[center][h3][color=#43464B][sub]In the minds of[/sub][/color]
[color=#CCAC00][b]C R O S S R O A D [/b][/color][/h3]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/Updto8r.png[/img]

[color=#43464B][sup][b]AWAKENING[/b][/sup][/color][/center][color=#43464B][indent][sub][B]Location[/B] [COLOR=SILVER][I]Doctor Faust's Manor[/I] - [I]Outskirts of the city[/I][/COLOR][/sub][sup][right][b]Part 1.[/b][/right][/sup][/indent][/color][hr][INDENT][COLOR=#43464B]10:18 P.M| Two weeks ago.[/COLOR] [color=#43464B][B][sub][/sub][/B][/color][/indent]

The night was quiet in the outer rim of Santa Celia within eyesight of the Tlaloc Falls, the sound hum of the stream could be heard in the distance as the dark manor looked as abandoned and horror movie-esque as ever. Doctor's Faust's home had been seemingly abandoned for the better part of two years, ever since Estelle Faust, the Doctor's daughter and assistant was killed and Dr. Faust lost his funding for his experimental clinic. William Faust had lost everything and had thus chosen a life of exile. He hadn't been seen in the public and he hadn't attended any of the usual outing he would've been spotted at. He had been working tirelessly in the lab in the basement of the manor, barely eating and rarely sleeping.

But now, there was purpose to his madness, four months ago, in the summer heat of July, he had left the house for the first time, heading down towards the river outside of town, the forest was peaceful to him, it made him calm. Estelle had always invested they'd take walks here, and he had never had the guts to walk it on his own since her passing. But that night he came across the loud cracking of thunder from a steel barrel as a brave detective was murdered. He came running and the sound of his footsteps and yelling scared the gunmen away.

Now, it was four months later and the victim he had stumbled upon, as if a sign from the lord above, was resting in the only bedroom that wasn't covered in dust. He had been in a coma ever since that night, but thanks to the Doctor's intervention and a life force that the doctor had never seen during surgery, the policeman had survived - well, most of him had.

He opened his eyes, slowly, groggily. Everything was blurry, his head was pounding, oh god, the headache. He felt like a million hornets were buzzing inside of his skull. He didn't recognize where he was. In fact, he didn't even know who he was. He couldn't move his body, he couldn't speak - he didn't know how. A alarm went off from the clock and he heard something, the patter of feet on the wooden floor. Everything went dark again.


[hr][INDENT][COLOR=#43464B]7:45 P.M| Today[/COLOR] [color=#43464B][B][sub][/sub][/B][/color][/indent]

His eyes opened again, still with the insufferable headache, but now, he was able to move again, he sat up and moved his legs, trying to stand up. Once he did, he lost his balance and fell to the ground immediately, pulling down the glass that was on the table next to him as he went down, the glass breaking upon impact, shattering and he could relate to the glass as it broke into a million pieces. It was mesmerizing how the glass broke apart with the loud bang upon impact. 

He felt the cold metal against his skin and the burning sensation as the projectile emerged from the chamber, the pain of it breaking his skin and then nothing. Darkness. He was alone in the darkness. And yet, somewhere from the deep, a voice whispered a command.

[i][color=darkred]Stand[/color][/i] He heard the voice both in his memory and in the present, as he laid there on the cold wooden floor, watching the small shards of glass spread across the floor. 

[color=brown]"Stand please."[/color] The doctor asked, as he was hunched down over the larger man, helping him up. He saw the doctor's tired face, the dark bags under his eyes and his pale skin. Despite the decrepit appearance, the man had an everlasting kindness that almost radiated from his face. [color=brown]"C'mon, up you go."[/color] William told him as Joseph grunted. 
[color=#CCAC00]".. My head.. Hurts."[/color] He mumbled, holding his forehead.
[color=brown]"You should be so lucky that it hurts, detective."[/color] The doctor said with a small scoff, Joseph could not understand his amusement. They moved towards the bed, where Joseph sat down.

[color=brown]"Now, tell me. What's your name?"[/color] He asked and Joseph shook his head.
[color=brown]"We've done this before, detective. What is your name?"[/color] He repeated the question, this time with a sterner tone than before.

[color=#CCAC00]"Joe... My name is Joseph."[/color] The wounded man mumbled out, holding his head still. 

[color=brown]"Excellent, Joseph. Now, tell me what you are."[/color] The doctor said, patting him on the shoulder, his eyes were looking at the dark metal hand and matching servos in his shoulder, elbows, ankles and knees as well as his spine. 

[color=#CCAC00]"I.. I am [b]alive[/b]."[/color]