003 - Stranger in a Strange Land

[Tullaryx]

The fog rolled in to give the early morning a crisp, cold bite. San Francisco morning weather would never change. The world's looked into the apocalyptic abyss more than once in the last couple decades and still the fog rolled in. The figure stood on the balcony of his Pacific Heights estate. He could feel the chill in the air, but such sensations didn't matter as much to him now. Not since his last assignment from his previous life.

The sun was still below the horizon, but the sun rarely bothered him now. The weekly injections he gave himself seemed to have slowed down the physical changes. Mentally he'd managed and controlled enough of his newly inherited urges to maintain his sanity. The world around him looked just like the one he had been pulled out of a couple years ago. Maybe he should thank Doniatrakos for casting that spell in their last encounter. The Ancient who had manipulated them both had gone insane from the botched ritual to raise all the dead. He didn't know if Doniatrakos or the rest of the hunters had survived the Ancient's death. All he knew was Doniatrakos warning all in the temple that the Ancient had pulled so much etheric energy into its dessicated body to fully contain. He'd long-ago been bonded to the Macedonian and felt the powerful spell being cast by his mentor.

"Well, Alex it looks like your spell worked," the figure said to no one in particular as he looked over the still-dark San Francisco skyline.

He'd arrived in a flash of light moments before the Ancient's figure exploded like a thousand suns. He knew right away that he was in San Francisco, but what he wasn't sure of was whether he was still in the same world or a different time. Magick was something he knew to be very unpredictable in the best of times and downright unstable most of the time. He focused his attention on honing his newly enhanced physical talents in addition to quietly establishing himself in this new world he was calling his home for the time being. This world was same in all aspects except its Macedonian had died in a far-off Hindus Valley riverbank. There were no hunters here that he recognized. This world was dangerous in its own way and he'd learned that it was due to some despot by the name of Hunt Vesci Astoire.

It's been many years since Astoire had been deposed, but this world's problems didn't go away. Whether it was the UCPA, the militias who grew out of the chaos of Astoire's fall, or individuals like the recently departed Dr. Righteous, the world was a boiling cauldron of mistrust and paranoia. The UCPA and other like-minded organizations would of course work on convincing everyone that things were heading towards some sort of normalcy, but he could sense trouble brewing. He knew that all this powder-keg of a world needed was the spark to set things off once again.

One thing that had taken him some time to get used to were the cat-people. Sure their numbers were close to being extinct-level, but it was still a small shock to learn such creatures existed. He'd adjusted in time just like he'd adjusted to a much larger population of preternatural-powered individuals. this world had its own myths and legends of night creatures like those he'd hunted, but they seemed to have faded into the background as magick became more prevalent.

The figure up on the balcony knew that no matter what he'd done since arriving --- to set himself up in luxury and some semblance of power amongst the natives --- he'd always be a stranger in this familiar, but strange land. He was a survivor and have always been one so he made sure to make the most of his new world. Doniatrakos had seen the quality in him and had allowed him to live instead of being drained like some of the other hunters he'd once worked with. On days like today, he'd hoped that he wasn't the only one to have escaped the Ancient's last fatal gambit to take victory away from them. He'd hoped that Doniatrakos might have followed him to this world, but he knew himself well enough not to dwell on such trivialities.

If the Macedonian had survived then he'd announce his arrival at his own leisure. The creature had not lived for over two millenia not to have learned some semblance of patience. For now he had an underworld to run. San Francisco had survived both Astoire, the subsequent chaos after his fall and Dr. Righteous. It was ripe for the picking when he'd arrived and now that he'd made his mark on its underworld, maybe it was time to expand his influence outside of the Northern California region. Already, his agents were beginning to make in-roads in controlling the rest of the state while others have begun making contacts with the heads of the other organized crime groups in the rest of the country. Some of these leaders have been open to the offer of a partnership while some have been quite violent in their answer. It matter not to him which answer they gave his agents. In the end, he'll control the whole continent even if he had to destroy the very organizations he was trying to recruit and fold into his own.

"Mr. Johnson," Lionel heard his consiglieri voice just behind him.

"Yes, Anselmo," he stayed out in the balcony and watched as the first rays of sunlight peeked out over the horizon.

"The shipment of arms to the militia groups in the Southwest and the Midwest made it safely, Lionel Johnson noticed Anselmo pause and knew there was bad news to be reported.

"Go on."

"The shipment headed to the Gulf Coast region has not reported as per the team escorting it had been instructed."

"That is a problem. Contact our liaison with the Louisiana syndicate and inquire about the status of our shipment to the area," Lionel Johnson turned his face slightly away as the sun emerged from the horizon. The sun's rays bothered him more than he'd liked, but at least he didn't burst into flames. "And afterwards find out if the UCPA or any groups affiliated with them has been asking about our people."

"Yes sir," Lionel heard his assistant walk out and knew he'd get his answers soon enough. Maybe it's time to get my hands dirty, he thought to himself. It's been a year since he'd consolidated his power in the region and months since he'd had to bloody his hands. Maybe it was time to bloody them again...
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