Opening his eyes slowly, Ravenlock scanned his surroundings. The building shook on it's foundation, fire leaping across the tiles in the ceiling, dancing to the sound of horror. Dropping to his knees, Ravenlock's blade slid from his hand, falling to the floor with a reverberating clang. Lifeless forms littered the hallway. The lives of gang members, thieves and murderers, gone. The lives of those left unsaved, gone. At the pinnacle of his physical strength, Ravenlock was still unable to save everyone despite his renown as one of Paragon's most decorated heroes. Unequalled in swordplay, his quest to save the innocent had transformed into an obsession, some say even a sickness. Of late, losing control of himself was becoming more and more common. The dead spoke to him, if not in actuality, they all seemed to whisper to Ravenlock in moments like these. Surrounded by death and destruction born of his blade, his own hands, Ravenlock wept...
***
"Holy crap Raven, where have you been!? I've got this case..."
"Not now James. I need you're help..." Ravenlock interupted his long standing contact, and friend.
"Sure thing Raven, what are we lookin' at? Skulls? Malta? Ahh more Devouring Earth eh? Nasty things, the Devouring Earth. All the poison..."
"James...I need a favor. You've spoken for me before..." Ravenlock stopped to cough and pull his coat around himself a bit tighter. "I need you to find Xentil Stokes, I need something built."
"Aw c'mon man, you know as well as I that she's been undercover for 6 months with the Council. I can't get to her without..."
"It's important" *cough* "She owes me one last favor, tell her I need to cash that favor in... now."
"You alright Raven? I havn't seen you in 2 months and you come to me with this? And you look horrible man, what happened?"
"I...can't, I don't know. Something's wrong though. There are more innocent lives to save, I've wasted enough time."
"Look man, why not take a break..."
"No Breaks!! People are dying right now! Find Xentil Stokes, pull her out! She OWES me! YOU owe me!"
"Alright alright man, calm down, I'll find her. It's going to take a couple days. Are you sure you're ok Raven? No one has seen you since that explosion in Brickstown..."
"Just do it..." Ravenlock replied with a resigned weariness.
***
Xentil's steps echoed on the warehouse floor. The push cart containing a large case she pulled behind her left slashes in the dust covering the stale floor. She had not seen Ravenlock in over two years. Not since he saved her life and helped her come to terms with her Father's murder. Her own pursuits had kept her busy, her career as an undercover agent demanding all of her time. Had anyone else risked pulling her out of the Council so close to discovering what she'd gone under for, she would have been outraged. The whole project would be scrapped, with her out. The council would learn of her dissapearance and realize who she was. They would become harder to infiltrate next time, if ever again, and certainly not by her. But not just anyone pulled her out, Ravenlock did. She was far from angry, she was terrified. She made him promise that if his life was ever in danger, she would do anything to return the favor he granted her so long ago. When James Bedrere found her 2 months ago asking her to drop her Council case for a last time favor from Ravenlock, she knew she held his life in her hands. Through James, she communicated with Ravenlock to build a hi-tech suit capable of various things, none of which were lethal. Force field shielding, non-lethal radiation emission and hydraulic jump enhancing boots among other things. She wasn't sure exactly what it was for, but she built it anyway. She did owe him a favor, but she knew that favor would only be returned if his life was in danger. What did this suit have to do with his life? Was he in danger? Did he need such protection? If so, the suit he asked for left little for his personal protection. On the contrary, he demanded almost impossibly strong force field generators that were only strong enough to shield others. A stationary generator could provide for Ravenlock himself, but he requested that it be a mobile suit. Rumors of Ravenlock coming down with a head sickness forced their way into Xentil's concious thought.
"Xen..til..." Ravenlock emerged from around a corner of crates and forgotten boxes. Instead of interupting her thought process, Raven's appearance actually intensified it. He was gaunt, and pale. Obviously sick and hunched over with a blanket slung carelessly over his shoulders.
"Ravenlock! It's been so long, you don't look well." Xentil managed to say.
Ravenlock stared a moment, and then glanced down at the large case Xentil had rolled in on a push cart. "Is that it?" He asked, trying not to show his desire to rip open the case and scream as loud as a man's lungs could.
"It is..but.."
"Good, I'm fine. I'm sorry I've pulled you out, I won't do it again."
"Raven, I'm not a child, what's wrong with you!? You are in trouble, let me help you!"
"Xentil, you have helped me... more than you could possibly know... could possibly know... could possibly know... could possibly know... could.. arG!" Ravenlock slamed his hand over his mouth trying with all his might to stop mumbling into it.
Xentil watched in horror. Ravenlock, once a man of unstoppable self control and passion, reduced to... to, whatever he was becoming. She realized how right she was to be terrified to see him. A tear slid down her cheek and rounded her soft chin.
"Xentil, I need you to go." *cough*
***
At the pinnacle of his physical and mental strength, Ravenlock was only able to save by killing. A desire to do good had transformed into an obsession that could not be quenched by one man alone. Sheathing his red stained blade, Ravenlock was determined to save not most, but everyone; Knowing full well that the first person that needed saving, was himself.
Opening his eyes slowly, Ravenlock scanned his surroundings. The building shook on it's foundation, fire leaping across the tiles in the ceiling, dancing to the sound of horror. Dropping to his knees, Ravenlock's blade slid from his hand, falling to the floor with a reverberating clang. Lifeless forms littered the hallway. The lives of gang members, thieves and murderers, gone. The lives of those left unsaved, gone. At the pinnacle of his physical strength, Ravenlock was still unable to save everyone despite his renown as one of Paragon's most decorated heroes. Unequalled in swordplay, his quest to save the innocent had transformed into an obsession, some say even a sickness. Of late, losing control of himself was becoming more and more common. The dead spoke to him, if not in actuality, they all seemed to whisper to Ravenlock in moments like these. Surrounded by death and destruction born of his blade, his own hands, Ravenlock wept...
***
"Holy crap Raven, where have you been!? I've got this case..."
"Not now James. I need you're help..." Ravenlock interupted his long standing contact, and friend.
"Sure thing Raven, what are we lookin' at? Skulls? Malta? Ahh more Devouring Earth eh? Nasty things, the Devouring Earth. All the poison..."
"James...I need a favor. You've spoken for me before..." Ravenlock stopped to cough and pull his coat around himself a bit tighter. "I need you to find Xentil Stokes, I need something built."
"Aw c'mon man, you know as well as I that she's been undercover for 6 months with the Council. I can't get to her without..."
"It's important" *cough* "She owes me one last favor, tell her I need to cash that favor in... now."
"You alright Raven? I havn't seen you in 2 months and you come to me with this? And you look horrible man, what happened?"
"I...can't, I don't know. Something's wrong though. There are more innocent lives to save, I've wasted enough time."
"Look man, why not take a break..."
"No Breaks!! People are dying right now! Find Xentil Stokes, pull her out! She OWES me! YOU owe me!"
"Alright alright man, calm down, I'll find her. It's going to take a couple days. Are you sure you're ok Raven? No one has seen you since that explosion in Brickstown..."
"Just do it..." Ravenlock replied with a resigned weariness.
***
Xentil's steps echoed on the warehouse floor. The push cart containing a large case she pulled behind her left slashes in the dust covering the stale floor. She had not seen Ravenlock in over two years. Not since he saved her life and helped her come to terms with her Father's murder. Her own pursuits had kept her busy, her career as an undercover agent demanding all of her time. Had anyone else risked pulling her out of the Council so close to discovering what she'd gone under for, she would have been outraged. The whole project would be scrapped, with her out. The council would learn of her dissapearance and realize who she was. They would become harder to infiltrate next time, if ever again, and certainly not by her. But not just anyone pulled her out, Ravenlock did. She was far from angry, she was terrified. She made him promise that if his life was ever in danger, she would do anything to return the favor he granted her so long ago. When James Bedrere found her 2 months ago asking her to drop her Council case for a last time favor from Ravenlock, she knew she held his life in her hands. Through James, she communicated with Ravenlock to build a hi-tech suit capable of various things, none of which were lethal. Force field shielding, non-lethal radiation emission and hydraulic jump enhancing boots among other things. She wasn't sure exactly what it was for, but she built it anyway. She did owe him a favor, but she knew that favor would only be returned if his life was in danger. What did this suit have to do with his life? Was he in danger? Did he need such protection? If so, the suit he asked for left little for his personal protection. On the contrary, he demanded almost impossibly strong force field generators that were only strong enough to shield others. A stationary generator could provide for Ravenlock himself, but he requested that it be a mobile suit. Rumors of Ravenlock coming down with a head sickness forced their way into Xentil's concious thought.
"Xen..til..." Ravenlock emerged from around a corner of crates and forgotten boxes. Instead of interupting her thought process, Raven's appearance actually intensified it. He was gaunt, and pale. Obviously sick and hunched over with a blanket slung carelessly over his shoulders.
"Ravenlock! It's been so long, you don't look well." Xentil managed to say.
Ravenlock stared a moment, and then glanced down at the large case Xentil had rolled in on a push cart. "Is that it?" He asked, trying not to show his desire to rip open the case and scream as loud as a man's lungs could.
"It is..but.."
"Good, I'm fine. I'm sorry I've pulled you out, I won't do it again."
"Raven, I'm not a child, what's wrong with you!? You are in trouble, let me help you!"
"Xentil, you have helped me... more than you could possibly know... could possibly know... could possibly know... could possibly know... could.. arG!" Ravenlock slamed his hand over his mouth trying with all his might to stop mumbling into it.
Xentil watched in horror. Ravenlock, once a man of unstoppable self control and passion, reduced to... to, whatever he was becoming. She realized how right she was to be terrified to see him. A tear slid down her cheek and rounded her soft chin.
"Xentil, I need you to go." *cough*
***
At the pinnacle of his physical and mental strength, Ravenlock was only able to save by killing. A desire to do good had transformed into an obsession that could not be quenched by one man alone. Sheathing his red stained blade, Ravenlock was determined to save not most, but everyone; Knowing full well that the first person that needed saving, was himself.