The Mortal Strain

[Red Glacier]

X: he slowly takes the form and puts it in his suit case "All things will be clearer in time" he writes another 50,000 dollar check and Haze takes it and slips it quietly into an open pocket on Rex.

he looks to Roland and gives a pointing gesture to Rolands eyes "You may not know it yet, but those eyes are a lot more then what you think. your techniques just haven't been awoken yet. But we will teach you to awaken and use them at will." he opens a hand towards Haze in a presenting way "Haze is actually human. this is his ability when awoken"

"Driver. please take us home" he looked back a bit and the driver changes directions a bit

"We will get your things from your apartments and such later. I would like to show both of you your new home."

they start leaving the city and go on a barren road.

"We live in a very secure location. Nobody will be able to find you and harm you." a window rises between the driver and them and all the windows around them blacken and they can't see the outside nor could anyone see them. dim lights flash on so they can see.

"A beverage gentlemen?" a rack of wine slides out near X and Roland. X opens a bottle and pours a small glass and begins drinking a small bit at a time "the roads before aren't smooth enough for this kind of luxury. nut here the limo can drive smooth and sound enough"  

[Roland Karloseth]

Roland glanced at the man who had fallen asleep. "How odd. Trusting this one is, falling asleep in a vehicle full of people he doesn't know. Anyway. My eyes you say? Hrm..." Roland thought back a bit. His eyes had always been unique. As a small child, he would sit in front of a mirror and stare at his eyes, watching the fire that seemed to dance behind them. It was pacifying. Then he went to school, and everything changed. The kids were afraid of them. Most everyone was, actually. He particularly remembered one substitute teacher, who locked him in the closet because he was convinced Roland was a demon...

Roland shook his the memory from his head. "Well, we'll just have to see about that. And thank you," Roland said, and poured himself a glass of wine. He looked at it for a while before taking a sip. Roland had never had wine before, he usually just stuck to beer when he drank. "Hrm. not bad..." he muttered to himself.  

[Red Glacier]

X: "Your welcome." he drank some more and after a while the limo slowed down and the windows cleared up. they were in a rich woodland like area and they parked in front of a ginormous mansion that was almost like a castle in size and looks.

X: "Welcome home" Haze showed them into the mansion and X lead the way into it and the inside the mansion was white and finely crafted.

marble floors with a fountain in the middle of the entry way and 2 more at the back walls. there were stair cases and doors going to various areas and the rails were if fine polished wood as were the doors. everything was cleaned to perfection.

X: "Welcome to Star Atter head quarters gentlemen." the upper levels lead to the living quarters and the bottom areas were recreational areas including work out areas, a few wreck rooms, and the dining room area for food. various servants walked around the area doing their work.

"We can't quite let you into your rooms yet. but please, what do you think at a first glance?"  

[xDarkPisces]

Rubbing the doze from his eyes, Rex stretched as he gazed around the immense entrance hall of the mansion. The sight struck him, and he found his mouth hanging open slightly, "This place is... incredible..." he muttered. He stared up to the vaulted ceiling and down to the impressive marble staircases that led into the mansion's ornate oblivion. As taken as he was, however, the whole thing still made him uneasy, and his mind gave an odd stab as he remembered the contract he had just signed. He looked to the mercenary, who seemed to be taking this all quite well. More mysteries behind him, of course...

Rex walked forward to the fountain and stuck his fingers in, gently disturbing the surface of the water. His mind tried to go back to other cryptic thoughts, but he forbade it. He forced himself to stay in the present and turned back to the others. "What would you have us do then?"  

[Red Glacier]

X: "I can't start you on a job so soon. Training might be a good idea or you can rest in the break room, maybe a stroll around the vast gardens might help. Get familiar with your new home"  

[Roland Karloseth]

Roland had been in places of a similar caliber, many of his clients were wealthy individuals. "With wealth comes hatred..." he muttered to himself. Still, he had never lived in anything other than an apartment, so this was still quite the shock to him. "Training sounds good to me. A shooting range perhaps?"  

[xDarkPisces]

Training... How was he supposed to train on something he'd kept so deep a secret? He looked down at the ground and smiled, waving his hand a bit to contort Roland's shadow into a larger, taller version of its owner. "I suppose all I'd really need is some light and quiet. I'm not quite sure..." He trailed off, eying a figure that exited one of the doors and entered the one adjacent to it. "Is there anywhere else we can't go?" he asked the man cautiously.  

[Red Glacier]

X: "Your living quarters and the basement and thats about it" "the shooting range is in the back of the training area. I'll have Haze take you all there. Good day gentlemen" he walks up a stair case and disappeared from their sight.

Haze: "Hey, keeps me from the hospital. Come with me." he has them follow him to a door that went into an elaborate hallway that was dark. a few servants come out and strip them of their weapons

Servant: "Security purposes gentlemen. we'll give you the weapons in the training room and will hold them til your living quarters is ready. weapons are only aloud in your own living quarters and the training area."

Haze: after the servants leave he continues "Ain't that a b***h? I hate being out without at least a pistol for protection." he takes them into a room with a series of doors that led to different corridors before their destination

Room 1: Gym
Room 2: Gun Range and long range target practice
Room 3: Meditation room
Room 4: Sparring Area
Room 5: Aquatic Area
Room 6: Wild Life Area
Room 7: Simulation Room
Room 8: Vehicle Training
Room 9: Technology Area
Room 10: 0 Gravity Area
Room 11: Free Train Area

Haze: "I think they at least need 3 more rooms, don't ya think?" he said jokingly as they looked down the list.  

[Roland Karloseth]

"No kidding. this list is quite extensive," Roland said. "Aquatic area... Simulation room... Vehicle training... ZERO GRAVITY TRAINING... Free Train area? What's the deal with the zero gravity room? That's a bit... overkill I think. I can't think of anything that would have us fighting in zero gravity conditions... and what do they mean by free train? Looks like they covered everything, they even have a ZERO GRAVITY room..."  

[Red Glacier]

0-0Roland Deschain0-0

"No kidding. this list is quite extensive," Roland said. "Aquatic area... Simulation room... Vehicle training... ZERO GRAVITY TRAINING... Free Train area? What's the deal with the zero gravity room? That's a bit... overkill I think. I can't think of anything that would have us fighting in zero gravity conditions... and what do they mean by free train? Looks like they covered everything, they even have a ZERO GRAVITY room..."

"Free train is pretty much dealing with all the elements of the other other training room at once in exception of the meditation room and the 0 grav. being an option. you deal with any simulated enemy the computer throws out regardless of difficulty. Probably not something you want just yet."

"The 0 gravity room is just dealing with adverse conditions, I mean you rather have experience in low gravity then get caught off guard and vulnerable, right?"  

[Roland Karloseth]

"Hrm. Although, I still can't imagine being in a situation where zero gravity would be an issue." Roland said.  

[Red Glacier]

"Well where do you think you're going? I really have no strong feelings where to go."  

[Roland Karloseth]

"Hrm..." Roland browsed through the list. He had originally planned on going to the shooting range, but now he was unsure. He could probably use a little sparring, it had been a long time since he was able to find a decent dojo worth training in. "Sparring sounds good to me, actually. I'm probably a bit rusty with my hand-to-hand, it's been a while."  

[Red Glacier]

"well." he gives Rex a shake "Why don't you both spar? get some practice together? You all have joined nearly the same time so you might as well grow together"  

[Red Glacier]

Haze gets a call "Hello, X?"

X: "We have another one, we need to be moving, I want you alone to get this one."

Haze: "Whats going on?"

X: "he is going after them"

Haze almost goes limp. "Did I hear you right? its him"

X: "I'm afraid so my friend. make haste"

Haze: "I'm on it." he gets his weapons "Rex, Roland, you gentlemen have a good spar I have business to attend too. he leaves in a hurry leaving the others behind

a man walks in through the door. he was a skinny man and he wore a sneaking suit

Man: "Can I help you all with something?" he said smiling at Roland and Rex "I heard....spar"