to the stars

[ LOADING . . . AGENT NOVA ]

WHEN: June 27th 2020 WHERE: Kawi’s home in Hanoi, Vietnam WITH @agentnovas​

As soon as he was able, Kawi had run. Far far away from the Pantheon and the guilt and the sights of his fellow Agents. The more time between the present and the past, the less certain he felt about everything that had happened. There were nights he woke up yelling and covered in sweat. And since he didn’t want none of his own crew to see this weakness of his, he had taken time off to heal back in Hanoi. The problem was that he couldn’t keep ignoring them. He could try, certainly, but somehow he felt like he needed people to see him in a good state, to see that he was healing. Or at least his body was. 

He opened the door with his good hand, giving just the slightest smile to Waylon. He wanted to be happy to see him, but this was just a means to an end. He would rather just lock himself inside his home for another month… maybe two, but his reputation was something he valued as well. 

“I put some tea out on the balcony,” he said, favouring his left leg as he walked through the rather spacious and almost pretty empty loft apartment. As he opened the door the sound of the busy city all around him came back suddenly, but he was so used to it that he barely registered the sounds anymore. Or maybe the sounds had become some sort of comfort. “How are you doing?” he asked, before Waylon could ask him that question, and he gestured the other to a seat. 

IT WAS HARD TO PROCESS THE LAST FEW DAYS. the usual relief waylon felt after a pantheon mission was gone, replaced by unwavering nervousness in the pit of his stomach. everything was going so smoothly, how could something like this happen? it felt as though the adrenaline was still pumping through his veins, like he was back in palawan, anxiously waiting for his fellow agents — his friends — to be saved from inside the collapsed tomb.

the pantheon interviewed everyone soon after they were excavated from the ruins, waylon unable to offer much valuable information himself from his location outside. he had checked in with his friends who were trapped inside, offering as much comfort as he could for them, but there was one individual, in particular, he hadn’t seen much since hathaway’s death: KAWI CAN. waylon was used to kawi keeping his distance and his emotions walled, so it was no surprise when he heard his friend had gone back home for some sort of normalcy.

if only he said goodbye first . . .

▬

It was beautiful, mesmerizing even. The moment Pandora stepped inside the tomb, her mind was no longer counting the fear she had been feeling before getting in there. Her passion for it created a shadow to those terrifying thoughts, and for a second, it was solely what they had discovered. Another inclusion in Pompeii’s past. Perhaps Selin should focus on the fact that she could be trapped there, that she would — once again — face the same situation that most agents on that side had gone through as well.

But the architecture that shaped the tomb, everything in that site that made it all unique caused her to almost think that it didn’t matter. In case this was her end, it didn’t matter. Pantheon provided to her countless priceless moments and this was one of those. It was darker than she would assume, thoughts that rarely traversed her brain, but it was a fact. Ever since joining the crew Pandora was able to travel to different countries and experience different cultures. She had certainty that all those missions, aside from violence, somehow embellished her life. Made her understand that she could make a difference. It was what caused her to go on after a loss. It was the reason why she was there. 

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” She found herself staring at the person next to her. “It almost makes me crave to stay here for a little while longer than we need to be. It’s not all pretty when it comes to their past, and so many others, but still…” Dark hues stared at him. “Do you think we may find something else? Something from their rituals?” Even if they wouldn’t need to take it somewhere, since it was exactly where it belonged, it didn’t mean Selin couldn’t appreciate those findings.

WAYLON WAS THANKFUL TO SEE SUCH MAGNIFICENT ARCHITECTURE UP CLOSE, but he couldn’t help the wave of anxiety creep into the back of his mind when he remembered he was inside an old, decrepit tomb. it wasn’t the tomb part that worried him, if anything it was interesting being in pompeii due to the historic and scientific significance the place held, but knowing over a year ago they lost one of the pantheon’s best agents in a similar location left a pit of uneasiness in his stomach. 

he pressed a hand gingerly against the stone, feeling the surface against his skin. the satyr hardly noticed his companion approach, blue irises trained on the extravagant carvings among them. he wondered how many people had stood in their very spot, how many hands touched this individual brick before it was sealed into the tomb, hidden beneath meters of volcanic ash. 

the agent beside him brought waylon back from his thoughts, still observing their surroundings closely. he finally turns towards seline, meeting her excited eyes. it somewhat eased his nerves knowing that the other agents were less worried about entering a tomb, considering that was more up their alley than his. “i don’t know what i was expecting when we were briefed, but it doesn’t compare to this. it’s so much more . . . magical in person.” while waylon was more of a stem student in school, ancient architecture and civilizations still left him breathless. he couldn’t imagine building such structures without the technology they had today, especially now with his injury. 

Everyone could feel the tension hanging heavy in the air as they touched down in Naples. They had taken advantage of their year off, but this was the first test of their renewed trust in each other. And while he trusted his team implicitly, and believed in Pantheon’s and the Four Hundred’s ability to do their own self-inventory, everything felt different on the field. The stakes were higher, and the unknowns too many to count.

He was glad he wasn’t navigating this alone – quite literally. They flew into one of Naples’ private hangers, Waylon at the helm with Dominic as first officer of sorts. Having two satyrs on the operation meant it didn’t all fall to him, and they had far more options –– if something went wrong, he reluctantly thought.

On the way, Dominic and Waylon compared notes. They would fly into Naples, set up in one of Pantheon’s safe houses not more than five minutes away from the entrance to the ruins, and the two of them would survey the ruins. A popular tourist destination, during the day, it was heavily trafficked and full of unpredictable foreigners. Tourists always made the job difficult, Dominic believed, taking pictures of everything and getting far too curious. Locals had places to be and generally minded their own business. So their immediate exploration of their location, while not as in-depth as would be preferred, would at least allow them free rein of the area without drawing too much attention.

This was, of course, only step one. Dominic still had to get their boats moored in the Marina Di Torre Annunziata and map their routes, and that was nothing to say of their plan once they were on-site, but somehow, he felt good about it. Being back, he felt confident. He was sure of his role and his ability, and he knew that his team was capable as well. Even if tensions were high and the pressure was on –– they were ready.

As they arrived at the entrance to the ruins, the turnstiles churning with what seemed like an endless stream of fanny pack-laden tourists and their leashed children, Dominic looked over at Waylon, about to ask if he was ready, before he stopped. He could tell the other satyr did not share his sentiments about their mission. Dominic took off his sunglasses despite the sun beating down on them from above and hooked them onto the v-neck of his t-shirt. He tilted his head to the side as he signed. What’s wrong?

WAYLON THOUGHT HE HAD RECOVERED FROM LAST YEAR’S INCIDENT but stepping foot back in the four hundred’s base revived the anxiety in the pit of his stomach, the feelings growing when he was briefed on their next mission. he tried not to let his emotions and intrusive thoughts control him, but time let his mind run wild and he seemed to have a lot of them lately. thankfully, the four hundred was paired with the black diamonds, which always eased his nerves. he trusts his own crew, of course, but having evren watch his back and dominic by his side distracted him from any negative outcomes. 

the harsh sun barred down on the blonde, causing him to shift uncomfortably. he rolled his sleeves, regretting his long sleeves’, and wiping the sweat from his forehead. using his left hand, he shielded his eyes from the bright rays of sunlight, squinting. the grounds were flooded with tourists, which wouldn’t usually bother him, but he doesn’t usually have to worry about ancient ruins exploding and killing his friends. 

while some of the other members decided to stay at home base, protecting the professor or preparing for the night’s mission, the two satyrs took to the ruins. it would be darker when the time came to explore the tomb, so the pair thought it would be beneficial to scope out the area beforehand. 

however, the large sum of people visiting pompeii that afternoon was making their research a tad difficult. crowds of tourists meander throughout the grass, observing the ancient structures surrounding them. children jumped onto the stone architecture only to be scolded quietly by their guardians, who barely cast their kids a second glance as they viewed the ruins through their phone and camera screens. 

location: pompeii, italy

IT FELT LIKE YEARS SINCE WAYLON’S LAST FIELD MISSION. after his accident, he was assigned less field work and more behind the scenes kind. he didn’t mind it at first, spending his time behind a computer screen searching for information to make missions run smoothly, but soon he felt restless. anxiety flooded through his veins, afraid the pantheon thought he was useless now — more of a chore than an agent. then after hathaway’s death, he wondered if they would ever let him on the field again in case, god forbid, any other accidents happened and he wasn’t able to help himself, let alone his team. 

being invited to pompeii was like a breath of fresh air. he felt wanted — needed — by his peers, and it made him burst with happiness. still, a cloud of guilt hung over him, the devil on his shoulder whispering into his ear, reminding him of kraken’s betrayal. of hathaway’s murder. of how he should have seen in coming — should have known somehow. deep down, he knew he was not to blame, but it didn’t stop him from wondering there was something he could have done to change the outcome. 

5/10

4/10

“THERE ISN’T MUCH NOT TO LOVE,” waylon thinks aloud, rubbing his face as he does. “for the most part, the pantheon has given me a family — a second chance, too. if it weren’t for them, i would be sitting in a cubicle from nine to five, working a miserable desk job until i retired or shit the bed.”

3/10

2/10

1/10