[center][h1][color=dodgerblue]Wards - Streets of Denver[/color][/h1]
[@BCTheEntity][@yoshua171][@Lugubrious][@solokolos][@Kafka Komedy][/center]

The Wards listened in on Sonar's plan, and for the most part had no objections or meaningful comments. When Epsilon stated that she actually did not have anything prepared to nullify Eyeblight's abilities, Sonar gave her an understanding nod, then continued on with the explanation of his plan. It was not the answer he had hoped he would get, but that didn't change their plan of attack. At least not by any meaningful amount. After all explanations had finished, the team decided that now would be a good time to start up with the bickering, incited by Martyr. Sonar sighed inwardly. Dean was a good kid, and had more experience than most of them in the group, so why'd he have to act so petty? Epsilon was quick to interject, speaking in an attempt to educate her peer but Sonar knew well enough that it could easily have been perceived as condescending. And then Margrave. Sonar tensed his mind for some grand display of rebuttal, prepared to tear into the darkest individual on their team, but Margrave's response came surprisingly low key. [i]Well, that could have been a lot worse,[/i] the team leader thought to himself. Thankfully Messiah and Tulpa didn't join in on this pointless bickering. Such maturity was expected from the team's official second in command, but Sonar hadn't quite gotten a grasp on Tulpa's persona yet, so he found her professionalism a relief. Hopefully it wasn't just nerves from her first outing and he'd see a lot more of it.

[color=lightblue]"That's enough, team. We'll have time to point and laugh at one another back at HQ. Out here, we're a single unit."[/color] The youngest of the group projected his voice quite strongly, his tone shifting to take command. Was this the natural leadership skills he had picked up over a 6 year career? Or was his power at work in some way? [color=lightblue]"Teams, get into positi-"[/color] The young boy's eyes suddenly opened wide as something interrupted his train of thought. [color=lightblue]"Eyeblight is planning on taking the hostages to Patriarch. They're abducting anybody that they can to bring to their leader. 'They will join our community' he said. Aw fudge stick. Team, into positions."[/color]

With that last bomb of information dropped on the team, Sonar turned round and lightly jogged down the sidewalk, fully expecting Epsilon and Martyr to follow him. Their destination, the mouth of the drain off into a small riverbed, was about 90 meters away. Once they neared, Sonar slowed himself to a walk, doing his best to make no sounds. Finally he came to a complete stop at the top edge. Clouds rolled in, darkening the sky just enough to be noticeable, but not enough to make any distinguishable difference. At least, not out in the open.

[color=lightblue]"Assault Team B,"[/color] he uttered once his hearing could confirm they were in place. He did not speak into the com system, yet everyone heard Sonar as though he spoke directly into their brain. [color=lightblue]"Prepare yourselves. Tulpa, now!"[/color]

Meanwhile, it was a bit of a tight squeeze for the Wards designated Team B to get into the storm drain, but not an overtly time consuming effort. While the immediately area happened to be illuminated (albeit rather poorly) by the natural light creeping in, deeper down the underground tunnel was much darker. The area that Sonar had said the Community and hostages were, 30 meters, was visible only by a couple small flashlight beams apparently being held by the gangbangers. The space was tight, no more than two or (or three for the particularly petite) could stand next to one another at a time, shoulder to shoulder. At this distance making out the individual gang members, much less the bound hostages, would be next to impossible.

Next to impossible for all save Tulpa's manifestation, that is. Once created, thanks to the enhanced hearing provided to it by Sonar and its proximity to the gang and their light source, the projection could make out each individual, though not in perfect detail. The eight hostages had been lined up against the right side wall, hands bound at the wrist behind their backs, while a simple burlap sack had been stuffed over their heads and tied around the neck. Each were bound to the next in a row, the rope reaching from neck to neck to neck. The Judging by size, they appeared to be six adults, one teen, and a child no older than eight.

The twenty gang members loitered about, some smoking, some shooting the shit with one another, and some doing fuck all. Most, though not all, held a weapon of some kind, which ranged from pipes to knives to batons and glass bottles, but not a single gun amongst them all. Well, all except for one. [url=http://orig10.deviantart.net/987d/f/2013/304/0/d/mr__scarecrow_by_naotic-d6sha8v.jpg]Eyeblight himself[/url] stood at the center of the group, currently in the act of inspecting his captives. He wore a costume of simple cotton and burlap cloth, torn apart into rags stitched together poorly. For reasons unknown to the public and anybody with a fashionable mind, Eyeblight had opted to leave his navel exposed when in costume, showing off tan skin covered in third degree burns. Holstered to his belt one could make out a combat knife and a simple 9mm pistol.

As soon as Tulpa's projection manifested, the goons react with a great deal of confusion. The ranks were not quick to realize their situation, but once they did attention shifted toward Team B. "Intruders!" As soon as Team A were to jump in from the other side, they would immediately notice that the majority of the gang's focus was in looking the other way. All except for a single mook that just happened to be lucky enough to see them coming, or slow and dumb enough not to react very fast.

[hr][hr]

[center][h1][color=red]The Gang - Icehouse Hideout[/color][/h1]
[@BCTheEntity][@yoshua171][@Kafka Komedy][@Eklispe][/center]

Horrified. Desperate. These words seemed too tame, too inconsequential for Everest at this moment in his life. At the last moment in his life. The Broker released his hand, but Everest did not have the opportunity to try another attack as he found his neck suddenly screaming in pain. His first instinct was to fight back, to thrash against his attacker, but it was to no avail. Headhunter's knives had cut in too deep, caused too much pain, and so when Everest attempted to spin around to swipe at the assassin he only succeeded in causing further harm to himself. Bleeding profusely, his head dangling haphazardly from where his neck had once been, Everest slumped to the floor.

Though Love Craft closed in, having transformed one of its limbs into a weapon to deal the final blow, Everest's eyes instead hung on to the only figure he could see from his position: Sofia. Whether or not she met his gaze didn't really matter, for what he said next he said to himself in delusion. Only those that bothered to listen closely, through the gurgles of blood, could make out the faint words spoken. "They said... These powers... Could kill... My... Enemy... Why... Cal..." Everest ceased to speak. He ceased to move. Ceased to be. A moment of silence pervaded the room now.

[color=purple]"Well that was eventful,"[/color] spoke The Broker, breaking the silence in his usual professional manner. He had taken to adjusting his tie, combing his hair, and recomposing himself in general. This mood swing of his was incredible, a true sight to behold. [color=purple]"Thank you for your service. Ronald Dahl, former owner of the Icehouse. He didn't take it too well when I purchased this property out from underneath him. Such a shame, really. If he had been more agreeable, I was going to offer him a place in this little business venture of ours. I might have even allowed him the property back, in a managerial capacity. Miss Sofia, is it possible for you to 'ignore' the blood through the floor? That would save us a good deal on cleanup I think."[/color]

[hr][hr]

[center][h3][color=1b1464][b]Overlook's Bunker[/b][/color][/h3]
[@Banana][/center]

Overlook's preparations were well founded. If the PRT squad had seen some of the more sensitive information or equipment he had around, that could have proven to be catastrophic on a personal scale. Thankfully he had the foresight to ensure that didn't happen, which meant that as long as Decoy was an honest hero he shouldn't have anything to worry about once the squad arrived. After he took his precautions, Ruben was able to get in a good ten minutes of Morrowind (of course, always just enough to become invested but never enough for it to have been worth it) before he was interrupted. The cameras and sensors around the bunker picked up an armored van parking nearby. A squad of three soldiers exited the vehicle, armed with pistols and some kind of spray can dispensers, then began to scout out the property above his bunker. This was it. He could either wait and let them find the entrance, or he could invite them himself somehow.