apocalypsehowcomm | Event - Appalachia: Into the Pines

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Event - Appalachia: Into the Pines

Appalachia: Into the Pines

Footage plays on the television as a new story comes on, showing a series of sweeping vistas, intercut with clips of wolves that have clearly been filmed at some local wildlife sanctuary. "As far as anyone knows it, the last wolf to ever freely roam the Allegheny Mountains was slain in West Virginia in 1897. Daniel Stoffer Hamrick saw to the beast's passing, and the woods in our part of the world have gone quieter ever since. Appalachia does not forget its history, though. It buries it beneath coal and flyash, debts and white powder and pills. And the blood of people taken before their time, by the mines, by the mountain, by things we don't have names for, just hurt. But Appalachia does not forget.

"This is Cindy Parsons with Channel 5, Wolf News." Footage cuts to a newscaster standing outside a gated apartment complex with FYRE's logo emblazoned on it. "As we know, our beloved Wolf Pen is home to one of the biggest FYRE worker housing complexes in Wyoming County. It is a monument to the history of our town, and this week, we'll be on the lookout for visitors from all over the country, coming to see the grand re-opening of the historic Bluestone Mine as a museum."

Footage cuts to a nondescript businessman, identified by the news footage as Carl Watts, CEO of FYRE. He's smiling blandly as he stands at a podium and gestures to the entrance of the mining tunnel behind him. "The Wolf Pen community has been a partner to us for decades now, and we knew it was finally time to give something back to all y’all. We'll have our soft opening on Monday with a full Rumble Down Under party in the old mines scheduled for June 15th. We'll have a live bluegrass concert and anticipate a huge influx of tourists to the area to help out our neighbors itching for a few more pocketbooks to tend to." A wink.

The footage returns to Cindy. "FYRE has stated that this new museum will provide an educational tool and tourist attraction for those wanting to learn about West Virginia, Wolf Pen, and the hard-working men and women who have made this beautiful part of our nation their home. Time will tell. Time is always telling when it comes to the promises of people who have used our land and our bodies to line their pocketbooks. They fill our blood and our lungs with black tar and-"

Cindy cuts out and is replaced by in-studio anchors. "Thank you, Cindy!" a blonde woman says, smile just a little strained. "I think we're all looking forward to seeing the big opening by FYRE on Sunday and that rocking good party next month. It should be a gneiss one! Now to Tim with the weather. Tim?"

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[ Fortunately, the kid is still able to keep up with Ade despite his ordeal. Good. That means his legs weren't too badly injured when they were sucked into the ground. The memory of the sight lingers in the back of Ade's mind, something to trouble him later. Right now, he's singularly focused on getting them both out of danger, eyes fixed on the flitting red shape guiding them out of the junkyard.

He waits until they're through the exit and a good several meters away before turning to the kid, brow furrowed. ]

Okay, [ he exhales, eyes darting briefly back to the exit as if half-expecting something to burst out of it. He's still tense and on-guard, yet when he speaks, his voice is soft. ] You alright? That... thing didn't hurt you, did it?

[As soon as they've stopped Hunter makes sure to pull away, putting a few feet of distance between them before catching his breath. Flapjack starts to settle down as he lands on his shoulder, cheeping comfortingly. His legs shake a little, as he reaches up to pat the bird on his head.

At the question he quickly looks himself over. Thankfully, he doesn't feel hurt, just freaked out, and to fix that he tries to force himself to calm down. Ignore the fact that something nearly dragged him into the ground and likely would have killed him, it didn't happen so he needs to just move on.]

No, no injuries. I'm fine. [Physically, at least. His legs are shaking, so he starts pacing to cover it up. He's tense, frustrated.]

Whatever that thing was had a lot of gall attacking the right hand of the Emperor!

[ Ade doesn't miss the shaking legs. Immediately, he feels a pang of sympathy. How many times has he felt the same animal terror after a close call? He remembers the time with the sheven in the bog, that same fear of being pulled down and devoured. He'd been a total wreck in the aftermath and the thing hadn't even touched him. The kid's doing a bang-up job in comparison, but Ade still knows all too well how easily something like this can spiral. ]

It dropped you fast. [ He keeps his voice quiet and steady. ] You must've gotten a real good kick in.

[ He looks around for a place to sit down and spots a grassy area across the street. He cocks a thumb towards it. ]

Come on, [ he says, starting to move towards it. ] Debrief.

[Hunter hesitates, and looks away.]

I got lucky. [He's got a pretty good kick thanks to his training, but he can't imagine it did anything significant.

But, right. Debrief. On the short walk over he forces himself to get his thoughts in order for a proper report. Once they're over at the grassy sport Hunter will stop, flexing his fingers nervously before finally folding his hands behind his back. He doesn't sit down, since he's trying to be professional. Reports are never given casually in the Emperor's Coven.]

I was doing some scouting in the area. I'm... still getting used to the human realm, and a good way to do that is through reconnaissance. When I went into the dump I thought I had found some of my belongings still in the Boiling Isles - my staff, and the original Golden Guard sigil - but they weren't real. [Just junk.] In hindsight, I think whatever that was was casting an illusion to draw me further into the area, where it was in a better position to ambush me.

[ Honestly, Ade’s intention for a “debrief” was to give the kid a discreet chance to sit down and catch his breath. He has to hide his surprise when, instead, the kid stands at attention and delivers a tidy sitrep for his review. For an instant, Ade sees himself at sixteen years old, standing in front of his superior officer for inspection. It's an odd bit of reversal, but one that Ade takes seriously. He remembers how important the acknowledgment of his superiors had felt at that age, how badly he'd wanted to feel like anything other than a failure.

So he mirrors the kid's straight-backed posture, falling back on protocols that have dictated more than half of his life. ]

Did you have any indication before you arrived that the site was dangerous? Any rumors from locals or other personnel?

[This has been Hunter's entire life, and while he hates having to discuss his failure, it's at least a familiar comfort to him. It's something he can focus on. Ade taking him seriously helps immensely.]

No, none. As far as I could tell it was a regular junkyard, which I assumed would be benign compared to the equivalent in the demon realm.

[His composure breaks a bit and his brows knit together as his eyes dart away.]

I realize now it was wrong to make an assumption like that. I should have interrogated the locals about the area and done a better job of scouting for danger.

[ Ade resists the urge to reach out with some gesture of reassurance. The kid may be a little odd from his perspective, with his talk of a Golden Guard and demon realm, but the shame in his averted gaze is all too familiar. Instead, Ade just continues to speak in a soft, measured voice, keeping his feedback honest and to the point. ]

Hindsight's 20/20. Questioning the locals could've turned up some early warning about the site, but it could also have made them suspicious. Nothing wrong with flying under the radar, as long as you know the risks that come with it. [ Even then, Ade thinks to himself, it's no job for a kid who looks too young to even be out of basic training. If it were Ade's call, the kid would be back in Gloucester—or, if he had to be out in the field, under someone else's command. Is he under someone else's command? If he is, then they're doing a piss-poor job at looking out for him. ]

Did you have any specific orders about scouting this area? Any commanding officer in charge?

[That response is a hell of a lot more measured than what Hunter is used to. He screwed up, he failed and he knows he failed, and what's he getting for it? Nothing? Rationality as to why his actions weren't the result of demonstrably poor decisions? Nothing about him needing to be better than that or - worse?

Hunter is doing his best to not look visibly confused at this, and failing miserably. And normally he'd be offended at being questioned over having a commanding officer - excuse you, the right hand of the Emperor doesn't need such things - but as it is he's still fully expecting some form of punishment and therefore keeps on going in compliant soldier mode, answering Ade's questions.]

No. In the Boiling Isles I received orders directly from the Emperor. He isn't here, obviously. [Obviously, as if it should be obvious even to people who aren't from the Boiling Isles.] So I've been making due with the ADI's assignments.

[He does pause and then, unable to help a little bit of snark, rolls his eyes.] But it's hard to take them seriously when they don't even evaluate their members properly.

[ The kid had said something about being 'the right hand of the Emperor,' hadn't he? But what kind of Emperor chooses a kid as his right hand? Don't they have grown soldiers in the Boiling Isles?

...Maybe they don't. Ade reminds himself of how different wess'har society had been from that of Earth and that just because this kid looks mostly human doesn't mean his world might not be equally alien. Ade makes a sincere effort to reserve judgment—

—except towards ADI. They're all monkey-boys like him, so they're fair game. ]

Yeah, I wouldn’t hold my breath on that. They don't even have a proper command structure, for all they like to play paramilitary.

[ And that lack, as has just been demonstrated, can be downright dangerous. How long would it have taken someone to notice if something had happened to the kid? Who would've been watching his back if Ade hadn't shown up? He turns his head to look back towards the junkyard, frowning, then looks back at the kid. ]

Right. To summarize, you were following ADI's directives to learn more about the area and conducting reconnaissance at the junkyard when you saw some of your belongings from home. Once you were distracted by them, you were ambushed and pulled down by... whatever that thing was. Sight unseen. That's when your friend here, [ a gesture to the bird on his shoulder, ] raised a racket and brought me over. I pulled you out and we managed to exit the site safely, with no injuries sustained.

[ This is what debriefs are for in Ade's world: gathering all relevant data after an operation, providing feedback, and marking the close of whatever experiences a soldier may have endured during the mission. That he might take this opportunity to mete out discipline doesn't occur to Ade in the slightest. He's not the kid's commanding officer for one thing and even if he was, what would he punish him for? For following orders? It's not his fault ADI's "assignment" had consisted of little more than turning them all loose in the town with little more direction than just "find something." And the kid had found something, alright. Mission accomplished, as far as ADI has a right to pronounce. ]

Anything to add?

[Hunter is even more displeased that his suspicions are being confirmed. He isn't about to ditch the ADI of course, but he's been noticing how much they fall short compared to the Emperor's Coven, and of course to Belos. It isn't encouraging, having to follow an organization that doesn't do things the way he's used to (the way things should be done.)

It doesn't occur to him that this issue could put him in actual danger. He's used to danger - more importantly, he's used to his own wellbeing taking a backseat to following orders. And with his eyeroll he lets that all go, because (in his mind) following the ADI is currently his only option.

(Which is true, he's never been in a position where he hasn't taken orders from someone else. He wouldn't know what to do with himself.)

He's quiet as Ade recounts his debrief, and then shakes his head. It's pretty clear to him at this point that Ade has to be military too, he seems very used to this procedure. Laying it all out there like that makes it even more clear how badly he screwed a simple scouting mission up. In the Boiling Isles this would be absolutely unacceptable, not befitting of the Golden Guard.

Hunter is sure he knows what's coming, and he squeezes his eyes closed, standing stock still, mentally preparing himself.]

No, there's nothing more to add.

[This is fine, this is totally fine.]

[ Ade recognizes what the kid is doing immediately. He's pulled the same face, a thousand times: eyes squeezed shut, shoulders tense, bracing for a hit that, nine times out of ten, never comes. It doesn't matter how long it's been since he escaped from under his father's thumb—those old instincts never really go away.

When Ade realizes that he himself is now the source of that fear, his stomach drops. Immediately, his voice changes, losing its air of military formality. ]

Hey. No need for that. [ The words are spoken gently, with an almost conspiratorial edge—letting the kid in on the secret he wished they would've told him on his first day with the Marine Corps. It would've saved everyone a lot of time. ] That's not how it works where I'm from.

[ Certainly, that's not how it works in Ade's detachment. The marines under his command were more than his best mates. They were his family. Why would he want them to be afraid of him? He thinks of the Emperor the kid had mentioned and feels a little bit of that open-minded acceptance he'd tried to foster before starting to crumble. He doesn't have enough information yet, but if this is how the Emperor's "right hand" reacts to a routine debrief? Ade gets a feeling he wouldn't like the man very much at all.

He straightens and gives the kid a quick nod. ]

Keep someone aware of your position next time. There's no good reason to do a job like this solo, not when ADI shipped us all out together. [ His voice is once again the steady, assertive voice of a sergeant, smoothing over the kid's moment of dread as if it had never even happened. ] You see something from home, you treat it like a prelude to an ambush. Note its position and get the hell out. Understood?

[Hunter waits for it, but a few moments later he's blinking his eyes open in surprise. That's it? What amounts to a very gentle admonishment? He doesn't relax though, because it's never that easy. He needs to be cautious - the last thing he needs to do is make a misstep right now. He says that isn't how it works where he's from, but Hunter finds that hard to believe.

Still, he doesn't argue. He remains still and quiet, listening, and eventually gives a small nod of acknowledgement.]

Understood.

[He doesn't like it, but his desire to follow orders overrides his mission preferences.

His fingers flex uncomfortably, and he adds quietly.]

I'm used to doing assignments on my own. I wasn't always given scout detail in the Boiling Isles.

[ Ade has never been fond of solo missions. There are reasons for them, occasionally, but more often than not, it's better to have at least one other person to watch your back. He definitely sees no reason that someone as young as the kid in front of him should have been deployed solo on the regular and he once again has to bite back his disapproval of whoever had been in charge of him before. ]

This isn't the Boiling Isles. You said before that you weren't familiar with the human realm. All the more reason to work with someone who knows their way around.

[ He's careful with his wording. Again, he's not the kid's commanding officer—technically, this is all advice rather than orders. That means he has to be persuasive. ]

Let's head back to the hotel. We can make an incident report and see about having ADI set up a perimeter around the site. Maybe find out if there are any other records of people going missing in the area or if that thing came to town at around the same time we did.

[ And one more thing: ] I don't think I got your name.

[Solo missions may be more dangerous, but Hunter has always thrived on them. Since he receives his assignments directly from Belos a solo mission isn't just carrying out the Emperor's will, but a test of his own personal skills. For Hunter it's a moral failing if he can't complete a solo mission.

Hunter is sorely missing that familiarity right now. He knows what to expect from Belos and his assignments - here he's still struggling to figure out what's appropriate procedure, just - how things work. He doesn't like it. It makes him feel anxious. Nauseous.]

Alright. An incident report makes sense. It should help the ADI with this mission. [At least he's good at writing reports, so that should help him settle.

At the prompt for his name he doesn't hesitate in answering.]

The Golden Guard, the right hand of Emperor Belos, and the head of the Emperor's Coven.

[Whiiiich is his title, not his name. He's been through this enough times to know that that isn't what was asked. That people here don't have any proper appreciation for his very important title.

He doesn't slump, but his tone is a bit more deflated.]

... Hunter. My name is Hunter.

[ Ade raises an eyebrow at the long list of titles, none of which are actually a name. Again, Ade isn't certain how things might work in the kid's homeworld. Do they actually refer to each other like that where he's from? It sounds awfully inconvenient.

Fortunately, the kid eventually spits out a more conventional name. Ade nods, quietly relieved he won't have to call him something stupid like Goldie. ]

Hunter. I'm Ade. [ And, because titles seem important to the kid: ] Formerly of Her Majesty's Royal Marines.

[ He won't introduce himself as Sergeant Ade Bennett, not since he's been dismissed from service. The kid might get a kick out of the 'royal' part anyway; for all that the monarchy might be a relic of the past in Ade's own world, it sounds like it'd fit right in with the kid's world of Emperors and their right hands.

He signals for the kid to follow him with a jerk of his head. ]

Come on. Best to leave this dump behind us.

[Titles are extremely important to Hunter, and he perks up visibly upon hearing Ade's. Of course, he has no idea what kind of military titles for humans actually exist, but that makes him all the more curious. He wants to know where he fits into the new hierarchies that exist here, and to do that he needs more information.

He gives a small nod, and will follow Ade.]

Okay.

[Flapjack gives a little cheep, and eager to put the dump behind him, Hunter starts asking questions.]

I had no idea humans had royalty. What's a Royal Marine, and why aren't you with them anymore?

[ Ade does his best not to wince at the second part of that question. ]

Some humans do. Britain—where I'm from—hasn't had any in centuries, but we still use the old titles. Royal Marines are their commandos—special operations forces. [ A pause as he tries to think of how to explain it to someone who might not have such concepts in his own world. ] We get deployed on the more... unconventional missions. Ones where you need specialized training. My detachment was part of the Extreme Environment Warfare Cadre, for example.

[ Which, in their case, meant an interplanetary mission. Which meant quasi-first contact, which meant the clusterfuck that came afterward. Ade blows out a breath. ]

I'm not with them anymore because my detachment was given orders that became politically inconvenient. [ There's no hiding the anger in his voice on those last words, as much as Ade tries to temper it. Even universes away, the unfairness of it still stings. The Marine Corps had been his family—losing that had felt like being disowned. ] They realized they'd pissed off the wrong aliens. So instead of owning up, they claimed we acted on our own and dismissed us from the service. Gave the other side a blank cheque to do with us as they saw fit.

[ That last part really grates on Ade. Fortunately, the wess'har didn't consider Ade and his detachment culpable for what had happened on Ouzhari, but the FEU didn't know that when they'd handed them over. For all they knew, they were handing their own men over to execution—or worse. Ade shakes his head. ]

Lucky for us, the wess'har took a different view. Guess you could say I'm a POW now, but it doesn't really feel that way. Still, far as command is concerned, I'm no longer a Royal.

[That is all fascinating. He'd like to ask more - why there isn't any royalty left but the old titles are used, what consists of unconventional missions, does Extreme Environment include things like boiling seas? - but his curiosity gets overtaken when Ade explains his own situation.

Hunter opens his mouth, then closes it again.

He isn't sure what to make of the system failing a soldier. That doesn't happen in the Boiling Isles, since the system is Belos and as far as anyone is concerned Belos is infallible.]

I'm not... sure I understand. You were given orders that turned out to be incorrect, and then dismissed you and allowed the opposing faction to take you as prisoner?

[That sounds like a summarization of Ade's situation, but he wants to be absolutely sure. Political inconvenience is not something he has much experience with - it isn't even something he's ever thought about, honestly.]

Did you not do your assignment correctly?

[Because yeah, his first reaction to all of this is that Ade somehow failed, not anyone else.]

[ Ade nods along to Hunter's summation of events—and then gives a rough laugh at the question. ]

Nah. I did everything they asked me to. [ And then, more quietly: ] Wish I hadn't.

[ He might've been dismissed from the service just the same, but at least he wouldn't have the blood of the bezeri on his hands—or all the humans who are bound to get caught in the crossfire when the Ebqas make it to Earth. ]

It's not that the orders were incorrect, [ he says carefully, trying to think of how to explain it in a way Hunter will understand. The kid really does remind Ade of himself at that age. ] It's that they had... unforeseen consequences. Consequences that the people in charge wanted to mitigate. They thought that by claiming that we'd acted without their sanction, they could avoid war with the wess'har. And my detachment was seen as an acceptable sacrifice to that end.

[ He looks over at the kid by his side, suddenly wistful. He almost misses that innocence—of truly believing that the people in charge only give those who serve them what they deserve. The dutiful are rewarded, the treacherous punished, and that's that. After years of his father's arbitrary cruelty, Ade really believed that's what he had found with the Marines. But fairness means little when a scapegoat is all that's standing between the top brass and a very, very large gun. ]

Turns out, [ Ade murmurs, ] you can do everything they tell you and still end up on the chopping block.

[An acceptable sacrifice.

That hits Hunter like a freight train, and Belos' words bubble up in his memory.

It would such a hassle to find a replacement.

Hunter understands what Ade is saying, but it isn't something he thought could ever happen. Being replaced has always been a fear of his, Belos has always made it casually clear to him that despite all the work he's done, despite them being family, despite all of that he's still replaceable. Everyone is if they're no longer useful, that's a lesson that's been hammered into his head since day one. Even just talking about this causes an anxious spike of fear within him.

For all of that, there's always been the assumption that as long as he remains useful he won't be replaced. But here Ade is, having followed out the orders he was given, and because his superiors didn't like the outcome they got rid of him.]

You... were replaced. [He's stunned, looking more like he just heard a close family member died than a story from someone he barely knows.] You did everything right and they still decided to replace you.

[He sucks in a short breath.]

That can't be right. That isn't how it works.

[ Ade looks over at Hunter's reaction, surprised by just how emotional he sounds. He feels a bit guilty—he hadn't meant to scare the kid—but it's not like Ade has any interest in sugar-coating the truth. It is messed up. Scary, too. But if Hunter is a soldier like he is, then it's only right that he knows. ]

It's not how it should work, [ Ade says softly, ] but that doesn't mean it never happens. Militaries exist to protect a government's interests—not soldiers.

[ On some level, Ade had always known that. It just hadn't felt real until it happened to him. From the sounds of it, Hunter hadn't even considered it as a possibility at all. ]

Doesn't mean it'll happen to you, but... it's something worth keeping in mind, right? Not every order is worth following. I could've told my commanding officer to sod off when I had the chance. I'd probably be discharged anyway—court-martialed, too—but it'd have saved a lot of lives. [ A wry huff of laughter, more rueful than amused. ] Turns out, being a soldier isn't an excuse to just turn off your brain...

[Hunter would very badly like to argue that Ade is wrong, or that his experience in the human realm doesn't apply to the demon realm. But Belos' words keep echoing in his head, and he can't stop himself from thinking that human militaries exist to protect a government's interests, and the Emperor's Coven exists to protect the interests of -

Well, that answer should be the Titan. He knows that.

He's quiet for several long moments before looking away.]

I don't like doing that. Turning off my brain. [He's smart, he likes being able to use his intelligence. He hates all those times Belos shut his attempts at researching wild magic down.] And I'm not going to let any of that happen to me. I can't.

[He can't afford to.]

Yeah, well... good luck.

[ He doesn't say it unkindly—just with a slight air of wistfulness, a suspicion that there's not much any one soldier could do to prevent getting screwed over if someone higher up decides it's necessary. He hopes Hunter doesn't have to find that out the hard way. ]

Anyway, [ Ade sighs. ] ADI still has some use for me here, so I'm not about to pack it in just yet. Royal or not.

[ Maybe he just doesn't know how to be anything but a soldier. ADI could do with more of them anyway. He looks over at Hunter again, gesturing to him with an arm. ]

You ever need someone to watch your back, give me a call. [ A slight smile. ] Between the two of us, we might just be able to get something done properly around here.

[ See: more responsibly than siccing a lone teenager at a task and waiting to see what happens. ]

[Ade will receive a small nod in response. Luck isn't something he likes relying on, but he's glad to have had this conversation with someone who understands things.

And hey, he's right. ADI has use for all of them, so they'll at least get to work together for now. He gives Ade a small smile.]

I hope so. [Titan knows the ADI could use all the professional help they can get.] Thanks. If you ever need the same, you can talk to me.

[In Hunter's mind it absolutely goes both ways. If Ade is going to offer than, then he will too.]

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Event - Appalachia: Into the Pines

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cw: vague allusions to child abuse

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cw: more allusions to child abuse y-yaaay

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