Ray's Adventure

[Ray Mitchell]

Ray woke up and he was on the ground on his back. Ray got up and said "Man I had the strangest dream." Ray didn't say this to anyone because no one was around him at the time. "Who was that man? Did he relay pull me though the ground? If he did why? Was he trying to save me form Ander or was it something more? Maybe it was all just a dream. But it seemed to real." Ray said. Now Ray got up off the ground and saw his bow on the ground 3ft away form him, and next to it his bow-staff too. He picked them up with out thinking much about it. He couldn't remember anything but his name and the to living things that he saw Ander and the dark figure. Ray got his stuff in order and set off into the woods of this new world, and to start his new adventure!

[Riley Oran]

Jake looked over at the boy, who had for some time been motionless, as he finally stirred somewhat in his sleep. He simply continued his paperwork, reading over forms and various bills that had been presented to him all the while considering what would the best course of action be. There was the matter of proposed public transportation-- Crucis had yet to have such a thing, despite being the largest part of Radix. It had been considered a lot recently, and at one point in time of the city's long and enduring history Crucis did in fact have one. Due to inefficiency, it had been removed far before Jake had even come to power. It was sometime after he first arrived. The result was a localization of activity. It was interesting to see how Alekhine was affecting the concentrated pockets, but the spread was limited to those areas.

In Jake's eyes, Crucis could in fact afford to attempt public transportation again. It would be some months before it was up and running properly, but it would enable the easy distribution of Alekhine. In Jake's eyes, the pros were outweighing the cons. How to approach the issue? That would be best addressed later, when he wasn't so distracted. Indeed, Jake had been pouring over issues with little attention paid beyond simple musings, mostly because of the man laid out before him. With his injuries, apparent confusion, and mysterious black spot on his hand he was tempted to simply cut the hand off and see what happened. Certainly there would have been no loss to something he didn't yet possess. He would at most lose a rare chance to experiment, to observe a new phenomenon.

That didn't bother him much. He craved the possibility of the power of death, but wasn't dissatisfied with what he had. His might was already substantial on it's own. This was merely a grand experiment. He stood up from the chair, his clean, black business suit rippling in the shimmer of the ocean water. The room had a faint blue glow to it from the windows and as he walked around his desk and headed through the room towards Ray's unconscious body his shadow seemed to fade against the color. A smile that could carve itself into granite bored into the limp form before him. The slight movement of a dream meant that the boy could be awoken. Jake got low and straddled Ray, attempting to wake him up with a smack in the face. He wasn't going anywhere. Jake wouldn't allow it-- not until he had his answers.

[Ray Mitchell]

SMACK! Ray was awake and confused. "What the hell?!" Ray said He was ripped right out of his dream back to the "real" world. There was a man standing above him looking down at him. It looked as if the man was waiting for some answers maybe why Ray was in his house, or maybe who he was? But Ray didn't like the look on his face, it was a wicked grin one of horror and deathly delight. 
     Ray tried to move to get the man off of him but to no use. He was battered and blooded, he had no chance even if he could get him off what next? all these things where running in Ray's head. 
     3 mins passed and the man started to become impatient and Ray saw this. Ray had enough time to get him self together to ask him a question. 
     " What happend to me?" 

[Riley Oran]

As Ray came into consciousness, the boy stared at him for a while, eyes wild with confusion. He seemed drowsy, tired, yet he stared into the boy's eyes and examined them deeply, giving them a hungry glare as he peered into the boy's eyes. Time slowed. It felt like years had passed in the span of minutes, and as Jake's hands gripped excitedly around into fists and he lorded over the man, the blue light of the room cast from the ocean water making him appear as a ravenous predator. This was a victory in a way. A small one, yes, but it could lead to greater rewards. Anticipation built and then suddenly, the wonderful silence was broken.

"What happened to me?"

A question for the ages. Did the boy remember? He had been conscious when he first arrived, and then passed out for quiet a while. For the length of time, his memory could be shot. The sick smile grew ever more menacing, and Jake pressed his face closer to Ray's practically projecting his very essence into Ray's eyes. "You got your ass kicked, kid."

[Ray Mitchell]

"What? well I do look like crap, and I'm unable to move." Ray said. " Who was it?! Was it that Ander kid!?" Ray said a little too roughly. Realizing what he did was not very smart, Ray tried to look away form the mans cold gaze. Ray had indeed lost his memory of his fight with the Collector, and most of his past too. But he did remember Ander and what he did to him and what he said. "Hey can I kill you now?" 
     "Wait who are you?" Ray asked?

[Riley Oran]

Jake looked over the man carefully as he spoke, ignoring his questions. "You're like a child, speaking as though I should know who you're talking about," he concluded with an air of arrogance. Jake actually did know, but he was playing stupid for now. It made more sense-- to best acquire the information, he should act as though he had none. As he tried to turn his head, Jake's hand shot out to grab his face and fix it back to him. The man would find Jake's grip quite difficult to break free of. Beyond difficult. Jake could lift tons on a whim-- this boy's strength didn't even touch his own. Jake could hold him here as long as he needed to.

Jake would cease straddling the man, though, standing up and allowing him to move again. "It's rude to ask my name without you offering yours. Don't make that mistake again." He walked away from the man, heading back towards his desk and taking a seat, staring at Ray as he did so. His fingers lay into pyramid expectantly.

[Ray Mitchell]

It took some time for Ray to get his balance back. When he did he walked into the mans office. "My name is Ray Mitchell. May I ask what your name is?" Ray said. "Sorry for my rudeness before I'm just lost and confused. I can't remember hardly anything." Ray might be hurt and beaten but he is still obligated to respect others values. He was sorry he was being rude truly but he needed answers and Ray was in no place to become his enemy.

[Riley Oran]

Jake merely glared up from his desk, shuffling his fingers against one another with a look of contempt that may have sent chills down Ray's spine. It certainly would have, if he knew even a touch of what Jake was thinking. "You are among the lucky few," Jake started, "whom I've not immediately... taken care of." He placed his palms flat on his desk and asserted himself over it, imposing his form upon the other man from behind the lump of wood. He relaxed himself, reclining back into a chair after a few moments. He motioned to the chair that sit adjacent from him, on the other side of the desk by Ray. "Sit."

[Ray Mitchell]

Ray came in to the mans office the man looked into Rays eyes. They had a look of contempt but this didn't affect Ray. Ray sat down in the chair adjacent form the man. 

"Why do you Keep me here then?"

[Riley Oran]

Right to the point, then. Excellent. Jake placed his fingers together once again as a pyramid and stared at the man with cold, cold eyes. The room's temperature would drop slightly. "I'm not," Jake informed him. "Not yet, at least. Mainly because you haven't even been able to try and leave. You don't even realize how much you owe me," Jake cracked a sly grin. "Your life, for one thing. Had I not interfered in your little death match earlier, you'd be dead. Your security, for another. It will take ages for your hunter to find you down here," he explained.

"If he is indeed your hunter at all," Jake added.

[Ray Mitchell]

"I see. Well I thank you for your helpfulness toward me. But .... " Ray looked down at his hand looked back up at the man. 
" What is this thing on my right Hand?" Ray asked. Ray then noticed that the room got colder and smelled like sea water. 
" I'm here now because of you I have no desire to run nor fight you. lets get on with it. There is something your not telling me and I would like to know. I mean no disrespect but I will be of no use to you or any one of that matter if You keep me in the dark. Am I right?"

[Riley Oran]

As Ray began to question his hand, Jake could only look to him and shrug. "I don't know," he replied truthfully. In reality, he didn't know what it meant, or what it was. He'd never seen such a thing before, and only knew that it came from the battle with the thing in a reaper's garb. His smile faded. He didn't even intend to reveal that much to Ray, and in fact intended to use this to his advantage. "That mark on your hand... it is my mark. I have many agents operating through the city. The black spot is my method of identifying them. Before you ask, no, we've never met in person. I operate through proxies. This is our first meeting Ray Mitchell." He extended his hand to the boy. 

"I am your employer, Jake Giffan. You were one of my top agents operating in the forests of Orbis." A lie. Multiple lies, actually. Jake was able to tell them all straight-faced, too. Judging by the way Ray fought and how he acted during the fight, he was total novice who had survived this far on luck alone. Using the ink from his own body, he grabbed a manila folder under his desk and out of Ray's site, and began to create a whole folder of falsified information that was marked "classified", and produced it for Ray to see only a few moments later. It was complete with pictures, notifications, patterns, everything that didn't matter. Everything that wasn't true was about to become Ray's reality if these cards played out right.

"You're handler is dead, which is why we are interacting directly." He offered Ray the file. "And why you're now holding a folder full of documents that you were never meant to see." It was basic psychology. Make them feel special. Make them seem valuable to you in their own eyes. Make them important. Twisting their reality around was easy enough. It was made easier by Ray's seeming lack of context.

[Ray Mitchell]

Ray took Jakes hand as he told him things that wasn't true but Ray with his memory gone had no clue how wrong Jake was. "Jake, nice to meet you." Ray said "Jake finally I got his name. I don't think I can fully trust him right now though but this is all I have to go on at the moment." Ray thought. "What happened to my handler?" Ray said as Jake handed him a folder. Ray Looked though the folder, and looked up waiting for answer. Ray was now starting to believe Jakes statements, going farther into Jakes deception.

[Riley Oran]

"Your handler's death directly relates to why you were pursuing that man who almost killed you." He motioned towards the file. "Document thirty-five. Page nine," he informed the man. "Your handler was also a field agent, albeit one with more experience than yourself. He was looking into reports of a traveler from another dimension in the city. It seemed sketchy at first, but over time it became more clear that he was definitely onto something." Jake sighed, motioning for the file back. 

"It started roughly three months ago. A series of gruesome murders had taken place through much of Orbis. Reports say that a man would injure unsuspecting victims, and then challenge them to one-sided fights. In the course of these fights, he would brutally maim them. Their killing injury in every case was the same: a single stab wound through the back of the skull." Jake touched the back of his head with two fingers. "Torture, but with a quick end. I'm not entirely sure what communication you had with your handler, because my reports on your behaviors are... unreliable at best. My proxies said he spoke highly of you. That was before you disappeared a few days ago. He'd lost all contact with you. Your transmitter had ceased to function, and nobody knew anything of your whereabouts."

Jake sighed, producing a picture of Ander. He had touched a blank piece of photo paper under his desk, and put an image of Ander on it. "This young man approached your handler yesterday evening, and baited him into the forests of Orbis. He and your mentor had a hell of a fight over you there. Ander won, and suffered almost no injuries. You were still under the effects of a powerful sedative when you started to come to, and Ander almost killed you. My sources enabled me to locate you in time to save your life. Your handler, however..." Jake's face wasn't grave. There was no emotion, no hint of guilt or sorrow. Just a fact that lingered in the air. A lie spun into a fact. "Despite you being drugged, you still tried to fight him. He played with you for a good ten minutes, before finally standing over you with a grin on his face." Jake cracked his neck. "Mistake on his part. You're still here."

[Ray Mitchell]

"So my mentor was killed by this Ander kid? Wait how did Ander win? I mean what did he use and what kind of weapon does he usually use?" Ray asked "What do you need me to do. I need to fix my mentors mistake and I'll need all the help you can give me." Ray said. Rays honor and pride got to him. one of his flaws. Ray though out all his thoughts of if he can trust Jake to fix his "mentor" mistake. " I'm sorry lets start form the beginning what do you want me to do?" Ray said. Ray has fell into Jakes deception completely now. Ray had a false ID and a misunderstanding of his life. Jake was now Rays mentor/boss. what will happen next?

[Riley Oran]

"We're not sure," Jake pressed. "From what we gather Ander was sufficiently skilled with Source Magic. He completely obliterated your mentor." Jake motioned towards a mirror, showing Ray exactly what he meant. He showed Ray the crater made when he had initially blown up against the man in the reaper cloak, using it as his evidence for something that didn't happen. "This explosion was heard for miles around Orbis. It's shock-wave even reached us in Crucis. It traveled through the water like nothing." He simply shook his head. 

"Right now? You do nothing. Not yet. You haven't had a proper medical examination yet. I just wanted to interview you before you went into a hospital. Understand, despite being one of my enforces your position isn't exactly legitimate. You are a shadow operative. You operate discreetly." The image on the mirror faded. "For the most part, anyway. Usually fewer things explode around you. I had to straighten this out before we took you to a physician. I needed to gauge for myself what you remembered, and what you didn't. In the past you knew things that I couldn't have you simply mutter about in confusion. As for what those secrets are..." He cracked a smile.

"You'll earn them back in time. As for what you need to do now, we need to get you a full physical, see if you have any severe internal damage. We should also see if this memory loss is permanent or not. We'll need to get you a replacement transmitter after that. Then, some rest. We'll go from there."

[Ray Mitchell]

Ray nodded his head in approval he did feel a little bit out of it right now. " Where am I going to get a Physical? and how do i get there I don't remember the way so to say" Ray said. Ray knew he was a Ranger not what all that imposes but he knew that they where like a shadow and very secret. "Thank you for all your help."

[Riley Oran]

Jake sighed. "I expected as much," he informed Ray. "Your memory will hopefully return in time. Until then, you'll need a guide. I'll arrange for one soon," he stated. He shot Ray and knowing glance. "I'll take you to the hospital myself in just a moment, seeing as you don't have the proper faculties to navigate there. I have a personal physician that I have attend to me, and I'll render his services unto for the time being. He'll be able to do more than diagnose. He can heal, as well." Jake's head shook as well. "It's just business," Jake informed. 

"Don't misunderstand. There are literally dozens of other agents on my payroll who are several times more qualified than you to go after this man," Jake explained to him in a harsh, almost scathing tone. "Your skills are not developed. If you rush this, they won't be. I'm offering you a chance at redemption and revenge. If you don't cooperate, I'll revoke the privilege and relocate you to Rustici. You can watch the farmers there and pretend that your new position actually matters. Understand? You going after him meets a mutual need. The second it becomes an inconvenience, I'll revoke it. Don't let it become that." He waved his hand. 

"But, that's not an immediate issue. We'll discuss this at length once you've received treatment." Raising from his desk, he motioned towards the door and beckoned Ray to follow him, the large wooden doors moving easily at Jake's touch. "After me. The doctor's office is a mere block away."

[Ray Mitchell]

" OK then I see your point. I'll do as you say best. I must be redeemed and right now you offer the best and only way for it." Ray said. Ray then got up and followed Jake out the doors. As they were walking to the doctors office Ray asked Jake something. "May I ask? Why do you want to help me get stronger and more skilled? I know its none of my business but I would like to know." They where half way there about this time.

[Riley Oran]

Jake cast an awkward glance at Ray, that was almost dripping with condescension. "It's simple Ray: I don't, and you've come to a conclusion that I haven't even tried to hint at," Jake clarified as he lead the young man into an elevator. The doors would close behind them as the elevator began it's descent. "I'm merely offering you a chance to avenge your handler-- the man who was your mentor. I mentioned that your skills were lacking, and that if you rush into a fight with that man before you're ready you'll die. I never offered my help, or expressed interest in doing so." 

Jake traded a cold glance with him. "Understand that I protect Crucis, first and foremost. I serve it's interests, and you serve mine. You are a soldier. You accepted death when you initially joined us. You are expendable. But if you are stealthy, strong and skilled? You'll live without incident. I'm sending you to gain satisfaction, little as I'm sure that means seeing as you don't remember," he stated outright. "So, if not to avenge your mentor, find him because he tried to end your life. But you have to develop your skills through your own methods. If you need directions, I can use some of my contacts and get you help if you really, truly need supervision." He waved his hand. "That's a few days away at least, still. We'll find out how sound you are medically, first."

[Ray Mitchell]

Ray nodded to Jake and asked him no more questions the rest of the way there. he was ready to start training but he first needed to make sure he was able to handle it first. He would get examined and if all checked out he would get him self some rest and start the next day.

[Riley Oran]

The Crucis Hospital-- or rather, this hospital in Crucis (as there are quite a few)-- was deceptively small. It seemed to be in pristine order, though the city around it seemed to be slowly falling to ruin. The sidewalk they walked on was not plain cement, but a metal grid. In fact, the floor for more civilian transit was gridded metal. It held up well enough for their weight, and was less prone to erosion and molding than cement of other parts of Radix. Beneath the grid was a drainage system that was filtered. The heavier contents were deposited on the floor of the ocean, while the liquid contents were cycled back into the rest of the water.

The road was beveled sheet metal, bolted with great care along the sides. The road rounded off at the ends so that the water would run off under the sidewalks, and the same process as above could take place. However, the road was empty and eerily so. There were a few people walking about on the sidewalks, but not many civilians. This was because it was already three in the morning. Crucis received no sunlight from the surface, and the light that existed down here was artificial from exterior and interior bulbs. 

They only walked a few minutes in silence before being greeted by two, open doors. As Jake entered, a tired looking young woman perked her head up as her green eyes seemed to sag on her face, and her blue hair seemed to frizz off her shoulders. She only held a blank expression on her face for a moment before she blinked herself awake and yawned. "Hello, Mr. Giffan," she said in an exhausted voice. 

Jake nodded as he approached the desk. "Ms. Carrol," he nodded at the young woman. Or, she was supposed to be young. Her mid-twenties he had always presumed, but the ravages of the third shift made her seem late thirties. "I've never seen you on the third shift," he replied with a gentle smile.

"My first night," she yawned meekly. "Can't wait for it be over. Wasn't made for these after-hours shenanigans." 

"Well then, I hope you aren't too tired to help me check in my friend here." He motioned to the man at his side. "He needs a medical examination as soon as possible."

[Ray Mitchell]

Ray was in complete ah at the rode and side walk they passed, he thought to himself "This place is astounding!". Just then Ray saw the middle - aged woman working at the desk. " He needs a medical examination as soon as possible." Ray herd Jake said. This brought Ray back to reality for he was too overwhelmed at the place around him. "Yes well um... I think I might have a head injury that resulted in mass memory loss. What can you all do to help me get all of it back?" Ray asked the lady in front of him.

[Riley Oran]

The girl smiled wearily at Jake. "Sure thing, Mr. Giffan," she confirmed with a small yawn. She began to look around her immediate area, examining her desk for paper work as Ray spoke. She simply looked up at him with an amused expression on her face, and in a very un-amused voice responded with, "Do I look like a doctor to you?" She motioned to her dress, which was an excellent pink with a beautiful floral pattern. Then, with a shift of her eyebrows indicated she had indeed located the proper paper. She withdrew from under her desk a clipboard, with a paper that was indicated as a sign-in sheet by the header. 

Instead of handing it to Ray, that patient, she handed it to Jake. "Just in case it really is a head injury, you need to do this. I don't feel like deciphering scribbles." Jake laughed gingerly, and gently took the board from her in a smooth motion, signing in the proper information almost as quickly as he had received the paper.

He handed the board back to her and asked, "Whose working tonight?"

"One second," she held up her hand as she shifted more papers around, pulling a schedule from underneath a large stack. "Right now, Greg and Chris are working. Oh, but I think Greg is on his hour lunch." 

Jake's face darkened. "Unfortunate. I suppose we'll need to wait for Gregory to return, then. How much longer do you suspect he'll be out?"

She met Jake's gaze and quickly averted her eyes, looking back towards the paper. "He, uh... went to lunch about forty minutes ago. So, fifteen or twenty minutes and he'll be back." She tried to meet Jake's glare with a smile, and succeeded for an instant. However, as soon as her expression faded his lightened. "Most excellent. Then it's about an average wait." 

"Yeah," she replied in voice that dripped with relief. She hadn't seen Jake angry before, but she had heard some scary things. That man was a delight as long as you never pissed him off, but as soon as you fucked up, supposedly you disappeared. He wouldn't make her vanish over a wait though, right? Especially one that wasn't her fault? She shook her fears from herself with a visible shiver. 

"Are you could," Jake asked?

"Just a twitch," she responded. "Oh," she recalled, reaching under the desk. "I have this medical history form for you guys--"

"That's irrelevant," Jake stated. "His memory is gone, and beyond that I'm not so sure of him myself."

She stopped, looking up at Jake from a bent over position and reclined back into her chair. "Oh, right." There was an awkward silence.

[Ray Mitchell]

Ray's DayDream 

" Well what am I going to do if Gregory says I can't train? I wonder what he looks like?" This was what Ray was thinking when he looked back at his hand. "What is this thing? Is it some sort of power?" Ray had an image in his head that moment of him firing a beam out of his hand. at that time he saw the receptionist start to nod off to sleep.

Ray smiled at the sight. " I guess she isn't used to being up so late." he thought to him self. "Why did she look at me like something was wrong with me? I guess Jake is well known here. The lady seems to know him well." with this thought he smiled even farther than the last time. 

About this time Gregory came in form him break. It looked as if he was going to walk right to Jake. "Why was he...? He must have known Jake was coming how nice." Ray thought. Ray would back off the wall he some how absently minded walked to to go see the Doc.

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