When one lived to be as old as Aegir you discovered numerous ways to entertain yourself. Solitude was one of those matters that came upon him quite often and it was during these periods of calmness that he would reflect upon his plans. Like dominoes he had set each piece into place meticuliously stationing them in such a fashion that each would topple over the next and in return topple over the next and the next. Often his plans had been far reaching, sometimes though they were there as simple diversions to sate his curiousity and to alleviate the boredom wrought by having seen or experienced most things that life had to offer.

There were still a great many things that Aegir had not come to understand. His own alien concepts differed from the human mind set though his thoughts, aims and ambitions reflected his prey now more than they did his own species. Tainted they had called him. Truth be told they were probably right. He had consumed too many minds, absorbed too many memories into his own from this simple, yet fascinating species. In turn he had greater understanding of them though obviously not perfect clarity. This had been one method by which he had staved off stagnation. Delving into the mindsets of humans, learning what he could from them. They were an enigma, the perfect conundrum of contradictions.

One of his far reaching aims had been the ushering in of World War III. Through his own actions he had initiated the first Great War arranging for the assassination of one soul. Such a flash point had ignited a powder keg that not just led into war but set the stage for what was to come, the second Great War. World War II came upon the heels of its predecessor. Germany had been blamed for the start of the first Great War and cast so far into debt by other nations that held it financially responsible that there was no way for the nation to climb out of such an abysmally dark hole. Then came the rise of Hitler who had elected to ignore this responsibility, who rebuilt Germany from the ruins left over by war. World War II had been important due largely in part due to the brillant minds of that era. Minds like Einstein who would go on to construct a horror that he would later regret. The atomic bomb. And thus the stage had been set for World War III. The chain of events were connected quite well in Aegir's opinion. The elimination of a key man, an Austrian arch duke brought upon a war that cast Germany into blame which later lead to another war initiated by the very same nation which only led to the invention of a terrible weapon that would be used to devestating effect in a final World War. Aegir had not engineered the destruction of the planet he had held in rapture. Rather he had engineered its conquest for after that war the planet would be ripe for his invasion but first he had to prepare himself for that time.

He knew well enough that the future was fluid much like water. It adjusted itself, it took the shape of whatever container it had been placed in and ultimately could be changed. What use would prophecies be? Divinations? Omens? These would be quite useless if the future could not be adapted in some fashion. Aegir knew well enough not to trust events to occur in the precise fashion that he had dictated. What he had though was a blue print, a blue print for the devestation that was to come. Like a contractor though it was up to him to interpret these blueprints and build from these instructions ensuring that what had been designed was in fact what was created at the conclusion of his work.

Letting such thoughts ebb away from his mind Aegir broke the surf. The cool waters were refreshing as he had always felt more at home at sea than upon dry land (even if he did tend to spend more time upon the later than in the former). Such matters were as distant as the stars that shone in the heavens on this evening though it did not hurt to dwell upon such things it was best not to harp too much on things to come least he miss out on the present. And there certainly were matters in the present that he had wished to tend to.

For while he was glimpsing the future through his precognitive gifting Aegir spied an opportunity should he be in the right place at the right time. His legs, a mass of tentacles, reached outward stretching to their full capacity as they grabbed hold of whatever was on hand to pull his body forward or simply bore down upon the ground when there had been nothing to gain purchase upon. Such locomotion was tedious but Aegir had never minded his lethargic nature. Eons of existance made him both patient and cautious. Little would change those aspects about him for he knew that with enough time all things were possible.

Tonight it was to the hidden grotto that he drew himself. The ancient cave had not been far from the beach itself partially hidden by vegetation that concealed the mouth of the cavern itself. Here, he had learned, was a hot springs. Not just that but from time to time students had slipped away from the campus to hang out and party. On rare occassions a lone individual would come here to relax and soak in the springs themselves.

There would be no party tonight but Aegir knew that there had been something within the grotto, something that had been accidentally left behind. And so the owner would be along to reclaim such a precious heirloom or so Aegir had glimpsed in one possible future. So, without any fanfare Aegir slipped past the foliage easing into the warm cave. Once there he would secure himself into the shadows, perhaps even work a minor illusion over himself for there was no need to hurry for he could truly enjoy himself on this evening.

Dawn was counting how many days she has returned, and already had been attacked. However there was a bright side to all of this, as she met the remains of her felow classmates, Sondra, and her dear lover Kim whom Dawn for one was very worried about. Several others poped in front of her as well, one being Keahi, whom she is worried about since she has been reappearing and disappearing more then she was. Dawn was in the middle of leaving class, getting ready to prepare to teach the new SHS Cheerleading Squad she has come to take back, of course teaching them the routines Dawn has been personally working on. Also on the SHS Swim Team for meets against other schools. Both were very new, most students she didn't know, but oddly most of them knew her already.

Dawn didn't think too much into that part though, considering how the High School works. Dawn was on her way to met up with Kim, just to be sure she is ok since this school is dangerious and it is always nice to be cautious. Her mind was focused on Kim, and the remants of the Seniors, she still have no idea why she was back on the campus. Seen so many of her close friends vanish and never return, Dawn just continues to wonder what is her exception? But then again, as luck would have it some of her friends still managed to be here, and it is really up to her to make sure it stays that way, or die trying.

It was a good day out, the sun was bright, and it wasn't too hot either, the campus was buzzing with activity. Dawn tried not to stand out from the crowd, because she knew it was a bad thing, but her attractivness and things she wears usually do end up getting her attention. As several students end up walking up to her and started asking questions only a Senior to the campus would know the answer to. Also about her pink highlights, which honestly even Dawn don't know how it became that way. It was something knew though and she liked it, but again it got her unwanted attention which is a bad thing.

Gloom and darkness were two good friends of his for his sensitive eyes had no problems in piercing through the inky darkness that they both created. His eyes adjusted to his newfound environment quite well. Instinctually his pigmentation shifted taking on a hue of dark brown to better conceal himself amongst the shadows provided by the grotto's cave. One could never know when another entity was lurking about and while he had thus far avoided the others Aegir had no knowledge if any of them were of the territorial sort. This grotto would have attracted attention had it been discovered and so he cautiously moved about ready for confrontation should it come.

In addition his keen eyes searched the cavern's floor. Had there been any form of lighting his task would have been made all the more easier through a spark or a gleam as the piece of metal was illuminated. But his diligence paid off nonetheless for Aegir's eyes eventually fell upon the very object he had been searching for. One tentacle reached out towards the golden colored band of metal looping through it Aegir both picked up the object and wore it as his tentacle drew back closer to his face. White eyes inspected the bracelet while a hand reached down to pluck the piece of metal from that tentacle. Casting his gaze into the interior of the band itself he consumed the inscription held there then pressed his presence out to one of his nodes.

The miniature versions of himself were both his spies and scouts. They had searched the campus for prey peeling back their minds as they probed into each one, prying out the necessary information before relaying it back to their creator. Through his nodes Aegir could further project his own powers using them as conduits. He could also use their senses seeing what they saw.

Throughout the day he had been bombarded with reports, reports about thoughts, about criteria, and as usual Aegir sifted through each and every one of these. There had been so few that he had actually been interested in. So few that would further his agenda although the ones he did find often proved to be most interesting indeed. Keeping himself attuned to reports about the owner of this bracelet Aegir had learned a great many things for his nodes picked up upon the thoughts of Dawn as she went about her business throughout the day.

Fragments of her memory seemed to elude her, she felt strange amongst individuals that she did not know but who had apparently known her. Old friends and acquaintances were gone, some familiarities existed here in this place. He picked up on these things storing them into the vault of his mind for easy retrieval. But what had made him access that vault once more had been the name found upon the inscription of this bracelet. Kim ... could it have been that this bracelet was a gift? A birthday present? Anniversary present? Aegir did not have the answer to this question and while his nodes could have pressed deeper into the mind of his subject he had no desire to discover the answer just yet. All that was necessary was the fact that it was important to her in some fashion.

Directing his nodes the eldest of his creations had been charged with stalking Dawn. Its movements, due to its diminutive size, had been even slower than the counterpart that it had sprung from. Still it was just as patient and with a little knowledge about where Dawn had to be (accessed from her own thoughts and memories) it successfully manuevered itself into being in the right places at the right times. Charged with several tasks it was to continue to monitor Dawn as well as stimulate her own memory, pressing images of the lost bracelet into her mind stirring it out of her subconscious to conscious memory. Lastly, as the day progressed, Aegir would use that node in a different aspect should these little forrays into her mind not work. He would use his node to generate a phantasm, an illusion of someone she once knew if only to lure her here. Sometimes, Aegir had found, the future had need of a nudge to get itself rolling.

Dawn sighed after getting her way through the horde of students asking random questions. Her mind always thought about Kim, she had said several times she would do anything in her power to keep her safe. Something her old lover Kasumi disappeared, apparently doing the same to protect Dawn. She has always thought about this and is always troubled because of how she felt, maybe if she wasn't such a burdon when she first got here, Kasumi would never fell in love with her, and thus avoiding everything else. That didn't matter now though, Kim was her first prioty, as well as the remanets of the Senior Class, mainly Sondra, Kim, Keahi and Madison.

Dawn's day was pretty full, again she met the new members of the Cheerleading Squad, and also the members of the Swim Team members. Dawn had these to keep her mind occupied, but it all eventually ended as the day came to a close. Dawn was sitting in the locker room as her thoughts of her lovers clouded her mind again. This time something was different as her head was hurting. Headaches, it has been common since she returned, but what troubled her was flashes of images that literally crippled her to a point where she could barely move. Dawn was lucky she was sitting down this time, these flashes of images, from what she can imagine is from when she was gone. But it was too fast and too much to handle, Dawn hasn't told anyone about this, not even her closest friends.

Flashes of memory, is it the reason why part of her hair turned pink? Dawn shook this sudden hit off and got ready to head back to her dorm. Putting her regular mini skirt on along with her loose t-shirt. Something in her mind kept saying telling her about a bracelet? What was that about? Maybe it was something she forgot as a present to Kim? Dawn on her way back had another flash in her mind, this time she wasn't so lucky, she couldn't do anything as the images rushed through her head, bunch of them, full of monsters fucking her, people in white clothes standing there watching it happen, machines double penetrating her. Dawn felt her energy sap as this happened and drops to the floor groaning and holding her head.

It wasn't long before another fellow student came along to help her back on to her feet. It was gone, for now at least, Dawn thanked the student who just leaves to go on her own business. Dawn had to get back to her dorm, she felt physically and mentally weak, something she isn't used to feeling. Not being able to protect the ones she holds very dear to her heart is something she can't accept. Grabbing her bag, and the notebook holding SHS Cheerleading routines, Dawn headed back to her dorm, slowly taking her time.

Rue had been a life saver though Aegir regretted that he would have to destroy that node one of these days before it attained full awareness. If that day was allowed to pass there was little doubt that his creation would attempt to become autonomous and in order to accomplish that it would have to very well kill its maker. Such was the violent start of life amongst his kind ever since they had lost the ability to reproduce sexually. Through their long life spans the species evolved to the state where they would bud splitting off miniature versions of themselves, versions that lacked true sentience until they matured. Until that point they were little more than tools that served the purposes of their creator. More than one of his kind had become complacient and somewhat reliant on their nodes allowing the beings to grow in power. Aegir would not be so easily replaced by his kin, he would ensure that he would destroy these wretched tools before they could prove a threat to him. For what was created once could always be replicated again.

Still Rue did have its usefulness. Now had been one such time for the images that it filtered back to Aegir drew upon even more information. Lab technicians, scientists most likely observing Dawn ... other monsters that plundered her body amongst images of machinery doing carnal things to her. No doubt she had been a veteran that had dwelled upon this island of Shokushu for quite some time. Her worry about her friends, about those that she knew dominated her thoughts and this was something that Aegir could use. He drew upon this avenue, pondered his plans then realized that he had miscalculated. Rue's influence upon her had been stimulating the intensity of the flashes she was experiencing. While not the cause for these images it was clear to Aegir that Rue's abilities while certainly a diminished version of his own were some how to blame. Rue lacked the finesse that Aegir maintained and thus by the subtle implantation of thoughts had altered the course of events.

Dawn would not come here this evening. While the thought of the bracelet invaded her mind her physical weakness would keep her from undertaking any lengthy journey. An old Swahili proverb came to mind, drawn from one of the absorbed memories that Aegir possessed. When you can't go to the mountain, bring the mountain to you. An odd expression, though Aegir had not debated all the contradictions that made humans such a unique species. Truly he would never understand them, which was fine by him since studying them had alleviated his boredom. Not only that but Aegir found that they would be useful breeders if he could only slip them past those pesky ADD blockades. Some of his ilk had been successful which amounted to some of the disappearances that Dawn troubled herself about no doubt. Eventually he would take steps in procuring his own means of transporting graduating students from this place, and if all went well he would handle the pesky ships in orbit about this place.

Again such matters could wait for another time. Knowing that he would have to destroy Rue given its growth in abilities and intuition Aegir squarely planted that near the top of his to do list. He had thought about calling it a night drawing back to his ocean abode where he could replan and rethink his stragedy only to realize that despite the fact that Dawn may not be coming here that to do so would have been a travesty. She was ripe for the pickings in such a weakened state she would be far easier to deal with. And though Aegir enjoyed a challenge he had not been above targetting softer prey from time to time.

So he pondered matters for a moment while instructing Rue to pursue her. While he made his way out of the warm grotto back into the cool air Aegir began to alter his form spinning an illusion about himself in much the same fashion as a spider would meticulously weave its own web. Only this masquerade drew directly upon Dawn's mind allowing Rue to syphon information from both her conscious and subconscious memories relaying it back to Aegir.

A clearer picture came into focus as Aegir pulled upon the information. An alteration here, a change there and he adjusted his illusion as he slunk through the wilderness. A change of plans had been in order and while Aegir seldomly worked off of improve he was more than willing to attempt new things. New challenges stimulated him after all and if he were not cunning enough to adjust himself to changing situations then he certainly did not deserve to accomplish the lofty goals he had set for himself.

In the hour or so that it would take him to reach the school he kept tabs on Dawn through Rue casting his sensory awareness out through the node. As he drew nearer he would project his own telepathic abilities through that node drawing upon Dawn's own memories and self doubts.

If it weren't for you I would have never gotten myself into this mess.
Look what you caused? You caused all this?
Your weak! I don't know what I ever saw in you ...

All in Kim's voice though the projection was occurring in her mind adding to her thoughts. Whether she believed them to be her own or that of an invaders was yet to be determined, though what Dawn thought hardly mattered either way. Aegir was just getting started and while not known for his creativity he did come to surprise himself on more than one occassion when it came to the manufacturing of illusions. Allowing those absorbed memories to surface, drawing upon them, channeling their creativity into his works certainly did assist him in his endeavors. His craft was an artform, one that he constantly sought to reshape and expand upon. On this evening he would get just that chance to create a master piece worthy of his inherient abilities.

Dawn thought she heard Kim's voice in the dorm's halls, so turned around expecting to see her, but only to see the darkness of the halls. "Must have been the wind..." Still, something has been wrong the entire day, her intense flash of images has gotten even worse, it has been happening way to often. Although this has been happening since she came back to the campus, it has never been so frequent and intense, Dawn knows something was triggering it. However what triggering it was still up in the air. Dawn had always watched her back, she knew she was physically too weak to fight, and mentally she wasn't in any better shape with these images flashing through her head.

Dawn had another one, this time right before she entered her dorm, this one lasted longer, and she can literally feel the penetration that she sees in her head. This time, the image was of her being penetrated, her pussy and ass being stretched while she cried in pain. The flash of images, sounds of her own moans and cries roared through her head several times before Dawn crashed through her own dorm's door and falls into her room. Dawn was breathing very hard, as if she herself just experienced it. "This is getting...very very...annoying." She knew she had to show her strength, make sure she doesn't cave in like she has done before.

But her experiences on the campus, and OFF the campus, had made her very aware of things around her. More importantly made her trust her instincts, and it has been ringing bells in her head, telling her something was off but Dawn really can't see anything wrong, other then those images of her. Dawn sat up on the floor of her own dorm, and gently closed the door behind her, before grabbing her long blonde hair, and the pink highlights that mysteriously showed up. From what Kim and Sondra had told her before, she never had this, what could have caused this? Dawn's hair was very straight, and smooth, running her hands through her hair, before throwing her head back and sighed.

What was wrong with her? Something is off, and she can't put her hand on it. Ever since she has returned to campus, everything seemed just, off. Getting a letter from the so called Board of Directors? Saying welcome back? Taking up her old position as leader of the Cheerleading Squad, and Co-Leading the SHS Swim Team? Why? After 2 years of being gone, why would they send her back here, let alone hand her positions back? "Kasumi...Kim...what do i do? I'm so lost...so confused...What do I do?" Maybe she is just exhausted and thinking too much, or maybe not. Those images are real, Dawn knows deep down they did happen to her, but the cause of part of her hair changing to pink is just something she can't tell.

Strength was an illusion. It was temporal. It was a shadow, a thing without substance just like an idea or thought. Fingers could not grasp hold of it, grip it, maintain it. Strength was more a presence of mind than anything else for it was the mind that empowered the body. Aegir knew that those that were physically weak could also be deceptively strong had they the knack for drawing upon their inner strength. In Dawn he had sensed that she had not believed enough in herself, or perhaps had been bested enough times in the past where such thoughts had filled her subconscious mind. Doubt was an impediment to acquiring strength for one would second guess themselves at crucial times. It was this angle that he had played upon and while she had been under the belief that she was hearing things that too was quite alright.

He continued to focus upon her as she moved through the corridors, his node hard pressed to keep up even if it had known where she was heading. On more than one occassion it had lost track of her. As she rounded corners or went up stairs the diminitive little node simply could not keep her in sight. Diligently it followed though soon picking her back up when she paused to regain her barings after another recent attack. As long as Aegir could sense her whereabouts it had not mattered that he had lost track of her visually. So long that she did not get too far away his node would home in upon her.

Sure enough he had lost track of her again though he still received an influx of her thoughts through his node. Eventually the small creature came to a halt outside of a shut dorm room door. Concentrating upon the node Aegir found that it had focused its gaze upon the room number allowing itself to transmit that valued information. Room 301 ...

BAH! That had indicated the 3rd floor which meant that he would either have to sneak into the dormitory through use of an illusion, monitoring thoughts of those that he ran across, implanting suggestions upon those individuals that believed his presence to be suspicious. It was either that or climb up the side of the building seeking access through and open window. Able to compress his form since his body lacked any bones whatsoever Aegir could squeeze into the tinnest of places. Weighing his options had not taken long. Climbing seemed the adequate choice for there were less likely witnesses to see him. Sure, it would look odd for he could easily scale sheer surfaces given the suction cups upon his tentacles. What would be odd about it was that he had been masked in this illusionary form so any witnesses that chanced upon him would essentially see a student scaling the side of the building much like a spider. Dwelling upon this issue Aegir found that there was not likely to be any witnesses to such an escapade. And if there were? He would alter their memory about the ordeal, the human mind had been mapped out to him from his constant study and analysis of them.

Finally he had reached the perimeter of the campus itself, his eyes scrolling over the terrain casually. Like a scout he circled the perimeter of the grounds ensuring that there were no surprises waiting for him. Aegir knew that humans could be resourceful beings and even if the bulk of these students failed to remember the attacks against them all it took was for one to stand up and begin to fight back. One domino in the chain of many could start a reaction that could not be stopped before it was too late. Weary of traps and suspicious of an ambush kept Aegir somewhat focused on matters. Hunts would not always be as safe or as easy as they were here upon Shokushu. The inhibitors offered a degree of protection, though not total protection as he had found out the hard way some time back now. Only a fortnight ago had his tentacle regenerated completely while the burns upon two others had fully healed Aegir would not forget how one small miscalculation had damaged him so much.

But Dawn was a different member entirely, wasn't she? From what Rue had relayed to him she possessed no extraordinary abilities though Aegir took a small moment to reflect upon the node and its behavior. Rue was showing a small measure of intelligence and it could reasonably be deemed that Rue had held back information in order to lead Aegir into a trap. Aegir calculated this matter before dismissing it off tentacle. While Rue was displaying limited degrees of intelligence what the node lacked was craftiness. Had it been cagey it would have hidden its intellect from him and thus would not have singled itself out for destruction. To be led into a trap would have entailed a massive leap in Rue's abilities and talents, which Aegir had not yet sensed in his creation. The fact that he had paused to debate this portion of knowledge did lend credence to the fact that the node needed to be destroyed or in the very least implanted into a specimen where it would not develop any further talents and abilities.

There was no use harping over such matters though for he was too busy focusing upon other matters at present Aegir reached out with his mind. A light probe allowed him to find Rue quite easily and thus pinpointing its location he found Dawn's. The little node had not dwelled from its hiding place outside of Dawn's chamber and thus it had been easy enough for Aegir to calculate which window lead into the cheer leader's bedroom. Taking a small moment Aegir pressed his awareness into that room discerning Dawn's presence though it was not she that he was looking for. Rather he took the opportunity to discover if she were alone or not which would naturally impede his plans somewhat. Sensing no other lifeforms at present Aegir realized that this opportunity had been too good. He had Dawn in a classic pinscher attack. Coming in through the window her only avenue of retreat would be out the door of her room and smack into the node, which may not have been able to do anything physically though Aegir could always use his own powers through the node to hinder and impede her escape.

Time to get this show on the road, Aegir thought to himself amused by the human slang that he had picked up upon. Moving to the side of the building he waited only long enough for Dawn's own thoughts to dwindle down just a tad waiting upon her to relax while keeping his awareness alert least he be discovered. So far so good. He began his ascent scaling up the side of the building with the same slowness that he possessed moving over the rough terrain from the grotto to the campus grounds. Slow and steady wins the race. He did not know where he drew that thought from though it was obvious that it belonged to one or more of the absorbed minds he had ingested over the millenia. Soon, so very soon he would find admittance to the very room that she believed to be a sanctuary.

Dawn sat down on her chair and looked around her room. It wasn't safe, she knew it and on more then one occasion, she was attacked in it. Then again she also fought off a lot because she was always awary and again learned to trust her instincts. And her instincts are still roaring in her head, she doesn't know how she knows, but she just does. Maybe what she gone through the past 2 years she was gone, she had picked up or learned to use better of her 7th sense? Dawn was still very uneasy, so she decided to pick up the phone and dial Kim's phone number.

She didn't get her on the phone, but managed to leave a short voice message to Kim which made her feel better. "Hey Kim, sweety I'm rather uneasy at the moment, i feel like there is something wrong. If anything happens to me please don't be sad and stay strong. I have told you i never felt the same way as i have felt since i returned, maybe it's for the best or not. Know that i will keep on fighting or die trying." With that, Dawn hung up the phone and sighed quietly to herself.

She has told her closet friends, at least the ones remaing about her flash images she has been getting since she returned and only got one conclusion from it. Whatever or where ever she was, it had something to do with the N.I.C.E. Labs. Dawn is a senior for a reason, learning through experiences and mistakes she made. Never let down your guard even when in the shower, or especially when you are alone. It was an advice she has always been given out to Freshman's on the campus whom asks her questions. Dawn grabbed her bag full of gym stuff, and rumaged through to find the one thing she was looking for, the Letter from the Board of Directors.

Like she said to herself time and again, she never knew of any Board of Directors on the Campus, only two real males she knew was Mr. Stormbringer, and Mr. Niceman, both whom is rather mysterious and never revealed themselves unless they postively had to, or wanted to do something. It was then when several other flashes of images rushed through her mind, again it hurts, it gave her migranes but Dawn is now more in control, at least for the moment anyway. She was able to suppress this one, trying to stay as strong as she positively can. Dawn was very uneasy still, maybe an nights walk would clear her mind a little bit. Though being alone is something she trys to avoid, but doesn't want to disturb Sondra, nor Kim with her own problems.

"Alright, since i keep getting this creepy feeling i might as well try and do soemthing about it." Dawn is very self aware of her looks, and knows that someone like her would be like a "trophy". This angered her so much, to be thought of nothing other then a trophy. Growling in anger, Dawn picked up two pair of gloves Kim had given her recently and put them on. "Only one place, one place only can clear my head." Dawn thought to herself, it was the beach, the first place she arrived, first place she met Kasumi, Kim, and everyone else she ahs grown to trust. With her mini skirt still on, and also her loose t-shirt, Dawn headed through the door, but without much of a thought, she PUNCHED the wall hard, breaking the thin wall of her clothest, the gloves protected her punch, but she still bleed a little.

Before leaving though, Dawn puts her diary she had kept all the way to her recent disappearance. It contained everything, her days, routines, and how she felt. Wondering if she should start it once again since she has returned. "Maybe...I will, well with no futher interruptions, off to the beach." Dawn quickly writen up a letter, for Kim just incase she decided to come over to see if she was ok. Alright then, Dawn though, she headed for the door and then towards the beach, where everything began.

Such a plethora of confusion, of conflict, of anger. Aegir had not been able to comprehend it all. It had seemed as if his initial impressions had been wrong but that was the nature of trying to second guess human logic and emotions. Such matters were unpredictable. Here he had believed that she would come to rest, to recover and relax though her mind was clearly in an agitated state where sleep would not easily come to her. Drinking up the emotions that stormed through her Aegir had considered halting her retreat from this place. Instead he relented upon acquire the knowledge of her destination ... far more isolated than the dorm room the beach at this time in the evening would be better suited to the purposes he had in mind.

Pausing at the base of the building he considered his decision one final time. His node of course ensured that an approach through the window would hem his target in though there were several other factors at work that needed to be considered. Such as the likelihood of being interupted running higher here, the greater chance of assistance too was prevalent in his mind. And while Dawn may have been able to elude him more efficiently in the wilderness Aegir realized that help would not be so readily available at the merest scream. So as she made for the door of her dorm room he let her through unchallenged. Already he had begun slipping away from the dorms circling about on an intercept course by positioning himself in such a manner that she would have to transverse past him should she take the quickest most efficient route from the dorms to her destination of the beach.

Using the time that he had on hand he ensured that his illusion had been in place. Drawing upon Dawn's recent call he recounted her words with crystal clarity as he had been plugged into her conscious thoughts as she relayed them. That, and drawing upon her concern had already given him rise to a deviation in his plan. Tonight had not so much been like his usual forays where he would contemplate a scenario, arrange matters to his liking then await the results of his planning. Rather tonight was an experiment, a different approach in doing things for he was not use to impromptu performances. Aegir tended to have a plan along with one or two back ups should his initial one fail. He tended to cut his losses to replan and reorganize if things did not go his way. It simply was in his nature. Patience won out in the end, though having existed for longer than the life of a star Aegir thrived on new experiences. If anything they killed the boredom that had encroached upon his life making things exciting or in the least somewhat stimulating.

So without complaint he slithered away from the dorms. Just this once he would do things differently for truly he was in no rush. When the time came he would quite enjoy his prize. Some would see the pursuit of students as a collection of trophies and no doubt Dawn would have been quite the catch. For Aegir though it went beyond feeding like some of the predators upon the island. He needed no sustenance from his victims. For him it even went beyond pleasure or the acquisition of another bauble to satisfy his needs, though pleasure derived from such acts were a boon. What Aegir searched for were particuliar qualities, qualities that would assist him in his conquest. Strong willed souls were most often sought out for their minds going back to the inner strength of a being lending that same strength to the physical nature and determination of the individual. These were of course amongst the most interesting of his subjects. Though naturally there were others, others that drew his interests. Athletes, those that were conditioned and in shape were prime canidates as well for it would be through them that stronger prodigy would be birthed. Naturally such matters were years in the future and only if he could manage to sequester away his subjects beneath the noses of the pesky ADD. But years meant nothing to one that would live an eternity. Dawn fell into this catagory and thus had a significant importance to Aegir. She may not have had the will power but she possessed the right measure of physical traits to be useful to his future conquests.

Even with his slow speed Aegir knew that he would have some time before Dawn breeched the building. She would have to weave through corridors, descend staircases and possibly sneak about as evening set in and curfews took hold. He was unsure about the later part not having been acquianted with the island for long himself though it was an educated guess upon his part.

Soon enough he had caught sight of her, the unmistakeable blond hair with its pink streaks quite visible to his keen eyes even at the distance set between them. Allowing her to gain some ground Aegir humbly followed behind her knowing that the more progress she made the more isolated she had become. He had to slow her though in order to keep up done through subtle alterations in the terrain. Illusions masking landmarks or generating paths a bit sooner so that she would veer off course without even realizing it. Little things to slow her down so he could catch up. Then when he believed them to be far enough from the campus itself he quickened his pace just a bit.

"DAWN! DAWN! Is that you?" His voice carried out over the night though in truth it was a mere telepathic projection pressed into Dawn's own mind. The tone of his voice again a mimicry of Kim's just as his form had been all plucked straight from her mind. Only now though his image had been a bit disheaveled. His gait possessed a severe limb to mask his painfully slow nature while scratches and cuts marred his arms and legs. All part of his grand design. This illusion would probably go down as his most challenging, not that he had never mimiced such forms before but that he had never attempted to mimic someone that his subjects were quite intimate with. Dawn's knowledge of Kim would be great indeed making this masquerade all that more difficult to pull off. Still he would try his hand at it doing his best to sound out of breath he continued through use of his telepathic gifting for Aegir possessed no vocal chords in which to simulate human speech. It was enough, however, that his mouth movements matched up with the sound of his voice, that a subtle suggestion send along with the telepathic communication made it seem as if he were speaking aloud to her.

"Thank God you're alright! What are you doing out here? You know its unsafe!" Aegir approached wearing that friendly skin, eyes wide as they shifted to and fro like a panicked animal in constant search of danger.

Dawn finally made her way outside of the three story dorms. She didn't remember it being so big, but then again she has been gone awhile so they might have changed it. Formerly of the full Senior Dorm, now seperated into three stories, the top being the seniors, and Freshman and Sophmore for first and second floors respectively. She made sure she wasn't followed, at least from her point of view.

Those images, the most recent one she suppressed caught her eye. Remembering her conversations with Sondra, Vanessa, and Kim, the people in white coats she has seen in her visions made her curious. N.I.C.E. Labs. That has got to be where she was for 2 years, but why 2 years? Why would they keep her there for 2 years only to send her back again to this place? Not like she isn't glad to see Kim and Sondra again, the only question circled in her head was the fact that her mental senses feel off. Dawn didn't understand this completely yet, either they have strengthened to a point she hasn't grown to understand, or they been weakened to a point where she can't defend herself mentally.

Outisde of the dorms, Dawn headed towards the beach, the place she can always go to make sure she is alone and by herself. Also a good view of the bright N.I.C.E. Labs that glowed in the background. Even from half way through the campus, in the dark, Dawn can clearly see the glow that is the Labs. Before she got to the beach though, a voice caught her attention. It was a familiar and soft voice she has grown to love since Kasumi has disappeared. Kim...? Dawn thought to herself, what would she be doing out here though?

Dawn turned around to see Kim, surely enough standing behind her. What was she doing out here? "Kim? sweetheart what are you doing out here? You should be sleeping." Something looked wrong though, Kim looked very nerves and that isn't her at all. Kim is usually very confident and doesn't worry unless it was about Dawn herself. But she just spoke to her during her time in the Gym, Kim didn't looked worried then. No no this wasn't right, she is asleep, Dawn passed her room on the way down and she WAS asleep. Dawn quickly put two and two together, and with her senses still roaring in her ear like a Air Force Pilot's airplane being targeted by a missile.

Dawn smiled, then grinned, almost evily, something she doesn't do unless she was very confident in what she was about to do. "That's very funny, whoever you are. Kim never acts like that, how dumb do you think i am? Just because I'm blonde it doesn't mean I'm dumb. Show who you are before I pound your head into the floor." It wasn't just the fact that it didn't make sense, but her senses and instincts are crying out that this was all wrong. She doesn't know what exactly is wrong yet though. Her instincts has always been right and she isn't going to back down. She knows, if Kim followed her she would have known it, so she, or whoever it was, was NOT Kim. Maybe she's been gone for 2 years, but through the pain, and the memory of what she has been through, N.I.C.E. Labs maybe gave her something even they didn't know. Accident maybe?

Oooh, this was going to be interesting indeed. Aegir was quite pleased actually, for Dawn's skeptism was something that he had rarely encountered in his years. His illusions were never perfect but they did the job. Sure enough a lack of creativity on his species part had seen to that but he was swiftly learning to compensate for that crutch. And though Dawn had seen through the guise Aegir was unwilling to drop it just yet. How would he learn to adapt, to adjust otherwise? Nothing was to be learned by giving in straight away, besides, he was curious to see if he could reverse his fortunes.

Able to read minds was a blessing in this sort of incident for it did allow him a small edge. It allowed for him to adjust himself to suit both the situation and what was normally expected from his prey making changes where necessary. Bringing his gaze to rest upon Dawn's Aegir hobbled forward another few steps before coming to rest. It would do no good to frighten Dawn off knowing full well that she could easily out distance him. However, given the elasticity of his rubbery body his appendages had quite an alarming range. Aegir knew that he was still short of springing upon her. He also realized that any sudden movements upon his part could startle her even further.

"Dawn dear, its me ..." a quick glance around Aegir's gaze drew up to the trees perusing them before flickering back to her. There were emotions that Aegir had mastered quite well and there were others that were too alien for him to comprehend though he had believed he could at least mimic most of them. Concern was one of the more challenging of emotions simply because he had little experience with it yet that was what he tried to instill into his voice searching through those absorbed memories to capture the right inflection in his voice. The feigned look of shock had not been all that hard to pull off simply because Aegir had been use to seeing that expression cast over the faces of victims. Shock at Dawn's confusion, shock at her acquisition.

"You ... you don't remember do you?" A little more strength returning to that voice Aegir had been pleased that Dawn had not simply run off. In her decision to stay even if that decision had been temporary it bestowed a chance upon Aegir. "Your endanger out here ... there's so much I need to tell you, so much I need to explain darling."

Deception was best maintained through confusion, keep your prey so worried about something else that it distracted them from looking too deeply into matters. Deception was enhanced through the truth for a little bit of honesty only added to a ruse. Right now Dawn was alert, her senses tingling, her mind as firm as bedrock. But even bedrock could be weathered away through erosion. It could be chipped and chiseled with enough time and the right tools one could brake through such barriers. And Aegir had an abundance of time on his hands.

Keeping his movements slow he reached into a pocket to draw out the bracelet he had uncovered in the grotto. A small flick and he cast it towards her so that she could easily catch it while retaining some distance between the two. "I found it when escaping from the labs, Dawn. I was there too! They did things to us, Stormbringer and Niceman. Hell, we're still part of their little experiments like good little guinea pigs. God, you must think I sound crazy. You and I know that things were never right at this place but I found out more than they wanted me to know ... far more Dawn. I know what happened to the other seniors, to Kasumi, to ..."

Aegir shook his head allowing his words to tapper off unfinished. "Please, Dawn get back inside while its safe to do so before its too late. I'm not what you think I am though I can hardly prove it here in this of all places. I just don't want to see anything happen to you, especially after what I saw out here tonight."

Cast some doubts, some suspicion, there would be time to sprinkle seeds of doubt about the other Kim, the one in the dorms after all. Monitoring her thoughts Aegir kept his distance. He had paid her threats no heed in responding to her for in doing so he would put her further on edge and if she did happen to attempt to carry them out she would need to get closer to him and that of course was his aim either to draw closer to her or get her to draw closer to him. Either way it was a win-win situation. And if she still was adamant that this was a ruse? Well he knew she would not entirely let go her suspicions after all he was only attempting to get her to doubt matters even in the slightest. That her perceptions upon returning had been faulty that what he was relaying now could be the truth. Naturally if she still did not buy it in the least well Aegir had already formulated a back up plan.

In his glimpse around the terrain he noted where each tree, bush and briar stood. He got his barings of all the useful obstructions such as the log some 30 meters away or that large stone by the blueberry bush just off to his right and ahead of his position by a mere 2 meters. Illusions weren't his only talent after all and while he was loathe to use his mind controlling talents while hunting Aegir had already planned upon other ways that he could safely subdue this young woman without bringing any undue harm to her. Aegir was never overly violent unless he absolutely had to be. Curious as to what her next move was to be Aegir regarded her intently for the next few seconds were going to be most interesting indeed.

Dawn knows Kim, very very well, this wasn't her. It wasn't even remotely close, Dawn also knows for a fact that her lover was asleep in her room. So her being in front of her, isn't real, or at least someone trying to be her. Her senses are still blaring and again Dawn replied, "Hmm, that's interesting, whoever YOU are, let me let you know, the facts straight first. Kim wasn't in the N.I.C.E. Labs with me, i know and remember. Second Kasumi have never been there either, she was with me, all the time, all the way until her disappearance."

"This little play, you putting on is getting very old. Show yourself before i make you." Dawn was more than angry by now, but she knows she needed to stay calm and figure this out. As sure as she is, she never would know what would happen especially in a place like this. Her senses has given her something to relay on, maybe being in the N.I.C.E. Labs really have given her something they don't realize. Still, as much as it was a profit, she knows the consiquence all too well. Just as she was finishing her sentence, the one thing she was afride that would happen, happens, the crippling flash of memories in the years she was gone, got to her.

Dawn cried in pain, with her gloved hands, held the sides of her head while trying hard to suppress the images rushing through her head. She can hear her own cries, cries of others, images of the white robed scientists, and more. Dawn couldn't do anything but ry and fight it in her head, this was very intense, more so then the others she have had before. "Damn it! Not now!" Dawn cried as she tried desperatly to fight it off, but it wasn't to much use. These comes and goes and trying to figh it only made her physically weaker. The images rushed through her head, tears comes from her eyes, Dawn couldn't ignore this, things happening to her, painfull ones were just too much.

Dawn staggers to the side before finding a tree to help her keep herself upright. After several minutes, it was finally over, but this took too much out of her. Dawn, even in the great shape she was in, was breathing heavily, that stacked on the fact that her head was still blaring from her senses trying desperatly trying to tell her something was still wrong. She could not help it at the moment. Though it literally crippled her, it made her mentally stronger, but physically was not even close. However it did give her something else, whoever was acting, or trying to act like Kim didn't respond to her cries.

This was more then proof she wasn't Kim, but that had to wait, she was in no phsyical condition to run away now, her mind might be tougher but that didn't matter since she, at the moment, didn't have the physical condition to match it.

Canting his head to the side Aegir watched Dawn as she gripped her head obviously in the pangs of pain. While most may have seized upon the opportunity to attack Aegir had not harped upon the matter. First he scanned her mind, it was a simple enough matter to determine that she was not feigning pain to lure him in closer. He was too cagey to be caught by such a simple ruse. What he felt was pain, intense and blaring and though he could filter it out he knew then and there that it was all too real.

He had considered maintaining the illusion for what little it was worth, rushing to her side to assist her but he had not even gathered a token of uncertainty in her mind, a sliver of doubt that would have made the matter worthwhile. Yet he had not dropped the charade just yet knowing how unerring it could be to strike at one you cared for, even if she knew that he was not her lover there could be hesitation upon her part to act. For all her boasts so far she had refrained from any outward displays of violence towards him and so Aegir at least allowed her some respite.

Closing the distance between them had been a breeze though. In her condition he drew nearer now within striking range. By all rhyme and reason he should have dropped the charade, should have leapt to the offensive winding his appendages about her limbs, ripping her clothes to shreds and otherwise having his way with her. He had lost the initial round, his masquerade had failed and while many would have seen that as a flaw Aegir had only been embolden by the disaster of this particular ruse. It showed him his limitations just as much as it showed him where and how he could better such traits. When next he chose to masquerade as an associate or lover of a student he would be sure to have ripped forth all available information from their minds prior to such an encounter if only to better prepare himself for his role. But that was ad lib for you. Sometimes you hit your mark, other times you didn't. You took the good with the bad and so Aegir shrugged off this mild defeat.

To most migraines had been something that had not been properly understood until you had them. Intense, sharp and painful, deliberating. About the only thing worse would be cluster headaches, which were for all practical purposes a series of migraines striking a region of the brain simultaneously. With his brain chemistry being wired differently than a human's Aegir had never been subject to such conditions. Evolution did consist of its perks after all. That, coupled by his rapid metabolism and naturally quick healing properties made most wounds and conditions fairly tame unless brought on by blasted coral or electricity both of which could under the right circumstances be fatal.

Having mastered the prowess of his mind Aegir had learned to manipulate the minds of others. Not only had he achieved the ability to control beings in much the same fashion that a puppeteer control his or her marionettes but he had also harnessed the talents of probing minds, delving into their secrets, the knowledge that each possessed. Drawing information out of people had been equivalent to reading a book. It had been easy enough for him to accomplish just as many other matters were quite easy to deal with. See, he had mapped out the complexities of the human mind for the most part. In comparison to his own kind the human brain was rather simple, though incomprehensible on a few levels. Emotional responses and conditions were alien to his kind. Aegir had been unique in that he had learned many emotions throughout the long years primarily by absorbing human memories, by ingesting their brains he learned all that his meal had known. This had tainted him in the eyes of his kind as he began to take on more and more of their traits becoming somewhat of a hybrid between the two species, not in physical nature but upon a purely mental level. It was what had ultimately led to his exile not that he had cared much about being outside of the company of unimaginative dullards. At least humans could relay new experiences upon him. At least they were better company.

Oh, he fully intended to enjoy Dawn's company alright though it would not due to have her in such agony. A hand reached out towards her lightly resting upon her shoulder blade. Just a small moment was necessary to concentrate upon the problem at hand and Aegir had found himself focusing in upon her affliction. Tracing the neurons of her brain, following their path to their origins he had learned what he needed to know about the alterations that had been done to her. The ironic thing was that he had intended on implanting her with one of his nodes, which would have bolstered her psionic potential. Most curious that someone had tampered with her mind already though for what purpose he could not say. What intrigued him though was how his node would function within her. Would her aptitude be increased or would her psionic levels be maintained at their current levels? He knew full well that the inhibitors dampened the majority of imparted gifts that his nodes could relay upon subjects not that Aegir cared if the inhibitors weren't in place seeing that his kind had been immune to mental influences of any kind baring telepathic communication of course, and even that could be blocked with the slightest of conscious efforts on their part.

All fascination aside, Aegir found the problem and handled it quite well by altering her body chemistry on a temporary level. Pain would be received as pleasure. Normally he would have just dulled the sensation, cut off her sensitivity to this particular ongoing malady though instead of being bombarded with wave after wave of pain Aegir wondered how she would receive the opposite crashing upon her time and time again. Would it be as crippling in its own way or would it simply allow her to regain her barings that much quicker and make a brake for it.

While he was toying around in her mind Aegir stimulated the pleasure centers of her brain increasing the pleasure that she could receive. Such sensations would become clearer, sharper, far more intense and definately more stimulating. All that with a mere touch and a few seconds work. It had seemed that whomever had blessed her with her new talents left her brain primarily intact.

"What I will never understand is why you humans always choose to do things the hard way," Aegir's tone had changed, the words apparently hollow and without emotion though certainly masculine. It was not that he was disinterested it was merely that his mental voice had lacked governing emotions. Why that was had been induced by his very nature for his kind had lacked such things to begin with. That was not to say that he lacked a certain disposition to his voice. He could relay emotions quite well though this was the tone that he had used when being both frank and cordial.

This close to her Aegir had not worried about her striking at him. His boneless nature and rubbery skin had made him quite resistant to bludgeoning even if he were susceptible to blades. His tentacles were ready to grasp hold of her, ready to pin her up against the very tree she was leaning up against. Like a fine wine he drank in the moment though, drank it all in and yearned for more. Though he knew that the feelings of auxiluration could not last for long Aegir saviored the moment while it lasted.

Aegir had possessed several flaws, one being his curiousity. He had a craving for learning new things and it had been these factors that drew him near, that had him observing her while she was helpless rather than immediately pouncing upon her. He would take his moment, drink it all in then in her moment of clarity he would eradicate this unnecessary veil he had been steeped in making his motives to her quite clear in the process.

(some of it might not make a little sense. I'm tired when i posted this so i appoligize.)

Dawn started to fight back against the crippling flash memories. Slowly recovering she managed to see the person come towards her, and after hearing a distinct male voice she know whoever it was wasn't Kim. Which is what her instincts have been blaring in her head about all the time. She couldn't do anything about it at the moment though. The images in her mind slowly faded away, during the last moments she got some clear images and of course it confirmed what she has suspected all alone. N.I.C.E. Labs had been involved.

With her slowly getting her barings back, Dawn, her vision clearing up. However her body is still in shock, it was very visible as she was quaking, her body wasn't able to fight back, hold a fist, let alone be able to try and hold it. Rage built, and built and built what N.I.C.E. Labs did to her is an atrosity. Even though she has gotten this six sense of sorts, the draw back and sometimes be too crippling. Dawn angered, with andrilien in her blood, and knowing the Kim in front of her was fake, using her pent up rage, quickly through a punch from her left hand, using as much power she is able to, threw it at the illusion in front of her.

"take that you FUCKING BASTARDS!" Dawn cried out, before trying to stagger away from the scene. However before she can, a sudden rush once again, this time it was...pleasure? With her physical condition, it didn't take much before Dawn fell to her knees. D-Damn it! Dawn thought to herself. This monster is different from a lot of others, he didn't have a hard body for her fist to hit against, so she know it didn't much damage. And maybe...this pleasure she is all of a sudden feeling is also what he is doing to her.

Dawn still had some fight left in her, but this sudden pleasure is quickly draining what fight she had left. "d-damn that flashs images...and damn you too!" Dawn has finally after her senses blaring in her head, knows what this thing was doing. He was somehow controlling her mind, well maybe that extreme, she knows though he has very full knowledge of human minds that gave him an edge. She knows know, it explains how he was able to take Kim's form, know knowledge that only she would know. Dawn really can come up with nothing to save herself at this point. That flash memorie crippled her and she is in the mercy of whoever it was.

Hitting Aegir was like slamming one's fist into a bowl of oatmeal. He was squishy, his rubbery flesh gave way rather than resisted folding inward upon itself. Her fist had nearly been swallowed by his skin before rebounding back like a rubber band springing into its original starting place while repelling that very hand at the same time. The blow was firm and solid, her weight squarely behind the blow. A text book punch if there ever was one. The sting that the wound brought upon him had been more annoying than painful, his body's composition protecting him from much of the kinetic energy placed behind her lunge though obviously not all of it.

His mouth tentacles writhed in discomfort though the very action had been concealed by the veil that had been drapped over his form. Like a fly's eye which captured a great many images that were relayed upon its brain Aegir's mind was compound, fragmented in that one could classify it more appropriately as having several independant brains. Each could concentrate and focus upon tasks individually allowing Aegir to perform a great number of activities simultaneously. Such was needed to control his numerous limbs, regulate his autonomous functions on a subconscious level and employ his psionic gifting. In truth these minds were all linked and controlled with a complexity that no human scientist could possibly comprehend. Thus when her blow came it had not ruined his concentration upon the illusion he had maintained, nor did it dispel his ability to pilfer thoughts from her mind even if he were only keeping track of what was upon the very surface of her thoughts. That had been a mistake he realized for he had been only staring at the reflection cast upon the surface of a lake when he should have been peering into the depths of those waters. Had he been reading her thoroughly he would have anticipated her reaction and possible intercepted her blow though the later wasn't likely. Sometimes you had to take a shot, roll with it or absorb it in order to launch an effective counter attack.

He had been mildly surprised that she found the inner strength to attack him though. Aegir was quite pleased with that. So the little minx had some teeth after all even if her newfound talents had the habit of crippling her. Most interesting indeed though he supposed he should have at least expected something on her part. A wounded animal, when cornered, could become a rather vicious adversary if not approached with the utmost care and caution.

Why that wasn't nice. That wasn't nice at all. Aegir's form rippled softly like a heat mirage. Illusionary skin melted away revealing the mauve flesh beneath. His form now loomed over him just as a redwood tree would dwarf others he too dwarfed her standing a few scant inches over 7' in height. Pupil-less white eyes regarded her, unblinking as they drank in her form, his four long mouth tentacles quivered and danced as if possessed with an independant life while his torso gave way to a mass of tentacles rather than legs, four of the eight equipped with suction cups to better grasp and manipulate objects.

Aegir could taste her hopelessness and despair as she realized that there was nothing she could do to save herself. The pleasure inducing sensation wracked her body and so he had no need to press his advantage immediately. Rather he let her squirm a little, let her expend more energy like a fly struggling in the center of a spider's web Aegir knew he had all the time in the world to partake of his feast.

His telepathic words returned into her mind though Aegir would not take this situation for granted. Not wishing for her to flee if she should suddenly gain her barings two of his tentacles shot forth each entwining themselves around a leg. His palm pressed to the warmth of her cheek while his eyes focused upon her. Only now he was better prepared for a retalitory blow. I could teach you how to filter those images out. How to attune yourself to your new gifting but I very much doubt that you would be willing to pay the price for that my dear.

One of his tentacles lifted the very tip of it smoothing down the length of her arm in a gentle caress. He seemed to ignore her threats and harsh words Aegir focused upon what was to come. Mere thoughts danced in his head giving rise to a slight musky aroma as he subconsciously released pheremones indicating his excitement at such prospects. His pheremones had no ability to affect humans having been an evolutionary throw back to the time when his kind reproduced sexually. Even now after many millenium the aroma did not even entice his own species.

You can continue to fight if you want but the sooner you resist the sooner you will feel the full gamut of pleasure that can riddle your senses in ways that you have never imagined.