Amy II

I wrote the last post after finding a place to hole up for a bit. I thought I'd stay there for a bit then continue on out of town after a short rest. I hadn't really gotten any sleep. Still haven't gotten any yet. No sooner was I finished writing the last post then someone entered my new hideout. It was Amy. "Oh hello fancy seeing you here," she greeted me. I watched her warily.

"How did you get out?" I asked.

"You saw me get escorted out didn't you. I made sure to be far away before the fighting started. I was well aware of The Ordeal's defenses. Though I guess they turned out to be a little more formidable than I expected," she said sounding wistful.

"You're losing," I stated bluntly. She smiled.

"Seems that way," she agreed.

"I guess it doesn't matter. You still got what you wanted," I shrugged. She seemed genuinely confused.

"I did?" she asked.

"Yeah. You got me. I'm here all alone with you. There's no Richard here. Nothing to protect me. I'm what you wanted and you got me," I said feeling angry. She stared at me uncomprehending and then laughed.

"Oh you dear deluded child. Why the hell would I care about you? You were nothing, but an in for me and I didn't even really end up needing you for that," she said smiling, amused at me.

"You... You didn't want me?" I asked incredulous.

"Why would anyone want you? I wanted The Ordeal. A group that operates on the base level. Not like The SMSC or any of the others who operate as secret agencies. The Ordeal work closely with The Runners. Think about what I could do if I secretly controlled a group like that. I'd have an easy time manipulating The Runners and Servants alike. It would be the perfect cover and of course I thought they'd be much easier to infiltrate than The more organized groups anyway. No I'm afraid that no one is after you. The Fears couldn't care less about you. Oh my you can dream about other universes and other people! How useful has that actually been for you. Taught you anything that could actually help anyone? I doubt it. You're not a threat, you're not an asset. You're just an anomaly and no one cares. You are unimportant," her voice was jeering, mocking. I rallied against it. It couldn't be true. The Darkness... The Fears... They were coming for me... I was important I know I'm important. She had to be lying. Regardless at that point a new voice broke in.

"She is important. She's human and that makes her important," the voice was male and sort of rough, in a way that I can't really describe. The Liar seemed surprised though and turned to face the newcomer. It was the man who had been hanging around The Ordeal headquarters for the last little while. Finally seeing him for myself I could agree with Melissa's assessment. He was gorgeous. He was all the best traits of masculinity personified. Strong, confident, rugged and commanding. The Liar eyed him and she seemed undisturbed by his appearance.

"Who are you?" she asked her voice sounding annoyed. He smiled.

"I've heard a lot about you. I'm fairly sure you've heard a lot about me. My name is Harold Ardy," he answered. I couldn't see The Liar's face from behind, but I saw her visibly stiffen at the name. I recognized it as well. Harold, The Brute's Servant, The Smoke Lord.

The Liar spoke and her voice was distant, cold, restrained. "You... You're the one who killed him. The one who ruined everything," she said and I could see her hands balling into fists. A chain made out of smoke appeared in his hands, the end of which entered the ground. The Liar didn't seem to notice and charged at him. He leapt back yanking up on the chain at the same time and something rose from the ground catching The Liar in a pair of massive claws and slamming her against the ground. It was a beast. Like a mixture of a dog, a bear and a lion. Made of smoke and maned by fire. The Liar's rage disappeared instantly and she stared up into the monster's jaws with a look of fear. The next words out of her mouth sounded like begging.

"You... You'll kill my host," she said desperately. Harold just smiled.

"Don't care,"

"I have other bodies out there!" The Liar countered.

"Then you won't miss this one," he answered, "Kill." he commanded and the creature opened it's mouth and in one move her head was gone.

I watched terrified as this occurred and then the creature turned to me and began growling and I backed away.

"Heel," Harold commanded and the beast stopped growling and returned to his side. He placed his hand on it's head and gave it a quick pat. It growled, but then sank into the ground and the chain dissipated back into smoke.

"What was that?" I asked.

"The Brute," he replied passively.

"You have The Brute on a leash?" I asked incredulously. He closed his eyes and shrugged.

"It's amazing what people forget. As time passes things that are no longer relevant become forgotten. When The Brute went dormant everyone forgot about him even The Fears. They forgot what he was. When he returned they thought the same thing everyone else did. They thought The Brute was an uncontrollable monster. In a sense he is, but I became part of him and I learned what the others forgot. The Brute isn't a thinking creature. It's a weapon. An Attack dog. The Fears forgot how to use it and without guidance it simply rampaged. I've learned how to use it, how to control it and the best part I am part of it and so it's perfectly happy to listen to me," he explained.

"So what are you going to do now? Use your pet to destroy The Fears. Become top dog?" I asked. He looked sullen.

"I first went after The Brute because a servant killed my family. I wanted power and revenge. What I wanted was a way to fight back. I didn't know what I was doing then. I let The Brute control me. Turn my intentions purely towards revenge. I stopped being human and became one of them. When I was brought back they sealed me inside a suit. The Brute and I were disconnected. It gave me time to think. All I've ever wanted was to fight back and protect people. Now that I'm free again and I've learned how to control it instead of letting it control me that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to protect those who can't protect themselves and I'm going to fight back against the monsters that prey on the weak," he stated like it was a promise.

After that he said he had to go for a bit to make sure there are no other pieces of The Liar hiding in the area and left me here. I'm not sure what to do now. If what The Liar said is true there's no reason for me to leave, but I feel terrible. I don't know if I can go back and face them... I was so stupid. I'll be safe here for now. I'll decide what to do after I finally get some sleep.