Ruthlessness is Mercy Upon Ourselves
(Minors DNI! Trigger Warnings for manipulation, abuse, attempted murder, and implied nudity! Inspired by a recent rp scenario with @zionshumbleservant and an anon who I misunderstood the intentions of. Oops, deeply apologize. If you'd like me to @ and tag you, let me know. But I'll keep your privacy for now unless told otherwise. Hopefully this snippet can make up for the blunder, seeing as Faye jumping to conclusions is something that happens at times. Sadly, this is in character for her, and puts her on someone's radar. A certain boogeyman, named Altermann, who has certainly come back to play. Oh and P.S. don't expect accurate German, I am not fluent.)
Faye spent about two hours rooting out the first cave system she sensed anything off from. Horror striking her heart and mind as she saw she was right about there being Spore Carriers. Upon killing and burning them all to cinders, she walked outside slowly and quickly ignited herself as well. Keeping a fierce level of control over the flames, only letting them burn away any remaining spores on her suit. It was a momentary wave of flame to anyone's eyes. Including the individual now watching her act on paranoia and instinct. Smiling as Faye adapted and molded herself mentally into a purely survivalist state. Though she still held the care for everyone in the valley deep within, the fierce need to protect was very much ignited. Altermann subtly gave her some of his energy to start off this latest game. The visions of horror he'd sent her way had her spooked, and the ramblings of that mad fool raving about mushrooms only sealed her decision. Giving him the perfect mindset to toy with.
He let her take out a second cave, get near tired out before finally revealing himself a few hours later. His voice ringing out like a sinister dread in her mind, "Meine liebe, you're running on fumes. How long do you intend to continue as you are?"
"You getting enjoyment from this asshole? Could always just track you down while I'm at it. Maybe you'll be in one of these caves.", she said aloud with pure venom.
To Altermann laughed, "There's the vindictive bitch I know. Wonder what your friend would think of you saying such things? Maybe he already fears he's corrupted you?"
Faye growled softly at the taunt, "Say what you want Franz, it won't help your case."
"Neither will you running on nothing but fading adrenaline and spite help yours. Besides kinder, I'm not here to torment you."
"On the contrary meine freundin, I want to help you out a little."
Faye's eyes narrowed as she thought about what that meant for only a moment, "Your help is never helpful."
"Hör mir zu, Frau!", he shouted in her head before continuing on with his usual collected mannerisms, "I want to offer some energy for you to make use of. Enough to ensure Zion is safe from the beasts. I ask only that we speak alone in return afterwards, face to face. Not just a false image of me or a voice in your ear."
Faye fought the headache he gave her with the force of his sudden aggression, and thought on the proposal before shaking her head, "No, this...this isn't right. I won't fall for it!"
"Easy there Mädchen, no need to shout.", he said softly before easing the headache, "There are many benefits to this. Besides, while you could rest, where would that leave Joshua? The others? Need I remind you of the vision I'm seeing at the back of your mind?"
He then bombarded Faye with the visions of a ravaged Zion she'd seen. The darkened canyons, caves filled with Spore Carriers, and at the center of it all, a lone beast sharing the name of a Algonquin creature she dared not even recall the name of. He then showed her how the poor thing came to be. With Joshua roaming the caves alone only to be attacked. Whilst he survives the ordeal, he doesn't survive the sickness that comes with it. Nor does anyone survive his wrath when he finally dies. The last thing he allows Faye to see, is Joshua, or what is left of him, charging at her with intent to kill. When she screams at the sight, her mind is finally released. Faye finds herself on her knees, shaking badly and sweating with terror as Altermann laughs once more but maintains his false tongue. He's already won, but like the serpent at Eden, he needs to push just that little bit more.
"See meine kinder? He is a doomed man, as is every soul here. Unless you stop this threat, but you cannot do it alone and you know it. So, what do you say? Will you accept my offer?"
"You would have me...", she began to ask between panicked breaths, "...sign the Devil's book with you?"
"I wouldn't say that, for I am no Mephistopheles or any devil. To imply so would be to imply either are real. The Devil exists in the hearts of men because we made him to excuse ourselves. But...I am not here to be boring with matters of faith.", he states with his own venom, always having disdained the idea of faith of any kind, "We have work to do. Now get up, and continue your hunt."
Faye wanted to resist him, wanted to badly to just ignore him. Yet, somewhere deep in her mind, the seeds of the fear had come to bear fruit. Joshua's fate was still on her mind, a fate she wanted so badly to prevent. Shakily, shamefully, she stood up with the rifle once more firm in her grip, "If you even try anything stupid-"
"I wouldn't dream of it, not while you are fighting fiends that could destroy my life's work within mere days. Where would your death truly leave me girl? What could I possibly hope to gain from the loss of a few hundred years worth of valuable research?"
Faye found no comfort or safety in his words, and chose to keep her wits about her. Not that it mattered to Franz, who gladly kept his end of the bargain. He wasn't lying about wanting her alive to maintain his research, at least for now. It took an entire night to root out the other caves. Luckily the Survivalist that was once Randall Clark, referred to as the Father in the Caves by the locals, had done most of the work long ago. So Faye didn't have too much to do or worry about aside from the small pockets in the caves. Eventually, neither of the duo sensed anything else of the Spore Carriers' ilk by the time of the early hours of the morning. A mere hour before dawn, Faye was dragging herself back to her own cave. Intending on quarantining herself for at least a day to be safe. She did cleanse herself with flames after each cave, but didn't want to take chances. She was nearing the Angel Cave when Altermann grabbed her shoulder, now bare as the suit and her clothing had been accidentally burned away during the last engulfment.
"Don't forget our arrangement girl.", he told her sternly. Then when Faye instinctively covered herself and went to turn around fearfully for that dreaded conversation alone with him, she felt a sharp pain in her side. Where the scar from Altermann's first attempt on her life so long ago now was. He didn't cut deep this time, only enough to make her bleed and scream. He then held her close and whispered in her ear, "What I have made, I can destroy. What I give I can just as easily take. Remember this the next time you go trying to throw your life around or away."
He then dragged and dropped her off on the edge of the Dead Horses' camp, and used his mutated speed to flee before anyone could stop him. Brun was the first one to find Faye, barking and growling in the direction Altermann had fled. Faye curled up instinctively from the pain and sudden shame of being seen in such a state. Embarrassed and distraught at just what she'd allowed to happen. Hearing the horrified and angry voices of everyone crowd around her, Joshua included, only made it all the worse. Brun really tried not being in the way, but the poor mutt picked up Faye's turmoil very quickly. Even when carefully shoved or pulled away from her, Brun could only whine and try getting close again.
