Children of the Gods: Arc 2 [Game/Closed]

[IFS]

Nicole stood for a moment or two after the car sped away, trying to place the hooded man. She felt like she'd seen him before, but where... Fancy car... might be connected to Apollo somehow, then again I'm sure plenty of other gods like to travel about in expensive vehicles. She shook her head and started heading back to the hotel, she doubted there was much else she could do out here, the police and the ambulance hopefully had the situation well in hand and she'd been spotted so it was probably a good idea to tell Andrew what had happened.

As she was walking back she decided to get a peek at the scene, she still didn't know if the hooded man was actually connected to it, or if it actually involved the gods at all. Besides I can't go if there is some way I could help, however unlikely that is. Andrew can wait another minute or two, he's probably not even out of the shower yet.

She walked up to the nearest officer, trying to stand on her toes to see past them to the scene and spoke "Excuse me sir, what exactly happened here?"

 

[Green Shoes]

The tall officer spun on his heel to look down at Nicole, his dark eyebrows hunching over. His shoulder radio spatted something regarding a secured scene, though he quickly muffled it with his hand. The stripes on his shoulder indicated his low rank.

"Sorry miss, this is a confidential scene. Details will be released in a press statement tomorrow!"

Folding his lips, he looked over to the hotel doors, and then back to Nicole. He was clearly posted on guard duty, and remained standing stock still, trying not to make eye contact. Another officer behind him began rolling tape across the entrance stairs - with bold black and yellow, it barred the entrance to all unauthorized personnel.

Briskly striding out of the double doors, a surly, grey-haired gentleman in an expensive suit strode down the stairs, narrowly avoiding being taped. He spoke loudly on his mobile with a thick, cockney accent.

"Dead - that's right, a copper keeled over on the casino floor. And a right lot of chips are missing too. I'm not fucking about - if this isn't handled right, I'm out of pocket and you're out of a job. Find who did this, or don't bother calling back!"

Shoving the phone in his coat pocket, he pulled out two cigarettes and lit them both, the lightly-glowing ends illuminating his short beard and mustache.

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There was no reply to Andrew as he stepped out of the shower, nor hint of any communication. Opening the door, he discovered the room empty, the occasional red or blue emergency light flickering past the window.

 

[DarkRawen]

Well, that was simple.

Andrew remarked in his head, and left the bathroom. He opened his mouth to explain just why he was walking into the room with just a towel on, then noticed that Nicole was gone.

"Nicole?"

Where was she? The sight of emergency lights flickering made him worried, somewhat. After all, he had just talked to a rather driven woman, if Andrew's refusal really had made her upset, could she hurt Nicole? That didn't exactly make the emergency next to the hotel better, and he looked out the window. Luckily he spotted her, or what he thought to be her at least.

That is Nicole, I'm sure of it. Why is she checking out the scene, though? What happened?

He could see both police cars and ambulances, but he didn't think there was anything suspicious about that in it self, though it was a bit troubling that it was right next to their hotel.

Still, that doesn't make it right.

He was tempted to rush out and go see her, remind her of that they weren't supposed to split up, but he certainly couldn't go like this. Quickly drying his body and putting on the clothes he was still carrying around, he made another attempt at drying his hair completely -a failed attempt, there was something about his hair that just seemed to hold onto water- and went outside, taking the key to the room with him. He locked the door, then took the stairs, they weren't high up either way. A bit annoyed, he then strolled over to Nicole.

"Hi," he said in order to get her attention, though he masked his annoyance. It wasn't her fault she was curious, he supposed. And who knew, she could have told him, he hadn't heard anything, but he had also been having a conversation with the steam goddess.

"What are you doing out here? I thought we were supposed to stick together." He looked to the scene, from the lack of action from the medical team, it seemed whoever they had found was dead, or had died. Well, lack of action was perhaps a bad word, they weren't standing around doing nothing, but they didn't seem to be in a hurry either, not the kind of hurry one would be in if someone was dying.

"Do you know what happened? Wait, give me a moment." He took in his surroundings a little, clearly working something out in his head. "Someone was killed, probably very recently, the police are involved, they seem stressed, so it might be rather serious. I don't think more than one person was killed, though, it doesn't look like there's enough activity for that, though from the amount of medical personnel they might have been expecting more." He sighed.

"It doesn't really seem like we can do anything about it, though. We might as well go back inside," he muttered, and grabbed her arm. "I've got something more important to tell you." Andrew realized that his way of saying that might seem like a murder didn't matter. Of course it did. It just didn't concern them.

"Well, that's not true, this is important. I meant something more important to us."

 

[Lunar Templar]

Rias approached the bronze man "Turn on me and I will finish what I started" she said as she pulled the nail from her pocket and handed it to him. She wasn't sure of how good an idea this was but he had information she wanted, she did take a step back though.

"That is a better offer to be sure, though it does raise the question of why your so eager to get involved" Rias said, her tone and stance less hostile then before. "But I should introduce my self before more is discussed. I am Rias, Daughter of the Egyptian Goddess Sekhmet" She said as she waited for the bronze man to fix him self.

 

[Green Shoes]

A solid yet trembling hand took the nail from Rias. Stemming the leaking ichor and fixing the nail back in place, he breathed a brief thank you, relaxing as he lay on the floor. His breathing returned to an even pace, and he shut his eyes, allowing the strength to ebb back into his limbs.

Prail scoured the room inch by inch, yet there was no sign of evidence the other man had even entered the building. The room itself was stark - dust and debris from her weapon plunging through the ceiling, and that was about it. The late evening had passed to morning, and the muted sunlight from an overcast day illuminated the door frame above the stairs.

The bronze man grumbled, noticing sunlight.

"I'm in your debt, Egyptian. My friends shall know your name before you ever meet them."

Content to slump himself against the wall, too injured to go further, he waited.

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The Next Day

Prometheus padded around the slumbering guests in blue jeans and a black jumper. Grabbing several pieces of paper from the kitchen counter, he hurriedly stuffed them in his back pocket, before producing a lit cigarette and speaking, careful to temper his often imposing voice. The rain from yesterday had abated, leaving sparse sunlight and ample wind, howling and whistling outside.

"Morning, morning. Let's go find the Greeklings, shall we?"

 

[hiei82]

"Morning, morning. Let's go find the Greeklings, shall we?" Prometheus said, drawing Hymir from his stupor. He'd awoken some time ago to watch more on glaciers (with headphones on for those still sleeping); it turns out Glaciology was interesting. Turning to Prometheus Hymir spoke up in excited tones. "Hey Prometheus, did you know that the hydraulic erosion of ice and rock below an ice sheet margin can actually form an ice tunnel?" he said, a bit louder than he'd have liked.

Mortals had such interesting information; shame they never accounted for the effects of Jotun.

 

[IFS]

Nicole nodded to the officer "Okay, thank you officer," she said, before Andrew approached her from behind and grabbed her.

"Well, that's not true, this is important. I meant something more important to us."

She glanced back at the scene one last time before nodding and following Andrew "I came out here because I thought I saw something suspicious, but you're right, lets head back to the room then you can tell me what you need to."

As they walked back to the room she reflected on what had happened, who was that person I chased, who was the dead person and are they connected to us in any way? The thought that yet another had died to this stupid conflict saddened her, especially since there had been nothing they could have done. Why can't the gods all just go their separate ways? The worlds plenty big enough.

She sighed and pushed the thought aside as they entered the room "Alright Andrew, what is it you need to tell me?" she started to say, then frowned "First though you should know the reason I went outside was because I saw a hooded figure leaving the scene, I tried to follow him but he got in a fancy car and drove off, he might have seen me but I'm not sure, it felt like I knew him from somewhere but I couldn't place it."

She sighed again "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have gone outside, if he recognized me then we could both be in trouble," she looked up "But what is it you wanted to tell me?"

Spoiler: OOC

Will join the others in the next day soon, just didn't feel right to push this convo to the future.

 

[DarkRawen]

"I came out here because I thought I saw something suspicious, but you're right, lets head back to the room then you can tell me what you need to."

"Well, good. We really should stick together."

Not that we could have hindered the visit I got.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that Nicole wouldn't exactly by thrilled by the suggestion of them showering together. Neither would he, not because it would be embarrassing, but because she was Nicole, and because he had a fiancé. He followed her inside, and sat down, using the towel to dry of the rest of his hair and now neck.

"Alright Andrew, what is it you need to tell me? First though you should know the reason I went outside was because I saw a hooded figure leaving the scene, I tried to follow him but he got in a fancy car and drove off, he might have seen me but I'm not sure, it felt like I knew him from somewhere but I couldn't place it."

"I see, that might be worth mentioning to the others. Sounds suspicious, though, you think it's related to our situation?" Andrew asked, though, he suspected she didn't have the answer. She then went on to apologize.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have gone outside, if he recognized me then we could both be in trouble. But what is it you wanted to tell me?"

Andrew smiled. "It's fine, really. Besides, I was correct, we aren't any safer inside. I was approached, I suppose, in the shower by a woman made out of mist. A face that appeared from the steam. She was unwilling to give me her name, but she knew who I was and wanted me to give her Jon. She said could give me whatever I wanted, however, I said I wasn't interested and went to find you."

That's not a lie, is it?

It kind of was dishonest. With a sigh, he continued. "Though, I have to admit I humored her for a while. I thought knowing who she was and why she wanted him might give me a reason to consider it, but she was unwilling to provide either answer. And no, I'm not insane. It was a goddess of some kind, she sounded like she came from South America or something like that, so you might not want to shower tonight. We'll just have to mention it to the others tomorrow. However, for now, let's just get something to eat, alright? I can't think well on an empty stomach."

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Next Morning

Andrew tended to wake up early out of habit, though he'd set an alarm to be safe. Apparently, that had been a good idea, as it was the sound of that which awakened him. He waited for a couple of minutes, waking up more and ensuring that he wouldn't be too unpleasant to talk to, before leaving the bed. Whether Nicole had been awake before that or not, she certainly was now, and Andrew started getting dressed, talking to her.

"Hi, did you sleep well? We should probably head out to find the others soon, I don't know where Paddington is, so I don't know exactly how long it'll take for us to get there or even find it."

 

[Rogue Trooper]

"Morning, morning. Let's go find the Greeklings, shall we?"

Jonathan muttered something incoherent to Prometheus?s greeting as he continued to lay face first into the mess of blankets that served as his make-shift bed. Jonathan was determined to continue his sleep but Hymir?s excited talk of glaciers persuaded Jonathan to raise his head and after seeing that Prometheus was fully dressed he eventually rose from his pit, although with a bit of difficulty.

On his feet and only in is boxers, Jonathan sauntered over to the kitchen where he began to make himself a corn beef sandwich.

?Any of you guys want one?? he asked buttering a few slices of bread ?It is breakfast time after all?.

 

[IFS]

"Hi, did you sleep well? We should probably head out to find the others soon, I don't know where Paddington is, so I don't know exactly how long it'll take for us to get there or even find it."

Nicole yawned and nodded, normally she was fairly good about waking up early on her own though she supposed the jet-lag had messed with that. Really I suppose I should be thankful for it, otherwise with everything that happened last night I don't think I'd have gotten much sleep at all.

"Yeah we should, we need to tell the others about our respective encounters, hopefully Prometheus can tell us more about the goddess you spoke to," she frowned before speaking again "I don't know where Paddington is either, I guess we'll have to ask a local. Or hire a cab or something."

She got out of bed and took a hurried trip into the bathroom to get cleaned and dressed for the day.

"Well lets get moving then," she said "we can grab breakfast as we go."

 

[Lunar Templar]

As the Bronze man took the nail and pushed it back into place, Rias took note of the fact it seemed to be morning 'that really took all night?' she thought with a mental sigh as the other girl seemed to be looking for something, before not finding it and asking not just her, but the bronze man out for coffee.

Rias pondered this a moment, she still had questions she needed to ask the Bronze man, and a coffee shop might be a better place then a dingy basement. Then she yawned a bit. "I think i could use a cup or three as well, and it would be a better place to continue this discussion anyway." She said to Prial "What say you Man of Bronze? you up fora trip to a coffee shop to continue our talk there?"

 

[DarkRawen]

"Yeah we should, we need to tell the others about our respective encounters, hopefully Prometheus can tell us more about the goddess you spoke to," she frowned before speaking again "I don't know where Paddington is either, I guess we'll have to ask a local. Or hire a cab or something."

"I honestly don't know how to get a cab here," Andrew admitted. It seemed there was a lot he didn't know this fine morning, perhaps because he hadn't tried to. "I suppose we could go around asking people where cabs are, though I think it'd be easier to just ask some locals and walk there. I doubt that Prometheus would ask us to go somewhere far from where the original meeting place was, unless he intends to be as un---" he stopped, if he was trying to to be less negative about the others, starting the day with an insult of Prometheus was hardly the best way to do it.

I shouldn't blame him for what happened a year ago either.

He assumed most of it wasn't the titan's fault, at least. Getting his stuff, Andrew only needed to visit the bathroom for a slight moment, before he went to follow Nicole.

"Well lets get moving then. we can grab breakfast as we go."

"Sure, whatever should be fine," he responded. The meal that they had finally gotten last night hadn't been too horrible, though he had ended up having to disregard the whole diet, seeing as most of the things on the menu was pizza or snacks. Today he could at least grab an apple or something instead of that.

Good thing I'm not that hungry now, though.

Worst case scenario, they could skip breakfast. It was a bad thing to do, normally, but if they could get somewhere by skipping it, perhaps that was necessary. Andrew and Nicole went outside, luckily it was a nice, even sunny day today.

That's certainly preferable to the rain from yesterday. I wonder if Kirsten would have liked being here with me.

She certainly would know where Paddington was, though she might even prefer the rain. He thought of the sun as something good, though, he couldn't imagine how it had been to look for something in the rain a second day. As they started walking, he looked at Nicole.

"So, where do you want to start? Looking, I mean, I'm sure most people here know where we should go."

While he wasn't about to admit it, Andrew didn't want to be the one to ask, like some damned tourist. There was a reason he had spent an hour looking for that cafe the day before, after all.

 

[Green Shoes]

The Titan gladly accepted the sandwich from Jon, munching happily as he worked the many locks that kept the door shut. Hymir's comment made him grin, and he spoke between chewing, amused.

"Is that so, Hymir? I think underestimate the use of such an able mind in your hunt for Loki - you may be wise enough to trick the trickster, so to speak."

Wrenching the door free of it's frame, he led the group hastily to Paddington train station. It was early in the morning, yet the terminal was rather busy - numerous coffee and cake stalls were being wheeled around, and the sound of rushing trains periodically filled the refurbished building.

Purchasing their tickets, as well as a large cinnamon doughnut, Prometheus stood awkwardly in what he believed to be the most obvious place to wait. While passers-by often glanced curiously at Shiro's sword, he was neither the most intimidating nor strangest dressed - the denizens of London incorporated a wide array of sub-cultures.

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The Bronze man looked up strangely at the two women, rubbing his neck. Testing his legs, he carefully hoisted himself up, stumbling slightly, before mumbling a reply.

"Coffee does nothing for me. I think I'll go back to Paddington - find some other, less violent form of employment. If you're looking for answers regarding your hunter, I suggest you follow."

His footsteps nearly cracked the beams of the stairs as he clambered up, slowly, grunting as he did so. He paid no attention to the numerous visible wounds and torn clothing, and was soon waiting in broad daylight outside the Red Door.

 

[IFS]

"So, where do you want to start? Looking, I mean, I'm sure most people here know where we should go."

"Lets just ask someone when we stop for food," she replied, leading them to a small store where they bought food. Nicole asked the cashier for directions and soon they were on their way.

Looks like its going to take a lot of walking to get around here, unless we take a cab or the underground I guess. Shouldn't be a problem though. Wish the weather would improve but I guess that's just how it is over here.

"I wonder if the others had any excitement last night," she pondered out loud as they walked.

 

[DarkRawen]

"I wonder if the others had any excitement last night,"

"I wouldn't be surprised," Andrew replied, taking a sip of the water he'd bought as he followed her. "Then again, I'm sort of surprised we weren't attacked. Hopefully they will be fine, though, having our allies taken out this early would be a bad sign."

From the description given by the cashier, they would have to walk for quite a while. Checking his watch, that might be an issue, seeing as they probably wouldn't make it in time for the planned time.

I hadn't expected it to be that far away.

"Say, what do you think about us---"

Andrew stopped as an empty cab drove close by, and he raised his hand, trying his luck. Andrew honestly didn't know if there was some sort of cultural difference when it came to that, and he disliked acting on guesses. However, by the look of the driver, and the fact that the man opened the door for them rather quickly, it seemed fine. He smiled, confidently, and spoke to the driver.

"Thank you, we're heading for Paddington Station. I'd like for you to take the quickest route."

Letting Nicole take a seat first, Andrew followed, sitting next to her and trying not to feel too stupid about how much he had worried about making a fool of himself.

I suppose just trying something is better than doing nothing.

Unless during a surgery, of course. Then it highly depended on the situation and how clueless you really were, he couldn't imagine stepping away to let someone else take over, but if it was the choice with the highest chance of success, he'd probably forget his pride long enough to let that happen.

Probably.

Not too long after, they arrived at the busy station, and started looking for the rest of the group. It wasn't a difficult task, however, as the titan and the rest was standing out, not only due to Prometheus, but also because of the two taller of the group, as well as the sword Shiro was carrying. An odd group, standing in a noticeable place. Speeding up, Andrew approached the group, only to ignore the others and address Prometheus.

"I need to talk to you alone," he stated. "It's about several things, and it's important, but I need to talk to only you." He wondered which part he regarded as important, possibly both.

Ensuring that I can work together with the group might be the best thing to start with.

Not that he wanted to chat about the goddess in front of Jon either. "It shouldn't wait."

 

[CrazyGirl17]

"Morning, morning. Let's go find the Greeklings, shall we?"

Shiro sat up and yawned, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. His sleep last night was a bit rough, not helped by his phone call last night...

---

"Hello?"

"Mother, it's me."

"Oh, Shiro! How was your trip? Did you make it on time?"

"Yes Mother," Shiro said, trying to cut her off before she started to babble, "I made it safely to England, and met up with my... friends." (Even now he wasn't sure what the others were to him, but he liked to think they were some kind of friends.)

"That's good... tell me, have you heard anything about your father?" There was an awkward moment between them as Shiro was thrown off-guard by his mother's question."

"No... but if I hear anything I'll let you know."

"Oh, okay then..." There was a pause for a moment before Suzume spoke up again. "Well, I won't take up any more of your time. I wish you the best of luck."

"Thanks. I love you."

"Love you too."


---

He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice all the strange looks he was getting... maybe that was for the better.

 

[Lunar Templar]

Rias pondered this a moment, could be a trick, but then this was Zeus, his plan for dealing with Dio was throw other peoples children at the problem and hope it goes away, so probably notta trap.

As the Bronze man started up the stairs, Rias slipped her coat back on and sheathed her claws, then followed him up. She kinda wanted to ask how they found her this time, but she didn't really care enough about the answer to ask the question. They'd found her, again, and she'd survived again. "Yo, head of PR, you comin or you got other things to do."