Murdersphere Mosaic [ManXMan] [BoyXBoy]

Chapter 6 Part 3: Siege

I sit in the circle and start again. I find many mind/body/environment "interface switches" that count as "magic" and I can sense the environmental component that makes "magic" work, but some of the things I thought were magic are additional, linked psi-powers with a re-jiggered special effects and sustained "cloning mechanisms" to give the effect a temporary half-life away from my immediate vicinity to make things look like "magic". Unless I burned my life force, I could only use actual magic (whatever in the hell 'actual magic' really is)where the environmental elements are available. The Audience BSM AI's made sure I had access to that.

Maybe it is because I am genuinely distraught by the idea of being broken up with Carnifax because of a spiteful Audience, or something else, a new self-loathing, I am harsh with myself. I do not stop until all memories are unlocked, pain or no pain, seizure or no seizures, cameras or no cameras.

It is well after midnight when I finish. I drag myself upright, eat cold pizza and take a shower. Afterward, I slip on a pair of shorts and decide to go to the roof for a breath of fresh air. I put my hand on the knob and a painful prickling snatches the hair on the back of my neck.

My point of view shifts to the roof and I see two black armored Guardsmen on the rooftop, one watching the street at the front of the building, and the other watching the rear.

I step out of the room and take the elevator up just high enough for me to make telepathic contact. They are "elite" Guardsmen, like Carnifax. Their names are Bilial and Pills.

I tap into their conversation and wait for the salient details to reveal themselves.

"Ugh, stakeouts are so boring." Bilial groans.

"We're just subbing for 'Fax while he takes the tikes into orbit." Pills says. "Maybe we'll get lucky and bust this foreign kiddy porn ring open."

"I can't believe that he's been shadowing this kid for almost a month and found nothing." Bilial continues to bitch. "He should have just brought him in like Hill demanded and we could pull the information out of him."

"Well, if he leaves the building, you can do just that." Pills says. "With Fax and Cap off in space, Hill has laid down the dragnet she isn't using SHIELD agents or NYPD, so we can't just break into private property. But on the street, we can jump him and roust him. Just keep your finger's crossed."

I tell the elevator to descend, suddenly conscious of the security cameras in the elevator; and I wonder if Hill and her goons are watching. Probably.

"This is so fucking bad." I think, suppressing the urge to run to my apartment, but I cannot quite keep a scowl off of my face.

I close the door think a moment, I go to the ritual circle and begin casting, laying down warding to reinforce the physical integrity of the apartment, including doors and windows and lay shields to establish a general psychic integrity against intrusion and then I redoubled the efforts.

I go to bed, feeling hemmed in and disgusted; and I wake up to someone knocking at my door.

I pad over to the door, mind ranging out ahead of me. It's the building manager and a Guardsman, a Sergeant Voss this time. Fucking Pinkertons.

"Who is it?" I call out.

"It is Clyde Pits Mr. Ayeshason." The building manager says. "You have a visitor."

"Really?" I say, utterly disingenuous. "I'm not expecting anyone."

I open the door. The faceless mask of green Guardsman armor containing a muscular man stares down at me. "Mr. Ayeshason, could you come with me please?"