The Siren's Call (Pinnacle & Siren) [Double XP]

There are plenty of haunted places to visit in America... Bachelors Grove Cemetery, Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, Bell Witch Cave, Ohio State Reformatory, and the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast Museum just to name a few. None, however, are as ghost infested as Gettysburg.

Gettysburg National Military Park is one of the most haunted places in America, if not the most haunted place. Thousands and thousands of men died in just a few short days, many of them in excruciating pain. Today the battlefield is rife with paranormal activity, and if you’re brave enough you'll probably experience something unexplainable yourself. 

The story goes that when the 20th Maine Division arrived they were guided up Little Round Top by what looked very much like an old-fashioned uniformed man riding a pure white horse. If it hadn’t been for this mysterious man, the Union soldiers wouldn’t have been able to flank the Confederates and in the end win the battle. At the time the men claimed that the glowing man (now nicknamed the Phantom on Horseback) looked quite a bit like George Washington.

A fascinating story, to be sure, but the recent reports of paranormal activity in the area were nothing like those that usually came out of Gettysburg... Reports had come in about alien activity in the area, and it was this that drew the Silver Scion to the location to investigate. The reports, as well as the hands of fate...

Pinnacle walked silently among the grassy fields, feeling the grass on the boots upon his feet as if they were part of his body, for indeed, that is what they were. The sky breathed a gentle breeze upon the field and he drank it in, arms outstretched.

For a haunted field, this place doesn't seem so bad. He thought. ... We'll see if that all changes in the night to come.

"So, Alan, remind me again why we're here?" Aurora asked from inside their fused self's head as they landed on the outskirts on the park before using their morphing powers to form a black hooded cloak to conceal their identity as they began marching. No need for anyone to recognize them on sight, after all.

"To pay our respects. A lot of young men died here a long time ago and it's believed by many their spirits still wander this place. Besides, you said you wanted to learn more about human history, right?" Alan explained as they strode across the field, their gaze wandering from side to side.

"Hmm...you're right. I can sense a lot of negative energy in the air around here. Doesn't seemed to be directed towards us though, thankfully," Aurora remarked with a sigh of relief, "So, what exactly happened here?"

"In simple terms, war happened," Her partner explained as they took a seat on the grass and just let the cool evening air pass over them, "I don't remember all the details but roughly around a hundred and fifty years ago there was this big battle called the War Of Independence and where we are now was the sight of perhaps one of the most important and bloody battles in the whole conflict...thousands lost their lives fighting for what they believed in. Some even say that their ghosts are still re-enacting that battle, not even knowing they're dead,"

"So much death and bloodshed..." Aurora remarked with a mix of shock and disgust. After a few seconds,she had to ask, "I guess since it's Halloween those spirits are gonna be even more restless than usual, huh?" It sounded less like a question and more a statement.

"Pretty much..." The Siren sat back against a tree, "Let's wait and see what happens, shall we?"

Israel sat in the tall grass in the lotus position, and though his eyes were closed, he could see through them, not only because of his perception of the entire length of the electromagnetic spectrum, but also because of the alertness of his mind.

The man known as The Silver Scion never slept. He had no need for such things.

Thus, when a feminine figure strode into the far edges of the grassy valley, and formed a cloak for herself shortly thereafter, Israel's interest was piqued.

He magnified his vision to get a better look at her, and was thoroughly surprised to find that she had not one spirit, but two. One feminine as expected, and one male. Perhaps there was something to this place's haunted reputation after all.

The strange thing was... This female spirit within... Did not seem human... At least, not in the strictest sense, and the two seemed to be talking.

So this is not a haunting... Israel thought.

He increased the magnification of his view down to the molecular level, and what he saw confirmed his suspicions.

Fascinating... This being possesses autokinetic abilities not unlike my own. That is how she was able to form the cloak... All these genetic markers... Simply fascinating.

Presently, he returned his vision to normal, and stood up from his meditative position and began to leisurely approach the newcomer. It seemed that the reports he had received may not have been entirely unfounded.

... And he had many questions for this strange being.

With how crazy life could get for the hero, it was nice once in a while to just sit back and let the world pass you by. However, this time was short-lived as out of the corner of their eye, they noticed a figure strutting towards them. Despite the man's appearance, Siren seemed hardly even fazed. Instead, she just lowered her hood to better address her company, "I'm gonna go out on a limb here and assume you're not some lost specter stuck wandering the battlefield,"

There was a hint of amusement in her words and her smile was a bit on the mischievous side, "After all, you look way too tangible to be a ghost...than again, considering just how complex legends surrounding ghosts are I could be wrong," Perhaps she should've used more caution when it came to the newcomer, but she was made up of people who liked to take life at their own pace and the man had yet to try and shove a sword through their throat so there was that.

She took a few moments to observe the field again before speaking, "You know, this place has a lot of history to it, and considering what time of year it is, I don't think you're gonna find many better places to have good spooky tales.." It was then something clicked in her head, "Oh, sorry, where are my manners? You can call me Siren, and you are?"

"I'm gonna go out on a limb here and assume you're not some lost spectre stuck wandering the battlefield..." She said. There was a hint of amusement in her words and her smile was a bit on the mischievous side. "... After all, you look way too tangible to be a ghost... Then again, considering just how complex legends surrounding ghosts are I could be wrong." She added.

"No, I'm afraid I'm not simply a spirit, though I have seen my share with or without bodies to accompany them... Especially around here..." He said.

She took a few moments to observe the field again before speaking, "You know, this place has a lot of history to it, and considering what time of year it is, I don't think you're gonna find many better places to have good spooky tales.." It was then something clicked in her head, "Oh, sorry, where are my manners? You can call me Siren, and you are?"

"Israel Knight." He said, extending his hand. "Siren, eh? Is that an Anti-Disaster Measures Heroes Association Moniker? Or are you perhaps with ECLIPSE or some other organization?" He asked.

Siren took the offered hand and shook it, only to tilt her head curiously at her words, "ECLIPSE? Um...sorry, I don't know of any groups by them titles. I'm sort of a free agent, just going from place to place, doing what I can to help people before moving on," Her smile didn't waiver, "So, what brings you out to these parts, Mr Knight?"

"I see." Israel said, eyeing her face for microexpressions. "I'm here to investigate the source cause of the reports of paranormal activity of the extraterrestrial variety in the area... You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?" Israel said, watching her face intently.

At hearing his words and seeing the expression he was giving her, Siren winced and put up her hands with a sigh, "Ok, fine, you caught me. Yes, I been around these parts for a bit and maybe I been spooking the locals, but I've had a good reason for it," It was her turn to eye the man in front of her critically, "Tell me, you wouldn't happen to remember a couple Halloweens ago when some bozos in clown costumes were going around terrorizing people across America?"

"Well, apparently some people got the bright idea to start that up again around here. Now, terrorizing civilians is bad enough but considering where we are now and its importance to history, that makes it all the worse. So, I took a break from my globe-trotting and decided to give said individuals a good scare," She made a dismissive wave with one of her hands, "Yeah, I roughed up a few hooligans but in all honesty? I'd do it again in a heartbeat if it meant the poor souls around here don't get more riled up than they are now,"

"Think he's actually listening to a word we're saying?" Aurora quizzed in the back of their mind.

"Who knows? The guy's face is like chiseled stone. If he works for any super-secret black-ops division, they probably gave him extensive training in controlling his emotions. I saw it in a movie once." Alan replied.

Israel eyed her for a moment longer, then smiled. "You two seem to get along well." He said.

In response to the look he is likely to get in response from such a comment, he adds: "Apologies... But I borrowed something from you to understand why I could see two spirits in a single body. Yes, I do work for a covert organization, to some degree. ECLIPSE, actually. And I can't blame you for the actions that you took against such men, I suppose. And no reports have come in about anyone coming to harm from said actions."

He sits a couple feet away besides Siren. "No harm, no foul, right?"

It took a couple seconds for his words to click but when they did Siren actually seemed to recoil a little before narrowing her eyes. Apparently, she wasn't the only one around with psychic powers, "I see..." She shook her head, "I'll let your little...intrusion, slide this time but a bit of advice for the future? Don't go poking around in people's heads without permission..."

Her eyes briefly flared with light as two voices spoke at once, "Some of us prefer what is in our minds to stay there.." With that done, she dropped the act and went back to being chipper, "Now, with that bit of ugliness out of the way, why don't we-" She never got a chance to finish as suddenly, a part of the earth burst upwards as a decaying hand shot up and grabbed her wrist, trying to pull her downwards, "Hey! L-Let go of me!"

With a surge of strength, she yanked herself free, only for more hands to start reaching up out of the ground, voices moaning beneath the surface as Siren transformed her arms into blades and began cutting through the limbs even though as she did so, more of the earth gave way.

"Magic!" Israel said, offering Siren a hand and lifting them to their feet should they accept the hand.

"You may have spooked the wrong person in your quest for Hallow's eve justice." He adds, as he kicks at the hands.

"Such disrespect for the bodies of the dead... Using them like this..."

Siren wanted to offer her thanks but knew that had to wait for later since there was more pressing matters, "Sorry about this.." She whispered before cutting the limb holding her off and stomping down on another's hand as she managed to levitate into the air just in time to avoid seeing more of the ground give way and large groups of undead began pouring out, their bodies rotted by the process of time and donned in ragged remnants of their war uniforms.

Mindlessly, they began to move. However, Siren wouldn't have that as she slammed down on the ground in front of them before calling to Israel, "Cover your ears!" With that, she inhaled and let loose an ear-rupturing sonic scream that was powerful enough to blast the group off their feet and back down the hole they crawled out of. Hearing more groans beneath her she rose her foot and stomped it down on the face of a soldier trying to crawl out, trying not to wince at the action.

Her arms morphing into long whips, she began whirling them about, swatting aside the soldiers as their numbers kept growing. At one point, she glanced over to see a mob of them heading for a dirt road leading away from the field, "They're gonna try and head for town! We can't let that happen!"

"Agreed." Israel says.

"Ideas?" He adds, running around to the front of the group swiftly and utilizing various martial arts to break various bones as the zombies advance.

"We need to create a barricade of some kind!" Siren grabbed another zombie by the neck and choke-slammed him into the earth before leaping off the ground as a pair of blades emerged from her feet's heels and she spun in a circle, slicing apart all those surrounding her, "There's way too many for us to stop! We need to hold them here until we can find out why this is happening!" That, and she felt considerable guilt at having to cut down people who had already died once.

However, she also knew feeling sorry for herself wouldn't stop the hordes from ripping them to shreds. As such, she began hacking her way through the mobs to a more advantageous position, "I need you to cover me for a few minutes while I build up a blockade!" Without waiting for an answer, she began focusing her telekinetic power, forcing mounds of soil and gravel to start moving and gathering together to slowly form crude walls as high as an average adult.

Pinnacle nodded, speeding over to her at an impossibly fast pace, and then, using similar speed, circled her, fending of any attackers as he did so.

"Almost done? I can't keep up this pace forever, at least not in this world." He said, kicking some more of their assailants into crumpled masses as he spoke.