[hr][i][h1][color=dodgerblue]Lihua[/color], [color=red]Meifeng[/color], [color=lawngreen]Sonya[/color], [color=plum]Trevor[/color], [color=springgreen]Cindy[/color], [color=gray]Quentin[/color], [color=darkslateblue]Cass[/color], [color=darkslateblue]Reed[/color], [color=cornflowerblue]Shizuka[/color], & Task Force RAVEN.[/h1][/i]
[hr][hider=Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core OST - Controlling the Iron Beast][youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVXt1g6Vr-o[/youtube][/hider][hr]

With all preparations complete, every member of the squad gathered into the APCs and started rushing towards the Iron District. Taking the safest routes decided by Dana, Daphne, and other members of I&I. Fortunately, the streets were clear and there were no beasts (nor enemies) to slow them down. They were quickly approaching the destination.

This was quite the task for Cindy, waiting for the battle that'd determine Verthaven's future. She was nervously sitting here, patting her hands against her knees. No one was really talking...and, to be honest, the only person she'd talk to would be Scarlet - and [i]she[/i] didn't look like she was in the mood to talk. Cindy turned her head towards one of the viewing ports, and saw all the rain in the area. It was raining [i]twice[/i] as hard here. "Daaaaaaamn, it's really storming here," Cindy said. "Were you guys really having [i]that[/i] hard of a time finding her?"

"Dana told me that the storms started picking up, probably all the poison we gave her," Maria said (in her true form, of course), who was standing up, with her hand on the straps overhead. She was happy that she'd be underground for once. The last thing she wanted to be was ink in this storm. Though, she was curious about the backup that was taking up two spots next to Cindy. She pointed at it and asked, "What's that?"

"Oh this?" Cindy put her hand on top of it. "It's pure glass I gathered from all over the base camp... Dana suggested that I bring [i]lots[/i] of glass because I won't be able to find any down there." And making glass would be a pain in the ass. Cindy was [i]not[/i] looking forward to the sewer adventure.

Across the glass manipulator, Shizuka had the same feeling as her; however, instead of losing himself in the spiral of uncertainty and fear, he chose to focus his mind on maximizing his chance of survival. He had been debating internally about who he should ally with later on, but in the end he decided to go with the cop again (who, thankfully, was now out of his arm sling, though still with the bandages wrapped around the forearm). "Hey mister, mind if I pair up with you - for this mission?"

"Huh?" Reed wasn't seated too far from him. "That's what we're doing already, isn't it? Going up against She-Cthulhu with a few kids and a guy who almost lost his arm," he said with a sarcastic tone, to which he received an approving grin from the teen boy.

On account of his arm, he'd foregone the pump-action shotguns his brother and uncle preferred and had gone with a light MP5SD resting next to him - and the tactical vest and uniform that he'd thrown on for their mission left him indistinguishable from being part of SWAT or even one of NEST's own assault teams. Somehow, he bet that his colleagues back at VPD would've jokingly called him out for going over to the 'shininess of NEST if they could've seen him right now.

Everyone's comms turned on as Lihua spoke. "We're here," Lihua said. "The Interfere Squad is going to go in first."

Within Lihua's APC, she turned her head towards Peter and he willed the APC door open with his magnetism. He started stepping out until he dropped right off. It wasn't long before the APC came to a stop either. Then the rest of the convoy followed. Curiously enough, one of the APCs was mounted with an oversized speaker opposed to any gun.

Sonya hopped out of the APC holding plastic explosives. "Hate to waste some [i]quality[/i] bombs," She said. "But let's get this over with, is everyone else ready? Because once this blows, it's going to get really argo up in here."

"I'd hardly call it a waste." The veteran cop shrugged. "It's a fair trade for the lives of a couple thousand people." It was a rare occasion to see Cassius Taylor outfitted in an official police uniform, let alone the tactical gear that he wore over it. At a first glance, he [i]almost[/i] looked the part - until one realized just how old the guy was and what kind of shape he was in. Like always, he'd brought his Ithaca 37 along for the ride.

Lihua stepped out and looked up at the Walmart, Maximilian took her side and deployed his Echo who stood valiantly behind him.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Maximilian said. "Go ahead Mayfield."

"Everyone else get in position - and don't go in until I give the clear, we need to time this just right," Lihua said. The last thing that they needed was to be in there while a potential army of monsters started heading out.

"Okie dookie," Sonya said, hopping to the top of the Walmart. She started placing the explosives on the roof, it was only a few minutes until she was done. "Alright, is err'body else ready? Because I'm ready to [i]blow[/i]."

Lihua pressed her earpiece. "Quentin, Maria---"

"Hey, wait!" Sonya loudly said, really worrying Lihua. "Before we blow up this Walmart...we should [i]rescue[/i] some snacks." She started snickering. 

Lihua shook her head. "...You're really making up for Olin's absence, aren't you?"

"Yup," Sonya said, sitting on the edge of the building.

"It breaks my heart to think of all the good food that's goin' to waste in there," Cass remarked with a wry grin. "Guess it's worth it if means the Dirty Dozen down there get a shot at fixing this mess."

First Squad's APC drove down a hill into a wooded area. Quickly driving along a concrete wall until they reached a metal sewer entrance in the wall (which was twenty feet under the level of the Walmart). It was basically a hole in the wall with a metal gate. The APC pulled into the bushes away from the entrance. Maria nodded her head, then turned to the driver and snapped her fingers. He turned off the APC - engine, lights, everything.

"...Everyone stay quiet as possible," Maria whispered. If the beasts were as blind as their intelligence said, they [i]should[/i] ignore the APC and everyone inside. She pressed her earpiece. "We're in position."

"Good," Lihua said. "Quentin?"

The other Squad's APC were opting for another entrance. There was a massive gaping hole in the ground caused by a beast bursting out of the ground. It was semi-flooded, but a perfect entrance into the sewers. The APC pulled into an alleyway, and did the same thing - turned off the engine, lights, and everyone stayed quiet as possible.

"We're in position," Quentin finally confirmed, positioned by the exit in full tactical uniform - complete with his preferred Remington 870. He glanced back towards the others for a moment, particularly casting an eye on Meifeng and recalled how Lihua probably wasn't too pleased at the notion of being separated from her daughter, making a mental note to keep a particular watch out for her. Not that the kid couldn't handle herself; there'd once been a time, mere months before, when it'd been Quentin relying on [i]her[/i] to get him out of a sticky situation. "Everyone prepped?" He wanted to check, knowing full well they were headed into a (literal) shitstorm.

"Yeah," Meifeng said, putting her palm up and producing a swirling torrent of water above her hands. 

"Well," Trevor said. "I got a sensitive nose, and we're walking into an homicidal maniac's evil lair - if I'm not ready now, I'll never be."

"Everyone's in position," Dana said. "Maximilian, you know what to do from here."

The NEST leader nodded his head, he pressed his earpiece. "Alright, ladies and gentlemen," He started off. "This is going to be the operation that finishes it. I hope each and every one of you are heroes, because this day's going to go down in [i]history[/i]." He pulled the detonator out of his utility belt. "Mayfield, I suggest you get off the building now." 

Sonya just remembered what was about to happen - right when she was getting comfy. She hopped off the building, onto a different one. Then hopped to another. She laid down, lounging against an air conditioner. "I'm clear." She grabbed her sniper rifle - a Barrett .50 cal this time (she'd need to bring the big guns) - and loaded it with a fresh clip. Ready to give these bastards hell from a distance.

Lihua inhaled sharply. Taking a stance where her feet were shoulder-length apart. Hands were up - her right hand to eye-level, while her other hand was more pressed against her chest. She raised her foot up into the air, and slammed it down. Sending a shockwave through the air almost like she hit the ground with immeasurable force. Two concrete blocks sandwiched her. The shockwave would already attract a few of them to their position - but that didn't matter.

Adam did the same - he inhaled, and summoned powerful winds around him. Prepared as they'd ever be.

PR-1 didn't even move. His ability to sense electrical currents through the area has already given him enough information. Thankfully, the agents have given him plenty of electricity for this operation. So it should be enough to kill all the monsters.

Echo pounded his fists together behind Maximilian, and the tall man cracked his neck. "Brace yourselves everyone," Maximilian said, raising the detonator to chin-level. "Because the explosives are going off in three, two, [i]one[/i]..."

One that last word, Maximilian pressed the button and an enormous raged through the Walmart which absolutely [i]destroyed[/i] it. Sending a shockwave throughout the area that could be felt from deep underground, and heard from all over the city. It was enough to give Maximilian and the others - who were spaced away from the group - a jump. Lihua felt the need to put one of those concrete blocks in the way to worry about some stray debris.

Once the raging boom of the explosion faded, all that could be heard was the building crumpling...followed by the mass of roars, snarls, and growling. Along with claws scraping the streets heading straight for them.

"...A moment of silence for all the food that was destroyed here," Sonya softly said into the comms followed by a bout of faux-weeping.

Just as predicted, there were [i]many[/i] heading straight for them. Plenty were pouring out of the sewers (some were coming out of the entrances the bomb squads were going to use).

"Alright, it's clear," Maria said the moment the stream of monsters began to slow down. "Go, go, go," she said, her group started pulling out of the APC, running into the dark tunnels.

Once he'd seen a gap to cut through, Quentin raised a hand to signal them. "On me!" he barked, before disembarking from the APC and making a straight push towards the gaping fissure which lead into the sewers.

With both teams in the tunnels that only meant there was one person to keep the monsters up here.

Maximilian cracked his neck, he pulled his pistol from his belt. "Alright, everyone," he said, seeing how the monsters were attacking them from all directions now. "Just do what you do best..." he trailed off, before gunshots erupted from all around him as the group utterly declared war on the monsters.

[hr][i][h1][color=aqua]Jennifer Caspin[/color], [color=salmon]Haruka Takashiro[/color], and...[/h1][/i]
[hr]

Jennifer was walking down the halls alongside Haruka. She was taking her time - even though she had a feeling she doesn't have a whole lot of time left - as she looked over towards Haruka. She wondered if the others are doing well. She'd ask...but with all this attention on her, she knew that it'd be stupid to ask. Just keep her head down until all of this is over.

"You know..." Jennifer said. "I really appreciate what you said back there..."

Before their conversation could continue, there was an explosion not that far away and an alarm filled the air.

"Attention! The Changeling Unit have breached the building!" Dana's voice loudly shouted through the comms.

[hr]
There wasn't any time. A portal opened in NEST Headquarters and the Berserker ran on through the portal and tore through the place like it was paper. Followed by Luis, Heartbreaker, the Contessa, and the Mannequin. This group was all their needed to extract Jennifer before they tinkered with the bomb.

Heartbreaker reached for her revolvers - bringing them to face-level spinning. "Let's go! Let's go! [i]Let's go![/i]" Luis said as he started running at full speed.

They started heading straight for Jennifer - the Berserker should already have her scent and it wouldn't be long until they reach their young, blond friend.

[hr]
"Oh no," Jennifer said. "We have to go! We have to go right now!" she loudly shouted as she grabbed Haruka's wrist and started charging down the hallway. Thankfully, she played lots of basketball, so she had the running game down. She knew that the Changelings were coming for her. Whether it was because they thought they were saving her, or to kill her themselves...they'd probably get some kind of glee from watching her last moments before the bomb goes off.

"W-Wha---" Haruka was confused about the whole situation. [i]Why are the Changelings back here again? Haven't they reunite with their comrades already?[/i] Even so, he still ran after Jennifer. [i]Unless...[/i] "Are they coming for you?"

"I-I don't know!" Jennifer said - she quickly heard the Berserker's footsteps running up behind them, she looked over her shoulder and saw the hulking beast coming right for them. She came to a skidding stop right before them - and before Jennifer could take another step, a bullet split the tile underneath her foot.

"Stop right there, partners," Heartbreaker said as she blew the smoke away from the gun. "Our boss would like to have a word with you."

Luis stepped around the Berserker and clapped his hands together as Jennifer came in sight.  "[i]Jennifer...[/i] Why were you running away from us?" he asked as he got close. "Aren't we [i]friends?[/i]"

Jennifer clenched her fists as she came face to face with the man who made her go through this hell. She was shaking, as she hissed out the words, "[i]You're no friend of mine, you bastard![/i]" Jennifer's face was red as the tears soaked her shirt.

"[i]Oh?[/i]" Luis said, raising an eyebrow. "Have you forgotten already...? Perhaps you need a reminder or two." Luis pressed his earpiece, "Flashbang, would you do the honors?" 

A portal opened up behind Jennifer, and Luis pointed towards it.

"Step in," he said.

"Hold up," Heartbreaker said, she quickly stepped over to Haruka and yanked him by the arm and looked him in the eye. "What about him? Do you want me to blow his fuckin' heart out?" Heartbreaker asked as she turned over towards Luis.

Haruka froze when the Changelings appeared before them. His mind had put the two and two together that Shizuka's suspicion about Jennifer was right - but the poor girl didn't choose to betray them out of her own free will. They probably got hold of her weakness or something and used it to threaten her...but even if he wanted to help her out, there was nothing he could do to stand up against these psychopaths.

He couldn't even resist when Heartbreaker grabbed his arm.

And his twin wasn't around to save them this time.

Luis grabbed his chin, thinking about it for a second. "Sure, let's bring him with us." He exploded with cheerfulness. "He can play with us for a bit."

Disappointed, Heartbreaker simply just shoved Haruka over towards the portal. The very [i]second[/i] he was away, she pulled out her revolver at lightning speeds and aimed it at him. "If you value that worthless [i]fuckin'[/i] life of yours, I [i]suggest[/i] that you get in."

"Yes, get in," Luis said, pointing towards the portal.

Jennifer turned towards Haruka, and hung her head in shame. "...[i]I'm so sorry.[/i]"

Haruka could only managed a weak smile at her before he nodded stiffly to the Changeling leader, slowly walking into the portal. Followed by Jennifer.

"Lovely!" Luis said he followed behind them, before the Berserker's hulking frame stepped in, and the other Changelings walked inside.

The portal closed behind them.

[hr][hider=Final Fantasy X HD Remaster OST - Gloom][youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yhTqH5V064[/youtube][/hider][hr]
The portal lead to the Changeling hideout, specifically the room where Jennifer's family was being held.

When Heartbreaker stepped through, she shoved Haruka forward for little reason other than she didn't like him, causing him to stumble and fell face down on the ground. He stood up and spotted a group of people huddled before him - the resemblance told him that they were likely to be Jennifer's family. Beneath his fear for the Changelings, a bubble of anger was rising inside him. [i]So this is what they used to threaten Jennifer...

Unforgivable.[/i]

Luis walked over to Jen's family, who were still tied to the chairs. He stood behind them, and leaned in towards Jennifer's mother. "...So, Jenny... Where did you tell me to go again?" Luis started off with a lustful grin on his face. "I [i]hope[/i] you were telling where I can find the Devil...because that's obviously where all your RAVEN buds went, yes?"

Jennifer kept her lips sealed.

Seemed that Jennifer could use a little motivation. He retracted a claw and sliced Jennifer's mom's cheek... Annebelle, her name was? He never quite caught it. The woman winced as the maniac drew blood from her face.

"Okay, okay!" Jennifer said, finally giving in. "They went to Rising Sun Avenue in the Iron District... The Devil is underground."

Luis stepped over to Jen with a delighted smile on his face. "Thaaaaaank you!" Luis said. "This is just a [i]hiccup[/i] in our relationship, yes? You'll see the light either way." He wrapped his arm around Jennifer's shoulder, which made her hang her head in shame.

Heartbreaker was more focused on Haruka - she quickly got behind him and kicked him behind the knee (Jennifer winced as she saw the scene - and felt even more awful about what happened). Forcing him to the ground. While he was on the ground, her hands went all over his body, searching for objects. Anything like a phone or a weapon. First thing she found was the comm piece...and she threw it on the ground and crushed it underneath her boot. The [i]last[/i] thing they needed was them tracking that piece of shit (they probably should have snatched it off him before shoving him in the portal). Next thing she fished out his clothes was his phone.

Oh, she was going to be [i]flashy[/i] with this one.

She threw the phone up into the air, and her hands moved like a blur as she whipped out her revolver and blew the phone into a million pieces with hot lead.

It made her chuckle. She pulled Haruka up to his feet, then pushed him away, and he fell back down next to Jennifer's family for the third time in a row. "Alright, Luis, he's clean," Heartbreaker said. "Unless you want the Mannequin to do a 'Deep Rectal Examination' on this one." She started loudly laughing as she threw her head back.

Haruka clenched his fists, the hatred was beginning to overwhelm his terror towards them. With nothing on him now that would give them any chance to get out of this, he had to think of alternatives - but first, he would have to keep himself alive. And maybe get some useful information out of the big mouths of these egoistic terrorists.

"B-But...aren't you supposed to be working with the Devil?" His voice was trembling, but it was more from rage than fear.

"Hahahahaha - no." Luis said, pacing around Haruka and Jennifer. "If the Devil was on our side, that Headquarters of yours would be long destroyed, and the city would be under our rule..." He said with a refreshed grin on his face. He flicked his wrist like he was waving something away. "...But, more than that. The Devil will play an [i]important[/i] role in helping me forge a [i]perfect world[/i]," Luis said, laughing.

"I've been waiting centuries for this, you know," he started off. "I can't let ignorant fools like NEST blow away such an opportunity when it's practically in my hands."

[i]Centuries?[/i] But more importantly... "So...you are just using the Devil," he said slowly. "But isn't it the same for the Devil too? Using you all for her own gain? I mean, you helped her to wipe out almost half of NEST back at the Headquarters."

"Even if we were playing into her hands..." Luis gave this [i]adorable[/i] boy an amused smile as he tilted his head. Crossing one arm over his chest, and holding the other to his jaw. "...She's too afraid to [i]actually[/i] wipe out the city," he started off. "You see, with her trapped in here, the only stopping the government dogs from dropping a nuke on this place is - well - [i]you[/i]."

Luis walked over to the boy and looked straight in the eye. "You're her shield...up until she finds a way out of here - [i]then[/i] she'll kill you and everyone here." Luis stood straight up and shrugged. "Which is why I intend to add her to the Changeling ranks once I tell her of a power out there that is above even [i]Metahumans[/i]."

Haruka widened his eyes and continued to lock his gaze with the madman. "[i]A power that is above Metahumans?[/i]" he echoed after him in a hushed voice.

"Yes, my boy...and the only way to obtain that power requires a certain set of...instructions to be followed," Luis answered him. "And you require a Metahuman with the power to burn all to ash." He started laughing.

Haruka didn't like where this was going. "...And that is why you need the Devil - she is the Metahuman with enough destructive force to fit your description."

"And I need her alive...whether or not she's willing..." Luis trailed off with a grin. "...Oh well. She has no real [i]choice[/i] in the matter. Like I said, I've been waiting centuries for another to pop up."

"Centuries...?" Jennifer asked, absolutely horrified at this conversation. What the hell does Luis know? And how? "...Where - how do you know all of this? Just who are you?"

"...How do I know all this? Well let me tell you..." He put two fingers against his head. "Inside my head rests two [i]centuries[/i] worth of knowledge of the secret world of Metahumans. And let me tell ya', it ain't pretty. If any of it got out..." Luis leaned into Haruka. "...The global suicide rate would triple." He started laughing some more.

"Me? I'm just old as Metahumans themselves, one of the few fortunate enough to be born with immortality - and born just the right time," Luis explained more about himself. "I've seen it all...where it starts, and I want to see where just it ends," he said. He started walking over towards Jennifer and put fingers underneath her chin and guided it upwards until he was looking her right in her blonde eyes. "If you help me, I can guarantee you a spot in this new status quo."

Jennifer was silent.

"But enough talk... You'll see soon enough." Luis started laughing. "You still have a part in our deal, yes, Jennifer? I promise you that, if you help me [i]one last time[/i], then your family gets safe passage out of Verthaven."

Jennifer remained quiet.

"So, what's it gonna be, Jen?" Luis said. "You know where they're going - It [i]seems[/i] that you know enough of the plan to tell me just what they're planning."

Jennifer's lips were sealed.

Finally she gave in. "...They're going to set up bombs in the tunnels," Jennifer shamefully said. "Then try to crush her with the debris."

"Excellent!" Luis said. "Now I know just [i]what[/i] to do to stop them."

He turned towards Haruka, and put his hand on his chin. Grinning like a madman.

"...Are you ready to be one of the many glorious stepping stones, child?"

Haruka gave Jennifer a sideways glance before he looked back at the leader. "What...what do you plan to do with me?" he asked, even though he already knew the answer before the blood manipulator opened his mouth again.

"What? Did you think I took you for no reason?" Luis asked, tilting his head to the side as he gave him a playful smile. "Just to [i]amuse[/i] myself?

"...You're going to be my leverage." Luis said. "To stop them from setting off the bombs, and allow me time to speak to the Devil about...well, you know. Because I know they're sooo ignorant that they'd drop any and all of their plans if we have an innocent little hostage."

Haruka had to force down the urge to roll his eyes in order to keep up the scared act - Shizuka would definitely do that, but he highly doubt the rest would do the same. It wouldn't hurt them to sacrifice an insignificant life for the greater good just like these freaks. He had heard from his brother that Lihua was in charge of the operation, which made him even more depressed.

But he despised these creeps even [i]more[/i].

Jennifer started crying again - only to be surprised when Luis stood behind her, and put both hands on her shoulders.

"Don't feel [i]too[/i] bad," Luis said. "Jennifer's going to be there by your side... Except with a [i]modified[/i] role..."

Luis leaned in and whispered a few things into Jennifer's ear that made her eyes shoot wide open.

"...Flashbang! We are ready," Luis said, and a portal opened up in front of him. "Let's go, Changelings, we have plenty of work to do."

The entire Changeling Unit poured into the portal.

Ready to make Luis' dream come true.

[hr][i][h1][color=dodgerblue]Lihua[/color], [color=red]Meifeng[/color], [color=lawngreen]Sonya[/color], [color=plum]Trevor[/color], [color=springgreen]Cindy[/color], [color=gray]Quentin[/color], [color=darkslateblue]Cass[/color], [color=darkslateblue]Reed[/color], [color=cornflowerblue]Shizuka[/color], Task Force RAVEN, and...[/h1][/i]
[hr]

After attaching the last bomb to the designated part of the tunnel, Maria quickly took a step back and said, "Squad One has planted all the bombs. Awaiting further orders."

Cindy had produced a sheet of glass on both sides of the tunnel. They ran into a few of the monsters on the way here - but they made short work of them. Cindy and Shizuka did - Maria suggested against using firearms unless absolutely necessary. Which Cindy respected. What she was most happy about was getting out of this damn sewer.

Reed's choice of weapon came particularly handy here - firing off an unsuppressed weapon would deafen them in here. He wasn't much a fan of the stench down here either, but in truth he'd faced worse in his career. Some things were better left forgotten.

Shizuka wasn't too happy with the 'extra work' (not to mention, [i]absolutely revolting[/i]), but he still did his part - phasing some of Cindy's glass bombs into their creepy purple eye, where they would writhe with agony at the foreign object stuck inside them before they finally burst apart into a pool of muck.

He couldn't help cringing at the mess. [i]Lovely.[/i]

[hr]
On the other team's perspective...

Helena was floating upwards, she did the same; she attached the bomb to the wall, then armed it. She heard a large splash and looked over her shoulder to see Meifeng jetting a kick outwards and shooting a powerful blast of water at a stray beast. The monster was thrown against the wall. Trevor quickly ran up and primed his arrow - shooting an arrow right in it's purple eye. The beast dissolved into a solvent puddle.

"Alright, ten points, I did it." Trevor fist-pumped - earning looks from Meifeng and the others.

"Good work," Quentin said with a low voice, disdainful of the stench. Of all the condemned buildings, piss-soaked alleyways and junkie dens he'd been through, none of it smelled half as bad as this. His shotgun wasn't exactly ideal to use in the echo chamber of these tunnels either, so he'd switched to his suppressed 92FS. [i]Just like old times, skulking through the city's underbelly.[/i]

[hr]
The Interference Squad was doing its job quite well.

Echo's lightning fast fists managed to cut down a horde of monsters. They were getting weaker, just as Dana said. They were punching through the monsters like it was nothing. PR-1 was carving through the monster horde using electricity and his magnetism. Lihua was throwing concrete blocks that cut a path through the monsters. Adam had created a massive tornado that funneled the monsters, and slammed them into the walls and floors. The other agents were simply gunning down the beasts.

They didn't have strategy, or coordination, as before. By coming at them in a reasonable manner - and the lack of reinforcements, RAVEN had all but wiped them out. All was going according to plan.

When Maximilian received confirmation that the bombs were placed, Maximilian pressed his earpiece. "Alright, all agents pull out of the sewers." He ordered.

"[i]Maxmilian![/i]" Dana loudly said in the comms. "We have a problem..."

Maximilian rolled his eyes up into his head. "What is it?"

"The Changeling Unit broke into NEST Headquarters earlier - they've taken both Jennifer and Haruka before we could even figure out what was going on."

"What?!" Maximilian said. He sighed, crossing his arms and shaking his head. "We'll have to handle them later...we can track Heartbreaker and the others down..."

"[i]Wait![/i]" Dana said, as she realized something else. She was scanning for Heartbreaker and the other Changelings - and realized they were in the same area of operation as RAVEN. "...They're on the field. Attention all Agents! The Changeling Unit have entered your field of operations!" Dana explained. "They're north of you, Maximilian!" 

Maximilian quickly turned his head towards the building, and immediately deployed Echo. Making him act as a shield between himself and the Changelings (specifically Heartbreaker).

Fortunately, the Agents thinned out the monsters so much that they had enough breathing room to handle the Changelings.

Lihua slammed her foot into the ground and created concrete blocks and pressed her back against them. Like hell she was going to fall to Heartbreaker. Other agents took position against the wall - including Adam. 

Sonya turned invisible, hoping that with all the fog and rain, she'd be unnoticed by Heartbreaker. She quickly took position on the edge of the building, and aimed it at the building which had the Changelings on top of it. She lined up her shot with Heartbreaker - but held her fire. There were two kiddies on their knees on the edge of the building... Oh no.

"They got hostages!" Sonya whispered into the comms.

[hr]
A portal opened up on top of the rowhouses that was in clear view of the RAVENs - and Luis, Heartbreaker, the Mannequin, Contessa, Count Vicious, Flashbang, and the Berserker stepped out of it. The Berserker knelt down, trying to make her even more brutish frame concealed in the rain and fog. Their two 'hostages' were pushed through the portal with their hands bound behind their back.

"Get to movin'," Heartbreaker said as she kicked Jennifer over to the edge of the building, taking leisurely steps behind her. Heartbreaker grabbed Jen by the shoulder and pushed her to her knees. "You, bitch-boy, you better do what she's doing, or I'll stomp your balls some more," Heartbreaker said, laughing. Haruka had to grit his teeth to suppress the anger rising inside him before he knelt down beside Jennifer. If only he had a power to get out of this...

The portal closed, and Luis knelt down by the edge of the building, looking down.

"All we have to do is get their attention..." Luis said...before the RAVENs down there began to freak out as they dove for cover - most notably Lihua and Maximilian who used their powers to shield themselves.

"...Well, that's convenient," Luis said, shrugging. He grinned widely as he stood on the edge of the building. His longcoat was fluttering in the wind. He stretched both hands out as he announced, "Hello RAVEN! It is so great to see that you found my newest friend! But we can't have you hurting her before we at [i]least[/i] get a chance to talk to her..."

Luis went on and on.

And on.

...[i]And on.[/i]

[hr]
"...What the hell is he saying?" Lihua said, as she poked her head around cover. A combination of rain, wind, and distance, made it all but impossible to hear Luis' grand speech. She didn't know if she should be glad, or worried (in the off chance he became [i]impatient[/i]).

"Jen?!" Cass could barely make out the girl as one of their hostages and was just as surprised as the rest of them to see her in that state.

"I don't think he realizes that we can't hear him..." Maximilian trailed. "Okay, we need a plan..."

"Want me to take the shot?" Sonya said. "Take Heartbreaker out in one shot..."

Cass was quick to voice his apprehension, "They'll get caught in the crossfire."

"We can't take that risk with those hostages," Maximilian said, agreeing with Cass. "We need to assess the situation before he realizes, then come up with a plan."

[hr]
"...So, furthermore, it is not too late to join my perfect world. All you have to do is vacate the area, and these hostages of mine won't get hurt. Okay?"

Luis didn't get any response whatsoever.

"...Did they hear me?" Luis asked.

Heartbreaker was too busy facepalming. "...Of course not, you dipshit." Haruka would have done the same...but his hands were tied firmly behind his back.

Luis groaned; he snapped his fingers and Flashbang created a portal in front of him, and Luis stormed in. A few moments later, he came back with a red megaphone. The sight of it made the Japanese boy roll his eyes. He couldn't tell if the great leader of a crazy terrorist group was actually a terrifying supervillain or just an old fool.

"I never thought I'd be using [i]this...[/i]" Luis said as he turned up the volume to maximum. "Okay, where was I?" Luis asked his fellow Changelings, only to get shrugs. He simply rolled his eyes. "Well, I don't like repeating myself," Luis said through the megaphone, which was amplified enough for RAVEN to hear him. "So, I'm going to make this [i]brief[/i]... We have two of your own, bound and helpless.

"If you set those bombs off, they'll die," Luis said. "So, you best leave the area at once if you don't want my associate here to blow their heads off."

Heartbreaker took two steps up, and started twirling her revolvers in full view of the RAVENs.

Though...he was just stalling, of course. His [i]real[/i] plan required that Jennifer would get rescued.

Because this would be the day she prove she's Changeling material or not.

[hr]
Immediately, Maximilian's finger went for his earpiece. "Team, we have a problem: the Changeling Unit is holding Haruka and Jennifer hostage and are threatening to kill them if we detonate the bombs."

Lihua gritted her teeth as she heard every word. 

[i]Of course[/i], they'd pull something like this of all times. It was the only thing that'd give everyone a pause. Right when they're so close to the finish line. Lihua didn't know what the Changelings were after here - whether it was defending the Devil in her weakness, or some other reason - but they essentially got them in a deadlock. If they detonate the bombs, then Jennifer and Haruka are dead (and she didn't want to get such young blood on her hands). If they [i]didn't[/i], then who knows [i]what[/i] would happen.

While she didn't want to detonate the bomb, the pragmatic side of her was telling her to go ahead anyway. For the good of the many, as they would say...but, it's so [i]easy[/i] to say that when you're not the one making the sacrifice.

"Holy fuck, are you saying they took Jen?!" Meifeng loudly said in the comms, almost ready to slam her fist into the wall. "We [i]gotta[/i] get her out of there."

"We'll deal with it after." Quentin shared her sentiment, yet he knew that they couldn't afford to charge headfirst into it. Luis and that [i]bitch[/i] Heartbreaker were more than a match for them without throwing the rest of his attack dogs into the mix.

In the other team, Shizuka didn't take the news too well. The Changelings got his precious brother! How could he pretend to be calm about it? "[i]Those motherfuckers[/i]," he growled. "I'm so gonna kill them for laying their bloody hands on Haru---" Before he could storm out of the tunnel - blinded by his own rage - someone pulled him into an arm lock and pressed him against the wall.

"If our places were switched I'd do the same for Quent," Reed firmly told him. "But you're no good if you get yourself killed. Inhale, count to ten, exhale. Think."

"Shizuka, you've [i]got[/i] to chill." Cindy was quick. She didn't understand their relationship (from what she can tell, they're [i]weirdly[/i] close), but rushing to fight them - when RAVEN couldn't take them - would be suicide. "Do you [i]want[/i] them to ice the two of you?"

"They're right, you know," Maria quickly added. Trying to help them talk some sense into this boy. "With both Heartbreaker, Luis, and the Berserker there, you'll be torn to shreds - if Heartbreaker even lets you get that close."

Luckily for them, their words managed to reach the boy - and helped to regain the logical side in him. Finally, Shizuka stopped struggling and relaxed. Reed relinquished his grip when he was sure he'd collected himself.

His comm was still live; he took in a deep breath and spoke coldly into it, making sure the other teams could hear him loud and clear, "I know that some of you are thinking to sacrifice them in favor of making this suicide mission a success, but that is because those lives sacrificed mean [i]nothing[/i] to you." He then let out a defeated sigh, his voice broke as he spoke into the comm again, "I'm begging you - save Haru...and Jennifer. Please."

"We aren't sacrificing [i]anyone[/i]," Maximilian immediately said.

"Yeah, what do you take us for? The Changeling Unit?!" Sonya robustly said into the comms. "Yeah, we probably don't know much about them - but RAVEN is all about saving the little guy. I even got a plan!"

"They're stalling us..." Lihua groaned in irritation. "Mayfield, how many Changelings do you see up on the building?"

Sonya quickly checked through her scopes. "Ooooooh boy, seven of 'em," Mayfield answered. "Which means we're about eight short."

"The rest are likely scanning the tunnels, searching for the bombs so they can disable them," Lihua said. "That, or they're going after the teams."

"So the hell do you suggest?" Meifeng asked.

"We need to come up with a plan," Lihua was quick to answer. "For now, pull out of the sewers... We don't know what's going to happen next, nor do we know what's going to happen."

Truth be told, she just wanted them out of the way just in case they [i]had[/i] to detonate the bombs.

"Gotcha," Maria said. She pointed down the tunnel. "Get moving, we don't have much time." Team One began running through the halls of this maze. Shizuka trailed behind them without another word, more or less back to his usual self...except for the icy glint in his eyes.

Tugging on his sling, Reed grabbed for his weapon once more and followed suit.

[hr]
Dana was working hard in the NEST Mission Control room. Tirelessly, because she could be the thing that would save the mission, and the world. While she couldn't walk, every agent knew that she was the best damn mission control they had, and the only thing standing in the way of complete annihilation. She wasn't sure what they could do to turn the mission around in their favor. Which was why she was surveying their environment to come up with a plan of some sort.

The last thing she wanted to do was sacrifice two innocent lives for the sake of the mission.

But, while she was switching screens, [i]something[/i] didn't look right. When she was looking at cameras, she saw several of the beasts going straight for the field of operation. On a hunch, she looked a little further out, and saw that, from all over the city, the monsters were heading right for the Devil's lair.

"Oh no," Dana said.

"[i]She's back.[/i]"

[hr][hider=Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core OST - On the Verge of Assault][youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZt1lBWr_zM[/youtube][/hider][hr]
"...Do you think they'll fall for the trick I pulled in the armory again?" Sonya asked...honestly out of ideas as to what to do. 

The impasse was tense. Both sides was waiting for the other to pull something. Because they both held a gun of some sort. Maximilian was doing his best to come up with a plan of some sort.

"...Oh my God," Dana started off, her voice was frantic. "Agents, Maximilian, anyone! We-we-we have a [i]giant[/i] problem!" she shouted.

"Dana..." Maximilian trailed off. "Calm down, and tell me what it is."

Taking a deep breath, Dana couldn't help but lose her shit. "...[i]Every monster in the city is heading your way![/i]" she continued shouting into the comms. "They're coming from all sides, there's no way out!"

"What?!" Maximilian said.

Lihua shook her head. The amount of options they had were quickly running out. She didn't want to say it out loud...but perhaps setting off the bombs would be the best course of action. She'd take full responsibility for whatever happens next - no matter how bad.

Before they do anything, they had to [i]confirm[/i] the groups were already out of the sewers. "Quentin, Maria, double time!" Lihua snapped into the comms.

"Oh, fuck---" Quentin mouthed, before his focus shifted back to his team. "Everyone on me, we're pulling out!"

"What in the bloody hell do we do?!" Sonya asked, mostly to Maximilian.

Before either side could come up with a plan, a group of monsters squished up against each other and started violently shaking. They exploded, and their sludge combined to form the Devil's proxy form - a thin woman, with massive tentacles forming her lower body, making it three times as thick as her upper body. With grey skin, and claws. 

The Devil floated up into the air in between both NEST and the Changeling Unit. Suddenly, the rain storm started to lessen up - to allow the Devil to speak.

"...Disgusting," the Devil said. "All of you are so [i]disgusting[/i]. You thought you could poison me and kill me like it's [i]nothing?[/i]"

"Oh bloody hell - I thought that heart was poisoned with some of the worst shit NEST got! And she shrugged it off like it was nothing?!" Sonya shouted through comms. "How are we supposed to kill this thing?"

Maximilian was silent.

"...But, the only people who are going to die here are [i]all of you[/i]." The Devil said, her hands started crackling with electricity as the storm picked up again. Beasts of all sizes came charging into the field.

"Oh fuck," Luis said to himself. "This is [i]not[/i] what I had in mind."

A puma-like monster came flying at the group - only to quickly meet it's end when the Berserker hammered the beast with her fist. Splattering it on impact.

"[i]Maybe[/i] we should pull out," Heartbreaker suggested. "Let NEST die in this fight."

"...If we pull out now, NEST will definitely set off the bombs and render this moot." Luis shook his head. "Besides," He looked over to the Berserker. "We have one of [i]the[/i] most powerful Metahumans on [i]our[/i] side." He whistled, getting the Berserker's attention, then pointed forward. "...Kill them. They won't be able to stop you."

The Berserker let out a roar as she jumped off the roof, and hit the ground with such an enormous thud it shook the area around them. She started running fast as she could - and anything in her way was destroyed as she reached the speed of cars. The beasts were splattered on impact, and anything else was sent flying.

Luis snapped his fingers, and said, "Flashbang, we'll need reinforcements for this one."

On command, a portal opened and the rest of the Changeling Unit stood valiantly behind Luis. Before they ran on past him, and jumped into the fray behind the Berserker - save for a few.

Maximilian noticed the Changelings joining the fight - he looked up at Luis. They still had the hostages. Not only that, the Devil was fighting, too. "Alright, everyone hold steady!" Maximilian loudly said, "...Looks like we got ourselves a three way battle on our hands!"

Lihua shook her head.

"...Nothing is ever easy in this city."