Welcome Back!
Sorry for taking so long to update, exams and work kept me way to busy these past few months so i had to take a break from writing and my exams for the first semester in University have started in January 30th.
Now since i've passed said exams, not to mention i have a new job means life is going pretty damn good for me so far and i'm using some free time to try and get back on track here.
Now with all that in mind let's get back to it.
I know i said this'd be a short chapter but it really won't be. Also i might have written this in a very stupid manner so please forgive me.
Keep in mind i make things up as i go along and while i do have specific scenes in mind they take place much later on for example ( and this is a heavy spoil) i have a very good idea on how to introduce Bladewolf and how will Raiden get to interact with Galadriel during the Fellowship's visit to Lothlorien. My main issue is how I'll build the event's till that moment. There are years of in between fluff and i'm not sure on how to incorporate Raiden in them.
One last thing, a small favor. If anyone wants to and has any suggestions on how they would proceed or correct anything please review or pm me, writing on the go is really hard and all help is appreciated.
Hamizan Yunos : I know Raiden can slaughter conventional enemies, my problem is how will i handle the fights with any of the Nine, Balrog is out but i still have the Nazgul and the rest of Moria to deal with for now. Αlso Whether or not he goes with the Ents, Rohan and follow the sequence from there on out
Fireworks erupted in the sky, courtesy of Gandalf now that the party was in full throttle. Raiden Was just walking around trying to both figuratively and literally pry Hobbits of all ages and sizes off of his legs as politely as he could while trying to find Bilbo, taking in the atmosphere in the process.
From his point of view there was nary a person sitting still, with most of the older ones talking and laughing, the younger ones dancing around ( He saw Frodo doing a variant of the chicken dance of all things while surrounded by girls.) And of course beer casks being opened and emptied in record time!
He noticed a pair of hobbits putting quite the effort in hauling a ridiculously large cake 'A hundred and eleven years good grief' he thought then he remembered what said cake was for. After making getting free of the kids and making sure not to step on any Hobbit lings he went over to them.
"Need a hand with that?" he asked the little folk as he knelled next to them. They stopped right there to look at him as if he'd grown a second head. "Guests shouldn't do anything mister Raiden." said one of the two.
When he and his newest acquaintances showed up they were swarmed by the Shire folk, mostly to give wishes to Bilbo and greet Gandalf but there were more then a few who were eager to meet their newest and admittedly strangest visitor in recent memory.
He was a bit gobsmacked by all the attention he was. Despite being the center of attention for a number of reasons over the years, he felt far more self-conscious now then he should have been. It took both his elders nudging him forward ( he swore Gandalf smacked the back of his knee to get him moving), so he took his shades off and introduced himself "Name's Raiden, pleasure to make your acquaintances." and from then on it was chaos as the kids were clamping on to him while asking about stories and adventures and the grown ups trying to pry out his life story in general while getting the kids unhooked from him.
Needless to say he was in a tight spot on that end. He also noticed it was at that moment that his 'friends' decided to make themselves scarce after throwing him under the proverbial bus giving way to further exasperation.
He waved off the carriers who right now had shifted themselves in a way that put their backs under that monstrosity of a pastry in an effort to hold it "Nah it's fine you two look like you're about to fall down with this thing." and they were, the one on the other side was barely holding on if you take the shaking into account
He pushed further "Tell you what, i'll get this off your hands and let you get a breather and you give me a taste of fine Hobbit ale what do you say?" He tried to convince them. Successfully so if the looks in their eyes were anything to go by.
They nodded and he knelt down to put one hand in the center of the base so as to keep a center of gravity and the other on the edge for balance.
With a grunt he hefted the whole thing over his shoulder, drawing looks of surprise from the adults and awe from the kids "So where do you want me to put this thing?" He asked while doing the math on the cake. Regular full sheet cakes weigh around 9 kilos and serve around 50 people. this thing easily weighed around 120 kilos if not more.
The two Hobbits Directed him to the front of a small stage that was setup on the far side and took off to fill a few tankards.
He went off to the designated spot. On the way he saw Frodo push a friend of his into the waiting arms of a rather attractive female hobbit who started hopping around trying to get the poor guy to dance. He also noticed that Gandalf had let up with the fireworks and joined the dance party 'i'll get you back for that' he thought menacingly. He would get his blood back, the question was how.
Meanwhile Bilbo was talking to a woman who had a swarm of kids running around her.
"Missus Bracegirdle nice to see you, welcome, welcome." All 9 of the kids that weren't in the woman's arms continued on, taking the old Hobbit by surprise "Are all these children yours?" He asked getting a nod in return " Good gracious you have been productive" his words turned into a mumble as he cleared his throat, the woman simply smiled not noticing his tone or suggestion.
He looked around and saw his newest and admittedly most baffling guest (He never thought someone would take that title away from Gandalf) carrying the giant cake as if it weighed nothing 'probably lighter then a feather for him' he said in his head, the afternoon's revelations still fresh in his memory.
After all it isn't everyday a man came from another world, let alone one as advanced as the one Raiden and Frank had claimed to be from, yet their very bodies alone were proof of it. He felt nothing but pity for both. He knew everything about the Gray Fox, the man himself telling him his story in quite the detail, but Raiden was completely closed off.
Sure he answered things related to his family and his world (Apparently their world could change and advance in quite a ways ove fourteen years) but when asked about himself he immediately clamped up and changed the subject. However as the evidence was in front of him he could guess that Raiden had as difficult a life as Frank if not more.
"I wish you all the best young man" he murmured, hoping that the man will find a way home. Home to his friends, home to his family. He watched as the boy, for he was a boy age-wise to him set down the cake and receive a large mug full of ale from a pair of hobbits. they shouted cheers and downed their mugs in one go. He saw him put a hand on one of the hobbit's shoulder and say something. After that he saw the cyborg narrow his eyes and took off excusing himself. 'What could have caused that? ' he wondered.
That moment of happiness and peace went out the window the second he heard it. His ears twitched at that sound "BILBO, BILBO BAGGINS!". That set him into a panic. He turned to his nephew "S-s-s-s- Sack-vile Bagginsses" he hurriedly whispered and Frodo took the message. He pushed the both through the crowd and hid behind a tent, the elder of the two raising his coat to hide his head for good measure. As they hid two obnoxious looking hobbits passed them, looking around and then walking away in search of their quarry.
They both sighed in relief as Bilbo slightly slumped holding on to Frodo for support "Thank you my boy." he said letting out a breath. Once more the younger Baggins had rescued him. "You're a good lad Frodo" he turned to face his nephew "I'm very selfish you know. Yes i am...very selfish. I don't know why i took you in after your parents died but it wasn't out of charity." He confessed "I think that out of my numerous relations, you were the one Baggins that showed true spirit." He ended with prompting Frodo to give him a scrutinizing look.
"Bilbo? Have you been at the Gaffer's home brew?" He asked, knowing about his uncle's habit.
"No? Well yes i have bu-bu-but that's not the point!" he replied with some indignation "The point is Frodo...you'll be alright" he settled with, taking a good chug out of his mug, further proving the younger hobbit right.
He knew he saw them somewhere around here. As he was drinking with the carriers he relieved from cake duty he spied two young hobbits sneaking into Gandalf's carriage after the former went to resupply. Raiden narrowed his eyes as a plan formed in his head. He excused himself to the two and went over, circling around to the back of the tent, looking as inconspicuous as he could ( Not exactly easy given the circumstances). He arrived at the cart just in time to see two Hobbits try to sneak away with a huge dragon head-shaped firework, the taller of the two munching an apple to try and look subtle.
'Sunny could do better then those 2' he thought. Sunny couldn't act or lie to save her life and it would still be more believable then what these two were conveying.
And with that he made his presence known by sneaking up behind them and grabbing them by the shoulders. They both yelped in surprise and the shorter of the two dropped the firework in the moment. He turned them around and gave them a stern look, his hands on their shoulders making sure they won't bolt...he had plans after all.
"You boys don't know it's wrong to take other people's stuff without consent ?" he asked them, his voice taking a really low tone further emphasizing the raspyness.
"W-w-we were just getting this to Gandalf sir" The one with the open green waistcoat stuttered. His voice proving Raiden right on their age.
"Really now? Cause he just told me to make sure that piece doesn't leave the cart. You wouldn't lie to your guest would you?" He goaded them. He slightly tightened his grip just enough to drive the point home without causing any real pain in the process. They both started shaking at that. All they wanted was a little laugh, no one would know and no one would get hurt.
"Can you pretend this never happened if we leave it and go?" The older of the two asked hoping to get both of them out of this.
Raiden hummed in thought...in truth he had no intent on doing anything to them, this was just to get a laugh after all, they were just kids. Ambitious and somewhat reckless but that's how most kids are...or rather should be within reason of course.
However..."I might...if you two tell me what you have in mind to do with that" He nodded towards the offending object in the hands of the green coated half-ling.
"Nothing bad i promise, we were just gonna make a spectacle. No ill intent i assure you my lord" The green garbed one confessed. They had taken the bait. He let a small menacing chuckle, suprising and somewhat scaring them. Now for the final push.
"Relax you're both off the hook. Word of advice though? Don't light that thing in the tent. It won't end well for either of you. Go a bit further out the back. and hit the ground when you set it off." He told the two boys.
They didn't seem like they had intentions to harm anyone and so far aside from a few side glances and some colorful yet still cordial gossiping (He was quite amazed at how people talked about him without swearing at all or cursing in any way. Then again no one here said anything mean about him, other then the fact that they didn't really like strangers upsetting their daily routine at least...)
So with that in mind he let them go with a helpful hint to minimize casualties. Now to keep the old wizard occupied...after all how bad could this go?
Pippin couldn't believe his ears! The man was not only letting them go through with their plan, he even told them how to best go about it too!
"Thank you mister Raiden, if you ever find yourself near Green Dragon come in and have a few bears. We'll be buying!" He said grinning from ear to ear earning a raised eyebrow from their guest and a shocked expression on his cousin's face. He looked at Merry and shrugged.
"I'll take you up on that. Now if you'll excuse me i'll be getting back before people wise up to this. You two take care." he left after saying his last, heading back to rejoin the festivities.
Pippin went to take a step, dragon works in hand when an arm grabbed him by the back of his collar and yanked him back harshly. Merry was glaring at him like he did something stupid...which happened quite often now that he thought about it.
"Pippin! Do you ever think before you talk? You have any idea of what just happened?!" Merry was livid with him "He's most likely going to tell Gandalf and then who knows what's gonna happen!" And there it was, the fear that had both of them on their toes. What would Gandalf do to punish them when, not if but WHEN he finds out because he would definately do so.
But there was one difference. One thing that changed. And he was sure of it. "Don't worry, i don't think anything is gonna happen. I don't think mister Raiden will expose us." Merry was scrutinizing him, waiting for him to say something, something dim-witted. Now however was one of those times where Pippin showed his mind can work wonders, which always surprised those around him.
"Didn't you notice the looks he sent both Bilbo and Gandalf after they shoved him into the crowd, Gandalf more so? So, it might stand that he wants us to do this as a way to get back at him and he's keeping all eyes from us. Either way we go through and he gets revenge in a way. All three of us win in this." he was sure of it.
When Pippin ended his little rant, Merry was left gobsmacked at his friend's reasoning something that while a seldom phenomenon happened more often than one might think. If he was right then that meant they could go ahead with no issues! But there was one last thing to address "WHEN we get caught, we need to get to him, alright Pip?" he emphasizes to his cousin, this man was their only defence from the wizard's wrath once he caught them. "Now let's take it outside and on the ground " he couldn't stress that last part more.
Getting a nod from his cousin they hefted the piece and went through the back, putting a few meters between themselves and the rest of the festivities. Once they found it safe to proceed they planted it into the ground and Pippin lit the fuse. Once it started to lift they both went prone on the ground and covered their heads. they head the whistling and the firework shot into the sky only a couple of seconds later.
At first they heard nothing but the constant cheers and celebrations that haven't stopped since their benefactor first introduced himself to the Shirefolk. And then...chaos.
Raiden was angry...no just angry wasn't quite the right word. He was absolutely fuming and if anyone could see him, the glowing red eyes pointed at them would have them run for the hills. And he knew he couldn't blame anyone but himself for this mess, he got so distracted with petty payback that he didn't even think of the fallout his idiotic plan could produce.
He was lucky no one was injured or worse with this bullshit idea of a joke. Frankly he's going take responsibility regardless of what follows because instead of stopping the two midgets from almost commiting mass murder in the first place, he actively enabled them! Even making a diversion so they can execute this insanity without any issues.
'how the hell did we get to this?' was the thought repeating over and over in his head. Up until that point the night was going swimmingly, everyone was going on happily drinking, dancing or just talking about nothing at all. Even Gandalf was none the wiser when he got back, though he was curious about where he went.
He played that off saying he wanted to see how many more fireworks he had to use. Gandalf went along with it but he could still feel the elder man looking at him when he was dragged away quite willingly after some resistance ( the image of 12 little kids trying push him into moving was something that he was going to cherish) into one of the tables.
The task given to him? try to lift them all up at once. For his both his reputation in the Shire and his sanity's safeties he asked them to find their parents and bring them here to watch ( Pedophilia along with alleged sexual assault was common in the US and some countries in Europe so he was not looking forward to opening THAT can of worms). he sat down in front of the bench and leaned his head on it as he waited.
Aside from the aforementioned reasons there was one more he had to send the children away : time to think. So far his time in Middle Earth was turning up quite nicely.
But he hadn't forgotten one thing : Home and everyone he knew was too far away. Gandalf assumed he was not dead like Gray Fox was when he got here but simply transported for some reason. That was a comforting thought but the problem still remains, he had no way of getting home and no way of contacting anyone and that worried him. How were Rose and little John? How were his friends in Maverick? How were Hal and Sunny? How was George recovering? And last but not least how was Bladewolf?
Sure for him only a day has gone by but what about Earth? different planets spun at different intervals around themselves and at different intervals around the Sun. The difference could be anywhere from hours to years apart.
What would happen if the difference was too big. how old would everyone be if he got back? How many would still be alive?
And most importantly would he ever go back to begin with?
All those thoughts were pushed aside when the giggling of children returned, exasperated parents in tow. He schooled himself before anyone would see him and rose to his feet with a smile.
"My daughter told me you wanted to talk to us sir?" one of the mothers asked. brown hair slightly curly dressed in simple clothes and as barefoot as everyone else. Raiden briefly pondered whether or not himself was techically barefoot but was broken out of his stupor when the woman talked. "Sorry to worry you all. Nothing's wrong, your daughter and her friends wanted to play and i thought it'd be better if you're all here" he addressed them all. "And what game needs us all here" a father asked somewhat wearily. He was worried for nothing really.
"They wanna see how strong i am since this one" he pointed at one of the boys who giggled "saw me with the cake. They want to see how many i can lift at once. My way of doing so needs you all to be here as a precaution" he answered. And it was the truth, his experience around people in the modern world is dodgy at best and he was not in the mood for the same to happen here.
He went on to explain "What i had in mind was to lay down under the bench and have the kids sit on it while i lift it up. I need you to be on either side to catch them in case my hands slip.
That was a lie, there was no chance of him losing grip no matter what happens. They were just there so he can make sure there won't be a misunderstanding. They all nodded with none being the wiser.
He took his place and all the kids piled up on the bench. After a warning to hold on to the bench he put his hands up underneath it and slightly spread them and as gently as he could started to push.
As he did his mind was running the numbers. An average dwarfism aflicted person weighed an average of 50 kilos, based on assumptions adult hobbits weighed the same more or less. that would make a hobbit child weigh about 6 to 8 makes a total of 72 to 96 kilos. As he lowered the bench an idea came to him. In a show of display he slowly started doing bench presses to the delight of the kids.
Then he heard the explosion. Instict kicking in he hurriedly put the bench down and stood up in time to watch the firework take the shape of a dragon spreading it's wings and turning to bear down on them.
"EVERYONE GET DOWN" he shouted spurring every one to drop into the ground like their life depended on it. He turned to look behind as frodo managed to push his uncle down right as the fiery death flew above them and just as he was about to go prone himself he saw a little girl just standing on top of the table next to him looking at the thing like a deer caught in the headlights. he leaped to catch her and wrapped himself around her hoping his chassis would shield her as the flaming nightmare engulfed them, burning off Raiden's suit in the proccess.
As the monstrosity flew off and reached the lake it detonated in a grand display of fireworks, everyone went from covering their heads to raising a glass at the sight. Everyone except Raiden. As soon as he unwrapped himself and slumped in relief seeing the girl was unscathed if a bit shellshocked from what just happened he was made immediately aware of what his state of dress was and bolted into one of the tents and looked for something that could fully cover his body.
He would not expose this terror to all of them. Finding a green cloth large enough to cover two tables he quickly wrapped it around himself and then engaged AR vision. Those two little shits were gonna get it.
As Gandalf rose from his position his mind was turning and his eyes were focused. There were 3 people missing , two of whom he knew full well were reaponsible for this debacle. The third and more important one however was nowhere to be seen.
One of the women saw her daughter on a table and made a rush to get her once she saw the burn marks around the child. He made to approach and notoced a detail on the girl, or more accurately on the table. It was bent at the middle and there was a circular scorch mark decorated with small scraps of ...familiar black fabric. He took the largest piece and ran his fingers on it. As he did he saw the mother mumbling as she hugged her daughter and went to speak "Are you alright milady?" he asked, getting the hobbit to look up to him "how did this happen mister Gandalf?" She asked him.
While he knew the answer he thought it best not to give it to her. Instead "I'm afraid my dear that i do not know." He stood fully up now "But i hope it would please you to know that Raiden was the one responsible for your daughters safety" his chest swelled with pride as he declared that in a loud voice eliciting the exact response he was looking for : looks of surprise and growing murmurs at the act. That was followed by everyone looking around for the man. One of the more sober hobbits however came to a harrowing conclusion "You don't think he..." followed by more murmors and just like that all the cheer for a life being saved turned somber at the fact that a life was lost as well.
The grey wizard however was still looking around...there! There was no mistaking the mop of platinum blonde hair nor those glowing devices that covered the eyes. He responded to the half-ling "I would not think so my good fellow, i believe he is very much alive if not a bit inconvienienced at the moment. If you'll excuse me for a minute." he ended and proceeded to one of the tents to the confusion of everyone around him, after all how could someone survive being hit by such a thing? The answer of course was quite simple for the wizard.
The reason it was clear as day? Frank Jaeger. The man's armor allowed him to walk through the fire he and the dwarves started when they were first cornered by Azog and his pack and take the full brunt of Smaug's inferno albeit leaving him at death's door with the armor nearly melting off and fusing with his skin. Of course minutes later they would both meet their end at the lake outside Erebor, but his point stood.
Even though what Raiden had told them may have went in through one ear and out the other, one thing was very clear. Raiden was far more durable then the Gray Fox, a thought that baffled him to no end. If the enemy could arm his armies with such armor would they even have a chance of defeating him? That could wait however as he stepped into the tent. And as he called to him he could feel the man's seething gaze settle on him even with those eye covers.
As Raiden was just getting out the back of the tent a voice stopped him dead in his tracks. He turned his glare at the face that called him, that face belonging to Gandalf. He kept his stare on the older man for a moment before he sighed. "What do you want? Come to tell me off ?" he asked, a bite to his tone that was met with confusion "What do you mean? "
"Don't tell me you didn't see what happened out there." "What i saw is you saving a life my friend" was his answer. he scoffed "It was my fault she almost died in the first place" he said, the eye units receding. Drawing a blank from Gandalf he told him what happened. How he found two Hobbits trying to scurry away with one of his fireworks and how instead of stopping them he urged them on, even giving them advice just for petty revenge. How his idea went overkill and almost got bystanders killed.
"I got to own up to it. I'll tell everyone what happened , apologize for the mess and be gone before everyone knows it" he stated his intentions. As he made to leave a hand on his shoulder stopped him.
He turned to look at Gandalf who was regarding him with a judging stare. "Before you go lad, might i say a word ?" His tone made it clear he wasn't really asking. He nodded and and listened "I admit that i thought you were above this kind of hare-brained stupidity. I believed that you were far more mature then to resort to that. You are correct in that your actions have put these people at peril. But in the end you redeemed yourself". He ended in a tone that spoke of pride making the cyborg do a double take.
"I...what?" he asked.
"Not only did you put yourself in harms way you made sure to warn everyone of the danger. And i assure you that both Merry and Pippin would have likely proceeded with that scheme of theirs regardless of what you would say"
"No i could have easily stopped them...before i sent them on they were asking me to let them go as long as they didn't do anything."
"Then i would repeat my statement and say you redeemed yourself and are forgiven"
"We'll see what they have to say" he ended gesturing with his head towards the party crowd and once again he started for the exit when the old wizard stopped him again.
"I would suggest taking off the sheet then" he told him earning a glare in the process.
"Are you out of your mind? I'm not gonna do this to them!" he said barely holding in a shout and showing his body to Gandalf.
"You showed it to me and Bilbo if i recall"
"That's different and you know it. Look people are afraid of what they don't know and seeing me would freak them all out" he sighed "They don't need to see a cyborg. People back home gave me a hard time and were scared of me because of this and reacted with either fear or disgust. These people don't need the baggage" They really didn't. Neither did he for that matter.
Gandalf it seemed had other ideas "Then perhaps i should let you in on a little secret. The Shirefolk despite being odd of character greatly appreciate honesty. And regardless of what ensued earlier you still put your life in harm's way for them. Had it been anyone else i would not be having this talk."
"Had it been someone else they wouldn't have got to her in time."
"And that is why you must give them the truth. The entirety of it." Gandalf was trying hard to convince him to lay it all out. But it wasn't easy. A compromise then "Fine i'll do it your way but i'm leaving after that got it?"
Gandalf nodded and they finally started to go back to the crowd "Wait what about the other two?" he asked. He wasn't too keen on getting them in the line of fire.
"Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took are both buffoons even at the best of times but there will never be any ill intent in their hearts for anyone in the world. They would not risk hurting anyone if they can help it. I have a punishment in mind for them once we are done with yours."
"Just go easy on them. They don't deserve to get hit for my actions" Raiden pleaded
Gandalf chuckled "It seems i was right about you. Rest assure it will be nothing severe. Now onwards" he urged the cyborg towards the stage where Bilbo was preparing to give his speech. Now where were those two imbeciles?
Raiden took a deep breath as they approached. A hobbit caught sight of him and the rest soon followed with cheers and clapping aplenty. Any other time he would accept it with little care and focus on what's next. Now though he was a nervous wreck, after all what he would say next would earn him the ire of eight hundred or so hobbits followed by another thirty thousand once word got around.
With that happy thought he got next to Bilbo "Sorry to interrupt but i have a few things i need to say. Is that alright?" he said in a subdued tone, much to the elder hobbit's confusion. Nevertheless " Yes of course go right ahead." he accepted, curious to hear what their savior had to say.
Inhale and exhale, was what he did for a few seconds. He gave a cursory look around in order to stall so he can find the words. He sighed, showtime "Sorry for interrupting the speech, i hope so far everything's been satisfactory?" Raiden asked. This was just to see what he could do to set the tone, which was important for what was gonna follow.
He got a positive response, movement caught his eye and he saw a pair of hobbits coming to him the rest parting to let them pass. His eyes narrowed further when he saw who they were. The father took a step forward still a bit weary of the cyborg, not that he could blame him. The Hobbit gathered his wits "I would like to thank you for saving our daughter good sir" he told the cyborg earning a round of cheers all around "However i must know, how did you survive that?" And there it was. The millior dollar question had just been asked as every pair of eyes had seemingly been locked on him right at that moment as the party had been filled with nothing but silence.
His first thought was to just run away with no regards about saying a word. Just make a beeline towards the Bag-End, get his HF case and high-tail it out of there. But a part of him hesitated 'And that is why you must give them the truth, the entirety of it' Gandalf's words were ringing inside his head, urging him to come clean. Damn it.
"Before i say anything i gotta apologize to you and everyone else here. What happened earlier was my fault." he began and gasps were heard at the confession. He saw his two targets at the back of the crowd looking like they swallowed a lemon and the wizards ratively large figure looming behind them
"I uh snuck behind Gandalf's cart to get that dragon-like firework. Wanted to make that the highlight of the night. Something to remember. I didn't think anything bad would happen. I put everyone in danger and some of you could have died because of me" he confessed and there was a long moment of uncomfortable silence to gather what courage he had left. He turned to face the hobbit that asked him barely a moment earlier "The answer as to why both me and your little girl survived? Too complicated to put into words" And with that he dropped the cloth, giving everyone a display of the chassis underneath.
There was not a sound to be made throughout the pavilion, further dragging his already crestfallen mood into the ground. He looked at Bilbo who's face was somewhere between pity and disappointment "Thanks for everything." and walked away.
Pippin was looking at the man with barely concealed shock. As if this couldn't get any worse, not only did they put the people at risk with their prank almost doing the unthinkable in the process, the outsider was shouldering the blame for them himself!
He turned to his cousin "Merry come on. This is our fault, we can't let him do this." he said as he shook the older hobbit. Alas they were to late as Gandalf snatched them both by their ears, earning two painful yelps in the process.
They looked up in horror at the wizard as he looked at them with more exasperation then actual anger "Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took" he looked at each as he addressed them by name "I might have known it was you." Pippin was shaking and he was sure his ear was being pulled a bit more forcefully then Merry's but that wasn't important.
What is important right now is what the man was showing to everyone and his expression while doing so. He looked as though he was exposing everyone to a horror he was meant to protect them from. The hobbit could see a slight discoloration on his yellow shoulders but that was about it as far as damage went. Was he wearing that armor underneath his clothes?
A closer look at the man's neck however proved that assumption wrong since it looked as if his head was connected to that rather then just wearing it over his body. That realization made Pippin's mind stop for a moment to try and process that.
Merry however recovered much quicker and looked up to their captor for answers "Gandalf what is going on? Why are they looking at him like that?" That second question was reffering to the looks of thinly veiled horror some of the younger and most of the adult hobbit's were sending Raiden's way. Whether that was at his appearance or confession was up in the air.
Gandalf humphed "That Merry is his punishment." Alarms went off in the mind of the young Took. Punishment !? For what? "We were the ones who did this why should he take the blame?" That wasn't fair. They were the ones who launched it and Pippin himself came up with the idea. Raiden didn't do anything wrong. He just advised...them.
"You understand it now don't you?" Gandalf asked him, seeing the realization dawning in his face.
"Understand what?" Merry asked still confused as Gandalf released them both.
He started when Gandalf cut in "Raiden believes he was the sole person responsible for this debacle by not only allowing you to proceed with your foolishness but aid you as well. In his mind he was the one who lent you the match and lit it up." he explained to the older of the two who's eyes also nearly popped out at the conclusion.
"We would have done that either way. It doesn't matter that he let us." That was true, had he not been there they would have fired it anyway.
"When we spoke earlier he told me he was quite sure he could persuade you to think otherwise. His strength alone could certainly convince you." His strength? What does...'that's right' Pippin thought as he rolled his still sore shoulder from when he found them earlier.
Pippin tried to persist, Raiden shouldn't be doing this "Please let us go, we have to tell the truth!" as Pippin tried to free himself, the hand holding his ear twisted a bit more harshly making him grunt. "This is not one of times you foolishly barge in Peregrin Took" Gandalf scolded him. But he didn't care, this was wrong. Nothing about this was Raiden's fault.
Merry however was curious on the why. "Gandalf why are you letting this happen? Why not let us explain?" Pippin agreed with his cousin, they should be up there not him.
Finally Gandalf relented "I want you two to think. Right now Raiden is taking the blame. What's the worst thing they can do to him regardless of this being an accident and regardless of the result?"
That stopped Pippin further protesting and set his gears to go. What's the worst they could do to him? He was an outsider, no relations in the Shire whatsoever. As such their laws for outsiders would apply : stop all relations and deny any hospitality or request and try to make him leave the Shire.
He told Gandalf so. "Correct, the worst they can do is kick him out of the Shire. And should he return he would be scorned by all" the wizard explain as they saw the strange man walk away leaving the crowd earily quiet, he never liked this kind of silence. "Whether or not something similiar or worse could happen to you besides being ostracized i am unsure. However you would be affected far more then Raiden. Unlike most hobbits he is quite capable of surviving alone in the wilds and should thieves or bandits cross him he can react and fend them all off accordingly." Gandalf was right the young Took inwardly said, Hobbits just weren't made for such circumstances.
Merry however was elsewhere "He's doing this for us? To protect us?" Gandalf nodded and with that he released them both before grabbing them again and turning them around. To piles and piles and piles of mugs, glasses, plates and cutlery. They knew the consequences they'd face wouldn't be as severe but this was still a bit much.
they hung their heads and split their duties. Pippin would fill buckets of hot soap water while Merry started washing and Pippin would join him when all the buckets are full. However he had one last thing to do before they started. "Gandalf can i at least go talk to him? If i go now maybe i could catch him."
He'd have to make a short run but he was certain he could catch up. Both Gandalf and his cousin looked at him with something akin to pride. Gandalf nodded and gestured for him to go. Merry simply nodded " I can do a bit without you Pip. Go." his face split into a grin and he immediately took off.
At the very least he could apologize to him.
"How did this happen" was a question Raiden found himself asking a lot more then usual. Normally he was able to just flow with everything but this wasn't a mission. Or a debate about societal rights or third world problems. No tonight he screwed up big time.
Why did he have to act so childish? His little plan had crashed worse then Kubica did in 2007 which was saying a lot for his psyche. It wasn't that he wasn't used to people getting hurt or dying around him no, that was everyday life for a man who's nickname is 'Jack the Ripper' ."At least everyone's fine..." small mercy he guessed.
As he kept walking towards Bilbo's house he was lamenting the party. It had been too long since he had that much fun outside of seeing his son. He couldn't even remember the last time he was in a party for reasons outside of work (Missing Meryl's wedding and Sunny making her first friend was something he regretted to this day) and he blew it in every sense of the word.
As he was nearing the Bag-End he heard two sets of footsteps. He turned around and to his surprise one of the two hobbit's, Pippin if he recalled was running towards him. That explained one set but where was the other?
As the hobbit stopped in front of him, pausing to catch his breath he raised an eyebrow. What did he want now? He waited to see what he would say and used the time to scan around for where the other person might be.
As he did the kid started to talk "Mister Raiden i-" he ignored the rest of the kod's tirade of apology, it could wait.
Engaging AR he found nothing but as he turned behind him his retinal display started glitching and static filled his vision.
He grunted from this annoyance and a second later everything was clear once again...what? He turned around frantically trying to find it. A thought struck him then, adjusting his settings he started looking further up the road and his sight started going haywire again.
But he caught a glimpse of a sihouette going up the road...towards the bag-end! He turned to the hobbit " hold that thought" and took off towards Bilbo's house. Something wasn't right and he was not gonna have another mess tonight.
'That was fun' Bilbo thought as he walked towards home, ring in hand and invisible to all as he did so. He stopped for a moment when he saw young Pippin making a run towards his home and quickened his step to see why.
And he saw Raiden, head hung low and slowly trudging toward his home, most likely to collect that box and try and leave. Hah! as if he or or any Hobbit at his party would let him after what happened. Not that they could stop him bu-but you get the point! After the cyborg, was he saying that right? left and kind of stopped his plans for the end of the night 'momentarily at least' there were murmors and hushed talks among the crowd on what would they do.
One side insisted that he was a 'disturber of the peace' just like Gandalf and a danger to them all while the other said that 'normally no outsider would rush himself for their good like Raiden did'
creating a forwards and backwards debate with constant yes and no's all around.
Having enough he decided to intervene "All of you are right" he shouted, miraculously stopping everyone's ranting. All eyes were on him now.
"You are right that Raiden is not one to stay in quietness and peace as it unsettles him" his body and his expression were constantly tense as if he was waiting for something ro happen "And you are also right in that he put us all in danger" He said, not really believing his or Raiden's earlier words.
He carried himself like Frank, like a soldier and if his relationship with Jaeger's comrade Solid Snake (who Raiden claimed was both a friend and mentor) was anything to go by he would not have done so if he could help it. Also the way he talked about what happened made it sound as if he was hiding something.
And he told them so "But he would not do so had he been able to. He is quite capable with handling things like fireworks and even though he lost control in this case what was the first thing he did? Did he feign ignorance and leave us all unaware?" He really doubted that. "Raiden was the first to see it's direction and warned us all the moment he did."
He didn't even have to mention the man's action's following said warning.
As he finished everyone broke out into hushed murmors again one Hobbit asked Bilbo "Then why did he hide himself? Why show us some fancy armor as an excuse and then leave?" Bilbo noticed the man hadn't realized he had unwittingly answered his own question.
When he first showed it to him and Gandalf asked " was it of your own will?" Raiden answered "Not the first. The other three were" and there was a tone of venom in that sentence. He had accepted what he was but he hated himself for it.
He had also noticed that not one person here had noticed it was not armor but the man's very body that he used as a shield. But they didn't need to know that. It was not something he should reveal lwt alone without Raiden's consent.
And that's how he adressed the protester "I'm afraid that's his secret to tell." And he left that matter there. "But i can assure you that he has no ill intent for any of us here. If he had i doubt he would have acted as he did" and that was it.
Now to try and see if he could still pull it off. He pulled the ring out of his pocket and put his hands behind his back "If there is something you wish to say i would suggest you find him, as for me my good people" he put the ring on...and vanished in front of everyone's eyes.
He stood there for a moment as he commited their faces to memory for future laughs then scampered off to his house, preperations were set and he had a long road ahead.
As he walked by Pippin and Raiden he noticed something that he thought no one outside of Lord Thranduil could do: Raiden was looking right at him as he passed the man. 'That can't be right.' he thought. He watched as those devices receded from his eyes to the sides of his head and he rubbed his eyes as if it taxed him. He didn't spare another moment as he continued with a now quickened step.
As he opened the door to enter his eyes almost bugged out of their place as Raiden vaulted over his garden fence and was running for...STRAIGHT AT HIM!!
He hastily hid behind the door, took off the ring and hid it in his pocket, no one was allowed to touch his precious.
As the taller man got in his eyes started scaning every inch as if he was chasing someone. Then his eyes which he swore glowed red for a split moment settled on his old frame and he shook his head.
"Bilbo? Weren't you back at the party when i left?" he asked, confused and somewhat irritated. Rightfully so if the hobbit was being honest. He went to grab one of his walking sticks and a pair of candles as they went to the sitting room
"Well i was yes, you see-" he started to explain when a voice cut him off from nowhere "I suppose you thought that was very clever didn't you?!" Gandalf asked with a tone of anger, making Bilbo jump in surprise and further confusing Raiden. He felt a hit of pity for the man, after all he didn't know about the ring's ability nor was he familiar with Gandalf's habits.
"Come on Gandalf, did you see their faces? I swear i won't forget them" He told the wizard as he packed the candles in his backpack
"There are many magic rings in this world Bilbo Baggins and none of them should ever be used as lightly as you just did." the grey garbed man chastised. However before Bilbo can concede to that point Raiden cut them off with a lot more heat then he thought the man had.
"Magic ring? Are you nuts? Look i've had enough of this shit for tonight. I remember leaving you both back at the party and there's no goddamn way you'd get here faster when i had a ten minute head start. Now explain yourselves before i blow a gasket" he demanded his eyes once again glowing red with anger, this time noticed by both Hobbit and Isthari.
Gandalf took the initiative "While i can't really say much about my methods" he began earning a grunt in response "Bilbo here has long been in possesion of a ring he came across in our journey to Erebor. A ring i recall warning to use both sparingly and carefully. A ring that so far simply renders our Hobbit invisible to the naked eye."
Bilbo, sufficiently chastised decided to change the subject as he went around grabbing his pipe and his book and stuffing them in the pack "It was just a bit of fun, something they sorely needed right now." he deflected. Not seeing a response he sighed "Oh you're probably right as usual." As an afterthought he added "And Raiden, Gandalf though being doubted often, is a wizard. He tends to do such things really." he told his otherwordly aquaintance "And since you mentioned the party, can you explain to me what happened? And i would like the truth if you please." he beckoned.
Raiden seemed apprehensive at that, he knew the younger man in front of him was hiding something from the whole thing. "What truth? I already confessed in front of everyone! What else do you want me to say?" he was bearly shouting at that point, had the experience affected him that badly?
Gandalf then decided to step in getting a look of warning from Raiden, of course his friend wasn't intimidated. "Raiden, dear Bilbo had never laid a hand on my fireworks. What you saw was the machinations of Merry and Pippin..." he went on to explain the situation, leaving Raiden to just sit down on the floor next to the fireplace, silently fuming at the night's events.
Bilbo had a look of realization once he learned of what really transpired. Of course it was those two behind it all. "I agree with Gandalf." he told the downtrodden man "I should have guessed that those two scamps had cooked the whole thing up. Can't blame them for it either i suppose, despite the circumstances neither Merry or Pippin have even an ounce of dislike for anyone and their intentions were pure. Of course that doesn't excuse them but all's well that ends well really" he finished.
No one, not even Gandalf could forsee what happened and it's not like anyone was hurt in the end thank goodness. "You did a brave thing, both in saving the child and shifting the blame to yourself but why such harshness?" He couldn't help but ask in the end.
Raiden lowered his head for a second, thinking on how to word his reasoning. After a minute of silence he rose from his position "I've had some experiences with 'demolition' or explosive experts. And to out it mildly they both ended in disaster." he explained. It made sense in Bilbo's mind, why is the guilt eating at him like that and while Raiden again most likely omitted the details he had enough to form a general picture.
"I see..." he said in a low tone as he loaded his bag with a few more amenities for the road. Since the subject had gotten far too dark he decided to change it.
Turning to Gandalf he asked "You will keep an eye on Frodo won't you?" aside from his final journey that was his highest priority: make sure Frodo will be looked after.
Gandalf added "Two eyes, as often as i can spare them" that was a comfort and a half on the Hobbit's mind as he took his book and stuffed it in as well. It wouldn't do if he forgot to take it "I'm leaving everything to him. Including the Bag-End" he informed as he organized his belongings.
Raiden who'd taken to leaning on the wall with his arms crossed joined in "Where're you going?" he asked.
"An old aquaintance had made me a proposal quite some time ago to go stay with him. He left it open till now and i decided to accept" he told the cyborg, who hummed in contemplation. Right he never told him about his little talk with lord Elrond when he narrated his journey with Thorin.
"And you're leaving right now in the dead of night? Doesn't sound like a good idea" Raiden said, worried for him. It was always nice to know someone's worried about you.
Nevertheless it was unfound "I wouldn't worry, the old forest east of here is quite free of danger. If all goes well i should be there in about...five days or so" Bilbo assumed, making Gandalf hum in thought and Raiden more worried "You sure you don't want me to come with you?" his expression was one of worry but there was something else that he wasn't saying.
He wondered "Are you proposing this out of worry or so you can leave the Shire?" Bluntness was Bilbo's friend at the moment it seemed for Raiden's brooding had returned full force- which was a shame really, the boy for again he was almost thrice the man's age- and he went back to leaning on the wall.
"You got me. I'm planning to leave either way. At first i thought i can just pack up and get out with no one else noticing, then you two" he pointed at him and Gandalf "Just made that impossible by popping in whenever you want and just vanishing" he turned to Bilbo "And by the way? That ring doesn't cover you, not completely at least" he informed the elder Hobbit alarming him in the process. The ring didn't cover him? That was ridiculous, the spiders couldn't see him, Smeagol couldn't see him, Smaug could only smell the ring and as far as he was concerned Lord Thranduil was simply all-seeing. And Gandalf was Gandalf...nothing else to say there.
He needed to voice his opinion, however Gandalf beat him to it "And how is it you're able to do what very few people are so capable of?" Gandalf knew exactly who and who couldn't 'see' Bilbo when he vanished and just so made Bilbo curious as to how the otherworlder is one of those people.
Raiden was thinking, should he come clean with this and just show them how or lie and simply say something idiotic like 'i can sense him' which sounded completely bonkers.
He had a few sensors: motion and heat along with a threat detector which was attuned to regular people, partial and full Cyborgs, UG's and even enviromental hazards but the ring rendered them pretty much useless unless he cranked up the settings to max and adjust the parameters.
Vital monitors and the soliton Radar operated normally however instead of satelite imagery all he had to go with was map and his own admittedly lacking scouting data.
AR vision however utilized low light, infrared and every other visual aid that's intergrated in HUD's and HMD's making life easier in general.
He settled on giving an answer both nice and short, engaging his eye units he turned to face Gandalf "These two aren't just eye protection, they provide me with a full analysis of my peripheral, improve vision and give me the ability to see in different spectrums" he explained to them. He was in no mood to give them un great lecture on military grade visual aids. Nor was he tell them they function as audio and video recorders.
"But it's not perfect, when i turned to his direction my sight started...flickering for lack of a better word" static is not a term anyone here'd know "Even with proper adjustments all i can see is a shade in his shape but it gives me a hell of a migraine if i look at him for too long" which in his opinion 10 seconds were far too short a time if he can't normally see an enemy and distractions like that are detrimental.
Gandalf absorbed the new information, which he wasn't expecting. He would have thought this ring if it was the one he suspected would have given Bilbo the ability to vanish as he pleased and in reality very few could even see him in some form or fashion but he never would have imagined Raiden's glorified spectacles (Artificial compound eye units was quite a mouthful) would be of any use tracking the Hobbit.
Frank's helmet while aided him to see through walls and such was unable to see the then young Hobbit in the slightest.
"Of course there are other ways to track you in that state" The man said which turned his mind upside down. "And what would that way be Raiden?" Gandalf asked because so far this was interesting enough to momentarily take his mind off the fact that Bilbo hasn't mentioned leaving the ring to his nephew.
"Sound?" he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, which in hindsight made some sense, however "Care to expand?" he more or less ordered the cyborg.
"When Pippin, that's the kid's name right?" he asked Bilbo who nodded at him " When Pippin came running to me i heard two sets of footsteps rather then one. When the kid stopped i still heard the 2nd step but i couldn't see where from. " he explained them faced Bilbo "People might not be able to see you but if someone pays enough attention they can hear you. And depending on the terrain they can also see your footsteps" he added, giving Gandalf the impression of Raiden having experience in hunting.
Footsteps or any other sign availiable is what hunters use to hunt their quarry, quite a rudimentary but altogether useful skill these days.
"Thank you for the information my boy, now as for the ring" he adressed Bilbo who suddenly became completely still "I don't suppose you'll be leaving that to Frodo as well?" It was phrased as a question at the very least "Yes,yes it's in an envelope on the mantle-piece." Bilbo said absentmindedly as he stuffed his bag and organized it.
Gandalf saw Raiden taking his seat on the floor back and observed for the time being. As he turned to look for said envelope Bilbo made him turn back "No it's...right here." the hobbit said as patted his shirt "In my pocket" and took the ring out of it's resting place.
As Raiden looked at Bilbo he saw this mysterious ring that doubled as a cloaking device, something thay still sounded absurd in his head.
As he made a scan he noticed a few things. First it was made of some gold mixed with an nknown alloy? No imperfection's no blemishes or anything which was odd considering Bilbo had the thing on him and used it semi-reguraly for about sixty years
The second thing which started raising alarms in his head was that it had an unknown energy signature.
And finally third which was even more disturbing was that it felt wrong on a fundamental level. Really wrong. And he swore he was hearing a whisper the more he looked at it.
He was broken out of his train of thought when Bilbo started hissing "Why shouldn't i keep it?" he asked himself. 'The hell is going on?'
It got even weirder when Gandalf stood tense and straight as an arrow as he approached Bilbo with a look of caution that he didn't think suited the old man.
"I think you should leave the ring Bilbo. Is that so hard?" He asked with grave seriousness. Raiden hastily stood up when the atmosphere changed. Something was about to happen and for once he wasn't sure whether to butt in or hit the deck.
He looked as Bilbo turned his head trying to act nonchalant " Well no..." for all of two seconds "and yes" he started whispering again.
It got even weirder when the hobbit started to lovingly caress the ring "When it comes to it, i don't feel like parting with it. It's mine, i found it, it came to me" he was nearly shouting with a tone that screamed obsession.
Raiden for his part tried to placate the elder hobbit and diffuse things "Whoa easy, no need to get angry about this" he told Bilbo, and the angry sneer threw him off guard.
Bilbo turned his head back to look at the cyborg "Well if am angry it's all your fault" he growled at Raiden as he continued to caress the ring. He looked to his side to Gandalf who was completwly focused on his friend "It's mine" Bilbo said "My only...My precious" he ended in an whisper that sounded like he had an addiction and his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets at the decleration. 'Precious?' Raiden thought.
This was wrong and before he could get another word in, Gandalf decided to intervene, the look becoming even more dead serious then before. "Precious? I've heard it beong called that before. But not from you." Gandalf said. Before? He could understand a ring having multiple owners, but all of them becoming so smitten and taken with it?
Gandalf's deduction served to make Bilbo even more pissed off "Neither the businesses of you two on what i do with my own things" he started snarling when he said that. Raiden at this point was at a loss for words. What the hell is that ring and why is it causing this mess?
"I think you've had that ring quite long enough Bilbo.." Gandalf declared. The finality in his tone meant this debacle was about to end. He look towards Raiden and he took the message 'Don't interfere'.
He looked to Bilbo who started backing away " Yo-you just want it for yourself" he said in response. How did he get to that conclusion? Why would he want thing?
"BILBO BAGGINS!!!" Gandalf bellowed. That wasn't surprising for the cyborg since he was getting fed up with his friend. No what was raising prison alarms in his head and made his hand snap to the knife sheathed in his ankle was the fact that the house was groaning and buckling under strain by the wizard's outburst.
The lighting seemed to almost disappear and Gandalf appeared taller and slightly darker in general. The look on his face screamed anger and he was about to lunge and stab him when the wizard spoke "DO NOT TAKE ME FOR SOME CONJURER OF CHEAP TRICKS!! I AM NOT TRYING TO ROB YOU!".
Bilbo who looked scared out of his mind started sobbing. As everything returned to normal, Raiden calmed himself and Gandalf's expression softened considerably "I'm trying to help you" he pleaded to his friend and embraced the now crying Hobbit.
He watched with sadness as he understood what happened, at least he hoped. That ring whatever it was made off exuded some sort of influence over Bilbo. An influence that only festered all these years and he hadn't even noticed it until this moment.
He looked as Gandalf knelled down and layed his hands on Bilbo's shoulders. "Throughout your long years we have been friends. Trust me as you once did. Let it go Bilbo" he asked hoping to break through to him.
A look of realization dawned on Bilbo as he took the words in "You're right Gandalf" Bilbo said "The ring mist go to Frodo" he agreed and with a sniff he put his pack on and picked up a long walking stick from the corner "Well, it's getting late, the road is long...yes it's time" he said as he opened the door.
He was stopped by Gandalf "Bilbo..." Said Hobbit Looke back and Raiden took a chance to finally rejoin the conversation "Ring's still in your pocket you know."
To Bilbo's credit he seemed as if he forgot about that "oh? ah-ah yes" and took the ring in his palm.
Both cyborg and wizard looked as Bublo opened his palm and started to turn it, looking as if it took all his will to do so with the ring refusing to move from it's position until the open hand was upside down and it fell with a thump far heavier then it Raiden thought possible. And it didn't bounce either, it was as if there was a magnet where ut fell. He scanned it again. Aside from gold and this unknown alloy there was nothing else and neither material looked dense enough to produce that sound or disobey physics.
Bilbo immediately got out the door and took a deep breath of relief. They followed him outside "I've thought up an ending for my book." he started to say, they listened "And he lived happily everafter...to the end of his days" It sounded good to him and Gandalf verbally agreed. "And i'm sure you will, dear friend" he reassured Bilbo.
Bilbo's expression became neutral, trying to keep himself steady and held out a hand to his old friend "Goodbye Gandalf." he said in a low tone and Gandalf took his hand in both of his in a gesture of friendship.
He then turned to Raiden "It's been a pleasure meeting you Raiden. I hope you find your way home"
he held out a hand again.
Raiden smiled at the old Hobbit's words "Likewise and thanks. You sure you don't want me to give you an escort?" he asked, worried about earlier.
Bilbo smiled warmly "Thank you very much for the offer but i must decline" he told him. He knew it wasn't an issue but he nevertheless offered in kindness.
"At least do me a favour?" He asked the hobbit who looked quizzically "I'd like a copy of the book for my son when you're finished" he revealed garnering chuckles from both his elders.
"That i accept my young friend. You have my word" he told the cyborg with a grin. "Well time to go" he declared and left, singing as he exited his garden and starting for his final destination.
Gandalf turned to loom at him "You've given him quite a thought Raiden" he said, and the cyborg agreed "From what i understand he's writing his life story right? If he wants it to be read John would love to have the honors for that" He confessed, john loved reading fiction's written like Journals and he was sure he'd be ecstatic to have a go at Bilbo's book.
"I must thank you for staying out of what happened inside Raiden" Gandalf said, he scoffed at that "I almost didn't. Would've stabbed you if you moved towards Bilbo." he told the wizard while showing he still had the knife on him, earing a surprised look at that "You didn't believe i would have harmed him did you?"
"At first no but your little show almost told me otherwise. If you hadn't talked you'd be dead 2 seconds later. Had me up and ready and Bilbo looked like he was about to pass out." he told the wizard as they went back in and closed the door.
"My apologies, it was the only way to break through and convince him" Gandalf informed. He understood well enough, at least he thought he did.
"No worries, all's well that ends well." he absolved, it all worked out in the end.
As they stood over the ring he looked as Gandalf went to pick it up, only to flinch and pull his hand away as if it stung him, his expression serious.
He leaned down to pick it up and a deep feeling of wrongness creeped up his spine when he held it. He started hearing whispers in some weird language. A voice in his head that chilled him to his core. and a glimpse of a burning eye flashed in his eyes before he immediately dropped it.
He looked to Ganfalf with a look of horror at what he just experienced. "What the hell was that?" he asked with his tone just slightly above muttering.
A/N: And that's about it for now. I'm sorry it took this long to get this out but a lot has been going on in my life from March till now.
Also sorry for ending this part so abruptly.
I would have liked to finish this chapter just as Raiden walked away from the party but then ideas started popping up in my head and i couldn't stop. Hopefully what i've cooked up here will keep you satisfied until i can figure out how to continue.
I'm also checking for grammar errors and proper spacing since this was written during busy days.
One last thing, as i've said at the start i'm pretty much stringing things along and only have a clear setup for certain scenes.
So it takes a good bit to get a chapter started and even more to actually do something proper for it.
As always reviews are welcomed as are suggestions and changes that might improve the story.
Any ideas you have just post a review or Pm me, I'd love to read what you all have in mind.
And with that i'll see you folks later. Goodnight