**** Dorian ****
Their afternoon consisted of pretty much the same thing their morning did. Except that they were off doing their own things. Vin and Aria were sparring in the gym downstairs, Dorian found it odd that the two had taken to each other so well, but then again, they were kindred spirits, they had been when in the Vatican as well. Only Martin had never truly allowed fraternization outside his own circle of recruits and teams.
Nox was continually surprising him, and his willingness to tell him personal things made it all the better, he knew more about him in the past day than he'd known by reading his file, and the file was fairly well detailed. Though there was one side affect to that, the more he learned of Nox, the more he wanted to be with him, and Nox wasn't ready for more. But Dorian could wait. It had been a while since anyone had inspired that reaction.
He and Nox spent time alone up stairs in his rooms, more playing with the weapons in the bags, Nox going through things he knew about gods, himself included, and those he'd met in person, and those that Aria had met. At first Dorian had wanted to be left in the dark about what those two were doing, but really he wanted to understand what made this man he was getting involved with tick. And Nox was more than willing to share. He offered up information, suggestions, what was starting to bother Dorian was the sheer amount of thought he and Aria had put into learning how to kill a god. This was his kind, and he was preparing for war against them. It was a conflict of interest.
Dorian couldn't hold the questions in any longer, Nox was sorting through one of Dorian's bags on the side of the mat and Dorian was sitting against the wall watching him. It was nice to just sit and listen for a change, but he had to know, "You are hunting your kind? Why?"
Nox looked up from the gun he had been holding with a grin, "We aren't learning to hunt gods." When he spoke of hunting he always used we, meaning he and Aria, they were more a team in this than any Dorian had ever seen. There were teams that worked together all the time, Martin, Vin and Dorian had all been a pretty standard team at one point in time. But not always, Aria and Nox worked together, one was never with out the other now. Nox continued oblivious to Dorian's thoughts, "We are trying to find a way to kill one god in particular."
Dorian nodded, "Ascendancy." He'd figured that out a while ago. The way they spoke of hunting gods, they were hunting the impossible. And yet they both worked towards that goal, knowing Aria's death was going to go down with that one hunt, either Ascendancy killed her or her usefullness would be at an end, ether way she was dead.
Nox nodded, "So we learn to kill gods. I was worried when Aria first told me about it. If she could hunt Ascendancy, she could hunt me. And then she asked me to kill her if she went bad, went rogue and started killing innocents again. And I realized that her knowing how to kill me was probably a good thing." Nox grinned at Dorian, "I'm sure there are some people who could easily manipulate me to their way of thinking. Show me things I could do with the power inexchange for services rendered. I can be manipulated, I can be what I don't want to be. At least now, I have a failsafe."
Dorian nodded, "And if a war comes?"
Nox laughed, "It has already come, just no one has really esclated it. Commander Vellas, one of Ascendancy's right hand men is a god, the video's were not faked. The man is a great tactician and a god. And Aria knows him. She's actually contacted him on several occassions, well once anyway to discuss issues." Nox grinned, "He knows what Aria is sent to do. And Aria, " Nox paused, "And I, have met Ascendancy. War against the Atharim is already waged, just the battles are small. I know my side. And it's not Atharim, and it's not the side of the gods, this is not a two front battle. There is no black and white."
"I will fight for what I beleive in. Monsters are here, some gods are monsters, just like some people are monsters. I will hunt down and kill any god that is a threat. I will not hunt down a god who is just healing the innocent. But along the way, I may have to kill a good god so that I can survive another day. It is what Aria beleives and I agree with her whole heartedly. I will help gods get away from the Atharim. I will save those I can, I will teach those who need it. I will kill those who deserve it."
Dorian shook his head, "So young and so much resolve to do the right thing." Dorian smiled, "I wish I had that much of a cause at your age. I don't have that much of a cause at my age."
Nox smiled but Dorian continued, "I just wanted to do anything to piss my father off. I created means to do what I wanted, what I thought I needed to do to gain his approval. It's all I've ever done. I sit here and listen to you and you were born in to this life. The world has been nothing but hunting and killng for you, and you thrive in the mere conflict of it. You become a monster and your ideals still hold to what is the core fundamental values of the Atharim, to protect the innocent. Zealots will reign but you beleive in your cause, I am in awe."
Nox laughed, "D, there is nothing to be in awe of. You are here. You've yet to kill me. I'm rambling about how we aren't going to do our mission, about saving gods, you have more ammo than you need to condemn me to my own death, and you sit here and listen and you are inspired by what I say, not because I said them, or I beleive them. You know it to be true."
Dorian shook his head, "You underestimate the power you have."
Nox laughed, "No D, I don't. I know what affect I have on you. This is beyond that. You..." Dorian closed the distance between them before the sentence was out of Nox's mouth and kissed him. Dorian whispered, "No more words." He stood up and took Nox's hands and lead him to his bedroom and closed the door. Nox never hesitated, but Dorian reassured him, "You are going to drive me crazy and I think that will be more than fine." Dorian kissed Nox and tugged at his shirt.
They hadn't even made it to the bed before a knock sounded on the door outside. Nox laughed, "And so the bell tolls."
Dorian frowned, "I suppose this will have to wait till later." Dorian could see the smart comment just on the tip of Nox's tongue, he wasn't going to say it for the knowledge that it would make Dorian want him more. He could see the humor playing across his lips and through his eyes. "Well spit it out."
Nox laughed, "And I..." Dorian put his finger to his lips and Nox kissed it softly with a wink and a grin. He'd been played again, he didn't intend to say much, only make Dorian react.
Dorian shook his head and walked into the other room and opened the door, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, come on in. We'll start rolling as soon as lover boy in there gets dressed."
Vin's jaw dropped and he laughed as he saw Nox tugging his shirt on over his head.
**** Vincent ****
Vin and Aria finished sparring about 20 minutes before they met back up at Dorian's room, little song was about to say something when Vin knocked on the door. The smile on her face said exactly what was going on behind the closed doors. It was nearly a minute before Dorian answered the door. His comment about Sparkler in the other room shocked Vin but it was Sparkler's actions that had him laughing, he was unabashedly pulling his t-shirt back on as he walked into the the other room. Vin really couldn't help but laugh. Dorian watched Nox pull his shirt on with an eye for the details. Aria was already packing up Dorian's things, apparently Nox had been taking inventory of his toys.
Dorian watched as Nox bent down and started working with Aria. The two picking up the weapons worked in tandem, working like one, knowing exactly what the oher was doing without words. Vin watched as Aria handed Nox a few things and he put them away. They had a system.
Dorian walked over and stood next to Vin and watched as the other two packed his bag. "You'd think those were their weapons. Like they worked with them everyday."
Vin asked, "You don't mind do you? I would, handling my things like they were theirs."
Dorian shrugged, "I think that they are far more respectful than most other people would be, I don't mind."
Vin laughed, "I'm sure it helps that your boyfriend is the one respecting your things." He grinned at his comment, and Dorian shook his head.
"I'm amazed we get any work done with all the innuendo in this group." Dorian laughed.
Aria turned and looked up at Dorian with a look that made Dorian blush, "Shush you!" he said.
Nox laughed, "Now you know how I feel."
Vin grabbed his bags and shifted them around, "You didn't touch my things did you?"
Nox looked up at thim with a grin, "Yeah, I did. I touched everything, and put them all in backwards."
Vin looked down at the grin, "Sparkler, oh how you wish to die."
Nox stood up, he was slightly taller than Vin. But he grinned and Vin smiled at him, "I do have a death wish."
Vin stepped a little closer and Nox grinned and took a step back. Vin laughed, "So easy to intimidate?"
Nox smiled, "No. I could break you in an instant. But I won't hurt a friend. And I didn't touch your things, I'm not stuipd, man."
Vin smiled, "I know. I wanted to see how far you'd take it. Looks like I won."
Nox smiled, "You win."
"Ah, you are no fun." Vin complained.
Aria finished the last of the packing and Nox grabbed a few bags and and Dorian took one from him. Aria grabbed hers and Vin was happy to take his own things. They went downstairs. Ana waited at the bottom of the stairs, it looked like she'd done it a million times. Nox grinned at her as he walked by, she took his arm and he stopped, Dorian had stopped, "We'll be right out."
Vin and Aria headed out the door and were packing their things up in he SUV. They were going to hunt some gods, Vin was excited, this was not like the last time, this was a real hunt, and they had at least two gods and a potential third that could do who knows what. Vin started humming, "a hunting we will go" to the tune of "farmer in the dell."
**** Nox ****
Ana took his arm and he could feel Dorian behind him. She had wanted to talk to them both. Nox turned around and she smiled at him, "Nox. I want you to watch out for Dorian. He's my husband and no matter how our family started he is my family, and I want you to keep it safe so you can be part of it too."
Nox grinned, "I'll watch his back." He smiled and looked at Dorian, "Amoung other things."
Dorian laughed, "Ever the comments."
Ana hugged Dorian, "You take care of him too Dorian. We need him for our son, and you need him more than you ever needed me."
She smiled, "And Dorian, when you both come back safe, I have something important to talk to you about. But not until you are both back in this house safe."
Dorian nodded, "We will take care of each other, and our team will come back alive, we won't lose another."
Dorian put his arm around Nox and Nox leaned against Dorian a second before he hugged him and noded to Ana, "We've gotta go, those two will have much more to say if we dally too long."
Dorian laughed, "You know it's your fault. Vin would never be so brave any other time."
Nox laughed, "Well I'm glad I could be an influence on him then." He winked.
Dorian smiled and they walked out together arm in arm. The public affection was growing on Dorian, Nox could tell, he was playing the game with Nox, at least when he could. Nox felt the butterflies again. Dorian asked him, "What's wrong?"
Nox grinned, "Nothing. Just feelings rummaging around inside."
Dorian dropped the bag, and took the one off of Nox's shoulder, "Good feelings?"
Nox wrapped his arms around Dorian and leaned in and put his forehead against Dorian's, "Only the best, even if they are a little scary." Nox kissed Dorian softly.
From inside the car Nox heard Vin chuckle, "Oh will you two get a room."
Dorian chuckled though he never broke the kiss until Nox pulled away unable to hold it anymore, "We had a room, you knocked on the damn door."
Vin laughed, "So it's my fault now." Nox saw Vin turn around in the drivers seat and laugh.
Nox laughed, "Yes."
Aria sat in the front seat and Dorian looked at him, "He bitches because we kiss outside the car and then I'm sure he talked Aria into sitting up there with him. So we sit together in the back seat. I say we make out like teenages just to show him."
Nox laughed. "We should."
Vin groaned, "Fine, fine, I'll stop complaining."
Nox nodded to Dorian to get in, "I'll get this." Dorian quirked an eyebrow but didn't say anything else and Nox grabbed his headset from his side pocket and stuffed the bags in the car, there was less this go round since it was only weapons. He truly hoped they didn't need it all, but it was better to be safe than sorry."
The back seat was mildly comfortable, and thankfully he got to sit behind Aria, "Move up girl." Aria slide the chair back instead, "Ouch!" She moved up with a satisfied giggle. Nox smiled.
Vin started the SUV and they were off to some place near the water. Nox plugged his headset in and offered Dorian a earbud and he took it. Nox set his wallet in his lap and moved to the middle seat and stuck his tongue out at Vin in the rear view mirror and leaned against Dorian. Dorian put his arm around him and Nox closed his eyes. It would be a good trip anyway.
**** Aria ****
The ride was short, Nox was disappointed when Vin finally stopped the car, he didn't say anything but he'd been enjoying leaning against Dorian and listening to something together. Aria never thought Nox the romantic type but she'd been wrong he just hadn't found the right person. Maybe it was just Dorian's charm but Aria was pretty sure that Nox was just as enthralled with the other man now.
Everyone was out of the SUV and grabbing this and that. Vin and Dorian shook their heads when the only thing Nox took was his sling of vials and a gun at his back just in case. Aria's wasn't much better, her sword and her gun, her job wasn't to go head to head with a god, it was to keep things from getting to Nox. The other two weren't exactly sure what they would expect, they'd hunted gods before and Dorian's gear was really not gear towards hunting anything but the new godlings. These ones were not new, they knew what they were doing and they were going to be difficult.
Dorian pulled out the blue sound lights and a few other of his toys they'd gotten from HQ. But really they were going to have to rely on Nox's ability, and whether or not Dorian and Vin knew that Aria was unclear on. This group of gods killed Antoinette, and they had tried to kill them. That meant whatever they were doing was something the Atharim needed to stop, one way or another.
Aria sent coordinates to HQ, or rather they would send in an hour if no one returned to turn it off. With the coordinates was Dorian's project files. Dorian smiled as he watched over her shoulder, "No faith?"
Aria smiled, "All the faith in the world. But even that isn't always enough to let us survive. These guys need to go down. And it's better to be safe then have the world blow up because we failed in our jobs."
Dorian nodded, "Ana has instructions to do the same, send information to Borovsky if I don't return."
Aria shook her head, "I'd never do that to Lucas. He'd have a hard enough time dealing as it is."
Dorian nodded, "She asked to do it. So she'd know that it was taken care of."
Aria nodded. "Smart and very brave woman."
"That she is," Dorian chuckled.
Gear in hand, Vin and Nox had the landwarriors on. Dorian had waved off Nox when he'd tried to give them to their leader. The two remaining pairs were set to record and map and several other things Nox had mentioned that Aria hadn't really paid attention to. They would help later if they got away this time.
They stayed together this time, Nox in the front and Dorian in the back. Vin and Aria taking up middle positions to the side of Nox's lead. A diamond formation basically.
The plant was between shifts at the moment, so there was no one around but the cleaning crews, they'd timed it so they could enter without too much notice. But there were still a few cars in the parking lot, one was Matias' they would find him inside. If the police would be called, this would be murder, not even self-defense like with the woman in the woods. They were here to kill this man.
The Atharim walked the a very grey line of morality. Protect the innocent yet they murdered people for being something the didn't choose to be. Aria had to push the thoughts aside or they would pull the darkness in around her. The hunt was already doing a good job of that.
Aria watched Nox from the corner of her vision, he was enveloped in the power which meant she had to pay extra attention to him instead of just feeling where he was, but that was normal.
The factory, plant, whatever you wanted to call it was near empty when they walked into the large double doors. Their guns were not drawn, but everyone was tense and ready to draw at any moment, except for Nox who's weapon of choice was already firmly in his grasp, but the whip that usually accompanied his gift was clearly missing.
They walked through the plant like they should be there, the few people who saw them just gave them a glance, no one stopped them.
Inside the first room there was lines and lines of conveyor belts and machines handling chips and components in air tight machines. Nothing was moving but Aria could feel the electricity humming through the building it was almost like an electrical charge.
Nox turned and frowned, "We aren't alone."
Aria drew her sword and her gun. Nox translated for the other two. "Two gods near by, one male, one female." They drew their weapons. Nox took Dorian's hand and dragged him behind a large machine that Aria had no clue what it housed, or did, Nox took the land warriors off and put them on Dorian's head, "You need this more than I do. It's set you don't have to do anything. But you need to see. You die and I'll bring you back from the dead and kill you myself." He grinned playfully at Dorian.
Dorian nodded, "Fine." He kissed Nox softly and then followed Vin around the other direction. Aria stayed with Nox and they started down another path through the conveyor belts.
**** Dorian ****
Nox had insisted, Dorian would have thought it was forceful if it had been anyone else, but Nox played it off like he was only joking at his thread, but he knew it was more than that. They were about to face not one god, but three, and Nox had his own advantages, he wanted Dorian to have some too. And for that Dorian could do what he asked, even though the things gave him a headache.
Vin took point and Dorian and he rounded a corner to see two men with guns standing in front of a door. There was no need for guns in this plant, security wasn't that strict here. It was just parts, nothing you couldn't pick up at some local electronics plant.
Whatever was behind that door was important to Matias and his crew. Vin thought the same thing and singaled his intenstions. He was going to go around and flanks the other side and they'd take them out together, no noise, no guns. Dorian slipped his weapons into their holsters and waited for Vin's signal.
A flick of his hand indicated that Vin was ready and they moved in tandem approaching the two gun men at the door, quick and stealthy, they snapped their necks. Casualties of war. Dorian didn't like it but such was their life. Nox's words had stung before, now they rattled through his brain, this was war, and those men had chosen a side, even if they hadn't known it. But what side was Dorian on. He couldn't think on it now, there were more important things to do.
Vin opened the door quietly, you chould see his muscles straining to open the heavy metal door without a sound. Dorian slipped in low drawing his gun all in one smooth motion. Dorian whispered "Clear." And Vin slid in next to him.
Two steps forward...Dorian felt a gush of air behind him and as he turned he saw Vin crumple to the ground. A man stood on top of the metal walkways that crisscrossed the room. Dorian recognized him. "Well, well, look what we have here."
Dorian frowned and pointed his gun at the man. The man continued, "The son of the prestigious Mr. Vega, Atharim too, what a lovely prize for the boss."
Dorian didn't see it coming, he felt a gust and then everything went black...
**** Nox ****
Nox gave Dorian the land warriors, he really didn't need them, he could feel their presence to some degree, Dorian couldn't do anything, he needed them, it would keep him safer, and for once that matter. Nox understood now why Aria refused to let Lucas go hunting with her, for real. That day in Siberia with him there, she had to have been freaking out. How life had changed, Nox chuckled to himself as he lead Aria down a row of belts to another room, he could feel two powers inside.
Nox wove a wall of air in front of him. It would keep them relatively safe, he still hadn't tested it against bullets, he resolved to do that when they got back to Moscow, safe and sound.
Inside the room, there was a device, there were some weaves entering and exiting the machine as it hummed along. Nox severed all the weaves, the machine burst into peices as each weave died. A female scream errupted from a near by room, and the chill winked out.
Aria made a cutting motion at her throat, she had died. Well that was easy. The second one was in another room, his ability was still in full force, he could feel the power, he was weaker, how he knew that he wasn't sure, but he knew.
Nox pointed the direction to the other room and opened the door, he slipped inside and saw nothing, Aria was behind him. The door slammed shut and Aria had her gun pointed at the noise before he could turn and see her falling to the ground with a man on top of her, the tip of her sword sticking out his back.
Nox used a weave of air to pick the man up off of Aria, she laid there, her eyes closed, but the sword pulled free as he lifted the man, she was awake, fighting the demons of a kill. It was different when she killed a god. He knew that much, he didn't know really how much, but he knew it was different when they held their power.
Aria was covered in blood, she never minded, but her clothes would not be happy about it, it was probably one reason she tended towards black on most occassions.
Nox offered Aria a hand up and she took it with ease. They both looked around until they were satisfied that nothing was of much consequence. They decided to check out the reminants of the machine in the first room. There wasn't much left of it except lots of shreaded metal but one peice remained intact, it was a metal orb with lots of weird runes on it.
Aria pulled a glove out of her pocket and slipped it on to pick the object up. Nox could feel reminantes of power left on it, lingering, almost vibrating with it's own power. He shivered, he didn't like it one bit. Aria carried it into the other room. Their original god lie dead on the ground. With two of three gods dead, Nox followed Aria towards their friend, she looked concerned but she didn't say anything.
They found Vin lying crumpled against the wall rubbing his head. "Ouch. That hurt." He looked around. "Where's D? Matias was here."
Aria frowned, "There is no one else near by." I can barely sense Dorian's emotions, he was alive but unconscious, it'll be harder to track him like that."
Nox's heart leapt, he wanted to punch something, he should have stayed with Dorian. But he knew that was just the fear talking. He took a deep breath as Aria put her hand on him, "We'll get him back, I promise."
Nox shook his head, "Don't make promises you can't keep Aria."
She smiled at him, "You know I don't."
**** Aria ****
Aria felt that Dorian's presense was fading, it wasn't until the end that she felt a second presense with Dorian, but it was too far away to get to. It was hard enough as it was to track someone when they started moving in a vehicle, now, but Dorian was unconscious, his emotions were limited - very limited.
Nox was still an empty shell, the power coursed through his body, she really had no idea what he was feeling. She wasn't sure she wanted to know what he was feeling. But they would get Dorian back, she didn't say she'd get him back alive, but they would get him back. Aria didn't want to think about that though.
The trail lead out of the building and a pair of tire marks indicated which direction they had gone. Nox did his tech thing, he'd already taken Aria's wallet and started tracking Dorian's land warriors. It was a good thing, and would be easier in the long run, but they weren't part of Dorian so that track could go bad at any moment.
Vin drove, Nox navigated in the second seat, Aria sat back and kept her focus on what little of Dorian she could feel. He was at the very edge of her senses. So far the two trails lead the same place, that was a good thing.
Nox had dropped the power, he was feeling anxious, and was showing it, but he was doing so much worse on the inside. Aria said nothing, she didn't even try to calm him. She wasn't sure how she'd react if someone tried to calm her down if Lucas were taken. She had killed the last man who had tried to hurt him.
Nox spoke calmly though Aria felt his excitement, "They've stopped."
They approached the building on foot. Aria couldn't feel much, it was residential, there were alot of people around, and Dorian was still unconcsious, and the man who had him she had very little on, he was harder to track.
Aria went with Vin around the back, and Nox to the front. Aria watched as Vin picked the lock to the back door and slipped in quietly. She stayed outside to keep a look out while Vin went in. Nox knocked on the front door.
And that was when all hell broke lose. A bright light and a loud sound and smoke. It was crude, but it was a flash bang bomb. There was a foul smell and the smoke burned her eyes and her lungs. And in moments there was nothing but blackness...