Julie Adams's Story

12:30pm- Babylon, Residential District, Julie's apartment- December 1st, 2012

Her face had been stuck to the glass, staring out the window for about forty-five minutes now. The first snow of the season always made Julie feel sort of nostalgic. Like she wanted to go out and build a snowman or something. The situation had called for a bag of marshmallows in the least which was sitting there half eaten in her lap.

Tracing a smily face in the fog that had condensed on the window she got up from the kitchen chair in front of the window setting the bag of marshmallows aside. Julie yawned. She had been up for about 2 hours now, approximately an hour spent getting ready for the day, trip-hop was still pumping from the stereo in her living room, reminding her that she'd forgotten her midmorning workout routine for the plexiglass window next to her.

Grabbing her yoga mat out from its hiding place Julie stretched after she'd laid down the mat in the living room, reminding herself that today there was no rush, there was no school today and alls that were left to study for were finals. Plus, she hadn't received any calls yet about reapings for once. Settling into her yoga routine position a smile spread across her face, this had to be one of the few days that she'd had to herself in a while. As much as she liked to get out and moving it was nice to have a little peace and quiet for once.

She was getting called in just about every day lately. It seemed like Lost were just popping up all over the place. And of course as always she was the one called in to light up the place and lure them in for the kill. It was taking a heavy toll on her grades that was for sure. Frowning she rolled into a the headstand pose known as Salamba Sirsasana. Grades were on of the few things that she worried about. Feeling the blood rush to her head as gravity tumbled her hair around in front of her eyes she realized she really should be studying. Urgh, she was tired of playing catch up though.

Letting out a sigh as her arms gave way and she tumbled back down onto the mat Julie flopped out on the ground letting herself stretch out. Exercise felt good but she felt like she was missing something outside. Putting the mat back in place and and turning off the music she styled her hair and got out of her exercise clothes changing into some warm winter ones. Screw it, today was a snow day.

Running outside into the crisp air and tossing herself into a pile of snow by the nearby park she looked up at the sky trying to discern each snowflakes pattern as they around her. It was a little chilly but it was definitely a lot of fun. This was definitely what she needed today, a snow day.

Damn that was a fine snow angel. Admiring her work as she rolled over into a fresh pile of snow Julie could feel the coldness seeping into her jeans as what little body heat she generated melted the snow into them. She shivered. Even with the two pairs of wooly tights she was wearing underneath them she could feel Babylon's notorious winter creeping up. Pulling her fuzzy hat a little closer into her head and rubbing her mittened hands she decided that she would love this weather even if she lost a toe to rolling around in the snow like this.

It was the weather that reminded her that the holiday season creeping in. The shopping malls and coffee shops had already been blaring the Christmas music that even she a bit too cheery for quite a while now. Of course she'd already gotten most of her shopping done. She was probably one of the biggest pushers of 'the Orders Secret Santa,' after all. She'd smother them all to death in holiday cheer before she let that tradition die out. It reminded of her own families holidays traditions even if her attendance back at home for them were a bit hit and miss. She hoped that even with all the reaping work piling up she'd at least get to go home in time for the Holiday dinner and watch everyone drunkenly spew their weirdest secrets over spiked eggnog. Ah, how she loved the Holidays.

Christmas was never really a dreaded thing with her family like it was in some households. Honestly it was more of just a time to pig out on way too much food (like she didn't already), and hang out with everyone. Her father himself had probably perfected the art of the roasted turkey, tying it up and laying it in roasted veggies in the oven like both some exonerated and exalted deathbed for the glorious bird. Her mouth was beginning to water now. She should've brought a snack with her.

Pushing aside the Christmas cheer Julie looked up from her little snow pile to where the greeting had been directed from.

"Hey!" She cheerfully called back as adjusted her scarf so it wasn't strangling her quite so much, "Isn't this weather awesome?"

It seemed to be Alex. She hadn't seen her in a while but she certainly remembered her as her physics lab partner last year. They'd nearly blown up the place with their applied quantum chemistry experiment. That crap was pretty amazing even if her marks had suffered a bit from the incident. Of course Alex was quite the character herself though and Julie had to give her props in the wardrobe department too, where the hell she'd found half those accessories was beyond her. Besides the crazy wardrobe and characterizations though, Julie was happy to converse with the woman just based on the level of intellect she exhibited, it was amazing what came out of her mouth even if half the time it was in a riddle of some sort.

Of course though the awkwardness set in for a moment as she realized she hadn't spoken to Alex for probably half a year now. She really had to make a list of people to keep in contact with. Work kept her so busy that half the time she dropped off the face of the earth at the university and didn't surface until she'd literally risen from the dead a few days later completely scrambling to catch up.

"Soooo, how's it going?" She asked trying to catch up to where in the world everyone else was. "Done any cool experiments lately?"

Julie looked down at her shoes as she walked next to Alex to the bus stop, briefly considering that she should've waterproofed them as the icier chunks of snow snow melted into the microsuede of the wedged boots. That or a pair of gumboots. Winter ones possibly. Wait-- did fur lined gumboots even exist…? That would have to be one of the weirdest things ever. Weirder than Nike endorsed Crocs. She'd have to research all of this when she got home.

"Four hundred milliamperes. Nicked a two-terminal transfer diode off an ol' DVD player, built me a 'lil collimator an' a simple 'lil DDL driver, the works. Powered with an LI-ion battery. Nearly burnt a hole in my hand with the thing. It was grooooooooovy."

Looking back up as they stopped she noticed that Alex had produced a small box out of her pocket. She'd said a laser?

"Wow, nice," She exclaimed raising her eyebrows.

Examining the box without actually touching it Julie wondered what this woman could do, given the actual proper tools to create these sorts of weapons. She wondered if she could commission her to make her something like this on the bigger scale. The Order would probably cover it since she hadn't used any other physical weapon other than that crossbow for the past nine years . She never actually dared to touch the laser though. She'd learned over the years that you didn't touch appliances that university students had made, unless you were sure you were (in Julie's experience) that it wasn't going to singe your eyebrows off--or worse. Especially if they'd just previously stated that they'd just about burned a hole in their hand earlier with said appliance. She'd have to seriously look into the whole idea of weapons of mass destruction getting made though.

Shivering, Julie realized that no matter how she loved winter, the cold didn't exactly love her. Her jeans were soaking wet and her boots were starting to make that awkward squelchy noise that you got when there's too much water in them.

Laughing she waved at Alex, "I should get going now, I'm freaking freezing. Catch you later!" Turning around she walked back on the path to her apartment, "good luck with your laser! Try not to collimate any Gamma Rays!" She called behind her.

----------------------------

3:34pm- Back at Julie's apartment

The winter chill gone, Julie was back in her apartment sitting in a fluffy white bathrobe, her fat cat, Jynx, in her lap and a cup of hot chocolate steaming on the coffee table next to her as she waited for her clothes to become dry again. There was a distant buzzing in the corner. Lifting the overweight black cat off her lap she went over to the coat rack and rifled around in her purse looking for her phone. It had to be in here somewhere. Buried underneath trail mix bars and makeup she found the lilac coloured iPhone buzzing with a text. It was from The Order. Damn, she'd been hoping to have the day off for once. It seemed like the meeting was being called by the Grim Reaper himself though, so it had to be important. After all, she'd never seen Darkmare himself. Rumors were he was sick. Maybe it had to do with that? She had to wonder at all of this.

Forgetting the cup of cocoa and the cat she rushed to get changed into something drier and a little more appropriate for the situation. She opted for a black turtleneck with grey skinny jeans and her black leather jackets. Choice colours for a reaper. Tossing on a few gold bangles and a long gold necklace she quickly got on her boots and made her way down to the Business district and into the catacombs of the order, finding herself a chair in the briefing room as she waited for whoever else it was to arrive and to find out what exactly was going on.

The door shut behind him and Quest was alone again in his abode. Blank of expression, he slammed the empty glass on the counter and trudged on to sit on the red leather couch that sat in front of tall northern windows. His blank face hid a chaotic mess of thought. A mess consisting of guilt, confusion, and anger.

Why couldn’t Tekil ever just come to say hi? Duty and honor were concepts unknown to Quest, concepts he had no interest in. Even if what Tekil said was true about his father--it didn’t make him any more eager to join. If he turned away from being a shaman, why would he even consider being a Reaper?

Filming started at four today. He had to pull himself together. Reality TV seemed like the least of his worries right now.

Quest pushed the thought far into the back of his mind and went to get ready.

He’d worry about the mess from earlier later.

7:39 P.M. - Babylon, Industrial District, Outside Warehouse 13

A full moon was high in the Babylon sky creating a blanket of silver that nestled the entire city. Even the Industrial District, in all it’s stillness, was illuminated. Here, the only movement were a few leftover workers, the waves on the harbor, and a television crew.

“It Came From Beyond” happened to be filming it’s sixth season on this night.

Oh this fateful night.


The cameras were focused on him. There he stood in a black coat, black shirt, black pants, black boots, and black shades. Fog, courtesy of a machine that was way too big, was rolling in. A single shaft of light circled the trio of Quest The Ghost Hunter, ‘Viola’ The Gadget Expert, whose real name was Belle, and Cliff The Old Exorcist.

“And...Action!”

They all stood before an old abandoned warehouse. Windows caked with grime, dust, or just plain broken lined the top. The complex’s outer walls were covered in graffiti tags of profanity or gang nature. The locks have long since been busted, and the tall doors have long since been open, their hinges rusted from years of stillness. Given the nature of the economy, there were plenty of warehouses in similar positions as this one, Warehouse 13. What made Warehouse 13 special though was it’s history.

“Welcome back world of the living, we missed ya.” Each word is forced to be ‘edgier’ than the next. His golden eyes were full of a fire that was absent from everyday Quest. “Cliff, Viola and I are here at none other than the fabled Warehouse 13. My senses are raging from this one.” A series of quick, frantic shots are taken. “Warehouse 13 is a place with a...haunting history.” He wanted to exorcise his own damn self for that one. “See, while most warehouse crews are disbanded because of the company, this crew just...vanished--” The Hunter suddenly turns his head, “In one night.” Quest sighed. “This is bullshit.”

“Cuuuut!” The director hollered. “Quest, script?”

“Sorry, sorry. Let’s run it again!”

The night went on, and for the most part without a hitch.

Quest and the others had finally entered the warehouse. Cliff had lead the group inside, in his hands was a silver chain [in reality it was plastic]. Side to side, he had it move, scanning the area for spirits.

“I-I’ve never felt something like this before. My God.” Cliff’s entire movements slowed, as if he was under a massive pressure. “The number of souls, and the amount of pain here is just...incredible.” Viola grabbed The ‘Exorcist’ by his shoulder.

“You alright Cliff, can you handle it?”

“Yes. I have to!” The ‘silver’ chain was rocking side to side at an alarming rate. “Wait! There’s something else here! It’s angry! Quest it’s--” Quest burst into laughter, followed by Cliff and Viola.

“Cuuuuut! Run it back!”

Shooting continued, despite all of the blooper worthy moments.

Quest and Viola now stood side by side. Viola was holding a tape recorder. Click! As she pressed record on the device.

“Spirits, if you’re there, please, say something.”

Click!

“Alright, play it back.” Quest urged her. Viola nodded.
“Spirits, if you’re there, please, say something.”

There was silence. Quest looked desperate. Viola pressed record again.

“Spirits...”


It hurts! It fucking hurts!

A shrill voice, full of agony cried. Quest’s golden eyes shifted around the room. Viola was still recording-what the fuck was that.

Why is he doing this to us?! Let us go!

A man, bound in chains was crawling towards Quest. “Shit!”

Viola’s mouth dropped. “You heard that too? I’m going to ask it something else!” He didn’t hear a word she said. Instead, Quest was backing away, staying clear of the bound man, who phased in and out of sight.

You have their eyes! Please, help us! Let us go from this place! Let us LEAVE!

The ghost was directly at Quest’s feet now.

- - -

5:07 PM - Under Babylon, The Den

The door shut behind him and Quest was alone again in his abode. Blank of expression, he slammed the empty glass on the counter and trudged on to sit on the red leather couch that sat in front of tall northern windows. His blank face hid a chaotic mess of thought. A mess consisting of guilt, confusion, and anger.

Why couldn’t Tekil ever just come to say hi? Duty and honor were concepts unknown to Quest, concepts he had no interest in. Even if what Tekil said was true about his father--it didn’t make him any more eager to join. If he turned away from being a shaman, why would he even consider being a Reaper?

Filming started at four today. He had to pull himself together. Reality TV seemed like the least of his worries right now.

Quest pushed the thought far into the back of his mind and went to get ready.

He’d worry about the mess from earlier later.

7:39 P.M. - Babylon, Industrial District, Outside Warehouse 13

A full moon was high in the Babylon sky creating a blanket of silver that nestled the entire city. Even the Industrial District, in all it’s stillness, was illuminated. Here, the only movement were a few leftover workers, the waves on the harbor, and a television crew.

“It Came From Beyond” happened to be filming it’s sixth season on this night.

Oh this fateful night.


The cameras were focused on him. There he stood in a black coat, black shirt, black pants, black boots, and black shades. Fog, courtesy of a machine that was way too big, was rolling in. A single shaft of light circled the trio of Quest The Ghost Hunter, ‘Viola’ The Gadget Expert, whose real name was Belle, and Cliff The Old Exorcist.

“And...Action!”

They all stood before an old abandoned warehouse. Windows caked with grime, dust, or just plain broken lined the top. The complex’s outer walls were covered in graffiti tags of profanity or gang nature. The locks have long since been busted, and the tall doors have long since been open, their hinges rusted from years of stillness. Given the nature of the economy, there were plenty of warehouses in similar positions as this one, Warehouse 13. What made Warehouse 13 special though was it’s history.

“Welcome back world of the living, we missed ya.” Each word is forced to be ‘edgier’ than the next. His golden eyes were full of a fire that was absent from everyday Quest. “Cliff, Viola and I are here at none other than the fabled Warehouse 13. My senses are raging from this one.” A series of quick, frantic shots are taken. “Warehouse 13 is a place with a...haunting history.” He wanted to exorcise his own damn self for that one. “See, while most warehouse crews are disbanded because of the company, this crew just...vanished--” The Hunter suddenly turns his head, “In one night.” Quest sighed. “This is bullshit.”

“Cuuuut!” The director hollered. “Quest, script?”

“Sorry, sorry. Let’s run it again!”

The night went on, and for the most part without a hitch.

Quest and the others had finally entered the warehouse. Cliff had lead the group inside, in his hands was a silver chain [in reality it was plastic]. Side to side, he had it move, scanning the area for spirits.

“I-I’ve never felt something like this before. My God.” Cliff’s entire movements slowed, as if he was under a massive pressure. “The number of souls, and the amount of pain here is just...incredible.” Viola grabbed The ‘Exorcist’ by his shoulder.

“You alright Cliff, can you handle it?”

“Yes. I have to!” The ‘silver’ chain was rocking side to side at an alarming rate. “Wait! There’s something else here! It’s angry! Quest it’s--” Quest burst into laughter, followed by Cliff and Viola.

“Cuuuuut! Run it back!”

Shooting continued, despite all of the blooper worthy moments.

Quest and Viola now stood side by side. Viola was holding a tape recorder. Click! As she pressed record on the device.

“Spirits, if you’re there, please, say something.”

Click!

“Alright, play it back.” Quest urged her. Viola nodded.
“Spirits, if you’re there, please, say something.”

There was silence. Quest looked desperate. Viola pressed record again.

“Spirits...”


It hurts! It fucking hurts!

A shrill voice, full of agony cried. Quest’s golden eyes shifted around the room. Viola was still recording-what the fuck was that.

Why is he doing this to us?! Let us go!

A man, bound in chains was crawling towards Quest. “Shit!”

Viola’s mouth dropped. “You heard that too? I’m going to ask it something else!” He didn’t hear a word she said. Instead, Quest was backing away, staying clear of the bound man, who phased in and out of sight.

You have their eyes! Please, help us! Let us go from this place! Let us LEAVE!

The ghost was directly at Quest’s feet now.

- - -

5:07 PM - Under Babylon, The Den

The Grim Reaper sat in a leather bound wheelchair at the head of the briefing table. Beside him stood Mya Deng. Her frame was sleek, devoid of any excessive curves. Her features were precise and angular. Mya's brown eyes were filled with a sense of duty to, and admiration of her leader. The Reapers he called in were only half in attendance--"The Dark One", and Silas Fairchild were absent. Julie Adams, and Tekil Thorkildson were there though, ready to receive their orders. It wasn't often that The Grim Reaper himself lead briefings like this. It was even rarer still for him to meet with this many at once. This fact alone, coupled with his current state, must have expressed to them clearly the urgency of this assignment.

"The others will have to be briefed on the way. For now, let's begin." Darkmare's face was hidden by black silk sheet, draped down past his shoulders. "Mya, if you will." The woman nodded, and cooly ran a finger through her short black hair.

"Earlier this morning, there was an alarming spike in Lost activity. Areas that we normally declared safe zones, such as homes, and schools were attacked. Though we quickly neutralized this threat, it was still seen as case for investigation, considering the recent rise in their numbers." The television behind Mya comes to life. "Given that this trend began around the same time Father took ill, we decided to trace the dates and we found that with each month, there's been a day where the numbers of Lost skyrocket. Today is one of those days." Her voice began to trail off. She was holding something back. "There's another thing that my team and I had discovered..."

"What Mya and her team discovered is that these days of extreme activity coincide with the anniversary of several important dates during my career as a Reaper." The Grim Reaper's voice was much stronger than it was from when he had initially contacted Mya earlier today. This came from a desire to still appear strong before his subordinates. He was their 'Father' after all, he had to lead by example, no matter what state he was in.

Chris stayed at the register as Jenn worked and gawked at the snow and attended customers. He thought she was way to innocent for her own good. Then he was called down. A meeting is being held in the den and he needs to be there unless he wants to get in trouble. He took off his apron and hung it up along with is name tag. He clocked out and called to Jenn. "Cover me please. I will make it up to you later." With that said he left the cafe and made his way to the den for the meeting.

5:07 PM - Under Babylon, The Den

The Dark one finally made it to the den, but of course he was late for the meeting. He wandered down the halls until he saw The Grim Reaper Julie and Tekil going over the briefing. This is seriously important since the Grim is taking the time to do this despite his condition. He walked in with his hands shoved into his pockets and stood in the back watching what was going on. He missed the first part of it. He did hear about the several important dates of his career part though. He didn't want to say anything he would just get Tekil to explain what was going on to him.

[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZXT3v1Ngyo]The Den
[/url]


The Grim Reaper leaned forward in his wheelchair.

"The dates aren't the only match here. The locations of the gathering Lost also match." Although his eyes themselves couldn't be seen by his subordinates, he could vividly see theirs. From underneath the black sheet that shrouded him, he stared deep into Chris, Tekil, and Julie's eyes. They would no doubt feel the shrewd gaze of the Pale Rider. Mya clicked a button on her remote, in accordance, the image on the screen behind her changed. The new image was of Babylon, and several marked points on the map.


"These two patterns allow us to trace the spikes, and retaliate. We may not know what is causing the attacks, but we do know now where they'll occur." Mya began, “The location for this one is--”

“Warehouse Thirteen, in the Industrial District.” Alan Darkmare’s voice cut like a dagger through Mya’s speech. “This is the only place that makes sense.” Face full of dolor, he nodded for Ms. Deng to approach the floor again.

“The strike team for this operation is larger than normal with four members total,” Mya looked at the vacant fourth spot, of course he wasn’t here, “Tekil, you will be tasked as the leader for this mission. You and I will be in direct contact here. Julie, Christopher, and Mr. Fairchild, whenever he decides to arrive, will be your support. Make the neccessary preparations and leave at once. We’re not exactly sure what is behind the sudden growth in Lost, take the necessary caution as you proceed.” Mya was as cold as she was calculated when she spoke; her telling to to ‘take the necessary caution’ was her purest form of empathy. With her eyes averting to the Grim Reaper, she bowed. “Father?”

“That is all. If what I feel is any indication, I believe you will have many questions when you return, and I will answer every single one of them.”

Mya grasped the handles at the top of her master’s chair, and with one final glance at the team, took her leave.

Warehouse 13

The spirits around him had multiplied. There were dozens of them now, some looked like workers, others were more...familiar. Dressed in patterns similar to the cloth that hung from his belt, with eyes of gleaming gold, they were without a doubt Maori. Pushed against the rusty end of a stalled conveyor belt Quest was a fucking mess. His entire body was shaking, he couldn’t even move. This wasn’t the first time he’d seen ghosts, he grew up with them even. But something like this, these tortured, screaming spirits. And what’s more they looked like him. Men, women, children. Some of them looked identical to cousins he’d met with just a few months ago.

“What the fuck is going on!” He hollered, “Vince, what is this!” He was hollering at the director. As if he really believed this was some kind of special effect meant to boost ratings. He wanted to believe that it was, but Quest knew this was real. There was no faking the cries. The cast and crew tried to calm him, but Viola too, who heard everything over the tape recorder was paralyzed.

There was a bigger chill in the air. Quest felt his very soul tremble under something. The entire warehouse shook.

It killed Viola first. Using one long blade-like arm, it stabbed her clean through her chest. Her innards sprayed wildly across the area behind her. The entire crew ran, without even trying to help the ‘ghost hunter’.

He tried to scream, but nothing would come out.

When he was sitting in his chair, alternating his gaze from Darkmare to Mya, Tekil felt cold. The room itself seemed to be freezing, what came as a surprise to the Dane, as he had become accustomed to low temperatures a long time ago, but he suspected it was the Grim Reaper’s gaze that made him feel so cold. There was something in his eyes that made them capable of freezing one’s very soul, redefining the word itself far beyond the petty measures of men.

The instructions were clear, and being assigned as the leader of the task force came as no surprise for Tekil. He was, if nothing else, the oldest and most experienced of the Reapers in the room. He had seen Julie, Chris and Silas as they evolved within the order, had accompanied their psyche’s development and therefore possessed great admiration for them. He had seen Julie’s psyche in action more than once, and her skill with it impressed the old Reaper every time. Chris’s psyche was a very useful one, and Tekil had come to rely on his ability more than he would like to admit. Finally, Silas, whose ability of being late was very consistent with his personality and not at all consistent with his violent psyche, which was, just because of that, a very powerful weapon. His team was flawless. A squad of powerful Reapers that Tekil could only hope to lead well in the mysterious mission they were headed.

For even with the Grim Reaper’s briefing, Tekil was still uneasy about the task. It’s true, Mya’s graphics were very efficient in showing that Lost activity had increased alarmingly, but that still did not explain why four of the most capable of the Reapers were necessary in this mission. Maybe precaution was the reason, but the order couldn’t spare this many agents every time there was an emergency. This thought sent a chill down Tekil’s spine. What if the spirits got so restless the Reapers couldn’t contain them? How would ordinary humans react to more and more mysterious accidents caused by the negligence of powerless Reapers that fail to be everywhere at once?

Tekil bowed in respect to the Grim Reaper, knowing he would appreciate the gesture, then left the room nodding for Chris and Julie to follow him. He was expecting Silas to arrive soon enough and join them in Warehouse 13, but he could not wait any longer. They had to departure as soon as possible.

The snow hadn’t ceased, and in the distance, the Dane heard a crow caw once. Definitely a bad omen, he thought.

Warehouse 13

Tekil did not know if it was the nightfall or the presence of spirits, but he certainly felt a bit colder when they arrived at the Industrial District.

At first glance, there was little of different to be seen. The streets seemed quiet, and the giant warehouses lied still, looking like colossal shadows in the sunset blurred by the clouds. But the signs of Lost soon started to appear. A group of people passed by them in utter terror, some screaming, some unable to speak, just running frightened. None of them could tell what they just saw, but a few of them were carrying sound and filming equipment. At first Tekil didn’t care, but then one of the frightened cameramen rushed by, and the Reaper caught a glance of the back of his shirt. It had the words “It Came From Beyond” in ridiculously large letters, and Tekil felt a grip in his heart. Was it possible that Quest was there, in Warehouse 13, filming an episode? It would be no coincidence. The Dane started walking faster unconsciously until he was running, his forty-year old lungs burning with the effort.

When he reached the front door of the Warehouse, his heart nearly stopped, and Tekil’s immediate thoughts were what a burden he would be if he died of a heart attack right there. Quest was there, of course, surrounded by angered spirits, some of them with the heaviest aura the old Reaper had ever seen. They weren’t just angry, they were furious. They were desperate, enraged, and violent. Tekil snapped out of his trance and started giving orders, trying to assume some authority in this desperate situation.

-Julie! Summon some orbs and draw the spirits away from Quest! – Tekil turned to Chris and Silas – Boys, when she does, dispatch them quickly and come back here to help us! Now go!

Tekil unsheathed Slagænde and activated his psyche like so many times before, feeling the strong steel of the blade freeze slowly, eager to strike into something and devour it with its endless cold.

He hoped Julie’s energy orbs would attract the minor spirits from Quest, but he could never expect the huge Lost that now leaned towards the Maori to be fooled by this trick. Tekil Thorkildson inhaled deeply, knowing his ancestors would be watching this fight from the Valhalla, and charged towards the monstrous beast, swinging Slagænde with precision.

Julie's breath drew clouds in the air as the team walked through the Industrial district. It was just about as chilling as the gaze she could feel the Reaper draw during the meeting. What did all those dates mean? Were they really what was behind the spikes of Lost recently? Clutching the cold metal of the automatic crossbow she hoped that their journey to Warehouse 13 would yield some results. Julie usually didn't like bringing weapons on missions, she found them to get in the way often and they were usually too bulky to handle. Her weapon in specific had been specially fitted as a light weight utility though, meant for quick firing and easy reloading. She had also been assured that today, for this mission it would almost surely be needed.

Watching the people running in the opposite direction that they were headed as Julie slung her crossbow behind her, almost assured the thought that they were heading to the right place. People ran when they saw things that they couldn't understand, in this case they sure were right to. Picking up the pace behind Tekil as he began to run Julie wondered what had made the man change his speed so quickly. Looking into the doors though she was starting to understand why. There was a whole swarm of Lost, more in one area than she usually ever saw. There were people too.

"Dang…" She muttered under her breath.

"Julie! Summon some orbs and draw the spirits away from Quest! Boys, when she does, dispatch them quickly and come back here to help us! Now go!"

"On it!" Breaking into a sprint Julie ran to the opposite end of the Warehouse, charging a glowing sphere around her as she went. She could feel it moving in rhythm with her heartbeat as she fed energy into it, the glow starting to grow brighter, soon the place would be lit up like a Nightclub. Normally the Lost weren't really ones for bright places but for some reason they ate the glow that her psyche produced right up,

"there we go…" The smaller Lost were starting to get distracted the light it seemed as they started to inch themselves away from the trapped man and towards her. Tekil had called him Quest, she wondered how he knew him. Whoever he was she just hoped that there were no more casualties in this mission. Seeing the amount of Lost here though she had to wonder if this was just the beginning of things.

Chris did not see Silias walk into the room like he thought he was going to. He didn't make a big deal out of it so he let it go, but soon he would start to get worried. Grim dismissed the team and Tekil was the first one out. The dark one nodded at Father and followed Julie and Tekil out of the room to Warehouse 13. This was always the usual team. Tekil would be the leader and then the others would be there to back him up. He was not complaining about the team he respected Tekil and all the other reapers that were in his team, they were practically unstoppable. Therefore dark one has no complaints about it.

It was still snowing outside and it was freezing. Chris pulled his jacket tighter around himself and watched as he breathed out clouds of air. He felt in his holsters for his two typical handguns and checked for all clips. He was good to go. People were running away from the direction the team was heading towards which meant that they were in the right place. He could read their minds as they ran and most them were comments about them trying to figure out what was going on and worried thoughts about loved ones. The lost souls thoughts were louder than the civilians which made it easier to tell the difference. Right through the doors there was almost a gathering of Lost. "This is going to be fun." He mumbled.

Boys, when she does, dispatch them quickly and come back here to help us! Now go!

Tekil shouted at them and Chris didn't hesitate. Julie ran and did exactly as she was told and Chris followed right in with a handgun aimed and ready. He never had a problem with aiming the bullet where he wanted it to go. As soon as he heard the cock of his gun he shot the bullets and killed the ones closest to Julie. Her distraction was a big help and made things easier. Julie was thinking about the amount of lost and how this could be just the beginning. Chris couldn't have agreed more.

He watched in awe as the entire warehouse lit up like the 4th of July. Technicolor orbs appeared far away from Quest, drawing these twisted spirits far from Quest. The ones that were human still remained still, though writhing, bound by their chains. He couldn't comprehend what was happening until he saw him. Charging into battle with his massive blade in hand. What did he call it? Oh yeah. Slagænde.

Tekil and his Reaper companions had charged into battle, and there he was, cryin' like a baby on the ground of a dusty warehouse. Any human would act just like him right now. As it towered over them, claws on it's feet, arms in the fashion of blades. Biceps and face covered by chains. It was terrifying. There was no shame in it, this thing was scary. As fuck. But they, the Reapers, they were humans too. Even with their Psyches and training, they were human. So why couldn't he fight? Why was he stuck sitting on this dirty, nasty, grimy floor, watching them risk their lives?

He made a fist in both hands, and clinched them tight. Fuck, Fuck, FUCK!

The rabid Lost roared out as Tekil's blade clashed with it's own blade-like limbs. The sound of clashing metal resounded through Warehouse 13. The Dane's companions had slowly been at work dispatching smaller creatures like the big one, but each time the beast roared, more came in their place. Like the age old moth to the flame, they continued to flock to the multicolored orbs. Tekil's opponent had a gaping wound in it's chest. An exposed rib cage in the center of the pale white beast showed a glowing green heart.

Somewhere In Babylon - Earlier That Day

A shadowy room in the back of some sketchy spot. A motley crew of angels, demons, and humans have gathered here. The soul light in the room was a hanging lightbulb, and the tv in the back of the room. The latter of the two, was showing an awful quality image of the news.


"So boys, how was the flight in? Welcome back to Babylon."

A new face walked in. This one human. Well dressed in a peacoat and pants, his face was covered by a white mask. The soul indication of who this man was lied in his two crimson eyes. They pierced through whomever they focused on and demanded you're every bit of attention. Nobody really gave much of an answer.

"Well that's awesome! Really, i'm glad to hear it!" His voice was filled with a bizarre amount of glee that bordered on creepy. "As you know, today's the day! It's time to begin the next phase of our, well, who am I kidding my plan." Even with the blank mask, anyone in the room could tell that this man was smiling wide.

"As the curtain opens on the first of December, a task well be bestowed upon several Reaper members. The Pale Rider will send them to the warehouse none the wiser. For while the order hunts Lost, the truth of tonight will break borders!" The masked man waved his arms in the air with grand flair, "They'll pass tonights trial with flying colors, but their loyalty will be left in a stupor." The beginnings of laughter could be traced in his voice. "Father Death will certainly have some explaining to do...."

In the heat of battle, many things cross a man’s mind. It is in fact the details that he remembers the most. The weather of the moment, the chill of the wind… The scenario gets stuck in his mind, and these memories last much longer than those of the battle itself. It was the will of the Norns, the spinnerets who rule the fate of men, that made Tekil notice a glow inside of the beast while Slagænde’s steel clashed with the unnatural energies of the Lost. Tekil gasped when he saw the thing that pumped like a human heart, and hesitated for a split second, but a split second was all the monster needed. It suddenly gathered strength and pushed the Dane, making Tekil trip and fall on the ground. He blinked, glanced at Quest and tried to tell him to run away, but something moved fast in his peripheral vision, and he had to look back at the monster that now prepared to impale Tekil with his long arm, sharper than any common blade.

But instead of flesh and bone, the arm found Slagænde’s steel, and the ancient sword was no common blade. The arm trapped Tekil firmly to the ground, and the monster tried now to shatter the blade in order to rip the Dane apart. Feeling all of the supernatural strength of the monster, Tekil now shouted to Quest:

-Quest, run! – Another assault made Tekil grunt – Save yourself!

Tekil knew he would not last for long under the incommensurable pressure the Lost now applied. Even though Slagænde would never break, the Dane’s bones eventually would, and then he would be useless and an easy target. He prayed to every god his ancestors worshipped that the others managed to get there in time, and then made sure he was holding the sword’s grip strongly, for only those who died with a sword in hand get to experience the pleasures of Valhalla.

With each strike, Tekil saw the gleaming heart of the creature there, pumping, exposed. However, he could never strike it in the position he was now, trapped against the dirty floor of the warehouse. He shouted again, wondering if anyone could hear him at all over the sound of metal clashing on metal:

-The heart! Strike the heart!

Another assault made Tekil’s entire body shake, and he held Slagænde’s grip firmly once again.

The smaller Lost were starting to get picked off it seemed. Julie's sphere had done a sufficient job of attracting them around her, the monsters beat on the solid yet semi-translucent forcefield before being ripped to shreds by her coworkers missiles. It had taken a while for her as a Reaper to understand that she wasn't going to get hit by anyone by mistake, one of her biggest fears when she was younger was that she'd accidentally take a projectile from a weapon instead of the Lost. That was long past though, they'd all been through the same rigorous training after all.

"Let's start on the big guy now!" She called out now that the last of the smaller monsters had been picked off.

Jogging across the far expanse of the Warehouse to see how Tekil was faring with the larger lost she was shocked to see him pinned down by the huge Lost. The thing had huge blades for arms and looked solid as a brick. What was she going to do now?

"The heart! Strike the heart!"

Glancing up the behemoth she noticed an iridescent glow coming out of it's ribcage which as she looked turned out to be a palpating, green coloured heart. There we go! Dispersing her forcefield into miniature spheres she launched them at the Lost aiming at the gap in it's thoratic cage. Not everything hit but by the anguished sounds it was working. Setting up a spherical barrier between Tekil and the Lost as it thrashed around she called out to the rest of the team. "Guys! It's got a weak spot! Hit that opening in it's ribcage!"

Wait… What was Silas doing in the corner?

"Shit."

Having moments to expand her sphere to her, Tekil and Quest who were in the nearest vicinity of the blast Julie heard a muffled 'boom' through the forcefield, dulled by the barrier around them. Blasted back, the forcefield absorbed most of the damage shattering into a million shimmering pieces around them. Finding herself sprawled out on the cold ground she felt her head spin from a mix of post-impact pain and over use of her Psyche as the dust settled around her. Her psyche wasn't meant to be used so suddenly like that. Slowly getting up she tried to block out the aches and pains and get back to the task at hand.

"Geez! Give us a warning next time Silas!" She called out to her coworker.

After Chris had helped out Julie they both went and attacked the bigger beast. It was bigger than usual and it was putting up a fight giving the reapers a hard time. Tekil told the Quest guy to get out of there and save himself, but the guy seemed frozen. Chris thought it was a bit funny, but he kept it together.

"The heart! Strike the heart!"

Chris positioned his gun to that it was aimed in the middle of the heart. He was a very great aim so shooting the beast in the heart was going to be a snap. Silas on the other hand had different plans. Chris looked back at him and placed his gun back into his holster. Julie cursed and Chris jumped out of the way. A loud boom echoed out and Chris was sprawled out on the floor trying to regain his senses. He rolled over in pain and sat up. Julie shouted at Silas, but her intentions were good.

The dark one pushed himself off the ground brushing away the dust that has now began to settle. "Nice job Silas." Chris said to him as he walked around the partly dazed beast. It was oozing green blood. It was not a pleasant sight, but Chris had seen worse. The Quest guy was still here and talking to Tekil about the beast's intentions. Chris could hear its thoughts, but it was extremely angry at Silas. He pulled out the hand gun in his left holster and shot at it multiple times. He loved the sound of his own gun so he will continue to shoot at it until it backed down.

There was barely any time at all to brace for the impact, and Tekil watched with a mix of relief and anger as Julie’s shield protected him and Quest from Silas’ destructive psyche. The monster backed away, and Chris started to shoot it while it staggered, stunned and furious. Tekil got back on his feet, turned to Silas and shouted at him with true anger in his voice, reprehending the young Reaper, ignoring the fact that he was no longer an apprentice under Tekil’s responsibility.

-Are you out of your mind? You could have killed us all!

But there would be plenty of time for reprimands later. Right now, they had to focus on the Lost, which now prepared to charge frenzied towards Silas. Scanning his surrounds quickly, Tekil saw Quest, who seemed unharmed and hesitated when he told him that the spirits were all Maori. That made no sense. If they were protecting something, why did they only manifest themselves right now? There’s much to this mission that doesn’t add up, the Dane thought.

Suddenly, just like the proverbial candle lighting in a dark room, an idea came to Tekil’s mind. He waved Slagænde at Chris in an attempt to get his attention, and he knew the dark one would have read his thoughts immediately and know all about the plan. His part would be to protect Silas while he distracted the maddened beast, and then create an opening for what the old Reaper had in mind.

-Julie! – The Dane called. – This Lost is protected by magic, in some way, and his aura is too thick for common weapons to break. Even if you strike an arrow straight into its heart, it will have no effect... Unless, of course, the arrow itself is also magical. – He reached an arrow in Julie’s quiver, and froze it in the same way he did Slagænde’s blade every time he used it in battle. Then, he handed it to her. – Use this. Chris and Silas will create an opportunity. Aim it right through its ribcage, and this will all be over.

Tekil fervently hoped that last part was true.

A sudden noise at the shop window made Viola jump. The needle she was holding slipped and stabbed her finger. A drop of blood splashed onto the mouse she was working on and she sighed in frustration. Placing the wounded finger in her mouth, she did her best to clean the fur and then headed for the door to check things out.

Ghostly shapes of people running past were projected on the dusty shop window of August's Antiques and Oddities where Viola had spent the day cleaning and maintaining the items they had to sell. At the edge of the Industrial District, her shop and apartment above it rarely saw many people. Especially not as much as the stampede Viola opened the door to.

They were all running in the same direction, panicked and extremely vocal about their fear. They weren't inhabitants of this district; their clothes said something about that even if their current manner did not. One of them careered towards her, hitting the shop window before running on and leaving a streak of thick crimson Viola would have to clean later.

A wriggling sensation in her mouth drew her attention to her finger again. Due to her unhealthy condition, Viola never seemed to stop bleeding if cut. But pulling it out, instead of red blood a black shape was squirming out from the wound. It solidified into a locust. It stared up at her and rubbed its legs together nervously.

Taking the hint that something was up, Viola locked the shop door and followed her locust in the direction the running people came from. With every step she took, more and more locusts emerged from the edges of manhole covers, shooting out of gutter pipes, and from the cracks between walls. More and more torn bodies lined the street and she could smell a familiar acrid stench. Rounding a corner, Lost could be seen scattered amongst the wreckage of human meat. Viola beckoned her locusts close. From inside a small pouch she drew a vial of dark liquid. She popped the cork and moved to the closest Lost. Its hulking back was faced away from her, too focused on rendering a masterpiece from shattered rib bones. It did not notice her splashing the liquid on one of its many feet, soaked as it were in a pool of blood.

With a motion, the locusts gathered at her feet and she fell through them. They engulfed her as she fell, further down than solid ground would have allowed, but she just as soon emerged from the floor of a nearby roof with the locusts. It was a weird sensation, falling up. But she righted herself and looked down just in time to see the infected begin to writhe in agony. It flailed about, hitting another Lost and thereby infecting it. The disease would eventually work its way through them. It was slow acting, but it would have to do. These were small fry, but there had to be a reason for the sudden appearance. She looked out towards where the concentration of death felt the greatest.

It was a bit far, so it took a few times walking through swarms of locusts to get to her destination. A couple of times in, she emerged in an alley covered in mashed human. The slop got all over her shoulder, and she spent a few seconds trying to wipe it off as her locusts fed on a bit of the meat nearby. Energized from their snack, they hurriedly gathered in front of her and she leapt through them.

Finally arriving through a dilapidated wall, Viola encountered Warehouse 13 looming over her. Bright flashes of light drew her around the building, her locusts trailing after her. A towering beast stood before a group of five attackers. Logic told her they must be other Reapers, as they would have to see the Lost to be able to even land a hit. She hesitated. Since she had left Anchorage and her grandfather, she had never shown herself before another Reaper.

Green liquid was dotted on the ground, the same stuff oozing out of a large cavity in the raging beast. An opportunity.

"Get ready." She whispered to her swarm, and they drew closer to her. Then a large crack resonated in the air. A few more shots followed. One of the Reapers was firing at the Lost. Things were getting significantly more complicated and she had no way to communicate with the other party without letting the beast recover a bit. Even the beast was defended by a thick veil, some sort of magic that would block about any weapon. But Viola was not a weapon. She was just a human and hopefully that and her training was enough.

Viola steeled herself and decided to take the chance. She drew out one of the larger bottles in her pouch, one from the collection of a hysterical woman that killed her husband. With a pencil. What made these solutions work on the Lost was all the negative emotions and hate that people would put in them. It hissed like a writhing rattlesnake in her hands.

She commanded her swarm in front of her and waited for a lull in fire. Just a single pause from the one firing the gun. The beast hesitated a moment under the barrage of bullets. There was the briefest of pauses where it seemed the other Reaper took a second to enjoy the sound of their weapon. Viola took it.

It would have to be the fastest run she had done to date, but the beast somehow surviving the five Reapers and let loose on Babylon was not an option. Viola ran into the swarm of locusts, one arm in front of her, the other clutching the bottle of disease close. Her hand reached for something hot and slick in the darkness and she dug her fingers into it. Viola pulled herself out of the swarm, right up against the beast's chest. A massive glowing green organ was right in front of her. Clinging to the flesh, Viola dumped the contents of the bottle over it. Thick and black, it dripped over the organ and smothered some of its green light.

Her second was up. She pushed off against the monster and flew backwards into the air. All she could do was trust her swarm be there for her. Just as she was falling through her familiar insects, a single bullet ripped through the winter air, just to her left. Her heart was jolted into double time. The bullet had scattered a few of her insects, causing her to fall closer towards the ground before they could regroup and surround her.

Fortunately, she fell right through the ground instead of colliding with it and emerged a second later from a wall behind the attacking Reapers. Her momentum rolled her on the ground bringing her close to the one furthest back. Viola shakily tried picking herself up off the ground, but her body felt it deserved a moment's rest. At the least, she had done what she needed to; the corrosive liquid she had placed inside the thing would make its way all around the body. No one ever expected the things to have more than one heart, but her grandfather had taught her never to underestimate them. Lost always had a way to hold onto the living plane. If it was their job to make sure a Lost was dead, Viola's job was to make sure they were deader than dead.

However, sitting on the ground in the midst of a battle was making her quite vulnerable. And between a few bugs and a the monster's fist, there would be no doubt the fist would reach her. She would have to get out of its way soon.

Maori? What the heck were they doing here? Julie frowned, she wasn't the most senior Reaper but she'd heard enough about the politics behind the two groups to know it was a tenuous relationship between the Reapers and them. She was neither here no there on the subject but it still concerned her that they were here. Was everything somehow connected? Ugh, this was all making her head hurt more.

Running over to the Dane she listened to Tekil's instructions. She was supposed to shoot the thing? Taking the chilled arrow in her hands she had to wonder how all of this was going to go down. Of course like any other Reaper she had to spend her fare time at the weapons range but it still wasn't her best forte. No, there was no reason for doubt, she was fine, there was no room to question herself now. She was going to fire that arrow and do it right.

"Got it!" She said unslinging her crossbow and notching the arrow in.

carefully holding it in her arms she held it up at eyes length trying to get a good aim on the Lost. It was charging though at Silas. Crap! Running to catch up to the beast she felt her lungs burn, adrenaline flowing through her as her head swam. Screeching to a halt though she stopped in her tracks as a swarm of locusts appeared out of nowhere. Sighing a breath of relief she was happy that Viola had the situation handled. The creature was thoroughly distracted now. Lining herself up as the bugs retreated she felt the room stand still for a moment as ripples went through the room. A shiver ran down her spine. The Bell had tolled.

It figured something like this would happen during one of the biggest battles the Reapers had, had in a long time. Snapping out of the heebie jeebies the whole thing had given her she remembered that the Lost would be aware of it too. Taking her aim again as the gigantic lost started towards the direction the spiritual energy had come from she lined herself up and fired. It hit right on contact. A shrill scream pierced the air like nails on a chalk board as green goo-like blood flowed out of the monster as it fell dead.

"Hah! Take that!" Jumping up and down in joy Julie was briefly lost in the moment forgetting about the rest of the matters at hand.

Julie's head still had a rush of adrenaline in it as the group finished up the battle, it also slightly ached too but she was just happy that the whole thing was over. Slinging her crossbow back in place she stretched from side to side trying to get any aches and pains out of her muscles. She figured that there might be a little bruising from her fall earlier but it was nothing she wasn't used to. Feeling a little better she considered the previous events with a quiet contemplation.

It was a frightening idea that Lost could appear that large, of course there'd been reported cases over the years of them appearing, in special cases, but she never imagined she have to face one herself. It seemed that a slurry of Lost related incidences were starting to crop up though so it was no wonder all of this had happened. And it all related back to the Grim Reaper himself. He'd said there'd been more things to come, too? Shaking her head she decided she didn't want to think about it at the moment. For now she was just looking forward to to getting to relax again.

Going to follow the rest of the group out the door to deal with the Bell tolling she stopped herself for a moment, looking at the man who'd been there for the whole scene. Tekil had said his name was Quest, wasn't it? He looked familiar… Wait, he was from that supernatural investigation show on tv wasn't he?"It Came From Beyond" or something. Maybe he knew something on what was happening?

"Hey!" She said as she walked up next to him, "you're Quest right? Are you feeling okay?" She knew for a fact that most people who ended up in these sorts of situations for the first time were a little shaken up. It was something of a desensitization process that took place with the Reapers over lost. Looking Quest up and down she wondered what his affiliation with the whole supernatural world. She knew he wasn't a Reaper, but he still was able to see the Lost.

"I'm Julie Adams," She said with a smile, "you were saying earlier that this place was being protected, do you know what's going on?"

"Hey!" She said as she walked up next to him, "you're Quest right? Are you feeling okay?" She knew for a fact that most people who ended up in these sorts of situations for the first time were a little shaken up. It was something of a desensitization process that took place with the Reapers over lost. Looking Quest up and down she wondered what his affiliation with the whole supernatural world. She knew he wasn't a Reaper, but he still was able to see the Lost.



This woman tore Quest away from his thoughts. She was a beautiful sight to see after all of the shit that he'd been through tonight. There was a warmth in her eyes that he didn't expect to see from someone in her line of work. Even Tekil, a man who was more of a father to him then his own maintained some kind of distance in his eyes. There was none of that in her eyes though.

"Yeah, that's me." With a sigh, the Maori rubbed his neck, and leaned against a rusty crate near the woman. "I've been better. I've seen those things before, but nothing like...this." Quest's eyes were shifting around, watching for signs of another attack.

"I'm Julie Adams," She said with a smile, "you were saying earlier that this place was being protected, do you know what's going on?"

"Yeah, you saw the spirits here right? The ones that didn't turn into those things." He motioned for Julie to follow him. Quest led her to several different spots in the warehouse where captive Maori ghosts were bound. "Some of them were workers here, but most of them were my people, the Maori. You probably heard em' yellin, it wasn't just gibberish, that was our tongue." He pointed to the area where the giant Lost used to stand. "That one was a guardian too. I think it used to be the leader. It said 'We're the guardians of this place, you won't enter again.' Roughly at least." He then pointed to the center of the room, where the seven hooded figures, and the Maori guardians stood.

"After that, those flames started to appear, they weren't real though. I think it's some kind of magic tied to this place. One of the guardians might have done it, some kind of time centered spell, I dunno," With his finger, he identified each spot where the seven men stood, "Seven hooded men. Their leader was holding a scythe. They were the ones that attacked this place before, by the looks of it, they're the cause of this whole thing. I don't know what they were after, but it left enough negative energy to cause a haunting of this scale. It might be worth your people looking into...they don't normally gather like this." His coworker's body was spread across the ground a few steps away from them all.

"What the fuck..."