forum •Apotheosis of Abnormality• [one/one]

Started July 27, 2022 by @Dayzed forum

tune

Jen only slightly blushed at that. Right. Professional. It was always in these times when he forgot to act the part. He was the leader after all and if he couldn't act like one, then what would they think of them?
"Yes, you're right. I'm sorry." Jen apologized as the other kept talking on the line.
Guess who?
Jen immediately whipped his head towards the table where all the information was laid out. He picked up a sheet of paper with an image of a guy on it.
"Marx De Veaux." They both said at the same time. Jen looked at the others, the uneasiness growing as Jen mentioned the name.
"We won't disappoint you," Jen said, his face a little more flushed now, embarrassed that they had been a letdown. It usually didn't happen. They carried out their missions as best as they could- well, as best as they could without causing unnecessary trouble, though it always came down to Jake with the extraness of his personality.
Once the line was cut, Jen put away his phone and glared daggers at Jake, though his face made him look ashamed. Jen hated looking like a fool in front of others. If they didn't prove useful they could easily be tossed away, and then what? None of them had anywhere to go if they didn't have this job. They had no goals, no aspirations, no future. Unless they took on different jobs, their skills were with knives and guns, not social skills of teaching or office work.

"They've located the gang." Jen started. "We're heading out."
"They're getting a little cocky with it" Jake responded before getting up and heading to the room where they kept their equipment.
It wasn't long before everyone had gotten on their respective rides.
Jake and Rae rode together on a motorcycle, so they'd get there quicker and the rest got in Jen's van that was spray painted brown, over Jake's previous spray paint of crude images. It had been an April fools joke, though, Jen had not found it funny one bit.

Jake saw the smoke before he saw the fire, and once his eyes landed on the mass destruction and flames that consumed the building, his eyes went wide. Never in his life had he seen an incident this big. They really had gone all out. Jake couldn't help but admire the work, though that only made him yearn for freedom even more. If he got the chance this is what he would want to be doing. His biggest wish was to riot against A.C.E, the organization that held him down and told him what to do. He wanted that place to go up in flames. He wanted everyone to beg for help, just as he had when he had been younger. The amount of anger inside of Jake made him see red with rage and he used that rage to take out those who A.C.E found should not live, or wanted to be taken alive, though Jake killed the targets more than half the time. Hence why he was labeled an executioner.
"Jake!!!" He heard Rae yell from behind him before he lost control of the motorcycle trying to dodge the object in front of them. The motorcycle skidded along the pavement after throwing Jake and Rae off of it.
"Shit! Are you okay?!" Jake yelled over to Rae who sat up, there being a big gash on her leg going from the knee down to her ankle.
Jake silently let out a string of curses. He would never hear the end of this one.
"I'm fine." Rae stood up, staggering a bit before firmly planting her leg down and tested walking around.
"It's superficial. Doesn't hurt much, I can still fight" Rae said, being in the serious mode she usually turned to when told to do something of this caliber.
Jake couldn't worry at a time like this, so he let it go.
"Alright, the place is just around the corner, I'm going up ahead, but take your time if you need it. Jen will be here shortly and he can help you then!" Jake said as he ran towards danger.
"Jake! Don't do anything stupid!" Rae called out, finding that it did indeed hurt more than she initially let on. "At least wait!" but Jake was gone, as per usual.

Jake took some bullets out of the pocket of his jeans. Fifteen seconds. That how much these bullets bought him. They weren't normal metal bullets, they held something special inside them, each one designed to do something different depending on who came in contact with it. For humans, it was just like any normal bullet, the contents inside it would get broken down inside the person if they got shot with it since it didn't sense any type of abnormality.
However, if it did sense any type of magic inside the target, it immediately shut down any type of move they tried to pull magic-wise. It was strictly meant for abnormalities. It was still in the testing stage, and could only be used once on the same person. Typically something like this was deemed useless when fighting these being since it did almost nothing, there wasn't enough time to attack your opponent, but Jake had been the one chosen to use it as a test run. It was basically suicide at that point but Jake had some tricks up his sleeve, fifteen seconds was all he needed. He just needed to get closer without getting caught.
That's where Jen came in.
As a sniper, he could take out anyone from a far distance. It seemed safe enough, but it was probably the most dangerous job as he would be on his own if he ever got attacked. He wouldn't have the help of anyone else and he could also not back up any crazy ideas Jake had if he was out.
Loading up the gun, Jake stepped through the burned metal gate into the chaos. His eyes bounced around from one dead body to another. It was basically a trail of dead bodies into the mansion, like someone- something had fought its way in without batting an eye.
There was only one who could use bute force like that and not get hurt.
Marx.

Marcus grunted as he ducked behind a corner, clutching at stinging arms while bullets whizzed past his head. Marx hadn't mentioned the dozens of security personnel in his briefing…
Marcus was starting to suspect the chimera hadn't known about them. It was starting to piss him off. Marx jumped into things recklessly, did what he wanted to do with complete disregard for the safety of the gang and its members. If they all got out of this with their lives Marcus was going to finally tear a new one into the guy.
They were all lucky Marx had taken out the majority of those with guns but that didn't rectify his actions…
Marcus took a deep breath, closing his eyes to focus on the consistent burn within his chest. His fingers curled around the silver lighter he so cherished, tracing the many scratch marks in its sides. The runes along his arms lit up once more, brighter this time.
Before he could even finish renewing his magic, however, the air grew strangely still and the sound of shouting replaced that of bullets. Marcus frowned, peeking around the corner. The few security personnel left had turned tail, retreating to the outside of the large gates surrounding the house. A few of the gang members chased them to the edges, whooping and hollering after them with sinister cackles and belated grins.
Marcus could only frown deeper.
There was no way in hell they were simply backing off.
But there was also no way in hell A.C.E. had arrived so quickly. Even if someone had called them directly the agency had a habit of dispatching units in ridiculously long time frames. Whatever rules and regulations they had to follow didn't allow for a speedy reaction time. It was what let the gang get away so quickly. They could always rely on the organization's own faults.
And yet Marcus couldn't shake the feeling that A.C.E. had found a way to get around their regulations.
He pulled himself up, glancing around at the grounds with narrowed eyes. He caught Marx doing the same from a large hole to the left, catching his eye.
"The fuck are they running for? Did their employer finally turn into a coward?" Came a smooth voice from behind Marcus. He turned to stare at the source, meeting eyes with Wynn who's purple scales were stained a dark color with blood. The spines on the back of Wynn's body rattled, clacking together in a show of his annoyance as he came to Marcus's side.
"It can't be for anything good…"

There was a moment of silence as some of the few that kept security were ordered to go back inside, to at least get into a safer position, away from the openness where danger was approaching.
The danger was already there, of course, the gang was the danger itself, but there was a single soul in Apotheosis that did not care who was caught in the crossfire when carrying out missions, and that someone was the first person on site.
Jake watched as some of the gang members followed the retreating security personnel. Sure, Jake heavily advocated for the abnormalities and made it clear that this was a pain in the ass for him, to hunt these people down. Part of him wanted to sit back and watch as they tore the humans apart, but his job at this moment was to protect and save as many as he could from the gang's wrath.
Dead eyes scanned the chaos before his arm came up and he locked onto a gang member and shot. Jake was a good shot.
…
Most of the time. He was heavily praised for this, but sometimes he just couldn't hit anything. This time though, a body dropped. There were only so many bullets of the special kind that had been given to each member in Apotheosis, so instead of wasting them, Jake used the regular bullets, deciding that he'd use the others when he was in a pinch.
Jake watched the body fall, then moved on. It didn't matter if he killed them or not, as long as he slowed them down, that was enough. Ideally, Jen would have preferred to keep them just barely alive, being the righteous prick he was, but there was no righteousness in this. Not in Jake, or in A.C.E.
Five more shots went down and Jake struck every time, one falling after another. It wouldn't be long before the rest got here, but Jake was bringing too much attention to himself. Maybe it was his subconscious mind trying to kill him off, as he had tried many times before, it's what he wanted after all. Jake struggled with it even though he swore to Jen to never hurt himself again. That one was obviously a lie, but he hadn't made a move to off himself since last year. That was at least something….right?

Jen drove as fast as he could, leaving Jake to take care of the gang when they were supposed to do it together was a bad idea. Especially if Rae was with him.
Jake loved them, of course, but how much wasn't known. Jen liked to think that he'd kill for them, protect them, but he wondered if A.C.E ordered him to kill them, would he do it? It was always something that bothered him. Jake always had that conflicted look on his face every time an order was issued. Jake always voiced his opinion, or well, complained a lot.
There was a time, a short amount of time, when Jake was careful with what he did, he used to spare the lives of others, even when the order was to kill on sight. Course, with that, came the one incident that ruined everything. Stupid, stupid Jake.
"I think you should drive faster if you're planning on killing us all" Aaron's voice came from the passenger side. He did not like reckless driving, even if it was an emergency. Jen was not the type to drive so fast and it made Aaron nervous like Jen knew something they didn't.
Jen's gaze flickered over to Aaron for a second, taking his eyes off the road, a split second could have been all that would have been needed to crash the car, but Jen, fortunately, wasn't a bad driver.
"Aaron, what do you think about Jake?" Jen asked a dumb question. Everyone knew Jake and Aaron never got along.
"He's an idiot and I hope he dies fighting those stupid abnormalities so slow down the damn car" He replied.
"Right, he's an idiot, but Rae's with him, and even though he's family, I do not trust him one bit. Show of hands here, who trusts Jake?" Jen asked, looking at the mirror to the others in the back for a second.
No one raised their hand. That was about right.
Niveus' eyes were closed, the recklessness of Jen not bothering him one bit. He wanted to get there fast too, not because he distrusted Jake, but because he needed to capture at least one of them and he didn't want the distraction, Jake, to die before he did that. Not that he would, but anything could happen. There was no such thing as immortality.

When the first shot fired, Marcus dropped to the ground. He covered his head, cursing loudly while the gang members outside shrieked and cried out. Some ran, some dropped to the ground just as Marcus did. Whether or not they were the ones struck was unclear amidst the chaos.
A.C.E. one hundred percent sent someone after them… the tricky bastards usually found ways around their own laws. Bastards indeed…

The world spun for a moment as Marcus was violently pulled to his feet, a low growl filling the air. His blood ran cold as three voices echoed into one and the smell of fire and rot filled the air around him:
"Fuck are you doing?! Get out there and ward the damn place!" Marx's voice carried much better when he spoke with three heads instead of one…
Wynn cowered away, spines clacking as they flattened. Marcus withered under the command, shuddering at its hidden threat.
He was nearly thrown back out into the heat of the action, a stream of fire blown at his feet to keep him motivated to move. Marcus yelped as he scrambled out into the courtyard, ignoring the increasing number of bodies from both sides of the action.

The world slowed for a moment as Marcus took in a deep breath, feeling the burning in his stomach rise to meet the exhale.
The first few runes he traced smoked under his fingertips. He scowled at them, ignoring the warning they were trying to give him. His skin cracked with a fiery energy as he pushed his arms out, letting the protection ward build around him until he created a shield big enough for those gang members still running to get away safely.

Fuck it burned.
It burned like a son of a bitch.
Marcus felt like his insides were melting and he could smell the smoke rising from the runes on his arms.
Despite this he glared out over the courtyard, nearly praying to gods he didn’t believe in that the gunner would see him. Performing such magic feats was usually something that intimidated others fairly easily. It wasn’t abnormal for a witch to place their runes so permanently on the body. It was, however, strange to find a witch who built their Rune Circles on said runes. The body was weak. Rune Circles held power and redirected magic, they were dangerous if overused or used incorrectly purely on other objects. Many a witch had been harmed by incorrectly crafting a Circle.
Marcus’s blatant disregard for such things proved him to be a very reckless magic user.
And a very unstable being.

From behind the ward, Wynn watched with wide eyes as Marcus pulled up a fiery membrane that hissed each time a bullet came close. The heat from the flames was intense, causing even Marx to take a few steps back with that crooked grin of his.
Wynn never liked it when Marcus was so intense with his magic. It scared him.
He hadn’t known many witches - and still didn’t - but none of their magic frequencies had ever resonated like Marcus’s did.
While others usually felt magic frequencies in relative subtle ways or in ways that matched their magic casting, the gang reported Marcus’s magic frequencies to feel as if they themselves were burning. The intense, hot magic seeping from Marcus’s being was alarming at best. It wasn’t normal. Nor was it very strong in theory.
While those around him felt it greatly, that only meant he was loosing a lot of it.
Marcus felt like he was leaking magic.
Wynn worried it would cause problems…

Jake stopped shooting momentarily once he ran out of bullets, coming to a halt as he loaded his revolver. An Enfield Mk II. They always told him that a submachine gun would be better for him like they had Ezekiel do, but if Aaron could get a high kill count with his semi-automatic pistol and come out barely scathed, then so could he. This wasn't some sort of contest for Aaron as he took his job very seriously, but it was for Jake, needing to prove to himself, that he was just as good. Besides, he'd like to think he was doing A.C.E a favor of learning to aim better with the shitty gun he used. He needed to be a better weapon, one that wasn't disposable. Disposable meant useless, and useless meant the game was over.
In the sense of not stepping out of line, he had his head screwed on right.

The way Jake reloaded his gun was something. It took him about a second each, or even half a second. It was something he learned again and again, not out of obligation, but because he found it entertaining. How fast could he manually do it? So far his record was three seconds if he really concentrated.
Jake was in the middle of doing that, only two bullets left, the last one of the special kind, that was until Marx's voice startled the ever-living fuck out of him. The sudden need to drop everything and get on guard, look around, to make sure he wasn't right behind him was overwhelming to the point where those last two bullets fell to the ground.
Oh for christ's sake.
Jake quickly scooped them up and kept running….now a little paranoid, the small voice in his head edging him on to not stay in one place for too long.
As he kept going, he saw a familiar face come out onto the battlefield. Tch. Strawberry Fraisier. Jake thought. It was the first thing that came to mind as now he had made that distinct connection, instead of a pyromaniac as his friends referred to Marcus as.
Once the wall was built, Jake nearly scrambled to get back, not wanting to be anywhere near it. He had read it, seen pictures even, but it was different in person, it always was, with every single person and magic they faced, it was always a different experience no matter how similar one could be to another. Yet this one…was far different than any other. It was the worst they had gone up against, challenging. It was a word not to bring up around Jake because he took it personally, always accepting things he wasn't ready for.
As Jake shot three more bullets at the others, the bullets melting as they fell to the ground, he took one step back, not sure how to proceed from there. He could use the special bullets but…
Jake's brow furrowed. He looked down at the bullet in his hand, something silver alongside another bullet that was gold in appearance. Both could end lives, just in different ways. Jake could only imagine the pain of being stripped of the very thing you were.

Arriving on the scene, Aaron and Cas were the first to show up, following behind were Ezekiel, Niveus, and Rae.
Jen split from the group and went to higher ground. He needed to set up and locate where ever the hell Jake was at. He always had Jake's back, no matter what.
As soon as Aaron saw all the carnage, he held his sleeve up to his nose as it wrinkled in displeasure at the smell. He always hated the smell of things burning. Especially when those things were humans, or beings who didn't fit the bill.
Cas ran up ahead of Aaron and saw Jake. Just standing there, looking down at something in his hand. Had he gone mental again? This was a live battlefield at the moment.
But then he saw it, the wall of fire that separated Jake from the others. Now what? What were they supposed to do? It was hard already on its own, but one single person had made it ten times more difficult.
"It's the witch!" Cas yelled back to Aaron who stopped and tried to locate Jen, but when he couldn't, he called back to the others.
"Magic user in the middle, take him down!" Aaron spoke into the two-way radio they were provided with. Hearing this, the others also stopped in their tracks.

-

Jake loaded his gun, not as fast as he usually did as if taking the time to consider. The five silver bullets were in.
He raised it and aimed at Marcus, the barrel dancing from his head to his heart, down to his leg. Jake always hit the leg when he had to kill someone. He liked to get the opportunity to talk to them, it was a force of bad habit.
But before Jake could do anything, a bullet whizzed right past him and at Marcus. Jake snapped back to see the shine of Jen's rifle through the trees. The bullet pierced through the wall of fire, surprisingly, as A.C.E's weapons, the newer prototypes to be more specific, tended to malfunction.
Two more silver bullets past Jake and into two other gang members.
"This is no time to be idling around Jake" Came a voice from his hip, where his radio was at. Jake turned back to see if the wall had come down.
There was a moment that seemed like the world had stopped for Jen's team, wondering if the wall would fall or not, if not they'd have to use other weapons, a harsher method, but if this worked- this would be groundbreaking. No more bulky weaponry.
A single bullet could change everything.
Jake followed suit. He shot two single silver bullets that were in the barrel, his aim going from Marcus to Marx, but after that, no more bullets were shot from Jake's end. Instead, he reached to his side and unlatched a grenade. Pulled the pin and threw it at the wall, closest to where Marcus was, then waited for it to go off.
Aaron stared, having stopped along with the others.
After the wall went down, one way or another, would be the real deal. They'd face the gang members head-on, a life or death situation again, and a hell of a lot of wounds, that was for sure. The thought of the healing process, depending on how severe it was, was enough to make Aaron tense up. He hated getting hurt so he was extra careful of where he stepped or what he did. He always went for the head, unapologetically, with no remorse. It was him or them, and it definitely wasn't going to be him.

It was the first bullet that caught Marcus the most off guard.
He was used to dealing with the strain of bullets hitting his wards, he wasn’t used to bullets going straight through the wall of fire he could build. The sensation was strange, like something had ripped through a piece of fabric he was holding tight to.
He yelped and braced himself for the stinging pain of a gunshot wound. The explosion of the grenade blurred the lines between knowing if he had gotten shot or knowing if he had died right then and then.
The first thing to come back to him was his hearing. He could hear his own voice cursing alongside the angry and pained snarling of Marx. After a moment Marcus realized that was the sound of him telling the others to retreat into the safety of the manor.
”Get up, idiot, you’re going to get killed.”
Marcus blinked at the voice, feeling his body move towards the source of the voice on its own.
When had he ended up on the ground?
What the hell had just happened?!
Wynn tugged at his arm suddenly, making Marcus flinch when he suddenly snapped into the present.
The wall of fire he had built was gone, leaving only tiny patches of burning grass and the edges of his halter-top singed. An icy panic settled into Marcus’s bones when he realized he felt strangely empty. The runes on his body had faded back to just ink. There was an ache in his side he couldn’t quite pinpoint.
“Fuck! Their bullets went through my wards!” He screeched, scrambling to take hold of Wynn’s slippery arm and pull the siren closer to the manor. Wynn’s face paled when he got a closer look at Marcus.
”You’re bleeding! What the fuck happened!?”
Marcus didn’t answer, preoccupied by ducking for cover as two more shots were fired.
He heard an angry roar from Marx and for a moment, Marcus wondered if he had been hit. The doubts fell quickly when Wynn pulled him into the ‘safety’ of the manor and the large, hulking body of a chimera met them.
“The fuck happened?! You’ve been able to keep their bullets at bay and now you’re choking up?” Marx snarled, lowering one of his heads to look Marcus in the eye while another checked him for wounds. “They managed to hit, how does it feel?” Marx muttered, the sudden switch in tone enough to give even Wynn whiplash.
Marcus placed a hand on his side, his eyes widening when he realized there was blood soaking into his clothes.
“I’ll be fine…” he muttered weakly, wracking his brain for any healing magic he knew. He didn’t know much of that side, it had never resonated with him the same way fire did. He usually stuck to the traditional way of healing: bandages and long rest. “It doesn’t feel like the bullet stayed, feels like it went right through. It was enough to make me lose my…”
Marcus paused for a moment, his eyes widening. “Don’t get hit with whatever they’re shooting… I-it did something to my magic.”
Marx and Wynn shared a look, something like a mix of doubt and concern. Marcus wouldn’t help but to feel like they didn’t believe him.
”It was chaotic, there was an explosion on top of you being shot, hard to focus in that sort of a thing.” Wynn muttered. Marx only nodded, lifting one head to look out at the group that had attacked them.
“Let’s move. They’ve obviously upgraded. The sooner we find Cam the sooner you’re healed and in a right state of mind.” Marx rumbled, nodding towards the front of the manor. Wynn looked uncomfortable, his spines rattling slightly. Marcus didn’t blame him. The manor was pretty much ablaze. Not the place for creatures built for water.
Marcus pulled a small bottle off his hip and offered it to Wynn, who took it gratefully and held it close.
Potions were also Marcus’s specialty. He was really good at combining ingredients and throwing together concoctions for all sorts of things. It was then only natural he made quite a few magical fire suppressants just in case his magic got out of hand.

Cas stared at Jake as he kept his distance from the grenade he just pulled. Aaron on the other hand had a giant grin on his face.
"That's how it's done!" He said, complimenting Jake in an indirect way. "If you would always just do what you're told, we'd get things done much quicker!" He said as he ran up to see the damage done to the ground once everything had cleared, the fire still sizzling in some places from the wall of the other.
Niveus was still a ways behind but locked onto Marcus and Wynn. Those two. Those would be the ones he caught and brought back. He watches as the gang members scrambled to get up and get to a safer place.
"They're getting away" Niveus deadpanned as he looked to the others, finally catching up to them. He didn't seem too concerned as the damage that had been done was enough to make fighting with them that much easier.
"Woah! Did you see that?! It's like looking into a mirror!" Rae snickered. "Though, I guess I'm not a guy"
"Don't say that" Jake snapped. "I won't be able to kill him when the time comes if you compare yourself to him" Jake grumbled, to which Aaron shrugged.
"They're two different people, doesn't sound that complicated to me" Aaron started towards the manor, ready to kill as many as he could.
"Don't worry, we're much different than meets the eye, it's just the curls" Rae gave a big smile to Jake before she followed Aaron.

The beast that was Marx didn't hold Niveus back from getting a little too close to the gang members who were now hiding in the building. It felt odd, like a parent guarding their kids, even though it might not have been like that. No. It couldn't have been that, no parent would put their children in danger.
Niveus stopped.
"Are we going in by force or are we going to negotiate?" He asked Aaron, who always seemed to have the answers to everything. Aaron also stopped, before a smile cracked on his face.
"I don't think negotiating would do anything. They wouldn't turn themselves in. Besides, they knew what they were getting themselves into when they decided to recklessly attack a mansion this big, especially when this place has a direct connection to A.C.E."
At that moment the chimera looked over at them, Aaron made eye contact with him, the smile still plastered on his face.
"Alright" Aaron pulled out his pistols. "I haven't reloaded the new bullets, you guys go ahead, I'll be right behind you"
With that Niveus and Rae went ahead.
Rae pressed herself against the building when they reached it.
"They're on the other side. The chimera didn't see us…" Rae trailed off. "I think."
Niveus only looked at Rae.
"Even if they did see us, we have to bring at least one of them back," Niveus said in a soft tone. It was always the way he spoke, nothing above a whisper most of the time, yelling was definitely off the table.
"I'll go in first, then you and Aaron and Cas follow suit."
Rae nodded as he watched Niveus disappear into the building.
Niveus knew that the chimera was watching, so he didn't even try to hide when he entered the building. The place was a wreck, burned furniture and dead bodies were scattered around the place. For a second he wondered if they could have saved this place from complete destruction if they had come any sooner.
"I suggest you guys come out," Niveus said, a little louder than the way he normally spoke. "Or you'll have a lot more spilled blood on your hands from your kind," Niveus said as he tried to locate where they were hiding. It sounded like he was talking normally, with no threat from his tone as he didn't raise it. This wasn't him negotiation, this was him issuing a warning of the consequences that would happen if they decided to do this the hard way, but it just didn't sound that way.

Having finished reloading, Aaron ran up to the building.
Jake was fidgeting with the radio, muttering something with a frown on his face.
Every conversation he had with the people he had killed, weighed heavily on Jake. He thought about them a lot and knew most of them by their full name.
For a short period of time, he had done well with his anxiety, but the conversation with Marcus the other day had shaken him up greatly.
"He wants to go back to school…" Jake muttered before there was a bit of static on the radio and Jen's voice came through.
"Just do what you've always done before. Why are you here?" He asked.
"To stop abnormalities from killing others."
"Right. What happens if it isn't put to an end?"
Jake sort of froze at the question. He looked down at the grass and kicked a small pebble on the ground.
"Thanks," Jake said before running into the forest with the plan of sneaking in through the back and surprising them that way or at least enough to distract Marx so that his group had time to deal with the others. It was also so he could block their escape route, as Ezekiel would be on the left side of the building in the woods, ready to ambush if they went that way. Jen was on the right, high up, ready to take anyone who moved out.

A low, gutteral laughter followed Niveus’s taunting.
“A.C.E. does not care for us. Regardless if you take us in or not, we all will be slaughtered with little to no care. You humans are lesser, you see us as a challenge to your safety and power. You claim to be saving but how many innocent have you killed and tortured because they were forced into a bad situation by those you follow.” Three voices echoed in the smoky space, all filled with a hatred every Abnormality listening understood.
Yet Marcus still cringed at Marx’s challenge, ushering Wynn in a different direction away from the chimera. The siren lowered his spines, the soft tap of them fading into near silence as they moved to hide.
Marcus pulled a pen from his pocket and uncapped it with his teeth. Wynn watched with a frown as Marcus drew a line of runes along his fingers.
It was a last resort Wynn had seen the witch fall back on many a time. Marcus never dared to get such a violate spell tattooed on his body for fear of the repercussions the magic would create if it had a permanent place on him.
Wynn had to admit it was an incredible spell. It was one Marcus had written himself. He had refined it down as much as he could, trying his best to stabilize it. It wasn’t quite there, but it was useable in a last ditch effort to win.
Marcus stuck his tongue out as he finished off his writing. Hissing between his teeth when he nearly smudged one.
Wynn hushed him, falling strangely silent and staring into the flames for a moment. Marcus glanced out, biting his lip as he waited for whoever had followed them to respond to Marx.

Nearly there… Hungry.
The metal gave a sickening screech as it was peeled back away from the window.
Em forced his head into the hole he had created, hissing loudly at the pain of jagged metal digging into his rotting flesh.
Almost…
Em gave the metal one last yank, nearly screaming in joy when it came loose. He forced his way out into the cool air, grinning wickedly as he started towards the fresh scent of human blood.

"Not everyone is killed.." Niveus spoke, though, he wasn't one to stick around and find out to see what happened to the ones captured. Niveus also wasn't the type to listen to others when it came to capturing them or killing them. He could care less about what their story was. All he knew was that they were causing problems and it had to be put to an end.
"You should have thought this through if you didn't want to be killed." Aaron interrupted, talking in a tone where he indeed thought he was superior to everyone else.
"You are a challenge to our safety and our authority. Look at what you're doing now" Aaron looked around, a look of disgust on his face now.
"We never claimed to be saints. Yes, we kill innocents but only because there's no other way. Call us evil, whatever, but at least the evil is putting an end to the chaos you're orchestrating" Aaron's chartreuse green eyes were still and cold as he spoke. He genuinely thought he was doing good, the hero complex got to his head when he was in these types of situations. He wasn't afraid of anyone or anything.
Rae stepped behind Aaron to look at Marx. She seemed to be very intimidated by the large beast, but there was a look in her eyes saying she wouldn't back down.
Aaron grinned at the last words Marx spoke.
"Sometimes…" He spoke in a menacing tone, something along the lines of hatred as well. "You have to weed out the ones that are no good. Like you. This world isn't for everyone." He finished before another gunshot rang out.
This time it was Cas.
Cas had very conflicting thoughts about what Aaron was saying. He didn't want to hear any more of it.
…
This wasn't his place. It wasn't his place to think or feel or anything of the nature. He had one job, and they couldn't make it easier for him. Just one job.
Cas shot three more times, regular bullets. He wanted to see if they genuinely did nothing and when it was confirmed he took out his Fairbairn knives, coated in a paralytic agent. Another one of A.C.E's creations. The drug was enough to kill someone if needed- not human of course, though it could, everything they had was specialized for abnormalities. The drug had different variants of it, but Cas used to most potent one out there, it was only meant for the ones considered an extreme risk. He had to be careful and calculated in his movements just like Aaron. They were a duo and if not trained properly together they could get seriously hurt.

Rae ducked underneath Aaron and went straight for Marcus and Wynn, they had already gone by the time Rae noticed, so she split off from the group to find them as they could be heading towards one of the exits which could be a blind spot for any one of them.
Thing was, she had to get past Marx.
"Cover her!" Aaron yelled as all hell broke loose when Aaron too figured out what had happened. The other two were missing and if they managed to pull something worse it could be the end of all of them.

Niveous unsheathed a large ninjato sword, except it too was coated in the same lethal concoction as Cas'. The sword looked nothing like the traditional type and instead you could see a faint glow coming from it as the sword was an electronic device itself. Once it was inserted into something, smaller blades would eject themselves out of the side of the larger blade, all Niveus had to do was rip it out for an effective blow. He usually never used it, as it was a pain to tear out, and used a lot of force, but this was the only exception where this would happen.
Niveus wasn't an executioner like Jake, but he would be aiming for the heart this time around.

Marx looked more amused than anything, the large serpent's head sputtering into a hissing laughter. The little group was charming, human's were rather amusing. They came as prepared as they could, with new weapons and wielding the same magic they seemed to despise so much.
The lion's head lowered to Aaron's level, a crooked and animalistic snarl etched into Marx's features. If one looked hard enough they'd see this was Marx's attempt at a sinister grin.
"When A.C.E. turns their backs on you, I hope you live long enough to realize you are no longer human."
Despite how little the bullets actually seemed to affect Marx, the chimera still reared back, letting out a hair-raising cry. The serpent's head opened its mouth to unleash a torrent of burning flames and a large, feline paw clawed at the unstable ceiling above them. Marx could withstand the weight of a floor just fine. He only hoped Marcus and the siren were out of the danger zone.
More fire spewed from another head, searing what little was left of the space in front of him before he turned tail and crashed through as many walls as he could. The more unstable, the better.

Marcus and Wynn cowered as the structure began to groan from the stress. Wynn was muttering something in a strange language that made the hairs on the back of Marcus's neck stand on end. Wynn had his own magic no one had ever cared to learn about. Whatever little incantation Wynn was currently spewing was putting Marcus on edge.
"Fuck, man, could you maybe not be cryptic and spooky while we're trying to get out of here alive?!" Marcus snapped. Wynn gave him a dirty look in response and stuck his tongue out before continuing the strange chant.
Marcus rubbed at his burnt arms, silently mourning his stash of bandages and burn cream at home. He'd have to really scrounge for cash to replace it all after this. Unless Camilla had somehow miraculously survived alongside everyone. She was the only other 'human' witch within their group and the technical medic. If you could trust a half-drunk Stage 3 Lycanthrope with healing you.

Wynn led them towards a smaller hole in the building's exterior, squeezing himself through with a few sickening crackling sounds as his spines bent and snapped at the pressure. Marcus scowled, crawling through the hole to the best of his abilities and immediately starting a new Rune Circle. A much smaller, less fiery ward surrounded them, giving off a comfortable aura as Marcus took a moment to breath in the cold air of the night.
This calm wouldn't last forever. Marcus was certain A.C.E. had this whole place swarming with it's little bounty hunting group. They had to hurry if they wanted to get out before it got bad.

Aaron sucked in a breath, frozen in place. Aaron could be tough all he wanted, but that didn't change the fact that Marx was something to behold, especially up close.
With the words spoken Aaron's eye twitched, only slightly. It was something he didn't want to hear. He knew it would happen, eventually. A.C.E would recruit a new group to identify as "Apotheosis" keeping the group alive, not the same members, just what identified them as the government's weapon.
Little did Apotheosis know that they would definitely get disposed of later on when they matured and had their own beliefs. A.C.E couldn't have rebels in their own circle, now could they? What if they turned their backs on them? It was better to start fresh than to have those nine bite back.
It didn't take long though, for Aaron to point his gun and shoot as Marx backed away from the bullets Cas was shooting. Niveus went after Marx as he turned tail and ran into walls. There was no point in stopping Marx, as the building at this point didn't matter, but Rae was still inside looking for the others and Niveus would have to either stop Marx before he collapsed the whole building, killing a potential member of their group, or pray to whatever twisted god was out there and hope that Rae was out before it happened.
Aaron's eyes widened when he realized what Marx was doing.
"Shit!" He yelled before whipping out the gun that held the silver bullets in them. He shot all five. Hoping that one would hit, though it was hard to say with Marx's movements.
"No time, we got to go." Cas grabbed Aaron's arm and dragged him back before Aaron decided to comply and follow Cas.
"Chenoa! Don't follow!" But Niveus was way too determined to take Marx down, or at least stop him from destroying the whole building if he could.
Niveus wasn't as fast as Marx, but he was pretty fast. All he needed was one slice. The first time he swung he failed, the movement being too erratic, but angling himself better and jumping from the ground to the wall and getting close to Marx he raised the sword and sliced all the way on the side of his stomach, pressing into him as hard as he could, hoping for the best, that the agent would work.
With that he dropped to the ground in a roll, but didn't stop there, he ran ahead in the direction Rae had headed and disappeared, not bothering to see if the effect would work or not. Even though Marx was target number one and capturing him would do a whole lot of good, Niveus wasn't sure if he'd survive the roof collapsing on him.

Rae was still looking around when she heard the place start to crumble like it was made of sand or something. The more she looked around, the more she couldn't find the two anywhere, but she was determined to find them. The only problem now was, what if they had already left and she was stuck inside the building alone?
Rae frowned. They could always be captured later, but what if there wasn't an opportunity like this again? A.C.E would probably be not so happy with them. Rae shuddered at the thought of there being another punishment.
Last time, Jake's father had made her train till her legs gave out and even then he demanded more of her. Jake's father was an asshole was the conclusion that Rae came to.

-

Jake watched as Marcus and Wynn came out of a hole in the building's structure. He was currently deciding whether he wanted to take a nap and leave the whole capture and murder to his friends. He was only a ways away behind a tree but in a way where they were visible to him, but not the other way around.
He watched as Marcus lifted another barrier up.
Jake lifted his gun, aimed, and shot at Marcus, not a second thought to this action. He didn't aim for the head or even the vital parts of him, just the arm.
They looked pretty weak and vulnerable already, but Jake never let his guard down, not around anyone, not even his friends. The only time where he wasn't on guard was when visiting his sister, and even then he was pretty paranoid.
"Leaving the party so soon?" Jake spoke up as he made himself known, stepping out into the light. There was a serious look on his face, nothing like the playboy look or even the psychotic look he had to him most of the time. It was strange.
Jake looked down at his gun, then back up.
"It's a real shame that you two are a part of this." Was all Jake could muster to say. It was a real shame that he himself was a part of this.

Marx roared in agony as the blade made contact, the agent working against him in moments. He crashed to the ground, cursing loudly and trying desperately to turn his head towards the attacker.
But the sneaky little bastard had already vanished, leaving Marx to rot away.
A.C.E. really had beefed up their security. Marx almost fell sorry for the poor fuckers. They wouldn't last much longer, they were getting too old for A.C.E. to keep up with.

The wall's shook momentarily as the upper levels began to collapse from the damage his fire had done. Marx shut his eyes, grumbling under his breath at the irony of his situation. Regardless of the poison he might have survived tonight had he not have chosen such an awful place to be caught.
He couldn't even call for Cam at the moment. He could still smell her nearby so he at least knew she was alive and stalking about the mess to heal those who needed it. A wolf was something no one really looked for during a battle.

It was Van who came upon him first. Van snorted at the sight of his leader so helpless, carefully making his way through the mess to grab the chimera by the scruff of his neck. He grumbled under his breath as he dragged the Chimera just outside of the building, hiding them both away in a small outcropping of partially collapsed house. It was hard to hide his own beast form along side's Marx's and so he allowed his human form to return, taking a strip of random fabric he found and tying it around his shoulders. It was fucking freezing.

The bullet brought his barrier down right away. Marcus cried out and clutched at his arm immediately. Wynn ducked out of habit, his eyes wide and wild as Jake made himself known. The siren made no move towards the new face, however, instead turning to shoot Marcus a dirty look.
Marcus glared at Jake, recognition lighting up in his green eyes. "Oh for fucks…. God why do I have to have such awful taste in men?!" He snarled sarcastically towards the sky, his voice broken by the pain he felt.
Marcus shook from head to toe, whether that was from the pain, actual fear, or the over usage of magic was highly debatable. He kept his gaze on Jake, scoffing at his words.
"Oh fuck off, you don't give a single shit." Marcus spat, staggering a little as the world spun. Fuck, he really had over done it… Two gunshot wounds didn't help at all either.
"If you're going to actually shoot us, learn how to aim that damn thing." Marcus huffed, nodding towards the gun in Jake's hand. "Stings like hell…"
Truth be told, the majority of Marcus's hostility came from the deep, intense fear settling deep inside his bones. He didn't want to die. Not by Jake's hand anyways. He still had stuff to try and do.
Like try and…
Well he still had to…
He wanted…
Maybe he had less to live for than he thought but he still didn't want to give Jake the satisfaction of killing him off.
"Self righteous asshole…"

Jake nearly stumbled back with Marcus' words, feeling like he had just been slapped in the face.
"Out of anything you could have said, you say that?!" Jake said in near disbelief. "Besides, I'm not that awful."
Silence.
"So maybe I just shot you, big deal" He shrugged, now looking a little embarrassed by the whole situation.
"Anyways…" He lifted his gun again. "Move and I'll shoot again, and trust me, I got three left and you don't want to get hit by those last three"
Jake's eyes softened at the you don't give a single shit remark. He sighed rather deeply, now looking tired.
"If anything, I care a little too much. You want to know what A.C.E said? Dead or alive. Though more alive than dead." Jake said, eyes staring at the two calmly.
"I've had two opportunities to kill you today Strawberry Fraisier. I know how to aim a damn gun. I don't typically miss either, so you're lucky." He said taking a few steps towards them until he was close enough to actually kill both of them if he wished.
Jake looked down at Marcus, looking like he either hated the ever-living fuck out of him or was hating the fact that he was falling a little harder for his stupid face.
"There's no one else around so you two will do. I'm sure having the right-hand man of the gang will make them more than happy."
With that Niveus and Rae came out of the spot they were hiding from, having hidden after hearing Jake speak loud enough to know what was going on.
Niveus and Rae had managed to get out of the building quickly through a window before everything potentially fell. It was better to get out anyways than to linger in an unstable environment.
Niveous grabbed the cuffs from his side, which were hidden by the shawl wrap he wore everywhere.
"Any sudden movements and you're dead. I mean it." Jake warned as Niveus approached the two.

Jen hopped down from the trees. He saw everything that had gone down, at any moment he could have shot to get the whole thing over with but he had been instructed to not interfere any more than he should. Why? He had no clue, but it was something along the lines of testing them to see where they stood with everything. He wondered what that meant, but that was something for future Jen to figure out. Right now he wanted to know if the others were okay. He knew Ezekiel was by the left side and hadn't moved, but Niveus and Rae were questionable. He hadn't seen them get out, but he hoped that they had from the back, it was the only way.
Blake was below the tree Jen had climbed down from.

"Can you call Ezekiel and ask him if he can help Niveus bring a few bodies with us? I'm curious to see something….though we will have at least two live ones" She said, thinking about what she would do already without knowing who it was going to be.
"I'll tell him, let's go meet up with the others for now." He said, making his way to the clearing in front of the mansion.
Aaron and Cas were already walking towards the van.
Jen opened his mouth to say something but Aaron waved him off and shook his head.
"They're fine. I just got a radio from Rae that they got the last two that had run off. I'm sure they can handle them if they decide to put up a fight, which I wouldn't put past them even though a fight would be in vain" Aaron said sort of scoffing, thinking it was stupid to try and resist.

It was Wynn's turn to give Jake a look, staring him down as if he were contemplating murder. But he didn't say anything, instead opting to rattle his spines in a strange challenge of dominance. Marcus waved him down quickly, eyeing the gun.
Marcus rolled his eyes as Jake spoke, his scowl deepening. "Strange way of asking me out, it feels more like I'm being kidnapped. Strawberry Fraiser is cute, though, it makes me feel special." The witch replied sarcastically, If he was going to be held at gunpoint he was going to make sure whoever held it regretted letting him live for more than a couple of minutes.
It also bought him more time to think. There was no way Jake was out here alone. There had to be more eyes on them, A.C.E. knew what they were doing when it came to hunting abnormalities. Especially when they wanted an alive subject to take with them.
His eyes darkened when he confirmed his fears, turning his head to glare at Rae and Niveus as they revealed themselves. This was a bad situation.
Even if they did have a fighting chance, it was a very slim one. Wynn might have been able to get the majority of those around stunned - that was if A.C.E. hadn't done anything against thrall magics - but he was limited to those who could hear him. Anyone out of earshot wasn’t susceptible to Wynn’s thrall. And Marcus's "last-ditch effort" spell was too variable to work with while in his current state. He needed more time or a chance to leech it off of something or someone else so he didn’t overuse his magic and cause fatigue. Magic fatigue made backlash very unpleasant and rather destructive. Sort of like a miniature bomb. But made of flesh and blood. And in Marcus's case, lots of fire.
"Well fuck," Marcus mused, holding out his hands for Niveus. Wynn startled at the action, watching the witch in disbelief as he stepped towards Niveus.
”You aren’t rea-“ Wynn’s blood ran cold at the look Marcus gave him, a sudden realization hitting him. Wynn glanced towards the burning manor and hissed a few curses under his breath.
"Experimentation sounds better than burning to death." The siren muttered, giving Marcus a knowing look before he sat back on backward bending knees and continued to stare down Jake.
”As long as you don’t listen too hard to me you’ll be fine. It’s not an active threat to hear my voice unless I put meaning behind it but it can be more persuading. So kindly fuck off.”

Jake was about to take another step in Marcus’ direction but with Wynn's rattling Jake took a step back instead, not out of fear, but not wanting to be near him if he had anything up his sleeve. He needed to be in a place where he could help the other two should anything happen.
Jake shrugged, the guilt was eating him from the inside out, and even though it was he didn't show it.
"Consider the next few hours a date" Jake spoke at last after Niveus had cuffed down Marcus, next it was Wynn. Even though in different circumstances he would have said those words a little more lovingly, even now, he didn't, they came out cold. Usually Jake would savor the victory of having caught someone who was considered untouchable, but tonight Jake's sister had taken a turn for the worse and it showed in his empty eyes and how he wouldn't let up to joke around.
"I'm sorry Strawberry Fraiser," He paused. "Marcus." He corrected. "Had this been any other night, I may have even helped you out, but I'm out of cards to play," He said as he sat down, gun still pointed between Marcus and Wynn, but more aimed at Wynn. He really needed to stop calling people by different names, though he did like the ring of Strawberry Fraiser. It was his favorite after all.
Niveus gave Jake a cool glance.
"Is that what you do when someone tries to get away? It was always you?" Niveus said, a frown now on his face.
Jake looked up at Niveus and a tired smile appeared on his face.
"Not all of them are so bad," Jake said with a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of the world, he had had too many talks with some of them, and Jake, although not looking like it, felt sympathy for those A.C.E went after.
"Anyways," He got up a minute later, dusting off his black skinny jeans.

"You guys got them?" Came a voice from the radio, which belonged to Jen. Jake snatched the device from his hip and pressed a button to speak.
"You think they'll be enough?" Jake questioned, as he watched Wynn stare him down, the faint voice making Jake stiffen. Calm down Jake. There's nothing watching you. It was just them. He tried to soothe himself, keeping his fingers from actually squeezing the trigger.
"If you have who I think you have, then I'm sure this has been a success." Jen's voice came through.
"And A.C.E knows about this?" Niveus continued as he cuffed Wynn next after Jen stopped talking. Jake, eyeing Wynn, stayed quiet for a second, trying to calm himself.
"They know. It's why I'm on a short leash" Jake said casually, not really caring if they threatened to beat him up or whatever. As soon as Aster was able to wake up and get better, he'd split. Fake their own deaths. Maybe he'd live in a different city, go by a different name, work a semi-normal job. It sounded nice in Jake's head.
One could dream.
Niveus watched Jake carefully like he knew exactly what thoughts went on in Jake's mind, even if he didn't. Jake narrowed his eyes at him but said nothing, just waiting for the rest to arrive.

"Shitty first date idea, don't think I'm going to ask for a second." Marcus tensed when Niveus placed the cuffs around his wrists, shrinking away from the touch as if he were expecting something rougher.
"I'd rather the nickname, don't call me Marcus, we're not close." He muttered, giving Jake a dirty look. He pressed his thumbs hard into the runes written on his fingers, gritting his teeth as his magic stuttered into existence once more. It was a simple circle he had purposefully written into the runes of his "last-ditch-effort" spell to ensure he wouldn't be caught with his pants down. As long as there was an adequate source of magic supply around, Marcus could 'recharge' himself.
Wynn gave Niveus a crooked grin as he was cuffed, looking between him and Jake as they spoke. "Maybe they'll execute you alongside us. You'd be lucky to be killed with a siren, we can make the pain go away~" He taunted, leaning closer to Jake. "I'm sure they'd allow a thrall as your last request, you are one of them after all."

The van's door caved in as Vance kicked it, cursing loudly under his breath. Out of everything that could have gone wrong, why did it have to be the three worst things possible? Camilla had done her best to make sure Marx wasn't going to die but he wasn't exactly living at the moment either. Marx would be down for quite a few days, poisoned by whatever the hell they had slashed him with. Marcus and Wynn had vanished into the woodwork currently on fire behind them and all of the A.C.E. bastards had vanished. The bitch of a witch had either died or messed up badly enough to get himself caught which meant Marx would be in an even worse mood when he woke up. To top it all off, the van was ruined and the ghoul was nowhere to be seen. How someone lost basically a dead body was beyond him but it had happened.
Cam ran her fingers along the torn metal, shrugging as Vance paced back and forth. "It's honestly rather impressive he got out in the first place. The rancid fucker hasn't been this strong before, how long has Marx been starving him?"
"Too long…" Vance muttered under his breath as he dug around for the keys. He'd deal with all of this bullshit after the gang had regrouped. Hopefully Marx would stop being a dumbass this time around.

Jake gave Marcus a faint smile, a sad one, but didn't say anything else.
Niveus on the other hand was very gentle, the opposite of rough. He made sure the cuffs were tight but didn't use any extra unnecessary force as Marcus and Wynn were complying. If they started to act up, then he'd get mean, but Niveus wasn't known to be rough with others. Only when he absolutely needed to.
At Marcus' last words, Jake opened his mouth slightly to protest, but it seemed like he was out of words to say. Never had Jake been so reserved and quiet before, but he let it go.
"Okay….Strawberry Fraisier" He said silently.
With Wynn's taunting, Jake just wanted to grab Wynn by the neck and choke him out, make him apologize, but he had more self-control than that.
A shot rang out and Rae ducked away as a bullet flew right past her.
"What the-" Rae looked over at Jake who had shot close to Wynn, but not at him.
"I suggest, you shut up." Jake snapped. His eyes now dangerously livid. Well, not nearly as much self-control as he would like to have. He couldn't be executed. Not yet. He knew his time was coming, maybe a little sooner than he anticipated, but he'd drag it out. He'd live.

-

After the van came around, Jen being the driver, as it was his car, Jake went up to the side to talk to Jen while Marcus and Wynn were sat inside.
Blake was there and when she saw Wynn her eyes lit up, the look to him- she loved meeting new abnormalities, especially ones she'd never seen before.
"Hi" Came her voice as they sat Marcus and Wynn down.
Rae shook her head.
"Don't talk to them. You'll get attached, you won't be able to do your job." Rae scolded. It was something they told Blake again and again, but she never listened. Blake always did her job, but when she got attached, she'd either ask Jake to help her with their escape or cry her eyes out after everything was done. Most of the time it wasn't a problem, she was more than happy to do her job, but only if they were already dead or heavily sedated.
Blake took one last look at Wynn, then Marcus, before turning away and looking sad. Rae and Niveus got in after the two and sat down facing Marcus and Wynn. Niveus had his spare gun drawn, just in case anything went sideways.
Aaron and Cas were also there, but Cas looked tired as he slumped back slightly in his seat, Aaron always had a good posture as he sat straight up, eyes closed, arms and legs crossed as if he were not in the mood to talk to anyone.
Jake rounded to the back to look at everyone, then promptly closed the door and made his way to the passenger seat beside Jen.

You could hear faint words coming from the front as Jen and Jake talked in hushed tones throughout the drive.
"She has to live Jen." Jake breathed.
"I think you should start praying," Jen said, followed by silence.
"I won't make it. If she doesn't live I won't make it." Jake said, nearly choking on his words. It was the last thing he had going for him. He had nothing else. He held onto Aster like his life depended on it. He'd bow down to anything if it meant she was spared.
"She'll pull through, she always does, let me handle this" Jen said, though not very sure of himself.

Wynn's grin only widened as Jake reacted, though he flinched at the loud sound that followed. He tilted his head once the ringing in his ears had stopped, glancing at the gun before he turned to Rae, giving her a once over as if to make sure she wasn't hit. "Touchy…" He hummed, though he seemed to take Jake's threat rather seriously once he caught the glare Marcus was giving him.
Wynn was fairly certain the witch was starting to panic. He wouldn't let this rag-tag group of teens get to him that easily. There was almost always a way out, even if that was death.
If that was the case for Marcus and Wynn then there would be hell to pay. A.C.E. would face consequences beyond their control once Marx regrouped.

Marcus took a mental note of each new face that appeared as he was seated, a deeper sense of panic filling his bones as he slowly came to the realization that he might not be able to worm his way out this time. He'd have to actually stick it through this time and face whatever horrors A.C.E. decided to put them through. He closed his eyes and slid closer to Wynn, focusing on the constant stream of magic he was 'borrowing' from the siren. If he really tried to visualize the stream he could rid his stomach of the queasiness he was starting to feel.
It was hard to imagine this was the gang's right hand man. From anyone looking in on him from an outside view, he looked like any other terrified kid with his hands pressed tightly against each other and his eyes shut tight enough he looked like he was trying not to cry.
Anyone who knew Marcus well enough understood the anxiety he was currently going through but didn't fail to notice the runes softly glowing from between his fingers and the exhaustion that seemed to slowly disappear the longer he sat undisturbed.
Wynn didn't seem to care nor mind Marcus much, instead trying to catch sight of anything outside and clacking each spine in annoyance each time the van bounced in a way he didn't like. Every now and then he'd turn his gaze onto the newest additions to the group, staring them down for minutes at a time before his eyes would wander once more to try and grasp any sort of visual of the outside.

Rae was the first and probably only one that took notice of Marcus' anxiety and how shaken up he looked. Anyone could be in his position. Rae could only imagine what A.C.E had in store for them.
…
But the way he looked. It made Rae uneasy. That could be anyone. Anyone sitting in Marcus' place, but the fact that he was their age made Rae a little angry. Not because she was mad at them directly for the choices that had taken down this road, but at the universe that so cruelly decided that this was their fate, there was no way out.
Rae was a little like Jake in the sense that she believed that not everyone deserved what they had coming. Sometimes, you fought hard to change the situation you were in but even if you didn't fight, the result would be the same.

The drive wasn't long as they got to their small apartment behind an arcade that high school students usually frequented.
Jake was the first to hop out once the car stopped. He rounded the back once again to open the doors of the van.
Niveus looked at Jake with tired eyes. Everyone looked tired. Even Aaron, who usually looked so put together, but some strands from his gelled hair had come loose to the front of his face and his clothes wrinkled from the night's exercises.

"Uncuff them," Jake said, eyeing Marcus and Wynn. Niveus did so and Jake held his hand out for Marcus.
"Your hand." He ordered. "We won't have you cuffed while inside the apartment, but you do need to wear this bracelet." Jake held up a black glass-like bracelet. It was only temporary but Jake knew that he would soon be wearing one like the rest of them. That was if they didn't get out in time, but Jake was willing to bet that they wouldn't be here too long.
It pained a part of him to see someone so young being delivered into the hands of something that would destroy them. Just like they had.

You did this. You have the power to change this. Came a slight faint voice from the back of his head. Jake looked slightly behind him as if having heard something but dismissed it fairly quickly. No. He didn't do this. If it were up to him none of them would be here right now, and even if he did have the power to change this, why should he risk everything he held dear to him for mere strangers? Strangers that would have his head on a silver platter when it came time to show loyalties. Attraction was one thing. Jake could be attracted to Marcus so much so that it made him a little nervous to be around him, but that didn't change anything. He wouldn't throw his sister's life away for someone he barely knew- for a crush.
Jake stared at Marcus as he waited. He showed no signs of nervousness, but it was all internalized. He couldn't show weakness, not here, not now.
Once they got the temporary bracelet's on the two, they'd stay in the apartment for a while before A.C.E came to collect them. They'd probably want to talk to Jen and Jake about a few things and how to proceed, but what Jake was most nervous about was what they were doing to his sister. He didn't know. He was allowed to visit her every so often, but they had recently made the change to move Aster to the facility for better care. It had been Jake's father's decision.

By the time they arrived Marcus had managed to smudge the runes he had drawn to the point that they were no longer useable. The black ink staining his fingertips seemed to mock him for even trying.
He tried his best to wipe off what he could onto his jeans, silently wishing he had chosen a better outfit for the occasion as he shuffled out of the van and into the cold, empty street. He hadn't planned on getting caught, after all, and had meant to go back for his jacket when he found the time to do so. Standing out in the nighttime air wearing a halter top was perfectly fine for when he was using his magic. Not for abduction and arrest.
For now, all he could do was hope that someone picked up his jacket for him… he really liked that jacket…

Wynn was on edge the moment they were outside, his eyes wandering across each member of the group before they landed sharply on Jake. Wynn had taken a rather intense disliking to him. He didn't like how much contact Jake was having with Marcus, it made him uneasy. If only Wynn could gouge out Jake's pretty tongue and eat it… just to prove a point. Wynn disliked the taste of human but he would bet his life on Jake tasting better than a five-course meal purely because of spite.
Marcus rubbed the rest of his hastily drawn runes off onto his tanktop once he was uncuffed, giving Jake a hesitant glare.
"What the hell does it do? It's not going to kill me is it?" He asked wearily, extending his hand for the other regardless. He had a sneaking suspicion it was some kind of magic dampener…

During the ride, Jake seemed to have calmed down and his gaze was neutral yet there was a sort of gentleness to him. Jake was known for his snappy personality, though, the previous fury with Wynn was gone and replaced with someone who just looked tired and vulnerable.
Jake glanced momentarily at Wynn who looked like he wanted to tear him to pieces. A small sound left him, something resembling a chuckle as a smile formed on his face, though he didn't pay it any more attention than he needed to. He instead focused on Marcus who asked the question.

"Don't worry," Jake said, taking his arm warmer off and lifting his hand so Marcus could see. "I'm not dead yet, so I'd say it's pretty safe" His arm was turned so that the back of his hand was showing, displaying the bracelet that was forever burned into his skin. You could see a few scars aside from the bracelet, but Jake quickly put his warmers back on.
"No time to get personal," Rae said, giving Jake a knowing look, her gaze adverting to Marcus. A small smile appeared on her face, which seemed to light up her eyes slightly.
"It's just so they can monitor where you're at all times, so in case, let's say, you successfully flee from the place you're being held," She looked to Jake briefly, who looked away as if he had no idea what she was talking about. "We'll know where you're at regardless. It's not completely indestructible, but it holds more effect on abnormalities-" Rae paused. "Not, that we're abnormalities!" She quickly put it out there. "But it does have an effect on your magic. Won't be able to use it while you're here, though it's not as severe as the bullets we used- er, that the others used" Rae explained, knowing that if she were ever in this position she'd want to know all the details….maybe this would put the two at ease, even if just a little.
Rae hesitated, watching as Jake placed the bracelet on Marcus first, a small metallic click leaving the device as it snapped in place, it wasn't tight, but it seemed like it was enough that you couldn't pry it off without doing some damage to yourself. There were different sizes and they had picked out ones that were thought to be best for Marcus and Wynn, maybe a little smaller than they had anticipated, but they fit.

"We're not-" Rae frowned, looking indecisive. "We're not monsters" She breathed. Rae looked determined to make that known to the two.
"Speak for yourself," Jake said as he grabbed Wynn by the wrist, a little more roughly than he had with Marcus, and snapped the bracelet on him as well. He then let go and stepped away. He gestured for the two to go first.
"I'm right behind you. Run and that'll be the last thing you do" Jake said, but it didn't sound convincing.
Rae watched as he escorted the two into the building. She crossed her arms. They had always warned Blake about not getting too attached, but never the others because that wasn't something that happened with them, but Rae. Rae's heartstrings were being pulled at and she couldn't watch as the two walked into the apartment. A.C.E was never nice and used extreme measures, even on those who worked for them. There was a desperate feeling that shook Rae to her core. How many had she watched who had been torn apart limb from limb? Even while they were alive- course, not by Blake, but by other scientists.
Apotheosis was always there watching, in case something happened, but the number of horrors done in that building made Rae shake. She was strong. Is what she told herself but she couldn't watch it half the time. The times she had she hadn't been able to sleep for weeks after.

As soon as they got to the door, Jake stepped between them and unlocked the door to the apartment. He walked in, knowing the others were behind Marcus and Wynn, their chances of escaping were low.

At least for right now.

Inside there was a medium-sized room, which was the living room, a single couch pushed to the wall under a rectangular window that was too high to access, and even if you did access it, it was far too narrow for anyone to squeeze through. In front of the couch was an old-school t.v that could play tapes. It's where everyone gathered for movie night when they had time. There were two other pieces of furniture, one being a table with two chairs on either side beside the initial couch and another couch in the corner, though, this one could only fit one person on it.
To the right, there was an entrance to the kitchen which didn't have a curtain or even a door on it. It was almost like a bar with a long table in front of the sink. Rae and Andre usually sat there and complained to Jen as he washed the vegetables for the day's meals.
The kitchen was very narrow as it only had room for a fridge and a few cabinets and some space to keep things like a coffee maker and a toaster among other amenities. There was an oven underneath cabinets that were up top, a space for cooking, though it was very cramped if more than two people decided to occupy the vicinity.
Behind the kitchen were three doors where most of them slept, or at least, those who didn't have a family to go to. At the end of that small hallway was the bathroom, the whole place looked like it had been compacted to fit exactly the amount of members that were in Apotheosis.
Jake, Ezekiel, Blake, Aaron, and Cas were mostly gone, leaving the place to Jen, Rae, Niveus, and Andre.
The place looked sort of gloomy with the brown wallpaper yellowing from the lack of maintenance done to the building. Though, for some in Apotheosis, this was the only place they could call home. It's where most of their memories were at.
"Make yourselves at home, there'll be someone at the door at all times so try and break out and you'll most likely get caught, and if you prove to not be able to be left unsupervised, then….we'll have no other choice then to go back to the handcuffs behind locked doors," Jake said as he walked through the place and flopped onto the couch.
"A.C.E'll come and get you uhhh shortly?" He questioned as he watched Rae and the others walk through as well.
"More or less, it could take a while but they'll be here at some point," Rae said.
"Meanwhile we wait, do you uhm, want something to eat? I'll cook" Rae said, rolling her sleeve up.
"Absolutely not," Jen said as he was the last to walk through the door. "Last time we had to call the fire department because you scorched the kitchen, I still haven't been able to get all the soot out" Jen shook his head.
"I'm also not in the mood to cook, we'll order take out" He looked to Marcus and Wynn. "You two have a preference?" He said then looking to Jake.
"Split the bill?" He asked. Jake threw his hand into the air as if he were being detained.
"I'm flat-out broke you know that" He smiled mischievously, though the sadness behind his eyes said that he wasn't lying.
"I'll pay for everyone" Rae pipped up, a small smile on her face as she looked everyone over. "Now it's just a matter of what we want to get, I'm starving, I haven't eaten since lunch at school," She said as she rummaged through a wooden box where the vhs tapes were, trying to pick out a movie to make the atmosphere a little more relaxing.
"Okay, so we'll split the bill between me and Rae this time, and next time it's yours Jake," Jen said crossing his arms.
"Yeah alright," Jake said as he looked at Marcus like he couldn't get enough, but tried really hard to hide it, looking away as soon as someone caught him doing it.
Jen, Rae, and Jake talked for a while before they settled on what they wanted.
Aaron and Cas had left as soon as they had gotten a message from Aaron's father about another job, so it was down to the six plus Marcus and Wynn. It was remarkable the confidence everyone had to talk casually like Marcus and Wynn weren't threats that could easily throttle someone if they wanted to.
After everything was said and done, Jen looked to Marcus and Wynn.
"What do you two want? And I'm not taking no for an answer. We may not be on the same side, but I refuse to let anyone go hungry while under my apartment." Jen stared at them waiting as Rae found a movie she wanted to watch.
"Or if food's not your thing, we have beds so you guys can sleep in the meantime" Jake added.

Marcus looked unconvinced as he studied the band around the other's arm. He assumed they all had one, which wasn't the most reassuring in this situation. Marcus knew how A.C.E. worked. He had experience with them all his life. Well, at least from an early age.
Regardless, these people were not his friends even if A.C.E. treated them more like weaponry than actual people. Even if they wore the same bands A.C.E. gave those they marked as Abnormal and dangerous. Even if they were the same age.
Even if Marcus got the strange feeling a few of them didn't want to actually detain him and Wynn.
He listened with morbid curiosity as Rae explained the device. He had assumed as much but it was still fascinating to him that A.C.E. would use them on members of Apotheosis. Maybe a few of their members weren't as human as they said they were, unless what Rae said was true. Still, Marcus had heard of human's developing their magic capabilities far into their lives. He had even heard of a few that used Soul Forged, familiars, and other magic beings as conduits for magic even without any magic capabilities or any kind of magic frequency at all. Perhaps A.C.E. was insuring even their weapons couldn't act out on their own accord.

Marcus shook out his wrist the moment the device was around his wrist, instantly disliking it. He had been put under a few dampening spells in his lifetime but never something this strong. It left his gut feeling empty and bought back the burning sensation he had felt in his side earlier.
Oh yeah…
He pulled the singed edge of his halter top up and gingerly ran his finger along the tattered edges of his skin. At least it was just a graze. He could handle that just fine as long as he got to clean it out. He'd live.
At this point, however, he wasn't sure if he actually wanted that or not.

"As far as I'm concerned, everybody here is inhuman. At least for me and Wynn it's because we're Abnormalities… among other things." Marcus muttered, taking the lead into the building.

Wynn was the first of the two hostages to move further into the apartment once given permission to. He took a walk around the space as if judging it before giving a curt nod and beelining it for a seat at the table. He was too worried about ruining the couches to even think about sitting on them.
"A.C.E. takes days to respond at times, though I'm sure with as "high of a risk" as Marcus and I are, they'll work quickly." Wynn mused, his voice strangely more human now that the band was actively repressing his abilities. He still appeared inhuman, however, that was something dampening spells didn't often address. How he appeared hardly had anything to do with his magic though he would admit that his human form was more glamour spell than anything. So here he sat, dark grayish spines laid flat against his bony spine.

Wynn was a rather curious oddity. He was considered Type 2 of the three different types of siren. The first were the classic sirens from Greek mythology, made up of of feathered beings with beautiful human faces who used siren songs to call their prey into their traps. The second, like Wynn, were aquatic by nature but retained the ability to breath and walk on land. They often looked fish-like or amphibious, with strangely humanoid features distorted by large fins, sharp spines or scales, and their 'siren's song' was more of a thralling ability in which their prey found it harder to resist their voices and appearances in general. The last were fully aquatic nearly always, with half-human half-aquatic features such as fish tails or tentacles. They also held the thralling ability, though considerably stronger than their Type 2 counterparts.
Wynn looked like a strange amalgamation of amphibian and deep sea creature with pale dark grayish-blue skin and dark eyes that seemed to look through you. The teeth in his mouth hardly fit, jutting out of his lips at odd angles and crossing against each other in a strange mesh of yellowed bone. The three rows of spines along his back looked as if they once held a type of webbed skin between them that had since been ripped or cut away. The same was true of the long claws at the end of each of his fingers though a few still held webbing and it seemed as if those regenerated.
Suffice to say, Wynn stuck out as he sat at the table as if he were human like the rest of them, easily relaxing around them as if he didn't care he and Marcus were moments from death or worse. Almost like the frogman cryptid had come out of the water for a small chat and a cup of tea with a group who held guns pointed at it.
It almost made Marcus laugh.

Marcus moved to stand next to Wynn while the other's chatted. He felt deeply uncomfortable about the situation, not fully understanding how they could all be so nonchalant about the fact they had two highly wanted and dangerous Abnormal criminals wandering about the same space. It gave him massive amounts of anxiety to think that he may have just doomed not only himself but Wynn as well and their last moments would be sitting around in an apartment like they hadn't just been handed a death sentence. It felt wrong to not address the issue… to just sit around and talk about what was for dinner. Added all on top of it was Jake's staring. Marcus couldn't tell if it was because the guy liked what he was seeing or if he was actively sizing him up just to be cautious.

His gut lurched when he and Wynn were asked what they wanted. The thought of food made him want to retch what little he had in his stomach up. The adrenaline of the past few hours was starting to wear off rapidly and all he wanted to do was either throw up or sleep through the few hours to days he had left to live comfortably and somewhat free.
He clutched at the lighter in his pocket, swallowing hard as Wynn jumped at the opportunity to eat.
"Fuck yes, fried chicken sandwich and fries sound amazing right now. Or an enchilada if it's Mexican you're getting." Wynn beamed at the thought, his mouth hanging open slightly as his teeth were given more space to move.
The siren looked to Marcus expectantly, nodding for him to answer. Marcus could already tell Wynn would give him an earful about not taking advantage of actual food later but Marcus could hardly stomach the thought of eating at the moment.
"I'll take the bed… as long as I'm allowed a shower and maybe some antiseptic."
Wynn glared at him, but there was a strange softness behind his eyes that Marcus could understand to be acceptance. He was thankful that Wynn didn't push it much though he watched as the siren pulled Jen closer to him and whispered for him to get an order of something small just in case.

Jake thought about what Marcus had said. It fit. Monsters capturing Abnormalities, it couldn't be any other way, there had to be something strong to capture an almost unreachable entity. He watched Rae rummage through what they had in the movie box until she found one she liked.
"Alice In Wonderland!" She said proudly, before putting it in the slot for the VHS player. She sat on the couch beside Jake, who had a small smile on his face at the warmth Rae exhibited.
When Marcus looked like he was going to be sick and asked for a bed Jake nodded.
"I'll show you to the rooms and the bathroom," Jake said, getting up promptly and expecting Marcus to follow him.
Rae looked over at Wynn. She loved his enthusiasm for food, it was something she also had.
"We could get both if you think you can eat it all" Rae said, though, there was an underlying tone of a challenge. Rae could eat a lot and was constantly hungry so she always went out with Jake or Andre to get something in between school and after every job they were given.
Jen nodded in approval, they might have been prisoners, but even prisoners weren't starved. Besides, Jen thought of it as a small gift- maybe a twisted gift knowing that they were the ones who captured the two and were delivering them to death itself, but still, a gift. It was all he could do.
"Do you know what he'll want? We can save it for later when he's gotten better" Jen said looking to Wynn, then crossing his arms as he watched Jake and Marcus walk off to the back.

No matter how Jen saw it, he couldn't help but feel a really heavy sensation of impending doom. The fact that these two were their age didn't help the feeling that he wanted to cover them and protect them. Jen knew it wasn't their fault, and Apotheosis was to blame for what was coming next. He couldn't stand the thought and cringed as he imagined them on that table, being poked and prodded until they were dead.
Niveus leaned against the wall, eyes heavy as they threatened to close, though, he'd be completely sober in less than a second was anything to happen.

Jake leads Marcus to a small room with two beds in it, it was Andre's room. One seems smaller than the other, occupied by a small figure. The whole place was decorated to the brim, and posters of strippers and half-naked men and women alike were hung up on the walls. There was a small vanity desk between the two beds with make-up among other things on it. Pleaser shoes were on the floor beside the vanity desk. The room had been painted pink, an obnoxious color, Jake thought, but it was how Andre had wanted it.
"You can stay here since I don't think he'll be coming back any time soon" There seemed to be a bit of anger in Jake's words as he went over to the closet and pulled out a towel. He also brought out pajamas, they looked expensive, as they were made of silk. There was a bird design on it, in an old Japanese style. He handed them to Marcus.
"If they don't fit, I'll see if I can get you something else. For now, that's all we have" He spoke in a nearly whispered tone so as to not wake up the other in the bed, though, it seemed that whoever was in the smaller bed was a light sleeper.
"Jake…?" Came a voice and Jake looked tiredly back at the kid who had sat up.
Artemy rubbed his eyes as he watched Marcus and Jake.
"Is Andre back yet?" He asked and Jake gritted his teeth, though made sure not to show it. He wasn't mad at Artemy, but at Andre, and how he could leave his kid brother behind like this. God knows what Andre was up to.
Jake looked at Marcus.
"There's a first aid kit in the bathroom, if you need help with any of your wounds I can help out, but I doubt you want me touching you after tonight," Jake said, yet there wasn't a smugness on his face about it, but instead a more normal serious look to him.
"And…" Jake looked to the floor. "I'm sorry" He apologized, then went over to Artemy who seemed confused. The kid was about ten years old and pretty lightweight so Jake was able to pick him up easily. Jake walks out of the room, and Artemy looks at Marcus with a curious look in his eyes. His dreadlocks swayed as Jake carried him down the hallway into another room.
Artemy was barely talked about in the group of Apotheosis as he wasn't considered anyone yet. But it angered Jake how neglected the kid was, so Jen and Jake had taken up the role of raising the kid. It seemed like Artemy had gotten a lot closer to Jake rather than Jen, though he was grateful for both of them just as equally.

Wynn seemed pleased by Rae's choice in movies, his spines lifting for just a moment to rattle in half-veiled enthusiasm that stopped abruptly with one glance toward Marcus.
Wynn was confident Vance or Marx would come for them. Marcus was less sure about it.

Marcus nodded curtly at Jake, following him a little too enthusiastically. He really wanted to shower and just lay down in something comfortable. Maybe he'd just sleep in the shower and pray that the water drowned him. Maybe he'd feel better then?

Wynn gave Rae a wicked grin at the challenge, his eyes narrowing and spines rattling once more. "I could eat a horse at this point, two different meals are nothing. I don't know if you understand how sirens work." He teased.
The siren sobered up when Jen addressed him, his expression solemn as he watched Jake and Marcus disappear behind doors he didn't know.
"Nothing too big. He hardly eats as is… probably just a fry or a small nugget or something like that. If you get him a lot of stuff he won't eat it at all." Wynn paused for a long time, picking at a patch of rough skin on his hands. "You know… even if we do end up executed or a part of some sick experiment. I think it's a better fate than living as we do. Especially for him."

Everything about the room gave him a headache. Marcus felt almost more sick than he had before he entered this room. He stood awkwardly by the door, hands shoved into his pockets while he waited for Jake.
His eyes hardly left the small figure, something twisting in his stomach at the thought of a child in the care of such a group.
He started at the pair of pajamas handed to him, finally looking Jake in the eye for the first time since he had walked into the apartment. "Oh no, you don't want me wearing these. I'll ruin-" He started, cutting himself off when Artemy spoke. He went strangely still, hardly breathing while he waited for Jake to reply to the kid.
"Oh… alright." He managed to force out, put off at the idea of asking Jake for help. "You're right, I don't much want that. I'd rather ask Wynn." Marcus muttered to himself, taking another look around the room before he wrapped his arms tightly around himself and sighed. He didn't acknowledge Jake again, not even when he apologized. Marcus didn't know how to react to it, he was too afraid he'd end up trying to throttle Jake in front of the kid.

Marcus waited until Jake had completely left the room before he made his way to the bathroom, taking a quick glance around before he shut the door behind him and locked it. He leaned against the door for a moment, staring at the lock.
He wished the gang was as close as this group seemed. Maybe it would give them all some sense of belonging that was much healthier than the one they had now.

Rae's eyes lit up when Wynn took on the challenge.
"Okay! We'll get both! And maybe a little extra something in case you want anything later" Rae said as she bounced slightly, a small habit she had picked up in childhood. She looked at Jen as Wynn talked. Jen's eyes softened.
"Jake has the same problem, the only thing is, he'll only eat sweets and coffee. I keep telling him to eat real food but he refuses sometimes until I seriously get angry" Jen casually commented, shrugging.
"Do you guys eat often? It would help to eat little by little, just to get him used to food and eating in general" Jen said, then got caught by Rae's giant smile towards him. He blushed as he knew what that smile meant.
"NoT tHaT i CaRe Or AnYtHiNg" Rae mocked Jen, to which he kept quiet and waved her away.
"Keep your thoughts to yourself," He said, though the slight sadness and worry in his eyes said everything.
"If you don't mind me asking…" Jen said finally, curiosity getting the better of him. "You said your parents disowned you, is that why you decided to turn to a life in the gang? Do they feel like family?" A dangerous question for Jen. He knew he shouldn't be getting friendly with the "prisoners" but if their gang was anything like their group, then they would surely come for them. Not only that, but Jen felt uncomfortable taking someone away from a family they had managed to find in this wretched world. Family was rare these days it seemed to him.
Rae seemed to calm down at the question, then turned to Wynn again, her face in complete disbelief. Wynn? Disowned? Was it because of what he was? A siren?
In a twisted way, it made sense since some people didn't like abnormalities. Rae's eyes drooped as she thought about getting disowned by her father and how much that would have hurt. Fortunately, Rae never got to experience that type of neglect. Rae loved her father very much and she would keep loving him for everything he had done for her.
Niveus opened his eyes at the word "disown". It was true that most of them turned to a life in a gang that usually had something bad push them that way, but he wondered how bad it could have been. Was it so bad that they literally would do anything to find a place where to belong?
"If I'm overstepping feel free to ignore me, I just- you're our age and I'm…" dying at the thought of you getting killed "I'm seriously rethinking choices here," He said firmly, a slight frown etched into his eyebrows. The thought of someone not having a good life because of the cards they had been dealt made Jen want to break something, especially when they were as young as they were.
Rae seemed curious to know what had changed. In all their years of doing this line of work, could it be that it was getting to Jen? The leader? The one who always made sure to stick to the rules? The one who reinforced what A.C.E put down and got easily angry when everything went out of order? He was loyal to A.C.E for what they had done for him. They had taken him in and given him a family, maybe not a fully functional one, but A.C.E was like a parent in a way to Jen and everyone there. Everyone except Jake, who saw through their bullshit.

Jake put Artemy down in Jen's bed gently and turned to leave but Artemy pulled on his shirt, eyes big and wide, looking like he was going to cry.
"Why does everything hurt?" He asked. Jake cringed at the question. Why does everything hurt? Was a question he had asked himself more than a million times before, and even now, he kept asking the same question.
"Are you in pain? Did you get hurt?" Jake asked, thinking that maybe he meant physically, but Jake knew by the tone in his voice that it was not what Artemy meant.
"Yes." Came Artemy's soft reply. "Here," He said as he brought Jake's hand to his chest. Jake felt the beating of Artemy's heart and he wanted to so bad weep for the poor boy. Abandoned by his father and brother. Mother killed by some bastard who thought it was okay to sexually assault a woman.
"What would make you feel better? Do you want some hot cocoa?" Jake asked, knowing it was his favorite.
Artemy shook his head and hugged Jake.
"I just want it to stop hurting," He said finally. Jake suddenly looked tired. He was not cut out for this. Especially when it came to troubled children. He found himself wanting to be something from soft and caring to rough and mean. When Andre introduced the kid, Jake wanted nothing to do with him and his kid brother, but somehow he felt that he could not leave the kid alone, especially when everyone around him abandoned him.
"Wait here," Jake said finally and got up and closed the door behind him when he left. He looked down to the hallway where the door was closed to the bathroom. He didn't think Marcus would try anything, so he made his way to the rest of the group where they were talking with Wynn.
Jake seemed to have no interest in the conversation as he motioned for Niveus to the door where he had left Artemy.
Niveus leaned off the wall and walked towards the room. Jen was busy, as he was about to go get the food for everyone, and Rae was too bright to help Artemy, she wouldn't know what to say, but Niveus was gentle, more than most would say. For an assassin, he sure reflected what it was like to be a caring parent, and most times, the other members found themselves going to either Niveus or Jen for help. He also had his fair share of troubles and knew exactly what to say while also being positive when he needed to be.