Ashes to Ashes (closed; Aura, Issac)

[Liam McKinly]

Liam closed his eyes lightly as he crossed the courtyard, making his way back from a visit to the dormitories. His  fingers drummed lightly against his thigh as he went, his sneakers squelching  a cool night breeze gently brushing his bangs and kissing his forehead as it went by. As much as he wanted to be refreshed by it, relaxed by it, he didn't have that luxury. Not tonight. Perhaps not any night from here on out. Relaxing meant lowering his guard, refreshment took away his edge. For what he had planned...those were luxuries he couldn't afford. His mind flashed back to a few moments earlier as he made his way to the auditorium, the events replaying for him behind his eyelids as he instinctively combed over his every word to make sure he hadn't missed a thing.

Several Minutes Prior

"Miss Falknor, this is not a joke!!" Liam's face had played the part perfectly. His eyes wide with panic, his hair disheveled (a slight mist of water from a spray bottle and several passes with his fingers had done the job wonderfully), and his hands clenching and unclenching nervously at his sides. On the small  table between himself and the young student council vice president he had placed a small black device, essentially a high-end cell phone, though perhaps a bit larger and bulkier.  It was a communications device, one taken from a government agent. The tournament had abruptly ended not more than a week or so ago with the arena and government presence on the island packing up and disappearing almost as quickly as it had come, several of the matches left completely unfinished. They had gotten what they wanted, Liam knew that now for certain. It hadn't been difficult to separate one of the agents from the herd down at the docks and "relieve" him of his, and it was from there that his plan had grown. If this was played right, the world was about to change. And he was determined to play it right. He had waited to be sure all traces of extra government presence were gone, then gone straight to girl's dormitories that night.

Skyelar Falknor was a brilliant young woman, especially with technology. She, as well as most of the other observant students, were aware of the glaring issue that was keeping Ashford's students stuck exactly where the were: the communications lock down. No communication, electronic or otherwise, was able to leave the island. On the electronic end, this was thanks to a massive block on all computers and electronic devices allowed to enter "Ashford Academy;" a firewall that was nigh impossible to break through. But this little device on the table between them, it could change all of that. And they both knew it. The agents on the island during the tournament weren't standard security presence. They were based on the mainland. And that meant they had to be able to communicate with their base of operations.

Present

The first piece had been set into motion. It had taken a bit of convincing, but Skyelar had seen the truth in what he had presented: a way to change the world. A way for gifted to finally be free. She was on board. King's bishop to Queen's knight. Thankfully she remained blissfully unaware of the second part of his plan. The part he wished to god wasn't necessary. The part he would probably hate himself for, even if it was the only way this could work. ...At least she wouldn't know it was her brother betraying her.

As Liam approached the auditorium he stopped, looking up at the building and taking a breath. It was time. He made his way forward and went not to the front, but around to a side entrance, lifting a hand and actually hesitating for a moment before knocking in a specific pattern. He heard the lock click open, and the door swung in a moment later to reveal a man standing in the doorway. He was large, muscular but not bulky, and wearing a midnight black suit that almost seemed to make him disappear into the shadows beyond the door, his face seeming to hover in the darkness. Liam narrowed his eyes for a moment before lifting two fingers to his forehead in a salute and gesturing past the agent and then walking inside, the door swinging shut behind him with a metallic clang. "Are we ready?"

[Issac Haxton]

        Were it not for the years of training for moments like these, Issac might have been nervous. It wasn't every day you acted as the front man for a sting. It wasn't every day that you led a person right into the clutches of obviously horrible people. But there was nothing he could afford to be nervous about. He had a job to do, and one way or another, he was going to get it done.

        Not but a few minutes prior, he and Liam bumped into each other. It was quick, simple, almost as if two strangers had barely even taken notice of the other, aside from the hushed comments of apology. The message tucked in Issac's palm, however, spoke far more prominently.

8:30PM;AUDITORIUM;KEEP HER DISTRACTED

        Of course, he couldn't think of anything that could do such a task. The few times he'd met Aura, her constant energy and attitude made it difficult to distract her for too long, yet he managed somehow. He knew, though, he would be infinitely regretting how he did for a good long while.

        "Come on. You don't want to keep him waiting, do you?"

        Those were the only words he called back to the girl as he lead her around the school. This would be a sad day for her, but at least she would be given a single comfort.

        She would finally get to see her brother after all these years.

[Aura McKinly]

Aura slipped quietly out of her room, her eyes glancing down the hall both ways, noting the absence of both auras and people. A small smirk played across the BattleFront second's face, the usual light construct sitting on her face, shedding a very light bit of light, though only enough to make it obvious that it was a construct. Her eyes narrowed a little as she glanced back at her dimly lit phone, checking the time that was stated on it. What did Liam need and why did he want to meet at night. Normally it was on the weekends at the waterfall or something that he wanted to meet her, not in the dead of night. She shifted her weight for a moment, placing a hand on her hip before shaking off the thoughts, the curiosity of the man getting the better of her.

There was an air of familiarity about him that had her so curious after all.

Her body shimmered for a half a second as she stepped out into the courtyard after making her way downstairs, light bending around and cloaking her as she also created the usual, fairly thin protective layer of nearly invisible light around herself. She was always cautious at night, no matter what time it actually was. Yes, the BF had gained quite a bit of strength, but the night was still a vulnerable time for any, even a strong fighter like herself. She reached up, her hand wrapping around the necklace sitting around her neck, taking a moment to feel the curves of it before smiling a bit to herself and heading off again, noting the presence of an aura in front of the auditorium, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly as she recognized it. She knew Liam and Issac were friends, but why was he meeting her there?

Aura shed the cloaking as she neared, raising an eyebrow at the sudden statement from him as he turned and started to walk towards the door. Had something come up? Was Liam maybe in danger or something? She shifted her weight a bit, watching Issac walk for a moment before stepping after him, her voice coming sharp, quiet, but curious as she spoke. "What is going on and why are you here, Issac? You and Liam shouldn't be out here, let alone me." She glanced around the clearing again, her eyes trained back onto the door for a moment, praying silently to herself that she would see any auras before anything happened.

[Issac Haxton]

        "I'm out here to make sure you get where you're going," Issac off-handedly commented to her. Really, he might have gone through basic training for situations like this, but he generally wasn't the one to do the talking. However, he knew without even talking to Liam why he had to be the one to do this. Underneath that facade of logic, reasoning, and deductive insight, there was a regretful, ashamed brother that couldn't bear to be the one to lead his sister into a waiting trap. Issac couldn't blame him, either. She was the only part of his real family he'd ever come to know. That would be turmoil-inducing for almost anyone.

        "Anyways, there's a lot about myself and Liam that you don't know about... that's why he wanted to meet and why he has me taking you there," Issac offered. He was already setting up for the shocking bit of news that he was about to reveal. "Before we continue any further..." he muttered back to her, coming to a stop just a couple turns from the auditorium, his head peering over his shoulder to gaze at her, "What do you know about Liam? What is it that you /think/ you know? And do you think you would be prepared for the truth, no matter how inconceivable it may sound?"

        His tone was slightly harsh, though not directed at her. He wanted to make sure she knew this was serious. This wasn't something that you turned your back on once you found out, and it certainly wasn't something she needed to hear if she was going to just dismiss it as nothing but a fairy tale. It irked him to no end when people did that.

[Aura McKinly]

Aura frowned a little as he stopped and turned, her eyes glancing about, gaging the area around her. Issac wasn't a prefect so as far as she knew she didn't have to worry about him turning on her, but the lack of Prefects even in the area was a bit off putting. Her eyes focused back onto Issac, blinking a few times at his questions. What did she know about Liam? She really didn't know much about him other than the fact that his aura could be a bit off putting at times. She crossed her arms, glancing down at the ground, her eyes occasionally glancing around as she thought on his questions for a moment. What truth was he talking about? Aura was pretty positive that Liam was just a quirky kid that saw her for someone who used her brains in combat more than people gave her credit for.

She adjusted her tank top, placing a hand on her hip as she shifted her weight, a bored expression flashing across her features. "Why not just get to the point already? All I know of Liam is that he's an interesting character. If anything I've noted that he sees the fact that I'm smarter than people give me credit for." She shifted a bit more, her eyes glancing back and forth a few more times as well. The silence was bugging her, almost as if it was the calm before the storm. Then again, there was a storm that had been spotted on radar, wasn't there? Hopefully it wouldn't hit before Liam was done talking to her, she didn't need anyone seeing that side of her.

A fear of thunder was somewhat embarrassing after all.

She cocked her head a bit as she looked back at Issac, locking her eyes onto him. "I'd rather not be out to long tonight though. If I remember correctly it's supposed to storm later tonight."

[Issac Haxton]

        It didn't take an expert to notice Aura was getting irritated in some fashion or another. Then again, judging people's thoughts from body language was something he had t do for a living. Honestly, if there was anyone other than Liam who could sit here and be almost unreadable, it was Issac. "The curse of working with aura readers" as he always put it. Liam made damn sure that it was tough to read his aura, even if he had no way of guaranteeing it be shielded. But to use it to deceive someone into an ambush was nothing Issac was proud of, especially right now.

        "You know he and I go far back... years, actually. And you'd be surprised to know how familiar he should be to you. I bet if I told you his real name, you'd start to put things together. Should sound familiar to you... McKinley rings a bell, doesn't it?"

        His first chunk of information to her was intended to be startling enough to throw her mind into a tizzy. If he opened up with that, Issac figured it would distract her from concentrating on anyone else around them. It was 8:28 now, so if Liam and the others weren't prepared for them by the time they walked in, this would end up being a huge mistake.

        All this was balanced on the edge of a knife. He only hoped that things went according to plan, that way this could finally end.

[Aura McKinly]

Aura frowned a little as he started responding. Why was he taking such a convoluted route to tell her what he was trying to tell her? There was very few reasons to be this dodgy around questions, or to ask her things she didn't know how to respond to. She barely knew Liam past her few interactions with him, of course she wouldn't know much about him. Another question is why would she ask Liam his last name? She only handed out her own to people most of the time due to her small fan base, she never knew if she'd come across and old fan of her or her father after all. Aura shifted her weight as he brought up her last name. Of course it would surround familiar, it was her family name after all.

She facepalmed a bit before looking back up at Issac, starting to get tired of the dancing around what he wanted to tell her. She looked back up at Issac, leaning against the nearby wall for a moment as she thought on what he was dancing around. Was he trying to say Liam shared her last name? If so he'd be the right age to be the child her parents lost before they had her, but that had to be a coincidence, right? there were more people with her last name in the world and there was always the chance they were born around the same time, right? She shook her head after a moment, trying to shake off these thoughts before pushing off of the wall, crossing her arms over her chest again.

"If you're saying he's related to me give me proof. Yes, I was supposed to have and older brother but my parents were told he was stillborn. What are you getting at Issac and why does it feel like you're stalling?"

[Issac Haxton]

        If it wasn't obvious to him before, Issac could clearly tell now that Aura was born skeptical of him and a highly suspicious person in general, which made sense given where she had been forced to live the past year or two. Still, he couldn't just give away thing to her; He had to stall for time. However, it was safe to assume that his approach to stalling would have to concede to her if he was going to hold her any longer. With a pointed look, his voice called out gruffly, the same seriousness in his tone as was in his look.

        "To put it bluntly, yes. Liam is your brother. And do you think, after all you've been through, that it wouldn't be possible for the government to fake a child being "stillborn"? Your parents told you that because that's all they knew. Now, do you want to see your only blood-related family on this island or what? Cause we're running out of time before Prefects are liable to show up, and neither him nor I want that kind of attention."

        Without another word, Issac's feet began to trail to the main entrance of the auditorium. He didn't give Aura a second to process things; He needed her off-balance in any way, shape, or form in order to give the team enough of a distraction. If necessary, though, he had ways of taking her out himself.

        Yet another case of a necessary evil to make sure things worked out for the better of everyone.

[Aura McKinly]

Aura's frown only deepened at his words. Issac obviously didn't know she had a cousin on the island that had a thing for explosions. She shifted her weight, about to call him out on this fact before he abruptly turned and started walking, the girl reaching out towards him but missing his clothes, though just barely. He had lots of explaining to do to the young singer, such as how he knew Liam was her brother and if he had and solid proof on this fact. She let out an audible sigh, pushing herself off the wall as she followed him, mulling over things for a moment before speaking smoothly and quickly.

"You say only, yet I actually do have a cousin on this island. He's a bit of a crazy 'I wanna blow everything up' type, but that's not the point I'm trying to make here. How do I know y'all are telling the truth and not trying to play a massive prank on me, or worse? I have been on this island close to three years, I've seen some shit."

The young singer crossed her arms across her stomach for a moment as she walked, mulling over the things that had happened to her in the past three years as it was, her mind flashing to Calista after a moment. Her mentor and one of the few people she had been able to call a friend had been snatched from them what felt like ages ago. She knew someone would have to be next, but who? She rolled her eyes a bit. If it was a prank she may as well get it over with.

"You know what? I'm just going in. If it's a prank or something it's better to get it over with quickly," she stated, stepping ahead of Issac and making her way to the door, hesitating for a moment. If what Issac had said was true then there had to be at least a slim similarity between Liam and her parents in his aura, right?

A small smirk played across her face as she opened the door, making sure not to slam it. She took several steps inside, calling out in a hushed voice. "Liam, if you really are my brother you will come out and explain to me exactly what all this damn secrecy is about."

[Liam McKinly]

Liam paced the floor behind the stage as he waited, his eyes closed lightly. He forced himself to breathe, to focus. In his mind, he reminded himself what this was for. The when all was said and done, Aura would thank him for what he was about to do. For getting her off island. For maybe, just maybe, changing things for all gifted for the better. For giving her the chance to be the one to do that. Of course what remained to be done was still...loathsome. In all his time as an agent, Liam had only twice regretted what he'd had to do. Once was his realization of what his life's work with the Ashford Project really was, and the other was now. The voice that kept constantly breaking into his thoughts via the earpiece he was wearing didn't help either. He pinched the bridge of his nose as it started up again.

"Is the package in position, Mister McKinly?" Liam took a breath and sighed, reaching up to press the button on the side of the ear piece for what felt like the umpteenth time. "Not yet, sir. Patience, he'll get her here." Liam struggled not to soak the word "sir" in sarcasm and hatred. He promptly removed the device, turning it off and slipping it into his back pocket. The voice on the other end belonged to someone he was intimately familiar with; his handler. His direct supervisor during his time in the field; the one who had lied to him for years of his life. The organization had decided to...pair them up again when Liam had contacted them. Perhaps they assumed  given their previous connections, he would be able to detect any falsehood in Liam and Issac's change of heart. That little bubble of thought made Liam smile genuinely. Oh how puppets loved to imagine they held their own strings. This was not the time to get cocky or introspective however, and Liam shook his head, forced himself to focus. The two *were* late, and while he was sure Issac would come through - he always did - Liam couldn't help running and re-running the scenario in his head over and over to be sure. He peered out into the main auditorium, just barely able to make out the twin shapes at the back of the hall, flanked far out on either side of the room. He disliked working with the other agents, but then again if he played his part correctly, they wouldn't need to be involved. He prayed he played his part correctly, though to what god he wasn't quite sure.

Liam looked down at the syringe in his hand, its needle glinting slightly in the silvery moonlight that shone in through a small gap in the curtains. It was filled with precisely 1.95 times the normal required dosage of chloral hydrate to put an adult human under. He knew for a certainty that Aura possessed superior physical condition to most human beings, and had taken no chances that the amount used wouldn't be high enough. 90% of power usage was mental state and concentration. An easy trick of the trade he'd learned early - disruption of a target's ability to focus was the first and simplest method of disarming a gifted. And this would do that, and more. Within moments she would be too weak to stand, speak or move properly, and within less than a minute she would be unconscious. The other agents were wearing pitch black clothing, complete with matching skin paint and matte shades. Liam knew from personal experience that an aura reader couldn't see what they weren't looking for, and she wouldn't be looking. Liam was snapped from his thoughts suddenly, as there was a rattling of the main door's handle before it suddenly swung open, his sister standing there in the doorway before stepping in and letting it close. Liam quickly slipped the syringe into a makeshift holster he'd strapped to his wrist and pulled the sleeve of his long sweatshirt down over it before taking a deep breath and then coming out from behind the  curtain, laser focused on matching his aura to his outward appearance, his face the perfect picture of cautiously excited and slightly nervous.

He made his way to the edge of the stage and hopped down to face Aura, his hands in his pockets. "It's true...I am. The secrecy is for...safety. I'd rather this all stay between us, for now at least. But it's...it's a relief for you to know, I have to admit." He gave a small wistful smile, praying behind his eyes this time to whatever god would listen, that he would still *have* a sister when this night was done.

[Aura McKinly]

Aura shifted her weight, crossing her arms a bit as she watched and listened to Liam, his aura matching his actions perfectvdespite her foubts. Something still felt off to the young singer, though. There were things that just weren't adding up in her mind, such as the reason why it needed to be kept a secret. Why would something such as a long lost brother need to be kept secret? Surely a person would rather start to be there for a girl, especially one who had been through as much as she had been.

Something just wasn't adding up in the back of her mind.

She wasn't going to drop her defensive sheen of light, or even her mental readiness for the possibility of a fight. Sure, her stance didn't exactly say she was ready, but jujitsu was something that didn't always require a stance. That was one thing she'd like to do, get her black belt at some point.

She shook off these thoughts, regocusing on Liam as she went over his aura again. It was still steady, though she didn't know if that was a bad or good thing for the truth. "Do you havevproof or am I just supposed to take your word for it?" she asked as she took half a step forward. She knew Liam was no idiot, that there had to be some reason why he was so secretive. For all she knew, Liam had something bigger planned, something she'd probably hate.

"If your goal with this is to protect me from the world you are way too late for that. Now I'm going to need some legitimate proof before I'll believe you, so cough it up. I'm sure you've at least planned this much ahead. If not... Well then you're not as bright ad I give you credit for."

[Liam McKinly]

Liam nodded internally as he listened to Aura speak, a little flicker of a genuine smile turning the corners of his mouth. His sister was no fool, and while that had forced him to plan a bit more than he would usually have to he was, in a strange way, proud of her. That wasn't to say that he wasn't prepared to deal with her doubts, far from it. To come this far and not be would be foolish. He took a breath as she finished, nodding a bit, externally this time. "I figured you'd need proof. I did too, at first. A long while ago, before I came to the school, I found these."

Liam turned and walked back to the stage, reaching up to pull down a small stack of papers that sat near the edge. The best lies came from a seed of truth, and this was Liam's seed. When he had first discovered the government's web of lies - what they'd actually had him doing to his own kind - everything he'd ever been told had been called into question, including his parentage. He'd immediately done some searching before planning his escape with Issac, and had found what he now held in his hands: his original, non-redacted birth records.

"The people who...raised me, didn't tell me the truth. They told me my parents had abandoned me. And I suspect they lied to you too. I don't want to try and protect you from the world...look where we are. I just...I need you to know the truth. And I worry that if word spreads that we're related, the people who took me might turn their sights on you." He walked back to Aura, closing the gap between them and extending the papers to her. "I was born, in a hospital in Tennessee, to John and Calista McKinly." His voice shook a little, genuinely to Liam's own surprise. Once she took them he stepped back, looking down. "If that's not enough..." He opened his arms. "Look at my aura. I know you have to be able to see it. I could to, when we first met. Guess...aura sight runs in the family."

He fell silent now. It would be up to Aura how she reacted to all this. This was the part of any plan that he hated. The part that relied on humans to react in one way or another. He had a plan no matter what, but not knowing what was coming next? It wasn't a feeling Liam was very familiar with. And he didn't like it.

[Aura McKinly]

Aura raised an eyebrow as he turned around, the girl not really knowing what to make of the entire situation. Sure, she was supposed to have a brother, but he had passed away shortly after birth. What was it that Liam was trying to say? There were very few reasons why this stuff would have happened, and very few of them were good. Had an agent gotten wind of something with Liam in the womb or something? Her aura vision was something she was born with, her light manipulation coming when she was three. She spun her hair around a finger, thinking for a moment while Liam grabbed whatever it was that he was grabbing and came back over to her, the girl blinking a few times when he mentioned people turning their sights to her.

She already was on the island, that was enough eyes looking at her every day, especially when it came to her capabilities. She shifted her weight, taking the paper, her eyes glancing over it, raising an eyebrow at what she was seeing. It was a birth certificate, her mom and dad's name being on it. She noted the names on the certificate, her eyes glancing up to Liam every now and again. The seal was authentic from what she could tell, but she wasn't the best when it came to telling whether or not something was authentic. She looked over the paper for a moment longer before things started to click.

People turning sights on her? Who else other than the Ashford Project would do such a thing? She looked back up at Liam, taking a moment to think over what she was about to say, not really sure how much truth would hold true. "So... what you are trying to say is that the Ashford Project abducted you at birth because you were showing signs in the womb? If that's the case then it was something more than just aura vision like me..." She crossed her arms, her eyes closing for a moment in thought.

She uncrossed her arms and placed them on her hips, dropping the mask after a moment of thought. "Though I do have a question, why did they never suspect me for my eye colour? I mean, it's obvious that I don't have albinism at this point, which is the only case where I know it's natural." She tapped her chin a few times, glancing up towards the ceiling for a moment before focusing her eyes back on Liam.

[Liam McKinly]

Liam opened his mouth, then closed it, actually a bit stunned. Inwardly he smiled a bit, continuing to be pleasantly surprised this evening, as somber a situation as it was. She was quickly putting two and two together. In more than one way though, he knew this worked in his favor. He had denied her just enough information to have any reason to suspect him of any alignment with the government, but then that was a ruse he had mastered when he still had a true allegiance to hide. In addition to the strategic advantage, he was glad to know that Aura could handle herself mentally as well as physically. Once they reached the mainland the real work would begin. And it would without a doubt be more taxing and more involved than anything she had ever been involved with on the island. The fact that she thought quickly and figured things out equally as quickly gave him some small comfort.

Liam mulled over in his head how much to disclose about his own abilities. The question she had just asked, and the train of thought before it, would demand an answer. To not respond at all would breed mistrust, but to answer fully could breed suspicion. He chuckled to himself internally as he formulated a response. "It's just down one rabbit hole after another today, isn't it?" After a moment he took a breath, walking a bit closer to her and leaning against one of the seats. "That's because aura vision isn't...strictly speaking an ability they can use. Well it is, but there others more...multifaceted. The way I understand it, I was developing much faster than the norm mentally. Even in the womb. They saw something they needed and...they took it." Liam narrowed his eyebrows a bit in genuine hatred, looking past Aura for a moment and out one of the auditorium windows.

"As for your eye color?" He took a moment. This one was simple enough, thankfully. "It ties back to the reason they came for me, I suppose. I've always theorized there are...very specific abilities or enhanced traits that they look for. I...matched a profile, I suppose. You didn't. Not at birth, at least." Liam sat down in the seat he was leaning against, folding his hands lightly in his lap and looking down. He couldn't help but remember what he'd been told growing up. That his family was dead. That he was to be special and given an important job: hunting down criminals who used their powers to hurt others. All lies. Every single one a lie. Bitterly he smiled inwardly. Once again his hatred was making everything he said that much more true, and that much more emotional, though internally he kept a close watch on his mental state. "I suppose I should thank you, Ashford. ...Being a monster has it's perks."

[Aura McKinly]

Aura closed her eyes in thought for a moment, the mask slowly reforming over her face. She felt like there were things about the Ashford Project that were being kept even more well hidden than she had expected. There were very few things in her life that she had come to dislike as much as the project before her now. She shook her head, opening her eyes a moment later to look at her brother, knowing fully well that he couldn't see her eyes through the mask, well not see them easily. Light was an interesting element in that sense, she could work with it to her advantage more often then people would expect. She had to get this information out there, the world had to know that she had a brother, but more importantly that her father had a son stolen from him at birth.

She needed off the island, she needed to get back to the music scene and fast. The reason? Fans were passionate people, and if they saw something they thought was injustice they would not stay quiet for long. She smiled softly to herself, plans swirling around in her head for a moment before speaking, her voice confident. "I do not think they know the kind of beast they will be unleashing soon. The public won't stay quiet about this, especially if one of their stars was impacted within both of his kids. One snatched away at birth, the other snatched away after an even that has kept her down mentally. I need a way off this place, to get the word out... To change the world. This project has had control over us, those who are just variants of the normal humans in some way or form."

She crossed her arms and spun on her heels, looking back towards the door. "If this place had been big enough I would have worked on long distance travel... five miles isn't really enough to actually work on getting endurance up..." She sighed lightly before glancing back at Liam. "Thank you, Liam. You've given me a new goal, a goal that can topple this project and all it's worth."