Shadows Over Camp Darkness

Gideon wasn’t entirely sure what had everyone freaked out more; seeing the Dragon in a Midform or seeing a carcass converted into vapor and get absorbed  into her body without a trace. Of course, there were one or two silently pissing themselves because they were able to See the influx of Power that came with the gore. Gidster’s aura would be flushed a dark magenta currently, her own power cannibalizing this gift. Doctor Cyr just watched her as Jasper spat out another Power word to try and bring Gideon down. His previous one had been smart and calculated; this one was vicious and so much more impressive. Its intent was to try and bleed the Fury dry of her Power, an act that would be fatal for many Portentums. The Warlock had seen the 온라인카지노게임 as he wanted to and acted accordingly. Good instincts on him. The Power word stabbed at Gideon and she allowed it to penetrate her shields. This would be one lesson that everyone was going to learn the hard way, and it was not something a Fury was too keen to do with witnesses all over. The energy that bled out of Gideon in a volcanoes eruption was raw and untempered, and so volatile that it revealed itself in the visual spectrum as a dark purple glow. The only thing keeping it from hostility assaulting all freely was Gideon pairing the power to her zap, guiding the raw force to lash out whip like. But the Fury only let it lick at the auras of those around her for a moment before she hauled the power back. She wanted the Warlock especially to know just how easily she could turn his little Power Word back on him.

“One day you are going to realize just how grateful you should be that I’m on the Camp’s side.” Gideon’s voice was too pleased and filled with dreadful promise to sound appropriate. She’d enjoyed lashing out like that and hadn’t hidden that enjoyment at all. “Doctor Cyr, we have a lot to discuss. My kids are going to be down for another few minutes but then they’ll be back on their feet.” Gideon needed to find a way to burn off the suddenly pent up energy inside, it was critical that she find something to channel it into because it was flinging through her system like a psychotic poltergeist.

“Councillor Gideon, as of this moment you are suspended from duty until we can determine the nature of today’s events.” The Dragon grumbled out and Gideon stills despite the jittery energy inside. This was standard operating practice and not an insult but Gids still wanted to raise her lip in disgust at the idea. She was always going to be the usual suspect; one would think she’d be used to that concept by now. Still, wounded pride is never a fatal wound, so Gideon simply held out her wrists in symbolic surrender. It’s not like handcuffs would hold her for very long. And she’s already dismantled the Warlock’s attempt to restraint her psychokinetically.

“I don’t know what’s going on but this is just the beginning. You need to bring in more help and soon.” Gideon tried to warn the Dragon even as she allowed him to approach her and take her into custody. In this case the Dragon simply rested a hand on her shoulder.

“I’m sure that once your Intake regains consciousness, they’ll provide an unbiased review of events.” Virgil offered, voice as close to non judgemental as he could make it. The Trickster was known to be the Fury’s paramour and yet he had a job to do, which wasn’t making any of this easier on him, or her for that matter.

Gideon kept the hurt off her face and buried deep but with his Empathic sensitivity she had to focus to stay out of his ‘sight’. As the head of security, and since he was handy with quick travel, Virgil was the one to bring Gideon in to the main building where the Dragon entered moments later. Some very long, tense and silent moments. This was one of those occasions Gideon remembered it’s a bad idea to get involved with someone she worked with. Or in her case, it’s a bad idea to get involved period. It just leads to friction like this.

“Gotta say Gideon, that didn’t look so great on you.” Virgil waited to voice the comment until after the Dragon arrived.

Gideon flicked her eyes to look at Virgil’s apologetic body language but her attention returned to Doctor Cyr, the Dragon staring at her with Neutral eyes. “You and I both know that I didn’t set that little scene up.” Gideon finally broke the teeth grindingly tense silence. It was Virgil’s turn to shrug off hurt as Gideon intentionally ignored his presence and excluded him from her conversation.

“Someone or something badly wants your attention, and then wants you truly isolated.” The Dragon’s words, the simple acceptance that they express, makes Gideon swallow harshly. She had expected to argue, to have to prove that she wasn’t the bad guy; but he just took her at her word. It was a surprisingly nice feeling.

“Any clue what wants to do you in?” Virgil interjects, unwilling to be discarded and left out of the conversation despite Gideon’s anger. She shoots him a look that lets the Trickster know he’s still in hot water with her, but the Fury manages not to snarl at him. To his benefit, Virgil doesn’t shy away from the anger in Gideon’s hostile glare, he simply meets the gaze. “Yes I doubted you. I’m sorry but I’m still used to thinking that you’re the biggest badass around.” His apology is blunt and Gideon appreciates the simplicity of it.

“Oh, you’ll be apologizing more than just that, but after this is all handled.” Gideon warns and then lets it go. At least she tries to. “I was with the kids when we smelled blood. Whatever killed that thing is likely both preternaturally fast and able to hide a kill. Staging the dead like that was no simple task either; not many can throw down a Runic Symbol in steaming animal entrails.” Before Gideon could mention to the Dragon that her kid Omen could easily see the passage of a person in the ether she self censored, wondering if she should actually trust either of the males in the room. It wasn’t a gender thing, Gidster was just on the paranoia precipice and wondering how far down she was going to have to jump to find safe footing. She knew for a fact that the Dragon is crafty enough to get Gideon playing along until she drops her guard. Now the real question is am I not trusting them out of paranoid instinct or because I want to keep details of this strange foreplay to myself. Gideon was trying not to lie to herself so she couldn’t discard the fact that this had her interest, but something felt off beyond that. So since all of me agrees against spilling the beans, what’s the need to figure out why just yet? The Fury fished for a clue in her subconscious but nothing took the bait.

“Do you think the little Nightmare could be manifesting already?” Doctor Cyr questioned, indirectly answering Virgil’s earlier question.

Gideon tilted her head from side to side, not a negative gesture but a sign of contemplation. “The girl’s got the power. And by the Unlucky Gods I’ve more than given her a reason to seek out retribution. But she’s to self destructive to focus and achieve a psychopomp like that. And the Runic Symbol would have been different.” She finally diagnosed out loud. That was the conundrum of the Nightmare’s treatment; as she got more mentally fit, she’d also become a lot more dangerous for the Fury. Gideon could handle it but she had to be aware of the development at all times. “Whatever it was that set the display did it so that I couldn’t ignore it, used a method that would guarantee a connection to me and then just for fun, staged it all so that I’m left having to pick between the interest of figuring out my suitor or closing ranks with the civilians.”

“Suitor?” Virgil honed in on the one word of that sentence that meant the least.

“Civilian?” The Dragon sounded amused to be categorized as such, though he didn’t argue the point.

“They won this round. And the last two. A distressing trend to say the least.” Gideon ignored them both for a moment, allowing her train of thought to run the course it needed. “First I’m attacked. But in such a way that none of you are aware of it. Immediately after, Intake house 5 is attacked and we are all aware of it. Then nothing for days and suddenly this. Take away the details. Step one is always recon: enter and take a stock of your opponent. They came in, tasted the air and pegged me for the biggest, baddest monster at prom. Attacking me directly is a risk but they came in with one hell of an escape route already planned. The attack on House 5 works as a diversion away from the attack on me and gives them a base line for how long it takes security to scramble into action. Then the planning…” The Fury stopped the external iteration of her internal monologue. Something in the last few days made the watcher come to a few basic conclusions. They determined that Gideon is dangerous and will respond to danger quickly. She knows some heavyweight Magics and the symbols that correspond to it. And that she’s open to being recruited. Maybe recruited is too tame. You were right with suitor. Whomever this is wants you in their games and on their team. This is some sick, cruel form of seduction. Which in and of itself tells you that this person knows their monsters. Gideon stopped her mental pacing. What in the last week could possibly given the watcher any hint of her Arcane knowledge? There wasn’t a single thing that could even vaguely allude to it, so how had they known the kind of message to leave?

“Doc, what did the Runic Symbol look like to you?” Gideon asked as an idea occurred to her.

“It was a warning sign to back off.” The Doctor answered simply. Gideon’s suspicion was right, the special meaning for her had been hidden. That was not a spell you can just throw down in a split second. It had been prepped in advance and then any suitable sacrifice could activate it. Picking the stag had simply been a way to demonstrate that suitor’s ability to handle a large animal quickly and quietly. A peacock’s feather display as it were.

“To me it looked like a Welcome symbol, an indication that they’re interested in some attention from me.” Gideon admitted and she could see Virgil glower at her words. “Doc, how do you want to play this?” Gideon was willing to follow the Dragon’s lead, as long as his plan wasn’t terrible.

The Doctor stayed silent as he released his Midform to once again appear as his favoured, human self. It was an eerie transformation to watch; where a shifter often experienced some form of discomfort or even pain in the change, the Dragon simply dissolved down into a perfectly average looking man, who’s not at all reptilian. The wings had folded in and simply kept tucking until they full on disappeared. “I’ve got something in mind, but first let’s hear your recommendation.”

This was the moment where Gideon really did have to decide between trusting them and being a part of the team, or keeping them at arm’s length while she plays both sides. Everything in her rebelled at the idea of trusting anyone now; too many changes were happening all at once and it almost felt conspiratorial. The people she cared about were all moving on and even her life in Camp would change as she got bumped up a rank. Virgil doubted her, believing that she would randomly commit carnage in the midst of her Intake. It wasn’t that he believed her capable of that kind of brutality that bothered her, but the fact that he could believe she’d be that stupid. There was still something yet to be revealed about all of this and that gnawed at Gideon. Why were her kids acting so strangely, was the person behind the gift responsible for that as well or was there even more dangers lurking in the Camp still to be discovered?

“I say we play to it. They want me isolated, let’s make me isolated. Have Hasselberry oversee the afternoon sessions to make sure I’m staying on script. When the kids go off site for their free day, make me stay behind. Generally making it known that I’m in ill repute. If the suitor thinks I’m open to being approached, then we can wait and see just who comes out to play.” Gideon offered a plan that let her protect herself as much as possible, although she couldn’t really explain why she was still determined to trust them. Now was not the time to be going soft.

“Can I just say that I’m less than thrilled with this game plan?” Virgil even lifted an inquisitorial eyebrow as he interrupted. Gideon gave him an irritated look but was willing to listen. “You say it’s already taken a swipe at you once and you want to just, what, strip yourself of all protections and let whatever it is come at you?”

“You two can have a domestic later.” The Dragon sounded amused as he admonished the Trickster. “Leaving you alone at the Camp with the Punt blind to you isn’t going to happen Gideon. You’re capable, but you’re still under my care and I will not needlessly risk you. Your Intake stays with you, as does Virgil. From here on out, he is your shadow.” The Dragon decreed.

“That’s really not going to help her hate me any less.” Virgil even managed to sound casual about it but his look was only semi-joking.

“That is just going to delay whatever confrontation needs to take place.” Gideon objected with a rational reason.

“Delay works in your favour this time Gideon. It gives the kids a chance to be stronger themselves so they are at less risk. Virgil, any time not spent watching over Intake 1, I want you hunting this thing down. The faster we collect data, the safer my Camp will be.” The Dragon didn’t sound angry but even a Neutral creature would be frustrated with having his domain repeatedly violated.

Gideon managed not to sigh or otherwise indicate her own growing level of frustration. This was why she hated to work in a team; they always held her back, a fact her new suitor desperately wanted her to keep in mind. And Gideon wasn’t afraid to admit that it was working. She was currently all too aware of the divide between her and those she cared about. A divide that would always exist because there was no getting around what Gideon was to focus solely on who she is. And what exactly is it that you are now? Asking the question from herself wasn’t the easiest of queries. She is a Fury that doesn’t want to just be a killer. She is a young woman about to try and live life outside of the comfort zone even if she really doesn’t feel ready for it.  But Gideon still wasn’t sure who it was she was becoming. One of the problems with having no viable role models was having to determine for herself what it meant to be good.

“Why don’t we go discuss how this shadow thing is going to work and coordinated a plan to hunt this unwelcome caller down?” Gideon asked Virgil directly. She’d forgive him for doubting her this time. Not because he deserved it, but because it made her happy to. She was in love yes, but it was also the only way to proceed so it was the practical choice.

The surprise was plain on Virgil’s face but the Dragon was clearly amused. “Please children, I don’t want to know. On the matter of this unexpected  visitor and the attacks, keep me informed. I’ve called in extra security so you’ll have backup at all times. And Gideon, just because this Punt can’t see you, doesn’t mean those of us with eyes cannot. Follow rule two carefully.” The Dragon’s words were a clear dismissal, this plan was hasty but set and it was time to get it going. Rule Two: don’t get caught. Suddenly a game of cat and mouse sounded a lot more sinister. And for the Fury playing at being protector, sinister sounded like a lot of fun.