He moved closer as he smiled casually to the youth and his expression became frantic each step he took.
"Don't come any closer." He yelled once more but Mikael continued to approach.
He saw the desperation in the youth's eyes increase and maybe by accident, the bullet fired.
"Bang."
The world slowed and Mikael saw the bullet approach. He had already had this though before, but it popped into his mind once more. While the gun was a dangerous weapon, it had certain limitations that removed those dangers. For instant at this moment, just before the youth could fully press the trigger Mikael head had already shifted to the side. And that was how easily he dodged the passing bullet.
This was the limitation of the bullet Mikael thought of, it could only travel in a straight line. And that was why when Mikael saw Zoe and her curved trajectory ability it had shocked him greatly.
"Thud." He kicked the gun away from the youth who screamed once more at the action.
"Let's have a proper chat now that that's out of the way." He said casually but somehow the youth looked to have broken down completely. Barely listening to what he was saying.
"No no no… I can't! Please let me go.!?" Agent 808 pleaded as mucus and tears ran down his body in streams.
It was only the fact that Mikael wanted to get some information that he had yet to kill the youth immediately but in the state, he was in Mikael needed to calm him down first.
"Hey, hey calm down, I'm not going to hurt you. You see, even your Rattata is still alive. I just need you to answer some questions and I'll let you go." Mikael's whole aura changed completely. Gone was the indifferent killer now replaced by a charming friendly persona. The change was so drastic that the youth's breakdown stopped gradually.
"Here take a health Potion and heal up. Once your answer some of my questions I'll let you and your Rattata go." Mikael took out a minor healing potion from his storage and this further emphasized the kind image of his in the youth's eyes. How could someone who wanted to kill you give you a health potion. That was what he thought as he gladly took the item. A quick use of identification and he was sure it was real!
He drank it down as his emotion gradually settled. The fact the Rattata still remained in the man's arms unharmed further allowed him to calm down.
"Now that you've calmed down, can your answer my questions?" Mikael asked the youth kindly, showing his charming smile.
"What do you want to know." The youth now relaxed asked, seeing hope for his freedom.
"Everything you can tell me." Mikael said.
"Okay, we are members of the [[BlackHand] … Arghhhhh." The youth had just started to speak and then he started screaming while clutching his head. Veins bulged on his face and neck as his completion went red. His head then strangely started expanding and Mikael jumped backward because immediately after, the youth's head popped!
A shower of blood and brain matter was thrown everywhere around, dying the ground red and squishy. While Mikael had been quick enough to jump earlier, he clothes were still stuck with some of this red matter.
Before he could realize what was happening, the Rattata he was holding in his arms burst into a rainbow-like light that rushed into the youth's Blood key as soon as it had appeared.
This progression of event left Mikael shocked, unable to process what had just happened.
[
Emergency Mission
Status: Completed
Description: All immediate dangers to Sarah Connor have been eliminated
Rewards: +30 Favorability with Sarah Connor, E grade Nightmare shard, 30,000 DP
]
…
Mikael had approached the headless body. He was going to use another of his more unused abilities. The situation was simply too strange for him to leave it be.
His arm rested on the youth's chest and his eyes closed finally. Nothing was happening for a while until a small spike of light, like static, came from the two contacts before it disappeared, only lasting a short moment.
"Huhh. Strange." Mikael pulled his hand back, not finding much from his search. What he done in simple terms was ask the now headless body what he wanted to know, and the headless body replied in turn. This was brought about from the spark that had briefly shown before disappearing. An exchange of information through biological electricity. The main downside to this ability was that it required you not to be completely dead.
Mikael had found it strange that the youth's body was completely normal. As normal as a Dreamer was. So, the explosion of his head was not biological at all.
'Possibly a contract.' That thought came to him and it would explain what had just happened. After forming his own permanent contract with Zoe Mikael understood the implications of breaking one. He concluded that the youth must have broken a contract he himself was unaware of. Most probably a contract of secrecy.
"Sigh." Mikael stood up once he collected the youth's blood key. The first few hours of his stay in this world were proving quite exciting.
But he did not forget his mission. In fact, he soon realized he had no idea where Sarah Connor had gone! Mikael had arrived while she had already run of but to where was the real answer.
He retraced his steps back into the now clear cabin, the black fog already dispersing from within. The little that he remained he reclaimed back within himself.
Surprisingly, despite everything that had happened the light still worked. This allowed Mikael the quickly identify the two bodies of Sarah's parents. They were obviously dead. Mikael had no hope there of their survival.
Both had bullet wounds on their foreheads, a hopefully quick and painless death. He closed his eyes, maybe a form of prayers for their rest or maybe because of the awkwardness of the situation, but he opened them soon after and walked outside not lingering long.
"She couldn't have run that far?" Mikael only hopped. What other options did a child have anyways. The best she could do was run and even that would not take her far away.
[Augment: Hyper sense]
He stood still outside the cabin, his mind calming once more. He took a deep breath and tuned his senses to peak. Sounds became louder, smells became easier to sniff out and clues were easier to spot.
He looked around keenly, around the muddy ground and grassy foliage and it did not take him long to spot them. A pear of child size footprints digging into the ground. He followed along. The more he walked the more he saw. A broken wooden branch still fresh, a slight disturbance in grass arrangement, even the slight smell of perfume that was quickly disappearing.
His track took him up to the Lake itself where all clues suddenly disappeared.
A memory quickly came forward before he could proceed. An insignificant memory he would normally not care about. It was a scene from the movie. That was enough for Mikael to know how to proceed.
He walked forward, circling a short distance until he arrived at the wooden dock. It was only then that Mikael could now hear the frantic heartbeat of the one he had been searching for. He also heard a quick panicked gasp, one that quickly disappeared.
It was quite intuitive of her to hide hear anyways. The water would mask both her smell and heat signature and the waves would isolate any potential sounds she would make.
Looking downwards, Mikael could barely spot her even, that small figure that had practically disappeared into the darkness of the night. But she was there, he had already seen her trying to move further into the wooden support of the dock.
Mikael kneeled down quickly, he would have to be gentle about how he proceeded. He was unsure how the mission would proceed if Sarah rejected his protection so he would have to go about this delicately. It was quite both lucky and unlucky. Unlucky for her to have lost her parents and lucky for him now that he had this opportunity to be an emotional support pillar.
"Sarah…" He whispered low and steadily. His tone more comforting than normal.
The girl flinched, pressing herself deeper against the wood, her knuckles white from clinging to a slick support beam. Her hair clung to her cheeks, strands plastered wet against her face. Her lips were blue.
" Stay away," She croaked. Her voice cracked with grief. "I saw what you all did. You killed them …you killed my mom and dad." She tried to scream but it came out weak, disjointed as her sadness overwhelmed her speech.
Mikael was surprised she had replied but he quickly reacted before she could once again disappear into herself.
He shook his head; a motion he was unsure she could even see." I didn't kill your parents, Sarah. It was those bad people. There're the ones who took them from you. I arrived too late to save them. I'm sorry." A hint of emotion broke in his voice when he spoke this time, perhaps he was projecting his own sadness. That grief of losing someone so close to you.
She bit her lips hard enough to shed blood, her eyes burning with tears that refused to fall. Mikael saw the clarity in those eyes, he also saw the denial. The rejection of a truth she already knew." Lier! Why should I believe you, everyone lies…Even dad…he said… he said." She was unable to finish her sentence, her own voice failing her.
"I'm not lying Sarah. I not with those bad people that killed your parents, I came here to protect you. You might think your parents' sacrifice had no meaning Sarah, but they sacrificed themselves so you could live. They did so because they love you, Sarah. Don't let that Sacrifice go to waste." His voice held no edge, just calm certainty.
Her breath hitched, she looked away her shoulder shaking.
"You don't understand… they're gone," she whispered, voice breaking. "My mom, my dad—they're gone. There's nothing left for me"
"I'm still here for you Sarah." He said firmly, the passion in his own voice rising. "You matter in this, Sarah. More than you know. If you stay here, if you give up… then their deaths mean nothing. But if you come with me—" He leaned forward, locking eyes with her through the dark gaps in the wood. "—you make them mean everything." This was the moment, the breaking point on what her decision would amount to.
The silence stretched, broken only by the sound of water slapping against the dock
Her eyes searched his face for the lie. But there was none. Only the weight of someone who'd seen loss before and carried it like a scar instead of a wound.
Slowly, shakily, Sarah released her grip on the beam, something other than grief had now been born within her eyes. Her small hands broke the water's surface, reaching up.
Mikael reached down without hesitation, his hand steady. When their fingers locked, he pulled her up from the freezing dark.
She stood on the dock, dripping, shivering, eyes red and hollow. It was a pitiful sight, but Mikael only looked at her with admiration. He could see in the girl's eyes a burning fire. The will to live another day and his own heart calmed. Her will was still strong and sometimes that was enough.
"You don't have to trust me yet. But at least know my name, Mikael. Let me help you, Sarah. I'm here because you're still alive and that means you're worth protecting." Mikael tried once more, and he waited for the word he already knew she would say.
Her body moved forward, maybe out of her own will or maybe because she had lost the strength of her legs. But she fell into Mikael's waiting arms. "I trust you Mikael… please don't leave me alone…"
Mikael finally smiled and his arms wrapped gently around the grieving girl. He wondered if it would have felt this way back then if someone had done the same for him. But that was a long time ago.
"Everything going to be alright Sarah."
The girl only nodded within his arms, not saying much.
[
Milestone achieved
Description: You have managed to convince a world protagonist.
Reward: 20 000 Dream Points, Eloquent Gentleman
Title requirements met
Title: Eloquent Gentleman
]
…
Favorability ranking
1. Eternal Enemies
Description: Relationship has collapsed beyond repair. Hostile on sight.
2. Hated
Description: Locals are wary, fear them, or outright resent them, but don't attack unless provoked.
3. Distrustful
Description: A fragile truce. Locals work with them only because survival demands
4. Neutral Stranger
Description: No special feelings. A clean slate.
5. Friendly
Description: Locals acknowledge as capable, strange allies but keep some distance.
6. Trusted Ally
Description: Locals actively support, sharing resources and risking themselves.
7. Revered / Bonded
Description: Locals see them as heroes, saviors, or even family. Eternal loyalty formed.
Special States
False Favorability: may manipulate locals into believing they're trusted allies, only to betray them later (favorability shown high but hidden "true score" is lower).
Corrupted Bond: A bond formed through fear or intimidation. Locals obey, but loyalty is shallow and collapses if power balance shifts.
...
A/N.
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