Colin's posts

Again, she could still feel the gaze on her... but she then noticed that the person seemed to 'come to their senses for a moment', and shook their head.

She then heard them properly knock on the door.

"Yes?" she called to them, though she was still on-edge.

However, the door opened more fully, and she saw it was Ilias, though he looked like he'd been sweating a lot.

"Uh, hey Mira." he greeted her.

"I was sent to check on the status of that weapon you were commissioned to make."

On one of the times she flicked her gaze towards the door... she noticed something.

The door was slightly ajar. It had been completely closed before, but it was now slightly open.

And she swore she saw someone peering in at her.

However, it seemed like they hadn't noticed that she was casting quick gazes to the door... as they were still staring.

She could almost feel their gaze on her.

Just as she made it to the door, she heard something.

Something that she wouldn't have heard if the music had been going.

She heard some...thing... move past the other side of the door. Normally she would have assumed that it was another member of R&D, but the movement was so quick and 'silent', that it couldn't be.

And she didn't SEE anyone walk past, either.

Whatever it was, it seemed like it wanted to remain undetected... which was suspicious as all get-out.

".....right." Hal said.

"As it stands, your access to the Unit will be suspended, but you will still be on the payroll." he told her.

"You still have a job, and given this new info that seems to be rising, the repercussions from this will not be so severe." he continued, before looking at those around him.

"...at least, not on MY end." he muttered.

He then clapped his hands, and everyone in the room except Roxie disappeared, and reappeared in the medical wing of the Unit.

"Now... let's get you all in proper beds, and analysed." he mumbled.

Hal raised an eyebrow, and lowered his arms when she said what she did at the end.

"Hm? '...whatever the hell that was'?" he asked her.

"Agent Culverton, I am going to disappear, and take all these people with me to the medical wing." he told her.

"However, before I do, I must ask you something." he continued.

"...looking back on it, your initial reaction was NOT something expected, to put it lightly." he commented. "And your last comment makes it even MORE puzzling." he went on.

"Were you in a right state of mind while you were doing this?" he outright asked her.

Hal narrowed his eyes.

"Agent Culverton, as it stands, your employment is in SERIOUS jeopardy." he told her bluntly.

"However, if you break this up immediately, your chances of keeping your job will go up." he then said.

"And when I say immediately, I mean NOW." he finished.

She could tell that Hal was not happy, and he was not in the mood for games. And she could see why, looking around her.

There was no graceful way out of this, and humour would only make it much worse.

Hal then crossed his arms over his chest, waiting.

At this point, Hal was infuriated.

He merely pointed a finger towards her, his mana collecting in the tip of it.

"Agent Culverton, you will cease this!" he told her.

"IMMEDIATELY!" he commented.

A blast of his mana then shot out from his finger towards her, landing right in her chest.

However, it didn't hurt her. His intention was to give her a moment of potential clarity... or just shock her into being herself. He didn't know why she was doing this, and right now? He didn't care why.

He just knew it was stopping.

NOW.

Ilias was silent as Kiah said what she did, tears welling up in his eyes.

"I'm sorry..." he apologised.

"I'll... I'll go home." he told her.

"I'm so sorry..." he apologised again, still shaking a little from his previous outburst.

Meanwhile, Hal had made his way to a house, and to the front door.

He knew what was going on in there. And he was NOT happy in the slightest. He approached the front door, and unsurprisingly, it was locked. He used his mana to force it open, though, and shut it behind him.

He then made his way up the stairs towards another closed door, before using his mana to literally bust the door open.

"AGENT ROXANNA CULVERTON!" he growled loudly, as he did so.

Ilias didn't respond immediately... and when she got close. his snakes darted out of his hair, hissing and baring their fangs at her... and Ilias, himself, let out a snake-like noise, his eyes flaring up in a reptilian way.

...until he caught himself after a fraction of a second, and clamped his hands over his mouth.

Kiah then saw the horror in his eyes, as he realised what he did.

"...n-no!" he exclaimed.

"Stay away!" he told her.

"I'm a monster!"

"Ngh..." Ilias grunted, as he grasped at his hair.

"No..." he said.

"No, that's not true!" he exclaimed.

"I... I need to keep them hidden... I need to keep MYSELF hidden..." he said further, his will wavering slightly.

But he then shook his head, and started to look around furiously.

"WHO ARE YOU!? WHERE ARE YOU!?" he demanded.

"SHOW YOURSELF!"

Ilias's eyes widened a little, and his pupils shrank as he heard what the voice said, and felt... whatever it was on his shoulder.

He opened his mouth to say something, but his mouth was dry, his voice gone. He couldn't bring himself to speak.

He then whirled around to catch whomever was there...

...but they were gone.

It was as though nobody had been there at all.

He then almost staggered to the floor, but kept himself standing, holding the side of his head.

"...pretend to be innocent...?" he whispered.

"Am... I really just... a monster...?"

Hal just smirked slightly.

"Of course." he replied.

He then snapped his fingers, and she saw his eyes flash hollow and vacant for a second, showing he'd gained the knowledge he sought.

...and then she saw him take on an expression of pure anger. He was livid.

But he was remaining calm... which, frankly, made it worse.

"Thank you, Dr. Remmington." he said to her, doing his best to keep his tone level.

"I must be going now." he said further.

"Oh, and before you ask, they're fine." he assured her.

"I need you to make a wish for me." he told her.

"I cannot affect my own state unless someone makes a wish." he sighed.

He then wrote something on a piece of paper and showed her.

I wish you knew the location and status of Ezekiel LeBlanc and Angela Edwards it read.

"Just read that of verbatim." he told her.

"It seems they're both missing. Zeke went missing first, Angela went to search for him, and now Liv called, saying Angela never called her school." he continued.

"So I'm getting to the bottom of this MYSELF." he stated.

"...but I need help for that. From one that knows what I am."

"No need to apologise." Hal assured her.

"I'll get someone to call the school for you." he continued.

With that, they ended the call, and he gritted his teeth.

He then made his way to the secretary, and placed his hands on her desk.

"Two things." he said.

"One: Please page Kiah Remmington to my office. NOW." he told her.

"Two: If a child comes calling for me, specifically one saying she's Olivia Edwards, you patch her through to me. ASAP. No matter WHAT." he continued.

"All right?" he asked with a smile, though there was definite ire in his undertone.