Ch.0-1 ¤ Alone

I used to work for the Ninth. That was a lifetime ago, or at least it feels like it was. Eversor I was, a pretty damn efficient one if you'll allow my bias. It was a pretty nostalgic time actually; I even managed to make a couple friends. Someone as reclusive and twisted as I was? Go figure how that happened. Well, I'm still reclusive and twisted, but for different reasons now...

It all came down to Planet Hell on my last mission with them. On paper it looked pretty good; a solo hunt in a high-level barrier with no friendly fire or rescues to worry about. It was a pretty strong one too - forgot which class, though, I was never any good with that scale thing - so I got pretty excited of course. Sure, it's natural for all Eversors, but for me there's something more to it. Some kind of deeper connection if you will.

Everything went just fine at first. I got to the target area without any problem, no by-standers, no rivals, no ambushes, just me and the target. I smelled something weird when I first entered the Barrier, but I quickly shrugged it off as just some random whim of the Barriers' like so many others.

I was wrong. So goddamn wrong...

It was a good fight I won't lie, a fun one I'd fight again another day, but when the Witch started to lose the Barrier started to distort. I didn't really pay attention to it at first - again, fucking stupid arrogant me... - after all Barriers shatter when Witches die right? So it didn't seem too out of place. Early? Sure, but not entirely unbelievable. As the encounter went on the Barrier continued to go to shit, distortions and rips into reality forming all around, enveloping everything. No seriously how the fuck didn't I realize this earlier? How stupid can I get when I'm engrossed in combat!? I should have recognized those distortions from the start.

They were made from the same kind of energy my magic uses.

Before long everything started to break down the normal way, but it didn't shatter back to the normal world like it usually does. No, the Rifts just grew and before I could do anything about it there was no escape anymore. Everywhere around me was this warped energy I knew too well, always shifting in colors, angles and lights, flowing like currents with no regard to physics or logic. It would have been reassuring to me, normally. Except I didn't -ask- for it to show up this time.

When I came to, I seemed to be in roughly the same spot as I was supposed to be if the hunt had ended normally, but I could feel something was wrong, horribly wrong. The first thing I noticed was that Warbringer, my chainaxe, was no longer by my side and I wasn't able to summon it back to my location no matter how I tried.

Then Planet Hell happened for real.

Before I could re-assess my situation, I took a bullet to the chest and staggered. Large caliber, downwards angle, nasty business. Vindicare for sure, probably a green squad dispatched on the fly because they were the closest. Why? Because they didn't go for the head or Soulgem. Well, I suppose a gaping hole where the heart is supposed to be would have stopped your average rank-and-file, but I'm an Eversor. More importantly, one that specializes in being -really fucking annoying to kill-. Two more shots followed after a few fractions of instants but I was able to stop them with one of my armored hands. The rounds punched deep into the black metal painfully, but with worse damage avoided.

I didn't stick around for long after this; I didn't know how many, where or why. This is the kind of challenge I'd normally love, but without Warbringer with me I just felt so vulnerable, kinda naked, so I ran. I ran like the wind while my regeneration kicked in. Several more bullets were fired, some piercing flesh and detonating, others missing their marks, grazing long ebon hair or being deflected.

By the time I finally got some quiet, I think I could count 3 whole squad's worth of guns, judging from the number of different angles and the variety in calibers. Shockingly didn't kill a single of these fuckers on my way out, lucky them... not so lucky -me- however.

I had managed to find some cover in a deserted underground parking lot, but they were waiting for me - whoever the fuck it was that was gunning for me. I never really interacted with those girls with the weird-ass suits and biker helmets, so I didn't know what to expect when I spotted one in the shadows.

I learned. Fuck did I learn. I wouldn't wish that pain on anyone. Actually I lie, it was a great pain and I'm not that merciful, but you get the point. I almost fell to my knee from her sheer presence. I didn't know how or why, but to keep it simple it felt like being stuck in an active Silent Room. Except you're not, you're totally on free grounds.

I tried to collapse the area between the two of us with one of the sorcerous spells in my arsenal, but nothing came, as if her mere presence prevented me from channeling anything. At this point I pretty much just freaked out and bailed again. I pride myself in being fearless, but when your weapons are suddenly taken away from you and you just feel like a declawed, defanged tiger, you just don't fucking stay there asking to get put down.

I knew not to try to fuck with her, so I didn't. I ran again and thank fuck at least my body was still as fast as it was supposed to be. I had to take some potshots from relocated Vindicares when I got out, but those were healed by the time I found another hole to hide out in. They must have decided not to give chase because it really wasn't that good of a hiding spot, but I'm not complaining.

Now that I was finally able to catch a breath, I took out my cell and tried to link up with the Officio, ask what the fuck was going on. Had they just suddenly decided to retire me like that?

Nah, couldn't be... it wouldn't have been such a sloppy job if they had because they'd have planned it way in advance and they'd know what to expect of me, so what else?

And it's then that I realized just how truly fucked I was.

My cell didn't have any of my contacts in the Ninth anymore, nor did it have the little app I got to receive missions and notices on the go.

I was alone.