A Spectre of The Zealous Mind

[Alexander Carnegie]

"You should leave...for now...it is dangerous and spending time with Dinari is like living at a nuclear waste dump. Small doses is all one should take, lest your hair and teeth start to fall out." I touch her for a fleeting moment and look into her cold eyes.
I feel sad for her and for myself, since I see no compassion in them. She will never care for me.

[Machiavelli]

Mac walks beside of his friend into his bed chambers. He removes his shirt and helps Kascheis with his robes.

"I shall comfort you my friend. Nothing more for tonight. I shall make things seem better. WHatever be the reason for your unhappiness i shall chase it away with my embrace."

He lays on the sorcerers bed and opens his arms to him plling Kaschei down beside of him and holding him close.

"I will always be here for you my dear friend. Always."

He kissed his forhead and smiled at his friend.

[Kaschei]

"You are my only true friend. The only one who truly knows me."
Kaschei lays his head down, next to his friends, and they fall asleep. In the morning he will be the same, cruel and bitter man who runs the Ministry of Terror. But now he is tired and confused.

["Zero" Americanski]

"As much as I desire to leave this piece of nuts for the rats I have orders to remain here and protect you. You are useful to my master, therefore I will tolerate him."

[Chastity]

My eyes well up with fresh tears as he shouts at me. I haven't done anything! He looks as though he is losing his mind.

He didn't shoot me. I am still here. And seeing him like this adds one more thing to the list of those that makes me want to leave this mortal coil behind.

I stand, staring at him, not knowing what to do or how to respond. Finally, I break eye contact and rush past him. I throw the door open with a bang and run out into the darkness of night. I run down the streets of Moscow, not knowing where I am headed, only knowing that I cannot be where I was. Perhaps I am running from myself, and so I keep on running, not able to escape from me.

My head is pounding louder than my footsteps on the concrete road. My mind is cluttered with desires to die and desires to live and change the world, and the hopelessness of everything inbetween.

I run until I can run no further, and I collapse on the cold ground.

I lay there, my fragile limbs spent. I look up at the night sky, begging God for some answer, but I only see stars staring down at me with their cold, impassive eyes. The buildings around me are old and falling down. I am sure that there are homeless people making them their homes. I would join them, but I cannot move, and don't want to ruin their "houses" with my presence.

I am a failure. I spend my life trying to help others, and I cannot even help those who I love most. What is the use of living at all.

I call out to the sky, I call out to heaven to fall on me, to crush me into the dirt from which I came. My eyes are dry, there are no longer any tears in me to come out and help the hurting, they are all spent. My throat grows hoarse as I yell like of old it says, for the mountains to fall on me, except my mountains are the derelict buildings and massive black expanse of sky.

[Alexander Carnegie]

"You are very devoted to the general then. How did you get involved with him?"

[Dinari Dollar]

She seems to like Alex more than me. I wonder why that is? I guess she must be intimidated by my superior good looks and the fact I am richer.

I start picking at some rocks so it looks like we've been working.
"What did you say your name was again, doll? I will have to thank the General for sending you to us, hot stuff."

["Zero" Americanski]

"I am the result of 800 years of selective breeding. I was created for the sole purpose of serving my lord as an assassin, without the distractions of pain or emotion." she lights a cigarette before continuing. "I have no name, however I am referred to as 'Zero' by my master.

[Alexander Carnegie]

"I see then, that is simply spectacular." She is more and more interesting. But to live without emotion, I can not imagine it.
"If you are without emotion, why are you so beautiful. You should have been made ugly, since you would never feel unhappy for it, and you would never torment the hearts of those you encounter."

["Zero" Americanski]

"Don't misunderstand me, I have emotions, however they are highly subdued. I was given an attractive body because my creators believed that my most likely targets would be male due to the largely patriarchial nature of world governments, even nowadays. Against such a target it might be nessasary to use my body as bait. However baiting does not generally apply to rescuees, and I am well protected in any case." she replies, peeling her loose shirt off just enough to reveal a Kalashnikov hanging against her skin.

[Dinari Dollar]

I hear the guards coming back from their cig break.

"Listen, if you are going to get us out of here, hot stuff, now is a good time."

I step behind a cart of coal so it looks like i was working.

["Zero" Americanski]

"Like I said it is still too early for your rescue, however it will be very soon. Within the next 36 hours you will be back on American soil, though Lord Kolov may decide to hold you in protective custody for a time. I must go for a time, however I will be watching you so don't do anything stupid." I walk off, soon disappearing into the crowds...

[Alexander Carnegie]

"We thank you. We certainly have gotten our money's worth dealing with Kolov. This may be my best investment ever." So she does feel. I wonder how much. Maybe time will tell. That gives me hope,

[Anutsaka]

"Did you figure out if the League destroyed our temple. I hate the idea of relying on others, especially the rebels, who already have their own problems, for shelter, of all things..."

[Peter "The Owl"]

Peter's vision is clouding, the darkness rising at the edges of his sight. Something in his head is buzzing, something else is white hot, and his whole head feels about to explode from the pressure. It fells like his brain to pushing away from itself.

Something pops... and it's over.

Peter falls almost gently to his knees, his arms falling loose at his sides. For a moment he is still, balanced. Then, slowly, he archs forward, his head hitting the floor with a crack.

And all is still.

The darkness is familar, death is here again, time for another chat. But... this is different. It's all more vivid now, all more real. And so much darker.

It's been a long time Peter. Do you know what's happening to you?

I'm... dying...?

For real this time. There's nothing wrong with your body, it's all you this time.

Dead... I can't die. Not now. I... iI left everything so wrong. Chastity?

I'd be finding her soon enough.

No. No I can't leave her alone again.

She always has been alone Peter, even when your were with her. Especilly when you were with her. You are a shell, not human.

I need to go back.

And do what? You haven't got the slightest idea what to do.

I need to help her.

Clerity. You have that now, seperate from your body. But if you go back, they'll be in your head again.

What can I do?

Well... normally I don't do this sort of thing but over the last seven years you and I have gotten to be friends. You could take this back with you.

What is it?

The darkness lifts a little. Peter can feel something else with them, something Death has brought.

Your soul!

Peter's eyes open, his sucks air into his lungs, awareness flooding back to him.

Slowly he sits up, taking shallow quick breaths. His head is still buzzing but the pain is gone at least.

Clerity.

He knows what he needs to do. Standing he rushes outside. He must find Chastity, he has to say... sorry.