Alex Cyprin (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
littlehart) wrote2016-02-27 06:12 pm
littlehart) wrote2016-02-27 06:12 pm
CERBERUS PATH: EPISODE 01
I'm edging towards the far arm of the couch when my phone vibrates, ringing with the sound of plucked lyre strings.
It's the tone I chose for Cyprin.
Player Character: "Hello?"
A soft sigh carries over the line.
It's relief, I think.
Cyprin: "So you are alive. That's one bit of good news."
(I hadn't even thought to call H.E.R.A. and tell them where I was.)
PC: "I'm fine. Just a bit winded."
My throat was beginning to hurt a little too, but if I could still talk, it couldn't be that bad.
Cyprin: "After the chaos in the office died down, we found the broken security door. Then agents responded to a disturbance on the subway and found blood on the tracks, with your file scattered all over the tunnel. I was starting to assume the worst."
Cerberus: "Hey, is that your boss?"
PC: "Cerberus, shh."
(I really should have called.)
(It's protocol after a divine event anyway.)
PC: "I'm sorry, Cyprin. I know it was my mistake. It won't happen again."
Cyprin: "Good. I'm glad. Where are you right now?"
I glance up at Cerberus and see the apprehension clouding over his bright eyes.
He's already in enough trouble.
PC: "An apartment out of the way. I kind of had to improvise after getting out of the tunnel."
Cyprin: "Well, if you're alright, I need you to come back down to the subway. We need to make a full scene report."
I'm going to have to leave Cerberus by himself.
Suspects in H.E.R.A. custody can't exactly be seen milling around crime scenes.
PC: "Alright. I'll be there as soon as I can. I'm leaving now."
Cyprin: "Be careful, [PC name]."
Cyprin's attempt to be the gruff, inconvenienced boss didn't work very well.
I could hear the concern bleeding through.
They really do care about me.
If that wasn't true, the sense of disappointment wouldn't sting so much.
PC: "I will. Thank you."
After exchanging goodbyes, I end the call.
***
The tunnel, dark and foreboding just a couple of hours before, now has spotlights.
Anchored at every corner, they slice through the shadows so evidence can be collected.
Amidst the chaos, though, I could only make out a couple of scene markers.
(Which means there isn't a lot of evidence.)
PC: "I'm lucky Cyprin isn't the type to drag me over the coals."
The kind boss in question is standing at the far edge of the scene, and as I get closer, I can make out the somewhat crumpled burden of my folder under their arm.
Cyprin: "What's the problem?"
Agent: "The transportation commissioner wants to know why we're holding up his train in here. That, and the fact that he's had to reroute any traffic coming through this tunnel."
Cyprin: "All of that is information above his paygrade, agent. H.E.R.A. has priority."
Agent: "We'd be hard-pressed to prove a struggle here. All our witnesses just remember being in a daze."
Cyprin: "Keep looking. I want every inch of this tunnel mapped out."
As soon as they gently dismiss the agent, I step into view.
Relief puts a soft damper on Cyprin's smile.
PC: "Hey, boss."
Cyprin: "It's good to see you're in one piece."
PC: "Nothing some aspirin and a good night's sleep won't cure."
(And maybe a scarf.)
Concern flickers through Cyprin's eyes and it seems like there's something I'm missing.
PC: "Is everything alright?"
Cyprin: "Can you walk me through what happened? We know what time the incident occurred at headquarters. But the rest of the timeline is rather fuzzy."
I tell them, starting from our mad dash to the subway and leading up to the ambush inside the car.
When I mention all the passengers arguing, Cyprin offers a knowing nod.
Cyprin: "As far as I'm aware, fear and chaos are both effects of the Keres' presence."
Awful as that is, it makes sense.
---
[CHOICE A: Has the third Keres been seen?]
PC: "Has the third Keres been seen anywhere? They're supposed to be a trio."
Cyprin: "We haven't had any sighting as of yet. H.E.R.A. is on alert for any reports of unusual fatalities."
PC: "I'd hope we catch her before it goes that far."
(So far it seemed like the only thing we were catching was the short end of the stick.)
---
[CHOICE B: Do you know anything else?]
PC: "Do you know anything else about them?"
Cyprin: "I'm afraid the Underworld isn't my area of expertise. If they were Aphrodite's creatures, I'd know them quite a bit better."
(Well, it was worth a shot.)
(You never know what a demigod's studied in their spare time.)
---
[CHOICE C: Are we safe here?]
PC: "Are we safe here? They were confident enough to come straight up to our office in broad daylight."
Cyprin: "There's a line of agents posted at any entrance and exit to the tunnel. I won't have us caught off-guard twice in one day."
(I wish I could say the same.)
(I was zero for two.)
---
Cyprin: "Tell me what happened after the Keres boarded the train."
PC: "The first one lunged for me. Cerberus attacked her, knocked her out. You didn't find her on the train?"
Cyprin shakes their head.
Cyprin: "There was a full evacuation and search of the damaged train. The only thing we found was a dented roof and a shattered window."
(Damn. Having her in custody would have been a big win.)
PC: "After that, Cerberus and I escaped, started running down the tunnel. That's when the second Keres showed up."
Curiosity dips into a frown on Cyprin's face.
Cyprin: "A second one was here as well?"
PC: "She attacked us, but Cerberus threw her in front of an oncoming train."
When Cyprin's expression doesn't change, my stomach sinks.
PC: "Didn't you find the body?"
Cyprin: "There's no body, [PC name]. There was some blood on the tracks and your file, but the techs linked the sample to Cerberus. By their findings, all we can prove is that he broke a door and might have had a nosebleed."
A flash of the Keres' claws puncturing Cerberus' chest flash before my eyes and I shudder.
Most of the blood had soaked into his clothes.
PC: "She impaled him, Cyprin! There has to be proof."
If there's no body, if she survived...
That means we're still up three Keres without any idea of how to stop them.
What does it take?
It's the tone I chose for Cyprin.
Player Character: "Hello?"
A soft sigh carries over the line.
It's relief, I think.
Cyprin: "So you are alive. That's one bit of good news."
(I hadn't even thought to call H.E.R.A. and tell them where I was.)
PC: "I'm fine. Just a bit winded."
My throat was beginning to hurt a little too, but if I could still talk, it couldn't be that bad.
Cyprin: "After the chaos in the office died down, we found the broken security door. Then agents responded to a disturbance on the subway and found blood on the tracks, with your file scattered all over the tunnel. I was starting to assume the worst."
Cerberus: "Hey, is that your boss?"
PC: "Cerberus, shh."
(I really should have called.)
(It's protocol after a divine event anyway.)
PC: "I'm sorry, Cyprin. I know it was my mistake. It won't happen again."
Cyprin: "Good. I'm glad. Where are you right now?"
I glance up at Cerberus and see the apprehension clouding over his bright eyes.
He's already in enough trouble.
PC: "An apartment out of the way. I kind of had to improvise after getting out of the tunnel."
Cyprin: "Well, if you're alright, I need you to come back down to the subway. We need to make a full scene report."
I'm going to have to leave Cerberus by himself.
Suspects in H.E.R.A. custody can't exactly be seen milling around crime scenes.
PC: "Alright. I'll be there as soon as I can. I'm leaving now."
Cyprin: "Be careful, [PC name]."
Cyprin's attempt to be the gruff, inconvenienced boss didn't work very well.
I could hear the concern bleeding through.
They really do care about me.
If that wasn't true, the sense of disappointment wouldn't sting so much.
PC: "I will. Thank you."
After exchanging goodbyes, I end the call.
The tunnel, dark and foreboding just a couple of hours before, now has spotlights.
Anchored at every corner, they slice through the shadows so evidence can be collected.
Amidst the chaos, though, I could only make out a couple of scene markers.
(Which means there isn't a lot of evidence.)
PC: "I'm lucky Cyprin isn't the type to drag me over the coals."
The kind boss in question is standing at the far edge of the scene, and as I get closer, I can make out the somewhat crumpled burden of my folder under their arm.
Cyprin: "What's the problem?"
Agent: "The transportation commissioner wants to know why we're holding up his train in here. That, and the fact that he's had to reroute any traffic coming through this tunnel."
Cyprin: "All of that is information above his paygrade, agent. H.E.R.A. has priority."
Agent: "We'd be hard-pressed to prove a struggle here. All our witnesses just remember being in a daze."
Cyprin: "Keep looking. I want every inch of this tunnel mapped out."
As soon as they gently dismiss the agent, I step into view.
Relief puts a soft damper on Cyprin's smile.
PC: "Hey, boss."
Cyprin: "It's good to see you're in one piece."
PC: "Nothing some aspirin and a good night's sleep won't cure."
(And maybe a scarf.)
Concern flickers through Cyprin's eyes and it seems like there's something I'm missing.
PC: "Is everything alright?"
Cyprin: "Can you walk me through what happened? We know what time the incident occurred at headquarters. But the rest of the timeline is rather fuzzy."
I tell them, starting from our mad dash to the subway and leading up to the ambush inside the car.
When I mention all the passengers arguing, Cyprin offers a knowing nod.
Cyprin: "As far as I'm aware, fear and chaos are both effects of the Keres' presence."
Awful as that is, it makes sense.
---
[CHOICE A: Has the third Keres been seen?]
PC: "Has the third Keres been seen anywhere? They're supposed to be a trio."
Cyprin: "We haven't had any sighting as of yet. H.E.R.A. is on alert for any reports of unusual fatalities."
PC: "I'd hope we catch her before it goes that far."
(So far it seemed like the only thing we were catching was the short end of the stick.)
---
[CHOICE B: Do you know anything else?]
PC: "Do you know anything else about them?"
Cyprin: "I'm afraid the Underworld isn't my area of expertise. If they were Aphrodite's creatures, I'd know them quite a bit better."
(Well, it was worth a shot.)
(You never know what a demigod's studied in their spare time.)
---
[CHOICE C: Are we safe here?]
PC: "Are we safe here? They were confident enough to come straight up to our office in broad daylight."
Cyprin: "There's a line of agents posted at any entrance and exit to the tunnel. I won't have us caught off-guard twice in one day."
(I wish I could say the same.)
(I was zero for two.)
---
Cyprin: "Tell me what happened after the Keres boarded the train."
PC: "The first one lunged for me. Cerberus attacked her, knocked her out. You didn't find her on the train?"
Cyprin shakes their head.
Cyprin: "There was a full evacuation and search of the damaged train. The only thing we found was a dented roof and a shattered window."
(Damn. Having her in custody would have been a big win.)
PC: "After that, Cerberus and I escaped, started running down the tunnel. That's when the second Keres showed up."
Curiosity dips into a frown on Cyprin's face.
Cyprin: "A second one was here as well?"
PC: "She attacked us, but Cerberus threw her in front of an oncoming train."
When Cyprin's expression doesn't change, my stomach sinks.
PC: "Didn't you find the body?"
Cyprin: "There's no body, [PC name]. There was some blood on the tracks and your file, but the techs linked the sample to Cerberus. By their findings, all we can prove is that he broke a door and might have had a nosebleed."
A flash of the Keres' claws puncturing Cerberus' chest flash before my eyes and I shudder.
Most of the blood had soaked into his clothes.
PC: "She impaled him, Cyprin! There has to be proof."
If there's no body, if she survived...
That means we're still up three Keres without any idea of how to stop them.
What does it take?