Kapitel 1285: 46
Interlude 4.y (Canary 2)
She was soon led inside through the cell block's shared areas, which was neat and tidy to an extent she didn't expect. The residents were well groomed, some were reading or watching television. A few looked mentally impaired, making repeated motions senselessly.
She waited for a while before Teacher arrived from her personal cell. He was a short and fat man with a balding head. Like some of the teachers she'd had in high school and college.
He gave her a friendly smile.
Paige forced herself to smile back and made a curtsy.
"You must be the newcomer today. Canary is your name, I've been told? Welcome to our humble abode. I hear you have taken residence in Lustrum's block. A wise choice for a young woman like yourself," he said.
"You don't think I might be more suited to cell block T?"
He raised an eyebrow. "You may have heard of me before, but I know little of you to judge. Have you come to discuss your prospects?"
"I have."
"Then why didn't you come to me first?"
"If I did that, you would get the wrong impression," she said with a smirk. It was getting easier, somehow. She just had to tell herself it was another performance, just like on the stage.
"And what impression is that?"
"That I come to you for refuge. To be subordinate."
The man's eyes showed no hint of a reaction where she would have expected suspicion.
"I see. You want negotiate with me. You believe that I will not harm you if you are already under Lustrum's wing. Unnecessary caution, really. I am no simple-minded brute like some others in this cage. Let us discuss how we may be useful to each other then. What do you propose?"
"You are able to give Thinker and Tinker powers to others at the cost of gaining some influence over them, right?"
He nodded. "That is correct. For some, it means better control over their existing powers. And the influence is only temporary."
Paige frowned. "Only temporary? That's a little disappointing."
There was a surprised look on his face for a moment.
"What do you mean?"
"I was under the impression that your main weakness was that your thralls must consent to letting you use your power on them. A weakness I could help you overcome with my power. But if the influence you gain is only temporary…"
His eyes widened and gained an unnatural glint. "Ah, my mistake. It seems there is a misunderstanding. I am able to control the length and degree to which my students' willpower is affected. While I limit the effect for simple business dealings, many of my students come to see that they enjoy submitting to a higher purpose. What you propose is very interesting. Perhaps a demonstration is in order?"
Paige smiled again. "Of course. May I use one of your subordinates?"
He nodded and pointed to one that was watching the television.
Then she opened her mouth and sang.
Her voice swept through her room and she actively willed her power into it for the first time.
It took only a few words before the occupants in the cell block all stopped what they were doing and turned to listen to her, mesmerized by her song.
She carefully modulated the power and gave everyone but Teacher the full blast of awe, while she subtly pushed Teacher's emotions to decrease wariness and increase excitement.
He was unusually resistant to her power, and even that was difficult for her.
She took a step and faced the one man who had pointed out to her.
"You want Teacher to teach you more," she inserted in the lyrics.
The man nodded and walked quickly to Teacher. Paige continued her song.
"Please, I need another boost," he asked.
Teacher nodded and extended his open palm. Paige watched as the man touched the palm, and while there were no outward expressions of his power, she felt through her song that the man was suddenly a bit harder to control, as if there was a competing influence in him.
As the man returned to watching the television, Teacher turned back to Paige with a hungry expression.
"So do you see the potential in a partnership?" She asked, allowing her song to end.
"Indeed. We can do great things together, I foresee. Great things indeed."
"But it doesn't mean anything if we can't escape this prison. As the one who has been here longer, you must have had thoughts about that."
His smile didn't change. "You are correct. Fortunately, I have plans in motions for that very purpose. Breakouts from the inside are just about impossible, but you see…"
He led Paige to one TV in the room. The moment his back was turned, Paige gathered all her courage, took out a hidden syringe and slammed it into the nape of his neck, then started singing again.
"Gah!" He cried. "Get her!"
His order went unheeded by his subordinates, who were once again mesmerized by Canary's song.
"Hold him down and cover his mouth!" She commanded.
The cell blocker leader was swarmed by his own men.
It worked. All was as the angel had foretold. She had subdued all these sinners, criminals who were deemed dangerous enough to be in the Birdcage, with her power and the blessing of an angel.
Canary sang harder, focusing all of her power to bring down Teacher's resistance to emotion effects as a human-influencing Master himself. The drug she injected into him started working as well, enhancing suggestibility and impairing judgment.
After a few minutes of continuous singing, the combination of the drug and Canary's power finally brought Teacher to a state of complete obedience.
She ordered the men to tidy themselves up and pretend to go back to what they were doing.
Then, a thought came to her.
"You should all obey me because I am the messenger of God."
They nodded, and she felt immensely pleased with herself.
That done, she continued on her holy mission with new vigour.
"Teacher, find out the exact location of the one who dares call himself Saint immediately without giving him any reason to move or be suspicious."
She pretended to be one of his mentally impaired thralls while Teacher contacted Saint by ordering one of his men to press the TV's on and off button in a controlled sequence.
Shortly after, she observed discreetly while Teacher subtly convinced Saint to tell him his current location.
When the communication was over, Teacher reported back to her.
"Good work," the voice of Agatetron whispered. "Now kill him."
Paige's eyes widened and she looked around fearfully. "K-kill?"
The angel did not appear, but its voice urged her again.
"Use the knife to kill him. You must demonstrate your resolve and execute this sinner as an offering to the Lord."
"B-but, I can't!"
"Then you will fail this trial."
She swallowed hard and took out the knife that had been given to her, clutching it in shaking hands.
The blank face of Teacher looked back at her without flinching.
Her breaths grew short as she raised the knife slowly.
"He's a sinner. A sinner that deserves to die. I'm j-just doing G-god's work! I have to finish the trial!" She mumbled to herself and shut her eyes.
"Do not close your eyes! Did you not tell these men you were the messenger of God? Deliver the Lord's judgement with righteousness!"
She opened her eyes in a panic and her hands shook harder as they clutched the knife handle together in a reverse grip.
"Hah…" She hyperventilated and sweat as she continued staring while opening her eyes to the limit, yet paralyzed with fear. "I-I am r-righteous!"
There she stood as the seconds passed and the knife edge inched closer.
"Now!" The angel's voice whispered harshly.
She shrieked in fright and the knife thrust forward into Teacher's chest.
Blood splattered, but Teacher still stood blankly.
His unchanging expression only increased Paige's panic and she stabbed into him again and again in a frenzy until he fell to the ground in a heap, blood pooling.
She stumbled back with the knife still in hand, covered in blood, tears in her eyes.
"Oh G-god! I killed him! I killed someone!"
"Yes, you did. Now bring the sacrificial lamb to his personal cell to make your offering and complete the Covenant."
She took a few steps, then vomited before she could go any further.
When she was done hurling, she panted for a few moments before slowly reaching for the corpse on unsteady feet, muttering to herself all the while. "I am righteous. It was God's judgment. I'm not a murderer…not a murderer…I am righteous…the messenger of God…"
O O O
Once she arrived in Teacher's room, the angel reappeared to her great relief and ecstasy.
"You have proven worthy. Prepare yourself, for the Spirit of the Lord comes with your Covenant."
She kneeled reverently without prompting.
The light grew larger, and the voice changed, magnifying and echoing, like the sound of a million voices speaking as one, shaking her to her bones.
"Give me your heart, and give up your sins. Cast your burdens unto me. Trust in me and obey me faithfully. I will put my spirit in you and you shall be reborn as my daughter in light. Surrender your life to me, and I shall guide you out of this prison to your salvation and holy destiny. If you accept this sacred covenant, give to me of your blood, and embrace my spirit in your soul."
She used her already bloody knife and cut her own forearm.
"Let life be the essence and blood be the foundation."
As soon as she made the cut, blood flowed out of her wound by itself and curled into a complex circular diagram before it started to glow.
"The death of a sinner is the tribute."
Blood from the corpse also flew up to join the diagram, forming into a pattern of its own inside the larger magic circle.
"A sacred covenant is hereby established. Embrace Infinity."
The diagram shrunk and seemed to be absorbed by the light.
"Ah!" She cried out as a burning pain spread from her cut wound to her nerves in every body of her part.
She panted and clutched at her chest, where she felt something coalesce and beat once like a second heart. The heart of her new god whose spirit had come into her, she realized.
"Come, my daughter. Come to the light and be reborn."
The light grew brighter and brighter and pure white—almost blinding now—until she could see nothing but the light in front of her. It was slowly drifting, beckoning her to follow.
She walked forward. She kept walking forward past where the wall of the cell should have blocked her way. She kept walking forward, and after a while she walked past the light into darkness.
Ahead of her was a rectangular portal into what looked like clouds and a blue sky.
"Is that heaven…?" She asked out loud, hesitating before the portal.
"Do not be afraid. Your time has not come yet. This is merely the gateway to your salvation. Close your eyes and take a leap of faith," the normal voice of Agatetron instructed her.
She closed her eyes tightly and jumped through.
Shortly afterwards, while Paige was falling down, a dark figure appeared from the dark tunnel that Paige had walked through, gripping onto Agate tightly.
The figure, which was Kaleidus, quickly threw several bombs through the first portal that Paige had come through leading to the cell in the Birdcage which had been obfuscated by light from Agate, and flew after Paige through the second portal before detonating additional bombs that had been planted in the tunnel.
All the bombs went off, massive explosions engulfing the cell in the Birdcage and the tunnel.
When the cell walls were breached, the vacuum outside caused a change in air pressure which led to the automatic sealing of the cell.
The dark tunnel completely collapsed and the two portals were blocked off by a mountain of rock, noxious fumes, and other dangerous substances. Because Kaleidus had timed the second portal out of the cave by opening it ahead of time, it expired within a minute of Canary's jump, leaving only the first portal still open.
But just for good measure, another bomb activated within the collapsed rock heap, trapping the area in a frozen time field.
Outside the Birdcage, Dragon was desperately bringing backup measures online as the drones, cameras, transmission devices, and various other defenses near Teacher's cell. They had been fried by a sudden extremely powerful targeted EMP that occurred once Canary had dragged Teacher's body to the room, and Dragon wasn't able to detect anything that happened afterward. She moved in the drones she had that were outside of the range of the EMP, but by the time they arrived, the portal had already expired and there was only empty space and debris, with no trace of the prisoner or the corpse.
Dragon didn't know whether to be more panicked that someone had escaped from the inescapable Birdcage, or the horrifying takeover of cell block T and Canary muttering to thin air about doing god's work. Even more frustratingly, thanks to another EMP, she didn't see what suddenly caused the meek singer to become a religious fanatic. Evidently a powerful Master-Stranger had infiltrated the Birdcage, what else could they have done or do in the future?
As per protocol, she immediately contacted the authorities to report the prison break and infiltration.
Unknown to Dragon, she thought nothing strange of the gap in her memories of the point where Saint communicated with Teacher, those memories having been erased by the Ascalon program. Saint had been careful enough to always block and erase his communications and the moments leading up to them when Teacher entered the code in the TV.
Paige felt a strong arm grab onto her, stopping her fall. She got a good look at the figure dressed in a black and red full body armoured costume and helmet. The armour had many jagged edges and lines, and despite its metallic and reflective appearance, Paige could feel that it wasn't actually made of metal. The helmet was visored, but other than the visor it was in a medieval style. Red lines ran through the helmet and the armour, looking like pulsing veins, giving the whole setup a malevolent appearance.
"Do not fear, Paige. Though unaware of his divine nature, this is the Lord incarnated as a mortal human with much of his divine might and memories sealed. For now, you should go with him and assist him. I cannot stay on this plane any longer. Bless you, daughter of the Lord." the distinct voice of Agatetron told her. But unlike before, it was no more than a faint whisper now.
"My Lord?" She asked the armoured figure.
"Hush, now. You are safe, so just rest. And why are you calling me that? When I'm wearing this costume, just call me Axion."
She nodded, and soon she felt incredibly tired. Knowing that she was safe, she allowed herself to drift into blissful sleep.
Kaleidus looked at the unconscious girl in his arms, satisfied that the gas sedative released from his armour had worked, and continued flying to his destination with Agate in his hand.
'The operation seems to be a complete success. Excellent work, Agate!' He thought.
'I'm tired too…' Agate responded.
'Huh? I didn't realize you could be tired.'
'The two of you are too heavy!' Their flight speed slowed to a crawl.
'…'
O O O
Paige woke up groggily, and was only confused for a moment as she sat up on the open grass, looking around the vast riverside plain. The memories from last night flooded back into her once she saw the armoured form of her Lord incarnated as a human, sitting cross-legged beside her.
"My Lord!" She exclaimed.
"Hey, I told you to just call me Axion. Why are you calling me that anyway?"
"Because you are my lord and master, even incarnated as a mortal human, you are still my God!"
"What? No, I'm not a god. Where did you get that idea? I'm just a human. Look," he said. Then he removed his helmet.
Paige had the fleeting thought that it was blasphemous to look upon the face of her God directly, but she couldn't resist her curiosity and kept staring.
The features revealed were handsome, but not otherworldly, with a kind expression.
"See, all human here. Now why did you think I'm some kind of god?"
…unaware of his divine nature…that was what the angel Agatetron had told her. She understood what it meant now. Her God had incarnated fully as a human, and even forgotten his divine nature to be more human.
"But you are! Even if you don't remember, it's true. The angel Agatetron came to me and told me you would save me, and you did!"
"Uh…what? You think you saw an angel?" He looked at her strangely. "It wasn't the Simurgh, was it?"
"No! It was a true angel of the lord, incomprehensibly great and vast, a being of the purest light."
He furrowed his eyebrows as if deep in thought.
She recognized that look. Her Lord's human incarnation didn't believe her. He was so human that he was vulnerable to the same doubts and skepticism. If only Agatetron was still here and could simply reveal itself to him…
"I'll be frank with you. I have a power that lets me project my senses somewhere else. I was using this while you were in the Birdcage so I could make sure you were alone when I came to rescue you. Because of this, I saw what you were doing. I found you when you were in Teacher's cell block. I saw how you tricked him and killed him as an offering to your god. Because you were finally alone then, while you were praying I set things up on my end to secure our return, then opened a portal to you. Then you suddenly rushed through and jumped before I could even explain that I was there to rescue you. I never saw this angel you're talking about."
"But…that's…it was definitely there! And it was the angel that told me it was the gateway to salvation…"
"This world is full of strange things, so I won't deny that maybe there are divine forces. But I'm not a religious person, and I definitely didn't come to save you because of some divine will. I was already planning to save you. Escaping from the Birdcage isn't something you just do on a whim. I've been planning this out for days, scoping out the prison and its defense mechanisms. You said you thought I was your god because the angel told you I would come to save you, but there's a perfectly rational explanation for why I was there, that doesn't involve divine intervention."
She understood what he was saying. It all sounded very logical. The only problem was, the angel told her that he was in fact her God incarnated, just unaware of it.
Just because there was a logical explanation for why he was there to save her didn't mean that her God wasn't real. It only worked out that way because she passed the trial given to her and accepted the Sacred Covenant.
If she didn't, there would have been a perfectly logical explanation for why he would have been somehow unable to save her in the end. Besides, wasn't it because he was her God that he was already planning to save her?
"I-I get that, but that's because, from the beginning, it was all part of God's plan. Your plan."
He shook his head. "No, no, I'm definitely not all-powerful and not everything goes according to my plans. Even for a cape, my powers are pretty weak."
Suddenly she came to a realization. Why hadn't Agatetron revealed itself to him? Why were his memories of divinity sealed?
She had been overzealous, and failed to see the deeper meaning behind it.
He was not meant to know his true nature, at least not yet. There was a purpose behind his incarnation as a human that she didn't understand yet.
"Listen, never mind whatever you saw. You seem pretty sure of yourself so I won't try to convince you otherwise. You can believe there is a god and you saw an angel, but don't start worshiping me in front of anyone else."
As he spoke those last words, Paige felt her second heart inside her beat with a slight squeezing pain in her chest. It lasted only for an instant, but in that instant she felt reassured that everything she saw and heard before falling asleep was not just a delusion. Her God was real and the angel was right. Even if he didn't know it, the man before her was her God incarnated, and by her Covenant he held her heart and faith.
"I have some teammates we're going to meet soon, and it's going to be real awkward for me if you start calling me a god, okay? Please."
"I understand, um…Axion?"
"Yeah, you can call me that while I'm in this costume. When I'm outside of the costume, call me Kaleidus. It's nice to meet you," he said. Then he put his hand forward in the gesture for shaking.
She shook his hand and smiled widely. "Yes! And I'm Paige, Paige Mcabee! Thank you for saving me!
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein