The Codex of Gods, Act 1: Treading the Darkness.

[Bobtheelf]

"Employed with the CIA for six years now. I've since developed the ability to ascertain truth in almost any circumstance."

He barely paused at Jason's second comment.

"Take the position if you want. I don't manage teams well."

"We certainly seem to have experience on our side." Jason says, "And that's an awesomely useful ability I think."

[FistofIron]

"That seems mighty useful. Aside from communication, I can move objects with my mind and make constructs of mental energy."

"With something like that I see this team doing pretty well."

Lucy eyed the guys that make up her team, 'I feel the odd one out in more ways than one...' she kept that thought as quiet as she could.

But she nodded in greeting to the three of them, "Lu, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you."

[Gladiaria_Alata]

"Hi Lu. It's good to meet you, too. We're doing a bit of a skills assessment." Jason smiles. "What sort of tasks are you good with?"

"Repair work and crafts mostly," she gestured at his wheel chair, "If that got busted up, depending on the damage, I could fix it as good as new, or close enough."

Her mouth quirked into a faint grin, "Not been around long enough to pick up the skills you guys have, but I learn quickly, if needed."

[mailedbypostman1]

Laurence nodded towards Lucy.

"Good to have you on our team," he said sincerely.

He turned back to Jason.

"So we've got someone who can fight well."

He gestured to Samuel.

"Someone who can communicate soundlessly and touch things without using his hands."

He motioned towards Jason.

"Someone who can filter out information."

He pointed to himself.

"someone who can move with great speed."

He finally nodded to Kyle.

"Not a bad start."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Lucy eyed the guys that make up her team, 'I feel the odd one out in more ways than one...' she kept that thought as quiet as she could.

But she nodded in greeting to the three of them, "Lu, nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too, Lu." Kyle said with a smile.

Laurence nodded towards Lucy.

"Good to have you on our team," he said sincerely.

He turned back to Jason.

"So we've got someone who can fight well."

He gestured to Samuel.

"Someone who can communicate soundlessly and touch things without using his hands."

He motioned towards Jason.

"Someone who can filter out information."

He pointed to himself.

"someone who can move with great speed."

He finally nodded to Kyle.

"Not a bad start."

"Not bad at all. Sounds like the makings of a good squad."

He stepped back so he could look at everyone at once. "Hey, if you guys need a place to stay, you can stay in my mom's place for the time being. She'll be gone til the middle of next week, so don't worry about her coming back," he suggested.

[Ghost]

Oliver sat on the grass once more. Apart from his group but watching them converse and form up into some kind of a team. Around him he could here others deciding who was going to be the leader.

He had no real interest in being the leader.

At least, not the official one.

Being the representative of the system was no fun, he'd much rather be in opposition. It suited him.

His money was personally on the older man or perhaps Ashley for their team leader.

Still, he watched. Idly trying to decipher the body language of his team.

"Well," said Fianna, turning to the Vancouver group, "if we're picking someone to lead us, I'd nominate Oliver. He's a succesful businessman, meaning he's already used to being in charge, and he has experience working as a diplomat. Plus, he's naturally charismatic and a gifted speaker, making him the ideal frontman, and with his power he can stop a fight without even raising a hand. If our objective is to establish some kind of communication with the Ziroc, I think he's the most logical choice."

[Nik Hasta]

"Well," said Fianna, turning to the Vancouver group, "if we're picking someone to lead us, I'd nominate Oliver. He's a succesful businessman, meaning he's already used to being in charge, and he has experience working as a diplomat. Plus, he's naturally charismatic and a gifted speaker, making him the ideal frontman, and with his power he can stop a fight without even raising a hand. If our objective is to establish some kind of communication with the Ziroc, I think he's the most logical choice."

Well shit.

In retrospect he should have seen this coming.

He did seem to have made quite the impression on Fianna and what she said was true; he was possibly the most qualified and, if his instincts were correct, he was one of the more potent Alaphim in his group.

That said, he wasn't too sold on being the leader.

Well... not entirely not sold.

It could be fun. A position of power always gives one the vantage point from which to manipulate events and manipulating events was what he had in mind.

Fate.

Destiny.

No, no.

There was no power that was going to restrain him, there was no way he'd allow Fate to make him a cog in her plan, there was no way that he would be a pawn; someone else's piece in this game, he wasn't on either side, he was on his own, representing himself, bringing a new force to this conflict, bringing the armies to their knees with a whisper, defying the fate so cruelly forced upon him by those who dared, who fucking dared, to sit atop their mountain and influence his life!

How dare they!? How fucking DARE they?!

His hands, feeling older and more weathered than before, clenched his stick, strongly recalling through the tactile sensation of wood on flesh a club. A faithful club that had always been by his side. He missed it a lot.

He fought to control his breathing, lower his heart rate and restrain the sudden influx of emotional memory that he had just felt.

He needed no physical weapon now. He had no club but his voice was a far greater tool.

He would tear this fragile little game apart and crush all those who had dared look down on him.

And then...

When all was done...

He would attend to his duty.

He would meet them in the silent places and they would great him as an old friend.

He would speak the words, the soft and kind words that they needed to hear, and he would lead them to the threshold.

And he would send them on, laughing with joy as they went onward to the place that he could not follow. He would do this because it was his responsibility, he would do this because it was his final courtesy to those who had fallen before him.

He would do this because it was...

...the duty.

Oliver rubbed his foreheard slowly.

Clearly the faded and scattered memories of Ogmios had some bite left in them.

Interesting.

Grunting with effort, he stood slowly, leaning on his stick as always. With achy slowness he ambled towards the group, wondering if anyone would object to him becoming leader.

[Cleric of Hell's Brigade]

fate held her hand up until everyone stopped talking and looked at her.

"It's time. We have to split up into five teams now, each with different goals."

She glanced over all of them.

"Team Vancouver will consist of Kris, Ashley, Oliver, Fianna, Integra, David, and Drake."

"Team Hong Kong will consist of Kaj, Thomas, Jai Li, Ciel, Chey, Rafi, and Rahpael."

"Team New York will consist of Laurence, Jason, Samuel, Sinera, Lucy, Kyle, and Jack."

"Team L.A. will consist of Travis, Olivia, Dexter, Theo, Gregory, Echo, and Seth."

"Team London will consist of Daniel, Gayarthi, Ericson, Jim, Selia, Haikai, and Lance."

Fate looked at them.

"Team Vancouver's goal will be the finding out and, if possible, negotiation with the Xiroc known as the Gatekeeper. Barring this happening, they are to either take him out or keep tabs on him enough that a more concentrated effort can strike him down."

"Team Hong Kong's goal is to find and put a stop to a testing facility the Xiroc have in Hong Kong. This facility is similiar to the one Kaj and Thomas broke into just before they met everyone. It is vitally important this facility get taken out."

"Team New York's goal is to track down several Xiroc agents that have been pedaling Celestial to the poor of New York City. These are real Xiroc, not humans who have taken Celestial, and it is imparative they are neutralized or captured. If captured, we can find out the location for all the other processing sites they may have."

"Team L.A.'s goal is stealth and investigation. A few sources of my own have suggested that a major Xiroc pressence, perhaps the largest one across teh planet and their actual base of operations, is there. Find it if possible and either destroy it, or keep tabs on it until we can striek at it with more power."

"Team London's goal is a bit more simple then the others. London has several powerful Xiroc roaming it, including Jalus and LaChalla, two of the top Xiroc agents on the planet. Essentially, Team London's is the Brute Squad of the Alaphim. I want Jalus, LaChalla, and any other Xiroc there taken out so their command structure is rattled."

"All the teams are essentially decoys and distractiosn while team Vancouver hunts down the Gatekeeper. If negotiatiosn are possible, fine, but if not, thsoe distractiosn will keep a significant portion of the Xiroc pressence on Earth occupied while Team Vancouver tries to take the Gatekeeper out. Without him, no more reinforcements can arrive and the Xiroc become completly cut off."

[Guy Smiley]

Fate looked at them.

"Team L.A.'s goal is stealth and investigation. A few sources of my own have suggested that a major Xiroc pressence, perhaps the largest one across teh planet and their actual base of operations, is there. Find it if possible and either destroy it, or keep tabs on it until we can striek at it with more power."

"All the teams are essentially decoys and distractiosn while team Vancouver hunts down the Gatekeeper. If negotiatiosn are possible, fine, but if not, thsoe distractiosn will keep a significant portion of the Xiroc pressence on Earth occupied while Team Vancouver tries to take the Gatekeeper out. Without him, no more reinforcements can arrive and the Xiroc become completly cut off."

Dexter smirked.

"See? What'd I tell you? Stealth and sabotage. We're all going commando after all."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

"So, all we have to do is kill some Xiroc drug dealers. Sounds easier said than done, but we'll get it done," said Kyle. So, seems like the teams she chose actually do make sense.

[Froggy]

"Team London's goal is a bit more simple then the others. London has several powerful Xiroc roaming it, including Jalus and LaChalla, two of the top Xiroc agents on the planet. Essentially, Team London's is the Brute Squad of the Alaphim. I want Jalus, LaChalla, and any other Xiroc there taken out so their command structure is rattled."

"You heard the lady guys, simple mission, smash and bash" Jim said cracking his knuckles, ready to roll out

[Chou Blaster]

:Daniel lets out a huge whistle. When hearing about the mission at hand.:

"God I wish I had my weather powers."

:As he then spoke up.: "Well damn guys, we do get the big score."

[Sub-Zero MKA]

Kyle looked back at Fate, "So, what will you be doing? Going after Theia?"

[Miburohunter929]

Fate looked at them.

"Team Vancouver's goal will be the finding out and, if possible, negotiation with the Xiroc known as the Gatekeeper. Barring this happening, they are to either take him out or keep tabs on him enough that a more concentrated effort can strike him down."

"Team Hong Kong's goal is to find and put a stop to a testing facility the Xiroc have in Hong Kong. This facility is similiar to the one Kaj and Thomas broke into just before they met everyone. It is vitally important this facility get taken out."

"Team New York's goal is to track down several Xiroc agents that have been pedaling Celestial to the poor of New York City. These are real Xiroc, not humans who have taken Celestial, and it is imparative they are neutralized or captured. If captured, we can find out the location for all the other processing sites they may have."

"Team L.A.'s goal is stealth and investigation. A few sources of my own have suggested that a major Xiroc pressence, perhaps the largest one across teh planet and their actual base of operations, is there. Find it if possible and either destroy it, or keep tabs on it until we can striek at it with more power."

"Team London's goal is a bit more simple then the others. London has several powerful Xiroc roaming it, including Jalus and LaChalla, two of the top Xiroc agents on the planet. Essentially, Team London's is the Brute Squad of the Alaphim. I want Jalus, LaChalla, and any other Xiroc there taken out so their command structure is rattled."

"All the teams are essentially decoys and distractiosn while team Vancouver hunts down the Gatekeeper. If negotiatiosn are possible, fine, but if not, thsoe distractiosn will keep a significant portion of the Xiroc pressence on Earth occupied while Team Vancouver tries to take the Gatekeeper out. Without him, no more reinforcements can arrive and the Xiroc become completly cut off."

"Can we actually kill it, if we wanted too?" Drake asked, rubbing his chin, "Not to seem pessimistic, but the last time someone tried to do such a thing, the go to plan involved enough firepower to kill millions of people."

..I almost wish I had gotten a different assignment..This almost sounds suicidal in a sense.

"As for talking... Xiroc haven't been the most talkative types so far, and the one I've met tried to kill me on the spot, and that seems to be the general trend with them so far from what I understand from everyone else experiences..."

He thought back to the Eyeless Woman he met, who was quite unwilling to discuss anything of her motives with him.

Save for the fact that he had to die because he was an Alaphaim, and all Alaphaim must die.

She then tried to kill him, to illustrate her point.

There was also the fact that a being known for summoning Xiroc to this planet might in fact be surrounded by Xiroc, something that would make the task of getting to him, never mind killing him, alot more difficult.

Being what appeared to be the most important Xiroc on earth almost guaranteed other Xiroc nearby, even with a distraction.

The fact that they apparently kill Alaphaim on sight, usually, also did not help things.

"I don't have a better idea, I'm just saying...Well, they hardly seem interested in having any sort of discussion, so far."

[Sharpandpointies]

David stands up and walks towards Kris.

"Don't worry about it, I'm just being a lazy bum."

Kris shakes her head, laughing. "Elder perogative," she notes. "Allowed to wait for young people to come and listen." He certainly doesn't look creaky when he moves, she notes. Quite strong for his age, and carries himself well. It doesn't occur to her to wonder how she sees these things.

"Well," said Fianna, turning to the Vancouver group, "if we're picking someone to lead us, I'd nominate Oliver....I think he's the most logical choice."

Do they need a leader? Kris isn't sure. They're not actually going into combat, or anything like that - not right off the bat, anyway. That's the hope. Hope for the best, plan for the worst, she reminds herself. A leader could be useful...

...and Fianna is bang-on right.

Oh, Ashley would be a good choice as well. There's that to consider. Kris raises her hand, by reflex. "I think either Ashley or Oliver." She motions toward Fianna. "Lots of good reasons. Ashley..." she shoots a quick look at Ashley, then shrugs - the other woman seemed okay with divulging the information earlier. "Ashley runs own company as well. She's smart, and thinks quick on her feet. Know that from watching her." Kris colours a little as she states this, worried how it might sound - her recent thoughts have her a little on edge when it comes to her wording. "With Xiroc," she clarifies.

Another shrug. "Either one good, I think. What does everyone else feel?"

Maybe Oliver or Ashley don't want the job...