackjack and ducked a corner listening for any gruesome noises that might lurk in the abandoned quarter. The Runner however looked at him confusingly but didn't ask any questions and casually walked down one of the streets. Guess he doesn't know about the undead...better him then me.

Eventually Akira stopped at one of the abandoned houses, he stood in silence for a few minutes with a certain statue like stance till eventually he spoke softly "alright, we should be fine now" someone's paranoid "so, you probably want answers about this" he spoke holding up a small bag of what would be the serpent gem. Even with the jewel covered Garrett couldn't help but be lured to the precious gem but at the same time he was wary of it. Not knowing what it is capable. Akira went to put the sapphire back and proceed to explain.

"the gem is known as Akrfas Shika. translating to 'Serpents Gift'. The first step it takes is to search through the victims mind seeking their deepest desires and fears. Onc-"

"when it finds it, this 'serpent' has them hallucinate and negotiates a deal for them far too tempting to refuse"

"exactly, unfortunately the victim must pay a price. Which is their sanity, for them to loose their sanity is to have them experience their deepest, darkest fear or past traumas. This is how it gains power..."

"what happens next? I don't have all night."

"long story short. The gem takes over your conscious in some kind of mind control until it finds someone who has a desire the serpent can benefit off of, usually resulting mass mind control... Eventually leading to destruction."

"interesting, lest it is out of my head now."

Garrett went to merge back into the shadows, in hopes of never coming across this certain profit and not to stay in this section for any longer then he has too, Akira however had different plans "so you're going to let your piss filled City burn to ruins and chance surviving the wilds until finding another country to live in?" he asked in a spiteful mood and he leaned on the unstable wall of the once hope filled home. Mehhhhh... without hesitation Garrett went to hide in the shadows and rubble I guess I should of turn the lights off, oh well. The zombies where coming from every street, not in the biggest of hordes but still plenty approaching every angle. Damn it this isn't going to hold. "you going to just sit there and die or are you going to fallow?" Garrett twisted his neck to see the assassin, he only opened the door that still remind, his head cocked to where the thief was hiding, with the rising of groans approaching them fast, he had no choice but to fallow. Slowly emerging out of the shadows he approached the annoying idiot in front of him not saying a word. "fallow my steps exactly" Akira explained leading the way into the house, moving as if he stepping over invisible walls, rigged the place.. what is he a Keeper? Should of took my chances with the zombies.

They approached a corner of the ruins, even with the zombies incapable of finding them, the sounds they make left chills in the air. Akria was kneeling on the floor, his head was slightly angled to the right as he tapped the floor, until he miraculously found a trap door and proceeded to descend into its depths by an old rot infested ladder. Leaving Garrett with the unsettling sounds of groans and now chain rattles as the sun began to merge onto the bloody horizon. No where but to my doom. The master thief thought as he fallowed the assassin.

"welcome, to my...home." hesitated Akira as Garrett lowered to the what would be a cellar. The room had a bed with no frame. Completed with a book shelf and desk, paper and books were scattered all over the floor and ceiling was lined with metal bars that showed no age. The place was only lit with one candle that was placed on a small table that was only a couple inches off the ground at the far end of the room that had a pillow right beside it, the only part of the room that had no books or paper around it "sorry for the mess. I wasn't expecting any visitors" Akira said humbly "anyway feel free to get some rest" with no sound he moved to the lone table and knelt on the pillow staring at the candle. "hospitality isn't going to change my mind" Garrett grumbled but the Shadow didn't answer or moved an inch but the thief had his guard up this is where he kills me, just waiting for me to sleep until he strikes. Garrett went to sit on the stone floor, watching Akira but he made no movement or sound, only staring at the candle "arn't you going to blow it out or somthing?"

"it's helping me focus, think of it as an enhancing technique"

"pointless if i must say"

"pointless? I guess you cant hear the shouting outside"

"what do you mean?"

"the hammer heads seem to have fallow you, there catching on" Garret smirked at the remark not a bad nickname, unfortunately they gotten smarter..."great..." akira turned to face him smiling "don't worry the rubble upstairs will kill them and their big feet before they find us" "and us too" He glared his heart racing at the thought "unless i happen to supported the flooring above us" he stated pointing upwards where steel polls ran across cleaver "besides" he sighed harshly "those taffers deserve everything that happens to them..." another sigh escaped as the thief closed his eyes "they're arn't that bad" but no answer came from the assassin.

Garrett went over to the book shelf once he was getting board of trying to stay awake with nothing to do but each book was in a language he didn't understand and the paper that was scattered on the floor were nothing but wanted posters including his. He looked around some more with the question of am I a target? Until he spotted something that was familiar, Glyphs, he took the book out the leather spine that had the markings the Keepers were obsessed with. I knew it he thought as he opened the book but the pages were blank, every single page was blank even though the book had to of been hundreds of years old. "you're one of them aren't you?" Garrett asked but Akira only stared at the candle not giving any reply I wonder which is worse the Keepers or the pyromaniac. "I'm not one of the keepers if that is what you're getting at" he finally said "explain how you know about the glyphs" "because, Garrett, do keepers do this to the hands of their followers?" the assassin raised his right hand where the strange symbol laid, but his hand has deep, harsh, red cuts across them "no... I'm part, or was part of a different group one that gave birth to the keepers, that's how I know about the glyphs"