Collab between bee and c3

As Aya sent her spirit out to explore the ship, she would see various spectral forms of varying degrees of distinction. Whether she turned her gaze or not towards them was immaterial; in the end, a series of motes would appear before her, motes of light that gathered to form a very familiar shape.

Cedric Wessex, former leader of the Reformist Council, now dead. In this plane of existence, however, he can still appear, still manifest a form, a form that looked like his old self. Faintly glowing, his form was clad in his typical longcoat, shirt, and jeans, and he carried nothing in his hands.

"Aya..." he said, "I'm glad to see you. You have much to ask, don't you?"

Aya started when she heard her name and spun to see Cedric. She stared for a moment, eyebrows scrunching in confusion. She didn't know Cedric had died, as she's been distracted during that time. Absorbing the soul of a serial killer tended to make it difficult to pay attention to anything else. 

[color=limegreen]"…Mr. Wessex?" [/color]she asked. [color=limegreen]"I don't – what are you doing here?"[/color] As far as she knew, it shouldn't have been possible for him to be on this plane. [color=limegreen]"Wait, do you know what's happening? Where we are?"[/color]

"I died," he said offhandedly. "It's not so bad, now that it's over." He then continued:

"Ghosts see a lot of things, hear a lot of things. They don't know everything, but, well, we know enough." The 20-year old then gazed at her:

"You, and every Metahuman on this Planet, have been abducted by Alien Commandoes, for the purpose of serving as soldiers in a Civil War. You see, Metahumanity is actually caused by a virus, which in turn is fatal to the Aliens, which would normally [i]not[/i] be an asset, except in the aforementioned Civil War. You and the other Metas of LA are being transported in an Alien Ship, which is going through either Space or Hyperspace, to the Empire controlled by them."

"We must stop the ship - no, the fleet - from arriving at its destination. To do that, we need an insurgency, and to get an insurgency, you have to get as many Metahumans on board with the idea. Explore the ship; look for as many people who have gotten free as possible, establish lines of communication. A friend of mine, George Maxwell, already has this idea, but he's dealing with a very...skeptical person as his contact. So, everything falls on you, now."
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"I… [i]excuse me[/i]?!" [/color]Memories flooded back to her – planning the attack on the Reformist base, agreeing to spare at least s few of the Metas there so they could be recruited. But above all, knowing that Cedric Wessex had to die. For a moment she was embarrassed that she hadn't been the one to pull it off. The foreign thoughts poured into her, overwhelming to the point where she was almost forced back to her body. Aya staggered, putting a hand to her temple. 

[color=limegreen]"Mr. Wessex,"[/color] she said, eyes scrunched closed,[color=limegreen] "I'm so sorry." [/color]That was her. That was something she would say, and not Sebastian. [color=limegreen]"But… aliens? We were captured by [i]aliens[/i]?"[/color] She supposed it made about as much sense as someone making their spirit leave their body, or manipulating blood with their mind. She froze though when he said it was up to her.[color=limegreen] "Oh, no no no no, it [i]cannot[/i] be up to me, I'm just a college student, I wasn't even part of the Meta wars back in LA, and I–" [/color]She was rambling. She knew that, but Aya couldn't stop. She couldn't be relied on right now. Not when a mass murder was seeping into her every thought, not when she'd felt a moment of triumph at hearing Cedric had died.[color=limegreen] "Mr. Wessex, I can't be the one you depend on. Please, it's just… you need to find someone else for this. I can't be counted on for something this important."[/color]

"You're the only one I can count on," spoke Cedric implacably. "I failed, badly, just before my death. I thought I was invincible, and so I died for it. So now, I put my bets on one who is weak, one who deprecates herself, on the thought that, perhaps, there is a hidden strength to her, a hidden strength that may yet be the key to winning the war." He then gazed at her icily.

"And I intend to win the war."

The man then held out his ghostly hand.

"I can drag Sebastian out of you and into me; hold him prisoner inside me till it is my turn to go to the True Afterlife - I cannot tell you what goes on there, and it's going to distract you from this war anyway. I planned to free you of him anyway, but, please, at least try your best."

She paused, uncertain. Cedric seemed sure, but… really, she couldn't be so important. She couldn't be trusted with something like this. What if she messed it up somehow? All Aya's life, no one had ever depended on her for something so crucial. Then he offered to take Sebastian from her. The relief that coursed through her was a palpable thing, but then she paused. How could she thrust this burden on another person? Especially one who had already given everything for what he believed him?

[color=limegreen]"I appreciate it, Mr. Wessex,"[/color] she said, almost unable to believe what she was about to say.[color=limegreen] "But… I can't ask anyone else to carry him… especially someone who's given so much. Too much."[/color] But maybe it wasn't just selflessness driving her, though.[color=limegreen] "Besides… I think… I'm better with him."[/color] She froze, rethinking her statement.[color=limegreen] "I mean, not better. It's torture, if I'm being honest."[/color] She tried to laugh in an attempt at humor, but it fell flat. [color=limegreen]"But… I know things now. Things that he knew that might be more important than anything I've ever done before." [/color]She thought of Avalon, of Cassandra, of things that might be irrelevant now that they were abducted by aliens, but might still be useful. Sebastian,s pragmatic side was telling her that now she knew how to lie. How to read people. Things she'd been laughably bad at, but now seemed integral.
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"But… you're really sure about this alien thing?"[/color]

"As sure as I've ever been about anything in my life," Cedric assured her. "Also, if you won't let me take Sebastian...one more gift, then." And then he drew close to Aya and kissed her on the forehead, which began glowing a few moments after his lips met the 'skin'.

"This is a Ghost's Blessing," spoke Cedric to Aya, "with it, you'll be able to get a sixth sense as to the intentions of those around you, as well as forewarning of any changes in personality. It's the power I lacked when I was alive, and which I cannot use while dead."

"Now..." he spoke as his body began to scatter into motes of light once more, "I have to go..."

Aya watched as Cedric dessolved into stardust, just as Sebastian had.
[color=limegreen]
"Goodbye,"[/color] she whispered, as he finally disappeared. She waited a moment after he was gone, the finality sinking into her. Cedric Wessex was dead. His gift echoed through her spirit like a chime, so gentle compared to Sebastian's dominating will. Eventually she spurred herself back into action. She couldn't just stand around, stupefied if something so dangerous was happening. She turned to the nearest wall and floated through it, taking a guess. In a matter of moments, she emerged on the other side of a thick wall. When she turned, what she saw made her blood freeze. It was a giant ship of some sort, flying through space. Aya thought she was going to be sick. Cedric had been right. In the next moment she was back in her body with a gasp. 

[color=limegreen]"We have a problem," [/color]she said, her voice echoing through the room.


Tl;Dr: Cedric's ghost finds Aya and tells her what's going on. He gives her the ability to read people and their intentions. The she pops back to the physical world to tell people about what she's learned as Cedric finally disappears for good. 
[@savato]
[@narcissisticpotato]
[@weird tales]