Hey everyone ^^ got a new chapter for you guys

enjoy

PS. I wont be really available for the next few days so i don't know if I can actually write anything or not.

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In the end we weren't able to properly bid our farewells to Rose. The members of the Clan had already taken her away but we trusted in Karen's words that she would be taken care of. We were instantly flown back to our own complex and told to stay down for a little while. Eventually things returned somewhat normal, everyone kept doing what they did though I started to spend more and more time in the laboratory.

Eventually I had to talk with Liam, it was about what I had happened during my fight with Lane. From what I knew of him he had only been able to send his own thoughts and senses to another person. Not direct mental attacks onto someone's aura, or as a matter of fact hear other people's thoughts. I was not sure whether or not he would have an answer for me.

In the end I found him on one of our shooting ranges trying out new weaponry that we had been provided with. I did not bother enough with practicing these ones as I would not be using them often anyways. After emptying the entire clip of a high caliber handgun into a weird block of transparent substance. He noticed me and took out his earplugs, the smile he showed me seemed empty and while he talked to me he seemed more focused on examining the damage his weapon had caused.

"Hey Alex, what can I do for you? We've been given some quite interesting stuff that needs to be tested."

We all knew Rose's incapacitation had taken a big toll on him though he did not show it like all of the other members.

"There was something I needed to ask you, during my fight with Lane I was able to... get a hold of her aura. You yourself said that you could not influence the ones you contacted in any way. Are you sure that this is all your power amounts up to? I was also able to hear Rose call out for help, it's the only reason why I rushed to help her. I-"

He cuts me off by taking out another gun and shooting at a similar block a few feet away. Without taking his eyes off his target he answers.

"Please Alex, don't worry about Rose. I can feel the distress in your aura. She'll be fine even if we have to pull out the devil out of hell. I can't help you with my power since I've never experienced something you have. The only thing I can tell you is to try to use it again and practice...

And to be honest, I do not want to think about this right now. I'll get everything here to working form until we get new orders."

His answer seemed cold but it was clear that he was not mad, he just seemed tired. I did not press the matter, I saw that he just needed some more time. As such I simply left him around while hearing him test his entire arsenal. While heading to the cafeteria the hallways remained empty. It was not surprising though. After all there where barely 10 people inside of the facility at most. Arriving I felt both Ignar and Songe inside, the two of them spend a lot of time together either playing old board games or simply talking. It was calming to talk to them and above all Ignar always had at least some kind of answer to a question.

Opening the doors leading inside I instantly make the two of them out. They had some kind of Asian game laid out in front of them that I did not know. Looking up from it Ignar greeted me.

"Hey Alex, how's your stuff going in the labs?"

Nodding I answer.

"It's working out as expected but it's impossible to use right now... Honestly, I just wanted to talk to you about what we'll have to do. I've read the reports myself but what can you tell me about Arthus."

In the end everyone had agreed that he together with would be our first targets together with 'all specimen of interest' that we could find. Only Karen knew the details to this order. Ignar barely changes his expression and gestures me to sit down with them.

"Arthus has some incredible power but it seems limited nonetheless. There are reports of people seeing him do... pretty much everything. He has teleported, made things vanish, survived lethal wounds and many more. From our point right now there is nothing he cannot do. We haven't even come close to realize his full potential let alone his original power."

Ignar looked into my eyes while moving another piece on the board.

"To be honest I have no idea how we'll be able to catch him. To his followers he is a you know. In my opinion Karen's Clan has given us an impossible mission but we'll try it nonetheless. The most important part now is to locate him, I'm pretty sure the Clan would already be happy about this."

Songe too started contribute.

"He's supposed to be able to create things out of thin air. He also is incredibly smart, we've found out things about his childhood, though you probably have already read it in the reports Karen handed out."

Indeed I had. Arthus last name seemed to have disappeared, it was truly fascinating, but from all information that had been recorded on him his last name always seemed to be missing. Whether it was a school report or his birth certificate, his last name had been cleanly erased from history. Not even his closest friends during his non-esper times could not remember this information. It had been truly confusing but in the end someone had come to the conclusion that it might have been himself not wanting to reveal his family name.

From what could be gathered Arthus had grown up in a small town in southern Germany, a state called Bavaria. Even though a true genius in school he did not skip any grades and finished his studies with remarkable marks he instantly got accepted into a prestigious university. Many professors had been questioned afterwards and all of them had only good things to say about him.

"He was smart, diligent and courteous."

"He could solve problems in minutes that took us hours."

"He would have easily beaten us in any discipline."

There was only praise. Nobody knew what had happened at his 23rd birthday but only one day afterwards he disappeared entirely taking a few trusted friends with him. The next thing that was found out had been that some kind of cult was forming.

At first they did not seem harmful, politely asking citizen for support and if they were interested to join a new world. Talking about having come to earth and building a new Eden where everyone could coexist. Of course almost nobody believed them and just sent them away with a smile. But the cult grew bigger and stronger, people - and more importantly espers - from all ethnicities started joining. At one point it had reached a instance where the government took notice and started an investigation concerning the 'potentially dangerous cult'. Barely any information could be gathered, the only thing they had been able to find out was a name. A name that was recited by the higher members of the cult with almost fanatical devotion. Arthus, the of mankind.

Any attempts to find his location failed since only his closest subordinates knew where to seek him out. In the end the German government gave up and decided that it would be the best to leave the matter alone as quite the amount of high ranking espers were involved and since they seemed to have harmless intention. And in a country preaching religious freedom they could roam unhindered.

And just like this "Arthus Welten" had been born, their followers only increasing and spreading over the entire world. The amount devoted to the Cult soon exceeded the millions, though only a fraction of this had been espers. Eventually they had come across HALO's members and a fight broke out and before anyone knew it they had shown their true face. The face of a beast only accepting those who bow, those who had a different plan about the future where to be crushed.

This next fact had been unknown for a long time, a few years ago a conflict had started inside of the Welten. As of what exactly had taken place could not be determined, all information that could be gathered afterwards was that Arthus and one of his closest friends and followers had a fight and that this friend left him together with a big amount of espers. They would later be known as the Fallen, as a sign that they had been left by their . The reason is still unknown though. Nowadays there are still dozens of members leaving the Welten at a time, joining the Fallen because they have lost faith. As such the relationship between them could only be called frosty, though we could not be for sure if there even was any communication at all.

What we were left to work with was the picture of a enormous organization with uncountable members and an incredibly smart leader with a seemingly endless power... The more I thought about it the more I doubted our success.

Songe interrupted my thoughts.

"We'll come up with something like always but I still don't like that we had to get involved with Karen's Clan."

A disgusted sneer comes from Ignar as he opens his mouth.

"You don't even know the half of it. To them we're just resources and they'll let us work for them as long as we're useful. No longer... While I put no trust into them, I most certainly do with Karen, I'm sure that she'll come up with something."

Then he returns to silence while planning his next move against Songe, who still seemed to muster me.

"Karen already said it before, right now we can't do anything but wait it out. Just concentrate on what you're doing and eventually someone will come up with a plan. Whether that will be one of us or one of the Clan doesn't matter."

"You're right."

Our heads slowly turned towards the entrance as a new voice interrupted us. Looking at the game they were playing Karen -who had walked in- slowly shook her head.

"At some point you'll have to teach me how to play those games, I'm sure it'll be good for something at some point."

Laughing quietly Ignar waved her to sit down with us.

"This only has worth for us as timewaster though I have to admit it is quite relaxing every once in a while."

His expression turned serious though still keeping his smile up.

"Why are you here Karen, don't misunderstand, I'd love to spend some time with you just playing Shogi but I doubt that that's the only reason you're here."

Me and Songe had thought the same. Of course she would sometimes spend time with us but it was normally only in the evening when she had nothing else to do. As such it was unusual and Ignars question justified. Karen seemed to think for a split second before answering.

"I only need to talk to you three anyways, the other two thickheads wouldn't care anyways but I want to make sure at least you know what you're doing should we help the Clan."

Ey?

The three of us tilt our heads, the game forgotten. Consequences?

"I have already told all of you about the Clan's goal to create something comparable to god. If we manage to capture those individuals for them they would most certainly get closer to this objective. Now what do you think would happen if they actually manage to succeed? The head of the Clan is already able to do things that we could never dream of if she actually got hold of Arthus the world you know would end.

In the instant that this power would be revealed would be the instant where the Clan would gain world domination. Now, you might think that that goal is clichéd but it wouldn't be a goal of theirs, it would be simple a side effect which they would use. Everything you know would change. All to save Rose, I personally have already decided and I already know Christians and Liams answer to this question. But I still have to ask you three again as the newest and oldest members, knowing that you-"

Suddenly I start laughing, it was not meant in a bad way and Songe soon joined in with a chuckle. I could feel from him what he felt and that our answer would not change.

"Karen, we've said it before and we'll say it again. It does not matter what we have to do. Rose is important to us, there is no way I could simply let her die after what happened."

The only one remaining silent was Ignar, staring at the board game in front of him he seemed like a statue. Then he uttered words that I for one, had never heard him say before.

"I don't know."