The Consumer of All

Ugh crap, she was hoping that footstep was some thug or something going in another directly. She can even deal with a thug going after her seeing her easy prey after that encounter (or if the thug is values their life, they would run away after seeing that thing). What she saw behind her was something she normally would not see in normal vision but infrared. Someone that can cloak as well? As it is it part of that monster? No, otherwise it wouldn't just observe if that is the case, what does it want with her? The one thing she is certain of is that whoever that is has seen the encounter.

And debunking her initial thought that he is using magic was what she now clearly was running from a power source that is not mana. She hasn't seen something this advanced since Barchiel. Topping it off is that the sound she heard seems like a form of a vocal modification unit albeit much less louder than the noisy space marine. She gives out a sigh before responding.

"What do you want?" All of this is kind of irritating the crafter. Is today "Hunt down Sierra" day or something? At least the being isn't attacking her on sight.

Even after being discovered, the figure continued uninhibited. "Manipulation of power flow, energy conversion and redistribution. Identity confirmed: A-32... Sierra Fall."

Sierra's blood froze. This person knew about what she can do, everything she is capable of. How? The very nature of how this person have spoken of her. She wasn't a person, she was classified data. Just from that alone, this person is dangerous. Very dangerous. Nimea wasn't near this level. Not even the entire Nightshade organization can involve this level of fear within her.

And that isn't even beginning to take into account of the flickering of her memory, not quite fully surfaced but something about the technology this person possesses, the classification of her. And then there is that number. Something about it in all severely disturbs her, she doesn't even know what it is. And that uncertainty terrifies her.

The only reason why she did not bolt outright is that she hasn't been attacked yet but that is only a small line away. Even abandoning her cart and its supply is becoming a very feasible action now. She can make another cart, she can buy more. But what is before her can cause her to lose everything.

"Who...are you?" Her voice isn't spoken, but a silent whisper.

The figure reached under the layers of red, hand pressing against its chest. After a moment, light began reflecting on it; there was no need for her glasses anymore. Before Sierra's eyes laid a figure of masculine build, with face entirely covered by a dark metal mask, with what looked like a respirator on it. Perhaps that was also responsible for the voice modulation, but Sierra could not be too sure.

What seconds ago was invisible to the naked eye, revealed itself to be a black, hooded trench coat designed for light to pass through it at the press of a button. Underneath it he wore a kevlar vest and cargo pants matching the color of his coat. The military outfit all but confirmed her increasing fear. This man was no stranger to violence, and he just called her name.

There was, however, something else that caught the attention of the artisan. His eyes... those red goggles. Seeing them made her feel a knife in the back of her head. Her breathing became heavy, unfocused, intense. The image of this man struck her like no other. Something deep within her would soon awaken.

"You don't remember..." a sliver of disappointment accompanied his modulated voice. "I am your past." he took a step closer, his gaze focused on her. "And I have come back for you."

Sierra takes a step back. Then it was then that she saw the full image of who he has, not just the red hue that is within her sensor. That mask! The goggles! Memory starts to surge in from times long past that she did not recall until now. He was the one that chased her time ago. "You!" That was the only clear response that is appropriate for her reaction. "Come back for me? Why? What do you want with me?" Seeing him however didn't really answer many of the questions of his head especially seeing that she had no answer of what was happening in the past either.

Her expression told him everything. Slowly, but surely, the rest of her memories would resurface, she will remember it all. "You recall me now. Good."

He noticed her stepping back and took a step forward in return. "A-32, anomalous experimental object. One that is to be held under containment." he took another step. "I have come to finish what I started." and another. "I will bring you back where you belong."

And that was the last straw. All of a sudden there is a light spike of energy before she suddenly seems to disappear until a cloak of shadow, her steps almost unheard, swallowed up in the cloak as she starts darting away from him, her hand moving to the grappling hook to try to get away from him from another plane, while looking around, her mind working over, as she notes every passageway and routes, even upwards, to get some distance from him and lose him.

As soon as he saw the flash, the man quickly pulled out a handgun, shooting directly in front of him. It fired a small tranquilizer dart which disappeared into thin air. The cart was suddenly pushed aside; she was making a run for it. This was more like it. He sped up after her. Estimating by his overall assessment of her stamina, the chase was to be over quickly.

Sierra desperately tried to increase the distance between them, making a sharp left between two buildings. Her lungs were on fire, all of this running was surely taking a toll on her - and that dart he shot... not good. Her time was measured in seconds.

Fear once again raced through her mind. The cloaked figure was still on her trail! But how? She was completely invisible! At this rate, he would catch up with her in a heartbeat. She had to act fast. Pulling out her grapple hook, Sierra wasted no time adjusting aim, firing upwards and hoping it would catch the edge of a roof. Luckily for her, that was exactly what happened. The hook pulled her skyward on a nearby roof. At this point, the loud sound of the tool was not a concern; this man could somehow pinpoint her location regardless.

So you have one too.

The artisan took a moment to catch her breath. She was beginning to get dizzy, her vision blurring. Where would she go? What would she even do? At that moment, the girl felt like prey, cornered and about to get eaten. There was no way he would not find her, there was no way-

With a clang, a metallic claw came into view. It clung to the edge of the rooftop, much like her own. Instinctively, she began running away like she always did, before stopping herself. What was she thinking? Her only chance was to kick the grappling claw off the roof, not run away from it. The man was now face to face with her, and it was only her fault.

Displaying an outstanding amount of tenacity, Sierra attempted to run away, going way beyond her physical limit by this point. But she couldn't. Her body would not listen. Palpable fear washed over the artisan's entire being, her head filling with images of imminent death. Beneath the girl's feet, the assailant's shadow expanded in size, swallowing her own.

"Not good enough." he said. "I expected more from you."

Damn it damn it damn it! This guy has everything that she is capable of doing, cloak, grappling hook, and seriously out-techs her as well. Not only that he is more adept at these kinds of situations. It did not help that she is seriously spooked out after that struggle with Theta causing her to spend much more energy than needed out of fear and the that fear and inexperience is what prevents her from responding properly to a threat.

Had it made any difference had she stood her ground, or at least when she had the high ground? Possibly but she was not thinking straight and now it is too late. Her body unable to muster the energy to even move. Even her capacitor is virtually empty and she could not count on him being careless as he saw what she is capable of during that struggle against Theta.

Tears fall from her eyes as she lie there at his mercy.

I'm sorry, Spring Rose. I won't be coming home...

The cloaked figure approached, with each step she felt more and more powerless. Soon, she could not even close her eyes anymore. Sierra felt as if every fiber of her being is being held in an iron grip, her tears falling down on the twisting shadow. He had her now, there was absolutely no way she could escape. The combined effect of the tranquilizer and whatever was holding her body made it a struggle to even stay conscious.

"It's been too long." his inhuman voice kept her awake. "I have not failed ever since."

It grew even stronger, that binding sensation. She felt a cold hand gripping her throat, slowly choking the life out of her. For a moment Sierra could swear she saw a different person next to her, a third entity standing right between them. "Too soon, Black." he murmured. As soon as the words left him, so too did the suffocating feeling. Sierra was free to go.

"Regrettably, you are not top priority." he added with an ominous tone. "Not yet."

Sierra winces as she is clasp in a grip, there is no release, there is no escape. What now? What will he do? Just as she is in danger of mercifully blacking out, she was released and falls to the ground. She did not bother to move, nor to get up but she can still speak. And what comes out is a very bitter tirade from accumulated years of being pursued and hunted for, and this is the apex of it.

"It is because of my powers...all of this trouble is happening to me. It is all I am to so many people. An energy source, an anomaly, a tool. Sierra is only a forethought to many people. You are not the first to sought me for that..."

"Not the first?" the figure's voice changed, a hint of emotion accompanied it. "That is where you are wrong." he said. "There was no one before me."

Sierra could see her own face reflected in the red goggles. It was a pitiful expression, one of profound sorrow, one that had accepted defeat. His words continued to sting like blades. "Who am I, Sierra?" he asked, putting emphasis on his own person.

The assailant did not wait for an answer. "Remember... and prepare." the man turned his back at her, walking close to the edge of the roof. "Because I have already caught up to you." In the blink of an eye, the stranger was nowhere to be seen. He must have reactivated his cloaking device. Sierra let out a heavy breath, perhaps the heaviest in a long while. He was really gone, for now.

Still laying on the jagged roof tiles, she relaxed at last. So much happened in such a short time... she was relieved to be finally left alone with her thoughts.

Sierra struggles to get up, even after he is gone, she struggles. Her life for a while has been a struggle, and just when she found peace at least, the past that she ran from catches up to him as he has said. All she wanted is to just live a normal life, to create things in peace, and to not get involved in these foolish fights that centers around her. And most of all, she does not want any of this to have Spring Rose pay for what she did nothing wrong. Spring Rose.

Slowly, Sierra rises to her feet, shaking but still the effort is gradual. Her fingers had moved to the few packs of batteries that is within her pockets, now decharged of their load into her. With him hunting her, with his experience and mobility equaling and exceeding hers. If she do not pull all the stops, unlock the limits, and keep holding herself back, then nothing else matters if he comes back.

She drew a deep breath and evens her breathing. Even as willful as she is, it is not enough. She has seen it again, that even willpower can be overwhelmed. Not just in her situation but in others that she witness in battle or even in events. She is going to need to improve and require guidance and lessons to improve and to finally learn how to fully utilize this ability that they covet so much. She will also need to utilize all the skills she have learned in her craft and apply them to prepare for the next meeeting

It is time for her to use the resource that she has gathered so far. It is time to use the network that she has made.

It is time to take back her destiny.

Ten minutes later...

Sierra shambled towards the edge. Each step stung her with a numbing sensation. That tranquilizer and the chase itself took so much out of her. The artisan struggled against every fiber of her being, but even she considered the option of just closing her eyes and...

"What the hell are you doing? I'm gonna fall!"

A loud, female voice could be heard from below. She appeared to be talking to someone and judging by the increased volume, was getting closer. And then she saw it, a hand gripped the reddish terracotta. Right in front of her, a woman pushed herself up to the roof, not without help from someone at the nearest window. She was a short brunette wearing a pair of glasses that just so happened to fall in front of Sierra. Through mumbled curses she picked them up only to notice the artisan staring at her dumbfounded.

"You're alive..." she said, losing all of the previous power from her voice.

Sierra takes a moment to pull the dart from her side and pocket it. While it is easier to just throw it away, it might be worth checking its design so that she can improve on the design. Ugh, she is so sore and stiff and even the charge-up isn't fully helping with her fatigue muscle burn.

It was then that she heard a voice speaking to someone. Wait, who would be here after what had happened before? It was then that she saw someone pushing them self to the roof. A mental sigh results as the woman spoke. Ugh not again. What crazy occurrence is going to happen now especially after the woman seem to recognize her.

"You know of me..." Sierra comments quietly without emotions. After meeting someone that knows of her and went through hell because of him, the crafter was not eager to meet someone else that knows of her after what happened. She didn't move though, making sure that she did not show signs of her fatigued state.

"Know you?" the woman sounded surprised. "I've never seen you before!"

Seeing Sierra stand still and trying to control her breathing made her frown. This girl was tired, just who did she think she could fool? The woman slowly made her way to the artisan's side, being very cautious herself. "Look... I'm not here to hurt you. I just thought you were... well... dead."

Noticing her discomfort, the woman offered her hand to Sierra. "Okay, let's calm down." she began to assure the crafter, mainly fearing for her own life; anyone hunted by that lunatic was bad news, especially one that survived an encounter with him. "Let's take it easy now... I'm Lynn." she introduced herself, hoping the girl was not without reason.

"I'll...be alright, just need a bit to recover a bit. But what do you mean that you thought I was dead? Was I suppose to die?" Sierra searches the eyes and expression of the other woman in glasses through her own despite having her eyes red and dried of tears. Years of experience of being around deception making sure the she is not being lied to. That is briefly interrupted as the woman approaches which prompted Sierra to shake her head.

The fatigued artisan didn't really want this person to approach not only because she didn't know anything about her and doesn't really trust her despite that she doesn't know anything of her but also because she fears that due to her fatigue, she doesn't have full facility of control of her powers and this person might suffer an unintended consequence. "Sierra..."

Lynn noticed the girl did not take her hand and immediately jerked it away, not wanting to make her more uncomfortable than she was already. Damn it, that was too hasty. Judging by her eyes, this girl must have cried for quite some time; of course she would! Being in the presence of that man was traumatizing enough, let alone being chased by him. But she was willing to talk - that was good.

"Sierra, you don't look fine at all." Lynn said with a concerned tone. "That man is an eliminator, an agent specialized in termination missions..." she sighed, mumbling more to herself than Sierra. "Shit, why am I even telling this to a foreigner that wouldn't understand-" Lynn focused her words, not wanting to lose the girl. "Look... that guy is bad news, very bad news. That's why I assumed you... died."

From behind them, a series of grunts were heard and not long after, another person came into view. Lynn rushed to him and helped him up. He was a thin man, much taller than her and wearing the same white coat. A pair of shades hid his gaze, but his overall goofy gestures did not bring about much suspicion.

"Who... are you... talking to?" he spoke between heavy breaths. "God... I'm never climbing again..."

Lynn moved out of the way to make him see her. "This is Sierra. You know, the girl who we just saw get chased? It doesn't matter, we have to help her."

"Judging from your tone, I guess he isn't a friend of yours." Sierra comments quietly before taking what appears to be a leaf from her belt pouch before putting it in her mouth. Immediately she grimaces from the HORRIBLE HORRIBLE taste but it is also what is helping her jolt her mind awake as well as a slow vitamin influx in her system.

"But you say he is an eliminator, specializing in termination mission, then why is his stated goal to bring me back 'where I belong'? " Sierra admits that despite what was she that she was scared that he was going to finish her off during the time but now that she ha a bit more time to process everything, she finds a bit of an odd discrepancy. It was then that she sighs. Great, now she has someone that is considered the Dreaded on her trai-

Sierra hops back a bit when she heard someone else on the edge. Her senses still jump and on guard. Only relaxing someone when she saw what seems to be someone with the same lab uniform as Lynn. Despite his goofy appearance, she is still wary as appearance is very deceiving. Heck she even has a professor that is probably the most logically wacky person she ever met and at the same time, one of the most powerful beings she known. "Seems I am very popular today. First a life draining slime, then him." What these two are is still up to the jury at the moment.

Lynn listened carefully. Did Red Mist just say his goal was to bring her back? That was not possible, it could only mean one thing... Wait, did she just say life draining slime? Lynn felt her head was about to explode. Her face was red with anger.

"I have so many questions, and you probably do too." she let out a deep breath hoping for the anger to subside. "But do you really like standing around on fucking rooftops?"

"Hey, Lynn, maybe we should let her-"

"Shut up, Adam!" she snapped at him. "That bastard was right here! A few minutes earlier and I would have..."

The woman noticed Sierra's increasingly tense expression and mellowed out, not wanting to worry her even further than she already did. "I'll tell you again; you look as if you are about to pass out and god knows what you just took there. So let us help you get off from here and get somewhere we can talk in peace." she shuddered as the cold wind blew over them again. "And where it's not god damn freezing."

"...yeah...let's get down. Except..." Slowly she moves over to bend down to grab the grappling hook that was dropped when the tranquilizer had fully taken over moments ago. She looks down from the roof to the ground below where Adam has just climbed up a while ago to see if they found a ladder or something.

Technically she have just enough strength to hook the shingle of the roof and allow her to descend down but that would cause those two a heart attack. Plus there is a bit of danger that she would slip but it beats catching hypothermia. The adrenaline is starting to wear off, causing her to start to feel the cold air. "The problem though is that it might not be best to touch me while I am at this state right now."

"Sorry, lass, there's no safe way down." Adam said.

Lynn was more interested in that grappling hook than anything, but her words were also concerning. "Not to touch you, you say?" her mind immediately began to make all sorts of connections, very unpleasant ones. "Fine... I suppose you have your reasons. I just wanted to help you move." she sighed, pointing to the grappling hook. "Seems you're quite the agile lady. If you won't let us help you, can you at least get down using that?"

"Well at least when I am super tired. Normally it isn't an issue." She gestures to herself with a shrug.

Sierra briefly looks down at the floor and then her grappling hook before she nods with confirmation. "Yeah I should be able to. Just didn't want to give either you a heart-attach if I just decide to jump off of the roof." With that she fires the end of the grappling hook on the roof, hooking onto another part of it. She reels in the rope to make sure the hook is secured before steps off of the roof.

The rope tightens, allowing the crafter to descend in a more even velocity rather than free-fall. Once she is safe on the ground, she raises her end of the grappling tool before making an abrupt arm raising motion to create wave pattern that ripples to the grappling end and dislodge it before returning it back to the base tool. Overall, the whole process is fairly routine, albeit slower than her usual rate.

Lynn and Adam watched as she handily got off the roof by herself. Great, just great.

"You should try helping people, Lynn!" she mimicked her colleague in a mocking manner. "Fat load of help she needed."

"Don't be too hard on her, she looked pretty traumatized to me." Adam looked down at Sierra for a while, before heading towards the window they climbed up from.

"I know." Lynn replied, following him and watching as he struggled to get inside the house from the roof. "Screw this place."

Eventually the pair managed to get out of the building and out on the street where Sierra was waiting for them. Lynn was surprised she did not make a run for it considering her caution. Adam walked up to the crafter, clearly impressed by her performance. "That was pretty neat, not gonna lie." he grinned. "You an agent or something?"

"What part of 'get somewhere we can talk in peace' did you not understand?" the woman grabbed him by the shoulder and moved him out of the way so she can face Sierra. "I know this sounds weird, but it's probably gonna be the least weird thing happening to you today." she paused, mentally preparing for what she was about to ask. "You got any place where we can do this, preferably in private?"

"You were thinking of asking about her home, weren't you?"

Adam was right. Teasing as he may, Lynn did plan on asking that question initially, only to go back on it at the last second. She did not want to make Sierra feel even more insecure, that which Adam now probably ruined.

"Do me a favor, Adam." she turned to him. "Shut the hell up!"

Sierra took the waiting time to get what gears he have at a more ready position. Her grappling hook, her tesla claw, another small pack of batteries, and a few of the lynnei leaves to shake her senses. She makes note to pack some dried energy bars since she foresee that she is going to do a lot more strenuous activities in the future. After the two have arrived she takes a moment it answer things.

"Not really an agent of anything, just an artisan that has a habit of getting targeted by everything in the world so I need mobility." She looks up at the roof that they were a while ago. "Apparently someone is just as mobile." Sierra sighs.

"Well I am not sure what would be private enough but there is a library near here with plenty of sound-proof rooms usually reserved for studies and presentation practices. That is the best I can think of." Sierra didn't mention her home at the least. There aren't a lot of people that she trust to invite to her home and these two are not in the list.