Stumbling Into Madness (Complete)

Mexico was definitely a country with a rich culture worth indulging in. Sure, you heard the occasional horror story but than again, what part of the world doesn't have some skeletons in the closet?  Besides, there was so much to enjoy here, what was a little danger?

Anyhow, it was late afternoon and a certain former human and his alien partner had just finished some shopping, "Phew, I am beat!!' Alan collapsed onto a bench and let out a breath he'd been holding in, "I swear, no matter where you go in this world, there is one key feature they all share: Getting anything done in the midst of a crowd is exhausting."

"You know, we wouldn't have this problem if you just let us use our powers more often." Aurora's voice echoed in their shared mindscape, rolling her eyes.

"And I thought you would've learned by this point that I don't like abusing superpowers for every little thing," Alan shot back. Getting the impression that she was pouting, he sighed, "Look, it's getting late, and we're both clearly hungry. How about we stop at that restaurant for some tacos?"

Hearing her squeal with joy and announce he was the best partner ever, Alan chuckled and picked up their bags as he headed over to grab some mexican cuisine.

The hot sun beat down on Iha as he left the plane. It was early morning in mexico, but coming from China his internal clock was all out of wack. His rest cycle needed to start only three minutes after he landed and there was still much that needed to be done. The rough sun around Palenque national park didn't help matters,  his suit had to work twice as hard as normal.

Once outside of the airport Iha took a taxi to a nearby hotel. It was a small place, having only one bed, a TV, a small refrigerator, and probably the smallest toilet he had ever seen. On the table that was closest to the bed he opened a laptop and set up a Deep-Net link with Mehka and Dr. Icarus. When speaking about possible artifact locations it was best to keep the line as secure as possible.

"Can you hear me?" Iha spoke clearly.
"We have you. Wow, your systems look tired. Maybe get some rest before you head out." Mehka worried.
"I was planning on it. What do you have for me?"
"At the base of the temple..." Schismatics downloaded to Iha's vision. "There seems to be some kind of chamber. We believe it's the home of the Coyote Mask, it's said that when put on the mask creates a cunning mind and the power over the wild. But who truly knows. This could just be another red herring." She concluded.

An reconstruction of the mask was dowloaded to his vision. The mask seemed more snug fitting then most in its era. A smiling coyote, it was the only thing that seemed to come to mind when Iha looked at it.

"This is what we think it looks like. Made from turquoise and obsidian. But it could also be of wood." She continued.
"Looks comfy."
"No trying this one on! Dr. Icarus prohibits it." She exclaimed.  
"Eh, don't worry!" Iha attempted to comfort her. "Anything else?"
"Thats about it. Get some rest, I'll download a map to the location."

Iha moved to the bed and got some sleep. His systems hummed comfortably for two hours to three hours. By this time the sun was just starting to go down. Perfect timing. He thought. The temperatures wouldn't be too extreme around now. Iha grabbed a nice fitting pair of loose cargo pants and a long sleeve deep red shirt. His outfit was completed with a cowboy hat he seemed to be fond of.

As he worked his way down the street there was a neat looking resturant. They were playing modern music and had seats that could watch the sun go down.

"Stop here, you should really try out the new tasting software, no better food than Mexican" Mehka spoke over internal comms.

Iha only sighed, then walked into the place, and by direction of an attendant was lead to his seat.

"It always amazes me how much of a kick you get out of eating human food, even after living with me all this time." Alan remarked as he had a seat and Aurora took over so she could take a hearty bite of the burrito placed before them.

The alien in his head giggled and wiped the sauce on their mouth away with a napkin, "You may find this hard to believe, but in my humble opinion, your people have produced some of the most tasty dishes I've ever eaten on this or any planet. When other races make their way here to Earth, we should definitely introduce them to these delicacies. Poutine, Pizza, Tacos...I swear, if you let me, I'd keep eating and I wouldn't stop!"

"But I did once before, remember?" Alan reminded her, sighing in dismay, "I took you to a buffet, you scarfed down everything you could get your hands on than when we got back to the hotel, you made us throw up our guts for two straight hours and than you went into a food coma the next day. After that, we made a solemn vow that there be no more buffets."

For a moment, Aurora was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, "Oh...right..." She thankfully took the time to guzzle down some drink, "That was a long time ago though. I'm better now, see?" She then proceeded to have Alan's body take smaller bites of their burrito.

To which the young man rolled his eyes, "Your efforts to impress aren't gonna make me give you back your buffet rights...hmm?" He then noticed a man sitting nearby with a cowboy hat.

He cleared his throat as he went to sit over across from him, "Hey, just so you know, you're not allowed to wear hats in here...also, if you're having trouble deciding what to eat, I'd recommend the cheesy beef burrito or the enchilada platter."

The restaurant was nice. Almost homey. The waiter was kind and approached Iha with a smile. The man looked Mexican and by the details from facial recognition was no threat to him. Nowadays Iha’s systems have been working overtime keeping the defenses up. The whole exoskeleton debacle let him see the dark side to the inter-webs, it wasn’t pretty.

The floor to the dinner was stone, the tables where made from wood mostly, same for the chairs. As the sun began to set, sunlight bounced off the beautiful hardwood and made the place warm. It set a mood of comfort and casual talk. Though soon the sun would be all the way down and work would began. “Too bad..” Iha thought, longing for contact.

He pulled up the menu, everything seemed so delicious to him. Maybe he could go with a normal fish taco, or-

“Get the enchilada platter!”Mehka spoke.
Before he could send anything back a voice rang out across from him.
"Hey, just so you know, you're not allowed to wear hats in here...also, if you're having trouble deciding what to eat, I'd recommend the cheesy beef burrito or the enchilada platter." The man said.

Iha nodded kindly while taking off his hat. “Well, I guess that makes two.” He spoke over comms.

He notices the man was eating alone. “Do you mind if I join you?” He asked, the beautiful environment encouraging him. “No reason to eat alone in a beautiful place like this!”

"Sure, always nice to have company during a meal," Alan nodded as he pulled out a travel pamphlet and opened it, "Sorry, forgot to introduce myself. I'm Alan. This is my first time in Mexico myself..." One of the waiters came by to ask if he'd like anything else and, after a bit of coaxing from Aurora, decided he might as well get an enchilada platter himself.

As he waited, he decided to strike up some idle conversation, "So, how's Mexico treating you so far? Personally, I think it's pretty great, and not just for the food," He chuckled before passing the pamphlet to the cowboy so he could read, "I heard there's a lot of ruins belonging to the Aztecs in this part of the world that people haven't managed to fully explore. I'm thinking of trying my hand at one of them and see if there's any artifacts I can find and take to the museum..."

Alan was quiet for a minute, as if in deep contemplation, before taking a sip of his water, "You know, you gotta stop and wonder whatever happened to all those Aztecs. I mean, they once had this huge empire that covered the better part of Mexico and then, poof, they just vanished seemingly overnight and all we got to remember them by is the structures they built and the tools they left behind..."

"I mean, I'm aware the Spanish Colonists came at one point and drove them out but...I don't know, I sometimes feel like there's more to the story than that. After all, from what little research I've done, they were into some really shady and in some cases messed-up practices like human sacrifice and what not, plus all this stuff about the underworld..." Alan frowned, "Perhaps like a lot of humans, they messed with something they shouldn't have..."

He then shook his head, "Nevermind. Sorry, I tend to ramble sometimes. I hope I didn't bore you."

Iha moved from his table to the one across from him. The kid seemed nice enough but Iha's system was still processing the man's file, who knows that he was hiding. The hard wood chair scraped against the ground as he pulled it out and sat down.

"Thanks." He took the pamphlet. "Mexico is treating me ok. I have just arrived and am eager to start exploring. Just need some food first." He smiled. "oh. What ruins are you going to? Do you work for a museum or are you some kind of treasure hunter..?" he asked half jokingly, then listened to the man go on.

Looking at the sunset Iha continued, "Yeah, you never know nowadays. The way things are going any nation could just evaporate over night... and perhaps we wouldn't even notice." His gaze fixed. As the man brushed off his rambling the waiter came over.

"I'll have the enchilada platter please." Iha ordering his food for the first time. having Mehka in his ear didn't help. She could be really talk sometimes, just going on about ingredients and how long to cook the food. It has happened, where Iha muted her chat. A man needs his privacy sometimes. He would say.

"The heat is kinda crazy here though huh?" The deep red shirt Iha wore was starting to look a little pale under his arms and on his back. Though he was an android, his body still tried to cool itself in human ways. His brown hair glistening with sweat, all patted down because of his hat.

The files of the kid started to pour in front of Iha's vision. Recordings of the kid after some alien abduction where tucked away in an FBI database. Birth records. Court records, a broken family. Iha has seen that far too many times recently. Apparently the CIA has some kind of interest, only a code green though, can't be that important. Iha skimmed over the information as it passed by. He wasn't a threat. At least not from what he could tell. Not born with the Meta-gene. But maybe something else...

Iha brushed off his paranoia. "How long is your stay?" He asked sipping water.

Alan's food came out and he took a moment to inhale the aroma, "Come on, partner, hurry up. I wanna eat." Aurora's voice chimed in insistently.

"Patience, Aurora. Good food like this should be savored..." Despite his words, Alan himself could hardly wait and so he cut into the enchilada only to back away at the steam coming out, "Ok, might be a good idea to give that a few minutes to cool..." As he listened to Iha's words, he nodded along, eyeing the sunset, "Yeah, everyday there's a million ways to die and more often than not, we won't see it coming...that's one of the main reasons I try not to plan too far ahead and just enjoy life one day at a time,"

"As for your question, well...I guess you could say I'm a bit of an explorer. I like visiting new places, trying new food...the kinds of things I couldn't really do much of when I was younger since I was helping look after my Mom. Now I wanna make up for lost time,"

Alan wasn't sure what convinced him to say what he did next. Maybe it was the simple fact the man before him was so pleasant, or that he had suddenly shown such interest in the ruins when the topic came up. As such, he leaned in closer and whispered, "Keep this between you and me...but I been hearing stories from the locals that there's ruins around here which are supposedly haunted. Figures made of shadow lurking about, driving away anyone who tries to get too far inside. I'm not sure how true it is as this could just be some tomb raiders trying to drive away competition, a really cruel prank, or any number of other explanations.."

"If you plan to go to these particular ruins, I'd recommend going with some manner of protection...just in case."

Iha looked at the food before him and watched as the steam poured off. The Mexican waiter sat it down, "Bon appétit" he laughed. Filling up their drinks before he walked away.

It was nice of the man to share about his past, though Iha had already known. Little things like this made bonds of trust, the feelings of paranoia dwindled a bit. No way would a villain share about his past so openly. But... Iha shook his head a little.

"Haunted? Hmm." He sat there wondering. Has the power of the object always been so powerful, or has it grown? he thought.

"Would you happen to know how old this city is? Maybe the pamphlet says something about it?" Iha inquired. If the city is newer, maybe fifty to seventy years, it is possible people had built here on accident, not knowing the dangers that linger beneath. But if it was older, maybe the powers are growing.

"I actually am planing on going by one of the temples this evening. I'm not too worried about grave-robbers or vandals. I think I can hold my own." He said with a boyish giggle. "I would invite you, but I don't wanna put you into any danger." He concluded.

His food was hot as well and just as tasty as other had said. The fork pushed through it smoothly and the cheese and beans. Iha's mouth continued to water. He wondered if the program he was using was broken. How could something be so delicious? Though he hasn't eaten anything for a few centuries now.

Seeing that his food had cooled off somewhat, Alan dug into it as well. After a bite, he pondered how best to answer, before giving a shrug, "Well, the stories I heard mention this city has existed since the Battle Of Independence so, at bare minimum, it's existed for over well over a century...possibly even longer," He snapped his fingers, "I remember now! Somebody mentioned they once found an old flintlock pistol buried in the dirt just outside the city, if that helps give a time frame.."

He downed some more water to quell the food's spiciness, "Actually, it might be a good idea if we went together. I got a few items in my bag here like flashlights and stuff. As for me being in danger?" It was his turn to chuckle, "I know I may not look it but I've been in a fair number of fights so I think I can handle myself pretty well," He then went back to his food, "That said, we should probably buy some protection charms in case the stories turn out to be true and we end up dealing with something supernatural."

It does seem to be getting stronger. Iha thought as he listened and ate. The foods heat didn't bother him much. Having a body made of metal gave him resistance to some things, even if he did have pain receptors.

"Been in fights, with who?" He continued to shovel the food into his mouth. He was starting to like Mexico. The people seemed nice and the food was great. His thoughts where interrupted, the lights to the building intensified as the sun had set beyond the horizon.

"We can stop at the store if you'd like, but I'm not sure if there is anything we can do against the supernatural. Unless you know of some protection... something." He didn't want to give too much information away. There were some spells that could assist in protection, but most of the modern day ideas seemed to have little, if no barring on actual protection.

... After they finished their food...

Iha pulled out pesos to pay for their meals. He insisted to pay for it. It is the least he could do, after all, he was sitting at their table. Iha grabbed his hat and put it back on his head, walked out of the building and waited for the others.

"Did you hear that Mehka? This place is a century old. Can you see if there is an upward trend of incidences? If this thing is getting stronger there has to be something feeding it." He asked over comms.
"Sure thing.. give me twenty." She answered, her fingers could be heard typing for a moment.

After meeting back up with the others Iha asked them.

"Well, we can go to the store really quick or head to the temple and see what all this fuss is about? Personally, I'd rather just head to the temple." He smiled. "But who knows, the store might give us ideas on things to bring if something does happen... whatever makes you comfortable." He smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

"So, think we can trust him, Alan?" Aurora quizzed from within their shared mind.

"Who knows? He seems like a pleasant enough individual, but than again, so do a lot of supervillains..." Alan was leaning against a wall and waiting for Iha to show up, "The way I see it, there's two ways this can go: Either he is on the up and up and we can help each other out...or he's leading us into a trap. If it's the latter though, I'm pretty confident we can take him...." At that moment, he heard her chuckling, "What's so funny?"

"Ah, nothing...I'm just really glad of how far you've come..." She sent him the image of a warm smile, "It's like I told you before. As long we're together, we can go anywhere and do anything. It may've took a while but it seems it finally sunk in, huh?"

"...Yeah, sure..." Trying not to look embarrassed, Alan focused on their new friend as he approached, "I was thinking it be best if we headed over to the ruins right away. The sooner we get there, the more time we'll have to explore."

"Good point." He replied. Glancing on the images Mehka sent him he could see the bus schedule. Possible rides to the ruins. "The last bus leaves in about 10 minutes. We can make it if we jog at a two mile and hour pace... huh... I'm good with numbers." He smiled.

Taunting them with a 'come-along' type hand motion they would head northward up the street. The bus stop wasn't far. The gentle breeze made the night comfortable. Some of the heat could be seen escaping from the ground still, but it was at least three degrees deference than the morning.

Once they came to the bus stop they only had to wait for a minute or two. The vehicle was two stories, red paneled, and pretty empty. Only three other people sat there, none where threats by the look of it. Iha took a seat closest to the exit.

"I think its the second or third stop." He told the others as they piled onto the bus.  

"If you stay on this route you will be approaching the southern end of the temple." Mehka spoke. "Also, there has been an upward trend lately. Some people report 'crazy people' along the route at night. It seems they can be violent, and also really smart. One guy thought they set a trap for him." She worried. "Be careful Iha. This one is starting to freak me out. There has also been reports about dangerous trees. Whatever that means, they are really vague..." She continued her search.
"I'll keep my eyes pealed." He finished.

Alan sat by the window as he examined the scenery outside. For some reason, even with the moon out, there was still a foreboding atmosphere as the bus rode along. Out of the corner of his eye, he swore he saw shadows darting between the trees...he rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things and next thing he knew the shadows were gone.

"So, what brings you two out this way?" Despite the situation, the bus driver seemed rather upbeat though that could've just been him trying to project the image of being positive even if on the inside he would likely want to be anywhere else.

"Just taking in the sights," Alan remarked nonchalantly, "We heard the ruins out this way were haunted so we wanted to check them out for ourselves."

"The ruins, huh?" The bus driver glanced up in his rearview mirror, eyeing the two with a hint of suspicion before shrugging, "Well, it's none of my business what you young folks do, but if you run into trouble out here, don't go pretending to be action heroes. Just book it. I got a brother who came out here a week ago to do a story for the local news, but when I met up with him later that night, something had scared him so badly he could barely put his words into sentences,"

"Kept on talking about voices wailing in agony, as if the old ruins were somehow alive or something, specters wandering the grounds...the kind of thing you hear of in horror movies and stuff...what I'm saying is don't go taking risks when the reward isn't worth it..." The bus came to its rest, "Here's your stop."

"Thanks." Alan stepped off the bus.

As they approached the stop Iha could feel something. A pulling, tugging at his spirit. Something about this area seemed to linger close by, a familiar darkness. His gaze, though directed outside was more so inward.

The map on the side of his vision dinged as the bus pulled to a stop. He hadn’t noticed the conversation the people where having but could suspect it has to do with the stories about this place.

As the got off the bus they stepped onto a gravel road. They only needed to go down a short path through a slightly wooded area. The entrance wouldn’t be far after that.

“You have those flashlights?” He asked. “Be careful in here. If you see anything make sure you don’t keep it to yourself.” He spoke up.

”Mehka, what do you think about dropping a few T-16s? Or have Dr. Icarus watch from above. This place isn’t giving me any good feelings.”
”Doc left a few minutes ago, he’ll be on you with in a few hours... think you can last till then?”
“I think we can manage” he finished.

The area was full of nosies from wild animals and worrisome cries. They were not distinct enough for Iha to make out if they are human or not. Most likely just a wounded creature. Their cries can be scary sounding, but Iha has a feeling he wouldn’t have to question that one.

Shadows could be made out between the trees. The moon gave just enough light to make out a humanoid silhouette. As soon as the image became clear it started back into the woods.

“I keep thinking I can see things in the trees.” he shared openly.


(OOC: phone posts don’t get color lol. )

"Yep, got them right here," Alan opened his knapsack to expose said flashlights, "And I got some extra batteries too just in case. One thing that reality has over horror movies is that real people can avoid making the kinds of decisions that get fictional characters killed,"

Alan walked onward towards the ruins, keeping his eyes and ears pealed for anything out of the ordinary. At hearing Iha's comment, he glanced back and nodded, "I got the same feeling on the bus ride here. A part of me thought it was just my imagination but if you're getting the same sensation then this can't just be coincidence..."

He stopped at the archway leading into the city and took a deep breath, "Alright...whatever happens...happens..." With that, he walked through the entrance.