Logs

Logs Home

2001 December 11

2001 December 11

2002 January 04

2002 January 04

2002 January 28

2002 March 11

2002 March 11

2002 January 03

2002 January 16

2002 January 16

2002 March 09

2002 April 29

2002 February 13

2002 February 13

2002 February 14

2002 February 25

2002 March 07

2002 March 12

2002 March 14

2002 April 29

2002 April 29

2002 April 29

2002 July 10

2002 July 13

2002 July 13

2002 July 15

2002 September 18

2002 September 18

2002 September 18

Cosmic Guardians

Cosmic Guardians Home

Player Information

Mechanics

Game Logs

Realms

Realms Home

Dishonored

Goblin Town

Neverneverwhere

The Whole of the Law

Waking Dreams

When The Bough Breaks


One-Shot

Retired

Birthright

Burning Man

Cosmic Guardians

DNAnimals/Tamashii

Fukusei Crystals

Heartwood

Hunter

Idlewild

Indigo

Inizii

Morning Rain

NachtMusik

Oloth

Paradon

Scarred Lands

Shattered Stars

Starfall

Weston


Style Test

Reality Fault

Home

Player

Character

Referee

Programmer

Administrator

Operations


Search RealityFault:

General Info

Glossary

Realms

Events

Credits

Help Files

Help Files (old)


Reality Fault

Realms: Guardians Logs

Background RP - Nikki - The Conclusion

Life and Death:Nikki's Story

Part 7:The (New) Beginning


The van and it's occupants make their way back to the building that housed their secret Lodge. Fortunately, the garage was not busy in the slightest, so the team members were able to carry Prometheus's body into the elevator without incident, as he was too weak to walk himself. Once inside, Hecate starts tending to the wounded medium, calling on what magical reserves she had to heal the wounds he had suffered, while Athena debriefs Ares and Cerberus, observing their trophy. Nikki sits in a chair nearby and listens, occasionally glancing over to see how Hecate's doin with Prometheus. She feels exhausted, which is almost a surprise: she didn't know ghosts could feel exhaustion.

Prometheus had apparently only suffered one gunshot wound to the shoulder: the primary nature of his wounds appeared to be attributed to first and second degree burns all over his body. It also looks as whatever clothed he had been wearing, save for his trenchcoat, had been burned away. Nikki cringes, "Is it like that every time?"

Prometheus seems to be a little out of it, as if he'd suffered heat exhaustion, but he lolls his head in Nikki's direction. "I don't usually ask so much of my firey partner." he croaks. "He expended a lot of energy...that, combined with the intensity of the flame over an extended period of time...well, he couldn't protect me. And the soldiers were starting to bring out heavy stuff anyway...got hit from behind with a glancing shot trying to get away. 'He' feels bad...at least as much as a fire spirit can feel."

Nikki chews her lip. "Sorry, Pro. We ran into quite a few snags and it took longer than we'd anticipated." Prometheus weakly waves a red, blistered hand. "Don' worry. Long's you got the job....done...." he fades off then, as Hecate's magic renders him asleep. "He'll be fine." she says confidently.

Nikki nods and smiles a little, glancing back to the other three. Meanwhile, Athena seems to have finished with Cerberus and Ares, as she appears to be stalking over to Nikki with a rather grim set. "Nikki, could I see you in the other room?" Her tone of voice, though polite, implies it's not a request.

Nikki blinks and stands up, lookin uncertain. "Uh...sure." Athena moves into the other room, and Ares gives a reassuring look to Nikki as she follows her in. Athena closes the door and then faces Nikki, her arms crossed. "Ares told me all of what happened...the details of which, I might add, he'd kept from me while the mission was under way." she begins.

Nikki glances at the door and back to Athena, her brow furrowing. "It's about that alarm, right? I thought the alarm that'd gone off was a fire alarm because of the stuff that Pro was doing on the other part of the campus. That's why I hit that button. I thought it would open the door without having to hack it."

Athena does not look moved. "You should have asked the others before deciding on a course of action. This might have gone a lot better were you able to get in and out without MJ12 being aware they were being infiltrated. No one was seriously hurt...but that's because you were lucky." She paused meaningfully for a moment, and then adds. "If you ever hope to be a part of a team yourself, Nikki, you'll learn caution, as well as a little forethought. The next time, it could mean someone's life."

Nikki nods and looks away, not wanting to meet her eyes. "I know...I thought we were under a lot of time pressure and it would save us some, but I should've asked." Athena says nothing for a long moment, and then sighs. "Nikki, look at me when I talk to you." she says, for a moment sounding more like a mother than anything else.

Nikki looks back at Athena, studying her face and wondering briefly at her age. Athena has taken off her mirrorshades, realing soft, blue eyes. "I also want you to know that we couldn't have done this without you. You have a strong ally in Ares...and he spoke very highly of your efforts. He was right when he said we didn't have the technical resources to do this ourselves. We owe you for this, Nikki...and if it is your desire to one day become a team member - in a Coincidence of your own - then the Pantheon will help you learn what you need to." There is the hint of a smile playing about her lips...then again, it could just be the light.

Nikki smiles a little. "Coincidence. You started to say that earlier, didn't you?" Athena nods solemnly. "One of the Alliance terms you'll come to be familiar with, Nikki. Solo operatives are referred to as Phantoms...but groups like myself, the ones that carry the bulk of the load for the organization, are called Coincidences. Probably originally coined because of the diverse members that were called together to work as a team."

Nikki nods. "I don't suppose yours has any openings?" She shifts nervously from one foot to the other, still 'clad' in the black bodysuit she copied from Hecate. "I find myself homeless and unemployed."

This time, Athena does smile. "You seem to have grown attached to Ares...and maybe Prometheus as well, haven't you." Nikki blushes slightly. "Well...aside from when they have my watch, they're pretty nice. I thought I wouldn't like Ares when I first met him." Nikki grins then. "I mean...I've got grit and cajones. Have you heard?"

Athena seems to be struggling not to laugh. "Yes." she says briefly. She tilts her head. "You can stay with us a while....we will have to be moving out soon. The Pantheon is one Coincidence that can't afford to stay too long in any one place. But I suspect at some point, you will need to learn things about being a ghost that we can't teach you. In the morning, if you want, we'll go back to your place to pick up anything you want to take with you."

Nikki shrugs. "I can't think of anything. I think they took anything that looked vaguely computerish. We had our photo albums on CD." Athena seems disturbed by this. "As you like. You should...probably try to rest. You can't sleep, or so I'm told, but you probably used a lot of your spiritual energy on this run..."

Nikki nods. "I guess I feel a bit...tired. But not sleepy. It's a little different. Is there a trick to resting?" Athena smiles faintly. "I'm not the most knowledgeable on this matter, but I'm told, from someone who'd know, that it's like meditating. You just...let yourself pass into your anchor and let your mind free..."

Nikki blinks. "Okay...that sounds strange...but I'll try it. Maybe it a quiet room like this one."

Athena chuckles. "Might want to tell Ares to take you out of his pocket then. I don't know if you can hear anything when you're like that but...." she trails off, shrugging. She moves to leave, opening the door, and then briefly turns back. "Welcome to the Unnatural Alliance, Nikki. Let's hope it fills the emptiness that must be inside you."

Nikki pauses a moment as she follows Athena out into the main room, pressing her lips together a little and then smiling. "Thanks." She walks out into the main room and over to Ares. "Ares...uhm...could you put my watch in the other room where it's quiet? Athena thinks I should try to rest." She glances at the others, looking a little uncertain about the idea of sleeping inside of a watch.

Ares smiles. "Sure thing, Nikki." He was apparently looking at the wounds that Cerberus sustained, but the hairy tracker waves him off. He goes into the other room, looking around, and then laying the watch on a windowsil. "There, chiquita." he murmurs. He starts to leave then, but stops, looks back, and smiles. "You did good, girl. Get your rest. We'll be moving out soon."

Nikki follows Ares into the other room and then grins at his comment. "Thanks...I suppose I went a little crazy, but hey...I'm dead already, right?" Ares smiles and shakes his head. "Don't worry about it, Nikki. What's most important is that you don't have to worry about him again....right?"

Nikki nods. "Thanks, Ares." Ares makes a little shooing motion. "De nada. Now vamos, chiquita."

Nikki glances at the watch and back to Ares. "I don't know how. Why don't you go back in the other room so I can try meditating or something." Ares nods and closes the door behind him.

Nikki sighs and sits on the windowsill next to the watch, looking down at it a moment. She leans back against the windows and closes her eyes, trying to relax and empty her mind. Seems the most restful thing she can do without actually sleeping...

There is an odd sensation at first....as if she were shrinking. Slowly she loses awareness of her phantom body, and it's as if she is decending into a comfortable warmth...a warmth that is less a sensation and more a concept. Peace reigns in the silence of Nikki's mind as it floats free....


The news the following morning details some sort of chemical explosion at the San Francisco headquarters of Trypticon Enterprises Inc. There is talk of EPA investigations and Congressional Safety Commision inquiries into Trypticon's in-house practices. There is, unsurprisingly, no mention of the death of Mr. Frants, or the whereabouts of Mr. Kent.

A day later, the Pantheon packs up shop and heads to a favored safehouse in Colorado, for a much needed cool-down and rest period awaiting a new assignment, or other Incident to show up on their radar screens. Nikki goes with them and stays for two months, learning more about how to control the myterious powers her death appears to gave gifted her. Eventually, however, she is sent to stay with to Alliance Phantoms in New York, one of which is a veteran spirit who teaches Nikki more about being a ghost...and if there will ever be a point at which she might pass on. The laptop housing the Gorgon is given to her as a send-off gift from the Pantheon.

Ares keeps in contact via email through the Alliance's secure server network, the Labyrinth. But other than that, Nikki's life continues on on a mostly unexciting tangent...until one day in February, 2025...

[Previous Log] [Index] [Next Log]





Last modified: 2001-Oct-30 19:35:28

All material on this site is
Copyright © 2001-2024 Reality Fault
unless specifically indicated on each document.
All Rights Reserved.
Administrated by Reality Fault Webmaster