Time has passed.
Reality has shifted.
The world has changed.
There are only eleven people on the planet who know something is wrong.
Six of them have just learned the terrifying truth...
"Mxy." Lykopis stated with a calm voice.
The crash of waves against the rocky shoreline seemed to echo with the word. The gust of salty breeze dimmed her voice a bit, playing carelessly with the tiny strands of her unbraided bangs.
"What is a....'Mxy'?" she asked, sitting on one of the dark, worn rocks.
"...I don't know..." Ozzy replied, squinting a bit with the early morning sunrise.
Victor stood behind them, arms folded. A black bandana know wrapped across his eyes. If the man felt even the slightest bit of weakness from the sudden handicap, he showed no signs. Razor-sharp senses seemed to tell him everything he needed to know about his surroundings....keeping a new balance to make up for the loss of his sight. But, no matter whether it was his near-inability at long-term emotions, or, his own private pride...he refused to allow any hint of personal loss.
Adem Different stood a few feet away, hands folded in their normal position behind his back. He too remained silent. But, not due to any emotional needs or sorrow. He simply didn't seem to be able to speak their language.
Icarus, on the other hand, was painted by his own sorrow and shock. Constantly staring at the silver and gold bio-circuitry lining his arms, his hands...from what he could tell, every part of his body...he seemed mesmorized by this sudden change.
"I have heard of this name....Mxy." Victor spoke up, Ozzy and Lykopis turning to look at the blind assassin. "In Paragon's files."
"How do you know what Paragon's files say?" Ozzy asked.
"Simple research. Would I blindly...." he paused briefly at the word. "....would I join your team if I was not prepared to know who I was working with?"
"Wait...are you saying that 'Mxy' is a person? That they're a member of Vanguard?" Lykopis asked.
"Oh!" Ozzy's eyes shot wider, Lyly glancing over at him. "Oh, I just remembered...."
"What?"
"...'Mxy'...yeah...I remember...back on the old team...in La Perdita...Grimm mentioned the name a few times....so did Smith....'Mxy'...I mean, I thought they were talking about a rock group, or something..." he explained, eyes wandering in the back of his memory. "...but...no....'Mxy'...it must have been...a teammate of some kind?"
"*^^^{*}**())" Adem commented, taking a few steps closer.
Ozzy and Lykopis looked up at him. Ozzy's face twisted into a slight expression of pity.
"Adem...." he sighed. "...what the hell's happened to you, man..."
Baxter stood up, walking over to his friend.
"I CAN-NOT UN-DER-STAND YOU..." he said a bit louder, and a bit sharper, trying to get through to the alien. He pointed at his own ear a few times, and shrugged accordingly.
Adem stared back with a very flat, very dry expression. Then, simply reached into his coat, and pulled free a small tablet of paper, and a pen. He quickly scribbled something, and then, handed it to Ozzy. Ozzy took the paper, reading it aloud...
"But, I can understand you....so stop talking so loudly..." he read off.
Adem quickly scribbled something else, handing him the paper again.
"...you schmuck..."
Adem drove home the statement with a sharp smack to the back of Ozzy's head.
Different began writing and writing, Ozzy rubbing the back of his head with a small scowl. After a moment, Adem handed the paper to Lykopis.
"Obviously, something or someone has altered the mechanics of my language centers. I am trying to speak English..or any other language for that matter...but only my native tongue comes forward. Still, it has had no effect on my hearing, or comprehension skills. As for this 'Mxy', I would suggest we contact the Munich office, and determine what has happened in the year that has passed. Assuming the Munich office is still there." she read off.
"Wow...you sure can write fast..." Ozzy said to Adem. "Oh! Hey! What about Jym? Can you contact him?"
Adem shook his head 'no', writing again.
"I have tried, but Jym doesn't seem to be linked in with my nanites anymore. Just as baffling, my nanites do not seem to be able to repair my speech pattern. Most curious."
"Okay, I agree with Adem. We should head back up to the castle and see if Gaunt has made any progress..." Lykopis announced.
The group began to trudge up the small embankment of the shore, Lyly pausing to look back...
"Icarus?" she asked.
Sidewinder was still standing there, staring off into the horizon.
"...I can hear..." he muttered, Lykopis walking back to him.
"What is it, Icarus?"
He turned to look at her, the confusion still dominating.
"...I can hear....sounds....words........messages...." he tried to explain. ".....signals..."
Lykopis just stared at him, not quite sure what to make of this.
"...I can understand them, Lyly...." he said again. "....frequencies...radio waves....electromagnetic reflections off the atmosphere........I can understand it....all..."
Lykopis grabbed Icarus by the shoulders, forcing him to look her in the eyes.
"Icarus, I...we...need you to focus. Get a hold of yourself." she stated very evenly. "We have all been changed in some fashion. If we are to figure this out, we need you here...with us. Do you understand me?"
"...Lyly..." he began, eyes wandering again.
"Icarus!" she barked. He suddenly snapped his attention to her, as if waking from a dream. "Do you understand me?!"
He paused, staring straight into her eyes. And, a calm seemed to finally wash over him.
"...yes..." he finally nodded. "...okay, yeah...I'm here....let's do this..."
She held him for another moment, and then, both finally turned and began walking up the embankment.
They crested into a wide plain, with small mountains on the horizon. A ways ahead, the rest of the group were making their way towards what appeared to be a very large, very ancient castle.
"...why..." Icarus began, trying to find a hold on reality again. "...why were we dropped here?"
Lyly shrugged.
"I am uncertain." she replied. "Baxter says this manor is owned by one of the La Perdita employees....a Mr. Montag, I believe..."
Icarus looked over at her.
"Montag? Grissom Montag?"
"Yes, I believe so..."
"THE Grissom Montag? The Sandcrawler?" he asked emphatically, this being the first time his old self seemed to be poking through.
"If you like..." she shrugged.
He looked back at the manor ahead...
"Cool."
