It was her favorite part of each new season of the system integration cycle. Each of the newly integrated worlds had started to close the portals and she couldn’t wait for the finale. She decided to do something she had just learned after reading about Earth culture! She was going to host a watch party! She invited her friends and family and had spent a week getting everything just perfect! She heard the door open as her first guest arrived. Turning around she saw a tall woman approach. The woman was fair of skin, almost unnaturally so, with cascading ebony locks that flowed down to her mid back. Her features were best described as regal Mediterranean goth.
“Hecate, so glad you could make it!” She cried out as she rushed forward and embraced the goddess before her.
Hecate smiled and returned the woman’s embrace. “It’s not every day that you host a party, my lady. I wouldn’t dare miss such an event.” Her tone was teasing.
“Young lady I told you to call me Aunty Fay. Why must you always be so formal? What happened to that rebellious little girl that used to follow me around?” The woman pouted.
Hecate rolled her eyes in fond exasperation, “Yes, Aunt Fay. Will your brothers be joining us?”
Aunt Fay pouted harder, “Only later on, those two work far too much. But never mind all that! You must watch this episode with me, it’s focusing on Earth this time!”
Hecate made a faint hum of interest, “That pet project of yours?”
Aunt Fay grinned happily, “The very same! It was such an involved project too, I can’t wait to see how it all turns out! Oh! It’s starting!”
The two ladies turned to the screen, one in eagerness the other in polite interest. The scene opened with a trio, a man, woman, and bird sitting in an interrogation room.
Damian found himself sitting in a briefing room next to Catherine, Bronze perched on a stand behind him taking in her new surroundings curiously. Across the table, holding a folder was the most generic man that Damian could fathom. He was of average height and build, somewhere between his thirties and forties, with short cropped brown hair and dull brown eyes. He wore a generic black suit with a red tie and was holding two manilla envelopes in his hands, which he proceeded to slide over to Damian and Catherine.
“Welcome to the integration portal scenario, I will be your host. As you already know this is set up to teach you how the game is played between Inducted once integration is complete. While your fellow Inducted, Thomas and Amelia, covered most of what you needed to know I will give you a bit more information to go on before we proceed to your mission.” The man’s voice was bland and generic, even when he tried to put genuine emotions into his statements.
“First off, this scenario will be a tutorial that will introduce you to the various rules and regulations of the MHL, or Monster Hunter’s League. While it is a tutorial and will not count towards your ranking on the leaderboards it will be broadcasted live to the universe to allow any interested faction to learn of you and your abilities to see if they would be interested in recruiting you. The scenarios also serve the function of giving the other factions a glimpse of the kind of resources your planet has available and a brief glimpse into some aspects of your culture or how it developed. Once the scenario begins you are not allowed to back out and the only way to leave is to win or die trying. Your scenario today is an investigative mission.”
Damian opened the file in front of him as the host droned on. “The scenario is as follows. In 1850 New York, inside the Five Points area, a string of killings has left the residents shaken. The local priest, Father Sullivan, of the Church of Transfiguration, has reached out to the MHL for help in stopping whatever beast haunts the community. While there it will be your job to hunt down the elusive culprit and exterminate any other hostile creatures you come across in your investigation. You are given a timeline of three months to complete the mission or it will be deemed your loss and you will be terminated. Any questions?”
Damian and Catherine glanced at each other before Catherine turned back to the host and asked, “What are our cover identities and is there anything we are specifically forbidden to do that we should know about?”
The host smiled at her and nodded, “You two are inquisitors for the MHL, specifically Senior Investigator Catherine O’Claire and Senior Exterminator Damian Campbell, these identities will have enough authority to gain the cooperation of any law enforcement agency you come across. As for things you can’t do? Mostly just the basics, in the presence of NPC’s you can not talk about the system or the real world, you may not harm any innocent civilian, and lastly you must use discretion where possible. You wouldn’t believe the amount of people who will burn down a neighborhood just to kill one monster they aren’t confident in fighting head on.”
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Damian raised a question of his own, “How accurate to the time period is the scenario going to be?”
The host turned to Damian and said, “The accuracy will be slightly changed for conveniences sake, but will keep to the same major themes and superstitions of the time. For example, gender equality is a thing in the scenario where it wasn’t in the time period, this is to make things progress smoother when we have female Inducted in a scenario. For example you’ll find the locals far more accepting of female authority than history records. The common populace will also be a bit more knowledgeable about the various pantheons that may have an influence in the scenario.”
Catherine gave Damian a questioning look, and when he shook his head, she spoke up. “I believe we are ready to enter the scenario then.”
The host clapped his hands together in delight, or the best approximation of it that the man could manage, “Excellent. Then I wish you good luck.”
The next thing either of them knew they were both on horseback, with Bronze flying above them. In the distance they could see the boundaries of an early New York City. Instead of skyscrapers the tallest buildings were the numerous churches, whose spires could be made out over the three to six story buildings that replaced the larger complexes of modern day. The buildings were brick and timber with a generous amount of brownstone clad across the entrances of residences. Their horses ambled in a steady trot deeper into the pre-modern Manhattan, lively and pretty looking areas giving way to a seedier side as the approached the Five Points.
The Five Points neighborhood was where the less desirable residents of the city were made to stay. This included Irish, German, and Italian immigrants, and as was common for the time, the free African population of New York. As they rode further in, they could see the desperation and wariness on those that lived in the area. It was in the way that mothers ushered their children inside, and the menfolk stared hard at the intruders in their midst. While it didn’t take them long to reach the church, it felt like hours. The people of the area were nervous, trying to hide it behind bravado, and doing a poor job of it. Everyone’s shoulders were hunched and tense, their eyes, warily locked on to anyone that got too close. The only levity these people showed was when Damian faceplanted while trying to dismount his horse, many breaking into open laughter at his misfortune.
Damian grumbled to himself as he dusted off his coat and handed the reigns to a boy in church robes that was standing to the side with a polite smile on his face. Once he had the reigns in hand the boy spoke up, “Father Sullivan is waiting for you just inside.”
Damian and Catherine signaled their thanks and made their way inside, after Damian told Bronze to wait on a nearby rooftop. Damian felt a small tingling on the back of his neck as he passed over the threshold of the church. It was warm yet slightly judging, almost like a disappointed parent, which with Damian’s limited knowledge of Catholicism seemed about right. Looking around he spotted a figure moving towards them at a brisk pace. The man was of average height and lanky build, with black hair and hazel eyes. He wore long, black vestments and radiated an aura of peace and acceptance that Damian only ever noticed in the most devout of their faith. The man, presumably Father Sullivan, extended his hands in a welcoming gesture as he reached the two.
“Welcome, may the Lord bless your day. Thank you for answering my call so quickly, I had worried that you might take another week to reach us.” Father Sullivan’s voice was a rich, warm baritone that was at odds with his lanky frame. “Come, we will speak in my office, I will have some refreshments brought over while we talk.”
They followed Father Sullivan into the back of the church; his office was a simple affair. Father Sullivan’s approach to his décor could best be described as spartan. A simple desk with two chairs in front and a highbacked chair behind, and a small cabinet set off to the side were all that were in the room. Father Sullivan bid his guests to sit as he rang a small bell sitting on top of the desk. The priest seemed to slump back in his chair, a haunted look upon his face. It was a stark contrast to the cheerful and friendly man that had met them at the entrance. He seemed to be contemplating how to begin and only seemed to regain some of his previous good cheer, when a young man came in with a platter of fruit and cheese, and three cups of wine entered. Once the boy had left Father Sullivan grabbed the cup of wine nearest him, took a sip and gave a weary sigh. He stared into his cup for a few heartbeats longer before he could bring himself to continue.
“I apologize for my demeanor but appearances need to be kept to reassure the masses. When everything seems to go wrong, they turn to me and the Lord for answers, but these killings are beyond my ability to solve and I fear what would have happened should another have occurred before you arrived.” The priest’s voice was tired and stressed, as he looked at them with eyes that pleaded for help.
