Chapter Text
• 15 June 2349 — Riley's apartment; Düsseldorf, Germany •
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For the indefatigable Aurelia "Riley" Stewart, surviving by the grace of God was more than just some phrase. It was a way of life. A thousand lifetimes, a thousand dreams, a thousand stories —
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Lying on her back in bed, she opened her eyes and looked at the ceiling. Something — a bad dream, mayhaps? — caused her to wake up from her sleep. Was it a bad dream, or was it a vision? Or a premonition of things to come?
She wasn't sure she'd like to know.
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Carefully reaching to get her phone, she checked the time. 2:47am. With a sigh she placed it back down next to her pillow, eyes back to the darkened ceiling above. It seemed so long ago that she had been involved in the war against what was known as the Syndicate — an enemy force that was prevalent within the United Kingdom, and almost as dangerous as the Darkström. But it wasn't the first time she had dealt with the likes of the Syndicate; the difference this time around, however, was that they had grown to be even more ruthless than before.
Sitting up, she quietly reflected on her past prior to the war against the Darkström... her past lifetimes. The soft ticking of the clock on the wall across from her bed meshed all too well with the heavy beating of her heart. Whatever it was that she saw, was enough to disturb her. However, she would need to wait until a more opportune time to bring it up with Fritz and the two Radiosterne. The last thing she needed was to sound a false alarm.
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“...let's wait and see, Dirge” she sighed to herself, wishing that her older brother was in town. She'd text him first thing in the morning. In the meantime, she took a deep breath and, lying back down, went back to sleep.
• 4 September; 8:47am — Kometen's Kitchen, Radio Tower; Metropolis, Radioland •
The morning was off to a fairly good start, as Riley sat down to breakfast with Kometen, Ralf, and Fritz. Conversation about the vision had started just a couple of days ago, as she by now had seen it just a few more times. Audergine "Dirge" Stewart, her adoptive older brother, suggested she bring it up with Kometen, which she did.
Ralf was the first to speak this particular morning, raising a concerned brow at the Gravekeeper. “Riles, uhm... with all due respect, you look very restless.”
Riley nodded slowly in acknowledgement, poking at the scrambled eggs on her plate with her fork.
The silence was enough for the other three to look at each other in alarm. After a few seconds of silence, Fritz spoke up to the Princess and Regent. “How much you want to bet it's that nightmare again?”
“I fear it may be more than just a nightmare, Friedrich” Kometen replied.
“If it renders the Gravekeeper speechless and sleepless, it's a cause for concern” Ralf added, before glancing to Riley. “If you're up to it, want to tell us more about it?”
She shrugged, having taken a couple of bites of scrambled eggs by then. No words came out of her, as she quietly processed the visions — the faces, the cries of horror. Her part in the war against the Syndicate back in northern England wasn't pretty, especially with the gifts and powers that she possessed.
Kometen herself raised a brow; “Maybe this should wait until after breakfast.” The two men nodded in agreement, and with the Princess all joined their Gravekeeper in eating their respective plates of breakfast. Riley meanwhile had been wondering as to what-all the visions could mean — and began to have a sickening suspicion about all of this.
The ringtone of Westminster Chimes distracted her train of thought, and quickly she checked her phone. Taking a deep breath, she texted back: it was Audergine, who had reported of two members of the Syndicate looking for her. Three civil servants of the local government were attacked and injured... the vision she had just seen the night before. But the attacks occurred two days ago...!?
“They couldn't be...”
The thought escaped her lips in an audible whisper, causing Kometen and the two men to look at her in worry. But the moment was broken by an unlikely realization, which was voiced by Ralf. “Wait. Where are Hen and Naly...?”
Riley looked at him. “That's righ', they were s'posed to be here too, weren't they?”
Kometen and Fritz looked at each other in a worry — Henning and Natalia were never late to breakfast when invited! But they didn't text any of the four that they were going to be late, and everyone's phones weren't on silent. Quickly the Princess reached to call the Scientist
...who slowly stumbled into the Kitchen, held up by his wife. Both of them were wounded.
Ralf's eyes went wide. “What —”
“The hell happened!?” Riley gasped, finishing his sentence as they, Kometen, and Fritz quickly got up and hurried to the two.
“Fuckin' ambushed, folks” the Major sighed as Fritz helped her get Henning to a chair. “We couldn't even call for help.”
“We had just left the Kölner Rathaus when we got hit” Henning explained. “Some of Köln's constabulary were quick to come help us, but not without injuries. Thankfully Köln has several Healing Mages in the City, they insisted we get here to you and report the incident.”
By this point Fritz had begun working on healing the husband and wife, as Riley looked at them. “What were their un'forms?” she asked them.
Natalia took a deep breath as she herself had sat down in a chair as well. “They... they were dark green” the Major replied hesitantly. “One of them said they were looking for you, Riley.”
The Gravekeeper's brows shot up in alarm. Dark green... she had a bad feeling about this now. Especially with the revelation that Natalia had noted, that they were looking for her. “Did they have a dark red shield and S at their sleeves, Naly?”
Natalia nodded slowly. “Ja. They did.” She then blinked — “Wait, you know them, 'Relia?”
“Sadly, yes.” This was the confirmation she needed, but definitely did not want. “Remember th' visions I'd been havin' as of late?” The others nodded as she continued, “This just confirmed what I've been fearin'. They're after me, all right.”
“The Syndicate!?” Kometen asked.
“Aye, Kom.” With that Riley reached for her phone, “I need t' get a hold of Dirge, now. Can ye get a hold 'f th' Lord Lieutenant for me please?”
Kometen went to get her phone as well. “I got you, Riles.” With that the Princess called up the Lord Lieutenant of Northumberland, while Riley called up her older brother.
“Riley, Liebe, do you want me to let everyone know in the group chat?” Fritz asked her.
Riley nodded, “Ja, bitte.” She sighed as Audergine answered his phone: “Hey, Dirge... yeah, uhm, I need ya t' get an emergency visa an' come to Metropolis as soon as y' can... y' can stay with me in Düsseldorf if ye want... aye, yes, uhm... they attacked two 'f th' Squad in Köln earlier...”