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tampered2007-04-07 09:12 pm
timediver-mk1.livejournal.com) wrote in tampered2007-04-07 09:12 pm
log; complete
When; April 7th, Evening
Rating; PG for some violence and evilness
Characters; Ingram![[profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timediver_mk1, Hotaru silence_bringer, and little bit of Itachi.
Summary; Ingram takes his first subject, Hotaru, in for brainwashing. It's successful, leading to the Akatsuki's newest ally.
Log; After confirming information from Itachi, Ingram had started to keep a close eye on the young girl. Sample 121, Hotaru. She would be a first. An example. Through her, he might tempt the Autor boy to join him so he could humiliate his so-called foes. Today, Sample 121 was slightly distressed. To resolve it, she went for a short walk, which was perhaps the worst thing she could do. Or best thing for Ingram. So, he prepared himself for the right moment to kidnap her and prepare her for undergoing subliminal brain variations. As he watched and waited, he prepared a small gun and loaded with with tranquilizer, to keep effects to a minimum.
Completely innocent of the plot brewing against her, the tiny dark-haired senshi was currently wandering through Xanadu. Yesterday had proved to be even more difficult then she'd expected. It hadn't been bad enough that she was seeing her friends, Poppa, her mother. But....Archer too. She'd closed herself up in her room to try and keep the phantoms out, but it hadn't done any good. With a sigh, she continued walking. Maybe if she just stayed out here long enough, it would bring her some peace. Fingering the dark grey triangle on a chain around her neck, she let her mind drift backwards. He had used her. They both had. They were bad men, evil people who had committed horrible, horrible sins. But...they had been kind to her, Itachi and Kisame. Even when they'd been manipulating her, twisting her mind to their own ends, they had been kind. And that...wasn't something the lonely girl could easily put aside. Maybe it was her own naivete, or perhaps simply the lingering purity in her heart that wanted to see everyone happy and smiling. Either way, Hotaru was now torn. She knew the Akatsuki were wounded, hurting. Just like their enemies, those of Konoha. She had friends among the Konoha shinobi, but....could she ignore the fact that her former friends were injured? With a sigh, she reached up and plucked a long trailing cluster of wisteria off of the vine, sitting down on a bench to play with the lavender flowers.
Ingram gave a small smirk. The girl had stopped, taking a seat on a bench. It was a public place but he could get in and out quickly enough without attracting attention. He took quick note of the location and began to move. White light flashed up around him as he teleported over. With the sound of a blocked vacuum cleaner, he appeared behind her with another flash of white light. He quickly reached his left hand around and covered her mouth to keep her from screaming.
Her startled gasp broke off as the palm of his hand covered her mouth. Struggling seemed not to work against this man she didn't know, but that certainly didn't mean that the girl was defenseless. Concentrating, she mentally called and the Saturn power answered, surging along one arm in a crackling of black light and electricity. She yanked against his hand, reaching her arm up to discharge the power towards his face. Hopefully that would make him let go. If not...there was always the Glaive.
He dropped, his blue hair staying in place from inertia. It had burnt from the blast, leaving a rank smell in the air. To much noise and to much attention. He had hoped she would act like a young girl and try to meekly struggle. Obviously, he underestimated her. Now it seemed injuries may have to be sustained on either side. It wasn't a problem. She could heal herself and him after everything was over. From his place on the ground, he kicked at the bench to knock it over and send her sprawling.
Scrambling backwards, the Silence Glaive appeared with a word and a thought, silvery metal cleaving through the bench like a hot knife through warm butter. Violet eyes narrowed as the girl leveled the weapon at the man. He was dangerous. And now...there was no Archer to protect her. Hotaru had fought before, but that didn't mean she liked it. But this wasn't the time for likes and dislikes. Soft voice intoned the familiar words. "Saturn Planet Power - Make Up." With a whirl of light and sound, Tomoe Hotaru vanished, leaving Sailor Saturn behind. "Who are you and what do you want with me?"
He slowly rose to his feet, deciding to take a different approach now that she was prepared. He brushed off the legs of his flight suit and looked up with a friendly smile. "I am Ingram Prisken, young one. I apologize for the violent entrance but I had wished to test you. I wanted to see how great your power was and great it is indeed. However, your control is lacking. That is why I am here."
"Ingram Prisken..." She rolled the name around on her tongue for a moment, mind shifting and flickering as she tried to remember where she'd heard it. Taking a step back, the glaive didn't move from it's position, business end still pointed at him. "I know you. You're.....one of Itachi-sama's allies, aren't you?" That was where she knew him from. Not personally, but through the network. Ingram. Though she hadn't heard the last name, she knew that a person named Ingram had helped Itachi and the other Akatsuki in their battle against the Konoha shinobi. That Ingram was.... the person who had butchered the healers. And even though there could potentially be two people named Ingram in the City, she wasn't willing to take chances.
"I will be frank. Itachi is an ally of mine. However, he cares about you still. That is partially why I am here. He wants to be with you again. A lingering love perhaps?" Ingram stretched out his right hand, leaving it open as in a stance of defenselessness. "Come with me and I will take you to him in good graces. He longs for your visit."
For a moment, her eyes widened at the thought. Itachi-sama...cared for her? But...he'd never cared before. At least...not really. It had all just been a ruse. Hadn't it? Shaking off her doubts, she shook her head. "I don't believe you. Itachi-sama used me. I was nothing but a pawn to him, even if he was kind to me."
Ingram took a step forward, hand still outstretched. "And who told you that? I doubt he was using you. Itachi is just a rough person. He may have came off that way but in his heart, that was not what he wanted. He came to me yesterday, asking for you. He doesn't want to see you in public in fear that you might get in trouble. Just for that fact, you should see that he still does care."
The glaive's point glowed faintly as she took another step back, avoiding him. "He drugged me, addicted me to him. That isn't 'caring'." She didn't want to believe him, couldn't believe him. The kind Uchiha Itachi she had known, the smiling face and comforting voice, they were lies, had always BEEN lies. She wanted Archer. Archer would have known what to do. He would have been able to soothe away her fears, her doubts.
Think of Naruto-kun, and Rue-hime. Arashi-san and Lyra and all the people who really care about you. Think of what Archer would say.
Good. Now all he needed to do was to get her thinking more. More thoughts, more distractions, another step forward. "Was it him? Who gave you that diagnosis? One of the medics I supposedly attacked? I never attacked those medics. If she lies about that, then how can you believe her about the drugs? You have a lot of power, my dear. I bet she was afraid of your power and jealous. You are better than her at healing. You make her obsolete. So she wished to hold you back, so she drugged you. Itachi saw this, but for your sake, took the blame. He would rather see his own name ruined rather than have your name ruined for being with him. That is how much he cares."
"That....that's not true. She didn't do that...." It didn't make sense. Regardless of the fact that Shizune didn't like her, Hotaru knew the medic wasn't the sort to just lie to suit herself. Not to mention, she'd been truthful with Archer. That had been proven. And...Archer believed her. Shaking her head, she glowered at him. "It's not true. Archer told me what happened."
"Yes, he told you. He wouldn't lie, would he? But what if he was fed false information? He'd be telling the truth but it wouldn't be correct. You can't trust anyone, dear. What you can do is rely on those who helped you. If you remember, Itachi always helped you. Always. He never once intentionally harmed you. Come now, just let him prove himself just once." Three more steps closer, and hopefully 3 steps closer to the final goal.
She faltered slightly, steps slowing. He...couldn't be telling the truth. She knew Archer loved her, Archer would never have lied to her. But.....could Archer have been wrong? No...she trusted Archer, had always trusted him. He'd protected her, loved her. But...he'd never liked Itachi-sama. Even putting aside his misgivings about the other man, she couldn't set aside the fact that she knew Archer didn't like Itachi. In fact, her white-haired servant had even stated that he didn't like Itachi-sama because he didn't like the idea of anyone else being that close to Hotaru. Could that mean that....Archer might have been easy prey for someone seeking to deliver false information? She shook her head, distressed by the way her thoughts were turning. "No! I don't believe you!"
"Like I said, give him a chance. Here, let me give you my weapon as a sign of goodwill." He slowly pulled the pistol out of the holster and pointed it at her butt first. Hopefully, she knew nothing about weapons and wouldn't notice the fact that the gun was not a gun, but something to inject a fluid through the skin with one puff of air. Nor the fact that he had not set the safety. He just needed to get close enough...
Hotaru didn't recognize the make of the weapon he held out to her. It didn't look like anything from her world. Not that such a detail would have made much difference, seeing as she'd never actually held a gun before. But....the simple fact that he was giving her the weapon, regardless of his intentions, meant one thing. It was OUT of his grasp. One hand gripping the Silence Glaive tightly, keeping the silvery blade leveled at him, she stretched out the other gloved arm, taking hold of the butt of the gun.
Now was the chance. Both hands were occupied with something. He could physically overwhelm her. Ingram's left hand ignited with glowing green energy, reaching out to grasp the glaive. His grip was still tight on the gun and he twisted it to point it back towards her. Now all he needed to do was push forward.
Violet eyes widened and she jerked back, letting go of the gun and almost dropping the Glaive as the Saturn power reacted to the alien touch with an angry crackle of power that pulsed along the shaft to black outward with a tremendous force.
Ingram's hand was still gripped onto the gun. There was only two options, which could be decided only the the girl. From the force of the blast, he was going to be tossed backwards. If the girl wanted to hold then gun, she was coming too. Ingram's eyes flashed yellow as he shielded himself but he pushed it off. He didn't want that. At any rate, he had to find a safe method of landing.
The blast blew her back as well, the Glaive flying out of her hands, sleek blade embedding itself into the trunk of a tree as her back impacted with another. Collapsing to the floor, she pushed herself up onto hands and knees, shaking her head to try and regain her bearings.
Ingram hit the ground spinning, his feet keeping their balance. He kept his left hand on the ground, along him to gracefully pull to a halt. It was painful though. His left hand looked as it was almost burned away. Thankfully adrenaline and endorphines were very quick to kick in. Flipping the gun in his hand, he charged forwards, wanting to end the foolish game.
She could see him coming towards her out of the corner of her eye. He was fast, and she was shaken. One arm raised shakily, mentally concentrating as the power focused. Maybe if she was lucky, she could manage at least some sort of defense.
Her hand was feebly in the way, so he took the pleasure of shoving it to the side. He was running out of patience and in pain, so he wished to end it quickly. He roughly pushed the gun up against her neck. "Any last words before you sleep, Hotaru?"
She froze at the feel of the cold metal against her neck. But she was a senshi, she wouldn't be afraid. Eyes the same shade as winter violets stared up at him from beneath the fringe of black. Death didn't frighten her, she was dead already. She only wanted to know one thing. "Why?"
A cold smirk wrapped itself across his face. "You will just have to find out." He pulled the trigger and with a quick puff of air, sedatives were injected into her bloodstream.
She flinched slightly, expecting the bang of a gun. As her vision started to grow hazy, she felt her power recede, Saturn vanishing and leaving only Hotaru behind. Within moments, she slumped to the ground, unconscious.
Ingram finally had everything complete. He had the girl floating in a tank of water without any clothing what so ever. The only thing attached to her was an air hose feeding her oxygen and a small amount of sedatives to keep her quiet. This kind of stuff was surprisingly easy to purchase at stores in the area. Turning to a computer, Ingram tapped a few keys and then began. He closed his eyes, focusing on the girl's mind, seeking her emotional points. He found an interesting one containing a white haired person. He mentally nudged it, waiting for a reaction.
She was dreaming. At least, she must have been. Archer was with her, and that wasn't possible. Archer was gone, he'd left. But...despite that, there he was, smiling that same gentle smile at her. The Hotaru in her mind drew hands up to her chin, eyes beginning to water. "A..Archer? You....came back to me?" She took a step forward, one hand shakily reaching for him. As her mind reached out for him, so too did her body, one arm twitching slightly, fingers curling as limp digits fought against the heavy grip of the sedatives, mouth turning up slightly at the corners as the lines of tension in her face softened with a murmur of his name.
A few more taps on the keyboard. Ingram was happy to get what he wanted on his first try. He made a note to not touch this memory, otherwise it might unravel the whole project. However, close by was Itachi. He reached out grabbed Itachi, pulling him close to the area Archer resided in. "Hotaru. This is Itachi, your adoptive brother." He mentally flashed a picture of Itachi. "So, who is this Hotaru?"
She frowned slightly. Who...who was that? She knew his face, it was familiar. Itachi-sama? He was.... Oh, that's right. Like the strange voice said. How could she have forgotten. A smile worked it's way across her face as Itachi's image appeared in her dream scape world, standing in front of her, crimson eyes studying her with their usual level gaze. Stepping forward, she wrapped her arms around him, nuzzling her head against the front of his cloak. "Itachi-sama.... He took care of me, he's my brother.."
"That's right. Good." He turned and inputted a little more information onto his keyboard. She must have been emotionally damaged in her life time, to be so easily set up like this. With the starting layout, he found the area full of hated people. From there, he tracked his way to friends. There were a few that sat close to her. The Red God. That one was too close for comfort. He pushed it into an area where she'd experience mild irritation at his presence. With her friends, they were transferred to a place where she labeled her enemies. Such a harsh change would be a wakeup call for them. He then found members of the Akatsuki and put them in the friend area. Finally, himself. He tracked down the area of respect. He pulled himself from where he resided to that place. He then flashed an image of himself. "This is Ingram Prisken. You call him Instructor. He is a tough teacher but he cares about you. He is helping you develop your powers. What do you think about that?"
Another smile, coupled with a bow to the dream self version of Ingram. "Instructor is a kind man, and he's very wonderful to help me learn to use them further. I'm so grateful to Itachi-sama for introducing us."
With a few final inputs on the keyboard, Ingram withdrew himself from her mind. It was a tiring procedure and his arm still needed healing. So he struggled to the top of the ladder and pulled Hotaru out of the tank. Her being naked did not phase him as he pulled off the mask and carried her to the bed. He covered her up with some sheets and threw out a spare pair of girls clothes for her. When she woke up, he'd need Itachi here. Then everything could move into phase 2 of his own plans. In the meantime, he sat down on the couch in his room and relaxed, making sure time would heal his own wound.
"Is it finished, Ingram?" With a rustle of silk and a whisper of sound, the tall cloaked figure of Itachi gracefully glided across the room to stand beside the bed where the girl lay.
Ingram gave him a nod. "Yes. She now thinks of you as a caring older brother. Take good care of her and make sure to tell the rest of the Akatsuki to treat her well, because they are all now her friends. I trust you know what you are doing, so please, treat Hotaru well."
One black eyebrow raised in a slightly amused manner. "Older brother? How...ironic. And what of yourself? Surely she will not look fondly on the one who attacked her."
"Me? I'm just a simple teacher. Doing that will help me further goals of bringing others under our control for usage."
"I see. What other changes have you made? What of those she considers 'friend'?" It was interesting, how easily the blue-haired man could shape and remake the memories of someone as easily as forming putty in one's hands.
Ingram nodded. "It was all already planned for. What used to be friends she now views with a dislike. However, those that were very close to her cannot be affected to much without compromising the whole operation. So those that she held dear to her she will only view with a minor irritation. Like how one would look at an overbearing mother."
He nodded. "I see. Hence she will be easily malleable by Akatsuki. Good."
"You'd best take her home before she awakes. You'll have to 'be there for her' or else she might begin to have doubts."
With a slight nod, the Akatsuki simply wrapped the coverlet of the bed around the unconscious girl, scooping her up into his arms. With a nod to Ingram, he vanished in a swirl of black feathers.
Rating; PG for some violence and evilness
Characters; Ingram
timediver_mk1, Hotaru silence_bringer, and little bit of Itachi.Summary; Ingram takes his first subject, Hotaru, in for brainwashing. It's successful, leading to the Akatsuki's newest ally.
Log; After confirming information from Itachi, Ingram had started to keep a close eye on the young girl. Sample 121, Hotaru. She would be a first. An example. Through her, he might tempt the Autor boy to join him so he could humiliate his so-called foes. Today, Sample 121 was slightly distressed. To resolve it, she went for a short walk, which was perhaps the worst thing she could do. Or best thing for Ingram. So, he prepared himself for the right moment to kidnap her and prepare her for undergoing subliminal brain variations. As he watched and waited, he prepared a small gun and loaded with with tranquilizer, to keep effects to a minimum.
Completely innocent of the plot brewing against her, the tiny dark-haired senshi was currently wandering through Xanadu. Yesterday had proved to be even more difficult then she'd expected. It hadn't been bad enough that she was seeing her friends, Poppa, her mother. But....Archer too. She'd closed herself up in her room to try and keep the phantoms out, but it hadn't done any good. With a sigh, she continued walking. Maybe if she just stayed out here long enough, it would bring her some peace. Fingering the dark grey triangle on a chain around her neck, she let her mind drift backwards. He had used her. They both had. They were bad men, evil people who had committed horrible, horrible sins. But...they had been kind to her, Itachi and Kisame. Even when they'd been manipulating her, twisting her mind to their own ends, they had been kind. And that...wasn't something the lonely girl could easily put aside. Maybe it was her own naivete, or perhaps simply the lingering purity in her heart that wanted to see everyone happy and smiling. Either way, Hotaru was now torn. She knew the Akatsuki were wounded, hurting. Just like their enemies, those of Konoha. She had friends among the Konoha shinobi, but....could she ignore the fact that her former friends were injured? With a sigh, she reached up and plucked a long trailing cluster of wisteria off of the vine, sitting down on a bench to play with the lavender flowers.
Ingram gave a small smirk. The girl had stopped, taking a seat on a bench. It was a public place but he could get in and out quickly enough without attracting attention. He took quick note of the location and began to move. White light flashed up around him as he teleported over. With the sound of a blocked vacuum cleaner, he appeared behind her with another flash of white light. He quickly reached his left hand around and covered her mouth to keep her from screaming.
Her startled gasp broke off as the palm of his hand covered her mouth. Struggling seemed not to work against this man she didn't know, but that certainly didn't mean that the girl was defenseless. Concentrating, she mentally called and the Saturn power answered, surging along one arm in a crackling of black light and electricity. She yanked against his hand, reaching her arm up to discharge the power towards his face. Hopefully that would make him let go. If not...there was always the Glaive.
He dropped, his blue hair staying in place from inertia. It had burnt from the blast, leaving a rank smell in the air. To much noise and to much attention. He had hoped she would act like a young girl and try to meekly struggle. Obviously, he underestimated her. Now it seemed injuries may have to be sustained on either side. It wasn't a problem. She could heal herself and him after everything was over. From his place on the ground, he kicked at the bench to knock it over and send her sprawling.
Scrambling backwards, the Silence Glaive appeared with a word and a thought, silvery metal cleaving through the bench like a hot knife through warm butter. Violet eyes narrowed as the girl leveled the weapon at the man. He was dangerous. And now...there was no Archer to protect her. Hotaru had fought before, but that didn't mean she liked it. But this wasn't the time for likes and dislikes. Soft voice intoned the familiar words. "Saturn Planet Power - Make Up." With a whirl of light and sound, Tomoe Hotaru vanished, leaving Sailor Saturn behind. "Who are you and what do you want with me?"
He slowly rose to his feet, deciding to take a different approach now that she was prepared. He brushed off the legs of his flight suit and looked up with a friendly smile. "I am Ingram Prisken, young one. I apologize for the violent entrance but I had wished to test you. I wanted to see how great your power was and great it is indeed. However, your control is lacking. That is why I am here."
"Ingram Prisken..." She rolled the name around on her tongue for a moment, mind shifting and flickering as she tried to remember where she'd heard it. Taking a step back, the glaive didn't move from it's position, business end still pointed at him. "I know you. You're.....one of Itachi-sama's allies, aren't you?" That was where she knew him from. Not personally, but through the network. Ingram. Though she hadn't heard the last name, she knew that a person named Ingram had helped Itachi and the other Akatsuki in their battle against the Konoha shinobi. That Ingram was.... the person who had butchered the healers. And even though there could potentially be two people named Ingram in the City, she wasn't willing to take chances.
"I will be frank. Itachi is an ally of mine. However, he cares about you still. That is partially why I am here. He wants to be with you again. A lingering love perhaps?" Ingram stretched out his right hand, leaving it open as in a stance of defenselessness. "Come with me and I will take you to him in good graces. He longs for your visit."
For a moment, her eyes widened at the thought. Itachi-sama...cared for her? But...he'd never cared before. At least...not really. It had all just been a ruse. Hadn't it? Shaking off her doubts, she shook her head. "I don't believe you. Itachi-sama used me. I was nothing but a pawn to him, even if he was kind to me."
Ingram took a step forward, hand still outstretched. "And who told you that? I doubt he was using you. Itachi is just a rough person. He may have came off that way but in his heart, that was not what he wanted. He came to me yesterday, asking for you. He doesn't want to see you in public in fear that you might get in trouble. Just for that fact, you should see that he still does care."
The glaive's point glowed faintly as she took another step back, avoiding him. "He drugged me, addicted me to him. That isn't 'caring'." She didn't want to believe him, couldn't believe him. The kind Uchiha Itachi she had known, the smiling face and comforting voice, they were lies, had always BEEN lies. She wanted Archer. Archer would have known what to do. He would have been able to soothe away her fears, her doubts.
Think of Naruto-kun, and Rue-hime. Arashi-san and Lyra and all the people who really care about you. Think of what Archer would say.
Good. Now all he needed to do was to get her thinking more. More thoughts, more distractions, another step forward. "Was it him? Who gave you that diagnosis? One of the medics I supposedly attacked? I never attacked those medics. If she lies about that, then how can you believe her about the drugs? You have a lot of power, my dear. I bet she was afraid of your power and jealous. You are better than her at healing. You make her obsolete. So she wished to hold you back, so she drugged you. Itachi saw this, but for your sake, took the blame. He would rather see his own name ruined rather than have your name ruined for being with him. That is how much he cares."
"That....that's not true. She didn't do that...." It didn't make sense. Regardless of the fact that Shizune didn't like her, Hotaru knew the medic wasn't the sort to just lie to suit herself. Not to mention, she'd been truthful with Archer. That had been proven. And...Archer believed her. Shaking her head, she glowered at him. "It's not true. Archer told me what happened."
"Yes, he told you. He wouldn't lie, would he? But what if he was fed false information? He'd be telling the truth but it wouldn't be correct. You can't trust anyone, dear. What you can do is rely on those who helped you. If you remember, Itachi always helped you. Always. He never once intentionally harmed you. Come now, just let him prove himself just once." Three more steps closer, and hopefully 3 steps closer to the final goal.
She faltered slightly, steps slowing. He...couldn't be telling the truth. She knew Archer loved her, Archer would never have lied to her. But.....could Archer have been wrong? No...she trusted Archer, had always trusted him. He'd protected her, loved her. But...he'd never liked Itachi-sama. Even putting aside his misgivings about the other man, she couldn't set aside the fact that she knew Archer didn't like Itachi. In fact, her white-haired servant had even stated that he didn't like Itachi-sama because he didn't like the idea of anyone else being that close to Hotaru. Could that mean that....Archer might have been easy prey for someone seeking to deliver false information? She shook her head, distressed by the way her thoughts were turning. "No! I don't believe you!"
"Like I said, give him a chance. Here, let me give you my weapon as a sign of goodwill." He slowly pulled the pistol out of the holster and pointed it at her butt first. Hopefully, she knew nothing about weapons and wouldn't notice the fact that the gun was not a gun, but something to inject a fluid through the skin with one puff of air. Nor the fact that he had not set the safety. He just needed to get close enough...
Hotaru didn't recognize the make of the weapon he held out to her. It didn't look like anything from her world. Not that such a detail would have made much difference, seeing as she'd never actually held a gun before. But....the simple fact that he was giving her the weapon, regardless of his intentions, meant one thing. It was OUT of his grasp. One hand gripping the Silence Glaive tightly, keeping the silvery blade leveled at him, she stretched out the other gloved arm, taking hold of the butt of the gun.
Now was the chance. Both hands were occupied with something. He could physically overwhelm her. Ingram's left hand ignited with glowing green energy, reaching out to grasp the glaive. His grip was still tight on the gun and he twisted it to point it back towards her. Now all he needed to do was push forward.
Violet eyes widened and she jerked back, letting go of the gun and almost dropping the Glaive as the Saturn power reacted to the alien touch with an angry crackle of power that pulsed along the shaft to black outward with a tremendous force.
Ingram's hand was still gripped onto the gun. There was only two options, which could be decided only the the girl. From the force of the blast, he was going to be tossed backwards. If the girl wanted to hold then gun, she was coming too. Ingram's eyes flashed yellow as he shielded himself but he pushed it off. He didn't want that. At any rate, he had to find a safe method of landing.
The blast blew her back as well, the Glaive flying out of her hands, sleek blade embedding itself into the trunk of a tree as her back impacted with another. Collapsing to the floor, she pushed herself up onto hands and knees, shaking her head to try and regain her bearings.
Ingram hit the ground spinning, his feet keeping their balance. He kept his left hand on the ground, along him to gracefully pull to a halt. It was painful though. His left hand looked as it was almost burned away. Thankfully adrenaline and endorphines were very quick to kick in. Flipping the gun in his hand, he charged forwards, wanting to end the foolish game.
She could see him coming towards her out of the corner of her eye. He was fast, and she was shaken. One arm raised shakily, mentally concentrating as the power focused. Maybe if she was lucky, she could manage at least some sort of defense.
Her hand was feebly in the way, so he took the pleasure of shoving it to the side. He was running out of patience and in pain, so he wished to end it quickly. He roughly pushed the gun up against her neck. "Any last words before you sleep, Hotaru?"
She froze at the feel of the cold metal against her neck. But she was a senshi, she wouldn't be afraid. Eyes the same shade as winter violets stared up at him from beneath the fringe of black. Death didn't frighten her, she was dead already. She only wanted to know one thing. "Why?"
A cold smirk wrapped itself across his face. "You will just have to find out." He pulled the trigger and with a quick puff of air, sedatives were injected into her bloodstream.
She flinched slightly, expecting the bang of a gun. As her vision started to grow hazy, she felt her power recede, Saturn vanishing and leaving only Hotaru behind. Within moments, she slumped to the ground, unconscious.
Ingram finally had everything complete. He had the girl floating in a tank of water without any clothing what so ever. The only thing attached to her was an air hose feeding her oxygen and a small amount of sedatives to keep her quiet. This kind of stuff was surprisingly easy to purchase at stores in the area. Turning to a computer, Ingram tapped a few keys and then began. He closed his eyes, focusing on the girl's mind, seeking her emotional points. He found an interesting one containing a white haired person. He mentally nudged it, waiting for a reaction.
She was dreaming. At least, she must have been. Archer was with her, and that wasn't possible. Archer was gone, he'd left. But...despite that, there he was, smiling that same gentle smile at her. The Hotaru in her mind drew hands up to her chin, eyes beginning to water. "A..Archer? You....came back to me?" She took a step forward, one hand shakily reaching for him. As her mind reached out for him, so too did her body, one arm twitching slightly, fingers curling as limp digits fought against the heavy grip of the sedatives, mouth turning up slightly at the corners as the lines of tension in her face softened with a murmur of his name.
A few more taps on the keyboard. Ingram was happy to get what he wanted on his first try. He made a note to not touch this memory, otherwise it might unravel the whole project. However, close by was Itachi. He reached out grabbed Itachi, pulling him close to the area Archer resided in. "Hotaru. This is Itachi, your adoptive brother." He mentally flashed a picture of Itachi. "So, who is this Hotaru?"
She frowned slightly. Who...who was that? She knew his face, it was familiar. Itachi-sama? He was.... Oh, that's right. Like the strange voice said. How could she have forgotten. A smile worked it's way across her face as Itachi's image appeared in her dream scape world, standing in front of her, crimson eyes studying her with their usual level gaze. Stepping forward, she wrapped her arms around him, nuzzling her head against the front of his cloak. "Itachi-sama.... He took care of me, he's my brother.."
"That's right. Good." He turned and inputted a little more information onto his keyboard. She must have been emotionally damaged in her life time, to be so easily set up like this. With the starting layout, he found the area full of hated people. From there, he tracked his way to friends. There were a few that sat close to her. The Red God. That one was too close for comfort. He pushed it into an area where she'd experience mild irritation at his presence. With her friends, they were transferred to a place where she labeled her enemies. Such a harsh change would be a wakeup call for them. He then found members of the Akatsuki and put them in the friend area. Finally, himself. He tracked down the area of respect. He pulled himself from where he resided to that place. He then flashed an image of himself. "This is Ingram Prisken. You call him Instructor. He is a tough teacher but he cares about you. He is helping you develop your powers. What do you think about that?"
Another smile, coupled with a bow to the dream self version of Ingram. "Instructor is a kind man, and he's very wonderful to help me learn to use them further. I'm so grateful to Itachi-sama for introducing us."
With a few final inputs on the keyboard, Ingram withdrew himself from her mind. It was a tiring procedure and his arm still needed healing. So he struggled to the top of the ladder and pulled Hotaru out of the tank. Her being naked did not phase him as he pulled off the mask and carried her to the bed. He covered her up with some sheets and threw out a spare pair of girls clothes for her. When she woke up, he'd need Itachi here. Then everything could move into phase 2 of his own plans. In the meantime, he sat down on the couch in his room and relaxed, making sure time would heal his own wound.
"Is it finished, Ingram?" With a rustle of silk and a whisper of sound, the tall cloaked figure of Itachi gracefully glided across the room to stand beside the bed where the girl lay.
Ingram gave him a nod. "Yes. She now thinks of you as a caring older brother. Take good care of her and make sure to tell the rest of the Akatsuki to treat her well, because they are all now her friends. I trust you know what you are doing, so please, treat Hotaru well."
One black eyebrow raised in a slightly amused manner. "Older brother? How...ironic. And what of yourself? Surely she will not look fondly on the one who attacked her."
"Me? I'm just a simple teacher. Doing that will help me further goals of bringing others under our control for usage."
"I see. What other changes have you made? What of those she considers 'friend'?" It was interesting, how easily the blue-haired man could shape and remake the memories of someone as easily as forming putty in one's hands.
Ingram nodded. "It was all already planned for. What used to be friends she now views with a dislike. However, those that were very close to her cannot be affected to much without compromising the whole operation. So those that she held dear to her she will only view with a minor irritation. Like how one would look at an overbearing mother."
He nodded. "I see. Hence she will be easily malleable by Akatsuki. Good."
"You'd best take her home before she awakes. You'll have to 'be there for her' or else she might begin to have doubts."
With a slight nod, the Akatsuki simply wrapped the coverlet of the bed around the unconscious girl, scooping her up into his arms. With a nod to Ingram, he vanished in a swirl of black feathers.