After the interview with Anneza Collins had concluded, Federal Agents Hawkins and Pennsbrook began their drive back to their current lodgings at the local hotel. As Hawkins drove, Cecilia fussed with the hologram projecting from her hand. The language program was pretty slow-going so far, even ignoring the complications concerning run-time. The truth of the matter was that trying to translate a language with no seeming connection to any other in the world was damn tricky. She made a note to bug Hawkins later on about working out some way to get more processing power going. Speaking of bugging Hawkins...
The Man in Black seemed even odder than usual. Hard to picture, yes, but she could see how he gripped the wheel of the car harder than necessary, the crease in his mask's brow, the tenseness in his posture. Hawkins almost always had this relaxed air about him, but now... Cecilia decided to pipe up before she suffocated in a sea of awkward stillness. "So what have we got so far?"
The masked shadow sighed, momentarily brought of his tense funk, his mind returning to the procedures at hand. "Despite barriers of communication, I think we can safely agree that Collins was contacted by an outside party, one that can communicate without being present physically. But that's not all of it. As I told you, earlier had an encounter with one of our infamous Magical Girls. During that time I was able to fully witness an effect of the recent incursions."
Cecilia raised an ewebrow. "Incursions? I thought "event" was the go to word for you."
Hawkins gave her sidelong glance. "Until the events of today, it was. But after assisting the child in her present duties, it's become clear that these events are a break down of the barriers between realities. Today I saw something that managed to slip by through one of these incursions. It was a chaotic affair." Hawkins paused. "It seems that there is some force, some intelligence behind a degree of recent events related to these incursions. I believe it is this intelligence was what contacted Collins."
Hawkins narrowed his eyes, either in concentration or anger? Cecilia couldn't tell. "The "bomb" scare. Why would this "outside party" want a school blown up? No. That item we took a look at was for too advanced to be a simple explosive. Most likely, they were trying to create another incursion."
Cecilia's eyes widened, the apertures of her optic lenses opeing up comepletely. "Jesus And If Collins had followed through.. That would have.."
"Torn open a hole in the universe right on top of a building full of children." Hawkins said, finishing her sentence. "And they would have used a scared, unwitting bystander to do it." Hawkins' hands clenched even tighter upon the steering wheel. Cecilia could swear it was starting to warp under his grip.
"They preyed upon her fear, her isolation, and her desperation." Hawkins voice was terse, drawing on a well of rage that Cecilia had no idea he had. "To be fair he was kind of-" Hawkins cut her off. "Guilty as a cat in a canary convention, yes, deserving retribution for her actions, YES. But not like that. No one NO ONE deserves to be preyed upon like that and used like a pawn in a sick game of chess."
Jesus... Cecilia had never seen Hawkins like this. She knew that underneath all that shadowy gunk he was still human, but she had no idea he could be this angry. But he was right, as much as Collins seemed like an asshole from what she read about him, that scared little thin they'd interviewed seemed like someone way to wasy to take advantage of. And not even the uptight asshole she'd been before deserved to be used for something like this. "This is some messed up shit we've gotten ourselves into Nathan."
Hawkins could only nod. "It will only get messier. Do you think they'll stop with just her Cecilia? They'll continue to try and use people, try and twist the innocent into their servants using their own desperation. And it won't stop with people like that either."
"What do you mean?"
"The deranged. The violent. The easily tempted. How long before a strange voice starts offering untold rewards to them in exchange for doing their dirty work? As mushc as we'd like to believe that the sun's changes act to punish the wicked, that would be too.. ordered for what we know it to be. There are likely thousands of monsters in the world that now have bodies to match their inner being."
Hawkins seemed to dim, the fire in his belly dying. He poke softly, seemingly to himself. "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?"
Cecila put a concerned hand on his shoulder. "Hell if I know Nate."
Hawkins smiled at that. Cecilia knew how to tell he was smiling. A certain motion in the shadows of his face. "Thank you Cecilia. I apologize for my outburst.
"
Ceclia smiled back at her partner. "Don't stress about it Ink-spot. Honestly, I was starting to worry you couldn't get worked up like that anymore."
Hawkins straightened up, his strength returning. "Well, I hate to disprove you, but I'm as sane as the next man. So either that should tell you something about me, or the general state of mankind." He parked the car along the side of the road, allowing the conversation to continue unimpeded. "I shouldn't dwell so much upon the negative. Although great adversities loom ahead of us, allies are beginning to reveal themselves, and if my experience today is any indication, they may well prove to be the deciding factor."
Cecilia thought back to what Hawkins had told her about the Magical Girl encounter. "You really think a little kid like that can handle anything like this?" Sure, from what he'd told her she was able to blast that monster thing back to where it came from, but he'd also told her how she nearly got killed and broke down right afterwards. Cecilia had her doubts.
Hawkins seemed assured though. "Make no mistake, they are most certainly inexperienced, and what they absolutely need is guidance into assuming their roles, yet that doesn't mean they display no potential on their own. During today's event, at the deciding moment, the young lady displayed a remarkable amount of skill and accuracy, most unusual for a child her age. There is more to be learned about them, I assure you."
Cecilia sighed. Well, if he had a hunch, she had to trust it. He never seemed to be wrong with those. How did that work anyway? She never felt worried or creeped out by her partner, but she still wondered what exactly he was. "So alright. The kids are on our side and that's a good thing. What's our next move inky?"
Nathan reclined back in his car seat. "For now, we'll reconvene at our lodgings and gather our strength. I believe enough has been done for today. Tomorrow, I propose we continue our search for our "allies". The most likely choice should be the local middle school. From what I gathered during my interviews with miss Jenny "
"The Magical Girl you met, right?"
"Indeed. From what she told me, she hasn't seen anyone else of her "profession" at her private school. And the next ready source of young children would be our aforementioned target. We'll enter, meet with the staff and hopefully my dear partner, we shall find what we're looking for, or even better, what we need to find."
Cecilia gave him a coy smile. "Really, you're just going to walk in and ask the people in charge if any of their children are soldiers in a war for the safety of reality, and if so, would they be ever so kind as to allow the spooky shadow man from the government?"
Hawkins tipped his hat over his eyes. "Trust me Cecilia. Call it.. a hunch." And Cecilia could tell he was grinning like a damn Cheshire cat.
She reclined back as well, matching his over-relaxed pose. "Well you go ahead and get your beauty sleep sunshine, because I have a hunch we passed an arcade a few blocks back. "I've always wondered what it's like inside one of those things "
