An urge to show Rory exactly what she could do to a mind if she wanted to swelled up, but was quickly quashed. "Rory, he'll be fine," she responded calmly, "You're right that altering minds can come with side effects, but most of that comes from forcing a mind to do something it doesn't want to, or doing something too hastily. That won't happen here. I know what I'm doing, and I'll have the time to do it right."
We're all talking like this is going to be a fight? are we sure that's what this is? Holly says.
What if this is just a "come over to the dark side" type thing? or his and our goals align for the moment... Holly says
"Then we'll still be prepared for the worst."
Rory still visibly concerned, "... ok, I still have reservations about it but if you both are comfortable with it, go for it,", he says with a shrug.
"Ideally we'll find out that no such efforts are needed. And if that's the case, then we won't have had to do any mind tricks, we'll be able to coordinate and talk to each other during the mission, and we'll have had the benefit of Horizon's help in planning.
"The benefits outweigh the risks."
"Holly might be right. In fact, I highly doubt that he's looking for a fight with us," Horizon pointed out. "But just because he's not looking for one doesn't mean it won't come to blows. So let's do it this way: need to know. Anything I need to know, you tell me on the way there. Anything I don't, don't tell me."
He glances at the training room, thinking that he'd make a better stand in for Dusk than a dummy. "I also want to make certain that we're all on the same page. If it comes to a fight...we run. We don't try to take Dusk down. We are not ready to fight him. He's got over eighty years of experience over us. He's one of the few left from my time still active and around for a good reason. The only reason that I think we should even go to meet him, is because either he's masterminded today's events, or he knows who is."
He clears his throat. "So, summarizing: Don't fight Dusk. Now I'm going to ask Prae to do the same thing," He said, heading into the training room.
He got inside just in time to see her slice up a dummy, impressed by the sharpness of her sword. "Dusk seems to like to use his powers to form weapons as well. I've got a theory that he does it by shaping the radiation envelope we can make, and compacting all the particles into a plasma state. Which would explain his own super sharp sword. Also why bullets just disappear instead of hitting him."
He walks close to her, but keeping out of arm's reach. "We can't fight Dusk. Hopefully he's not up to fighting us as well. Don't let him get into your head the way I screwed up and got into yours by mistake," He counsels Praetoria. "...I hope that I didn't screw up so much that you don't trust me anymore."
After Shin exits Mattie pipes up, having listened to the others plan whilst remaining silent. "OK. So I think this is a pretty good plan - as long as you're sure you can alter his memories without anything going wrong Kylie? But I think we need to play it smart - even if we don't think he's going to attack us, this whole thing could easily be an ambush. Maybe a couple of us, I don't know maybe me and Ness, should stay back from the area - she's a great sniper and I'm quick enough to get to any trouble spots fast. If we're up high we could keep an eye out for any shenanigans? And maybe it'd be a good idea to scout out the area first - Isaiah could disguise himself and do some recon - if we don't tell Shin about it then Dusk won't know what to look out for." she pauses. "While i'm at it Isaiah, I don't suppose you could make a few alterations to this uniform for me could you? Make it fit a bit better and maybe lose the boob window? Oh, and maybe a change in colour so I don't look like I'm trying to be one of Kayla's family - Black with dark red trim if that's OK?"
Kylie watches Praetoria train carefully, observing the strange new flows in her mind as she spars with borrowed mastery. Those instincts and thoughts, they allllmost match hers. Makes sense if they're really from her ancestors.
A brush of warmth fled her cheeks as Kayla finished admiring herself in the impractical armor. Did the Regalia put that ensemble together, or was that her idea? What uses is she planning on putting this too?
She gave Kayla a small smile as she finished her routine, "Well, you look like you're ready to take on the world. Shall we?"
While she’s altering her armor, she does indeed appear to have control of the suits appearances, and she also casually thinks to herself ”I wonder if they will think this is hot...” and flashes of quick thoughts of several people come across her mind, including Rory, Shin, Holly, Gallowglass, and you, before her eyes meet yours in the mirror, and a flush of red comes acros her face as well. Without looking away, you feel her ask you a bit nervously ”Well? What do you think?”
Kayla turns to Kylie and nods. As she walks out in her armor’s normal look, she asks ”Has anyone even notified the Alliance?”
She then turns to Shin and replies ”I don’t look forward to it, but a fight may be unavoidable. But,” she looks at him coldly, ”Trust and friendship is earned, and can be lost. Let’s just see how it goes,” she says as she turns her back to him. She looks over her shoulder, adding ”Alright, arms around me. This will look a whole lot less awkward and will be easier for me to control if you just hang onto my back, if we are still doing this alone...”
"I don't think any of has yet. They probably wouldn't want us going out on this excursion... but it may be a good idea to at least leave a queued message to let them know if something bad happens."
Psyche files away a few questions on exactly where the Regalia first came from and replies, "I think if you're blushing already, you'll really hate having people skeeve on you later. But it puts a pretty guaranteed way to piss off your grandmother in your back pocket." A couple bubbles of amusement pop in Kayla's mind, "And if you go the Mosaic route and merchandise, they won't have to come up with a sexy version of your costume to sell for Halloween"
" A queued message seems smart. We don't need them interfering though." She nods at Horizon, "This is a Sentinels matter. "
Kayla's blush doesn't fade, and she turns her gaze a bit from Psyche's eyes, not that it helps. She looks at herself again in the mirror. "I...it's not that, I've gotten used to being checked out. I just...I didn't know you were. What...what else did you hear me think?"
__________
Kayla nods in agreement. "She's right. As much as I hate to be disrespectful to them, this is our problem. Let's go. Shin and I will go on ahead, the rest of you keep within striking range to back us up if need be."
"Oh. You didn't know I was bi? I guess I came out after you'd transferred, but I just assumed someone would have told you. I'm sure Holly knows." Psyche's voice seems slightly perplexed, I wasn't leering or anything. Is she freaking out just because I said that costume was sexy? That mirror works, right?
"Is that going to be a problem for you?" Her voice is cautious, but unembarrassed.
"Actually, I think Kylie should come with us. She can keep tabs on the rest of the group and let them know what's happening. Plus, I won't have to ride you piggyback if she's floating me around. Really need to learn how the heck Dusk manages to fly," He grumbled.
Though he was certainly ready to go, he felt confused by the looks that Praetoria was giving Kylie. It seemed obvious they were having a private chat. Possibly about him, considering who they were going up against. Maybe a secret plan he didn't need to know about. He waited for them, speaking up just once. "Kylie, are you up for flying me again?"
”No! Of course not! But I didn’t know,” Kayla hurriedly thinks back, and a very confused emotion comes back along with it.
__________
Kayla shrugs to Shin’s request. ”Probably best, in case he tries to control my mind again,” Kayla says with a cold chill running up her spine.
I want to be in there too. My EM manipulation and his interacted funny last time. and If it is just posturing... well. Holly says, trying to sound modest
Kayla shrugs. ”Not that I’m against it, but at this point shouldn’t we all just go? Nonsense in splitting in half, and splitting up didn’t go so well last time,” she replies, her tone turning sheepish at the end.
Shin rubbed his temples, the calculated plan he'd hoped everyone would be on board with here going out the window. "Fine. Let's all just go then. Hope that Dusk is being generous and doesn't have a trap involving mind control helmets for everyone of us that none of us will be able to escape because we didn't leave a reserve," He huffs, bristling a little here.
"Holly, dollface, I appreciate your initiative here in wanting to face off against my older fanatical self. But his powers and mine absorb light. Remember our tag-team on the Crab? Imagine how bad it would be if he took your light attacks and used them on the rest of us," Shin tries to explain it without belittling her. "Again, I really don't want this to come to a fight. I want us to be ready to run away as soon as things look bad. So if you are coming, please don't try to use your powers with him. We're going to talk to him, and that's your social expertise that we need. Look for cues and try to figure out his game."
"Okay, good. Then unless there's something more you want to talk about, as far as I'm concerned...Nothing's any different than before."
If I went around overinterpreting every stray not-even-a-fantasy... Well. Not like it matters. Gallowglass too though? Huh.
"Agreed. Psyche's voice is a little eager. Despite Shin's warnings, she's clearly not afraid of Dusk if worst comes to worst.
Praetoria and Psyche flies ahead with Shin and Mosaic in Kylie's telekinetic grip. Flying a few hundred meters behind them is Inquiry with Isaiah, Frostbite and Gallowglass within and Scorch flying outside on her own power. The Sentinels head up the shore as the glittering skyline of Halcyon recedes in the distance.
Cape Everett is a rocky peninsula jutting out into the water with a narrow road leading out to its lone feature. The lighthouse is quite pretty, with a rustic charm standing defiantly against the surf and thrusting a beam of light out into the hazy distance. The subject of numerous paintings and photographs, the lighthouse is something of a regional landmark, even though few ever come and visit it -- most only search for it on particularly clear days while standing on the observation deck in Kirby Tower.
Up close, the stains of time on the lighthouse become distressingly evident. A rusted, battered old pickup truck sits at the base, the only sign that someone might be there -- although given the age of the truck and its similar state of disrepair, it's entirely possible that it's similarly abandoned. The stout door at the bottom floor is closed.
A quick scan for minds by Psyche almost misses the one source of sentient thought within. Her tentative probe while keeping her strongest defenses up swept right by the mind at first, and only by opening up just a slight bit more does she find it. The mind doesn't feel hostile, or even quick or vibrant. The thoughts are the slow sort that one finds in the sedated or extremely old.
On Psyche's cue, the Sentinels sweep inside, either through the ground-level door which offers no resistance to Praetoria's strength or Psyche's mind, or flying in through the open balcony surrounding the large mirrored beacon at the top. They move in, finding nothing but what one would expect in an antiquated lighthouse -- old dusty radios sixty years out of date, worn furniture, a small store of supplies, and a tiny kitchenette.
The one person inside is a man of extreme old age, weathered features, a shock of white hair, and a hunched posture. His eyes blink at the intruders for a bit, then a smile spreads on his lined face. "Visitors," he says in a raspy voice. "I'll start the tea. Go ahead, find a place to sit down." He turns toward the little kitchen area, lights the stove and places a kettle on. "I hope you like green tea. It's the key to a long life."
What do you do??
Praetoria looks around and at the other three and asks ”Are you guys sure you got the right place?”
After a short while, Isaiah receives a response. "Caution advised when dealing with biologics encountering temporal anomalies. Inherent chaos of organic processors often results in extremely divergent temporal streams. Current analysis of designated planet Earth results in seven-hundred eighty-two primary divergences and sixty-three temporal loops. Current chrono-arrays estimate a 87.12 percent likelihood of the forty-third loop being closed within the next one-thousand four hundred ninety-one standard time measures. Exercise caution."
Holly takes a seat where Kylee and Kayla can sit beside her, not opposite the head, which she allows shin to take.
I'll admit. you aren't... who we were expecting. but I will take some green tea She says, voice cautious
Isaiah has no direct part in the goings on in the lighthouse, but listens in through the communicators of the people there. Meanwhile, Isaiah/Inquiry stay in disguise and scan for temporal disturbances. If time shenanigans were going to go down here, it was better to be braced for them.
The wizened old man, clearly of Asian descent, makes the tea with the smooth motion of years of practice. Before long, the water is boiling and then the tea is steeping. The pleasant aroma wafts through the small space.
Holly's intense study of the man gets only the sense that he is earnest in his actions and motives. He is making tea, and clearly hoping that it will be the best you've ever tasted. He intends to finish making the tea and have a nice moment with his surprise guests.
Your sensors detect a low-grade temporal anomaly, very similar to the one present around Shin at all times.
Wait... Mr. Akebono? Holly asks the old man [b]Are you... are you an Akebono?[/]
Shin had expected some grand showdown with his future self, but he doubted that this had happened. This frail old man couldn't be the same Dusk that they had fought before. Despite being nearly a hundred, Dusk had aged slowly, assumed by his powers, so that he'd looked like a fit middle-aged man during their encounter. He tried to see if he could pin this man's face to the files he'd read on the Duskguard before coming here.
"Where's Dusk?" He asked, carefully looking around the room. A lot of this stuff was old by this times' standards and yet seemed a bit futuristic to him. "Did he get tired of waiting for us to show up?" He peered at the older man, thinking that there was no way...no way...
"...Otouto? Ishida?" He whispered, trembling. No, his little brother was only nine years old. The shock he wore on his face as his hands shook was obvious. He didn't expect that he'd ever meet his siblings in this future.
As the tea is about ready, the old man smiles brightly at Holly's question. He turns to her and nods his head. "Yes, I am."
Shin's first questions elicit a bit of a confused look. His mention of his younger brother sparks a different reaction. The old man gets a far-off look, the wrinkles and folds around is face creasing more as his lip trembles. "Yes, Ishida was my brother. How did you know?"
As he looks around, he doesn't see anything of particular danger, save for perhaps the old state of the lighthouse. It likely wouldn't survive a super-powered throwdown. Certainly the old man seems like no threat. As far as how to identify him, he seems pleasant and talkative enough. Perhaps if asked directly...
"...No, no, no, you can't be me," Horizon angrily says, getting closer to the old man. "You can't be Shin Akebono. I've met him, and he looked nothing like you," He accuses. "Tell me the truth! Who are you? Why did Dusk send us here to meet you?"
Psyche floats a cup of tea over to one of her hands, enjoying both the scent of the brew, and the focus that a slightly too hot cup provides her.
"Shin, I believe this is Midnight."
"I can be," he draws himself up a little straighter from his hunched posture to look Shin in the eye. "Because I am."
The tea made and distributed, he shuffles over and eases himself down into a old, patched recliner. He lifts his own cup of tea to his lips and sips quietly for a moment, letting Shin's questions hang in the air and Psyche's accusation go unanswered. He closes his eyes for just long enough for the heroes to start to think he may have fallen asleep, then he opens them again.
"I am Shin Akebono. Formerly Dusk." He looks at the younger Shin. "Formerly Horizon.
"As for why my younger self told you to be here, I don't remember."
My Younger Self.
Shin's thoughts were stuck on that, staring in total shock at apparently someone who was him. A much, much older version of himself. Who was claiming that the Dusk currently operating as the head of the Duskguard was a younger version of him.
"That...no, how is that possible? That makes no sense," Horizon blurted out, disturbed beyond measure. "I don't understand, how can two versions of me from the past be here? How did nobody see that I...we...he was suddenly much younger?"
He was shaken by this. Wondering why Dusk would send them there. But maybe...if this was the same person...if they were the same person...
"...Are you from this time, or from the future?" He asked. "Why are you living here? How can you not know why your younger self sent me here? Aren't we all the same person, living the same life, stuck in a continuous loop? Why...how did..."
He shouldn't ask. He had to ask.
"Why did we do so many awful things to the people of Halcyon?" He asked, haunted and terrified of the answer.
"Oh great, now there is three of them... maybe I should have pushed harder for the 'cut your pinky off plan'"
Praetoria stands with her arms crossed, purposefully avoiding the tea. She tries to keep an eye out for any signs of trouble, as all this time travel talk was well out of her scope.
What in the world is going on? I don’t like this at all.
She looks over the weak construction of the place and tries to think out to Psyche, hoping she’s listening.
”Psyche? I think we should go. Any moment someone could bring this lighthouse down right on top of us...”
Shin... I don't think your powers actually stop you aging Holly says, after sipping the tea. better I get hit with the surprise poison than someone else she thinks, hoping Psyche doesn't pick up on it
Psyche Holly thinks very hard If this tea turns out to have, like, knockout serum in it or whatever, please have Prae or you carry me out. I really don't need another image of Shin Bridal-carrying me around
So, you're a lighthouse keeper now. not a hero, not a villain, not super. Do you want to tell us why? Why you did it, why you stopped... What you would do differently, if you could?
The old man shakes his head tiredly. "So many questions," he says with a pained expression. "Why does anyone do anything? For love? Hate? Because they felt they were justified?"
He sets his tea down with shaking hands, then leans back in his chair and closes his eyes. He struggles with his breath for a few seconds and he reaches for his chest. "Oh. Oh, I think it's my time. That-- that makes sense."
He opens his eyes and for the first time, he seems to recognize everyone in the small room. "Ah, konbanwa, my friends," he says with a joyful smile on his wizened face. "I've missed you all." He is overcome with emotion, and a tear rolls down a furrow on his deeply lined face.
As Holly speaks, the elder Shin sighs deeply. "I'm tired. If I don't use my powers, I age like normal. So I stopped, and came here."
Isaiah/Inqiury had a bad feeling about this. This felt like a trap. They hurried towards the lighthouse, scanning for unusual energy signatures, and getting ready to snatch the friendlies and get out of here. The loop wouldn't close just for the oldest member dying, most likely, which meant something else was probably about to go down. Of course, if he said anything to Shin, Dusk would have heard...
Psyche, you lot should probably get ready to bolt now. I've got a hunch that something bad is going to happen soon. And don't lose Shin.
Shin looked stunned. He wasn't sure what to say anymore. Should he ask him how to stop the Dusk who was leasing the Duskguard? He had so many questions. But one in particular stuck in his head.
What did Dusk expect him to learn here?
"...The Chosen and the Mongrels." He spoke up. "They're working for someone else, stealing things from research labs. Do you remember who they are working for? What the different pieces were for? Where they are hiding?"
He wanted to know about his past. He wanted to know how to fix things. But his own selfish desires couldn't come first. He had to think about the greater good.
"I'm ready to get us out if there's real trouble, but it's only a lighthouse."
Psyche was reluctant to delve too deep into the elder Akebono's mind, but this might be her best chance to get some answers. Even if he didn't know Dusk's plans, his memories, even the ways he thought could be enough proof of what was really going on.
Every time Shin asks a question, the old man gets wearier, it seems. He fades back in his chair and fights for breath. Finally, his eyes regain focus. "Oh. You haven't met him yet, have you? Apotheosis? It's his... time..."
He wheezes and bends forward. He puts his gnarled hands on the arms of the chair and tries to push himself to his unsteady feet. "Could you help an old man up? I'd like to see Halcyon one last time." He turns his head toward an old lift a short distance from the kitchenette.
You dive, not into the man's mind, but the portion of the astral plane that swirls around his mind. What you see is a strange confluence of black and purple energies, linking Shin and this man together in a way you've never seen before, except during the first time your team came together. You sensed something similar between Dusk and Horizon when the younger version stumbled out of the chrono-pod at the museum.
Trying to gain a sense of Dusk and Midnight as you call him, you sense a draw, as if Midnight is a gravity well and Dusk is circling around him. They are different, yet Dusk could still find his way to becoming Midnight.
"...I..." Shin was shaken. This was the end of his life here? His future? Dying as his younger self pestered him with questions?
"...Okay." He clenched and unclenched his fists, stepping forward and taking Midnight's hand. It's so small and wrinkled, as he tries to support him as they walk towards the lift.
"...I think Dusk wanted me to meet you to change my future," He says, the words coming out loud enough for the older Shin to hear. "I don't want to be him. But it's important that...for my friends' sake...for our friends' sake...if you can answer what you can."
He enters the lift with his elderly version, looking and finding the button to bring it up to the top of the lighthouse. "...can you at least tell me anything about what happened to Praetoria's parents?" He asks as he hits the ascend button.
Kayla steps into the lift as well, refusing to let Shin get separated from the whole group.