apocalypsehowcomm | Event

Dogged

The message goes out to everyone on ADI's network. It seems to be something captured live. It's Pam Ruan, head of HR who holds a prosthetic finger up to her lips before whispering, "Everyone's pushing for transparency right now, right? Figuring out where threats are coming from and sharing. I think that should come at all levels. Let's see what Nia's talking about with Mr. Zyrian Steel, hmm?"

The camera flips around as Pam clearly creeps closer to an office door. There are muffled voices, and Pam sets the phone face up before using one hand to shove the thing under the door. The video shows a sliding picture of the office's bland ceiling for a moment before coming to a stop. The voices become much clearer.

"-down in Wolf Trap," a masculine voice is saying. Presumably, Zyrian Steel. "There's just no need for that."

"Zyrian, this ain't a negotiation." Nia Lehrer's voice is familiar to most people working at ADI at this point. They've likely heard her speak in some pre-recorded training videos at the bare minimum. Nia's tone is no nonsense and clearly on the edge of snapping in frustration. "You're not hiring us. I'm sending my people down to Wolf Trap next month. We've got evidence of those signalhead things being on the march, one down that way, your kick off for New Horizons in the park, and evidence out of there about the Lullaby Girl from some of my people."

There is silence.

"You remember her? Ava? Or Amber, it seems like. She's the one you gave us those Lucidio masks to help train our people against. Frankly, I'd be surprised if you don't remember her, Mr. S." Another drawn out pause. "You ain't been straight with me for a long time. You ain't been straight with ADI since Tawnya was Warden. You tell me you need us in Buffalo, payback for helping in Wolf Pen and Cortana and the mobile med units, and not only do half the staff come back with crab claws and whiskers, but I find out you're using us for business politics." There's venom in her tone. "Or were you just going to stay quiet about Etcher's enterprises competing with your own software companies? ADI is not your personal attack dog. You are our client. And I thought my friend. But I'm about 30 seconds away from firing you from both."

Further silence, then a heavy sigh. "And I was going to offer to send you and your staff on such a nice retreat." There's the sound of a chair being pushed back. "Warden, I think you misunderstand the nature of our relationship. You are the dogs. I am the master. I hold your leash. Or have you forgotten just how much technology I've donated to ADI over the years, how many of your systems run on things I built? We've had a mutually beneficial relationship up until now- Well… you and I have. Tawnya got to be a problem before the end, too. But I made sure that was taken care of."

"You self-aggrandizing son of a-"

"You're a much more practical woman than she ever was, even with those shiny ideals you hold so dear. You'll compromise for the greater good, to protect what's yours. Such a good Warden, looking out for her charges."

"What are you talking about? And get your hands the hell off my desk."

"Haven't you ever wondered about the title? Warden. Odd name for a leader of any organization, even one like yours. But maybe not so odd when you consider your more eldritch masters." A scoff. "The Hunt always does pick out the most oblivious avatars, doesn't it? What does a Warden do?" A beat. "She controls the monsters, Nia. Sniffs them out and contains them. And she goes after the poachers coming after her prey. Tell me, have you ever noticed how you're always picking up on threats far afield with uncanny precision. It's been getting stronger, hasn't it? Tawnya was the same way. As was her predecessor, I imagine."

"That's not- I wouldn't ever…"

"Wouldn't you, though? Every time you sent your own dogs after a threat, reveled in it, you were being such a good Warden, instilling terror in the hearts of your enemies, ADI's enemies. So many cults know who and what you are and they fear it. Fear the Warden of ADI, famed avatar of the Hunt. Even now, I know you've compromised yourself. Have you considered what that's done to you? You let that Visionary kid stay alive. I rather think that might have been the start of your slide, hmm? Making exceptions, just this once.

"Now," he continues, voice growing louder and footsteps starting toward the phone, "I realize this is a lot to take in, to think about. Why don't you do that self-reflection while I attend to other matters? You are doing good work, puppy. I need a dependable pet to take care of all those nasty pests who keep trying rituals. But no need to worry about the New Horizons launch, really. I'll just-" Zyrian pauses and everyone will have a view of a middle-aged caucasian man with dark, slightly graying hair and a beard. He's wearing khakis and a Hawaiian shirt, and he's looking down at Pam's phone.

"Well… fuck." He stomps a heeled shoe on it and the transmission ends abruptly.

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[The words send a chill down her spine. Not again is her first thought - the museum is not so far behind them, and not everyone had returned from that intact, or at least close to it.]

It's not you dragging me into anything.

[She reaches out to squeeze Rue's hand, beneath the cuff of that unseasonably heavy coat.]

How are you changing?

[Their paw absolutely engulfs Yelena's hand, but that doesn't hide how badly it is trembling.]

I must warn you, it is terrible.

[It is only due to the fierceness in the young woman's face that Rue relents and does not ask to be certain if she wants to see it. Of anyone in this place, Yelena seems capable and strong, less willing to be frightened than some of ADI's other employees.

But Rue finally moves, pulling their jacket away and finally turning around to reveal their back. Their dress is backless, a dreamy ivory flowy thing, with a scalloped back and long swooping sleeves, gathered at the wrist with in delicate pearls. Though perhaps it is hard to focus on their fashion when the very feathers growing out of their back have turned into fluttering insect wings, glittering beneath ADI's fluorescent lights.]

[Unusually for Yelena, usually so sharp, she doesn't see the dress at all. Just the wings, dozens upon dozens of them, straining and fluttering.

For just a moment, she's not in the brightly-lit halls of ADI, but somewhere with deeper, clinging shadows that don't quite mask the horrors inflicted by an avatar of Corruption on her once-fans. She sucks in a small, sharp breath, and shakes her head as though to clear it.

She isn't certain the strange beauty of the iridescent wings is any better. It's an act of will to force herself to reach out, oh-so-carefully, to test if this is just some cruel visual trick. Her stomach twists at the faint flutter of motion against her fingers.

She swallows once, hard.]

When did this start happening?

[It's the oddest sensation to feel someone reaching out to touch you but to feel that touch almost secondhand. It leaves the owlbear trembling as they shoulder their coat back on, hiding the fluttering wings and their soft buzzing beneath it.]

Just a few hours ago. It - I don't know what started it.

[They suck in a sharp, shaky breath, paws wringing together in front of the. The fear is so thick in their throat.]

I don't know what I did. After getting ready for the day, I felt a strange itch across my back, beneath my feathers. And no matter what I did, I could find no relief for it! And then - and then I noticed this and I am so fearful of it spreading even further.

[Yelena bites back a curse. Knowing what had caused the changes might not make it easy to stop them, but it would at least allow them to concentrate their efforts.

At least there's something of a timeline. That's better than a blind start.]

There are artifacts loose. If you came into contact with one, then we can find it and destroy it, and that should stop the changes.

[Assuming they don't complete before the artifact causing them can be destroyed, like with Dave and Adam. She pushes that thought to the side. It won't help. It may make things worse.]

We should check with security and investigations, to see if anyone else has been suffering a similar effect. If they have, then that will help us narrow things down if the artifact is hiding as some commonplace thing.

[The smart decision, of course. Thinking of these awful wings spreading even further, taking up the full of their body, the very idea would freeze them in fear.

No, this is much kinder, to give Rue hope for a cure.]

You're right. [It isn't what Rue wants to do. What they want is to run back to their apartment and hide out of sight until all of this is over. But of course that isn't the right thing to do. Not if what they are experiencing could be happening to another. Or something even worse.

No, Rue will help. They must. Even if their paw can not stop trembling, they will do whatever they can to see this through.]

Forgive me, if I sound foolish, but I am most fearful. Will you go with me? I should very much like a friend at my side.

[Yelena reaches over to take one of Rue's paws between both of her hands.]

Of course. You should not have to be alone, with this happening.

[And there certainly is genuine concern there - she knows all too well what it's like to have one's body changed without one's consent.

But there's practical concern, too. If Rue's alone, there might not be any way of knowing if they do get worse before it's too late. Not with the chaos ADI's been thrown into.]

Thank you, my friend.

[It is not an immediate fix to whatever is happening, but a path forward is more than Rue had to go off of but a moment ago. To have Yelena at their side, to know they do not need to walk these hallways alone trying to find a cure, it changes everything, makes Rue's voice go thick with emotion, their gaze warming beneath the promise of hope.]

Thank you.

Event - Dogged

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