The Hunt for Ron Caliburn

[GhostSpider]

I dislike our nation's capitol. Its not that I hate politics. It's the emotional climate that bothers me the most. From the overwhelming flavor of greed, pride and ambition of capitol hill, to the misery and despair of the Blight. This city grates on my empathic tastebuds.

Oh, and I hate politics too.

I met Cybermancer at the crime scene, located in D.C's charming Blight. I arrived early, so that I could see the scene with no other emotional auras to bother me.

I sat down in the middle of the area, making sure to keep Karlash close at hand. This was the Blight after all.

I fell into a meditative trance, just as Shang Li had instructed me, and reached out with my empathic sense. I began sorting through the emotional atmosphere of the scene. I worked my way through layer after layer of extraneous emotions, much as I would peel an onion. Deeper and deeper I went, intent on finding that indelible stain death always leaves behind.

Almost without warning, I found my mark. The emotions were, even with the time that had passed, very potent. I was overwhelmed for a moment and backed off. I took a second to chastise myself, and then approached with more caution this time.

The violent nature of Jinx's and Darcy's deaths had caused the emotions to become a tangled mess. I had to patiently sift through them and seperate them out. It took some time, and a great deal of patience, but I was able to identify at least four different people by their empathic resonance. Three female, one a child, and one male. The three female auras were unfamiliar to me, but had to belong to Jinx, Darcy and Cynthia. The male aura was unmistakabley that of Ron Caliburn.

Almost immediately, I felt that something was not right. The two adult female auras had all the right tastes of the situation they were in. Apprehension, fear, pain, and that strange tangle of emotions that preceded death. Still, something was off. One of the emotions coming from them wasn't right. It tasted like...betrayal? And if that wasn't odd enough, the emotions coming from Ron and Cynthia were completely abnormal for the circumstances. Cynthia was excited, giddy even. While I know that children sometimes experience emotions differently than adults, these were happy emotions, totally at odds with the situation. Ron's emotions were just as weird. I tasted hate and rage, but not in the right consistencies. Even stranger, I detected pride.

What the hell happened here?

I was still pondering when a voice intruded on my inner contemplations.

"Master, someone approachs." The Voice warned.

I had left the Voice to keep a watch on the area while I investigated. I shook myself out of my trance and looked at my watch. Cybermancer was right on time.

[GhostSpider]

As I was waiting for Cybermancer, I sensed another presence. I looked around, and noticed a man shuffling into the crime scene. At first I thought him to be elderly, by the way he moved. However, upon closer examination, he appeared to be in his thirties, maybe a few years older then me. He walked with the assistance of a walking stick, and to the naked eye seemed very frail. My other senses told me that there was more to this book than the cover.

"Who are you?" I asked.

He walked over and extended a clearly arthritic hand.

"Father Johnathan. You'll know me as FriarJohn on the forums." He replied as we shook hands.

I chuckled as I looked at him. "You don't really fit my idea of a friar. I always imagined brown robes, and a mug of ale. Probably all those Robin Hood movies I have watched."

He laughed at that. Good, he could take some ribbing.

A few moments later Cybermancer approached the scene. There was another round of greetings.

Cyber, or Matt as he introduced himself, was a little taller than me, but not nearly as heavily built. Other than that, he seemed to be exactly as he had describded himself.

He seemed somewhat cautious, but wasn't insulting about it. I always appreciate that.

After the pleasentries were taken care of, we got down to business. Matt produced a vial of blood and handed it to me.

I took a moment to study it.

"Hannah?" I asked, having tasted something of her aura from the vial.

"Didn't have any of Ron's, and you did say a family member would work." Matt replied.

I had at that. I smiled down at the vial. Had to love her heart.

"Let's do this." I stated, and moved back to the area of the scene that had the strongest empathic resonance. I pulled a piece of chalk out of one of my many pockets, and began to draw. A circle, followed by a number of arcane symbols.

As I did this, both Father John and Matt watched. Matt was filming this, with a camcorder he had seemed to have pulled out of nowhere. I simply shrugged, I certainly didn't mind an audience.

As I was finishing, the Father spoke up. "May I ask what you hope to accomplish with this ritual?"

"It's real simple. I am going to use Hannah's blood, and through it her connection to her father, to temporarily increase my sensitivity to Ron's emotional wavelength. It will allow me to track him down."

"Sounds like blood magic." He pointed out.

"That's cause it is." I replied.

I stepped into the center of the circle, and replaced the chalk with a long silver needle. I uncapped vial and took a deep breath.

"Here we go."

I took the needle and dipped it into the blood. I then brought it up and let a single drop fall into my left eye. Reaching over, I moved the patch covering my right eye. I grinned at the jolts of surprise that I tasted from my observers as they saw what emanated from there. I let a drop of blood fall onto what lay within, then placed the patch back.

Finally, I let one more drop fall on my tongue.

'Acba!' I practically screamed it in my head. The symbols surrounding the circle lit up, just as they were supposed to. I concentrated on the three drops of blood.

For a moment everything went white, and I was overwhelmed by alien emotions. Anticipation. Pain, sharp, but enjoyed. Excitement.

'What the fuck?'

I shook off the emotions and looked past them, focusing on something far and almost intangible. With a herculean effort I reached for and grasped it.

A moment later, I was back inside the circle and gasping like I had just run a marathon.

I waved off offers of aid, and brought my breathing under control. I then focused on the scene again and smiled. The ritual had worked. Ron's resonance was stronger, and far more tangible now. I could track him.

"I'm off." I stated without preamble. I strapped Karlash to my waist and headed out.

"Konrad." Matt called to me. I turned back toward him.

"When you find them, gather as much information as you can about their condition, but do not engage them."

I just smirked at him and strode off. I had the feeling that violence was inevitable at this point.[/color]

[Hannah]

Konrad,

Thank you for your efforts.

I wish I was up to taking a more active role in this.

Hannah

[freerunner92]

Sounds like at least one of y'all is willing ta stand up to Caliburn.

[Daichan]

Or maybe some of us ain't what we seem to be or have an axe to grind.

[GhostSpider]

Or maybe some of us ain't what we seem to be or have an axe to grind.

Don't pretend you know me. Same goes for you freerunner. I do this for my own reasons.

[Rowan]

Or maybe some of us ain't what we seem to be or have an axe to grind.

Don't pretend you know me. Same goes for you freerunner. I do this for my own reasons.

It may just be my own misinterpretation, GhostSpider—but was Daichan’s response aimed at you? Or was it a reply to freerunner92? I’d just as soon wait for her response—and yours to see how this further develops.

One final thought—if you chose to hunt for Ron Caliburn on another’s reasons alone and not your own—then I might have cause for concern.

[Daichan]

Or maybe some of us ain't what we seem to be or have an axe to grind.

Don't pretend you know me. Same goes for you freerunner. I do this for my own reasons.

I wasn't talking to you so take your attitude and shove it where the sun don't shine. Seriously? Who do you think you are?

No one important to me so just move along.

[GhostSpider]

Haha. Fair enough child. I apologize for the assumption.

[GhostSpider]

I had tracked Ron across the Blight, struggling to keep following his trail through the pervasive miasma of emotions that saturated this urban pit.

I stopped on a street corner for a moment, and rubbed my temples. I could feel a monster headache brewing. This ritual was a big help in tracking Ron, but it seemed that dialing up my empathic sense was putting a strain on me. Apparently, my ability wasn't supposed to be used at this level of focus. I wasn't going to be able keep this up for much longer.

I followed the trail for a few more blocks, when I suddenly hit paydirt. Ron's trail led right into an abandoned building. I went up several flights of stairs, all the way up to the roof. As I approached the door, I heard voices coming from the other side. I quickly recognized one in particular: Ron.

Bingo! Time for some action. I couldn't keep the grin from my face. A part of me hoped Ron would not come quietly. It had been too quiet lately, and I hungered for action.

I eased the door open and peeked outside. I immediately noticed Ron, and a young girl who had to be Cynthia. Ron was speaking to another pair. One was a man, not much older than me. The other was a girl who seemed to be the same age as Cynthia. Ron was gesturing at something on the street below the building, and lecturing the other pair.

Wasn't sure what he was talking about, something about target selection, when suddenly Cynthia sniffed the air. She whispered something to Ron, and he started looking around.

It was at that point that Ron looked right at me. Knowing that my spot was compromised, I opened the door fully and stepped out onto the roof.

Almost immediately, I tatsted an emotion that Ron always seemed to have when I was around. Grumpiness, tinged with more than a little annoyance. I grinned cheekily at this.

I saw the other pair go for their weapons, but Ron waved them off. He said something to them that sent them hustling to the other side of the roof. I didn't really care though. My target was right in front of me.

"We going to do this the easy way, or the way I really hope it goes?" I asked.

Once again, I tasted a flash of extreme annoyance, and more than a little frustration.

A small metal object rolled in front of me. Suddenly, the world turned into white static. I closed my eye, and grabbed my ears at the visual and auditory overload. I am pretty sure I also screamed.

It was a damned flash-bang. It hadn't come from the b-team at the other end of the roof, so it must have been Cynthia. She had stepped into my blind spot for only a moment, but it had been more than enough. Rookie mistake. I had dismissed her as a lesser threat, even with what I had read about her.

I quickly reached up and yanked my eyepatch off. I closed my flash-bang blinded right eye, and focused the my left. The world dissolved into two simple colors: black and white. I still could not hear, but at least I could see.

The first thing I noticed was that Ron, Cynthia and the b-team were gone. I inhaled deeply, and tried to focus past my damaged senses. It took a moment, but I was able to find Ron's trail again. He was still close.

Instead of trying to chase him down, I teleported to the bottom floor. I quickly started up the stairs, so as to head them off.

I encountered them on the way to the third floor. Where there surroundings were black and white, Ron and his compatriots showed up in technicolor. Their auras glowed about them.

Seeing me, they backpedaled and headed out into the third floor. I pursued, though with a greater sense of caution than before.

I found them in a room on the far end of the floor. The b-team had thrown up a table, probably as a barricade (much good it would do), and seemed to be preparing for a stand.

As I advanced, both teams readied their weapons. Ron fired his shotgun...into the back of the girl on the b-team.

Meanwhile, Cynthia grabbed the unknown man and drew a knife across his throat. He bled out in moments.

As he died, I felt the momentary rush of energy that was released upon death, and also felt that energy being drawn away.

Cynthia drew the shadows to her, creating some sort of cloak with them. She threw it over Ron, and immediately his scent disappeared. Next, she stepped into the shadows and vanished as well.

I stood, rooted in place for a few moments more, still dumbfounded by their exit.

"What the fuck is going on!?" I screamed, more than a little pissed that not only had I not got the fight I had desired, but that also my quarry had escaped.

I strode into the room, and took a look around. The room resonated with mystic energy, but I had no way to track them now.

I kicked over the dead man's body and searched him, but found nothing informative on him. I moved to search the girl, when I noticed that she was still breathing. I flipped her over to find her laying on a bean bag round.

"Curiouser and curiouser."

I stood over the girl for a moment, contemplating my options. Finally, I made a descision. I brought my thumb up to my mouth and bit it. I traced several glyphs on her forehead with my blood, then bent over and whispered several words to her. Her eyes flickered open momentarily, and emitted a faint, familiar, purple glow. She then lapsed back into unconsiousness. I threw her over my shoulder and made my way to the door. Before exiting though, I turned and glanced at the spot where Ron had last been seen.

"Cowardly hypocrite." I muttered.

Closing my eye, I pulled in, pushed out and teleported away.

[Ron Caliburn]

Good, that was a calculated risk taking that shot.

Sorry for leaving you with a mess like that, but I really, really couldn't risk talking to you at the moment.

I hope you at least did the right thing come the girl, I was counting on that.


As has been figured out by a few of you by now, Cynthia and I wer operating undercover to infiltrate the evil organization that had taken many girls from their parents and turned them into cold-blooded assassins.

For security reasons I can't go into it, but for a couple of months I was proving right just about every disparaging thing ever said about me here. I

I'm glad its over, I'm glad it was a success, I'm glad we rescued many, many children. I'm especially glad that I was able to bring my daughter home safe when it was all over.

[GhostSpider]

The girl I rescued in this post recently celebrated a birthday! She is happily living with my mentor Edward, and really has no firm memories of her time with the organization.

[Jack_Fisher]

That's wonderful to hear! Something like that makes all the danger and effort worthwhile.

We might not be able to save everyone but everything we do can make a difference.

Jack