Reassessment of Responsibilities

For the second time, a hybrid has been named the CEO of an Ashagi branch. Of course, it's a freetown branch, not one under the scrutiny of the World Union's watchful eye.

Dr. Parkin is being transferred to the mainland to focus primarily on her genetics work and advancements, just like Dr. Nightfire was before her in regards to her cybernetics work. I'm now the CEO for the Midian City branch, answering to the board of directors in the Japan Head office. I haven't named a manager for the facility yet.

I do question my ability to be responsible however. I can't even protect my children from being stolen from me. First it was Donatien, now I've learned Arwen's school willingly handed her over to some man claiming to be her father. They assumed he was my husband, the fools. Apparently he even looked like Arwen, which added to the farce. Arwen had mentioned her father returning ,or at least someone claiming to be him had returned and asked that she come back to the mainland with him. Why did he choose to come back now after letting the girl believe he was dead? If Arwen's condition has worsened, she probably had no idea that she wasn't supposed to leave with the man. Everything around me seems to enjoy crumbling at the exact same time.

Arwen's not the only one. Adagio's gone missing as well as Khelsea. Adagio had met with Dr. Foster of all people when he stopped by the lab asking for her. It was highly against his pride to ask another scientist for help, but then again, that man cared more about results than anything. He would not disclose the case itself but insisted on the help of our currently top mind in genetics. Since he's no longer interested in hunting me, it seemed Adagio went along with it.

Perhaps I should not worry as much as I have been?

Carnival Round

After taking Dr. Santereau's advice of staying within the den rather than going home or to Ashagi as often, I've found myself comfortably back in the ritual of serving as Pack medic and juggler. I say juggler due to the fact I tend to be handling more than one thing at a given time.

There's a new plant in the ruins. I'm thinking of calling it the Ashclaw or something since it has no proper classification. An impossible flower with luminescent purple petals growing in the destroyed soil of the ruins. Granted this concerned Ayr for two reasons.

1) The last time something grew in the ruins, it took a good chunk of Pack fighting power to eradicate what is now known simply as the "pumpkins."

2) If City Hall catches wind that the land is in anyway fertile, they will drive the Pack from it. Their belief that the land is dangerous and useless to them is the only thing allowing the Pack to live freely on "undesirable soil."

I made some anesthesia-like serums from the plants. They seem to safe to consume, although I had not planned on that at first. Shiro took it upon himself to show me that - he walked in while I was showing the bottles to Ayr, grabbed one, and downed the whole thing. I made sure the idiot threw it up before he fell to any poisoning, but he seemed to recover well.

New pup Kestal learned the pace of the Pack in the worst way...

Actually several previously missing in action Pack members have since returned besides Shiro. Jayde is back, as are Rico and Gage. I'm trying to seem composed considering a few of these people are the ones that helped shape me in to the person I am now.

Late night meeting over tea and coffee

I've made some progresses for Ashagi as well, namely working closely with Hector Mendle, an accomplished attorney and Blackstar agent in Midian. Currently, he's our point of contact for Oceanic Imports shipments while Ms. Xue's out, but I'm more interested in his...methods. Formerly the husband of Allura, one of our ASF agents, my initial introduction to Hector was through Lana. She and Allura had been butting heads after the man had been hired to attack some hybrid. Never learned exactly what happened however it was clear Hector was more than some white collar. Being of the mainland, he shares some typical mindsets as far as his view of hybrids. He seemed willing to tolerate Allura's accidental transformation, but in the end, perhaps not?

In less lighter news, Kairi's gone missing. Ashagi's power went out suddenly last Friday, including the backup generator; oh and Adagio's been repaired. Lovely. Can you see me juggling or should I balance myself on a giant ball while I'm at it? 

Do actions justify the means?

I've never known anger like this before. Such deep betrayal.

I've been betrayed before, don't get me wrong; I just didn't expect it here for some reason. On the mainland, a hybrid cannot trust a human or anyone else. To try and distinguish ally and enemy is impossible. An uncollared hybrid was asking to be a slave or a pet. An opinionated hybrid was asking for death.

I'd manage to evade that enough to find a freetown where the humans didn't give a rat's ass about my tail or my bare neck. As long as I turned a blind eye to the fact they had just murdered someone in front of me in cold blood. So why do I feel such pain now? What's causing it?


How strange.

I half expected some part of myself to answer back.
I haven't heard anything for days. I'm not used to the silence to be honest; it makes me nervous. All this time, I've been dying to have the voices silenced and when they actually were - I want them back. It was the only thing that calmed me when I was by myself on a lonely street. Now I can hear how silent it truly is...and my ears hurt.

I feel pain because of the person who betrayed me. My own wife. Perhaps it is better to call her Adagio model no.3...or was it no.4? Adagio's died and returned so many times now I'm beginning to forget how often she's "returned from the grave." It's her fault. All of it is. The doctor was right.

Adagio asked one day to take Donatien for a walk. Given where we live, I found it weird. In truth, she wanted to take him to a gallery on the mainland; they had some artwork from a person she respected. Adagio had been obsessed with starting and expanding Donatien's horizons as early as possible and bringing him to a new environment made sense. How foolish of me. I should have gone with them, but I had to work.

Several days past. I don't hear anything from my wife.
I called. I texted. I panicked.

Adagio was later delivered to the lab in pieces, some melted, others charred and blasted beyond repair. She was conscious but so far damaged that she couldn't even manage speech. It took a prototype cybernetic brain for her to finally explain that she had been struck by a grenade during an attack. Oh and she'd let the attackers kidnap our son. Sorry.

That's right. Adagio's response to our child's kidnapping - the one we poured more hopes, dreams, sweat, and the best of both of our beings into- was, "Sorry."

I went mad, screaming for Donatien to return for several hours in the ruins. not that he could hear or understand the sounds of a panther at any rate. My voice was raspy for days after that. Everything in my mind scattered. It was void of thought and emotions, anything not having to do with finding my child. Days past but no ransom call was made. No demands. I thought someone was after my family as a whole. I was attacked. Adagio and Donatien were attacked. Arwen was save at home for the moment, but how long before these nuts took her as well?