Topic: The Mission ((Open))

[Sky]

Spring thunderstorms were something Henry liked to look forward to. The way the air smelled just before the rain fell, how the rain would start off slow and then suddenly change into a fast shower, the sky changing, thunder roaring. And then the lightning. The unique zig-zagging lines that disappeared just as quickly as they had appeared.

 The thunderstorm had already started though. The rain was falling, pouring, incredibly fast, already beginning to soak through his robes. He pulled his hood further down over his head, though it really didn't really do anything.

   And then they came. Dressed in their solid black cloaks, hoods over their heads just like Henry. They all arrived around the same time, with a cracking sound. And one of them held a crying baby in their arms. That one person stepped forward and made his way to Henry.

 
  "So, you're absolutely sure you want to be with us then boy? I'm sure you know the risks, but I'll be kind and remind you. Because once you join us, you can't turn back. You give up a lot of things. But if you want power, then this is right up your ally."

Henry just held his gaze at the man.

 "You face cutting off all ties with your friends and family. You face being captured by the Ministry, being tortured, even killed. To be a traitor will result with consequences. So tell me, is this what you want?"

"I want to be strong." Henry replied quietly. "You told me if I joined you, I would gain strength. I'd be able to over-power great witches and wizards. I'd learn things that some of the greatest masters don't even know."

"I know why you want this. It's just my job to make sure you understand what you're doing."

Henry nodded. "I understand."

The man suddenly grabbed Henry's arm, his wand in his other hand, and pushed the baggy fabric up. He pressed the tip of his wand into Henry's forearm and Henry cried out in pain. There was a green flash, and then it was over.

He had the mark.

"There. Now, you have a mission. You cannot fail this mission. You must get away from here. Far away. And you are to take this baby with you."

Henry's eyes widened. "B-baby!? I can't take care of a baby!"

"Silence! You are to do as I say. This is your mission. Do not fail us." He put the child into his hands, and then snapped his fingers. That was when all of the cloaked figures left with another cracking sound.

The baby had stopped crying and stared up at Henry. There was a note on his shirt.


  Char Mason

Must be his name.

"What do I do with you? Where am I supposed to take you? I'm only fifteen."

[potter_fan122]

((THANK YOU.))

There was a disturbance.

No, another disturbance.  It wasn't often Stacey felt this sort of thing, but when she did she knew exactly what it was.  There was a rotten feeling in her stomach, like she was going to get sick.  If the situation had been different and she had been pregnant, she might have passed it off as morning sickness--except at night.

But she wasn't pregnant, and she did in fact know exactly what this was.  There was something unwanted.  Someone unwanted in the forest.  Ever since they had taken Charmond, she had set up little mental markers in certain areas.  A lot were hidden in the forest, but there were some in town.  They were fairly simple; all they did was go off in her mind if Char got too close to them.  And right now, she knew where he was.

She didn't have to think twice about anything.  The twins were down for the night, so she didn't have them to worry about.  Quickly she explained things to Aiden and pulled an old hoodie over her tank top.  She had on yoga pants, which wasn't the best for the weather, but she didn't want to waste more time by putting on jeans.  Who knew how long the Death Eaters would stay?  She didn't have time to waste.

With a quick twist of her energy, she was thrust into the forest where rain was falling heavily.  She shivered and moved into the shadows.  She had transported right to the signal she had received, so there was only a couple trees between her and the people who set it off.  She hands were set in front of her, ready.  A blade glimmered near her left wrist.  Her eyes were a steely grey as she searched for the men who stole her friend's baby.

Instead she saw a boy.  Just a boy.  His back was to her and he had his hood up, but he was much to small to be a man.  Besides, there wasn't very power coming from him.  But he was holding Char, and that was the important thing.

"Excuse me," she asked, stepping out her hiding spot, "I... Do you need some help?"

Stacey put one hand on a hip and gave him an incredulous look, making her eyes change to her "natural" brown.  Standing there in the rain with her black yoga pants and old hoodie, she looked more like a teenager than the adult she made herself.  That was good, though.  Here was a fifteen year old boy with a baby.  But he was with the Death Eaters.  His sleeve was still pulled up, revealing the Mark.

She was going to pretend like she couldn't see it, though.

[Crazy_About_You]

((can I join??))

[Lola_La_Fringe7]

Jackie twitched disagreeably from where she was crouched in the shadows. That group of men in black hoods had scared away the fattest looking animal she had laid her eyes on in quite some time. She had been looking forward for punishing a couple of them for it. However, what she hadn’t planned on was following them silently through the woods to this young boy.

He looked too young and naïve to be sporting the Mark that was clearly visible on his arm. Death Eater. She thought to herself. But really who was she to judge? How many people had she killed in her long life so far?

 Sitting back in the thickets of shrubbery the forest had such an abundance of, Jackie waited. She observed the boy. He looked indignant and a little bit afraid, though he was doing a good job hiding it. Turning her head minutely to the left, she observed Stacey step into view. She smiled softly, drinking in the presence of someone familiar to her. It had been too long.

She stifled another broader smile. Stacey, as hard as she tried could never look quite grown-up. She could be terrifying and definitely deadly at times, but an adult? Never. However, there was a tense undertone to Stacey’s body now. Jackie couldn’t place the emotions, but she assumed something was up. She stayed where she was, watching.

[Sky]

((Yes. The topic is open haha.))

    "No." Henry replied quickly. "I'm-I'm fine." He shifted the baby in his arms so that he swiftly pull down his sleeve. Had she seen the mark? If she did, he was done for. She would probably turn him in.

   "Don't forget, you know magic far beyond your typical lessons at Hogwarts. "

 That was what he was told at the end of his last meeting with the Death Eaters. That was why they had really wanted him. Because he was strong. But they had warned him that night. They had taken in a girl who was very talented with magic, but she had drifted away and turned her back on them. You can't do that. You face horrific things for turning your back on the Death Eaters.
   
  "I was just leaving." He said, taking a step back.

[potter_fan122]

Stacey raised an eyebrow, starting to shiver.  The rain was already starting to soak through her thin hoodie, and the wind wasn't helping anything.  She wasn't really listening to the boy; her eyes were set on the baby in his arms.  When he started to back away her eyes sharpened on him, though, flashing a dark green.  Quickly she forced them back to brown, hoping she hadn't startled him.  It didn't seem like he recognized her from the school, and she didn't really know who he was, but surely he knew about the barely-adult-teacher-with-the-scary-eyes.  She had heard mentions of herself in the minds of many of the older students.  Most of them weren't so nice, either.

"Are you sure?  I mean, that's a baby.  A little life.  No offense, but you don't look like you know how to take care of it, and I would really feel better if you gave it to me."  Stacey spoke slowly, making sure her words were clear.  She tried to keep her innocent, young tone as well.  Pushing the mommy factor would most likely scare the poor kid.  He was probably already scared anyway, he had just been made into a Death Eater.

Death Eaters.  Surely they must have taught him something about dark magic.  What if he tried something on her?  Without taking her eyes off of him she moved her fingers ever so slightly, pushing with her mind rather than using physical motions.  A faint shimmer appeared behind whoever the kid was and she let herself relax.  He couldn't run, at least.  If he tried, he would just run into an invisible wall.

"Hey, what's your name?  I'm Stacey.  Stacey Gray," she asked, moving towards him with her hand outstretched.  She really didn't expect him to shake her hand, but it was worth a shot and gave her an excuse to get closer to him.

[Sky]

   
  "No, you can't take him." Henry said quietly. He narrowed his eyes, bright green, that gave off a dark, mysterious feel. This was his responsibility. If she took the infant, he would be punished. Henry wanted to prove to the others that he could pull off anything they challenged him with. 

  And then he recognized who the woman was. A teacher of his. He was fairly new, so he didn't really pay much attention, but he remembered her now. She stepped forward, holding out her hand and asking for his name, introducing herself.

  Henry took yet another step back, hands still around the baby. He knew already that she was after the little infant. There was no doubt about it.

 "Henry." He said.

[potter_fan122]

A bright crack lit up the sky.  Lightening flashed, followed by a large crash of thunder.  Energy from the air automatically flowed into Stacey--she could feel it crackle around her--and her hands moved to her sides, fingers curved into claws.  She gave up on her eyes and let them change to an electric yellow. 

"Actually, I think I can.  You aren't old enough to take care of him.  You aren't old enough to leave school, Henry.  How are you going to take care of a baby?  You know nothing about him except his name."  Her eyes rested heavily on him, trying to hold him with her gaze.  Maybe she could do like they did in Muggle movies and do that meaningful look thing that always made the bad kids come back to the right side.  Pffft.

"You don't have to do this.  Are you scared, because I can protect you." That was kind of a lie.  She had too much in her life to be able to protect some kid.  She could try, but the Death Eaters would no doubt find their way around her half-trying powers.

Suddenly Stacey felt a twinge of coldness that has nothing to do with the rain.  A sort of power seemed to drift into her and a fierce shiver rolled over her.  A familiar shiver.

-Jackie?-

[Sky]

       

  "You can't protect me!" Henry exclaimed. "No, you can't take me away from something I chose. I agreed to this. And I'm going through with this mission. I'm taking him away from here, like I was told. I'll have help. I don't need to be at this school." Henry's eyes lowered to Char and then back up to Stacey's eccentric yellow eyes.

  "You should go back to the school. I know what I'm doing."

[Crazy_About_You]

Zepha had been walking near by when she heard a voice scream. Something told her that something bad was happening and so she followed her gut and walked towards the sound.

She approached the clearing and saw a boy, his back was towards her so she couldn't see his face. But behind him was Stacey, and she had a look in her eye that said something was wrong. Then she saw something wiggling in the boy's arms. Was that, a baby? The boy moved and she could see the mark on his arm, a death eater. She glanced back at Stacey, who was focused completely on the child. Then it all clicked, that was Char, Sky's son who had recently been kidnapped.

She instantly knew what was going on, but didn't know what she could do. She glanced at Stacey again and figured she'd stand here and wait. Maybe there was something she could do to help. Granted she didn't know her spells but she was willing to put that asided if it meant helping rescue Char.

[Lola_La_Fringe7]

Jackie smiled, decidedly happy that Stacey had recognized her. -The one and only- She thought, smirking. She didn’t send her thought out towards Stacey, but more thought it to herself. She figured the boy wouldn’t pick up on it that way, and she knew Stacey would be good enough to get the message. After all, she had sensed Jackie in the first place.

 Rising fluidly from the bush that had once concealed her, Jackie smiled at Henry, masking her confusion over the baby held in his arms. It looked somewhat awkward; like he wasn't quite sure to do with the tiny thing. She figured that she didn’t look like much of a threat to him. With her slight, willowy frame and height of around five feet, combined with her blue eyes and blonde to the point of being white hair; she didn’t look like much of a threat to anyone.

“Pardon me for saying so, but I doubt you know more about what you’re doing than Stacey here does.” She commented softly.

Then she looked at him and smiled again, an inviting gesture. “Why don’t you let us help?” She asked. “And what exactly is this mission you mentioned?”

[Sky]

Henry just shook his head. They were so ignorant. He just told them he chose this. He had warned him that if were seen, he'd probably be encountered. And he was to do everything he had to, to keep that child in his possession.
 
   "I don't want your help and I don't need your help. And the details of my mission are strictly for me and those who assigned me."

[potter_fan122]

Stacey felt Jackie appear rather than see her.  Her unnatural eyes were locked on the boy with the baby.  That was her main concern.  She only barely heard Jackie's reply and a small tickle run through her system.  Zepha, her mind told her, the new girl.  Great, more complications.

“Pardon me for saying so, but I doubt you know more about what you’re doing than Stacey here does.”  A sort of defensive fury rose up in her mind.  Stacey hated being underestimated, especially now.  She deserved to be treated like an adult with everything she had been though, and she wasn't fifteen anymore.

"Look, Henry," Stacey started, ignoring Jackie's comment for now.  This was no time to be offended.  "I'm a teacher, and I can't let you take that child."  She took a step forward and snapped her fingers.  The wall she had formed behind Henry lit up and expanded, crackling like lightening.  An eerie light formed and illuminated the raindrops as they fell.  Where they hit the wall soft sizzles could be heard.

"Please, I can help you."

[Sky]

Henry just laughed as he turned to face the wall.

      "You must think I'm a typical fifteen year old." He stated, pressing his hand against the wall. There was a curious glow around his hand, a dark black aura. There was a sizzling sound as his hand passed through the wall, feeling rain on the outside. And then he pulled it back in.

  "You two stand here thinking you're so substantial, like you can easily have your way with a snap of your fingers. Let me tell you, your very wrong. And I don't recommend making arrogant mistakes like that."

[potter_fan122]

There was a sharp spike in her mental radar and she gasped.  She knew he must have been taught something, but not much.  He knew more than she gave him credit for.

Instantly she dropped everything.  All of her mental walls were down, which they hadn't been since before she'd been pregnant.  A sudden amount of energy rushed towards her, and for a moment she felt an intense presure on her body.  She inhaled sharply and coughed once.  A few sparks came off of her when she did.  She took a deep breath.  Everything felt like it was slowing down, but only a second has passed.  She could feel everything.  The air around her was charged and electric, the rain cool and sharp against her wet face.  The feeling of being nothing passed over her;  she felt like she could just blend into the ground, she could taste every blade of grass, smell every drop of sweat from Henry.  Even the leftover emmotions and memories from the Death Eaters passed over her.

She loved being half immoral.  It was easy to understand why immortality had driven some people evil.  The feeling was addictive.

"Henry," she said, not recognizing the low undertone to her voice, "I do not think you are a typical fifteen year old.  If anyone knows what it's like to be different, it's me.  Please don't think I underestimate you."  Her eyes glowed bright orange, actually letting off a soft glow.  The light mixed with the yellow from the wall to light her small face.  She no longer looked young.  Instead she looked dangerous and all too small.

"I don't want to fight you, Henry, but I am not letting you take that baby."