(collaboration between @Estylwen and @tsukune) Greencrest Heights, White Coast_
“So, you’re telling me you let her go?” Aislin said, waving her hand as she pressed a phone to her ear.
“Correction, I gave her an extended leave.” Hallmark’s professionalism couldn’t hide the annoyance in his tone.
Aislin smirked. “And you want me to look into her activities prior to this, apparent, shitstorm?”
“Yes. The leads will be sent to your tablet.”
“Consider it done. But I gotta say, Hallmark… I think you’re getting soft.”
“No, my dear CT, I’m simply playing my cards. Rhea is a unique case, but never has an agent been ignorant enough to break their word.”
“...Very good, boss. I’ll contact you if I find anything.” Aislin said. She pulled the phone from her ear, pressing the ‘end call’ button. A part of her feared for Rhea; Hallmark was a black wolf when things didn’t go his way. Aislin reviewed the first lead on her phone: Thanks-A-Latte.
Haruka was completely lost in his own world when he finally stepped out of the cafe, a crushed paper napkin in his balled-up fist. The lady who introduced herself as Xing Huo, a 'Fire Spirit' for some cult called Polaris, had left her number on the napkin. "Give me a call whenever you're ready - because you know that you can't run away from your past, your destiny... no matter how hard you try," was what she had said before she left giggling.
Was this what his brother had been trying to hide from him? That their family was a part of a dangerous Asian organization which had finally caught up with them?
...And the sickening revelation that the two of them were not natural Metahumans, but unexpected products from a supposedly failed 'ritual'. Now that their powers had awakened and matured, they wanted them back to join them, the real family.
He felt complicated right now. Shizuka had been trying so hard to keep him out of this danger... but now they were going to use him to threaten his twin.
...He just didn't know what to think anymore.
He would have to find a way to get Shizuka to talk to him, face to face: about everything he had been hiding from Haruka all these while, about Polaris, about their mother. And it was about time he started to come clean with his brother, about the things he knew from Jennifer and Rori...
Who knows, maybe all these things are only parts of a bigger picture, a bigger conspiracy...
He was so engrossed mulling over all these new information that he didn't watch where he was going and walked straight into someone; the bump was hard enough to jerk him out of his own thoughts.
While Haruka exited the building, Aislin stepped up. As both were absent-minded, they managed to stumble into each other’s way, knocking Aislin from her daydream. In the middle of a smiling apology, Aislin took in the person she half-trampled. He seemed normal, for all intents. Except... Aislin swore she recognised him. Pulling out a tablet, she stared at the screen, then back at the man. She gasped.
"Ah, sorry, my bad," Haruka apologized hurriedly, then gave her a confused look from the way she was staring back and forth between him and her tablet.
“Oh my God, you’re the guy! And to think I’d find you here, of all coincidences.” Aislin said, pointing her finger enthusiastically at him. “I, uh—” she blushed, shifting to offer a handshake. “I’m Aislin.”
Haruka returned the handshake, but he continued to stare at Aislin curiously. "I'm Haruka. So, uh, are you looking for me?" What a strange night tonight - that there was more than one person who was looking for him...
Aislin beamed, tapping on her tablet for a moment. “Yes, yes indeed. I think you’re the only person who can help me right now, Haruka.”
She showed him the tablet, a huge image of Rhea taking up the screen. “Do you recognise this woman?”
Haruka raised an eyebrow. "Yes," he breathed, recalling his awkward conversation with Jennifer at the cafe counter before this lady in the picture snapped them out of it, and then he realized that he had been hogging the counter for too long. "I remember her. Is she a friend of yours?"
“Yes. Her name is Rhea; she’s, hmm… gone missing.”
Haruka looked up at from the tablet to Aislin. Missing? "I'm... sorry to hear that." Then he shook his head. "I have never seen her after that day in the cafe, when she left together with some African-American man." There was no way anyone who was in the cafe on that day would be able to forget that man... not with such a loud and flashy entrance.
Aislin pursed her lips, flicking the screen. “Was it this guy?” The image was much fuzzier as it was taken from the security tape, but it showed the definition of an African man sitting with a drink, head turned to show his faded mohawk.
Haruka stared at the screen, unblinking. "That's him! This... Where did you get this from?" He frowned at Aislin. "Who are you? What's going on?"
“Please don’t think ill of me.” Aislin smiled sheepishly, tucking the tablet away in her purse. “I have a kind benefactor that wants to see Rhea returned safely home. She’s also my friend. As it stands, you are the sole person that’s interacted with her.”
A couple with a dog walked within hearing range, alerting Aislin. She moved away from the cafe building, gesturing for them to walk. Their discussion was private, after all.
Meeting Haruka’s suspicious eyes with an earnest face, Aislin continued. “Did she say anything to you? Where they were going?”
Haruka relaxed when he was certain that this lady wasn't a bad person. He looked off to one side. "No, we didn't really talk to each other, because I was with... someone else," he began. "But I think I saw your friend treating the man to a drink--- Ah, there is something else I remembered."
He turned to face Aislin. "That man... I can feel something about him, some sort of power. He felt like a walking storm. I think he can manipulate weather, or something similar." That was the other impression that African-American had left on him - the air current that suddenly went wild in the store when that man entered, and he had to use his own air power to suppress the unnatural turbulence.
Aislin whistled, giving the street a quick glance. “You’re brave to use the ‘P’ word, especially with the way baselines are feeling nowadays.”
The mention of ‘feeling’ weather-manipulation piqued Aislin interest. She tilted her head, grinning. “So if I heard that right, all four of us are special. Rhea’s a meta. The African and you must be as well, if what you felt is correct.”
Always lovely to bump into another one who understands. Aislin thought.
"I knew exactly how it felt like being a baseline," he muttered under his breath, soft enough for only himself to hear. Then he spoke louder, "'Special', huh... I never really thought of it that way. Even with these powers, we are still no different from a mere human being." It just became another tool for people to hurt others in order to attain their selfish desires, to amplify their greed for even more power...
He shook his head slightly to clear those thoughts from his mind. "What are yours and your friend's abilities? For me..." He stopped in his tracks, opened his palm with the ball-up napkin, and created a mini-tornado that spun the napkin ball around his hand. "I'm an air manipulator. That's why I can feel that man's superpower."
I'm getting cynical vibes... Aislin mused as Haruka spoke. Their path led them to a small park within the city. She watched the napkin spin on the spot, intrigue on her face.
"But he didn't feel you? It must be a trait exclusive to your power set." She said, tapping her chin. "Rhea's, well, a healer. But it's more than just bruises and scrapes. Real crazy to watch, I'll tell ya."
Haruka blinked at Aislin's question about his power. "I... don't know. I don't purposely keep my power active all the time... other than the 'feeling' part. That is passive." He perked up a little upon hearing that her friend was a healer, and that reminded him of someone. "I guess that is handy," he mused. "I bet it is crazy to watch how broken limbs can just join back together so quickly and seamlessly, as good as new."
She nodded. "I get 'cha. In Rhea's case, though, it makes her a tad reckless."
They approached a bench in a sheltered part of the greenery, Aislin setting her purse on it. She rifled through it before pulling out a realistic plushy, briefly showing it to Haruka. Aislin placed the cat on the bench, and without another word, gave it a long stare. Just as the silence was getting uncomfortable, the cat suddenly meowed as it came to life. Leaping down, it playfully pawed at Haruka's shoe.
Aislin snickered. gesturing to the cat. "Dare you to take a wild guess at what just happened."
Haruka had wondered what Aislin was doing when she took out a plush-cat and merely stared at it; he nearly jumped when the cat suddenly mewed and played around at his feet. He watched the cat in awe. "This... is amazing. Did you do something to give 'life' to it?" He was currently studying programming because of his interest in computers and software, but this was different. This felt too real to be a mere computer program.
He pocketed the napkin before he squatted down and held out a hand to touch the cat. "...Can I?"
"Aw, you think so?" Aislin said, eyes shining. "It's not as legit as Creation. I don't know if anyone's ever had that intense of a power."
The cat meowed again, tail waving passively. "She won't bite. Right, Missy?" Aislin said, chuckling. "What you're seeing is an animation. Missy simply responds to intent, and it's from years of practice that they appear 'life-like'."
Haruka tickled the cat under its chin, still wowed by how realistic it seemed and felt to him. "'Animation'? Is it like how a puppeteer controls their dolls, but with invisible strings in the form of your own thoughts?" He stroked the cat, and his face was slowly beginning to brighten up from the conflicted state since his conversation with Xing Huo.
"Similar. I've always felt it was more of a mental connection where objects are given programs and then run. Like the cute, cuddly program." Aislin laughed. On cue, Missy squirmed onto her back to bat at the man's fingers, head tilted with wide eyes.
"Mreow?"
Aislin straightened, noting the fading light. "Say, uh," she cleared her throat. "I'd still like to ask you a few more questions regarding my investigation. Would you be alright if we grabbed a drink?"
"Wait..." Aislin scrunched her eyes at Haruka. "Do you drink?"
Haruka couldn't help but let out a chuckle at her narrow look as he stood up. "I may not look like it, but I am already past the legal drinking age. I guess we Asians just don't look as old as our true age."
Aislin clapped her hands gleefully. "Perfect! Youthful looks is a wonderful thing. Let me put Missy to rest and we'll scope out a joint."
Down a couple blocks and across the street they found a cosy little pub. The brick building was on the old side, but a fresh, metallic sign reading ‘Mercer Tavern’ gave it an inviting appearance. Aislin and Haruka walked through the wood doors and up a flight of steps to the main area. It held a rustic-chic feel with the electric chandeliers and dark wood accents against the brick walls.
“Table for two, please,” Aislin told the hostess.
“Sorry, your friend's a bit too young to enter, Miss.” The lady said, gesturing to Haruka.
Haruka was used to this; letting out a sigh, he simply whipped out his ID card to the hostess. The lady scrutinized the face on his card and looked up at him suspiciously, but she still let them into the bar in the end.
They sat at a table near the corner, with a perfect view of the front door and a fire escape to the left. A brunette came by with menus and inquired about drinks.
"First round'll be on me," Aislin said. "I'll start off with a Caesar."
"...I guess I'll have the same as you," Haruka winked at Aislin. "And see who will get drunk first." It had been a while since he had actually let loose of himself, putting away the polite and softspoken image he had been wearing his whole life (no, even so, he was still nowhere as blatantly rude and unforgiving as his sardonic twin). He really felt like drowning himself in some alcohol, to wash away all the annoying dark thoughts churning inside his mind...
Aislin laughed, shaking her head at Haruka. "Drunk, huh? Well, let's get business out of the way first, shall we?"
Before the waitress turned away, Aislin held up her hand. "I've changed my mind. Two Mojitos, por favor." The waitress just manged to hide an eye roll before walking away.
Aislin placed her hands on the table, relaxing in her seat. "For the record, I do appreciate you helping me out. We've figured out the man Rhea met was some type of meta. They left together. Did you happen to overhear any of their conversation, perhaps?"
"You did say that your friend has gone missing... and I know how it feels to lose a friend," Haruka waved her words of gratitude off, a slight sadness flashed across his face before the smile was put back on. "I'm sorry, I didn't try to listen in to their conversation... though at one point the man suddenly stood up, and he seemed upset at Rhea." He furrowed his brows, trying to pull out more of the cafe scene from his memory bank.
Aislin seemed puzzled. "Now that's strange. Rhea's known for her tact. Unless she wanted to upset someone, it simply wouldn't happen." In which Haruka could only shrug in response, since he didn't know the reason for the man's sudden outburst, either.
She sighed, peeking at her menu. "I'm thinking of getting an appetiser. Do you prefer anything?" It was more of a distraction than anything. The pieces she picked up about Rhea just weren't making sense. Not that she was frustrated, yet, but she didn't have enough clues.
"I can pretty much eat everything on the menu now," he joked lightly, then stopped when he noticed the expression on Aislin's face. "...Is there something wrong?"
Aislin playfully stuck out her tongue. "No." She glanced at the menu again before pushing it aside. "Rhea's just not making this easy. And I have a feeling... the person she met has something to do with her disappearance. This African meta. They talk, she goes home, and several hours later she's gone."
The waitress walked by their table with a tray, setting down two cold glasses. Aislin reached for hers, peering at the lime and crushed peppermint leaves through the ice.
"Are you two ready to order?" The waitress asked.
"We'll start with an appetiser. The stuffed mushrooms, please."
The brunette nodded, walking to the back. Aislin took a long sip of her Mojito, giving Haruka a humorous look. “So, what do you do for work? No wait... don’t tell me.” Her eyes narrowed in thought. “You’re drinking on a weeknight. Haven’t looked at a clock the entire time we’ve chatted. Are you self-employed?”
"I'm still studying in college... well, used to," Haruka took a sip of his drink before he replied slowly. The cocktail certainly made him feel a little more refreshed after a really long day today. He thought about how everyone in his course eventually found out that he was a Metahuman after the mall incident, which forced him to resign from school for 'safety reasons' (he was blamed for almost killing the hostages with the air vacuum). "I guess the only way to complete my studies is to go back to the Academy Program again."
He didn't want to do college through the academy - he was told that he had the potential to become a DOVE, but he wanted to learn more about other things like computers instead of just training on his power non-stop; besides, Shizuka would probably flip shit at him if he ever found out his twin had followed in his footsteps.
"How about you?" he asked, equally curious about why Aislin would be as free as him on a weeknight. "From the way you have been asking me questions - and also that photo of the man's footage you showed me just now - I take that you are a private investigator of sorts?"
Before replying, Aislin managed to polish off most of her drink. That does sound cool... Miss Rose, Private Investigator~
"Perceptive." Aislin nodded. "Mainly, I am whatever my company needs. Like a contractor, of sorts. Whatever you imagine investigators do, we do that and more."
The stuffed mushrooms arrived, along with a fresh drink for Aislin. With the smell wafting off the dish, it seemed the chefs outdid themselves. Crab meat, cream cheese and spices — Mmm. Two disappeared almost immediately.
"That sounds interesting," Haruka commented, then paused to down more of his own drink (he was used to drinking slowly, a skill to prevent himself from getting drunk too quickly). Then he continued, "Mind if I ask about the company you are working for?" Before he started digging into the appetizer. It was indeed delicious.
“Sure!” Aislin said, using a straw to play with the leaves in her drink. “We’re a grassroots company with our home right here in Baybridge. We have contractors all over the US working with people. I’ve been with them for about five years, and I’ve never done the same thing twice. It’s refreshing, not like your typical office job.”
Haruka considered her for a moment. He recalled his conversation with Xing Huo and wondered if he should risk involving such a nice young lady to help him... If what she said about her company was true, maybe it wouldn't hurt to just ask if she might have heard of them.
"Hmm... does the name 'Polaris' ring a bell to you?"
Pausing, Aislin stared off to the side. “...No.” Her grimace was followed by a long swig of Mojito. “Which, from what I know, means two things. Either A, they’re inconsequential. Or B, dangerous. We pride ourselves in knowing all the big players out there. It’s our job.”
She tilted her head. “Haruka, do you know anything about this ‘Polaris’?”
Haruka chose his words carefully, "What I know is that they are some sort of mysterious cult based in Asia... and they may have some connections with the 'Founding Family', a counterpart organization based here in the West."
"Shit." Aislin shook her head, a loose smile on her face. "Two groups that are new to me. And you're... concerned about these entities?"
"Yes," Haruka looked around and lowered his voice. "I'm... scared. For my brother. I think he has been investigating them for awhile, and now they are probably after him." He then finished his glass of Mojito in one swig, and then raised a hand to ask for more.
“That’s definitely cause for concern... You know what I think you need?” She pawed down his raised hand, pointing to the bar. “Something a little quicker than that. Like, I dunno, apple pie shooters. They go down easy.”
After a couple rounds of shots, more shots, and drinks consisting of tonic and rum, Aislin hiccuped in her seat at the table. Walking from the bar was a unique struggle, she found. The room insisted on swaying like a ship’s belly.
“...And this big, burly dude came from outta nowhere! Started moving these blades with his mind, see. I was like, ‘holy shit!’, and just managed to knock him on his ass. After he sliced me in the face, of course.” She said, enthusiasm in her sluggish voice. Her fingertips rubbed the scar tissue on her jawline.
“By this time, Rhea hadn’t contacted me in six months. With no healer, it left this damn scar. I was upset, tell ya what.”
Haruka was equally drunk - his pale face was now rosy red, and he had completely lost his usual composure. He laughed heartily at Aislin's complain about her friend before he sobered up. "I feel you, I reeeally do! I wanted some brother bonding with - hic - Shizu since he got kicked out of RAVEN for being a terrrrific agent... but noooo! Here I am worried sick for his stuuupid - hic - assss, but he never even bothers to come back to look out for me!"
He slammed down his emptied glass on the table for emphasis. "Just because the bullet holes on me are - hic - gone, he thinks he doesn't need to care about me anymore!"
Bullet holes? Aislin wondered vaguely before chiming in. “ Well... That’s a load of shit. I dunno nothing ‘bout family, but I know this! You. Have to. Stick. Together.” Her hands stamped out the last sentence, nearly spilling her drink.
Haruka let his head fall onto the table. Shit, now his head was hurting like a bitch. "I know... I know he's trying his best to protect me, our family..." he mumbled, his breath fogging part of the empty glass as he spoke. "...Just where the hell is he now?"
A sympathetic frown crossed Aislin face as she reached out to pat Haruka’s head. “There, there, sweetheart. You aren’t alone. Fate is funny, ya know… You and I have a similar problemmm...”
The rum and tonic was completely inhaled before Aislin continued. “Rhea, she double-ditched my ass. I don’t have a family, yet she was my family. Then… then…”
Her lips quivered. “Oh, I don’t know, she must hate me! The ass cut me off two years ago. Yet here I am with a contract to find her!” She pressed her face into her hands, mirroring Haruka as she collapsed on the table.
“Screw family, man… Screw ‘em.”
"How... nice..." Haruka hiccuped before he let out an envious chuckle. "To have a friend you can call... family." He thought about his 'friends' - the other survivors of the Verthaven disaster - and sighed. He felt so far away from them that he wondered if they were still considered 'friends' after so many years apart. He pushed himself to sit upright, and he clutched his head. "What's the time now? I... should go home..."
"Uhh, 1:08am." Aislin squinted at the clock above the bar, wiping her eyes. "Lemme uhm... call a cab. And, I really hope you don't take this the wrong way, but I wanna escort you home." She pulled out her phone, typing in a number.
"Urghhh..." Haruka grimaced as he tried to stand up. "I can get home on my own---" But he fell down on his back onto the chair. "...Damn. I can't feel my legs anymore."
Aislin watched with an amused expression, phone pressed to her ear. Their waitress, excited to close for the night, was at their table with the bill. While mumbling with a drunk slur into the phone, Aislin took the bill, threw a card on the table, and the waitress happily rang them through. The evening's cost wasn't terrible, racking up to $130.00 with the tip.
With two glasses of water set by their table, Aislin slung her purse over her shoulder. "Cabbie says he'll be here in five. You uh.... look like you could use some water."
A few minutes later Aislin helped guide the duo as they stumbled out into the street and into the back of an idle cab. She gave the driver a slurred greeting and turned to Haruka. "It'sss your place first. Where we going?"
"My brother has an apartment nearby..." Haruka began, and gave the driver the address. "He's so gonna kill me if he sees me like thissss..." He was still having a headache, but he felt a bit better after some water, that at least he could still think straight (even though everything was still rocking before his eyes).
As the city lights flashed by, Aislin waved Haruka off. "Pfft, no way man. He won't bother ya, and besides!" she smiled wide. "You need to let loose sometimes. I mean, you had fun tonight, right? I had fun. Lots of fun~"
"Yeeeaaah, me too..." Haruka agreed, turning his head to give her a smile. "I liked your cat... it was really cute. And I hope you can find your friend. Sorry that I haven't been of much help---" Then he remembered the other thing he had told her. "And... just forget all that I've said about those cults or whatever." He was starting to regret getting a stranger involved in something dangerous...
AIslin nodded, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Alright, Haruka. I could forget all about it. Absolutely. But let’s consider this for a moment. I am, after all, what’s the word you used... a private investigator?”
Briefly patting her purse, Aislin gave him a wry grin. “You’ve helped me a lot with my current job. I wanna help you. Typically, the fees involved with investigating a ‘group of people’ falls in the tens of thousands. We’re professionals. But... I’m willing to cut you a deal.”
Aislin lowered her voice, eyes locked with Haruka. “Please give me permission to get you some answers. Let me shed some light on the story.” She briefly rolled her eyes. “Sure… it’ll cost you a couple thousand, but it’s worth it~”
"But..." Haruka tried to protest, then he stopped himself. Something about the glint in Aislin's eyes told him that she was completely set on investigating the cult. Even if he did manage to discourage her, someone from the cult might be watching them, and would still get her dragged into all this anyway, using her to threaten him just like how they were using his twin. "...Alright," he finally resigned, before he gave her a playful smile. "Does that discount include the little bit of information I provided about that African man you're searching for?"
"Yes, indeed it does," Aislin said with a chuckle. "I'll text you an account you can transfer a deposit to, and I'll write the job up."
The cab rolled to a stop and Aislin curiously looked out the window. "Oh. That was fast. Not too shabby of a place you got here, Haruka."
While it wasn't as glamorous as those in the classier areas like the Lower South Royer Town in Prince Ed-Field, the condominium where Shizuka and Holly shared was one of the most expensive houses in Greencrest Heights - not to mention, the tallest apartment building around here... and their house was at the topmost floor. It's going to be a pain to go all the way up when he was in this state, he thought sarcastically.
Haruka stumbled a little as he got out of the taxicab. "Not mine, my brother's," he corrected her. "And thanks for the ride; I can walk up on my own this time." He gave her a cheerful wave before he wobbled towards the lobby area.
"Mmm, 'night." Aislin waved back sleepily, watching until he disappeared into the building. Giving the driver her own address, Aislin leaned back in her seat as the cab pulled away, melting into the night.
This was probably the worst beating they had recevied yet - Reiji could barely keep himself conscious from the literal burning pain across his entire body. He gritted his teeth and crawled slowly across the stone ground towards his unconscious wife; the agony was too much for the greatly weakened Yui to bear that she had fainted after just two whips. She was still breathing, but Reiji feared that she was already at her limit.
"Don't be a childish fool," he could remember how Hwee-Suan had sneered at him before she threw the couple into this cell and locked them up ever since. "No matter how strong your will is, it can only protect yourself... and you'll lose everything else around you. Is that what you really want?"
He held Yui in his arms and stroked her greasy curls gently. Polaris never gave them a choice from the very start: all they wanted was to monopolize their powerful cerebral abilities for themselves, to use them as their trump cards in their crazy plan to start another 'revolution'.
This time, a Metahuman Revolution.
He raised a hand to touch the suppressant collar around his neck - even here, his power was still feared by these people who also possessed some form of superpowers, and they didn't trust his words about the psychic blocks in his mind. The collar was effective to negate most of his powers. Most. He couldn't even tell Yui that he still had enough power left to allow him to read people's thoughts, though a little unstable due to interference from the collar. He couldn't tell Yui because Hwee-Suan was still wary of his power, and she had chosen to use Yui's mind instead to keep tabs on the two of them.
He couldn't risk losing his only card, a chance to save his son from being the cult's puppet, to free his family from Polaris.
He was able to pick up bits and pieces of information from the guards who would drop by to give them some food (they still needed the couple alive, after all). Those guards were part of 'Feiying', a personal army of ruthlessly trained assassins to serve and protect the Lee family. He had peeked a little into their minds whenever they came to deliver food... and it seemed like Polaris had been working with this 'Founding Family', an equally insane organization that had the West completely under their control, just like Polaris had absolute rule over the East.
Even being shut inside here for who-knows-how-long, Reiji could feel it in his guts, that this was extremely bad news.
He was snapped out of his thoughts when the ground beneath him rumbled, and he turned his head to see the door beyond the cell opening. It was the same guards as usual, but this time they had something - someone - in tow between them.
Reiji had to force himself to keep his face blank when he recognized who this person was. He continued to stare silently as the guards opened the cell door and threw the person down next to him. He waited for them to leave until their footsteps couldn't be heard anymore, before he tried to shake the person's shoulder.
"Mrs. Takashiro... Mrs. Takashiro."
The lady in dishevelled business suit moaned and opened her eyes slowly. She appeared to be too weak to move, and her eyes seemed unfocused - almost crazed.
"No, no, no..." she mumbled, rolling her head side to side on the concrete floor. "Don't take it away from me... It belongs to me... The power is mine!"
There was too much noise in Asami Takashiro's mind for Reiji to get a proper read on her. All he could see were two faces... and it appeared to be twin boys. One was dark-haired, and the other silver-white.
Written in collaboration with @Zombiedude101 Academy 61, Roseview.
Thankfully, the two could retreat back into the Academy before anyone could notice them.
Rowan lowered the two down, right back where they were previously. Wendy felt relieved that she could finally adopt her weight back as she finally hit the ground with a graceful swoosh. She let out a sigh of relief as she looked up into the sky... oddly enough, the sky was always so terrifying to Wendy. Whenever she looked up, she always felt so small, and the world felt so big. She didn't know if it was her anxiety, her child-like wonder, or if she was overthinking it. What she needed to get off her chest was... what the hell happened back there? Now that she was away from the Hound, she could finally form some theories! And, oh boy, the Lucker girl had some. She sat up, and said to Rowan,
"...Don't you think that was a little weird?" Wendy asked. "Like, my contact said that place was unimportant, and then the Hound shows up out of nowhere!"
"It's weird," Rowan agreed, when it occurred to him that neither of them had met her contact and was was about to voice his skepticism about whether or not they were entirely reliable when she pushed herself up to her feet and continued her rant.
"And what was with his attitude there? Like, when he said "you need more practice," didn't that sound super suspect to you?!" Wendy asked.
"I guess, but..." Rowan trailed, before shrugging it off. Maybe the Black Hound had his reasons for sparing them earlier and trying to give them advice, or maybe not. Maybe it was a ploy. He'd seen the old man manipulate his mom before, along with his so-called 'Pure' friends regurgitating anti-metahuman bullshit to draw in more people on their side - but he wasn't sure about the Hound.
At least not yet. Whatever the case, he wasn't about to let it get to Wendy. "... I've got a shitload of paper back at my place, you need to heal with some? You look like shit," He said, before realising his blunder and going off on a slight stutter, "I-I mean not like you look like shit, I mean you got beat on pretty bad."
It seems like Rowan want to discuss it, but, Wendy was still onto the Hound, and her contact. While she may be the only person who seems to give a shit that her sister was kidnapped by the Family, she knew that her contact must have their own reasons for helping her. How could she be so blind to it!? It was foolish... but, Wendy knew that there was only one way to get Diana back, and it was through her contact. For now, Wendy was going have to focus on getting patched up. Using Lihua's concrete powers has left oozing cracks all over her body that left obvious red marks... and they stung. Damn it. She was going have to get used to that for the sake of Diana.
"...Y-yeah, thank God I can switch powers now," Wendy said. "...But, we really need to discuss the Hound."
"Alright, sure..." Rowan said, albeit with a reserved tone, "Sorry, by the way. I should've dropped that thing on him sooner, maybe he wouldn't have beat on you so much."
"It's fine, Rowan," Wendy said. "There was nothing you could have done to help it... and if you dropped it sooner, it would have fell on me." Wendy laughed awkwardly.
"Guess so." Rowan said, with an equally awkward chuckle. "Wanna go get that paper?"
"Yeah..." Wendy trailed off, looking at her wounds. "...Bleeding to death here."
In the distance, a large boom rang out, and Wendy's head darted towards it, and she could see the mushroom cloud from the warehouse they were just in exploding.
"...Oh." Wendy said. "I guess the Hound wasn't lying..."
Quentin Taylor.
RAVEN/DOVE HQ - Hospital Wing
Hospital food. Hospital TV. Hospital bed. Quentin found his time in the hospital wing to be closer to incarceration than it was recuperation. He felt like a train had run into him head on, yet he wanted nothing more than to get out there, but nope - at the insistence of Reed and several others he was here until Jade said otherwise. He wasn't even allowed to leave the building and had been impeded in his movement by the damned IV stand he'd been hooked up to the past day or so. Conductive to the recovery process was what the doctors had said, though it meant little to him save as an annoyance. Especially when heading down to the bathroom just down the corridor, as was the case in this instance.
With an irritant grunt, he stepped out of bed and stretched his legs for a moment, ready to leave, yet on his way out, the IV stand got caught in the door. Quentin let off a low growl and started tugging at the metal frame, but it was caught - and he couldn't reach around due to the line getting in his way. God-dammit. He thought, then paused for a moment, then tugged again. Still nothing.
"God dammit..." He repeated, yet again. Fortunately enough - or maybe not, Quentin found the whole ordeal to be an embarrassment - a nurse who'd been making a round of the Hospital Wing saw his predicament and had rushed on over to see what was the matter.
"Is it stuck?" She asked, her gaze shifting to the stand caught around the frame in a rather awkward position. A sharp nod from Quentin gave her enough of an answer and so she started tugging at it with him, too - yet the damned thing wouldn't budge, its implacability growing as much as the RAVEN's impatience. Eventually he decided enough was enough and outright asked her for what he really wanted. "Can you remove this thing? It's not gonna budge."
"No need, I'll just get some assistance."
Quentin wouldn't have taken no for an answer. Especially not in this case. "Trust me, it's fine, just get it out."
It seemed to go straight over her head. "Please, just hold on a moment, I'll get someone to help you."
"No, just disconnect this thing, please." Anyone who knew the RAVEN could tell he was trying to keep up a calm front. "It won't kill me to take it off for a couple minutes."
"I'm afraid not, I must insist that you leave it in." Her tone was curt and polite, though Quentin could sense her disdain in the conversation. He felt a little guilty; there was something intimidating about trying to corral a RAVEN of all people, but he was having none of it and that was enough to push him over the edge. "Look, fine, I'll do it myself..." Quentin tugged at the line, then twisted with an irritant grunt.
"Wait! you're not supposed to-" Too late. Quentin pulled his arm free of the IV stand, still stuck in the door where it was. The nurse was left speechless, though before she could speak up again Quentin was already marching off.
"I'll be back in a minute." The exasperated RAVEN said, before he marched off down the corridor, oblivious to the hilarity of the sight of him storming off in a hospital gown.
Veronica Emily Davis.
Lower-South Royer Town, Prince-Edfield.
After her encounter with Max, Veronica went straight home. There wasn't much left for her to do. She could go on a bar crawl, but she didn't want to garner suspicion in case Max sees her. So, she retreated back into her apartment in Lower-South Royer Town. She quickly prepared to enjoy the rest of the night to herself. She stripped down to her bra and panties, sat down on the sofa, grabbed the remote, and turned on Crunchyroll. Preparing herself to enjoy a night of watching anime - a childish habit of hers, but no one sees what happens behind closed doors...
... Her cellphone rang, and she was annoyed that she was being called. Veronica looked at her phone, and saw Blake's name. Oh boy, did that egomaniac finally stop jerking off to his reflection?
Veronica walked over towards her balcony door. She didn't have an luxurious, high-rise, apartment. But, instead, she had a rather large studio-apartment. It was enough to enough to raise eyebrows whenever she brought a guest over... whether or not they were apart of the job. She just loved this little piece of luxury, bought with the money the Family practically showers her with for killing their marks. Or gets information. Or plants evidence. Et cetera, et cetera. The woman kept the phone pressed up against her ear as she stepped out, barely dressed in more than a bra and panties. You'd need a telescope to see all the way up here... and it didn't matter to Veronica. She enjoyed the breeze again her skin - and it was beautiful up here.
"So, what's tomorrow's assignment?" Veronica said, staring at her nails.
"I believe you are aware of the Liu family?" Blake asked.
"Unless you're virtually ignorant to Metahumans," Veronica said with a cheeky smile. "You'd have to know who Jiao-Long Liu is, and his work. But, isn't he your obedient little pup?"
"Well, the Blessed Three have reason to believe otherwise."
"Then go call his little mommy to whip him into shape." Veronica chuckled.
"However," Blake said. "The Blessed Three have decided to give him little wiggle room to come up with a plan... we need him for our machine, and we need him now." Blake said. In such a tone that made Veronica think he was joking. When his words are stern, harsh... but, Blake was a strange one indeed.
The machine... Veronica kept hearing mention of the machine, but was too afraid to ask. All she knew was that it was the big thing the Blessed Three were working on, and needed people for it... the mere ambiguity around it was what made it frightening to Veronica.
"That is why I have decided to attend his son's birthday party... and hopefully convince him."
Veronica has certainly heard of the newest Liu. While Jiao-Long and his wife were trying to stay hush-hush about him so the Pro-Meta groups wouldn't flay the bastard alive, anyone important has heard of him.
"What I want you to do is..." Blake started off, laughing a little. "...Accompany me to the party under the guise as a secretary. That way, you can assist me."
Shaking her head, Veronica made it clear why she thought it was a bad idea, "Blake, Blake, Blake..." Veronica trailed off, repeating herself. "Have you heard about the famous - or infamous - rivalry between the Rory family and the Lius?"
In the science world, the rivalry between her father's company, and the Liu family was quite well known... only because of the fundamental differences in philosophy between Jiao-Long and Alec. The former was kind, gentle, and understanding. The latter was rough, brutal, and unforgiving. The two butting heads were obvious as they were aiming for the same goal, but with different means... and it was funny, because Jiao-Long only reached that goal because Alec was put down.
"...It would be foolish for the daughter of the infamous Alec to show up at a Liu celebration..." Veronica trailed off, looking off to the side. "Especially one for their little-bastard."
"Well, Veronica, I thought you were a master of stealth and subterfuge, correct?" Blake asked, but got no answer from Veronica. "I could use some assistance in the matter... and besides, have you forgotten who else is at stake here, my loyal employee?"
That's what made Veronica's eyes shoot wide open. "...I swear, if you lay a finger on t-"
"You'll what?" Blake casually said. "In case you forgot, they are already under my care... and let me let you in on a little secret...."
Veronica could only clench her fists in rage, as she listened to every word that came out of this damn phone.
"...The ZODIAC Project is so far along that your sisters are, as of now, completely expendable," Blake said, following it up with cocky laughter. "And let me tell you another secret; our machine needs fuel. And people are the fuel. To achieve a perfect world, Veronica, you need to make sacrifices."
Those words almost made Veronica scream into the phone out of rage, but she had to stay calm... Blake would get his...
"If you play along, your sisters will come out of this alive, Veronica." Blake assured her. "You just need to come with me, and everything will work out."
"Alright Blake..." Veronica clenched her fists.
"Splendid!" Blake said. "Make sure to bring your best outfit!"
Blake then hung up the phone.
Veronica screeched in anger as she tossed the phone right back into her room... She was going to kill the Blessed Three one day. They might think she's an obedient little pup like the Hound, but she was going to make sure that their empire burned before they got thrown into the gallows.
She would save her sisters, regardless of the cost.
That was a promise.
Makoto Koda.
Strongriver Plaza, Hedgemount.
Going under the Family's nose was not a good idea, especially when there's talks of a mole.
But, this was important. Makoto slipped into the an empty night club. The sign said Club Neon, and it was one of the many clubs forced out of business by the White Spider Society. It was purchased by the Society the very second it went on the market, but then they couldn't immediately move in due to bureaucracy getting in the way. It was the perfect meeting spot for Makoto and her little friend... she was holding a metal briefcase as she slipped inside. The building was dark, but not completely decrepit because it wasn't that long ago. She whipped out a flashlight, and walked inside... until another flashlight was activated, and placed on a table. Makoto skipped over to her contact like a schoolgirl, and noticed he was sitting in a booth.
Sliding in like a boss, Makoto put her metal case on the table, and looked at her contact... Oh. Contacts. One of them was so big that she hid the other. She looked at them very closely with the shine of the light surrounding her. Her first contact was someone who stands at in a crowd... being nearly seven feet tall, muscular, African-African, and almost literally an Amazon! She looked quite masculine... Makoto looked down, and saw that rather hearty rack of hers! The woman was wearing a sweater, and a long, ankle-length, modest skirt. She had a powerful presence indeed. Especially since she was a former NEST Agent. Rumor has it that she swore off the whole organization when it was revealed that they were working with the Hands... and the Verthaven disaster didn't help.
The other was a man, African-American, and well-dressed. He wore a suit-vest, with a cyan-blue tie, and suit-pants, with some of the fanciest shoes that Makoto has ever laid eyes upon! He looked like a high-roller with his fedora on that had that matching cyan band. He had rounded facial features, and was quite shorter than his partner. They were an odd couple, alright! But, the man was cute to Makoto nonetheless.
Pushing the case towards them, the man grabbed it.
"...I told you this mama could recover a sample." Makoto said with a cocky smile on her face.
He opened the case, and was assaulted with a yellow light. He saw a glass syringe full of a yellow liquid, and raised an eyebrow.
"How did you get this?" The man asked.
"How?" Makoto asked, honestly perplexed. "How? Jaden, do you know who you're talking to?"
Jaden raised an eyebrow.
"Makoto Koda, master spy!" Makoto laughed.
"Keep it down." The woman said, with her rugged, but low voice. "We don't know who's around..."
"Oh, yeah, Michelle," Makoto said.
"So, this is what they used to create the Beast?" Jaden asked.
"Yes." Makoto said... The Beast, his rampage through Prague was unlikely to be forgotten anytime soon. Especially by those who got their families massacred by the flaming bastard. She just could feel the silent rage of the Czech Republic. "It was hard to recover, but I got us this one."
"I wonder how..." Michelle trailed off.
"Ezekiel kept it hidden in his room... and during his org-"
"Okay, that's enough." Michelle said, the last thing she wanted to know was Makoto's perversion.
"Mind briefin' us on what the Family is doing?" Jaden asked.
"Well... for starters; they're going to crash the MIP-Savior rally," Makoto started off, with a casual shrug because that was obvious. "But, the Family is working on a machine... I dunno what it does, but they need to feed people to it."
That's what caught their interest.
"And I know it's in Baybridge. I just gotta find out where..." Makoto said. "I hope I can find it before it's too late."
"We gotta' find it, and destroy-"
"Sorry, Michelle," Makoto said with a wink. "But, this is something I'm gonna have to do. Alone."
She trailed off.
"As you know, the Family has resources that we can't even dream of having. It won't take long for them to put two and two together..."
She sighed.
"And let's be real here, I spent so long in deep cover - even snatching this glowing piss bullshit was a risk - that I'm probably the best chance we have for taking them out." Makoto passionately said, and it was true. She could use their trust to get in close to the Three, and catch all of them off guard. But, there was so much that Makoto could do. Killing one of the Blessed Three would be a miracle in all but name... but, killing the other two? She would get destroyed.
Michelle nodded her head. "Very well, we'll get this back to James."
They both stood straight up, and walked off... then stopped and looked over her head.
"And... I want you to know something..." Michelle said, pointing a finger at Makoto. "...No matter what happens, or what the Family makes you do, you're a Philosopher. Through and through. And nothing will change that."
Makoto started laughing.
"But, you know, without the two of you, the Philosophers just wouldn't even be worth staying in!" Makoto said with a smile as they left the building. She kicked her feet up on the table and just sighed.
"...What am I going to do?"
The Next Day... 12:23 PM.
Meifeng Zhao, Jennifer Marissa Caspin, & Cindy Keagan.
Lower-South Royer Town, Prince Edfield.
"Ugggggggggh...." Cindy groaned as she finally regained consciousness. Her head was banging... like someone slammed a frying pan square on her head, and shit on it. Okay, first thing's first; what in the fuck is going on? Her vision was blurry, and all she could smell was the acrid alcohol scent... She looked down, and saw that she was lying down in a puddle of a light-orange vomit. That was creamy, and mixed with the food that she ate the last day. She looked at her arm and hair, and realized that she was covered in it. And it was seeping into this beautiful dress of hers. She cringed - if she didn't evacuate her stomach earlier, she would have done so right now. "Oh. My. [i]GOD![/]" Cindy said in sheer shock. She looked around, and saw Meifeng sitting on the couch, with her arms crossed.
"...Well, rise and shine, ya' lil' bitch." Meifeng taunted, wearing a white dress , and some matching dress shoes (because like hell she was going to wear heels when she's going to fight evil). This dress showed off her rather well-toned legs, and arms, really well. This was the best dress she could find that allowed as much freedom of movement as possible. Because if she's going to put this shoe up Biyu's ass, she's going to need a lot of leg room.
"Mei..." Cindy said, grabbing her head. "... What the hell happened last night?"
"Well, for starters," Meifeng switched from sitting, to lounging. "You drunk two bottles of fuckin' bourbon in less than an hour, got drunk as fuuuuuuuck, and turned into a racist nymphomaniac."
Cindy facepalmed. "Oh my God, it's all coming back to me..." The night before flashed before her eyes, and they shot wide open. "Meifeng, help me. Help me stop it." She begged her friend to no avail.
"...Yuuuuup." Meifeng said, laughing.
"...Yeah, Cindy," Jennifer chimed in, wearing nothing but boxers, and a bra, she had a towel slung over her shoulder as she scrolled on by them. "You were pretty drunk," Jennifer agreed, "You sexually harassed like three people. That's more than two."
"Even Jenny agrees!" Meifeng said.
Right when Cindy was going to tell her to shut up, but then she noticed her missing hand. She reached up, and pointed at it. "... Your hand."
"Oh?" Jennifer stopped, as she looked at her missing hand for a moment. "...I didn't tell you right?"
After Cindy had brushed off some of the vomit, she and the other girls were gathered in a circle on the floor (because she sure as hell wasn't going to attract the slightest hint of vomit on her furniture). Jennifer had taken the time to explain her time as Missy Baroness. The girl who had taken the place of Jennifer for awhile. Her time roaming. Searching for truth, as she distanced herself from her past. Then her encounter with Lily Santo and the Coven that changed everything. Both Meifeng and Cindy were listening intently.
All while Cindy was sending hungover texts to her friends. Mostly "I'm sorry," and "Please forgive me," for her drunken debauchery. She should be listening... but, God damn the girl couldn't hear a single thing right now with this raging hangover. Next bar trip, and Cindy was going to lay off the alcohol. "Yeah... that's definitely a fucked up story, but I'm interested in who this Coven is..." Cindy said.
"I... don't know." Jennifer shrugged. "They disappeared as fast as they appeared..."
Then the headaches came back. It was a sudden pounding on her cranium, as her vision was instantly distorted as if she was a computer. Purple overcame her vision as it was stretched, distorted, and warped. She grabbed both sides of her head and then fell.
"Jen!" They both shouted in unison as they tried to catch her.
"...Yeah, I'm fine." Jen said. She then looked at her hand stub, and kind of saw a new hand growing it... just a little small stub. Though, her encounter with Shizuka told her that there was nothing physically wrong with her. Which made Jennifer terrified - because what if it's mental? She wouldn't put it past the people she's come across. "I just got... just got... a headache, yeah."
"We really gotta get that checked out, Jenny..." Cindy said, grabbing her head. "... But, later, what time is it?"
"Like, two something...." Meifeng said with a cat-like grin as a growing panic reached an utter peak inside Cindy. The woman looked down, before she nearly hopped out of her dress. Throwing it on the floor, and exposing herself to her two ladyfriends as she ran straight for the shower. Letting out a crazed scream as she did so.
"I gotta call Jade for a favor!" Cindy shouted. Because like hell she's going to be stumbling into the MIP-Savior rally hungover.
"...Well, this is the second time I saw her ass in the span of twenty-four hours," Meifeng said, leaning back, laughing. "...Not that I'm complaining!"
"Yeah..." Jennifer said, and looked at the mess on the carpet. "...I'm going to try to get the vomit out of the carpet... I think I'm going to need to get an industrial flamethrower to get the smell out."
Meifeng hopped up, and walked over to Jennifer, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Thank you, Jenny," Meifeng said, "But, I gotta' head out..."
"Your cousin's birthday party?" Jennifer asked.
"Yeah... but, it just got a lot more complicated to say the least."
"Oh."
"Don't worry, I'll share all the details when I get back..." Meifeng said as she walked towards the door. "...Just stay safe."
Meifeng Zhao, Lihua Zhao, Shizuka Takashiro, Veronica Davis, Abraham Gene, Jiao-Long & Mika Liu.
Written in collaboration with @tsukune,& @Spoopy Scary Greenflower Garden, Silver Hills.
"Okay, boys and girls..."
Meifeng said to everyone inside Jiao-Long's office room as she walked in holding a bag. Everyone was there, Lihua, Jiao-Long, Mika, Chunhua, Shizuka... except for Meifeng who had to make one stop before she went north to Silver Hills, a very important stop. She put the bag on the big table, and quickly unloaded it. Revealing several firearms, and RAVEN gadgets that could be useful.
"This is the best I could get out of Headquarters," Meifeng said, as she finished spreading out all the trinkets. She brought items that could be useful in this situation... but, easy to conceal at the same time. She had three glocks spread across the table, and next to them were clips - but not of bullets, they were each loaded with taser rounds. Far as she could tell, both Shizuka and herself had brought their own pistols with live fire, but this was in case they didn't want to turn the party into a shootout. Meifeng had also put one canister of containment foam (...and no sprayer), and a canister of Metahuman suppressant gas. Of course, she also brought three power nullification collars.
"So, these are our tools and trinkets to assist us in capturing Biyu!" Meifeng said as she clapped her hands together. She grabbed earpieces... the subtle kind the RAVEN used for the sneaky-beaky missions. She handed it to Lihua, Jiao-Long, Shizuka, and Mika. "These are the James-Bond level spy earpieces... long as you're not stupid, we can chat us up a storm."
She laughed.
"But, I got something else to show ya'."
She excitedly said as she reached into the bag and pulled out one last trinket.... it looked like a pistol, but the barrel was square, and looked like it was modified to shoot something. She presented it to the group.
"This right here is my plan B," Meifeng said. "It's a tracking device launcher... in case something goes wrong, like we get the timing wrong, or Biyu catches onto something, I'll shoot her in the ass with this, and we'll at least be able to follow her... long as she remains in Baybridge."
"Hopefully, it won't come to that," Jiao-Long said, nodding his head.
"But, it always helps to have a backup plan... and a backup plan to your backup plan," Meifeng said, looking over to Shizuka. "...Which I hope you have, because I am honestly lost in case this plan goes tits up."
Shizuka glanced at Mika before he looked at Meifeng again. "...That will depend on how the situation goes." He had a loaded Ruger LCR with him, and even kept a survival knife nicely concealed in the back just in case... which he really hoped that he didn't have to use them at all, not with Mika in tow (he knew about her powers, but he doubted she would ever stand a chance against those trained soldiers they were bound to sneak into the party). He picked up a suppressant collar and gave it a quick check before pocketing the device.
She shrugged, before she continued, "Because she'll probably teleport away from the containment foam - and any Meta gas - before it can even touch her."
Yup, this was going to be tricky, because if the first plan fell through, then they're going have to wing it - and if Biyu was cunning as they say, it's not going to be a cakewalk.
"Then why did you bring these...?" Mika asked as she grabbed one of the canisters and looked at it.
"Put that down!" Meifeng said to Mika. "They're for everyone else..."
"Hm?" Mika curiously looked at Meifeng.
"What did you say before, Jiao-Long?" Meifeng asked her uncle.
"Oh yes," Jiao-Long said. "There will be many members of Polaris and the Founding Family attending... which will make Biyu's capture all the more difficult."
"Uncle, you want to know what's annoying?" Meifeng asked, and caught the attention of everyone in the room. "That Polaris and the F-F turned my little cousin's birthday into a fuckin' circlejerk." She rolled her eyes up into her head.
"Whatever." Shizuka shrugged at her. "Just focus on getting this job done if you want the party to go smoothly." The pressure was on him (again, just like the hostage incident at the mall a week ago), that it was down to him to make sure they succeed in capturing Biyu without messing up their cousin's big day, and he had only one shot at it. He let out a sigh; he would just have to put his faith into Mika, hoping that she wouldn't complicate things unnecessarily.
"Yeah, yeah..."
"Oh, I have something to contribute," Jiao-Long said, as he walked over with a black binder - with Grand Ceremonial Ballroom on the front - and put it down in on the table. He quickly opened it, and switched each page until he found the page with a bird's eye view photo of the garden behind the Ballroom. The maze. Where they were going to pull their plan. He pointed at the fountain in the middle. "...I do not think this fountain is a good place for the trap... too open." He mused. "It makes more sense to lead her through here..." He traced his fingers off to the side. "Where you not only have the most cover, but... the only problem is that Biyu will get suspicious if you're in the area."
"Hmmm..." Meifeng thought about it, before the light bulb started shining in her head. She turned towards Mika and asked, "How far can your telepathy reach?"
"According to my instructors at Academy 2-1-8," Mika nodded her head. "Around thirty-two meters."
"Good, you'll just use your telepathy to keep tabs on Uncle-Jiao and Biyu!" Meifeng said as she clapped her hands. In which Mika nodded her head. "Now, we need to review our plan... just so we're all on the same wavelength. Uncle, would you do the honors?"
Jiao-Long nodded his head as he stepped over the table, and took position in the center of the room. "We are to arrive at the party in an hour, the Liu Family first - with Mr. Takashiro - followed by the Zhaos. Everyone will mingle and blend in while I search for Biyu. Do anything to blend in. Sister Lihua will keep an eye on the door."
To which Lihua nodded her head, she grabbed an earpiece, and stuck it into her ear... it's been ages since she had one of these in her ear, and she wished that she never have to shove this uncomfortable hunk of metal in her ear canal again after this. After making sure that it was perfectly fitted, she said, "I don't know much about the Family... but, I'll give rough descriptions."
Acknowledging his younger sister, Jiao-Long continued. "Once I find Biyu, I'll lure her to the garden under the pretense of agreeing to the Family's insane terms. Mika and Mr. Takashiro will follow, and Meifeng will be in the area to provide a distraction for any Polaris or Family members in the area. After I get her in position, I will distract her, and Mr. Takashiro will put the collar around her neck, safely insuring that she cannot get away. Afterwards, we'll restrain her, and transport her away from the party to the Liu estate, where we'll interrogate her after the party."
He folded his hands behind his back.
"Any questions? Are we all clear on the plan?"
Meifeng raised her hand. "Is there anything special about the building you know of? Like basements, or an attic?"
"Far as I can tell, there is a basement." Jiao-Long answered.
"Good, good, good," Meifeng said, before looking over at Shizuka, then at Lihua. In case the plan went horrifically wrong, they'd need a stable escape route where they could avoid an absolute hail-fire of bullets. Though, she didn't like two things. One; there's potentially going to be a lot of Polaris, and F-F members, attending. Two; there's no real backup plan. She grabbed her chin, and thought really hard about how badly things will go if it goes down that route. If one member of those two organizations catches on, then they're going to have trouble. Meifeng was hoping to get through this without a gunfight breaking out. But, they had little choice if they were going to get any solid leads on the Family or Polaris.
"We got this in the bag." Meifeng nodded as she grabbed as much of these trinkets as she could inconspicuously stuff into her purse (and a little bit into Lihua's purse). Which was a glock loaded with taser darts, and a power nullification collar. Thank God she's bringing a giant purse, or some of this stuff would stick out. She'd keep her phone handy, just in case she'd need to call RAVEN for backup. She grabbed the canister of containment foam, and threw it in the air, and then caught it. Over and over again.
"...We just need a little faith."
Oakdell Harbor, White Coast.
After the planning in the Liu estate, it was about time that they put this plan into motion.
Jiao-Long had arranged for a limousine to transport the Liu Family to the Grand Ceremonial Ballroom in White Coast. It was a massive building with a glass dome top, and the rest of it looked like a mansion unlike anyone's dreams. The building was guarded by a large gate, and had a long drive way leading up to the building, and at the end was a parking area for vehicles. All the fancy vehicles were lined up. Leading up to the door were beautiful marble stairs, with stone railings, and the door itself was massive, and intimidating. It had guards at the doors, making sure that nobody undesirable got inside.
Around the building was a beautiful garden maze, just as Jiao-Long said, with a fountain in the middle. The the interior was large and beautiful. With a small dance floor, which was surrounded by fancy tables and chairs. There was a glass dome ceiling above them that showed the night sky. There were buffet tables with some of the fanciest foods (a mixture of Western and Eastern cuisine), and a fully stocked bar.
Most of the guests had arrived before the Liu Family... so they could make their grand entrance. Wearing an expensive black suit, Jiao-Long pushed open the doors with his family behind him, and had a grand smile on his face.
"They're here!" Someone shouted as they turned their attention to the Liu family, and they were met with cheers.
Jiao-Long was pushing the youngest Liu - dressed up in a matching suit as Jiao-Long. While each of his daughters were wearing red dresses. Shizuka was in an equally expensive black suit as Jiao-Long's (it's a mystery how they got him a fitting one in just one night), and he had Mika's hand in his arm. Deep down he hated himself for being too used to grand parties like this, that he could slip into and act out this partner role so easily (he had more than enough experience with such kind of event when he was on trips to Asia). They moved in, and eventually moved over to the fanciest table in the entire ballroom where Honghui was placed at the very end. There was a giant birthday cake in the middle of the table. He had a bright smile on his face.
A few minutes later Lihua - wearing a rather lavish blue dress - and Meifeng walked side by side as they entered behind them. The last thing that they wanted to do was walk with the Lius and get immediately noticed. Though, Meifeng's face was quite well known for her actions in RAVEN (Especially the shitstorm in Prague). There were so many rich people here... and each of them could be a servant of the Founding Family or Polaris. Which meant she had to be on guard.
"Okay, I guess we'll just chill for a little bit as Jiao-Long finds Biyu." Meifeng said, putting her hands on her hips.
"...I'm hitting the bar." Lihua said as she stood long strides over towards the bar
"Hey, hey, hey!" Meifeng said. "Is alcohol the only thing on your mind?"
"Well, between the obvious supervillains, and the rich people... there isn't much for me to do here, other than have a drink or two." Lihua shrugged. "I'll just keep an eye on things from the bar." She said as she walked over towards the bar, where she intended on spending the rest of the day.
"I'll just, I don't know..." Meifeng shrugged as she looked around. "Keep an eye on Jiao-Long."
That made the most sense.
Ah, it felt so good to have a date to bring here. Since before, Mika was the butt of jokes for her weight, and how the other rich girls told her "Oh, you'll never find a cute boyfriend", and "You might as well marry a pig." Ah, a bunch of idiots. Mika had so much potential to attract a suitor. Those insults cut deep into the soul of Mika as she decided to defy them (...as much as she'd like to tell herself that she didn't need validation from them). Mika was the type to flaunt.
"Oh, Shizuka," Mika turned her head towards her "date," and smiling, "Wouldn't it be conspicuous if we sat here all celebration...? How about we dance? It is a ballroom, after all."
That was the part that Meifeng heard, as she approached, and she might as well get a little laugh out of the two. It would divert suspicion after all (or something stupid like that, she didn't know). She slid in real close, and used her hand as a shield as she whispered something into Shizuka's ears. The words to live by. A motto for life. A creed to pass down for generations.
"...You gotta make her pussy wet, not her eyes."
Shizuka knew that Meifeng was trying to rile him (and he was getting annoyed at her stupidity), but he wasn't going to give her that satisfaction - not when he had completely switch himself to the mode of being Mika's partner, and this wasn't the time to make a scene and blow his own cover. "...Is that so?" He gave her a polite smile. "How about I try that out on you first, and see if that actually works?"
"Ehhhhhhhh..." Meifeng groaned, giving him a disgusted look. "Whenever I think of you, I turn into the god damn Sahara... No offense." Actually, total offense. I hope I offend you soooo hard.
Shizuka merely raised an eyebrow. "That's good to hear... because honestly I'd never want to do that with an ape." Then he ignored her and took Mika's hand. "Shall we?"
Mika stared at Shizuka's hands for a moment, honestly losing herself in how gorgeous they looked. Before she replied, "...Yes."
"Kay, have fun making a fool of yourself." Meifeng cheerfully said in response as they walked off... Well, that was fun, but she has to keep an eye on uncle. Just from a distance.
They walked over to the dance floor, and Mika just patiently awaited Shizuka to take the lead... to wrap his beautiful hands around hers, and amaze her with his dancing skills. He did, even bringing her closer to him and lowering his head next to her ear... and then he shattered her illusion of him.
"Hate to disappoint you, but... I'm afraid that you'll have to lead me on this. Being good at fighting criminals doesn't make me good at dancing, unfortunately," he murmured in the best disarming voice he could muster. He did know some basic moves he had picked up from all those irritating trips to China, but he was well aware that he would never be at the same level as these rich - and spoiled - princesses who were being trained to dance since the moment they could walk on their own feet. The last thing he wanted was to get on her bad side by making a fool out of himself for lying about something so insignificant - and disgracing her in front of so many people. She was crucial for their plan to work, and he couldn't afford to deal with another girl's problem (he didn't need another 'Jennifer' to get on his nerve). Besides, he wanted to spare some of his concentration to watch out for the people on the dance floor. One could never be too careful, not when too much was at stake here.
How ungentlemanly. Mika thought to herself, before she remembered that she was dealing with a commoner, after all. "Well, you should have good balance and coordination, correct?" Mika asked with a smile as she locked fingers with Shizuka, and used her other hand to put Shizuka's hand on her back. "Keep your hand here." She then put her hand on his shoulder... this was going to be awkward, yes? Dancing with a man who didn't even know how to. Well, long as Mika's leading him, everything would be going swell.
"If having a black belt in judo means anything," he answered with a sheepish smile, allowing himself to be guided by her.
"...You're not too good at this, are you?" Mika asked playfully (I.E. rhetorically) as she lead Shizuka along... they weren't doing anything other than walking around the dance floor in this position. But, in technical terms, it's dancing... only technically.
Shizuka looked into her eyes. "...I do know the basics, if that's what you mean," he replied truthfully. She could easily read his mind to know that; why would he want to lie to her about something so trivial as this?
"Also..." Mika trailed off. "...I am not reading your mind, by the way." She teased.
Shizuka returned her with a wry smile. "...Really." It was impressive that she could still keep tabs on him on top of Jiao-Long and Biyu. Well, that was the least of his concerns right now anyway (he didn't expect her to trust him so readily, since they were still... strangers to each other, for now); besides, he had his own way to counter cerebral Metahumans, having been dealing with them so often that those people had learned to stay out of his head for good... the hard way.
"No."
This time, Shizuka merely continued to smile at her and said nothing, letting the girl to steer him across the dance floor, occasionally allowing his eyes to take a quick glance at the dancers around them, to watch out for anyone suspicious.
Meanwhile, another car was driving up to the front of the building. About as fanciful a black limousine as all the others that had come before it, but fashionably late. The driver got out of their seat and walked to the passenger's door and opened it up, and a tall and young-looking African-American man stepped out of the vehicle, dressed in a tasteful suit and tie underneath the black wool peacoat he wore while the valet shook his hand.
"Here you are, Mr. Gene, and what time would you like us to retrieve you?" The older valet asked cordially.
"Please, call me Abe." He responded, but he didn't seem happy. There was a slight groan in his voice as he held his head. "I can't say right now, but I'll call the hotel and wait for you to arrive. Here's what I owe you..."
Abe traded him a generous sum of cash in exchange for his valet's service. They only briefly bid their farewells before they parted ways, and Abe strolled his way into the Grand Ceremonial Ballroom as though he lived there himself! The noise and lights were terrible for his hangover. He should not have drunk so much of the wine last night. However, this was a familiar hunting ground to him, and most expensive venues he found himself visiting were sorely lacking in all the traditional services and decor - but Liu seemed to spare no expense. The setup here was on par with the kind of upbringing he was familiar with as a small child! Everything from the floors, to the chandeliers, the food, the dress... and all for a birthday party for a little brat! See, those were always the best kinds, since they meshed together formal and casual styles to make the event both tasteful and entertaining. Rarely could any party pull of both - but appreciating the atmosphere was not the reason he was here. He had to find his friend, and after he strikes a deal with them, then he could waste his time with having fun. No doubt Liu could be caught in either mingling with all the guests, meeting each one, before retreating back where head honcho can get a good look at whole affair without being bothered by hordes of sycophants. Abe cracked a smirk, for he should know. He lived this life before.
As he invited himself in, he casually lifted a glass of champagne from a server's tray and took a gentle sip of the champagne as he slipped through the crowds, eyeing the drink in his hand carefully. 'Not tonight, Satan, I've got work to do.' Most people just cleared a path for him as he walked ahead. He was tall, and perhaps it was how he walked with such purpose that they simply supposed he was important or had work to do. Not exactly the best way to remain incognito, but he reckoned that gambit would fail horribly the moment he starts talking to Liu. He climbed the stairs, eyeballing all of the people attending this party. He may have walked like he parted the seas, but with a man such as Liu, with his fingers in as many pies as he did, it was doubtless that most of these people were more than bundle of posh pansies looking for favors or political influence. To think they all gathered at a birthday party for a child. The building was really one accident away from a bloodbath.
He leaned against the railing on the second floor, overlooking the ballroom, scanning the crowds. From this vantage point, it was easy to pick out Liu Jiao-Long from the crowds; just look for a mass of people slowly moving around the ballroom, and Liu was right at the center. Liu's family also caught his eye. They were standing off to the side, but two Chinese women in particular stood out to him. Most particularly the older one walking to the bar, in a pretty blue dress. Lihua Zhao. She was one of REAPER's most wanted. What was her relationship to Liu if not... oh. This rabbit hole digs deep! Liu certainly had fingers in every pie, alright! And the resemblance is simply uncanny.
And of course, the Hero of Prague. An ostentatious title, really, and Abe knew ostentatious. She has quite the bloodline before her! Had to wonder if she knew how far in the center of the storm she was in. He smiled. Girl would be quite pretty were it not for all the ugly scars. But she is RAVEN, so who knows, imagine the stamina! Still, he needed to keep his thoughts in order. Study the crowd until Liu sees and recognizes him. That should light a fire under his ass. He and his father might know each other, and even he may know him - but Abe only ever met with the man himself during... ah, business matters. Abe figured himself as a black cat. Crossing paths with him usually meant bad news. With Liu... it's been a while. The last they've met, Abe was on a mission where he had to take out a rather powerful partner of Gulf oil with very vocal opposition to the Hands. In fact, as Hands himself, there was even a time where Liu needed someone dead! He thought, at least. Whatever. Regardless! Blood was Abe's currency, so needless to say, there was reason to worry that Liu won't be fully receptive to his requests.
Eh. Maybe threatening his hot niece would be enough leverage.
There was no sight of Biyu, Jiao-Long was getting concerned. When he was shaking hands with people, he was constantly scanning for Biyu... he knew the woman well, and she was the subtle-type. She wouldn't make a grand entrance inside the party, but would have slipped in. She was small, and unnoticeable at first glance - on second glance, you would feel the aura of dominance that the woman had. Jiao-Long loved the woman as much as any son could - but, deep down, he was hoping that he could sway Biyu to the right path.
No one is irredeemable, after all.
"...Jiao-Long," A woman said to him, and made him whip around to see a short woman with brown eyes, and a head of short, ruffy, black hair. She had European facial features that Jiao-Long immediately recognized.
Tabitha Crest.
Wearing a black dress, and an expensive pearl necklace that fit the CEO of the Intelligent System Designs. She smiled at him. "Looking for someone?"
"Oh, just observing the crowd." Jiao-Long casually said. "There's so many people here - all to celebrate my son."
"But, you still look weighed down by something," Tabitha said. "Remember Jiao, we're friends and all that. Despite my company being one of the "rival" organizations to the Saviors."
"Well..." Jiao-Long said... Tabitha was a close friend of his. Though, she could very well be with the Family. "I am searching for Biyu, my mother."
"Hmmm..." Tabitha crossed her arms, and tilted her head as if she thought about it. "I haven't seen her around, but I'll be sure to tell you."
There was something else on her mind, however. She turned her head towards Lihua at the bar, immediately recognizing her. And noticed Meifeng sitting not too far away. Oooh. Tabitha knew of Meifeng Zhao, and everything she did in Prague - including what happened in Verthaven. Everyone believed that Maximilian and Task Force RAVEN (the precursor to RAVEN itself) were the heroes of the Verthaven Disaster. But, it was people like Tabitha that wanted to know the full story, and she knew that Meifeng and many more were in the middle of that disaster. She could only grin. She was a hero in many ways, but how long could she keep it up?
"Your sister's here?" Tabitha said, putting a hand on her hip. "Here I was thinking you two hated each other."
"Not hate...we just found it difficult to reach an understanding - but, I think we've finally done it."
"That's excellent."
The doors opened again, and Jiao-Long turned his head, hoping for it to be Biyu - but it was someone worse, far worse. His jaw dropped, and his eyes went wide, as he looked on in fear.
...Why is he here?
"...Ah, this is a lovely celebration, wouldn't you say, Veronica?" Blake said as he scrolled in wearing an expensive pinstriped suit that just screamed expensive. It perfectly fit around Blake's frame, and one could see that he was fit underneath the suit. With golden buttons, and cufflinks, he looked at his prime at all times. He stepped in with a smile on his face that was rather carefree.
"Eh, it doesn't make me any difference," Veronica shrugged. "It's for a little bastard that'll be using his daddy's money to snort cocaine off a hooker's ass in about a decade - so I don't see why everyone's acting like he's so special..." She bitterly said.
A big part of Veronica was jealous of the boy, and another part of her was nostalgic. It has been years since Veronica had one of these own parties, and it brought her back. All the lights, the food, the people dancing... she longed for those days. The days when she was just a rich girl that had the world in her hands... Before she realized that the world was in the hands of someone else. Someone more powerful than her. But, she was going to try her best to make the most out of this celebration. Even though she was jealous, there was a part of her that didn't want to ruin this for the boy - but, Blake seems hellbent on getting Jiao-Long to work on the machine, so hopefully big daddy will play nice. Lest they have to get violent. Speaking of violence, Veronica was packing a little bit of weaponry under this bright-red dress of hers. In her sparkly purse, she had a pistol hidden away in a secret compartment, and she had knife holsters strapped to both of her thighs.
She was going to go for the knives first. Silent, but not as quick as a bullet to the skull.
"Ah, don't be that way, Veronica," Blake said, laughing. "Everyone's youth is special - in their own little ways, of course." Blake explained. "The Liu family just want to let their son know that he is one step closer to excellence!" He chuckled lightly, but Veronica largely ignored him.
"So, tell me if you see anyone you recognize?" Blake asked. "That's why I brought you here, after all."
Yes... He brought his deadliest assassin to assess the threats. W. The first thing that Veronica noted was that there were quite a few members of the Intimidation Unit here. What was Blake planning...? And what could she add - then it hit her, she was likely one of the more cunning members of his army of assassins. They were just expendable as they come - bloodthirsty, and hungry for a paycheck - while Veronica had another motive. A reason why she would have to be at her best, and exceed even that.
As she walked alongside Blake. She looked around for familiar faces, people on the list, but the only person she figured would be here would be Meifeng Zhao... who she didn't see quite yet, but a quick glance at the bar at the tall frame of Lihua Zhao told Veronica that she wasn't that far behind. Hmph. That old fart has definitely left her prime, and she's just a bag of bones waiting to die somewhere. Thank God she resigned, and the Family lost all interest in her. However... they shouldn't underestimate her because this is her brother after all. She heard that the woman has a real hard on for family. That concrete power will be a pain in the ass for Veronica to fight.
As they approached the dance floor, Veronica saw that fat cow Mika dancing with someone... She didn't care for Mika, even though she never even met the girl. Mika let wealth turn her into a cow, and that was disgusting. Veronica wondered what desperate-for-money asshole would be dancing with her. He was probably only slobbering over that fat wad of cash she had - oh, or she hired a prostitute so she could keep up appearances... then, the two spun around, and she caught sight of just who she was dancing with. And was, quite honestly, surprised.
Shizuka Takashiro. The Phantom, and rather high on the Family's List. His intangibility was going to be a pain in the ass, because she couldn't touch him... unless she pushed him to his limits, and made him ash. It wouldn't be the first time Veronica did that to a person, and it wouldn't be the last. But, with the awkward look on his face, Veronica thought that he was hoping she wouldn't notice his boner. How the hell did he find his way into a party like this? And how the hell did he score with Jiao-Long's daughter... well, given that she was the fat cow, that wasn't saying much. She couldn't say he was here for security, because she heard that he was relieved of duty for his fantastic job saving the mall.
"...Shizuka Takashiro is here." Veronica whispered into Blake's ears.
"Oh?" Blake said, turning his head to briefly look at him. Before he shrugged. "He won't be a problem... he has nothing to do with the Liu family, after all."
To that, Veronica shrugged.
"Now, now... I'll handle Jiao-Long," Blake said. "You just keep an eye on things, blend in!"
He leaned in, and whispered into her ear.
"...But, be ready for the plan if Jiao-Long doesn't play ball," He walked away from Veronica towards Jiao-Long, turning around halfway to wave at her. "Have fun!"
Veronica kept her purse held tightly in her hand as she stared at him. Oh well.
She might as well enjoy the shrimp.
Cindy Keagan, Reed Taylor, Alice Barrett, and... .
Regal Square, Prince Edfield.
Regal Square... it wasn't a place where Cindy went often.
Except when the mayor wants to yell at her, or if she wants to make a public appearance. Today, it was the latter, since Deborah and Shannon were afraid to step out of Headquarters out of fear the Hound would show up. Cindy was standing near a wall of the building where the Savior-MIP debate will take place. It was called the "Baybridge Peace Center." A large brick building, with a glass entrance, but it was a coliseum (or in other words, a stadium of sorts) where political debates were held. The last usage was a presidential debate, and today will be. Inside of the building was a massive room, with an "arena" that was surrounded by elevated chairs. In the middle of this arena was a stage that had many seats.
One said "Savior Foundation," and the other said "Metahuman International Party."
Surrounding the stage were many cameras, as everyone was watching on from the stands... it wasn't particularly crowded, as people were afraid of the Hound showing up, but the diehard (I.E. foolish) supporters of either organization were there. Though, the MIP were on one side, and the Saviors were on the other.
What Cindy was hoping was that the Family decides to leave this place alone. Even as she leaned up against the wall, and looking at the glass structure that was the entrance. Not a lot of people were hanging around. Great. Wonderful. Less people to get killed when this turns into a bloodbath. She was watching the door with a clipboard held in two hands. Wearing a DOVE sanctioned suit, and feeling pretty good. She managed to convince Jade to remove this hangover in exchange for a favor. While she doesn't mind owing Jade something so she do her job despite her bad decisions, Jade has never asked to "cash in" any of those favors. And Cindy's like, at the eightieth favor over the last five years.
Little did Cindy know, Jade was saving up a hundred favors so she could make Cindy her love-slave.
"This is Agent Greenbird, by the entrance," Cindy said as she pressed her earpiece, looking around. "What is everyone's positions?"
"Shortcut, present. On overwatch."
"Taylor, here," Reed answered with a hushed tone as his earpiece brought the voice to life, eyes firmly on the crowd, "I'll keep you posted. Assuming you're not still hungover." He chuckled a little at the notion, before clearing his throat and passing his gaze from one side to another.
"Reeeed..." Cindy hissed. "Not. One. Word."
"My lips are sealed, Greenbird." Reed remarked.
"Agent Cooper, reporting from the stage itself," April spoke into the comms. "Would loooove to hear about your night at the bar."
"And you never will. Because- know what? I'm going to head inside for a closer look." Cindy said as she scrolled on inside.
"...Foundation Woman, I am in position."
The Phantasm said as he sat on the rooftop, leaning up against an air conditioning unit with a good view of the building... He stared at Cindy through binoculars, and grinned from behind his mask. Armored and wearing a black cape over his shoulder with the emblem of the snarling dog. He held a CheyTac Intervention in his arms as he awaited the orders from the Foundation Woman. To think... they were still hosting a debate in a city that was slowly being turned into a warzone. Foolish. Or were they trying to keep morals up? Personally, the Phantasm had no business with them, but he had to follow a plan. The deaths of the debaters wasn't even necessary to the plan... Just the recovery of the target.
When he didn't hear the Foundation Woman reply, the Phantasm got worried.
"Foundation Woman?" The Phantasm repeated. "I am in position."
"...Oh, sorry, Phantasm." The voice of Julia O'Sullivan speaking in the place of the Foundation Woman caught the Phantasm off guard for a moment. "The Foundation Woman is out at the Liu party. To keep up public appearances so that nobody gets too suspicious. I'm taking over her role since Blake is at the same party, and Ezekiel is working on the Machine."
The Phantasm was about to protest - he doesn't serve the Blessed Three, he serves the Hound and the Foundation Woman - but he knew it was best not to anger the Blessed Three. He knows how touchy they are.
"So, are you in position?" Julia asked. "Because, you best proceed with the plan now, Makoto is in the crowds-"
"Hey!" Makoto spoke in her earpiece from the corner of the room, far out of sight of anyone. She was standing with the stage in her sights. Wearing a black button-up shirt, and jeans. "Someone could be listening in, I don't want my reputable name tarnished."
"Reputable?" Julia teased. "You've killed fifty people in one month. How is that reputable?"
"Hey, Julia," Makoto playfully answered. "At least they didn't know my name."
The Phantasm was ready to turn this sniper rifle on himself if this banter continued on.
"...Can we focus on the mission?" The Phantasm seethed.
"Buzzkill," Makoto playfully said. "You know, I always wanted to know what you're hiding under that armor, Phantasm."
The Phantasm had enough.
"Has the debate started yet?"
"Yeah, yeah, baby," Makoto said as she looked at the stage. "They're coming up now."
Walking from one entrance of the room, a brown-haired woman with her hair in a sharp bobcut, with matching brown eyes walked up. Wearing thin-framed glasses, and a professional blue business suit. She came dressed up like she was a politician. She had a confident aura around her, being the representative for he Savior Foundation, she absolutely had to be. She had two burly, bald-headed, bodyguards at her side. She was Faith Avalos, a Mexican-Caucasian mix that had a light-brown skin, and rather American facial features. While she approached the stage... she caught wind of her politic rival and could only turn her nose upwards in disgust.
They sent a rather interesting pair of individuals to represent the MIP. To address the elephant in the room, Carter White - a big name in the MIP - was a Metahuman himself. A Bestial-type, taking after the Gorilla. He had a body of silver fur, a gorilla's mouth, and rather muscular arms. He was pretty gigantic in size, and had the intimidating frame of one. He wore a pair of fancy squared glasses, and a suit as he walked in with his arms behind his back. At his side was a woman with a wild pixie-cut, wearing a similar suit to her rival. Lucia Li was her name, and she, too, was a Metahuman.
The two took the stage, and got in their respective seats. The moderators, Gabriel Corey, Payton Good, and Katie Isaacs, were in their own seats from the beginning.
"Welcome everyone... to the rather impromptu debate," Payton said, being a short African-American woman. "This is Faith Avalos, a Board-Executive for the Savior Foundation, and a rather vocal Anti-Metahuman Supporter."
There was a bout of cheering as Faith merely shrugged.
"And these two are hailing from the Metahuman International Party, we have Carter White, and Lucia Li," Payton introduced them, and the gorilla-man waved. Before Payton turned towards the crowd. "Let's get started."
Gabriel, a mixed African-American-Caucasian male with a rather intimidating figure looked over towards Faith.
"Faith, Carter and Lucia have some things to say about the Savior Foundation as a whole," Gabriel started as he noticed Faith didn't even flinch. She put her fingers together, and listened. "Carter has called the Savior Foundation's "mindset" toxic, and is of itself a self fulfilling prophecy. He said that by spreading hatred of Metahumans, the Foundation is indirectly creating the problem."
Faith merely grinned.
"The Savior Foundation has the interests of the world at large, the every day people that cannot possibly protect themselves from Metahumans," Faith started off. "We peacefully advocate for the governments of the world to enforce tighter laws on Metahumans, and assist those who have had their lives ruined by Metahumans by providing stable homes, valid medical care, and extensive therapy."
"...For normal humans, only." Carter chimed in, his voice was deep and bestial. "You are treating Metahumans like they are a menace upon humanity, when they also have the potential for great deeds, and many Metahumans are children trying to find themselves."
"That is not what I'm saying," Faith said. "Many Metahumans I've met are the most well-behaved people I've ever met, but you have to acknowledge the potential for people to misuse their powers... that is the fault behind the MIP. They advocate for peace, and removing the line between Metahuman and Man, but also refuse the dangerous Metahumans such as the Black Hound, the Devil of Verthaven, the Changeling Unit... And the list goes on..."
"...Aaaaaaaand it's the same shit."
Makoto spoke into her earpiece as she rolled her eyes up into her head. This is like the nine-thousandth time this argument was had! When will these Savior-MIPs realize the sexual tension and fuck already? Makoto, for one, couldn't care less about redundant Metahuman rights at this point. She's a Philosopher, a woman of science, this argument is beneath her... and she was starting to feel the need to murder them herself!
"But, isn't Faith cute?" Makoto jokingly asked. "I bet Ver would want to bang Carter, hehe..." She laughed.
"I know, right?" Julia agreed over the comms. "Faith would make a great secretary for me... Er - Ezekiel, I mean."
"Suuuuuuuuuure."
"...Can we keep the idle chatter to a minimum?" The Phantasm groaned.
"Oh, yeah, right," Julia said... and the Phantasm could hear her filing her nails into the comms. "Remember, Phantasm, you're the star of this show... make sure that it starts with a bang."
She followed it with laughter. The plan was simple; Julia was going to have the Phantasm go in the place of the Hound, shoot up the place, scare everyone, and then maybe kill one of the debaters. Long as everyone felt like nowhere is safe, then it didn't matter. After all was said and done, the Phantasm was going to kidnap the target in the middle of all the chaos. Then mission accomplished! Long as they got the target, it didn't matter what else happened.
"I would get started now... if you need help, Bonecrusher is on standby."
"Hmph." Like the Phantasm would need that brute. He was personally trained by the Black Hound, his protege... he was going to live up to his master's dark legacy. If the Family wants this world drowning in blood, the Phantasm was going to kill as many people as necessary to appease the Hound. The Phantasm grabbed his CheyTac, and held it tightly. He focused on the rooftop of the peace center. He had the plan perfectly memorized, and he was going to enact it. The Phantasm was surrounded with a dark, wispy, smoke as he was quickly thrust from his current position on the rooftop, to another one, to another one. In a linear pattern until he had teleported all the way on top of the Peace Center.
He quickly activated his dark sense... which sound became darkness. He focused on the building, and noticed where the politicians were, right in the center of the room. He slung his rather expensive rifle over his back, before he grabbed the UMP45 that he had on him. He quickly grabbed a cluster of tear-gas grenades that he had prepared for this occasion. The Phantasm pressed his earpiece, purely to warn Makoto.
"...I'm breaching in five... four.... three... two... one..."
On cue, he turned intangible, and phased through the roof he was standing on. Surrounded by smoky darkness, he began his descent... the fall always felt so welcoming.
"...What's that!?" Someone in the crowd shouted as they noticed the Phantasm... and they could only assume the worst as he threw his tear-gas grenades into the crowd and caused a panic as the smoke consumed them. The Phantasm immediately teleported to the ground, and aimed his UMP at the debaters, opening fire... only to get a nasty surprise when he realized that a transparent blue shield had surrounded the stage that was hexagon-shaped. When the bullets hit the shield - they were seemingly destroyed on contact. And the Phantasm was so caught off guard that he could only tilt his head in surprise.
"...That was not in the briefing." He muttered to himself.
"Let's go!" Carter said as he fell to all fours, and grabbed Lucia, hopping off. While Faith was quickly escorted out by her bodyguards...
Hm. The Phantasm could only go after one, and quite frankly, it didn't matter. Whatever would have the biggest impact.
He heard the cracking of glass, and quickly turned intangible when he noticed three diamond-shaped chunks of glass flying at him. They passed through him, but he couldn't help but look at the person responsible.
Cindy Keagan.
Standing in the other doorway... she knows he can become intangible.
Just what is she hoping to accomplish?
Before he could continue that line of thought, another gunshot rang out as one of the other DOVEs took a shot at him; Reed.
The bullet passed through the Phantasm... before he was pushed to his own limits and had to turn tangible. The black smoke retracted as it revealed his black armor. He was quick to teleport into the air, instantly appearing falling down. He aimed his UMP at Reed and let loose an entire clip of bullets, forcing the DOVE to dive for cover.
Alice had been watching from her own position, a darkened, empty press booth with a good view of the arena. She'd been careful not to pick the best position, thinking that would either be already occupied, or surely the first target for any potential hostiles, but had chosen one a few less ideally placed. She saw the Phantasm appear, a compact submachine gun in his hands, but Cindy reacted before she could, and he vanished a split second later, she searched for a sign, then snapped her head around as his UMP roared again. In that moment she was already gone, appearing beside the figure in black and slamming the heel of her palm into his gun, knocking it up towards the ceiling.
The bullets harmlessly hit the ceiling, and merely caused a little dust to fall down. Alice's arrival was unexpected - the Phantasm didn't have the scanners that the Hound had. So he had to rely on his vision, and his vision alone. But, Reed and Alice weren't the targets here. They were just a diversion. The Phantasm was quick to slow down his descent, and slam his elbow into Alice's face. Which would be a bitch because of the armor-pads on his shoulder.
Alice had no way of slowing her fall, which was fortunate, she was moving in the same direction as the Phantasm's blow, so what should of broken her nose simply sent her tumbling. Towards the ground, and she landed in a heap with a curse.
After that action, the Phantasm was quick to teleport again. Launching himself through the void between worlds, and appearing in the doorway in which Faith had run off to. Not wasting another second, the Phantasm teleported off again.
"Damn it," Cindy hissed. "How the hell are we even supposed to keep up with that guy...?"
She quickly ran over to Alice, and offered a hand.
The blonde agent, allowed herself to be pulled back to her feet, looking around uncertainly. "You're not going to like it. Which way did he go?"
"He's going after the Savior chick - hurry up, let's go!" Cindy said as they followed after him. There wasn't much they could do to stop the Phantasm, but the last thing Cindy was going to do was stand around with a thumb up her ass waiting for everything to be over. They just had to come about it... in a less direct way. Like Lihua said, everyone has a weakness.
Alice didn't let go of the other agent's hand, instead, holding it tighter as the world around them appeared to turn inside out. They were in the doorway, then beyond...
...And Cindy still hadn't gotten used to that.
As he pulled himself back to his feet, Reed found himself left behind in the ballroom as Alice and Cindy teleported away. Shit, he thought, before he took off in the direction that Faith and the Phantasm had been seen heading towards. Guess I'll take the long route.
Passing by a few panicked people who hadn't yet fled, he shouted at them to get to safety, then spoke into his comms piece on his way through the corridors. "This is Taylor, we need a response team ASAP - we've got an armed gunman with intangible abilities!" God-dammit, he thought again. Right about now, Shizuka's presence would've been a lifesaver, but the outcry after the attack at the mall had led to the stupidity that was his suspension.
For now they'd have to settle for what they had. Nobody was untouchable. The fate of his ability's original owner was proof, if nothing else was.
Written in collaboration with @Mr Allen J Oakdell Harbor, White Coast.
No sight of Biyu.
That made Jiao-Long very worried. He knows that Biyu would come here - because she loves her prized grandson. He could only shudder at what goals she has in mind for Honghui. Hopefully, he can stop her before she indoctrinates him into a loyal servant of Polaris, or the Family. He could shudder again... Calm down... if Tabitha noticed, everyone will begin to get suspicious. Jiao-Long tried to reassure himself, and let out a sharp exhale.
Maybe she's upstairs, watching from above... And he really hoped she wasn't, because Biyu would have picked up on his body language.
After a brief greeting with a member of the Savior Foundation, Jiao-Long proceeded up the stairs of the ballroom. When he made it to the top, he briefly scanned the area - more specifically, the railing overlooking the dancefloor. Hm. He couldn't get a good sight of Biyu with all the people against the railing. He folded his hands behind his back, and walked along the railing.
Looking for his mother.
... C'mon, Uncle. Keep it together. Meifeng thought to herself as she trailed after Jiao-Long from a distance. She could tell he was tense - everyone could - but if he doesn't break down, everything will go smoothly. Hopefully. Meifeng knew, from RAVEN, you would always have to be prepared for your plans, well, going to shit. A plan like this has a high risk for everything going wrong. Which is what Meifeng feared the most.
Jiao-Long passed by a large African-American male that looked so familar... but, he had to keep moving if he was going to find Biyu.
Abe slightly raised his eyebrow, somewhat frustrated that the man did not instantly recognize him, orhave a response akin to something like, forgive his Shakespearean, "Egasp! Whyeth artest thouest herest this timest of dayeth" or whatever the fuck these posh pansies do nowadays. He put two fingers to his mouth, and made a shrill and brief whistle toward Jiao-Long.
That made Jiao-Long stop, and turn his head, while his eyes went wide at the guest. Oh no... The words could only go through his head as Jiao-Long recognized the man. Abraham Gene. The son of one of one of his friends that has gone down a very dark path. Jiao-Long knew him as a REAPER, and one of the worst in that organization. He should be searching for Biyu... but, clearly, Abraham wants to have a chat. Of course, of course. He has to blend in, of course.
"Oh, hello, Abraham, it has been a long time, yes?" Jiao-Long greeted him, praying to God that he didn't switch to the Family when REAPER fell.
Abe threw his hands up incredulously as he closed in on Jiao-Long. "What the hell, man?" He complained. "Can't believe you didn't notice me right off the bat! And after how long we've worked together too."
That made Jiao-Long nervous... the fact that he's associated with this man brought him shame - but, that is the price he has to pay. "Oh, I am sorry," Jiao-Long softly answered. "There's just so many people here - long time friends, family - all here to celebrate my son's birthday."
He smiled meekly, trying to stay calm.
Abe got even closer as his face grew grim, and a finger was raised to eye level with Jiao-Long. "You will be sorry."
Then Abe's face broke from its facade and he smiled a wide grin, and took his hand that was pointing at Jiao-Long's face and wrapped it around the man's shoulders.
"I'm playing!" He laughed. "A little old..." Abe looked around him for anybody in earshot. "...REAPER humor, you know? Ignatius couldn't beat it out of all of us."
That's what made Jiao-Long terrified. He got the implication well. Ignatius... that man was a monster. Thank God Dr. Cross held his leash tightly. He couldn't say the same for the rest of REAPER.
"Don't be so loud... someone will hear you." Jiao-Long urged, only because he doesn't want to discuss such matters anymore. They are behind you. "I get the feeling you are here for a reason, Abraham... so, out with it."
Abe smiled at hearing his old colleague's classic straight-to-the-point attitude. He could appreciate that in the man. "I would say the Hands sends their regards, but that wouldn't fly well and I need you to cooperate with me. Besides, I left those bozos behind long ago. They even tried killing me, can you believe that? Assassins."
"... They have a habit of doing that." Jiao-Long weakly answered. Well, the Hands assassins didn't do a good job, or else he wouldn't be here.
Damn it.
Abe started picking at his nails. "Needless to say, I don't have to worry about any more of them coming for me. I'm also a, ah... contractor for somebody else now. Oh, and I gotta ask! What's your relationship with the Zhaos? Don't worry man, you can tell me. They're not on the hit list, I just wanna know."
Should he risk telling Abraham about his personal tie with his sister's family? He didn't want to put them (Specifically, Lijaun) on the line, but, Abraham sounded like he knew something already
"... That is my sister's family." Jiao-Long answered. "It's not a well-known fact because of my sister's... secretive nature."
"That's what I thought!" Abe said triumphantly. "I thought I saw some resemblance there! But it's honestly weird that the people I work for didn't pick up on that. You? You've been in the public eye all your life, so I guess I'll have to look into Zhao later on. Woah, okay, okay, I'm getting off track here."
"Please, I beg of you..." Jiao-Long pleaded. "Leave my sister out of this, she has nothing to do with this."
Abe took a deep sigh to straighten himself.
"Like I said," he continued, "you ain't gotta worry. But my latest job requires me to get into RAVEN. I wouldn't tell you this if I didn't think I can't, you know, convince you--" Abe held Jiao-Long a little tighter, pulling the man in a little closer to Abe. "--To give me an endorsement. I could probably get in just as easily without you, but as long we're being honest with each other, you'd help hurry that process up a little faster."
He wants into RAVEN...? Jiao-Long didn't know about this organization he's working for, but if they're willing to employ the likes of Abe. But, Jiao-Long wasn't going to budge. He was tired of being used by unsavory people to suit their own goals.
"... I refuse." He bluntly answered.
"My friend." Abe said simply. "You know what I'm capable of. Please don't make me persuade you. I actually don't want to, because I'm not as evil as you convinced yourself I am. Hell, if I'm evil, you're evil. Darth freaking Vader. I was only an agent, and that was only for the pay."
Abe was correct; Jiao-Long is evil. While Abe was just a tool, Jiao-Long overseen many atrocities... and even benefited from them. He deserves jail time - but, what about his family? They would be thrown to the hounds along with Jiao-Long.
"... It is complicated, Abraham," Jiao-Long started off. "I only wish to distance myself from the Hands now."
Abe backed off from Jiao-Long, in hopes that giving him some space wouldn't make him feel so threatened.
"I should not have even mentioned my employers, but I did." He said. "So while I'm at it, they claim they're the bigger picture kind of guys. Not Hands, not REAPER - RAVEN isn't even their target. They just think it will go a long way into helping me accomplish what needs to be done."
Jiao-Long narrowed his eyes
"... and what is that? May I ask?"
Abe only smiled in response. "I told you enough, don't you think? I can't risk jeapordizing my assignment. I think you owe me something now."
"... But, I never asked for this, I never asked for any of this." Jiao-Long said, putting his foot down - metaphorically, and literally. "I owe you nothing, Gene. You are just a self-worshipping thug. Nothing more, nothing less."
Abe narrowed his eyes and stared down Jiao-Long. Slowly, he felt one of his hands stiffen and crack as it turned into stone and he approached him. Staring him up and down, he raised his hands to inconspicuously straighten Jiao-Long's tie... and the stoney hand was around the knot, tightening it against his neck.
"Tell me," he said quietly, "who are you working for this time? Because if you're trying to protect someone... or say, I don't know... a certain family..." Abe winked. "This isn't going to end well for you."
Jiao-Long knew that he couldn't be intimidated by Abe. That is REAPER's M.O after all. He was tired of being responsible for monsters. "We are stronger than you think, Abraham," Jiao-Long said. "I am not helping a REAPER join RAVEN on behalf of - what - another terrorist organization ready to blow the city to pieces?" He seethed each word.
Abe sighed a sigh of relief. They are stronger than he thinks. Well, that's about as close to an admission as he's gonna get. He nonchalantly said, "You know, that's really all I needed."
Pulling Jiao-Long closer by the tie, he tightened it against his neck even more. By doing so, he was able to lean in and whisper into the man's ear.
"Tell me what you know about the Founding Family before I kill you right here, and then, when you can't do anything about it, make sure your little boy doesn't meet eight."
Honghui... Jiao-Long knew that he couldn't exchange his son's life in exchange for his pride. Abe will do it, too. REAPER is taught to be monstrous as possible. He would gladly give up his own life in exchange for one of his children... but, can he gaurantee someone could stop Abe?
He let out a sigh, and told Abe exactly what he thought of the Family...
"... They are a bunch of vain, narcissistic, egomaniacs that deserve nothing less than having their empire pulled from under them, no different from you." Jiao-Long said. "But... I will give you your damn reccomendation - just get the hell out of here, and never show your face to my family again." He grit his teeth.
Abe rolled his eyes at Jiao-Long's insult, but he let the man go and straighened his suit and his tie up nicely as he forced a smile on his face, deactivating his power and setting his hands on his hips. The whole damn thing never had to happen if Jiao-Long had just been honest from the start!
"See, Mr. Liu? That wasn't so hard, was it?" Abe said proudly as he patted the man's back. "We're on the same side, we want the same things! You should've trusted me from the beginning! Some things change, and so do we. We're the good guys this time! This whole affair could've gone to the side if you knew how to take a hint."
"... Good... guys?" Jiao-Long repeated the words like they were foreign to him, because of decades of guilt. He could only sigh. "Look... I'll be honest here, the Family is asking for something I can't give them. I want them out of my hair as much as you - your employers - do. So... I'll give you the recommendation."
"Don't you worry, Mr. Liu. I was bluffing." Abe revealed somberly. "Your kid reminds me too much of my brother. I wouldn't even hurt him."
".... Hey." A voice interrupted their conversation, as Meifeng Zhao stood before them. Finally having enough of her uncle being man handled by this brute. She put her hand on her hip as she looked down Abe with narrow eyes. "... What is going on here? Uncle, are you okay?"
Abe heard a voice from behind him. Jiao-Long's niece, apparently. The Hero of Prague. He turned around optimistically and greeted her with a wide smile.
"Oh, he's good. You should know that your uncle's a good guy. Never better, even!" Abe declared as he passed Meifeng to return downstairs. He shot an appreciative glance and a thumbs up at Jiao-Long as he went down. "We're both good! Nice dress by the way! It shows off your legs! Ciao!"
"... Okay, that was a little weird."
Meifeng scratched her head, before she turned to her uncle, and walked over towards him. "Uncle," She said in Chinese. "Who was that man? Family?"
At this point, Jiao-Long was distraught. All he wanted was for Honghui's party to go well - but, while Abe was a vicious man who deserved to be put down... there was also that sentiment that Jiao-Long deserved the same fate. Forced or not, he was a major player within the Hands, and is just as guilty as the likes of Eliza, or Dr. Cross... He should be even more guilty that his sister (and her daughter, who was notorious for hating the Hands) were so willing to forgive him just because they are family.
Hmph.
He's going to drag down hers, and his own.
Letting out another sigh... but, long as Abe gets what he wants, he should leave his family alone. All Jiao-Long could do was hope his organization's plans weren't as sinister as he feared.... He knew that, in this world, hope could only get you so far. Jiao-Long is a man of his word, Abe has the endorsement. For now... Jiao-Long was going to keep his mouth firmly closed to Meifeng.
"... He is just an old friend of mine, my niece." Jiao-Long answered. "We... have disagreements, but it's all been patched up. As usual."
He tried ile, but there was only one thing that was on Jiao-Long's mind now.
"Hurry, go back to what you were doing before someone gets suspicious..."
Meifeng put her hand on her hip, and gave him an aside glance.
"... Uncle," Meifeng groaned, facepalming. "You have a terrible poker face."
To that, Jiao-Long couldn't answer, but Meifeng knew that she won't be able to get a straight answer out of Jiao-Long. She saw him gripping up Jiao-Long and getting pretty angry... and angrier than what "old friends" should be. She was suspicious of that man, but she has bigger fish to fry: Biyu.
"Alright... I'll get back to work," Meifeng put her hands behind her head, and stepped off - before briefly looking back at her uncle. "... Just give me a shout if anyone's bothering you."
She walked off.
Abe sat himself down on a comfortable chair at a table off to the side of the ballroom. Still in the crowd, yes, but it put him in the position to watch and jot down whatever notes he needed on... ah, key individuals too. Namely Jiao-Long. Abe wanted to be sure he wouldn't double-cross him. He would totally understand if he did, he had no hard feelings, but business was business. If Mr. Liu double-crosses him, then he needed to be taken care of. Sure, there'd be complaints from whining damsels, such as "I can't believe you killed my husband", or "dad", or maybe he wouldn't kill Jiao-Long, but... compromised his ability to interfere. But what can he say? Abe didn't make the rules. That's just how it goes.
He took a sip of his champagne and leaned back into his seat. Hopefully this night will pass with nothing going wrong. Now, that isn't to say he was hoping for a quiet night. If he could score it with one, or hell, two ladies, then that'd make the champagne much more fun.
"Uuugghh..." Haruka moaned, and clutched his head. This was another reason why he would normally take great care to control himself when drinking: not only did he want to avoid troubling his family with his drunken state (even though Shizuka once commented that he was so much easier to deal with than the likes of Cindy), the hangover part was what he hated most.
...It felt like he had rammed his own skull against a steel wall.
He got up from the couch slowly, then he realized someone had put a sheet over him while he was asleep. Has Shizu come back?
"Take it easy."
He turned his head around to see the willowy figure of Holly - in her usual office suit - walking towards him with a glass of water, which she placed on the short table before him. "Drink some water first. You okay?"
"I'm... fine," he mumbled, looking down to hide the disappointed expression on his face from her, then stretched out a hand for the glass of water and took a long swig from it. "Well, I guess it's better for you to see me like this than Shizu or Aunt Akemi, because they will skin me alive, literally."
Holly merely shook her head and sat down beside Haruka. "...Do you want to talk to me about it instead?"
Haruka gave her a sideways glance, but didn't reply. Holly let out a sigh. "This is the first time I've ever seen you so drunk. Something must have happened to you last night." Haruka's eyes widened when the auburn-haired lady stretched out an open palm before him.
"Mind explaining about the number on this napkin to me? Who does it belong to?"
Haruka regarded Holly for a moment; finally he reclined back on the sofa and looked up at the ceiling. "I guess all of us should stop playing this stupid game of hide and seek, and just be honest with each other," he began in a tired voice as he picked the napkin off Holly's hand. "...That was from someone who claimed to be from a cult called 'Polaris'."
He then stared at Holly in the eye, his brows furrowed at the frozen expression on her face. "Before I go on, can you tell me more about 'Polaris'? In fact, everything you and Shizu know about them."
Holly swept her front bangs off her eyes and let out a long sigh, before she started off, "It's an underworld cult that originated from China during the 1950s; not only are they ruling over the Chinese government from the shadows, they also have the whole of Asia in their hands, just like how the Founding Family has Europe and North America under their control." She closed her eyes briefly. "...Shizuka has been using the suspension as a smokescreen to gather more intelligence - and he suspects that they are working together towards world domination. To achieve that, it seems like they have been working on a certain machine... which is probably why they set up the hostage situation in order to get DOVE and RAVEN to hand Dr. Cross and the Mannequin over to them."
Haruka listened intently; the scattered pieces were starting to fit together and formed a clearer picture in his mind. Some of the things he had been seeing on the news about the Black Hound was making more sense to him. "A... machine?"
Holly shook her head again. "We still don't know what kind of machine it is, nor do we know where this machine is being made and kept. All we know is: the Family seems to be in an urgent need for top scientists around the world to work on it, so it's likely to be some extremely dangerous device. If we don't find it and destroy it fast, this is going to be much much worse than the Verthaven Disaster and the Prague incident."
Haruka clenched his fists; the mention of that incident flooded his mind with the horrible memories from seven years ago, making his head throb again. "...Then what about Polaris? How are they related to the Founding Family?"
Holly was silent for a moment before she replied slowly, "For one, they probably have a mutual goal with the Family - sharing their resources with each other is a win-win for both sides." She paused for a second, before continuing in a grim tone, "The other reason has something to do with Shizuka's trips to Asia - either they are wary about his success in gathering most of the Asian Metahuman organizations to RAVEN's side, or they plan to use him to spread their evil influence beyond Asia to the West. In fact, Shizuka's presence was the catalyst that complicated all this."
She grabbed Haruka's shoulder, her green eyes bored into the young man's darker ones with such intensity that made Haruka feel the dread churning harder inside of him. "Your mother, Asami, is a member of Polaris. She went into hiding after she saw Shizuka representing RAVEN at the Asian Metahuman Summit; eventually Polaris connected the dots themselves to find out the truth behind the superpowers that you two have."
"So it is true..." Haruka buried his face into his hand. "...That Shizu and I are not natural Metahumans. That our own mother subjected us to some kind of 'ritual' or human experiment, or whatever the heck it is..."
Holly was sympathetic about how all this had to turn out for the two boys, but she chose to cross her arms before her and looked at Haruka expectantly - that it was now his turn to start telling her his story. It was the only thing she could do now to help them.
"...I went out last night to, well, look for Jennifer," Haruka began. "It's about her past, her time as 'Missy Baroness' during the seven-year gap after the Verthaven incident... but she wasn't in the cafe she's working at. I was about to leave when this tall Chinese lady came in, and I offered to help her with her drink order. She insisted to treat me to a drink for my kindness, and pressured me to stay, saying that she's looking for Shizu."
He flattened the balled-up napkin on the table. "She introduced herself as 'Xing Huo', a Fire Spirit in Polaris."
Holly narrowed her eyes. This was really the worst possible development that both herself and Shizuka had feared. "One of the 'Wu Xing'," she muttered. "...What did she want from you?"
"At first she said she was looking for Shizu because he had something important to them in his possession," Haruka replied, then he turned his head to look at Holly. "Then... she said Polaris wanted us to go back and reunite with them, that they are our 'real' family."
Holly couldn't help but frown. That didn't make any sense - Polaris should be aware that Shizuka was against both them and the Family. Even if the twins' powers were probably originated through a 'ritual' from Polaris as mentioned in Asami's diary, they should be seen as betrayers to the cult. Why would they want to welcome traitors back into their ranks? Also, why did one of the seven leaders had to personally come all the way to Baybridge, to the Family's turf, just to bring the twin boys back 'home'?
What is Polaris' true goal?
"But you don't get drunk over coffee..." Holly commented dryly. There was obviously more to Haruka's little adventure last night.
"Tea, actually," Haruka corrected her automatically before he went on. "After I left the cafe, I bumped into someone - Aislin. She was looking for me because she thought I might have some clues to help her find her missing friend. She seemed like a private investigator of sorts who worked for some company that she claimed to have ties with the big shots. I thought I could try to test if she had heard about Polaris or the Family---"
"---But you ended up getting her involved," Holly finished his sentence for him. She pinched the bridge of her nose with a hand. "How much did she charge you for offering her service?"
"She said she would give me a discount for the bits of information I provided about her missing friend, so it's a few thousands..."
Holly suddenly stood up and sighed, raking a hand through her red hair. "I'll pay that fee for you - but I'll need to meet her face to face first. Can you contact her and arrange a meeting?"
"I have her number..." Haruka looked up at the serious expression on Holly's face, uncertain. "Are you going to stop her or...?"
"No," Holly replied as she picked up Haruka's empty glass and walked towards the kitchen. "...I just need a talk with her, that's all."
Makoto had neglected to completely leave the area when the Phantasm sprayed the area with tear gas.
Instead, she threw on a gas-mask that she had on, and dipped behind some chairs while everyone was desperate to leave. Because, she was here for a reason. Not just to stand around and perv on everyone here; she's going to be an extra pair of eyes. When she took her mask off, and stood up, she saw Cindy and the blonde-haired broad teleporting off after the Phantasm - leaving their team mate behind! What kind of teamwork is that?! Makoto is technically siding "with the bad guys," and even she thinks that was dickish. Nonetheless, this would be useful for the Phantasm.
"Hey, Phantasm," Makoto said as she pressed her earpiece. "They're hot on your tail."
"Acknowledged." The Phantasm said as he continued to warp and teleport after Faith. He has a plan....
The Saviors were almost right out the door when the Phantasm finally caught up with them and unloaded his UMP on them. He would have devastated his "target" - However one of the Savior bodyguards threw himself in front of Faith to shield her from the bullets. He took the brunt of the bullets, and not even his body-armor could save him from it. He slumped down dead, and all Faith could do was stare at him in shock. This wasn't happening. She knew the risks, but she didn't think it'd end like this. The Phantasm was about to teleport over to her - to end her suffering.
A bullet hit the Phantasm right in the back, and even though the armor shaved off some of the impact, the Phantasm was sent stumbling forward. Feeling bruises form underneath the armor. Another bullet hit the Phantasm, and forced him to teleport away.
"... Shit," Cindy said as she aimed the pistol right at the Phantasm. She tilted a bit, and glanced at Faith. "What are you standing there for?! Start running, stupid!"
Thank God Alice was able to keep up with the Phantasm. Otherwise this was going to be a nightmare. She wondered where he went, but they have to cover Faith. Cindy had an idea, in fact. She put her hands and glass surrounded Faith with floating pieces of glass that were heated up to the point where they were malleable. She formed a dome around Faith, and then nodded at Alice.
"Teleport me in... I have a plan," Cindy nodded at Alice, before reaching for a canister of anti-metahuman gas she had on her. "... It's a risk, but teleport us out on my cue."
Alice eyed the glass dome, then nodded, "You got it, just remember I can't go intangible, I can probably outrun him, but catching up to him is probably not good for my health."
Nonetheless she grabbed Cindy's shoulder again, moving the world once more. There was a faint puff of displaced air and they were suddenly cosied up to Faith inside the sphere of glass.
Faith screamed, before Cindy put up a finger to silence the Savior.
"We're covering your ass," Cindy bluntly said. "So, would you shut up and come with me?"
Faith nodded, while Cindy kept her hands outstretched. She made sure to stay close to Alice and Faith, so Alice can teleport her out of here on cue. Manipulating the glass dome, she quickly tried to slid away, while reinforcing the glass shield with glass that she grew off her own body. It just floated over to the shield and was added to the collective... and just to make this more difficult, she changed the glass' color to a jet-black near-opaque that made it hard to see through. Because, going off the Phantasm's M.O, he's got a sniper rifle somewhere, and this should cover them long enough.
The Phantasm had retreated to the rooftop, and swapped his UMP out for the Intervention. He was quick to aim the sniper at the glass dome... but, he couldn't get a good view of his target. And this was Cindy Keagan he was dealing with, shooting it will only give him away-
Oh.
Now I get it.
They were trying to bait the Phantasm into teleporting into the dome. Well, they'll get their wish... The Phantasm briefly put down the rifle, and then grabbed a grenade - they weren't his style, but he took a cue from the Hound and brought some. He pulled the pin, holding it for a second, before he was thrust through the air towards the dome. Finally appearing inside, he was ready; he just threw the grenade at the trio - before teleporting out.
"Oh shit, Alice!" Cindy shouted. "Get us-"
Cindy finished her sentence outside of the dome, and Alice threw herself on top of the Saviour girl as soon as they materialised, even though she had already begun to vomit. Glass peppered the walls behind them as the sphere shattered, shrapnel splinters careering off in all directions. She felt a sharp pain under her arm as one wormed it's way through a weak point in the armour, but Faith seemed unharmed, except for emptying her guts onto the floor, and Alice's uniform... and Cindy's suit.
She almost cringed, but she knew that the Phantasm had to be around here somewhere. Screw it. They'll have to make a run for it. Glass was being launched in all directions, and Cindy caught the glass that was close to her. Her vest was damaged a bit, but she'll live. Faith was running for it, and Cindy and Alice were following behind her to the best of their ability-
The Phantasm had appeared in front of the two, and before either of them could react, the Phantasm threw a punch right towards Alice, while reaching for a pistol on his belt.
Alice blurred, literally, the punch thrown moved through the space where her head had been, but she was already within his guard, throwing an elbow around and towards his throat. Her move was so unexpected that she actually felt an impact before his form phased out once more and she tumbled forward, rolling into a crouch and pulling her pistol from it's holster.
They both had drawn their pistols at the same time, aiming it at each other right as the Phantasm turned tangible again. The Phantasm was tempted to just shoot Alice and get on with it... But, he has to make this flashy. He looked at Faith running away. The Phantasm teleported again, this time behind Alice, and quickly fired a shot at Faith. The bullet cut through the air instantaneously and hit her right in the heel with deadly accuracy. Faith cried out as she fell forward and hit the ground. The Phantasm touched a button on the side of his helmet....
"... Send in Bonecrusher."
Hey, they wanted to make this flashy. The Phantasm knew that the Bonecrusher would make a bigger scene than he could.
Alice's bullet passed through the space her target had once occupied, and she looked around wildly to spot him with a hand against his head. It was all the delay she needed to move, swinging her gun around as she appeared behind him to fire a trio of shots. Two went wild, but the third clipped the corner of his helmet, snapping his head backwards. She could have left right now, taken Faith and disappeared to a safe house two miles away, but if she did that she had no idea what the Phantasm might do to her cohorts.
A portal opened up in front of the Phantasm and all he had to do was turn intangible as the roaring sound of an oversized motorcycle cut through the air - followed by the Bonecrusher's brutal-looking custom-made motorcycle came flying out towards Cindy and Alice. With the Bonecrusher on top of it, fully merged with all sorts of machinery beforehand. He was ready for war.
Alice swore and vanished as the massive machine stormed through the space previously occupied by her body. If it had hit her then there wouldn't have been much left to teleport, let alone to swear. The newcomer was massive, an enormous figure with strange machinery and blades apparently a part of his body. She reappeared next to Cindy, "Whatever that thing is, he is not a friendly. And I seriously doubt I have the kind of firepower to deal with him."
The motorcycle came to a skidding stop - ending up sideways as Bonecrusher shut it off, and stepped off. He took steps towards Alice and Cindy and a massive, custom-made, blade came out of his mechanical wrist as Cindy immediately recognized him.
"... That's the thing that went on a rampage after Meifeng in Singapore." Cindy said. "And I think we're going to need the heavy duty shit here." She still had that canister of containment foam at her waist. It might be the only thing that could stop (or slow down) Bonecrusher. She grabbed it, and looked at it.
Alice backed up as the monster approached, "I can distract him but he hits me once and I'm done, unless you think a fall will kill him?"
"Well, at this point, I'd try anything," Cindy said, but she was wondering why this brute was taking so damn long. Then it hit her. "... Where's the Phantasm?!" She asked as she looked behind herself, and saw that the assassin was gone. "Aw damn it!" She hissed to herself.
At this moment, Bonecrusher went all out into a sprint, with his blade at his side, he swung it hard as he could towards the two. Cindy ducked down, and quickly rolled the containment foam at his feet as she quickly crawled to her feet and broke off into a sprint. "Alice, shoot it!"
Alice had simply vanished as the blade cut through the point she'd been standing, she reappeared a few feet to the left, and drew a bead on the skittering canister. It took her the entire magazine but her final bullet hit the dancing cylinder. Containment foam began to spray uncontrollably, swiftly enveloping the lower half of the creature, though it immobilized him at least for the moment.
Bonecrusher let out a loud yell as he raised his hand up into the air, and slammed it down into the containment foam - the impact of his blow was enough to crack the hardening containment foam. Another earpiercing blow had cracked further.
Alice had meanwhile reloaded, and emptied another magazine in the monstrosity's direction. She could hardly miss, despite her shaking hands, and every bullet struck home, though he shrugged them off as she would so much confetti. "We'd need a bazooka to kill this thing...
The Bonecrusher activated a mechanism in his arm... one that seemingly caused it to rev up like a motorcycle as light flames flew off it. Gears grinding was enough to empower Bonecrusher with enough strength to break free.
"Ooookay," Cindy said. "Jesus Christ, that's the first time I've ever seen the containment foam break!"
Before the Bonecrusher could continue, he received a message from the Phantasm.
"... Kill Faith."
Nodding his head, the beast's barely visible lips curled upwards as the Bonecrusher ran full speed towards them - with full intention of crushing them if they get in the way. But, his goal was to go kill Faith real quickly.
"Move!" Cindy grabbed onto Alice's arm and hoped that Alice wasn't going to freeze up.
Alice had never seen anything like it, the scariest metahuman she'd ever seen had been the guy who'd tried to burn her alive, and that was just because he had been psychotic. This was something else entirely, a veritable mountain of flesh and machinery that had deicded that she was simply another obstacle to be crushed. It was only the sudden grip on her arm that shocked her out of her stupor. Bonecrusher shattered the paving slabs the two had been standing on a second later. They were now stood on the building above and behind the Bonecrusher, "that foam did nothing, but..."
She paused a moment, flashing back how close she had come to death once more, "I've got an idea to slow him down..."
"Well, that makes one of us," Cindy said.
"I need you to keep his attention off me."
Nodding her head, Cindy briefly wondered; why the hell isn't she in RAVEN? She keeps getting into shit that should be reserved for the fighters. Maybe she'll apply for RAVEN... Yeeeeeah, no. This city needs a DOVE, and that DOVE is Cindy. No matter what, she'll be here for the long haul. "I have an idea." Cindy said as she pulled the stray glass chunks from the area around her, and formed them into balls the size of basketballs. None of her glass weaponry would do anything but tickle him... well, maybe she could cut some of those damn wires, but that would keep his attention better. The freshly formed glass orbs floated around Cindy, before she launched each of them at Bonecrusher.
While they were coming up with their plan, Bonecrusher had elected to ignore them because they weren't packing enough firepower to even put a dent in him. Instead, he was going after Faith as the Phantasm told him. He saw a trail of blood lead around a corner, he did a massive leap around the corner... where the trail of blood came to a stop.
He raised an eyebrow.
A glass orb then hit him right in the back of the head. It did absolutely nothing to Bonecrusher other than sting him a little. He whipped his head around, only to meet another glass orb hitting him in the face. It did nothing but spray glass all over the place (A little bit of it got in the mask). He was more annoyed than anything.
Alice appeared on his back, entwining her fingers in the cables that sprouted from his shoulders. "Let's go for a walk."
The sudden vacuum sucked in litter and rubble across the floor.
God it hurt, Alice could teleport two people, but this guy was nearly as big as two, pushing her to her limits, she could feel her senses screaming as she tried to push higher. Eventually she knew that taking him any further would guarantee ashing. So with the added mass she only managed a mile. That said, a mile is a long way to fall.
The sudden appearance of the Bonecrusher up into the sky was not very pleasant. It was surprising to say the least - and all he could do was yell... and swipe at Alice uselessly... before he hit the ground. His heavy frame creating a shockwave as the kinetic force utterly destroyed most of the machinery that comprised him. He was bleeding... but still alive. He pushed himself to his feet a few moments later, loudly groaning as he realized his machinery was now useless. The mechanics around his arm simply dropped off, as the Bonecrusher grabbed onto a spare blade he had. Faith had most likely gotten away.
Forcing himself to his feet, he was still dangerous without his metal as he was still strong enough to contend with the most powerful super-system types.
Oozing blood, he continued his march.
Alice reappeared beside Cindy, swaying with exhaustion. She stared in disbelief at the inexorable advance of the Bonecrusher.
"Are you fucking kidding me?"
"Ugh," Cindy said. "Let's ignore him for now... he's a distraction at best."
The gunfire behind Cindy only confirmed that.
"All Agents! The Intimidation Unit are on the field!" Cindy was alerted via the communication system, and shook her head. "We have eyes on the Phantasm, he is going after the MIP!"
"Alice," Cindy grabbed her hand and looked her square in the eye with determination. "You know what to do."
As the fight raged on behind her, Faith had been fighting a battle of her own as she desperately pulled herself along the ground towards what she thought might've been an exit. As she crawled around yet another corner, she tried to regain her footing, using a wall to regain her balance, but the anti-metahuman representative barely restrained a scream as the agony snaked upwards from her heel and collapsed against the same wall. "Freaks... fucking freaks..." She whimpered, as all seemed lost, only...
"Faith Avalos?" A voice asked, catching her focus; it belonged to a man wearing a jacket, a DOVE badge clipped to his belt, his fingers fingers tightly clutching onto a pistol.
Faith looked up, as she was bleeding out to see that DOVE. Most of DOVES were useless sympathizers, or the freaks that put her in this situation in the first place. "No... no... get away from me....." She groaned as she lost more blood.
The DOVE in question was none other than Reed Taylor; who's gaze shifted towards her wounded heel, then the thin trail of blood that followed her. He could still hear the fighting in the distance and knew that they were far from safe, whatever angle you looked at it. "Look, I'm on your side, so just work with me here..." His tone was sharp and to the point.
She.silently listened to Reed... she was busy bleeding out "F-fine..." She groaned.
Nodding, he quickly took a knee beside her and quickly ran his palm over the injured foot until he was able to stem the flow of blood, at least for the time being - but that was only half of the problem. One quick glance at the woman's foot and anyone would've realised that she wouldn't have been able to put any weight on it, let alone walking any time soon. After a moment's pause, Reed opted for the quick solution. "Gonna have to get you out of here, just hold on." Lifting Faith's relatively small frame over his shoulders, Reed drew her up into a fireman's carry position and moved away, determined to keep her in one piece.
He could only hope that Cindy and Alice would keep the bastards held off.
While Bonecrusher was keeping those two busy... that teleporter was going to be a pain in the ass, and it was better that she was busy fighting Bonecrusher than the Phantasm himself.
Warping on top of the building, the Phantasm quickly noticed that RAVEN and the police were here... charging in heavily armed in some bid to kill the Phantasm. However, they were just playing into the Family's hands. All they were doing was throwing fuel to the flames. If he wasn't wearing a helmet, the world could see the Phantasm smirking wide. His hand drifted towards his earpiece, and he ordered.
"Julia, initiate phase two of our plan."
"Gladly..." Julia playfully said as she switched comms. "Zenith, would you kindly?"
On cue... various blue portals opened up around the coliseum, and black armored paramilitary soldiers came came charging out, opening fire on the police and RAVEN with a barrage of bullets. Firefights spread like wild-fire. The Phantasm grinned as all he could hear was the sound of bullets... but the problem was that they utterly negated his enhanced hearing. No matter....
The Phantasm teleported again... towards the MIP.
Thanks to Alice, the pair were able to quickly catch up with the MIP. Fortunately, the police were locking down the area. Unfortunately, the Intimidation Unit was tearing the place up - and to Cindy, that practically meant that the Phantasm had all the cover in the world. She was personally wondering why he didn't just do that in the first place - but, fuck it. They got bigger fish to fry rather than worry about what motives a crazy assassin could have. Appearing on the rooftop, Cindy knew down, and saw the MIP Representatives making a break for it. Carter running on all fours, with Lucia at his side. Cindy was personally wondering how long it could take to clear the area - but, pretty damn long if you ran under the threat of getting shot at with all these hired goons running around.
"Alright, Alice, you know the drill-" Cindy pointed down towards Carter and Lucia.
But, at that exact moment, the Phantasm made his appearance, teleporting across buildings to catch up with the MIP.
"Damn it!" Cindy said... as she gathered glass from around herself. "Alice, cut that bastard off, I have an idea!"
Alice dropped her helmet onto the floor, cramming her fifth energy bar into her mouth. Taking someone as big as the Bonecrusher that high had really taken it out of her, and ideally she'd be taking a break right now. Unfortunately ideal wasn't exactly on the cards. She checked her pistol and spare magazines, "You're going to have to hurry up about it," she sprayed crumbs across the rooftop as she spoke, "He's fasterthan me, so you'll have to be quick."
She gave Cindy a nod, and then vanished, reappearing atop a building a hundred feet away to reorient herself, before throwing herself forward through space to meet the Phantasm's trajectory. He phased through her first spray of bullets, returning to solidity just long enough to loose a shot that whipped past her shoulder before she forced him back into his near invulnerable form. She could probably out-pace him, but in a one-on-one fight he had the edge. She was just trying to keep him intangible, that way she couldn't hurt him, but he couldn't hurt anyone else either.
Cindy had a few moments before Alice ran out of bullets, or the Phantasm would simply teleport away. She created a giant glass triangle, strong enough to support her weight through glass reinforcing (and knowing how much she weighs, of course), and quickly rode it towards the Phantasm.
The Phantasm was merely walking out of the danger, he noticed Cindy rolling up... and narrowed his eyes from under the mask.
Upon landing, Cindy did a roll and pointed her gun at the Phantasm, and hoped that this would work.... and instead of teleporting away, the Phantasm turned intangible. Cindy was quick, she broke her arrow-shaped glass pane into thousands of smaller pieces, and peppered the area with them. They were floating around the Phantasm, but whenever he tried to step out, Cindy just moved the field. She grinned.
"... What?" Cindy quipped. "Can't teleport when you're a ghostboy?" She asked. It seems her little guesswork was correct after all. She noticed that the Phantasm never turned intangible then teleport. Now, she's got him trapped with quick thinking and teamwork. She hoped that she could find a more efficient way of keeping him contained... but, hey, she has to do what she has to.
The Phantasm stared at her, wordlessly as he thought about a way out of this. He couldn't stay intangible forever... there were risks. Nonetheless, he had to think fast.
Alice popped back into existence beside Cindy, "that... was a good idea, you got this?"
"Yeah, just hurry up," Cindy said, turning towards Alice. "The Intimidation Unit is all over the place."
Alice turned, fixing her gaze on the unmissable form of Carter White, running at his side was Lucia Li, and then, a fraction of a second later, Alice as well. She made sure that her RAVEN badge was obvious, she didn't want them to lash out thinking she was the Phantasm. It would be a fine ending, to survive that monstrosity only to be splatted by a startled gorilla. "I can only take one of you at a time, I hope you can look after yourself big man." She clamped a hand onto the petite woman's shoulder, and took her a mile away to a RAVEN safehouse. She leaned against the wall, getting her breath back, she'd have to be careful not to ash, "You're going to have to hold on here, I'll be back with your friend..."
Carter nodded his head, and kept running as he awaited the return of the RAVEN. He was glad that Lucia was safe. Though, he could hear the sounds of a motorcycle get louder and louder. He turned his head, and noticed the Bonecrusher rushing towards him on his chopper. Carter quickly picked up the pace as Bonecrusher rushed towards him - but, even with his bestial traits, he was no match for the brute on a motorcycle. The Bonecrusher swiped at Carter with a swing of his blade. Assisted by the momentum of his motor, it cut deep. Carter let out a yell as he fell to his side, his white fur was stained by his own blood.
Bonecrusher came to a skidding stop on his motorcycle, and Carter was desperately crawling away as the Bonecrusher ran over towards him.
"I... I... can make it," Carter said as he tried his best to crawl off. "I... I can live, I can- aaaggh!"
Bonecrusher had slammed his foot on Carter's back with enough force to cave in his torso. That wasn't all, he raised his blade up into the air, and savagely brought it down on Carter's skull. Slicing clean through it. However, the Bonecrusher knew that enough was enough, and merely elected to step off the gorilla-Metahuman, and walk over to his motorcycle, and get back on.
"... Zenith." Bonecrusher said, and a swirling blue portal opened up in front of him, and he sped off inside.
All while Cindy was keeping the Phantasm still, she noticed something. His body... it was fading. Like getting more and more transparent and loosing shape. Like, he was fading out of existence. Cindy kept her attention on the Phantasm. Hoping that he would just fade away and stop being a pain in the ass.
"I...." The Phantasm trailed off, honestly surprising Cindy because she had never heard the Phantasm speak. "... I am never getting trapped in the void again!"
Surprising even Cindy, the Phantasm phased back into existence, and just had to have several pieces of glass inside of him. He let out several coughs - electronically distorted by his helmet, but some of the glass must have screwed with the machinery in his helmet because the voice changer was breaking. Allowing Cindy to kind of hear the Phantasm's voice and it was vaguely feminine.
Caught totally off guard by the Phantasm doing the last thing she expected, Cindy's eyes shot wide as the Phantasm teleported over to her. Punching her in the face, and wrapping his arms around her. She was completely stunned, and felt the Phantasm lock a power suppressant collar around her neck. Before she could even try to do anything, the Phantasm teleported. Pulling her through the void between worlds where everything was a wispy black smoke and shadows. It was honestly nauseating.
She was teleported yet again, before the Phantasm finally stopped, teleporting her to the edge of the very rooftop the Phantasm used to observe the area from afar. She looked into the Phantasm's helmet in fear, before he said,
"Zenith."
And a portal opened right behind her. The Phantasm shoved her inside, before teleporting inside himself. And with that, the portal snapped closed.
Appearing in a dark room, the first thing that Cindy heard was,
"... I have recovered the target"
A face in the darkness smirked.
"Very good...." Julia's feminine voice purred "... Pull the Intimidation Unit out of the area. We've done enough."
And with the assistance of portals, the Intimidation Unit made a quick retreat.
Julia walked from the shadows over towards Cindy with a smile on her face.
Cindy was confused... what the hell was going on. Fuck it. She was going to shoot her way out of here, she reached for her gun - and what the fuck?! It was gone. The Phantasm might have snatched it. Getting caught off guard yet again, Cindy didn't notice the person stabbing her in the neck with a syringe. She immediately felt weak to her knees, as she fell down. Consciousness was quickly fading.
Julia knelt down and looked Cindy in the face.
"... I'm going to have a lot of fun with you."
And then Cindy faded into drug-induced unconsciousness. Unable to defend herself from the likes of the Family.
Alice had expected to have a pretty hairy situation when she returned, but she hadn't expected to see what she did. She turned away, face ashen. Carter White, once so powerful and imposing, now looked pathetic, a huddled, bloodstained rag of silver fur discarded on the ground, all of the life gone out of it. She tapped her communicator.
"I got Li out, but I was too late for Carter..."
There was no response, she tapped again, "Greenbird?"
No response, and searching the rooftops turned up only thousands of shards of glass, but no Cindy. Her locator wasn't reading either. She keyed in a new frequency.
"Agent MIA..."
Reed had barely managed to pull Faith out of the firefight and carry her to safety, harried by the likes of the Intimidation Unit at their heels. Yet he had managed to get the two of them out of there, in one piece - more or less. A row of BPD cruisers and armoured vans had been waiting for them, weapons at the ready, but after a moment of pause the response teams lowered their arms as a few recognised him from the badge clipped to his belt. Well, that and the fact that he was carrying one of the representatives at the debate on his shoulders.
Paramedics at the soon quickly showed up with a stretcher in tow, which Reed carefully set Faith down upon with their aid, before he glanced over his shoulder towards the direction of where he'd last seen Cindy and Alice. Reaching up to his comms piece, he was about to let them know he'd pulled the anti-metahuman debater to safety....
""Agent MIA..."
When he heard Alice's voice seconds before his own.
"I've got Faith Avalos... wait, what?" It hit him like a ton of bricks. "MIA?" He asked.
"I..."
Alice didn't know what to say at first, until her instincts took over. Coldly and mechanically.
"Greenbird is MIA, last seen engaging the Phantasm..."
No. Reed's body grew stiff. "Are you sure? Have you searched the area?"
Alice resisted the urge to snap back, "no response from her locator, and I can cover this ground faster than anyone, I've got no visual on her..."
"Not a trace?" Reed was skeptical of the notion that she had just disappeared in an instant, unless....
They used portals. The Intimidation Unit had always used portals to deploy, then retreat instantaneously. One extra person wouldn't have been unfeasible.
"... They took her back with them." He realised, out loud.
Rhea had gone out on business, and Malik was all on his lonesome finding all of Marcelle's logs.
Seriously. The first thing Malik did when he woke up was do his morning stretches... then, go out to get all of Marcelle's logs that he could. Only problem was that they were all over the place. Like, in literally every corner of Baybridge (Including the spooky woods that Malik needed help going into). Well, that wasn't the only problem (the other problem being that most of them are gone! Poof!), but that was the main problem that Malik saw. Even though he wasn't the world's greatest tactician, he had enough knowledge of movies to know that the farther he goes, the more likely this Family was to follow him back.
And he was already asking a lot from Tanya. Good thing they're such good friends!
He traveled far and wide, and it was a fun way to explore Baybridge, but eventually he made it to Fallbridge Square. In about four hours, he managed to find... one log? That was discouraging given all the places he searched. But, if he found one, then hell he's going to find another! Though, he found it weird that the very first log they managed to find was the very first log Marcelle recorded.
Weird, huh?
Either way, Malik had to be fast. He had that sinking feeling that this Graham guy was taking the other logs- Oh, yeah. That reminds him, he's got to track that guy down so they can have a nice long chat. Hopefully he's one of those nice MISW-types, but not one of those borderline-Nazi types. That would suuuuuuuck.
He came up to the building where the other log was located... to be honest, he was getting tired of all the parkour, and just turned into a storm. In the alleyway, of course. He didn't want to scare anyone! Though, they were probably caught off guard by the sudden crash of thunder as Malik was quick to fly up before anyone could notice him. Pretty sneaky if you ask me. Malik thought to himself as he appeared on top of the building, still in his storm form.
Okay. Look for any look rocks that look even the slightest bit out of place- Aw, screw it. Malik was tired of searching around uselessly only for it to appear in the last place he would look. He did the same trick he did when he found Marcelle's first log... He focused, and channeled raging winds around himself in a near tornado. The winds were strong enough to stir up quite a scene! That was the last thing Malik wanted to do, actually.
When he stopped, the dust had settled, and he had knocked some stones hastily off. Good! Malik ran over to it, and pulled another dead drop spike out of the wall. He was quick to turn it, and pull the USB drive out.
Yes! Yes! Yes
The third Marcelle's log he found.
"... Hey, who's up there?!" Someone shouted as they came up the fire escape, and told Malik that it was best if he just doesn't answer. Malik was quick to dart off through the skies.
Back to Price-Edfield, I guess...
Courtbridge, Prince Edfield.
Tanya was less than pleased to lend Malik her laptop on the grounds of "his James Bond-level bullshit," but he reminded her that he was paying the rent. That bribe was enough to get her to loan him his laptop. Tanya was undergoing band practice, so Malik decided to just, uh, find a nice rooftop! He was on the roof of the opposite apartment complex (That Tanya said was "full of bumbaclots"). He sat with his legs folded, and the laptop, well, on his lap.
Okay, he had two logs to go through today, so it's best that he gets started!
"Marcelle's Log Nine: It's been a few days since my encounter with the Blessed Three, and I managed to get some more information about them. Only from long time members that were kind enough to share this information with a newcomer... probably because it was all rumor and speculation, but it's stated that each of the Blessed Three survived some sort of experiment - or "ritual" would be a better term - that only someone with "perfect genes" can survive. I think that's Hitler-level foolishness... I'm not sure, but there's more to it."
"Now, in my last log, I said that the Blessed Three have supreme control over the Family - but, they have a council of advisers. No one has ever seen them in person, because they are only allowed to be seen by the Three. From what I've been told, they groom the Blessed Three into the egomaniacs they are today. Training them how to fight, giving them knowledge that even Ivy League scientists would kill for, and once they are ready, they give them advice from the sidelines. They're basically the elders of the Family, but I don't know how that selection process goes, to tell you the truth."
"Which, has happened before, since apparently, there was a schism in the Family decades ago that left all but one of the Blessed Three dead. This one man had absolute control over the Family, but he did something. He made some kind of discovery that would change the world should it get out."
"... And it has me terrified. Marcelle out."
Hmmmm... This was interesting. He made sure to remember everything Marcelle said. Blessed Three, perfect genes, elders - Got it. Malik thought to himself. However, it doesn't tell Malik where Marcelle is. However, he was going to keep this information just in case. Who knows, maybe it'll be useful to the feds!
Malik quickly turned on the other log.
"Marcelle's Log Seventeen: It's been a few months since I've arrived here, and I know so much about the Family. I've killed... so many people - had sex with so many people - just to earn their trust. Oh my God. It's getting tougher and tougher to keep this going. I'm... just a low level Agent. I joined the DGMHS to help people, not be the Family's toy. I just... I just want to stop, but I have to keep going. I'm in too deep to just give up... and... they know my own family in Europe. They'll kill them, and all my friends. So, I must fight until the Family is destroyed."
"But, I've made major progress in my case with the Beast of Prague... apparently, the Family has such a control over the Czech Republic that they just needed the President to play along. The Family are an arrogant lot. Instead of just assassinating him and replacing him, they attempted to intimidate him into submission. When he refused, they threatened his cities. They told him something "awful" will happen if he continues to refuse... he continued to refuse, then the Family dropped the Beast onto Prague."
"What's worse is that... they have the ability to turn any Metahuman into this superpowered giant. A literal WMD at their fingertips should they want to employ it. I don't know what it is... but, they said something about creating some of it in one of their labs in Asia."
"Marcelle out."
Jesus... Prague was a disaster, but know it turns out the Family was behind it? They created the Beast who destroyed Prague? The same Beast that killed over a thousand people, and left many more displaced with his terrakinetic and pyromancery abilities. Malik's heart was out to the people of Prague, but what he was really concerned about was the suggestion that they could create more.
Hopefully, RAVEN will get to the bottom of this before that happens - but it's becoming more and more apparent that they're clueless.
Malik sighed. He would do his best to find Marcelle, but the odds were just not in his favor. Okay, time to analyze things. If there this is log seventeen, there are at least thirteen logs that Malik hasn't found yet. And he searched at least five places that were empty. So, there's eight logs that could be out there. And obviously the implication that Marcelle could have recorded more logs.
He had to sigh again.
All this secret agent nonsense was going to drive him crazy!
Jennifer Marissa Caspin.
Lower-South Royer Town, Prince Edfield.
Argh! The smell!
What the hell did Cindy even eat last night? Whatever the hell it was, it sure as hell didn't mix with alcohol. It was so bad that Jennifer had to run to the supermarket and grab a Rug-Doctor™ because nothing else got it out. She got the puke itself out, but it festered on the carpet and seemingly seeped through it into the wood paneling. The smell was so awful that the landlord considered the CDC, but the only option they had was to set the damn building ablaze.
Fortunately, the Rug-Doctor, and some cleaning solutions, were doing a good job of getting this atrocious smell out of the room. She was simply moving the Rug-Doctor back and fourth over the vomit stains until they were all gone. She sighed in relief, but there was till a little bit more she...
Suddenly, her head felt like someone dropped an anvil on it. She loudly groaned as it took all of her willpower to stop from dropping on her knees. She threw the damn rug doctor aside as she clenched her head with both hands. Her vision began to distort as static overcame her eyes, and everything began to distort and warp in a purple color. This time the antagonizing pain was more intense than ever before. She fell down as she felt blood drip down from her ears.
Then... everything changed as she was sent into her mind.
It was a brief image of what appeared to be her in some kind of pod as two tall people - shrouded in shadow - stood in front of it. Clearly talking. She couldn't make out anything in her vision. Everything was distorted by that purple color that she could only make out vague shapes.
Afterwards, it all ended, and Jennifer was looking around doe-eyed as she tried to make sense of it all. While the headaches and hallucinations were happening since she ran into Hailey again, this was different. She never seen anything before. What's more... she had an odd feeling. Something that was very strange. She had the feeling as if she had learned something important - but having no idea what that was. And she was innately questioning her first encounter with Megan all of the sudden.
The putrid smell of her apartment was immediately put low on her priority list as possible as she reached into her back pocket, and grabbed her cellphone. She still had Megan's number, and owed the woman quite a lot.
She could say the same about a lot of people.
Punching in her number, Jennifer put the phone up to her ear as she leaned up against the nearest wall. She heard that dialing sound, hoping that Megan wasn't busy. Then she answered.
The very first thing at Jennifer heard was the sound of a loud crash, followed by a scream.
"O-oh! Miss- Jenny! Hi, love!" Megan tried to say. "What can I do for you?!"
There was a barrage of bullets going on in the background.
"Focus on the big one!" Someone shouted, before they yelled in pain a few moments later. Then there was the sound of what had to be a swarm of bees.
"Oh. Jesus. Christ! Where did all these fucking bees come from!?"
"... You sound busy, I'll-"
"Ah, ah, ah!" Megan cut her off. "I'm just getting wrapped up! I always have time for you!"
"Megan, get from underneath that damn desk and help me!" A gruff man shouted, strained by something.
"Well..." Jennifer trailed off. "... Remember how we met? Like, the first time?"
"'Course, love, I remember it like it was yesterday!" Megan cheerfully said. "... This is where the flaaaaashback starts!"
And Jennifer could just picture the Jazz hands Megan was doing on the other end.
Several Years Ago...
San-Diego, California.
... The piercing bone blade impaled the man in the chest from behind. While Missy Baroness, Jennifer Caspin at the time, kept her hand over his mouth as she sprayed crimson all over his nice living room. It was an awkward position because the man was much taller than her. However, he was finally ended. She retracted the blade, and let the oozing wound bleed out, until the man fell forward. His body was unable to take the stress of the wounds, and just fell to the ground.
That was another member of the Hands of Science down.
It was despicable. How they were able commit crimes against humanity, and just go home and act like it never happened. Hell, some of them even profited from it. Well, they're going to be getting their comeuppance in hell. Without the Changeling Unit for her to take her anger out on, all that was left was the Hands. She doesn't have a penny to her name, but with good genes, it was easy to sway the criminal underworld... or put herself to use in the White Spider Society for a quick buck. Whatever it took.
Missy rolled the medical mask her mouth, and turned away... she should leave here before someone finds his body...
"... Oh, splendid! Good show!" The dead body suddenly started speaking, and Missy almost pissed herself... Well, it wouldn't be the weirdest thing that she encountered. The body got back up off the ground - as the blood that was "splattered" returned to it. "You are just what I'm looking for!"
Another bonespear burst out of Jennifer's knuckles, and she pointed it at the walking corpse. "... I don't know what the hell you are, but dead bodies don't get up and start talking."
"... And who said I was a dead body, love?" The "corpse" said, as it slowly shifted into a different form. Body molding into a tall, redhaired woman with freckles, wearing a modest tan skirt, and a red sweater. "So, you're the one going around killing former members of the Hands? The serial killer that got them clenching their blankets!"
Jennifer lowered her bone spear. "... Who are you?"
"Megan Jervious!" Megan said as she grabbed Jennifer's other hand, shaking it passionately. "Nice to meet you! You have nice eyes, by the way!" She giggled. "I've been tracking you down, and you've been cunning enough to fool the police, but stupid enough to let anyone with two braincells rub together track you down. So, let me give you an offer!"
Missy raised an eyebrow, as Megan continued, "... We have similar goals! Join me! We have free ice cream, and health benefits!"
"And those similar goals are?" Missy asked.
"Well, you're a Hands of Science destroying machine! We could use someone like you on my team, and..." Megan put on a sly grin. "... You're not the brightest light if you let me track you down like this. Only a matter of time before an assassin finds you next, or the police - the police are bad, too! With my help, you'll kill the Hand efficiently!"
Missy rolled her eyes up into her head, putting her hands into the pockets of her white hoodie. She had no idea who this strange red-haired woman was, but, she might as well give her a chance. "... Alright, then, I'll join you-" Before she could even get the last word out, Megan had grabbed her by the wrist with a grip that no human being could break out of!
"Excellent!" Megan said. "Let's go!"
"... Ahhhh, good times, good times." Megan blissfully said.
Honestly, half the time, Jennifer wondered if Megan was just one big figment of her imagination (Other people seeing her disproves that unless she's a hallucination everyone is having). But, she was one of the most useful people Jen had at her disposal; Megan knew Missy but not Jennifer. Which means that she could confide her secrets into Megan.
"Megan, you know a lot about Metahumans, right?"
"Nobody knows more about them than me, love!" Megan said. "What do you need to know?"
"I... I've been having head aches ever since I met this person," Jennifer said. "Yesterday my hand just went mysteriously missing. And today, I had a vision. And now I'm questioning everything."
"Well..." Megan trailed off, her tone going from chipper to a more somber tone. "Have you considered that someone is messin' with that head of yours? I mean, it only makes sense. There are some straaaaaaange powers out there, with some dastardly people behind them. But, what I want to know is why?"
Yeah, me too. Jennifer thought to herself.
"But, this person, do you think they could be messing with your brain?" Megan said.
"No, but this person is a fri-" Suddenly, Jennifer considered the possibility. What if Hailey and Akane were lying to Jennifer? What if they just pulled the wool over her eyes and expected her to play along? That started making sense. "... I'm starting consider the possibility."
"Good!" Megan shouted. "Now, I assume you're going to confront this person?"
"Yeah..." Jennifer trailed off. "I got no choice if I'm getting to the bottom of this mystery of mine."
"... Just don't do it alone, love," Megan said. "You'll just dig yourself a hole! Who knows what'll happen if they find out you're breaking their illusion!"
Nodding her head, Jennifer said, "Yeah, I'm getting some friends now."
"Good!" Megan said, "I got some business to sort out! But, remember, I'm always here for my loving, loyal, employee! Buh-bye!"
"Bye." Jennifer said... now wondering how she was going to get to the bottom of this. If she thinks Hailey and Akane did something to her, then she has no choice but to find one of them for answers. She thought about who she could call for help. But, with Meifeng at the party, Cindy at the debate, Quentin out for the count, and... Well, honestly, not too many friends, her options were limited. She would rather not get Haruka in her business... he was too good for her, and he didn't deserve getting stuck "in a hole" with her.
Jennifer was going to do this alone. She would forget the smell for now, but looked through her phone for Hailey's number, and called it. After a few minutes had passed, it had become apparent that she wasn't going to answer. Which meant she has to find Hailey the hard way.
The only place Jennifer knew off the top of her head was her workplace... yeah, she'll head there.
Getting dressed up, Jennifer walked out the door in a snow-white hoodie, long jeans, and her usual thin-framed glasses, as she went out searching for Hailey.
After that encounter with Abe, Jiao-Long immediately went back to work searching for Biyu.
Simply fixing his tie and suit, Jiao-Long was able to resume his search without much obstruction. Hopefully, Jiao-Long will find Biyu before something else happens. He found it disgraceful that he was so tense at his son's birthday party... while the boy will have no idea of why his beloved father was so tense. It'll be over soon. All they have to do is find Biyu, and the Family's grip over the Lius will be released, and he'll never be Suan-Ni, or a servant of the Family, again.
Continuing his march, Jiao-Long was surprised when someone slapped a hand on his shoulder. He shuddered, when he realized it was Blake. The defacto "leader" of the Blessed Three, and the least frightening (at least compared to that nutcase Ezekiel), but arguably the most foreboding.
"Jiao-Long!" Blake cheerfully greeted the Liu Patriarch, before he switched to Chinese, "Would you prefer we converse in your native language?" Blake's Chinese was flawless - nothing less was expected from the leading member of the Blessed Three.
"No, English is fine," Jiao-Long said. "What can I help you with, Schmidt? Are we just catching up?"
"There is something you can help me with," Blake said. "But, is there anywhere private in here? And don't say the bathrooms, because that's so unsavory."
"There's a garden outback-"
"No, no!" Blake said as he pulled in Jiao-Long, and laughed. "I think this will be fine, no one can even hear each other over the music!" He winked at Jiao-Long, and kept that friendly smile on his face, "I'll just cut right to the chase! I've come here to convince you to work on our project!"
"...I said I'd decide at the end of the we-"
"I know, but we're just so close to completion, and your genius is just what we need to finish it in a reasonable amount of time." Blake explained, keeping Jiao-Long held close. "I admire your genius, Jiao-Long. You devised a way to render the Metahuman energy dormant - effectively depowering a Metahuman... Too bad that it's so expensive and inefficient that it's impractical to use on the general populace... Ha..." He laughed.
Jiao-Long didn't even listen, he wondered where he was going with this.
"...But, the Family can fix that, of course. We just request one last thing," Blake looked Jiao-Long in the eye. "Just work on this project, and we'll give you all the benefits of the Family, and you'll never owe us a thing."
That seemed like an easy way out... No. Jiao-Long was done taking the easy way out. He was done serving the Family, and he was done being muscled into their evil deeds.
"...We both know that that isn't true," Jiao-Long bitterly said. "I'm too good of an asset to the Family - no matter what I do, you'll never leave me or my family alone."
He faced Blake, and pushed him away with one hand, before staring him straight in the eye. He's not going to bend forward for the Family any longer.
"I refuse, and that's my final answer." Jiao-Long said, dead serious.
Blake shrugged, but kept that cheerful look on his face.
"C'mon, Jiao-Long," Blake took a step forward. "Think about what you mean to me."
He put both hands on his chest as he tried to plead with him.
"You've been in the Family longer than I've even been alive. You were even trained by the last generation of Blessed Three - God bless their souls. You've known me since I was a child, being propped up on this pedestal that people would kill for. In a way, you're like an uncle to me. If you turn your back on the Family - which you are apart of as much as I am - that would crush me to my soul."
While it is true that Jiao-Long was (reluctantly) a longtime member of the Family, he was through with their narcissism. He was through working for madmen, and he was though with Blake. Jiao-Long turned around, and walked off, firmly speaking,
"I have made my mind, Blake." Jiao-Long said. "Leave at once, or I will contact security."
Meifeng watched from a distance, and pressed her earpiece.
"Uncle, who was that guy?" She asked in Chinese... because the amount of bad encounters Jiao-Long was having was getting ridiculous.
It was for the best that Jiao-Long keeps his mouth shut about Blake. If he tells Meifeng, and she does something, it'll certainly not bode well for his family.
"I will explain later, just focus on finding Biyu."
Blake was deeply hurt that Jiao-Long was so willing to betray the Family. So willing to throw away all the good times they had. Maybe he was in a bad mood? Maybe he didn't mean it?
Though, he was foolish to do so at his son's birthday party - with his whole family here. Because, there is a certain Dog of his just waiting for the order. Jiao-Long was going to work on the machine, one way or another. Blake pressed his earpiece, and warned his assassin.
"...Veronica, I am putting in the order."
Shizuka was very much relieved that the music finally came to an end (about time!); he let out a soft sigh as he mirrored what the other dancers were doing to their partner and bow to Mika. Then he looked up and held out a hand to the girl. "Shall we take a walk around the place?"
Mika smiled, as she took his hand. "...Yes, we may." But, she had one thing to suggest. "...But, stop trying to talk like that. It seems so unnatural."
Shizuka stared at her for a couple of seconds before he finally dropped the plastic smile, turning it into his usual smirk. "Good that you didn't like it - I hate acting like this too. It's damn tiring."
"Just... be yourself, Shizuka," Mika assured him with a smile... before realizing how dangerous that phrase was.
Since the girl had said so herself... He gave her an amused chuckle. "I'll take your words for it."
Getting off the dance floor as soon as possible was only part of the reason; Shizuka had a bad feeling in his gut the whole time as he glided around under Mika's great control (and she was surprisingly good, given her... build). Even though it was only just a quick glance, he could feel a chilly aura from the intimidating black-haired man who was talking with Jiao-Long, even when he was all the way here - that man was someone he seriously wouldn't want to go anywhere near to. There was also the lady in bright-red dress that man had brought along with him. The way she was glaring at the people around her sourly... she looked as if she practically owned this place, that this was actually her birthday party ruined by all these classless people.
...Something's not right.
He hoped that it was just his usual paranoia that was drilled into him from his field of work in RAVEN. Oh well - for now capturing Biyu was his top priority, and maybe it would be faster if they tried to search for the target from above.
"Let's go upstairs," he suggested. Nodding her head, Mika went along with Shizuka.
Once the pair reached the upper level, Shizuka looked around, trying to find a spot where he could get a good view of the ground floor below... and somewhere that wasn't booked by overly intimidate couples, which disgusted him. Jesus - was this supposed to be a mere birthday party for a spoiled brat boy, or was this an excuse for these loaded snobs to find an even richer sex partner to feed them for the rest of their lives?
He dragged Mika with him and squeezed through a few kissing pairs (on top of having to mentally shut out the loud noise of wet smooching), scanning the hall ground below. To any normal party-goers, it was just your normal ballroom event: dancers drifting across the dance floor to the classical pieces, small groups of people chatting with each other over champagnes and red wines, the hungry ones gathering around the buffet area... And it was good that the table where the Liu family was seated seemed alright, for now.
But to Shizuka, there was a strange dissonance among these attendees. Beneath the pleasant smiling masks, he could tell that some of them just didn't belong here as much as him; he could even pick out some were here for a very different purpose.
...Shit.
He knew that this was bound to happen... There was no way he could miss the bloodlust in some of their eyes. Just as he had feared, this party was only one step away from becoming a literal war zone.
They would just have to find and apprehend Biyu... ASAP.
It's now a race against time.
Lihua had wished that she could have done more to help, but she knew that it was for the best that she remains in the sidelines.
Even though it's been decades since she had even seen Biyu, her anger at the woman was infinite. Lihua had nothing but contempt for her, and she was certain the feeling was mutual. She took a sip of her whiskey... ah, from her years of drinking her sorrows away, her alcohol tolerance was high enough that most drinks could only tickle her. At the price of her kidneys - but she's survived so much that a kidney failure is the least of her concerns. Lihua took one look around, while she took a long sip of her alcohol, and her eyes fell on a curious sight at her side.
A five-two Chinese woman, wearing a modest, ankle, length tan dress. This woman was quite elderly, because her hair was already going gray, and the wooden stick that she had to support herself with was undeniable. The woman gave Lihua a stern, disappointed, look, and Lihua could only return it with a disgusted look. Because she knows exactly who this woman was.
Biyu.
"Qiaolian," Biyu started off, addressing her daughter in the most bitter tone. "Is this what you're doing with your life? Sitting your ass on a bar stool and drinking your life away... disgraceful."
Lihua narrowed her eyes at Biyu, and tried to play it off, trying not to let anger consume her, "I'm sorry, but do I know you? I'm Zhao Lihua..." She was considering whether or not she should alert the others on the earpiece - but, it'd be too obvious. She has to divert Biyu, then alert the others.
"What? Do you think I am stupid?" Biyu rolled her eyes at Lihua. "I can recognize the flesh and blood that I am ashamed to say is my own. I see you haven't changed much, Qiaolian."
"You don't know me."
"But, I know enough," Biyu said. "Your two bastards - one of which isn't even fully Chinese! Your time working for NEST, the Verthaven Disaster, and... The Hei Long."
That's what made Lihua clench her glass so tightly that it nearly broke.
"Tyrant they called you," Biyu said. "Because you oppressed any Metahuman that didn't surrender to the control of the Chinese government... I wonder, did you enjoy it?"
Lihua raised an eyebrow at Biyu. Every night she dreams about what she did under the orders of the Hei Long... all the innocent people she killed. Or all the times she has been nearly killed herself.
"The power." Biyu empathized. "Did you enjoy the power?"
It was time for Lihua to be honest, if she was honest with herself, she can be honest with the world.
"... I can't say that I didn't," Lihua answered. "But, the power-high was never worth it. The things I have done under the Hei Long will chase me to the grave..."
She bitterly spat out the words, before finishing.
"...If I could change anything about my life, it would be that."
Biyu scoffed.
"Is that an admission of guilt?" Biyu answered. "A way to make me feel sorry for you?"
Biyu laughed. "You're no different than from when you were a child. You can only see the world from the barrel of a gun... Don't speak if your words are meaningless, child." She quoted the part of the Chinese proverb that almost made Lihua slam this glass into her face, but she has to play it cool.
"Is there anything in particular you want from me? Because I am more than content with continuing with my drinking, and pretending as if this conversation never happen..."
"Since you are impatient, Qiaolian, there is," Biyu said, before Lihua raised an eyebrow at her mysterious mother. "I personally wanted to meet my grandchildren. While they were shameful enough to be born from such a shameful woman such as yourself - they are still my grandchildren. I at least want to meet Lijuan."
The mere mention of Lijuan filled Lihua with rage. She is staying out of this. The child's soul is far too pure for this. "Well, you can go to hell." Lihua hissed at Biyu. "You are never coming close to Lijuan. Not as long as I am alive."
"Well, when you put it that way..." Biyu shrugged as she turned and walked away. "...That can be easily fixed, Qiaolian. Watch yourself, because you have more enemies than you think."
Lihua grit her teeth so tightly that she was about to chip a tooth. Her self-control was barely enough to stop her from reaching into her purse, and shooting Biyu dead... and she knows all the places to shoot to make it slow, and horrible. But, Biyu was needed... and Lihua wasn't the type to ruin such a pretty party. Speaking of which, Lihua pressed her earpiece,
"I have visual on Biyu," Lihua spoke in Chinese into the comms. "She is leaving the bar."
"On it, sister." Jiao-Long replied, relieved that they can get this plan in motion.
"We'll be on the way," Shizuka immediately responded with fluent Mandarin. "What's she wearing?" He then turned around, pulling Mika's hand to follow after him, and she nodded in response.
"A tan colored dress... very modest, goes down to her ankles," Lihua was quick to answer.
Mika tugged Shizuka's arm, and then quickly pointed at Biyu. She wasn't that hard to notice, and she was very slow. She telepathically sent Shizuka a message; it would manifest as her voice appearing in his head.
'I have found Biyu... let's keep a healthy distance, shall we?'
With a grim nod, Shizuka replied to Mika with his own thought, 'I'll let you take the lead.'
Veronica had her eye on the targets in the crowd. First, she noticed that Meifeng was tailing Jiao-Long from a distance. From the way she was constantly moving... it was obvious she was trying to keep him within her line of sight. That tipped Veronica off. Maybe she had something to ask, but at the same time, Veronica wasn't the type to brush off obviousness like this. So, if she's tailing her uncle, - for whatever reason - what are the others doing? Veronica split off from Jiao-Long, and she made sure to look for Shizuka, and the fat-bitch. They were last at the dance floor... Oh. They're gone. Veronica noticed them walking up the stairs, and merely was guised as onlookers watching the new crowd of dancers.
They passed by Veronica, and then she looked at them. She kept her distance, though, much like Meifeng, and made sure that she wasn't obvious, but at the same time, she was quick to glance at them every now and then. Damn. She wished that she had attended the bar, if she was drinking something, that'd help her blend in. While glancing at them... she was quick to realize that Shizuka had an earpiece on. Her eyes went wide as his finger touched his ear.
Ooooh, they are up to something.
Given that Meifeng and Shizuka were against the Family... could they be chasing a lead here? Oh. Veronica was tempted to tell Blake, but he was busy. She might as well confirm. The fat-girl pointed at someone, before they went after her - and that was Veronica's cue to run some interference. They could be up to something, and she didn't like it. She could distract them by telling Shizuka how bad he was at dancing, and whose dick did Mika have to slobber on to get a date... but, in the Intimidation Unit, there were two sides. Unsubtle - which was reserved by the Black Hound - and subtle.
Veronica would have been rotting in a prison cell if she wasn't subtle.
Oooooh, she had the perfect idea. Veronica made sure to quickly wade through the crowds, and go around them in a motion to cut them off. As planned, Veronica appeared from off the side, and inadvertently cut them off from Biyu. Now, Veronica knew that Mika had a telepathic ability... and she had a few tricks in store that could throw even the best telepath off. Well, at least distract them from her true goal. Because telepaths were annoying. When she approached Shizuka and Mika, she smiled.
"Oh, hello, there!" Veronica said, putting on a thick French accent, which she perfected during her time in Quebec. "Hello, I'm Amy, I'm the secretary to a business associate of Mr. Liu... are you his daughter? I've heard a little bit about you, but I came here to confirm it."
Instantly, Mika tried to dive into her mind, but she couldn't get a straight answer out of it. She narrowed her eyes in irritation; Biyu was getting away, but she had no choice but to play along.
"Yes," Mika said. "Mika Liu... Nice to meet you."
"And who is this?" Veronica cheerfully said to Shizuka.
Shizuka narrowed his eyes at her - he had wanted to keep her in view in the back of his mind for the time being until he was done with Biyu, but he wasn't expecting this woman to suddenly intercept them... Well, at least this action had confirmed his suspicions about her, that she was definitely up to something no good here. Unlike Mika, he couldn't be bothered to waste time here with retarded pleasantries to a bitch who obviously didn't deserve it (i.e. he had seen through her acting - anyone could if they just use their brain, period). "...You're in the way."
"...Of what?" Veronica raised an eyebrow, but she could just tell from the look on his face that he's on to her. Or just a dick. Either way, at this point, she most likely slowed them down a little bit. "You're a rude one - where do you get these guys, Mika?" Veronica said to Mika, before laughing. "But, if that's what you want..." She said as she stepped aside.
Mika and Shizuka walked past her - but Mika couldn't help but think (sending another message to Shizuka).
'She might be with the Family. Diverting us... but, that just means they're onto us.'
'So that whore just now is with the Family, huh?' Shizuka couldn't help but feel glad to have Mika's telepathy on their side. If Mika was right, the Family had the situation under their control again, turning them into helpless pawns struggling in the hand of those Fags - just like all their previous encounters with them. God damn it.
'I'm not sure... my telepathy didn't put up any hostile intentions... but there are ways to throw it off.'
Shizuka gritted his teeth. Whatever - he could deal with that bitch later... only if she was going to cause more unnecessary trouble for him. 'Just concentrate on keeping tabs on Biyu and Jiao-Long,' he thought, hoping that Mika would pick that up (he didn't want to risk saying out loud and let that slut hear their real plan here). Once he was sure that they were out of the woman's earshot, he muttered into the comms, "Lihua, Mei - the Family's dogs have already infiltrated the party. I dunno what they're up to, but just be on your toes."
"I kind of suspected that." Meifeng answered in Chinese, rolling her eyes up into her head. "My eyes are going to be on the Liu family, just keep yours on Biyu."
"...Right." Shizuka had a nagging feeling that she wasn't taking him seriously, but he really couldn't waste any more time and let Biyu get away. In the end he chose to resign and went after the elderly Liu with Mika.
Everything seemed fine and dandy... people were dancing, talking, enjoying the food, and Honghui, most of all, was having a good time.
It was finally time for Honghui to cut his birthday cake!
Carrying the birthday cake - a rather large, circular, birthday cake, covered in vanilla frosting, and having HAPPY BIRTHDAY written on top of it - on a tray was Chunhua his mother, dressed in a blue dress, and his sister Lin Liu, wearing a white dress. They placed the cake on the table where Honghui was sitting, and there was light in the little boy's eyes as Chunhua lit each candle one at a time. The lights were dimmed.
Meifeng had walked over to the railing, and looked down, and smiled. She pressed her earpiece.
"Look at Honghui," Meifeng said in Chinese, "Ain't he just adorable right now?" She followed it up with laughter.
"I just hope they're not about to sing Happy Birthday..." Lihua groaned - if they even think of singing that annoying song, she's going to shoot herself.
"...Happy Birthday to you..." Chunhua and the Liu siblings said as Lihua reached into her purse to get the sweet release from a hot half-inch piece of lead as everyone began to playfully sing along in melody.
"C'mon, mom," Meifeng said with a smile. "Just play along, he'll only have like one seventh birthday - Hell, I'm almost tempted to jump down there and sing along."
Lihua sighed, and shook her head.
"But, I-"
That's when everything went to hell.
Bullets had rung through the air, causing screaming, as a blue swirling portal opened near the table most of the Lius were gathered on. Meifeng's eyes went wide, as panic overcame her.
Please don't be the Hound, please don't be the Hound...
She repeated that sentence in her head over and over and over again.
...Stepping out of the portal was the man with the symbol of the snarling dog etched across his armor. Slinging an M60 over his broad shoulders, his eyes shined red as people retracted in fear of his massive, inhuman frame.
"Everyone get down." The Hound's electronic voice echoed through the ballroom, and everyone did as he said.
"...Damn it." Meifeng said to herself (in English this time). Okay, it's the worst possible outcome. The god damn Black Hound's here. Meifeng wanted a piece of the Hound as much as anyone else, but with the Liu Family here, she couldn't risk a fight. The Hound was a tough bastard, and all Meifeng had was water... She looked around, and saw that some of the other "partygoers" had pulled out weapons of their own. Pistols, and other small concealable weapons... and they were, of course, blocking all the damn exits. It'd be enough to Intimidate these rich-assholes into compliance. However, Meifeng got down with everyone else... because, far as she could tell, she was on the Family's shitlist, and if she stands out, then she's going to meet her end from the Hound's machine gun.
"Alright," The Hound said as he took a few steps, walking in a circle. "These are the rules; if anyone tries anything... I will kill them." He threateningly said. "My employers have no business with any of you, so I'd suggest that you keep it that way."
The Hound reached towards his belt, and pulled out a square device with two knobs on it. He held it up into the air for everyone to see. "This right here is a signal jammer. Essentially... it disables all communication as long as it's active. So, no one will be calling for help, interrupting us..."
The Hound took a few steps towards the table which was full of the terrified Liu Family - stepping specifically towards Chunhua. The woman's screams pierced the air as the Hound grabbed her by the hair, and threw her to the ground so hard that she rolled onto her back. Before she could catch her breath, the Hound had placed his foot onto her chest. Not hard enough that he would cave her chest in (which, with his weight, he could easily do), but enough that she found it hard to breathe. The Hound then aimed his machine gun right into her face.
"Jiao-Long, you have ten seconds to show yourself..." The Hound said as he pressed the machine gun right against her skull, and Chunhua was practically crying. "Ten, nine, eight, seven, six..."
Aw fuck. Meifeng had to do something, that bastard was going to execute Chunhua. She turned her head towards Jiao-Long, who was desperately clawing his way over to his wife in dangerous. "Wait, no." Meifeng tried to plead with Jiao-Long.
A stray bullet struck the dainty glass in Abe's hand and spray small shards of glass onto his dress jacket, flinching at the sudden disappearance of his drink more than he was at the sudden, dramatic entry by what must have been some terrorist. Reflexively, he ducked down to avoid the oncoming fire and kicked the legs out from under the table to use it as cover.Despite the severity of the situation, he couldn't help but feel grateful for finally getting to experience a bit of action. He did not know who it was by name, but the news of a recent terrorist with multiple sightings running by the name of Hound, or Black Hound, or something else that sounded about as stupid. That being said, a stupid name was a petty thing to be worrying about when they were in the same room as you and spraying and praying haphazardly. Abe squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to shut out the outside noise and tried to come up with a plan of action. He doubted that a terrorist as well equipped as this man is came here for a holdup. No, he already had money and resources. That meant everyone in this room is expendable. Damn it! Abe had to come up with something before he started executing everyone.
As the situation played out, one thing became clear. They were only interested in Jiao-Long.
'Damn it, Mr. Liu, don't you get killed before you get to play your part.'
Just when Veronica was about to report Shizuka to Blake... the Hound had finally made his appearance. She wasn't surprised by the bullets, but she had to play along, of course. She let out a shrill scream as she ducked underneath one of the tables. Some of the other rich-folk dipped inside with her, but she didn't mind. While Veronica was with the Family, she was a spy, at worst. She wasn't the type to stand guard - she was the type to slit someone's throat in their sleep, and leave before the police caught on. The last thing she wanted to do was catch someone's attention, and blow her own cover. All she had to do was sit on her ass, and wait for Jiao-Long to be thrown into a portal. Then she would leave before the police got here to pick up the pieces. Though, she should spot Meifeng and the brat that Mika had brought along with her. The Hound would looove a piece of them. Her eyes drifted towards the bar, and Lihua wasn't even there.
...That was because the very second the bullets started flying, Lihua vaulted the counter. Well, she more of desperately tried to carry her weight over the counter, and fell onto the ground. Hurting the hell out of her arm. But she had to be vigilant. She peaked over the counter, and had her second encounter with the Hound.... And at literally the worst moment, too. He was wielding a powerful machine-gun, but worst of all, he jammed communications. Which makes the earpieces useless.
Lihua had an idea - just to get communications flowing between her group again - but she was unsure of the exact limits of Mika's ability.
"...Here I am! Don't hurt her!" Jiao-Long shouted as he ran down the stairs - tripping on the last step and catching himself. He almost broke his thumb from the way he landed, but he was high off fear for his wife's life. "Please, Hound, I'll do anything! Just don't hurt her!"
Just as Jiao-Long said, he took a step off Chunhua, and grabbed his machine-gun with his other hand. Jiao-Long slid over to Chunhua, and grabbed her tightly.
"Chunhua, are you okay?!" Jiao-Long said in Chinese, shivering in fear.
"It's... hard to breathe... but I'm okay." Chunhua answered.
"I knew you would never exchange your wife's life for yours, Jiao-Long." The Hound said. "It was... more of a bluff, to get this over with faster."
Jiao-Long looked at the Hound, and narrowed his eyes, "You invade my son's birthday... what do you want, you bastard?!"
"Hmph." The Hound brushed off the "bastard" comment as he walked over to Jiao-Long's side. "You should know by now... I was sent by my employers to "convince" you to reconsider their offer, Mr. Liu."
"I refuse to work on it for a reason... I'm not serving the Family!" Jiao-Long said.
The Hound narrowed his eyes at Jiao-Long from underneath his helmet. "It's not like you have a choice, Mr. Liu... Look around you..." The Hound pointed his finger, turning it around looking at every person here. "...Do you think you're in control? Do you think your pride is worth the lives of all these people...?" He then looked at Jiao-Long. "...Do you think your family will survive if you resist?"
Jiao-Long remained silent.
"Of course, I was ordered to bring you in by force if you continued to defy the Family," The Hound said, before he turned towards Honghui. "...And take your son with you."
The Hound let the words hang in the air as Jiao-Long looked between him and his son.
The moment the Black Hound showed up in the ballroom and started to spray the place with bullets from his M60, Shizuka immediately pulled Mika closer to him, and the two of them ducked behind a pillar - wide enough to cover them nicely. Great timing, he thought sarcastically. First the red-dress bitch, and now this. There was no way they could continue to go after Biyu in this situation - one glance at Mika's face told him that they had no other choice but to abandon the plan for the time being. At least until he could find a way to get out of here (and with this girl in tow).
Mika was terrified... the worst possible outcome has occurred. But, they had to focus. Mika couldn't keep Biyu in her thoughts - right now, with the lives of her family at risk... that old bat was secondary at this point. She would have to focus to channel her telepathy to the area around herself... she eventually picked up Meifeng and Lihua, and created a telepathic 'network' with the four.
'Auntie, Cousin, where are you?'
Meifeng was confused to hear Mika's voice in her head, but she just rolled with it. 'Trying not to get filled with hot lead, but we need to come up with a way to get Jiao-Long and the others out of this. Any ideas? Because I'm stuck.'
'I have an idea...' Lihua mentally thought. 'But, for it to work, we need to regroup... subtly.'
'Well, Jiao-Long did say there was a basement, right? Right?'
'Shizuka, this will be a risk, but... phase yourself and Mika through the floor.' Lihua sent the telepathic message.
It sounded like Lihua had a plan of sorts. '...What do you have in mind?'
'Phasing the four of us through the floor into the basement... I can maybe create an escape route for the Liu family.'
Shizuka was beginning to see what Lihua was planning to do. He quickly pulled Mika down to the ground. 'Mika, hold you breath,' he sent a telepathic order to the girl. 'And brace yourself.'
Nodding her head, Mika took in a sharp, yet gentle, breath, and hoped for the best. Without wasting another second, the pair fell through the floor to the basement below. Shizuka had to go slightly below the basement ground to break the fall better, before they resurfaced onto the basement level - which was a dark and dusty room made out of concrete, turned into a maze by various water heaters and plumping.
"Here." He stood up, then bent forward a little to give Mika a hand. "Can you link up with Lihua and Mei telepathically again?"
Nodding her head, Mika was quick to reply. "Yes... but, Meifeng is on the second floor..." she trailed off.
He would have to get Lihua first, then think about how to get to Meifeng later. "Give me the exact location where Lihua is now - I'll go get her first."
Grabbing Shizuka's wrist, it would have been easier to lead him to Lihua rather than just trying to give him her exact location. Mika and Lihua... they were bonded on a mental level, finding her was easy. Eventually turning a corner, Mika pointed directly at Lihua's location.
While it was indeed a faster and clearer way to show him Lihua's position, Shizuka still felt a little unnerved about allowing someone to mess around with his mind. Forget about that - right now he had more important things to do than some petty privacy shit.
"Thanks," was all he said before he broke the mental link with Mika, and began to move to where Lihua was.
Lihua was praying to whatever God that'd listen that they didn't find her back here... she was getting the feeling that the Hound was going to be less receptive of her. She looked over to the bartender who was also taking cover back here, and put a finger to her lips.
'Auntie, Shizuka is on his way.' Lihua heard the mental voice of Mika. 'Be prepared.'
Peaking upwards, Lihua was quick to reach up and snatch a bottle of red wine before anyone could notice, and she replied to Mika.
'I am ready.'
Thanks to Mika's accurate telepathic locator, Shizuka was able to pop above the bar ground next to Lihua (it would be extremely awkward if he had appeared inside that woman's body). He quickly covered the shocked bartender's mouth and silenced him with a look before he turned his attention to the Zhao woman, glaring at the alcohol in her hand. Jesus - she still has the time to care about booze even when everyone's about to go to hell here?
Grabbing Lihua's shoulder, Shizuka said in a low voice, "Ready?"
Lihua nodded her head - and they disappeared beneath the bar floor, moving to where Mika was waiting for them.
When Lihua hit the ground, she was quick to pop the bottle of wine open with her fingers, before she was quick to down it - sloppily letting some of the wine escape her lips and run down and stain her nice blue dress. Wiping the alcohol away, she was quick to look down Shizuka, and gently put her bottle on the ground so that it doesn't make anymore sound. Alright, their merry party was just missing one member: Meifeng. The problem was that she was on the second floor... and she thought about just launching Shizuka towards her, but that plan was so cartoonish that it's destined to fail.
"Alright... We need to extract Meifeng..." Lihua said as she tried to come up with a plan. Given that the Family probably want Meifeng dead before the Liu family... it was in Lihua's best interests to recover her. "I need a plan that doesn't get her filled with bullets..." She pondered on it tilting her head and putting a hand to support it. She took a few steps away from the two, before her upper body whipped back over towards them. "...Or make the Hound decide to start executing hostages."
"Well, it'd be much easier for me if she can get down to the ground floor..." Shizuka shrugged. "...But it's impossible to do that without ticking the poodle off."
It was irritating... being forced into a corner like this by the Hound.
She turned towards Mika, and said, "Mika, send Meifeng a message, ask her about how it looks up there."
Nodding her head, Mika closed her eyes and focused on Meifeng's mental aura, before sending her a message. 'Auntie is trying to devise a plan to get you down here with us... and she wants to know how it looks.'
When Meifeng received the message, she perked up. Well, she thought about it, and she was under this table, hidden. Out of the direct line of sight, long as she doesn't do anything stupid, she'd stay that way. But, was it really smart to risk getting spotted when she's safe up here? Well, relatively safe - but that wasn't the point. Meifeng knew it was smarter to stay put until the moment's right.
'Sorry, Mika, but I think I'm going to stay right where I am. It just isn't worth the risk...' Meifeng sent the mental message, and Mika received it instantly.
Nodding her head at Lihua and Shizuka, Mika relayed Meifeng's message to her, "Meifeng has decided to stay put, only so she doesn't draw any attention."
While Lihua would have loved to get her out of the line of fire, she realized that it was for the best. Letting out a sigh, Lihua put her hand on her hip.
"Okay, I have a plan, but with the three of us, it'll certainly be challenging," Lihua began her explanation. "Shizuka, I just need you to distract the Hound, even for a second. While I break the ground beneath the Lius, and get them out of there... But, with the Hound practically on top of my brother, that'll be... difficult."
She stared Shizuka down, scanning his body language, to determine the real answer to her next question.
"...Can you manage that, Mr. Takashiro?"
Shizuka carefully considered Lihua's plan; he knew that he was the only one out of all of them who could actually stand a chance against the Hound - from all their previous encounters with that bulldog, it couldn't be any more obvious that regular physical attacks had zero effect on him and his reinforced armor. Besides, there was something else he wanted to try. "...I'll do it," he finally answered with a sigh.
Lihua could only grin.
But there was one more thing he had to add on. "And stop addressing me so formally. It's just weird, especially from you."
"No," she simply, and bluntly replied.
Shizuka rolled his eyes. "Then don't call me by my first name, ever. Make up your mind, woman." But he couldn't help smirking at her, some of the pent-up tension being relieved from him.
"...Can we focus?" Mika said, irritated by how irrelevant this conversation was. With every second they were wasting, the Hound was still holding her father hostage and could kill him.
Shizuka merely disregarded the girl's comment and said to Mika in a curt tone, "Continue to keep the telepathic link with Mei. We need her to give us the signal to get this insanity starte---"
...When a child's scream suddenly pierced through the dusty air, cutting him short. He raised an eyebrow at the invisible wave carried by the scream that barely tickled the young man. "Eh, I guess it has already begun."
"...Honghui?" Lihua asked, recalling the boy's ability from last night.
Back upstairs, Jiao-Long was tending to Chunhua's injuries while trying to stall for time long as he could.
"...So, I'm waiting for an answer, Mr. Liu," the Hound said to him.
Jiao-Long was hoping his family was up to something, he wasn't sure what - because of this bastard's damn jammer - but he was going have to put his faith in them.
"I don't even know what this machine is..." Jiao-Long said. "What even is it?"
The Hound's eyes flashed red, and Jiao-Long could hear the Hound groaning. "...I have no patience for your blatant stalling, Mr. Liu... and I was under the impression that you were a genius." The Hound slung his machine gun over his shoulder by it's strap. "You've just elected for me to do this the hard way," the Hound said as he lunged forward, and snatched Jiao-Long's arm, violently yanking him over towards the Hound.
Chunhua put out her hand and tried to protest, "Ji- Jiao-Long..."
"...And since you've made an effort to be difficult, I'll have to bring someone... as insurance..." He turned towards Honghui, and marched towards the child.
"Wait, please, I'll do anything!" Jiao-Long said as the Hound dragged him - the man's grip was inhuman. Jiao-Long couldn't even hope to break free.
"Pleease..." Chunhua slurred, still breathless from the Hound's boot.
Every step that the Hound took, Honghui desperately climbed backwards. First falling out of his chair, then crawling on all fours. The Hound... it frightened the child, almost like the Devil was right here in his face. His massive body, mixed with his glowing red eyes, and the fact that he was terrorizing his father. The child was getting further away from the Hound - when two goons from the Intimidation Unit came by and grabbed Honghui by both arms. Holding him in a grip that he couldn't get away from. Honghui started crying as he thrashed around helplessly.
"Get away..."
The Hound ignored the child as his hand reached out forward to grab Honghui, and that's when the child had reached the peak of his fear - wetting himself, as he was shivering in fear with tears down his eyes. Right when the Hound was about to grab him, that's when something else reached an apex.
"...GET AWAY!"
Honghui shouted - no, screamed - at the very top of his lungs.
His voice seemed to carry a psychic presence - his mind had sent out a near-invisible wave of mental energy that he had pent up. The fear of the Hound was enough to allow him to awaken it. By sending out this wave, it carried some force with it. Knocking over some glasses on a table, and briefly blowing the partygoers' clothes.
By the time the wave had faded, however, its true effect became apparent.
People began falling unconscious by the boatload. Simply letting out sharp sighs as they fell to the ground. The psychic wave's effect was overpowering the minds of those with weak wills, and knocking them unconscious. However, only the strong-willed people are able to withstand it.
Which were in the minority.
The Hound was completely unaffected by it, Veronica was barely phased by it, Blake was more amused than anything... Tabitha was also completely un-phased other than getting annoyed it ruined her hair.
However, its effect on the entire Liu family was simple: all of them were knocked unconscious. Jiao-Long fell unconscious in the Hound's arm, Chunhua barely had any strength to begin with, and the Liu sisters merely passed out (even Lin, who should be normally resistant to other cerebral abilities).
Honghui had exerted himself so much that he was left without any strength, and like his family, he fell onto his back, unconscious.
"...Holy shit," Meifeng said as she walked over to the edge of the railing, and looked down... honestly, she had zero fucking idea of what just happened. But, the problem was that the Hound was still standing... and all he did was shake his head, as he step over towards Honghui. Well, the Intimidation Unit was knocked unconscious, and that meant she didn't have to worry about getting shot in the ass! Well, she knew that a head on fight with the Hound was not the smartest idea, but like hell she was going to stand by and let that bastard lay a hand on her youngest cousin.
Abraham watched incredulously as nearly all of the guests in the estate fell unconscious following the child's scream. Now, he had no idea what the hell just happened, or even much of an understanding of what this meant - other than the child's potential as a Metahuman - but there was definitely one thing that was certain. N.O. was would be very interested. On top of whatever mission he had to conduct here, he was also suggested to keep an eye out for these special types of powers, and in addition to that, notify them of, well, notable events. Abe figured that a child screaming causing most of an entire ballroom to go beddy-bye and the Hound's attack on the Liu estate might both qualify. If he had to ask one question, though, why wasn't he one of them?
The inside pocket of his coat held a bug. Abe's hand reached into it, and it pressed a button, activating video and audio functions, and placed it next to the wall beside him, and converted that data into a signal. Rather than sending a signal to a particular source, it emitted a unique and subtle type of long-range signal that could be picked up by anyone looking hard enough. That could inform his employers without giving them away. Now all Abe had to do was wait for an opening that he could take advantage of. This Hound guy was packing serious heat, and decked out in some of the heaviest armor money can buy.
Meifeng hopped over the edge of the railing, ready to fight to the death - she was tired of the Hound and his idiotic rampages. Tired of all this conspiracy theory bullshit. Tired of her family getting threatened by freaks with codenames. Just sick of all of it. Today was the day that Meifeng would clash with the Hound...
...And the day that the Hound was finally slain.
Mid-descent, Meifeng had summoned water out of her pocket dimension, and with a sharp strike of water, hit the Hound in the back. The Hound was quick to whip around, reaching for his assault rifle... only to hear it drop to the ground. Meifeng kicked it away assisted by a jet of water.
"...Clever," the Hound said as he turned to face Meifeng Zhao, and his scanners locked onto her face.
MEIFENG ZHAO.
Captain in RAVEN. Survivor of the Verthaven disaster and leading member of RAVEN. Possess water manipulation, and a seeming hydrokinetic storage ability.
Threat Level: Moderate.
The Hound's eyes flashed red as he was quick to carry Jiao-Long over his shoulder rather than just dragging his limp body around.
"Meifeng Zhao," the Hound said, hand drifting towards his revolver. "...You should have stayed behind cover."
Quickly whipping out his revolver, Meifeng only had a second to react. She slammed her fist onto the ground, and surrounded herself in a pillar of ice - enough to stop the Hound's first round, but the second threw it over the edge. It only took a quick second before Meifeng carved arrow-heads made out of ice, and sent them flying towards the Hound.
It was trivial, the Hound merely swung his arm and shattered them all with his frightening strength.
However, that was just a distraction, Meifeng pulled her pistol out of her purse, and aimed down the sights... aiming for one target, and one delicious target alone. She would have to be careful, or else she would hit Jiao-Long. The Hound was quick to recover, before Meifeng fired one shot, and that one shot hit the Hound in the waist - doing zero obvious damage to him.
"Bullseye!" Meifeng said with a smile as she ducked behind a table.
The Hound holstered his pistol, and reached towards his waist... grabbing the signal jammer that he had proudly displayed earlier - but with a bullet-hole through it. The Hound had crushed it in his hands and threw it to the ground.
The Hound knew she was just... distracting him. Honestly, he should drop Jiao-Long and kill her instead, but he had a job to do... and he had a faint respect for the girl.
There were bullets above them, and Lihua was honestly terrified of what that meant. For all she knew, the massacre could have begun. There was a static-y sound in the comms, and she had a feeling what happened.
"Meifeng, what is going on up there?" Lihua asked.
"...Well, I don't know myself, but a lot of people are currently unconscious," Meifeng said. "...And it's me, the Hound, and all this collateral damage waiting to happen," She groaned in irritation as the Hound kept her pinned down with his revolver as he walked back towards Honghui.
"Can you get your ass up here?! He's after Honghui, and all I can do is tickle him!" Meifeng said.
She looked at Shizuka, and nodded. "Let's go." In response, Shizuka simply grabbed the arms of the two women and pulled them above ground, then released them.
Lihua was quick to duck down - while Mika switched to another power of hers. It was time for Mika to put herself to use, to show these two that she's more than just mind. A white aura surrounded herself as Mika slowly extended her hand forward. She created a white, near-transparent, bubble of her own mental energy around them. And they needed it - a stray shot from the Hound hit the shield, and bounced off. Mika yelped in surprise - almost dropping the shield.
Lihua scanned the area to the best of her ability, and saw the Hound with her brother over his shoulder... and that made this more difficult because they ran the risk of injuring Jiao-Long by shooting at him wildly. Tripping the Hound also ran the risk of injuring Jiao-Long. They need to get him to let go of Jiao-Long...
Then a devious light-bulb activated in Lihua's head.
"Takashiro," Lihua said to him. "Remember my distraction...?"
"Yeah, yeah," was Shizuka's unenthusiastic reply, pulling out the survival knife from his back and spinning it by the hilt in his hand once. He didn't have any qualms to go with whatever crazy plan Lihua had in that brilliant head of hers, but he had something else better in mind. "...But I'll need you to use your power to stall the Hound. Trap him in concrete or whatever to stop him in his tracks, even if it's just for one second."
It wasn't going along with her own plan, but she had faith in Shizuka. Enough faith to trust him. She focused on the Hound for a moment, before she took in a deep sigh, closing her eyes. In a flowing motion, she brought her hands from her waist, up into the air as she was lifting an object up. She was manipulating what little concrete was underneath the Hound's feet, and quickly bound one of his legs in concrete. Effectively restraining him. The Hound was too busy focusing on Meifeng, and when his foot was caught, he stopped for a moment.
At the same time Lihua started to work on her power, Shizuka quickly slipped beneath the ground, phasing to the position right under where the Hound was trapped. Then he suddenly resurfaced just behind the Hound, the knife slicing through the Hound's head in one quick flash. No, the blade didn't even leave a single mark on the Black Hound, because the knife simply ghosted through his skull harmlessly... but it was more than enough to distract him from the things around him, including Jiao-Long.
Shizuka wasn't aiming for the Hound - he was going for that dumb helmet of his. A service for his comrades - by putting the Hound's precious computerized helmet out of service.
Without wasting another second, he went for the unconscious Jiao-Long...
"...Oh no, you don't," With the helmet out of commission, the Hound's voice distortion technology was disabled. He didn't know who was attacking him, but he had a defense for that. He reached towards his belt, and pressed a button. An electric charge was suddenly sent through his entire armor - not powerful enough to cause lasting damage, but enough to stun for a few moments.
Oh fuck, Shizuka swore internally, annoyed at the unnecessary precaution instead of relying fully on his Darth Vader mask. He was forced to pull back to avoid the shock, then disappeared into the ground once more before the Hound could catch on him.
Hmph, that should buy him some time. With his helmet disabled, the Hound had always carried other means of communication. He pressed a button on his armor that sent a remote signal to Zenith. A portal had opened behind him, and he twisted his body the best he could towards it.
"Damn it!" Meifeng shouted as she hopped over cover, landing on two mounds of water that she skated across the ballroom floor towards the Hound. Trying to desperately get Jiao-Long free...
...But, it was too late, the Hound threw Jiao-Long's unconscious body into the portal, before it closed behind him. Meifeng came to a stop, clenching her fists as the Hound slammed his fist against the concrete that was around his foot, and shattered it into pieces.
"Jiao-Long!" Lihua shouted, losing her composure for a moment. Damn it. The Family now has Jiao-Long, and his intellect, at their disposal. She clenched her fist, she was going to get him back. No matter the cost.
"Damn it!" Meifeng said, before she faced the Hound dead on. "Alright, Houndie, I'm going to give you one chance to give me back my uncle." She dropped into stance.
"...I'd be careful, Meifeng," Lihua said as she took Meifeng's side. Folding one arm over her chest, and had one finger graced up against her cheek. "If he got what he came for, he would have left by now..."
"That is correct," the Hound said as he reached down towards his belt, and pulled out a canister of Meta-suppressant gas.
"Aw, damn it!" Meifeng said as she was quick to run towards cover.
"Well, isn't this fucking great..." Abe muttered as a frustrated scowl plastered over his face. Just like that, the Hound was able to steal away his ticket for an easy ride into RAVEN. He didn't have the time to go through all the bureaucratic bullshit! Jiao-Long was a key ally in this fight, and now he's gone! He was glad RAVEN's agents were here, since his training usually involved in capturing a hostage, not rescuing one - but that meant jack if they let this asshole get away with whatever it was that he wanted.
Between the distractions provided by the Hero of Prague, the rooting by what looked to be another terrakinetic - likely Zhao Lihua - and Danny Phantom ghosting around the Hound's head like an annoying fly, Abe had time to convert the surface of his body into solid rock underneath his clothes. He had to figure something out. Shoot him? There's a chance he'd miss. The wrist was a small target, and a snub nosed ruger wasn't known for precision aiming. Rooting him down? He could still detonate the canister. Throwing him through the air? Entertaining, but that didn't solve the canister issue. One idea came to mind, but his control over earth excelled in power where it lacked in fluidity. Zhao Lihua could probably pull it off, but they likely weren't exactly reading the same book, never mind the same page. Hell, she didn't even know he existed! Still, this was the only idea that seemed like it wouldn't backfire on him. Setting his hands against the tile, he moved slowly to gain some theoretical 'leverage' as he dug the concrete out of the ground and uprooted the tiling above it. Now, where is she...
Lihua had retreated far back. Her old bones were not suited for up front fighting like the other young-ins. Especially against the likes of the Hound, it was best that she would support Meifeng from afar. She noticed that Honghui had disappeared - and she instantly knew what had happened. Oh, that Takashiro, she would really need to give him much more credit. Lihua was quick to pick up on his plan, and figured that she'd buy some time to keep this snarling dog distracted while Shizuka would get the important people out of the way. Then... if she had to guess how this would end, the Hound would realize that he has no stakes here, and leave - that was the best case. He may persistently pursue the Liu family, and she hoped that Shizuka would get them far away from here, but there was only so much he could do. Such was life.
As Lihua retreated back, she fell into Abe's line of sight. There, now's my chance. Mirroring the way he grabbed hold of Jiao-Long's attention, he made a sharp whistle toward her direction. The moment she fell behind cover and looked around to see who it was, Abe began signing directions to her. He set the small boulder in his lap, and waved his hands in and out on either side of his head - ASL for pay attention. The moment he was sure he captured her attention, he continued: He is... going to... throw... rock - one fist tapping the top of the other - You... The next sign didn't have a real definition, but it was just as possible he was demonstrating what the plan was. He pointed to the Black Hound, raised a fist, and wrapped his other hand around it. He raised his hand and flicked the air next to his forehead. The sign for asking if she had understood. He wasn't sure if she understood signing, but assuming her reputation didn't precede her, then he had to at least hope she got the general idea.
While Lihua was focused on trying to come up with a plan that could take that canister out of the picture, there was a whistle that would have been lost if this fight had been more chaotic. She turned her head, and saw a tall man wearing a suit. He was still standing after Honghui had knocked everyone else out... clearly, he had something that everyone else didn't, or else he'd be on the ground right now. Instead of using words, the man had elected to use sign-language. Clever, because the Hound would catch on otherwise. He did a series of hand gestures to convey a message. She kept one eye on this mysterious man, and the other on the Hound - focusing more on the Hound because of obvious reasons. What had caught her eye was how he raised his fist, and covered it... Ah. She got his plan perfectly.
Lihua nodded her head, answering him with ASL: understood.
Meifeng was taking cover behind a pillar, a stray shot slammed into the side of it and blew out a large chunk. She was glad she wasn't on the receiving end of that giant ass revolver - one shot would be enough to kill her. Now, she wished that she brought the containment foam, but she never expected the God damn Black Hound to show up at the party. But, first, she had one problem: that God damn gas. If he set it off in here, then everyone's screwed. That gas would fill the room, and it's bed-bye for her and the Liu family... and Meifeng regretted not bringing a damn gas mask. Ugh. Everything was spiraling out of her control. Going utterly tits-up. She needed to get that canister out of his hand, and do it fast.
The best Meifeng could do was encase it in ice! Yeah, that sounded great... if it didn't rely on Meifeng air sealing it - oh, or hope the Hound doesn't just break it with his retard strength!
The Hound was about to throw the canister, but his stride was broken when his foot was bound to the ground. He looked at the ground, and groaned in irritation. Ms. Zhao was becoming to be a pain in the ass. Even from this range - several meters away - she was fully capable of her terrakinesis. He would rather not waste time, and he cocked his arm backwards to throw it. Abraham whipped around cover, body made of stone, with a small boulder resting in his hand that would otherwise be too heavy for any normal human too carry. He swung his arm back, and with a little extra juice from his terrakinesis, launched it across the ballroom with a powerful throw, shooting towards the Hound. If Lihua could make it work in time, even the Hound would have a hard time breaking out of this thing. It might just slow him down enough that they would have the advantage over him.
The Zhao matriarch was perfectly capable of what Abe had in mind. Her eagle-eyes were focused on the stone, and had to time it perfectly. She held her breath as time seemingly slowed down for her. Right when the Hound was about to throw it, Lihua slammed both her fists together, and crossed both arms in front of her chest. The stone broke open around the Hound's hand, then quickly wrapped around it. It was easy binding it to his hand, and now he was unable to move the canister. No matter. The Hound held the stone binding in front of him, and cocked his other fist back, and sent a mighty punch that sent a boom through the room. He broke through most of the boulder with ease, all it took was one more solid hit...
Meifeng wasn't having any of that, she was quick to sprint out of cover and catch the Hound off guard. The Hound was quick to notice, and use the boulder as a mace. Meifeng quickly slid under it on her knees, and she could feel the force of what would have been a death blow. However, Lihua managed to slow him down, at least. Her arm bound by the boulder went straight down, and hit the ground, and he found it difficult to lift it. Because Lihua was preventing it from moving from sheer willpower. Even his mighty strength wasn't enough to lift it. When Abe started working in unison with Lihua, there was no escaping his dreadful anchor.
Which meant Meifeng was free to utterly wale on the Hound. She grinned as she channeled the anger of all the people the Hound murdered as she drew water out of her pocket dimension, and threw a valiant punch assisted by a near tidal wave that sent the Hound sliding backwards. Breaking him out of the stone fixture that had bound him to the ground, but not helping with this situation. All he had to do was punch it one more time.
Both Blake and Veronica were, for the sake of concealing their own identities, staying out of it. Fortunately, Blake had full faith that the Hound could recover the targets; unfortunately, he was currently bound to a rock. Ah. Quite annoying, but fortunately, an easily solvable problem. He raised his hand up into the air, and it was surrounded in a wavy tan aura, and he swiped his hand across - channeling his own power, and shattering the rock into pieces.
Now then, Hound... Blake thought to himself. ...Play your part.
The orb of stone had fallen off the Hound, but the canister he had over his hand was still in tact, albeit damaged. He was dead set on killing them, but, he realized something...
...He was surrounded by enemies, and he didn't have to even fight them. His objective was not to kill these people, but to recover Jiao-Long and a family member to convince him. With his signal jammer offline, that meant the LEOs were definitely on the way, and the Hound wasn't equipped for a massacre like the mall. He was equipped to intimidate. He had a secret weapon that turn the tides of this battle. At least buy him some time to grab one of the Lius. After the Black Hound had mysteriously broken free from his restraints, Abe broke into a mad, seemingly slow sprint to join Meifeng in the brawl. Totally comprised of stone, each heavy step shattered the tile beneath him as they propelled him forward. As he gained momentum, so did he gain speed, but the Hound's plans required him elsewhere, away from this fight. He reached into his armor, and suddenly threw a black, circular, device with a small canister with a glowing red liquid - the same device that he had affixed to Haruka in the mall - into the air towards them.
"Mika!" Meifeng shouted as she dove for cover, and the device was suspended into the air by Mika's telekinesis. A glowing white aura caught it as she was desperate to keep it in the air. Everyone tried to run for cover. Lihua had created a stone dome for herself to shield her from the blast, while Meifeng dove behind one of the pillars. Abe, in his stone form, couldn't create the kind of cover for himself that Lihua had and was forced to join Meifeng behind the pillar, and used his body to potentially shield off some of the effect from the coming explosion.
He pressed a button on his detonator, and the device was set off - sending a bright-red wave of energy in all directions. This energy would suppress any superpower in all that it touches, for a few minutes, of course. Mika uselessly attempted to create a shield that was nullified by the anti-Metahuman energy, and did little to stop it. But, it was less of trying to disable everyone's powers, and more of getting them to scatter like roaches while he gets his target. And it was the perfect distraction for the Hound.
All the while, the Hound was running back towards the table... only to see that the entire Liu family was gone. Ah, it was a guise for Takashiro to get them to safety. He should have known better.
However, Shizuka was not fast enough... his eyes laid on the one person he had forgotten about.
Chunhua Liu.
Shizuka scowled as he was forced to duck back down to the basement to avoid being caught on by the Hound. At least he got the helmet and removed the Hound's greatest advantage against them, which should be of some help to Lihua and co. - hopefully. While he let his body to recover a bit from the continuous use of his power just now, his mind was reconsidering the situation and the options he had. He would have to give up on saving Jiao-Long because it seemed like the Hound (i.e. the Family) were in desperate need of that man. He had a very good idea why the Family would go to this length just for one old man...
...Save the explanation for later. Right now, there was something else he could do to save this situation, even if it's just a little bit.
He moved to position himself just below the table where the rest of the unconscious Liu family were; rumbling noises and gunshot sounds from above echoed throughout the dim basement - and that made him broke out a smirk. Good, just continue to keep that dog busy while I do this. Taking in a deep breath, he popped back above ground and quickly yanked the nearest Liu - Honghui - down to the basement with him, then followed that up with the Liu girls, Lin, Jia-Li and Huifang.
One more to go.
He resurfaced for the fifth time to get Chunhua, but narrowed his eyes to see her gone from where he had last seen her... Then it was turned to horror when he looked up at the towering back of the Black Hound walking away from the table. He had someone over his shoulder.
And that someone was none other than Chunhua.
As the smoke cleared, one thing had become apparent. The Hound had ceased all hostilities. Meifeng was hoping that this was his escape as she dove from behind cover. Lihua also dropped the shield, and stood straight up. But, the first thing that the two Zhaos saw was the Hound... and their jaws dropped.
He has Chunhua.
The Hound immediately pressed an emergency button on his armor - the same one he used when he recovered Jiao-Long - and a portal opened behind him. He quickly turned towards it. "...It was a fun spar," he mockingly said. "But, I got what I came for."
"No!" Meifeng shouted as she uselessly dove towards the Hound - Lihua was about to throw whatever of the concrete rubble around her that she could, and Abe quickly whipped around with a snub-nosed ruger from inside his coat pocket and aimed for a shot between the Hound's eyes... but, then the Hound stepped in, and then the portal closed behind him. Meifeng had hit the ground, and ended with a skid. She slammed her fist against the ground in anger. They couldn't buy enough time for Shizuka! "Damn it!" Meifeng shouted.
Lihua let out a sharp hiss as she quickly pulled herself together. Their plan had fallen apart so thoroughly that it was amazing they got out in one piece. One thing's for certain, while they did delay him, the Hound got exactly what he wanted. Ugh. This was annoying, but there wasn't much that they could do right now other than go after the Family... something that Lihua felt the need to participate in, only because she was no longer standing on the sidelines. She was going to save her brother, no matter the cost.
"Calm yourself, Meifeng," Lihua said. "We at least saved Honghui and the sisters," she added.
"But, we also---" Meifeng said, before she remembered one thing. "...Well, while Houndie has uncle and auntie Chunhua, he sure as hell ain't going to have him forever."
"Let us regroup with Shizuka, and we'll come up with a plan," Lihua said, before she pressed her earpiece. "Takashiro, what is your status?"
She got no answer.
Damn it. Lihua thought to herself. She was hoping that Shizuka was alright. There was something else coming to mind. Someone that had helped. Before Lihua turned towards the man that had helped.
"I'd like to thank you for your assistance, regardless," she said, and the man caught Meifeng's eye immediately.
Abraham was just finished swearing under his breath as putting his gun away in his coat's inside pocket, with his skin turning back to normal as the rock seemed to recede to nowhere. He looked back to Lihua and there was no particular gratitude or optimism to be found in him. "You can thank me once we get Jiao-Long back," Abe grumbled. "When we do, call me Abraham. Anyway, I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that was the Black Hound?"
"Yup. Grade-A asshole," Meifeng said. Putting a hand on her hip. She had no idea of who this guy was, but if he was willing to help them against the Hound, then maybe he earned her allegiance.
"That's it for him then?" Abe noted sarcastically. "So he's well equipped, but the Black Bitch himself doesn't seem like anything special."
"Believe me," Meifeng said. "He's a pain in the ass - nobody can kill 'im - and he shows up at the worst moments, this was just proof of it." Even though he wasn't that challenging against them, he did successfully take both Jiao-Long and Chunhua, and that meant he was priority in Meifeng's eyes.
"Nobody, eh?" Abe mused silently. "Remind me to tell you a couple stories about a meta named Titus... but long story short, that doesn't mean I can't beat 'em."
"Yeah, ain't that true?" Meifeng said with a laugh, as she recalled what happened to Luis... Unlike this 'Titus' fellow, Meifeng wasn't fond of bringing him up. She threw a thumb over her shoulder at Lihua, and said, "But, we have to go find the real hero here - hopefully, he didn't get killed..." she trailed off, recalling that this dog didn't roam alone.
Not only did he fail to secure Jiao-Long, but he also had to lose Chunhua to the Hound.
Shizuka could only grit his teeth and return back to the basement, looking at the remaining Lius still unconscious on the floor. Now wasn't the time to lament about the things that were out of his hands; he would just have to get these four out of the ballroom area fast, then regroup with the Zhaos. The Liu parents could wait - he was certain that the Family wouldn't kill them yet, because it would be stupid to do so and lose such an important asset for the 'machine' they were making.
However, there was no way he could carry three grown-up women on top of a brat boy all alone out of this place. He knelt down on one knee, and shook the shoulders of Lin, Jia-Li and Huifang as hard as he could. "C'mon, wake up," he muttered. "Open your eyes..."
"...What---" Lin groggily said as her eyes slowly opened. Her mind's eye was also opening, letting her telepathy poke into the minds of those around her. Even though she was stunned, she could look into Shizuka's mind, and figure out what had happened. Honghui! She thought that her telepathy was enough to shield herself from his strange ability, but maybe because she was so close to him that it bypassed her shield? It didn't matter, they were in this dusty basement. She looked around as her sisters awakened.
"Oh, what the hell happened...?" Huifang said, rubbing the side of her head as the tomboy sat up. "Where the hell am I? What the..."
"Huifang, calm yourself," Lin said as she scooted over towards her sister, before she looked at Shizuka. "...We are in safe hands." She smiled warmly.
At this point, Jia-Li had already awoken, she looked around, and then asked, "...Where is father? Where is mother?"
Relieved that the girls had all awoken and appeared to be fine, Shizuka stood up and moved to pick up Honghui. "We can't stay here - we have to leave now before they find us down here. Let's go---"
"...I never thought I'd meet the man that the Spirit of Fire was speaking so highly of," a mysterious voice (speaking in Japanese rather fluently) came from the shadows, accompanied by the tap of a cane against the stone floor. "But, what's most surprising is that you're interfering..."
Shizuka froze - while he didn't recognize the voice of the speaker, the one key phrase that was spoken was enough to tell him who this person was affiliated to. His held the Liu boy closer to him.
"...I don't know what you're talking about. I'm only here as Mika's date, that's all," he responded in his native tongue and kept his voice even, arranging his face to make a confused expression before turning around slowly to face the speaker...
A light appeared as the mysterious woman raised a finger, and simply generated it. A simple usage of her ability. She illuminated the entire area around herself, and showed her less-than-pleased face to Shizuka and the sisters.
"Nonetheless," Biyu said, disregarding the comment. "The Liu family affairs do not concern you - especially since you should be worrying about your own blood."
She then looked at Honghui in his arms, and put her hands out. "Polaris has business with you that doesn't concern the Lius in the slightest. So, politely return Honghui to me, and go about your way."
Shizuka stared at Biyu with a narrow look, still holding onto Honghui firmly in his arms. Not only was he suspicious about her conversing with him in Japanese (probably so that her granddaughters wouldn't understand what they were actually talking about), she seemed to know an awful lot about him and his family - well, Jiao-Long did say that Biyu was a high-ranking member in Polaris as much as in the Family. "...What do you mean by that?" He had a bad feeling about this... he would have to talk to Holly about it after he was done with all this bullshit.
"Ah..." Biyu was about to get rather mouthy, but she would rather not waste time here. What she wanted was separate from what Xing Huo wanted, after all. "...You'll find out soon enough."
But, she was done with this rhetoric... she tapped her cane against the ground, and stared him down. Giving him an offer he couldn't refuse, "...But, if hand over my grandson, I'll tell you everything you need to know."
Shizuka was getting pissed at this old fart. She sure knew how to corner him - he would have to choose between two families: his own, or the Zhaos. It was one, or the other. His old self would have picked his own family without a second thought, but the him now could think much further - that it was just an easy way out to sacrifice the Zhaos, and that karma would come back to hurt his family again, worse than before. While he might not be buddy-buddy with Lihua (yet), he wasn't stupid to throw away the little trust they were slowly (but surely) building up with each other. Besides, Lihua would be a great asset for him in the long run, with her expansive experience as a former NEST agent - what's more, she was once a top intelligence officer, and intelligence was Shizuka's area of expertise (also, she had owed him a lot of favors). There was also Meifeng and her uncontrollable wrath against the Hands, which was already bad enough for him to deal with... so bad that he didn't need to put himself on her kill-list too. With his hands tied down because of Honghui, he couldn't slap the suppressant collar onto this decaying hag and complete the plan he was here for. He also could easily see what Biyu's real goal was: if he handed Honghui over to her, it would be the end for the Lius - and the Zhaos.
...Wait, there is a way. It would be risky - Biyu was indeed a sly bitch as Lihua had warned him numerous times during the night meeting before the party - but it was worth a shot. Besides, if they wanted to escape from here, he would need to get rid of Biyu first. Most people of his age wouldn't pay much attention towards a seemingly frail lady like Biyu, but Shizuka knew better than to underestimate someone just because of their appearance. While he might have the upper hand in terms of physical strength, this rotting fox was obviously no different from him - the type who knew how to make use their brains to overcome disadvantages in power, with everything they could use to turn the tides to their own favor.
Well then, let the battle of wits begin.
"...Alright," he said in resignation, and walked slowly towards Biyu. As he moved his arms forward, seemingly to hand Honghui over to her, he grabbed onto the old hag's wrist and channeled his power into her body, preventing her from using her light power to teleport out of the basement. "Now talk."
Right when Biyu thought he was playing into her hands - just to get some consolidation of his own - he pulled this trick. The first thing Biyu did was try to break free... but, it was pointless. She was an old woman, and he was a young man in his prime... it truly was an up-hill battle for her. So, best that she played along. But, that didn't mean she had to tell him everything, or even anything useful.
"Alright, you've got your way, I'll tell you everything," Biyu said, as she stared him in the eye. "When I first heard of Polaris... I was just a little girl. My family only had the roof over our heads. And to support us, my father joined the military and served it for years... I don't know what that did, but he suddenly gained a lot of money and power. Enough to earn us a big home in Shanghai... and eventually, I was married into the Liu Family... the older Liu Family... Different from the people you see here today."
She intended to drone on, and on, and on... about literally a story she was pulling out of her ass.
"Years later, I realized that he was apart of Polaris, and so was I, by extent. They entranced with their ambitions... and they gave me a good reason to play along..."
Shizuka was feeling more and more irritated as Biyu rambled on - he knew he wasn't going to get anything useful out of this cunning hag, but he would give her one last try. "Whatever. Just give me the names of the current leaders in that goddamn cult you worship so much."
"...And I said that I'll tell you everything." Biyu grinned. "I'll get to that after... hmmm... two decades being the Liu matriarch. Or my many adventures of Polaris." She couldn't hold back the laughter... but, this boy could go die in a fire. What she wanted was Honghui. Though, she was hoping that, by annoying him, she could create an opening. And she could see it. Biyu was quick to attempt to snatch Honghui away from Shizuka, whipping her whole body around in an attempt to get him to break contact. All she needed to do was to get away for one second, and she'd teleport far away from him and leave him looking stupid...
...But she didn't expect Shizuka to simply snatch Honghui back through her body - literally - then he finally broke contact with Biyu and stepped back with the boy, away from the old bitch. He had been waiting for her to make that move. "If I can't get what I want, then the same goes for you," he smirked at her. "It's only fair, yeah?"
Biyu lost her composure. Gritting her teeth and staring at Shizuka with her eyes wide. Instead of clenching her fist, she spawned a light in her hand... but, it wasn't any regular light. It was an orb that appeared to be a miniature sun in her hand. The flames of the sun were dancing as Biyu held this baseball sized orb. The heat it gave off could faintly be felt by Shizuka, which didn't tell good things about what it would do if it hit him. "...I'll kill you!" Biyu shouted in her native language, cocking her arm back like she was going to throw it---
And her eyes landed on Honghui.
Then the orb disappeared; she regained her composure, and brushed her hair. "...You are certainly a troublesome one. I don't even know what use Xing Huo intends to get out of you..." Biyu bitterly said to Shizuka in Chinese. Simply dropping that stupid facade. "...They should just kill you and your useless brother before you become an even bigger pain in the ass." She scoffed.
She knew when she faced defeat, and would rather retreat and come up with a better strategy than uselessly charge at Shizuka. Potentially injuring the child that she wanted in her care. She took a few steps away from Shizuka, and narrowed her eyes at him.
"One last thing... That power of yours..." Biyu pointed her cane at him. "...Do you really think it belongs to you?"
Not even giving Shizuka a moment to ponder, a bright flash of light engulfed Biyu. This light was so bright that it would hurt like hell to stare into it. Almost like a flashbang... but, much worse. By the time the light had faded, Biyu was gone.
Shizuka had instinctively raised an arm to shield his eyes, while his other arm still made sure Honghui was wedged to him, in case Biyu tried any more funny tricks. That moment when she had summoned the light orb in her hand almost threw his plan off the grid (he totally didn't expect her to lose her cool like that), but thank goodness the still-sleeping boy in his arms saved him from getting roasted by a mad witch. Even though his eyes managed to avoid the blinding flash, the sheer heat from her power had made the basement too warm for them to stay any longer.
I know, he thought about what the last words Biyu had said to him. And that's why I want to get to the bottom of all this, to know the whole truth. There was also one more thing that she had revealed to him, in the midst of her bitter defeat - a name. Xing Huo. From the sound of it, it must be the name of the Fire Spirit she had mentioned, and this person was very interested in him. But why?
With a tired sigh, he finally turned to the confused faces of the three Liu sisters. "...Save your questions for later - we really need to get out of here. Now."
As they were moving out of the basement, Shizuka briefly looked upwards. Seemed like the fight upstairs had concluded - no more sounds of smashing stones and shooting guns. He pressed his earpiece. "Lihua, Honghui and the Liu sisters are all safe with me. Requesting for meet-up point so we can regroup with you."
"I guess the main hall should be good... we have to break the news to the Liu Sisters regardless," Lihua spoke over the comms, letting out a sigh.
"Understood."
Everyone involved had gathered in the center of the ballroom, near the cake table, and at this point, the effects of Honghui's power were beginning to wear off. One by one, everyone slowly began to awaken. They were all probably confused about what had happened, or they were complaining about how their suits or dresses were ruined. But, that was irrelevant to the ones that were fighting desperately to keep the Hound away. They needed to come up with a plan if they were going to go after the Hound, and get Jiao-Long and Chunhua back.
It didn't take much guessing for the Liu sisters to figure out what happened.
"Father and mother... are gone?" Lin remorsefully said, looking off to the side. "...I cannot understand what father had that the armored man wanted so much that he had to ruin a birthday party to get it."
"His talents are useful to the Family," Lihua said, letting out a sigh. "They would stop at nothing to have him... so they sent their favorite dog after us..."
"Will you be able to get our parents back, auntie?" Jia-Li asked, giving the Zhao matriarch puppy-dog eyes. "I mean... you're the only person who really can, really." Jia-Li awkwardly shuffled her feet.
It was easy to see why Jia-Li (and the rest of them) felt that way, they were family, and despite their years of petty squabbling... It began with them, and it sure as hell would end with them. She closed her eyes, and inhaled.
"...Yes," Lihua said, as she exhaled. "...I'll have to break a personal vow to do it, but I will."
Meifeng put her hands on the side of her head as her face went slack from shock.
"And what about me?" Meifeng pointed two thumbs at herself. "A living legend, in the flesh."
Whereas Abe wore an amused smirk, Shizuka rolled his eyes at Meifeng. Who gives a shit about heroism when there are more important things to deal with now? "We don't need to rush to save Jiao-Long and Chunhua," he finally spoke up. "The Family won't kill them yet, and we don't even know where they've been taken through their portal. But we have to do something to keep Honghui safe, out of the Family's reach if possible." Biyu's action just now in the basement was clear to him that Chunhua wasn't their real target but Honghui, who was the best hostage choice to pressure Jiao-Long to do the Family's bidding.
"But at the same time, we don't know what the Family's workin' on, Shizuka," Meifeng said, as an echo to what Lihua said in the bar.
"All I know is that the Family's working on a dangerous machine... which they are desperate to get the most brilliant scientists all over the world to work on it," Shizuka said quietly. "And they're in desperate need for Jiao-Long's expertise, so badly enough to crash this party. That's why I'm certain they won't hurt them for now." Then he glanced at Honghui. "But they might try to get his only son to threaten him better."
"I'm surprised that, by now, you haven't hit the bastards with a localized e-bomb," Abe commented dryly. "Tech seems like their biggest strength."
"...For now, it is for the best that the Liu family leaves Baybridge," Lihua said. "Because it is becoming more and more apparent that you all are in danger here." And more importantly, the Liu estate has been compromised. It wouldn't surprise her if it was burned to the ground the very next night. What Lihua also wanted was for the Lius to take Lijuan out of here.
"Auntie..." Lin was about to protest, before she nodded. "...Very well. I know of a place we can stay in Black Fall."
"And if you are looking for father, then I am going to help," Mika stepped up, nodding her head after she realized she was done being useless and standing by.
"Yeah, Mika, no," Meifeng said. "We're going up against the A-listers here... Wait..." It suddenly occurred to Meifeng as she whipped her head around towards her mother. "What are you, a civilian, going to do to help bring Jiao-Long back?"
"...Something I really do not want to do." Lihua said.
With a quick scan of her mind, Mika immediately knew what Lihua meant, but chose to keep it to herself.
"Well... I'm as deep in this shitstorm as you all." Shizuka let out a mirthless chuckle. "Biyu almost tried to kill me just now in the basement." He glanced at the Liu sisters, who confirmed what he had said with a nod. He wasn't surprised at all that both the Family and Polaris would love to have a piece of him - just like what Biyu had said, that he was probably one of the most troublesome to deal with among those who were fighting to bring them down, a wild card that had foiled their perfect plans twice so far.
"Wait, you ran into Biyu?" Lihua asked, raising an eyebrow. "What exactly did she want...?"
"Honghui," was Shizuka's curt answer. "She most likely wanted to hand her own grandson over to the Family by herself to suck their dicks." He chose not to tell the girls about the other bit of information - about Polaris, which only concerned him and had nothing to do with the Lius or Zhaos. Besides, they already had their hands full with the kidnapped Jiao-Long and his wife to spare a thought for him, an outsider who was just unfortunate to get dragged into their family business. There was no need to get them involved in his own family affairs too.
"But first, let's wrap up this party or whatever. Get everyone out of here." He gestured at the ruined ballroom. "There's no point in continuing... not in this state."
Once again, Meifeng was still annoyed that her little cousin had to go through all this shit on his birthday of all days. Her eyes landed on her little cousin - they really needed to get him to DOVE so they can examine his ability. Because, truth be told, the ability to instantly knock out a room full of people save for a few was a dangerous one indeed. Even if it appeared to be nonlethal. As Shizuka spoke, Meifeng looked around the room as the rich folk composed themselves.
"Yeah, let's get a move on, emergency services should be on the way---"
Then her eyes landed on the table they were all standing not too far away from. Specifically, there was a man cutting into the birthday cake. The man that was talking with Jiao-Long - yeah, the tall man with the black hair, and the green eyes. The one that was built like a fuckin' statue (which made Meifeng curious what his profession was).
When Meifeng looked at him, her face contorted into a look of disgust as he was seemingly uncaring about what had happened. It wasn't long before everyone else caught on, and they were all staring at Blake. Silently.
He was frozen in place the second they noticed him... while Veronica was facepalming with both hands, wishing that she had a third.
"Oh, um..." Blake said, hoping to sneak a piece of the cake. "...This is very inappropriate, I know."
No one said a word to him, only because they were so utterly amazed that a single person can worry about cake at a time like this. Blake just continued to cut himself a piece of the cake, and put it onto a plate. He took a bite out of it. Shizuka merely narrowed his eyes at him, with a hand on Honghui's shoulder.
"Mmmmm... the Lius certainly know how to pick a cake!" Blake said. "I'll have to find out where they got it - Oh, um, after Jiao-Long is returned safely, that is," Blake said as he walked off towards the exit.
"...Okay, that was weird," Meifeng said, before blissfully brushing that off. Abe, behind the crowd, was slowly turning his back around with his hand pressed against his face to keep himself from cracking out into hilarious laughter. The audacity! This is rich!
However, Mika had probed into his mind during the whole triad, she couldn't help but take a step back, hoping to hide herself from him in the crowd, and put a hand over her mouth. This man... he was no ordinary party-goer, but he was in fact one of the leading members of the Family; The Blessed Three.
She leaned in towards her family, and waited for Blake to leave earshot before she said.
"...That man is the one who orchestrated Father's kidnapping," Mika said.
Meifeng clenched her fist. "You sure, Mika?"
"There is no doubt about it..." Mika said. "His thoughts are all about how successful his mission was."
"Is that right?" Abe muttered to himself as he watched the man escape the scene, cracking his knuckles. It was good that they had a telepath on their side. That was easy info gathering right there, and now Abe knew who needed to go if he wanted to end them once and for all.
"That explains," Shizuka chimed in, sounding more irritated than anything. "The dark aura I felt from him when I spotted him talking to Jiao-Long, and why that slut at the door intercepted us when we tried to go after Biyu." Then he frowned. "I wonder if Biyu was also a part of this shitshow..."
"If he's the shitbag responsible for this..." Meifeng cracked her knuckles as she marched off after Blake. "Then I'm not letting him get off that easily."
Letting out a sigh, Lihua followed after Meifeng, fully trusting Mika's telepathy. "I will join you."
Before they could march off, Mika said, "Be careful... he is the supreme leader of the Family... a member of their Blessed Three..."
That was the second time that Meifeng heard that name. She, personally, was more than happy to kick one of their esteemed leaders asses, and show them how 'Blessed' they were.
While Meifeng was marching after them, she stopped and looked over her shoulder. "...Don't worry, ya'll, I'm going to bring this bullshit to an end - just for ya'll - I promise."
"Are you sure you want to do that?" Abe quickly interjected, putting his hands up. He can appreciate swift action and getting antsy for a fight, but the last couple of years had him trained to savor the hunt, and wait for all of his targets to out themselves before moving in. Even if it meant someone getting hurt. He was surprised to see RAVEN agents lacking in such... foresight. "Kill 'em now, and the rest of their leadership goes into hiding again. If you should wait until we've got visual on the three of em, you bag them all. They're cocky now, so they're gonna be a little careless. And if they need Jiao-Long, then it won't matter even if they rough him up, he'll still be alive by the time you get there."
"He has a point, Meifeng," Lihua reiterated. Personally, she was more than content with following whatever choice that Meifeng went with - but, if they went after Blake, they only have one shot at this. Ah... a classical high-risk, high-reward, situation. Lihua herself would have just waited, because they could do more damage in the long-run then confronting him now. "If you go after him, you have one shot, and one shot alone. So choose wisely." Damn it, Lihua needed more alcohol for this. "Regardless, I am behind you, whatever decision you make."
Shizuka shook his head at Meifeng, feeling a mixture of annoyance and amusement at her usual tactics of charging blindly into the devil's arms without a plan. "We can't have you, the Hero, to die first before we can even try to save Jiao-Long," was the only thing he had to add, on top of whatever Lihua (and that tall stranger) had said.
Meifeng put her hands on her hips, and considered this carefully. She closed her eyes, and put a hand on her chin. While her pride was telling her to go after him, it's better to play it safe. She sighed. "...Alright, I'll hold the fort here," Meifeng said. "And who knows, the bastard will probably show himself again somewhere else."
Shizuka tugged at his dress shirt collar and pulled off the bow tie. Now his neck felt so much better. "Anyway, I think my job is done here, and I need to start digging for more intel about the info we know so far. I'll take my leave first."
Lihua turned to Shizuka, "Very well, you've done more than enough for my family." It was one of those moments where Lihua smiled. "I am eternally thankful."
"Yeeeeeah, Shizuka," Meifeng said, putting her hands behind her head. "We owe you one."
"You can pay those favors back to me..." Shizuka let out a short laugh as he turned to leave. "...After you get your own family back together in one piece."
"Ah, wasn't that an excellent celebration, Veronica?" Blake said as the two walked side by side towards their limousine.
Veronica rolled her eyes up into her head. "I guess," she grumbled.
"Could you be a dear and get more of that cake?" Blake said with a cheerful smile. "I'd love to share some of it with the secretaries."
The secretaries... The concept of them made even Veronica shudder. They were either servants eternally devoted and loyal to the Blessed Three, or they were brainwashed. What made the latter worse was that most of the brainwashing was done by her own sister. Veronica distantly wondered how that was affecting her little sister's mind - being forced to brainwash perfectly normal and sane people... that would drive even her insane. She peered at Blake, and spay out,
"...And get more of their attention?" She gave him a narrow look. "I'm sorry, but getting that one slice was stupid. Do you want them to know who you are?"
Blake looked at Veronica, as if he was in utter disbelief. Before he started laughing.
"Ah, Veronica! That's why I love you!" Blake said with a smile on his face. "...But, even if they realized who I am, what are they really going to do about it?"
"Hmph."
"Trust me," Blake said, as he approached the limo, and one of his female secretaries opened up the door for him. "Even if they came out here and confronted me now, it wouldn't make any difference, because now that I have Jiao-Long... the machine will be done in no time!" he said as he slid inside, snapping his fingers.
Veronica slid in the limousine herself, and heard mention of the 'machine' again. "You're banking everything on this machine... What does it even do?"
The limousine went into motion, and Blake slid back with his hands behind his head.
"Ahhh..." Blake thought about telling her here and now. "...I think I'd rather show you."
Veronica gave him a glance... he was willing to share information of their potential doomsday device with her?
Rhea left Malik a note stating she had some business to attend. One could call it a craving, or habit of sorts — not just because she felt stir crazy. Earlier that day, dressed in her grey hoodie and sweats, she melted into the shuffle of visitors at a modest hospital. It was located in a place she knew to be anti-metahuman. They banned healers from their doors some time ago, preferring technology over something they didn’t understand.
Eavesdropping on the conversations around her, Rhea picked up on the most critical of the patients. Her plan was simple and she put it in practice many times before - find three stories and bring a happy ending.
As always, the stories were easy to find. An older lady came to her, immediately recognising what she was. In a hushed tone, she said it was Rhea’s skills that repaired her friend’s failing lungs. She said her grandchildren were here. Rhea followed her to a boy in a coma, who soon woke. Then, after some searching, she found and healed that boy’s sister, who was paralysed. They both survived a car accident by some miracle, according to the grandmother.
It wasn’t long until Rhea found the third story. A father left a room, saying he’d be back within a few hours with a home-cooked meal. As she casually leaned against the corridor wall, faint sniffles could be heard through the open door. Small, with a feminine sound.
Rhea knocked on the doorframe. “May I come in?” The room was lit with a large window and held a single bed, two chairs and medical equipment. A woman, maybe in her late 20’s lay on the bed, bald, frail and asleep. A young child sat by her, gripping a white hand.
The child glanced at Rhea, tears streaking her face. “Who are you?”
“A… family friend,” Rhea said softly, closing the door as she moved to sit in the opposing chair. “How’s your mother?”
The child went silent, fresh tears slipping down her cheeks. Ah, lucky guess. Rhea thought, shifting her gaze to the crocheted doll in the girl’s hand.
“Is that for her?” Rhea asked.
“...Y-yeah,” said the child, holding it up. “I made it all by myself. It took a very long time. I hope… I hope mum likes it. Mum’s still sleeping.”
“You’re very patient,” Rhea said, appraising the sleeping woman. The bald head and sickly hue of her skin looked very similar to what she had seen in other cancer patients. As always, it was a delicate case to heal.
“...Would you like to see your mom get better?” Rhea asked.
The child gave her a confused look. “The doctor says he’s doing everything.”
“Mm, indeed.” Rhea nodded. “But what if she got better really fast? Like, in an hour? Would you like that?”
The child gained some enthusiasm. “Yes! Then she could come home with us!”
“I can help your mom. But to do that, I’m going to need your help.”
“With what?” the girl asked.
“Wishes only works if you believe. So I need you to try really hard for me.” Rhea said, demonstrating. “Just close your eyes really tight, hold onto that doll, and wish for mom to get better. I will do the rest.”
The girl tilted her head, considering it. Then she nodded, closing her eyes. “Okay!” The hope in her voice was so innocent, so endearing. Rhea felt a piece of her heart melt.
As the child wished, Rhea summoned up a vibrant feeling of life. A ball of translucent, water-like energy pooled above her open palms. Rhea breathed in and blew it into the woman, where it passed through the skin. Within several seconds, colour began to fill the woman’s cheeks, and fresh hair grew half an inch off her head. Her breathing went from tense and shallow to a slow, full rhythm.
Phase two. Rhea hovered her hands over the woman’s body, using the battery in her back pocket as an energy source. White sparks flew from her fingertips, dancing along the patient’s skin. Intuitively, Rhea felt a tumor near the head and concentrated her efforts there. The static charge worked under the skin, dismantling the offending material and flushing it from the area. This process continued on for 20 minutes until Rhea was satisfied with her work, and lowered her hands.
The child was staring at her, mouth hanging open. Rhea could only smile, then looked at the mother expectantly. Already, the woman was stirring.
“M-Mum?” the child said, eyes wide. Her little fingers wrapped around her mother’s hand. “You’re… so warm.”
The woman blinked, confused but awake. She smiled wide, reaching up to hold her daughter’s cheek. “Hey, honey. How’s my little girl?”
The child burst into tears, hiding her head in her mother’s chest. “Oh, mum… You can home with us now, right?”
The mother gently embraced her child. “Well…” She noticed Rhea, eyebrows furrowing. “Who’s this?”
“Just a friend,” Rhea said. “You’ll be able to go home today. Your daughter wished very hard.”
“Yeah!” the child looked excitedly up at her mother. “I wished really, really hard. And I think…” the girl leaned in close, whispering in her mother’s ear.
“Huh.” The woman said, giving Rhea an odd look. “She says you’re an angel.”
Rhea looked at the two with their arms wrapped around each other. The tears were gone, replaced with smiles. “Mom, I think it’s your daughter who’s the angel. She was very keen on you making a full recovery.”
Moving to stand, Rhea politely bid the family farewell, listening as she walked out of the room.
“Mum, mum. Look what I made you~”
“Oh sweetie, what an adorable doll. You did this all by yourself?”
“Uh-huuuh!”
As the room moved out of hearing range, Rhea’s smile was quickly shattered as she saw a loathsome trio march up the hall toward her. The lead nurse, and two rather large security staff, ready to sink their teeth into something. The nurse had a stern, almost angry look on her face.
“You.” A sharp finger jabbed in Rhea’s direction. “You have no licence to be waving your wand in my hospital. Despicable metas.”
“Excuse me?” Rhea said.
“Don’t play dumb. You act like you’re above the law, you and your… kind.” The nurse raised her fist in fury. “But not today!”
The security closed in on Rhea, one grabbing her arm tightly. She tried to pull away. “Don’t touch me.”
The nurse smiled wickedly. “I’ve already called the cops, so if you’ll be a dear and follow us to our security office…”
Rhea huffed, turning her head away. Just play it cool, Rhea. Obedient in the first few steps, she gave the impression she was no threat. At the moment she saw the staff turn his eyes away, her foot swept out to trip him. This loosened his grip, and as he stumbled she spun to bury her elbow in his solar plexus. The other guard could barely react before Rhea jabbed a pressure point in his neck, and he collapsed by his winded co-worker.
The nurse pulled out a walkie, spitting into the receiver. “Security to the second floor!”
Rhea was already down the next hall, using her Empowerment to create winds in her speedy wake. She leapt down the stairs and was just reaching the main doors when two cop cars pulled up.
Her arms pinwheeled as she ground to a halt. “Shit.”
The visitors and patients in the lobby gaped at Rhea, many giving her worried looks as she turned heel and ran up the flights of stairs once more. As she reached the second floor, a small team of hospital security barred her way.
“Stop right where you are!”
Rhea gritted her teeth as they moved in, slowly backing up until she bumped into the wall. She turned her head, noticing the light coming through frosted glass on her left. Perfect. Without hesitation, her hand charged up with static and punched straight through the single panel. It was enough for her to slip through, although in her haste the glass sliced her up some. Her hand reached for the next ledge as she parkoured her way up. There was some colourful language thrown her way as she moved out of reach, and when Rhea reached the roof she didn’t stop freerunning for many, many blocks.
Some time later, Rhea felt safe enough to fully heal the glass cuts as she leaned against a roof’s maintenance door. The repair was simple enough, though she could do little about the stains ruining one of her few outfits. She made a mental note to have CID pull a few strings; the last thing she needed was any media attention. Not that the paper would be able to identify her, but she was sure 98% of the ripples were monitored by them.
Checking the watch clasped to her wrist, Rhea scowled at the time. She was running late for the meet-up. If she wished to be on time, Rhea would need to empower her sprint the entire way, which meant more freerunning. Couldn’t keep Malik waiting, after all.
After a good night's rest, a glass of scotch and a mug of Kona coffee to clear her head, Aislin pressed a phone to her ear. She stood facing the full window of her suite, gazing out at the city sprawled below.
"Well, well. Drinking on the job?" Hallmark spoke in a not-so-amused tone.
"I won't bother to ask how you know," Aislin said, rolling her eyes. "It was, however, for a good cause."
She explained her happenstance with Haruka, the man sitting in the corner of the security tape they 'acquired'. What happened with Rhea, the bits and pieces Aislin managed to glean about her mysterious friend - the African meta. Aislin also, with a strange lack of gusto, informed Hallmark on the two groups Haruka mentioned.
"These seem like the uh, dangerous type of organizations. At least, that's my hunch. If Rhea's in trouble with them, this is something we need spy intel on," Aislin said.
"And I imagine you already extended a 'helping hand'?"
"You know me so well," Aislin said with a chuckle. "Haruka was incredibly cooperative, so I offered him a discount on investigating 'Polaris'."
"That's not in our policy," Hallmark said flatly.
"It's not?" Aislin said, looking off to the side. "Hmm, my bad~ Deal's already been set, boss. I'll charge full price next time, promise."
A subtle facepalm could be heard over the phone line. "Aislin... I'll let it go this time. Your information has proven quite eye-opening. It may even relate to Rhea's case."
As Aislin was about the reply, another call came in through the line. She pulled the phone away, watching a new contact light up her screen. Haruka.
"Sorry, boss. I have another call coming in. Was there anything else?" she asked quickly.
"No. Keep in touch," Hallmark said, and hung up.
Aislin swiped at her screen, bringing up the new call. With a sly grin, she brought the cell to her ear. "Hi Haruka. How you feeling?"
"I'm... better now, I guess," Haruka's quiet voice came out from the receiver. "Uh, I know this is a little sudden and all, since we only just met each other last night... but can I arrange to meet you one more time?" There was a pause and some shuffling noises in the background before he continued, "...It's better for me to show it to you than to talk about it over the line."
"Show, eh?" Aislin paused, brow raised. "The way you say it sounds mildly unnerving. But yeah, I can meet with you. Just name the place and time."
"Well..." There was an awkward scratching sound as Haruka suggested something that Aislin had least expected. "...How about we go out for a drive around Baybridge together? I can pick you up if you want."
"Hm, you must be pretty serious," Aislin said, spinning to flop on her leather couch. "They say 'no place' is safer than 'some place'. I can meet you in an hour in front of the Fire & Ice restaurant. It's in Lower South Royer Town."
There was a soft - barely audible - sigh of relief from the other end. "Sure, I'll see you later." With that, the line was cut off.
Aislin stared with a mute expression at her phone. What an odd request... She tossed the phone to the side as she stood, heading to the master bathroom for a shower. If she could manage her time, this upcoming encounter could use a good meditation. Gather her thoughts and whatnot.
Exactly on time, Aislin sat nonchalant on a bench to the left of a rather sleek building. She was dressed in her usual leather jacket, aviators hiding her eyes. Briefly, she pulled a phone from her purse, checking the clock. Haruka was running a little late.
Just then, a black sedan finally pulled up before her, and the slim figure of Haruka stepped out from the back passenger seat. He was in a gray hoodie with a pair of skinny jeans and dark-colored sneakers, which made him look even younger than his facial age. "Sorry - took us a bit of time to prepare the food." Then he held out the door and gestured to Aislin. "After you."
"Us?" Aislin said, a surprised note in her voice.
The tinted window of the driver's seat then rolled down to reveal the person behind the steering wheel - who was none other than Holly, in a figure-hugging dark-green turtleneck that went well with her auburn hair, which also brought out the green in her eyes. "Hi," she greeted Aislin with a warm smile. "I'll be your chauffeur for today. Hop on in!"
"Um," Haruka chimed in hurriedly to explain. "Holly is like, uh, my sister---"
"---Even though we look nothing alike," Holly completed Haruka's stuttering line with a chuckle. "I've been taking care of him and his brother long enough that we're just as close as any blood-related siblings."
"Yeah, so..." Haruka scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "You can trust her... is what I'm trying to say."
Aislin nodded. "Family is family. Holly, the pleasure is mine," she said, nudging Haruka. "Though, a heads up would be preferred."
Slipping into the back seat, Aislin buckled herself in and tucked her shades away. "I believe we discussed your brother the other night, Haruka. Was he, in fact, home to give you a hard time?" she asked teasingly.
Haruka shook his head in response as the car drove off. "I guess it's a good thing that it was Holly instead of Shizu - I think his presence would only make my hangover even worse." He shrugged, sheepish.
"Shizuka did inform me that he had a party to attend today," Holly said from the front. "He was worried about you, so he got me to look after you instead."
Haruka couldn't believe what he had just heard. "...'Party'? Wha---"
"It's not what you think it is; you should know him better than me," Holly laughed. "Well, I'm not too sure either - all he said was that he might be able to get a lead or clue if he went for it." Then she glanced up at the rearview mirror, looking at Aislin's reflection. "So... Aislin, right? How long have you been staying here in Baybridge?"
"Right..." Aislin winked. "Roughly four months, I'd say. Still haven't seen all the tourist spots, but I like Baybridge. It reminds me of New Orleans."
"Mhmm~" Holly's smile widened and she turned her head briefly to give a knowing look to Haruka. "Then you probably don't know about a place near the outskirts of Baybridge that can give you a great view of the city and the lake. It's also quiet - other than a few odd hikers, there's barely anyone around. What do you say?"
The perfect murder. Aislin glanced away, a mischievous expression crossing her face. "Sure," she said, grinning. "Is this where the uh, food takes place? What's that... a, hm, picnic?"
She couldn't remember the last time she had attended a picnic, at least in a social sense. Eating alone in the bush didn't quite count. It was the not-so-glamorous side of a spy life. Tailing targets, crossing borders on foot... the usual.
"It'll be a picnic you will never forget," Holly snickered good-naturedly. "You get to try Haruka's cooking while enjoying a beautiful sight of this city!"
Haruka knew where exactly Holly was taking them to - the area near the Ever Reaching Mountain range. Not only was it a great spot to overlook the cityscape that surrounded the lake Baybridge was well-known for... it could also allow both Haruka and Holly to make good use of their own powers to set up a lookout. A perfect place for secretive talks and no one could come anywhere close to overhear what they were saying without alerting them.
His face turned pink at the mention of food (what's more, made by him in a rush within the one hour), and he decided to change the topic. "That aside... this is the reason why I called to meet you." He took out the same balled-up napkin he used to show Aislin his air power last night from his hoodie pocket, and passed it to her.
"I'm surprised you're holding on to this," Aislin said, giving him a curious look as she pulled at the ball. A series of characters were found on the reverse side, making what seemed to be a cell number.
"Your new girlfriend's cell?" she said, chuckling. "Didn't know you needed my dating advice." It was a tease to ease her nerves. The writing, strangely, gave her the creeps. But she couldn't figure why. By all intents, it appeared normal.
"No." Haruka's expression darkened at the innocent joke. "...I was approached by someone from Polaris before I bumped into you. She claimed to be a 'Fire Spirit' in that cult, and gave me this number before she left." He let out a frustrated sigh. "Her last words were along the lines of me and my family could never escape from our fate, no matter how hard we tried."
Aislin sighed, shifting in her seat as she brought the napkin up for a closer inspection. "Well, that's about as blatant as you can get with a threat. Not that I know any more than what you've told me, but cults have a tendency toward absoluteness. As in, you're on my side, or you're the enemy."
She offered the napkin back to Haruka. "I take it you haven't contacted this 'Fire Spirit'?"
Haruka lowered his head at Aislin's question, playing with the napkin in his hands absently. "I... don't know if I should. I know they are trying to threaten me and my brother, and I fear for Shizu's life... but I don't want to succumb to them without a chance to fight back. There's no guarantee they won't continue to hurt us after we go with them..."
"Hmm..." Aislin brushed her palms together. "Fortunately, if she hasn't contacted you yet, there's still some grace period we can work with. I am going to mention, however, that my company offers a security service that may be useful to you."
Haruka simply kept quiet; he was a little disappointed that she didn't seem to get his hint, but there was plenty of opportunity later for him to try and get his point across. He couldn't say it out loud - not with Holly here. She might be more easygoing than his overprotective brother or worrisome aunt, but that didn't mean she would agree with whatever he had in mind so readily.
Aislin glanced out the window, watching the trees and open sky flash by. "This doesn't quite sound like an intel job, like we agreed. But I understand this 'Polaris' shit is serious. We'll still need more information before..."
Before what? Aislin paused. You're no hero. This may be beyond what a spy can do.
Holly, who had been concentrating on the road while listening to their conversation quietly the whole time, finally spoke up, "About this 'company' that you work for... I'm curious about what it truly is, and what exactly you do."
"Everyone is," Aislin said, folding her hands in her lap. "Since Haruka's on the client list, I'm allowed to divulge a little more. I work for Civilian Intelligence and Delivery, or CID. We essentially discover and courier secrets."
Holly raised an eyebrow - the RAVEN intelligence department would use the CID's services from time to time, but she would have never dreamed that Haruka, a mere civilian with a record so clean that could easily earn himself a good citizen medal from the mayor, to get himself caught up with this gray area, the 'secret business'. Well... at least this would make the real conversation later to go even smoother than expected. It seemed like Aislin wasn't aware of her true identity as a RAVEN agent yet, so she might as well play along for now.
"Whoa..." Holly let out a low whistle. "So you guys are like, superspies? Like Totally Spies? Ah, here we are."
"'Spy' is such a strong word..." Aislin said coolly as her hands moved to her seatbelt.
Holly pulled to a stop - the road ended here, and the trail ahead was too narrow for cars to drive through. "We'll have to go on foot to reach the 'secret' spot," Holly explained as she got out of the car. "It's a short walk, and it's totally worth it." Haruka had followed after her and helped with carrying the picnic box, then went down the trail first to lead the way.
For people who were too used to walking on flat city pavements or those who weren't a fan of mountain hiking, the trail would be quite a challenge to climb - the road became narrower and steeper as they strolled up further. Haruka ignored the first rest-point and continued to walk on, until he reached a fork that overlooked a small waterfall, where he picked the rockier path rather than sticking to the main trail. They finally reached an open ledge halfway up the mountain slope, complete with a stone bench... and it was just like Holly had said, they had an unobstructed view of the Baybridge districts that surrounded a huge lake with a long, suspended bridge that cut across the water. While all around them was a rhapsody of autumn colors - red, orange and yellow among the greens in the trees and grasses; even the rocks had different shades of brown and gray.
Haruka set down the box on the bench before he turned to Aislin, and he couldn't help but grin at her. "So... what do you think?" He raised a hand to brush his tousled hair out of his eyes as the mountain breeze hit him.
Aislin's face held a wide smile as she took in the view. "In full honesty, this---" She raised her arms at the vista laid out below. "---Is the most beautiful thing I've seen in years. What a view..."
She turned toward Haruka, rubbing her hands in anticipation. "I think the trail made me sufficiently hungry, though."
"Uh, right." Haruka's face colored as he bent down and lift up the box cover. "It's nothing much..."
"You're being too modest - you're amazing to make so much in just an hour." Holly walked over and ruffled his hair before she turned her attention to Aislin. "There are sandwiches and sushi rolls, so take your pick. Both go well with hot tea." She winked at her.
"Mmm." Aislin gave the container a sniff, chuckling. "This kind of food goes straight to my heart."
Scooping up a sandwich, Aislin added quickly, "As in, I love food. And I appreciate the effort that's clearly gone into it." That made Haruka grabbed a few for himself and turned away in a hurry, to hide the embarrassed but pleased look on his face.
Taking a seat near the box that allowed her to see the view of Baybridge, Aislin spoke, "It's..." She listened. "Quiet. Very quiet. Ideal for any kind of discussion, which I imagine comes with a meal such as this."
Holly nodded, brushing her hand across some of the lower-hanging leaves near her before she spoke again, but this time dropping the friendly tone for a more professional one, "There's no one within a kilometer around us, so we should be fine... to skip the pleasantries and get straight to the point."
"Perfect. You have my full attention," Aislin said, eyes keenly set on Holly as she stole a bite of her sandwich. The flavor was full, fresh - and was followed with a second mouthful.
Holly stared at Aislin straight in the eye. "I appreciate your gracious offer to Haruka regarding the price he has to pay for your service, which I will be paying for him - but not with money."
She paused for a second before continuing, "Since you've been honest with us, and you have earn our trust in you... I shall do the same: I am a RAVEN agent, and I do know about CID. We're business partners, in a way." Then she smiled. "I've heard from Haruka that you're looking for someone, a friend of yours, who went missing after encountering an African man that you're trying to identify... and I can give you more information on them than what you can get out of Haruka, or any of those witnesses at the cafe you can get hold of. How about we pay intel - with intel?" She went for more rolls while waiting for Aislin's reply.
"Ah, RAVENs..." Aislin leaned back, chuckling. "Although I do believe they would have files on, heck, any Meta - would they approve of you selling this data to CID?"
Holly swallowed her food before she replied slowly, "At this point, that is probably the least of RAVEN's worries - or anyone's worries - with the whole of Europe and North America now under the Family's control, even in cahoots with Polaris to expand their influence to the East... I'm aware of CID's stand to remain neutral and independent regardless of the people or parties you're dealing with, but how long can you continue to stay at the sidelines and ignore the things that have been happening around you?"
Well... Aislin's eyes glinted. She knows more than what she's letting on. To think these cults have that amount of control? This intel may be worth it after all. CID, though...
Holly gave Aislin a piercing look. "Even your friend - 'Rhea' is her name, if I remember correctly - understood the huge risk she's taking when she got herself involved with the Family, with that African man. It's likely that she went into hiding to protect you, but it won't take long for the Family to trace her to you and let all her efforts go to waste."
"Well, I'll applaud the RAVEN's spy force. Rhea's reason for her disappearance was left rather vague," Aislin said, glancing to the side. She's always been so damn reckless...
"And before we go further, I feel I should make it clear I'm more of a... contractor. I can't speak for CID. At least, not now," Aislin said, a loose grin forming on her lips. "From what I've heard, not only do you have intel I'm interested in, you also have an insight on these cults."
Aislin took another few bites, chewing thoughtfully. Haruka seemed awful quiet throughout their discussion. And Holly definitely wanted something. Either Aislin's full assistance, or a call to action from CID. Maybe both, maybe more. She considered her options, swallowing the last of her sandwich.
"I"m willing to go ahead with your proposal. Intel for intel. I get the impression, however, that there's more at play here. If there's some additional thing you require, I'll need to attach a value to it. This is, well, dangerous shit, after all."
Holly's hard look softened - the response she got was satisfactory, for now. She had heard rumors that the boss of CID wasn't the kind of person that would be easy to deal with, but she hoped that they could see the grim situation shepherded by the Family (and Polaris, if they were starting to put their foot into Baybridge) and work with RAVEN to bring them down, if they truly wanted to protect their best interests. "You're right - I do have some insights to these cults that would greatly interest you and CID, and I believe that they are more than enough to cover the cost of our partnership."
Aislin nodded. "There we go, 'partnership'. That's what I was waiting for.
"Now, hold on. Let's put a pin in that thought." Aislin held up her hands, palms out. "Essentially, a 'partnership' like this would involve - and this is just an estimate - hundreds of hours of planning, preparing and executing several operations. Some of it spy work, some of it more direct. And once the ball started rolling, all of us, including me, would have to lay low. And your intel, you say, is enough to cover what, exactly? The dismantling of two very influential parties?"
Holly was starting to like this lady, someone who would be a great comrade to have on their side. "Unfortunately, it's not as simple and straightforward as just 'dismantling' those two organizations. We're talking about two very influential, very dangerous cults that have the power to destroy not just RAVEN, or CID, or any other groups out there - but the entire world." She paused, and thought about elaborating a little more. "...They have been trying to gather the top scientists around the world to work on a certain 'Machine'... The Verthaven disaster and the Prague incident probably won't be the last catastrophe-level events that have befallen on us."
"Wait. These two tragedies - you have evidence Polaris and the Founding Family were involved?" Aislin said quickly, giving Holly a side glance. If that's true...
"It's highly possible," Holly replied, closing her eyes briefly. "After all, instilling and spreading fear and distrust among the people to divide them, whether they are normal humans or Metas, regardless of nations... are what they have been doing, and what they do best. They can easily rule the whole world with the Machine, and anyone who has the slightest thought of daring to go against them will get a taste of their wrath, along with thousands of innocent lives sacrificed for their betrayal, as a hard warning to others who would want to try to defy them."
She took a sip of her tea before she went on, "Just like you've said yourself in the car just now: 'these cults have the tendency towards absoluteness - it's either you're on their side, or you're the enemy'. No one, no groups or organizations, can escape from their hands, can be spared from them. I'm sure you're aware of series of political assassinations in UK - needless to say, the Family already has the MISW under their absolute control. It won't be long before they get DOVE and RAVEN - even CID too."
Aislin pressed her face in her hands, blowing out a stream of exasperated air. Her eyes wandered back to the expansive view of Baybridge - the lake and sprawling concrete. It all seemed rather small from the mountains. Yet somewhere in there... supposedly, at least, was a great evil. Neither CID nor her spy associates had caught a whiff of anything like it. Like a black mold brewing behind the plaster. Was it her place to burn away the mold?
Rhea didn't hesitate. She never does, Aislin thought with a tinge of envy.
She sighed, tearing her eyes from the vista. "Haruka, can you confirm what Holly's saying?"
Haruka had been silent as he listened to the two women negotiating about information exchange. He could guess that Holly was probably trying to 'buy' Aislin's - and eventually, her company's - alliance in their battle against the Founding Family and Polaris. That it was time for people to put whatever petty differences they might have aside and join hands to fight against the growing evil forces, not just in Baybridge... but around the world.
He finally raised his head and looked into Aislin's eyes. "Shizu and Holly mostly kept the RAVEN secrets among themselves... but I can confirm what she said about Dr. Cross and the Mannequin is true: the Black Hound set up the hostage incident to threaten DOVE and RAVEN, to exchange hundreds of innocent lives for those two Verthaven criminals. I was at the mall when that happened." He clenched his fists - the Hound even used him to try tricking his twin to meet his suicidal end. "...As for the assassination of political figures who were against the MISW in UK, they had been all over the news, done by the Hound," he added as an afterthought.
Aislin slowly nodded, a pained look twisting her face. "...Awful. It amazes me that a handful of people are behind so much terror." She raised her chin. "I see this is bigger than a simple contract. Until some amount of peace has been restored, I believe teaming up would be for the best. This job's already in the millions, but if there's no world tomorrow, what does it matter?"
Aw, Rhea would be so proud. Aislin grinned to herself. Still scary shit, though.
Holly's face broke out a smile, pleased that the negotiation was a success. She held out a hand to Aislin, her tone back to the friendliness as before, "A pleasure to work with you, Aislin."
Aislin gave her hand a firm shake. "I'll do my best. First things first, we need intel. Lots of it!"
Haruka was glad that both of them had come to some form of agreement with each other - now that the first obstacle had been cleared, it was time for the next one.
He wolfed down the last sushi roll before he spoke up, "Anyway... I have an idea for us to get more information about Polaris." His hand went into his hoodie pocket, and touched the napkin (this time, folded rather than crumpled) with Xing Huo's number. "...I can be the bait."
Holly's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Haruka, I---"
"It's just like you've said: I'm done staying at the sidelines and not doing anything, leaving all the work for you and Shizu - the 'trained soldiers' - to handle those cults," Haruka cut her off in a firm voice. "I want to be able to do something for my family too; even if I'm just a civilian, I want these cults to be brought to justice as much as anyone else who is aware of the evil deeds they have done."
Aislin studied Haruka, fingers pressed in pondering to her lips. Hmm. Is it loyalty? Heroism? If anyone understood how dangerous Polaris was, she imagined their first reaction would be fear, not altruism. Including the fact Haruka had first-hand experience of meeting the Fire Spirit face-to-face, she found his 'plan', well, reckless. Haruka didn't have the training for it, either. But... it was also the most practical idea they had so far.
"I can admire passion, but I don't think you've thought this one through." Aislin said.
Agreeing with Aislin, Holly shook her head at him. "I know how you feel, but this is not a game you can take so lightly - we are dealing with deranged cults here, and using you to trap this Xing Huo woman is as good as sending you to your death---"
"I didn't gain a superpower for nothing, even if this power wasn't mine but given to me by that damned Polaris," Haruka said as he stood up and turned to face Holly, glaring at her with a stern look. "I know that I'm not much of a fighter like you and Shizu, and I know that both of you don't want me to dirty my hands with blood, but how long are you two going to keep me sheltered like this? I know it's risky, but I have already made up my mind." He looked off to one side, to the Baybridge scenery below. "Just like Shizu always says, that in order to protect someone, I have to hurt other people. I know that as well as you and him!"
He took in a deep breath to regain his composure. "I am the best bet we have now - there must be a reason why Xing Huo chose to contact me first instead of Shizu." Probably using him to pressurize Shizuka, just like what the Black Hound did back then at the mall. "...I've had enough of being Shizu's Achilles heel. It's time to make use of their ignorance to our advantage - I'll show them not to underestimate me, and never to threaten anyone in my family, ever again."
Holly pursed her lips. No matter how much she tried to think of a way to stop Haruka, his argument was solid, incontestable. This boy had truly grown over the seven years she had been with the twins. Letting out a long sigh of resignation, she glanced at Aislin. "...You're in this madness as much as us now; what's your opinion about Haruka's idea?"
Aislin pursed her lips, taking a long pause before speaking. "From what I know, it's a logical step. Haruka has an 'in', as it goes. He would be the one best suited to draw out our guest. However..."
She gave Haruka a look. "You, uh, don't really have the background for this, and that fact does have me worried. A number of things could go awry, despite our best preparations. Ultimately, I'm going to leave the decision up to you."
Aislin stood to stretch, managing to pop a joint in her spine. "Whew, talk about serious~ If we're gonna do this, we'll need the location, the script and the follow-up.
"Ideally, I would like us to be in a place of minimal risk - somewhere in the public eye. We also need to plan your conversation, Haruka. You can't agree to anything, but we have to give her a false notion she's in control. Then, Holly and I require a map of the area so we can follow effectively. Hopefully the Fire Spirit leads us to answers."
"Aislin is right," Holly said, crossing her arms before her. "There's only so much we can do... and you'll have to be prepared for the worst, in case the whole plan falls apart." She regarded Haruka sternly. "Are you very sure you still want to do this?"
Haruka glanced from Holly to Aislin. "I am aware of the stakes here," he replied, a quiet yet determined look in his dark eyes. "Also, other than me, there isn't anyone else available to talk to her directly - is either of you fluent in Mandarin?"
"Touche," Aislin said, scrunching her eyes with amusement.
Holly stared at Haruka for a moment, before she finally let out a defeated sigh. "...Well, I'm still worried about this rash idea coming from you of all people, but I guess you might be able to pull this off." Then her face broke out a small smile. Maybe she just need to have more faith in him...
Haruka's face brightened up, glad that his idea had finally received approval from the more-experienced ladies. "I guess we can go back and start drafting out a plan, and set up the meeting as soon as possible." He paused, raising a hand to his chin. "...How about I meet her tomorrow?" The earlier they could do this, the better; the wind might feel as cool as any other time to most people, but for Haruka, he just had a bad feeling about it, a dread he couldn't put into words...
"That soon, eh?" Aislin said, fiddling with the buttons on her jacket. "Jeez. I mean, sure - I don't know if the Fire Spirit is the anxious type or what. But we have a great deal of preparing to do in the meantime."
She eyed the near empty picnic box. "Mm, that was a lovely meal, Haruka. I'm positive, though, that this mountainside isn't the place to hash out smaller details. Besides, I think we should make a stop at RAVEN." Aislin gave Holly a sly grin. "We made need to borrow a few items for this."
"Sure." Holly returned Aislin with a slight smirk. "I may not look like it, but I have ways to get my hands on them. We do need everything we can have at our disposal to be able to counter the Family and Polaris, after all."
The spy's hand pumped the air enthusiastically. "Awesome! You make my job easy, Holly."
Haruka nodded at the girls. "We can discuss the details at my aunt's - that's in Little Seapond, Roseview," he added, for Aislin's sake.
Aislin grinned. Cool, that's really close to work if I need anything else.
She snapped the lid back on the picnic box, scooping it up. Her eyes quickly scanned their little hideout. "I've got this, and I don't think we brought anything else... Shall we head to your aunt's? I've never seen Little Seapond - should be fun."
"If we manage to get over this crisis in one piece, you can have Haruka to show you around Baybridge at your own leisure," Holly laughed, nudging the blushing young man playfully before they all walked to the trail, to retrace their steps back to the car.
Shizuka Takashiro, and...
Waterbridge Airport, Roseview_
Shizuka could only let out an exhausted sigh as he reclined back on a chair in the waiting area of the arrival terminal hall, trying hard to ignore the attention he was unwillingly getting from the people around him. He had come here straight from the fucked-up party - he was still in the expensive suit he had loaned from the Lius, but at least he left the blazer jacket and bow tie back in the car. He even rolled up the sleeves of his white dress shirt to make himself look more casual in order to blend in better, but he still received curious stares; best of all, was actually asked by two doe-eyed nerd girls - with their smartphone cameras directed at his face - if he was a cosplayer.
He glanced at the display screen that showed the status of arriving flights; he raised an eyebrow at the green label 'landed' flashing next to the flight number he had been watching out for, and smirked. Finally.
It wasn't long before the person he was waiting for walked towards him, calling out to him in his native language. "Shizu-chan! It's been a long time!" The man grinned at Shizuka's clothes with a playful wink. "I can never understand why all those rich girls would fall for a heartless man like you..."
Shizuka cringed. "...Forget about my dumb suit. Also, how many times must I tell you to stop calling me that?" Then he stood up and shook the gloved hand of Ryu Koizumi. "And yeah, it's been some time since I last paid the Suzaku Butai a visit. So... how are the trips?"
Ryu nodded, adjusting the scarf around his neck - that hid the suppressant collar. While the collar couldn't completely negate his erratic power (it even had to be custom-made to be able to withstand the shock), it had helped Ryu to have better control over his electrical abilities.
"Tiring, but manageable," he replied, walking next to Shizuka to an elevator that would take them to the parking area in the basement. "I was surprised when Uncle - I mean, Inoue-san - suddenly summoned me to his office and forced a long vacation leave on me, even scolded me for being the most useless member in front of everyone in the squad to hear... but it turned out that it was another one of your weird ideas." Kazunari Inoue was the commander of the Japanese Metahuman special force, and was blood-related to Ryu - but no one except for very few individuals were aware of this fact.
"Well, sorry about that," Shizuka mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. "But that's the only way to prevent their annoying spies from marking you."
"I know, don't fret over it," Ryu let out a laugh. "Thanks to that, I was able to get the things that you've requested without much trouble."
"Perfect, we can discuss more in the car later." There was a short pause. "...How's Pops?"
"Don't worry, he's alright under Inoue-san's protection. But, there's something else I wanted to ask you about..." Ryu trailed off as the elevator stopped on the basement level, and they stepped out of the elevator. "The reason why you wanted me to come to Baybridge---"
"---Your power," was Shizuka's curt answer. "You'll understand... soon enough."
Written in collaboration with @Estylwen Strongriver Plaza, Hedgemount
Strange. The rooftops were scarse of eyes, despite the time of day. Not a single pair of binoculars to break line-of-sight with. Rhea brushed it off as coincidence. As she neared the meet-up point, however, the air had an odd quality. Like it was charged, or thick. Rhea narrowed her eyes, making her approach more subtle than normal.
"... Hey, Rhea." Malik said, floating above the woman in his storm form. He was in a position that he would be gracefully lounging... except, he was upside down. He had a cheeky grin on his face. He leaned in, and put a flat hand to the side of his mouth. "Between you and me... I think there's someone after us. We should be really stealthy..."
Rhea realised she'd held her breath, and sighed. "Damn, man. Says the ghost storm that just took ten years off my life."
He chuckled.
Before he reverted back to his human form, and landed next to Rhea. "Sorry, got bored of sitting, and then I saw you."
"I don't blame you. Sitting's boring in general." Rhea said, peering over the roof's ledge. "You're just in time anyway, the next deadrop should be just over a few more buildings. If we're being followed, we'll need to be quick, quiet, and hopefully stay ahead of them."
Malik nodded his head... then realized his storm form - while quick - was not quiet at all. He just remained silent as he let Rhea lead the way.
Waiting for a dog-walker to pass by, she paused at the edge of the roof. The moment there was a break in people, she took the leap, landing as muffled as she could on the other side. This particular building had a convenient connection across a busy street to their target — perhaps a walkway. The only problem was the steady traffic flow. If they stayed low, they could sneak along the top mostly unnoticed.
Rhea glanced at Malik, stooping to a near-crouch. "How's your ninja run?"
"I'd say it's quite ex-" Before Malik could finish, Rhea was already running. He shrugged as he was quick to follow behind her after rolling.
Dashing across the walkway together, the passing cars saw only an edge of fast-moving blurs. They found themselves on an empty rooftop that extended a ways. Skylights domed up through the cement, letting light into what looked to be a strip mall.
"The drop should be somewhere here. We're looking for more stacked rocks again, aren't we?" Rhea winked, giving the skylights a wide bearth as her eyes scanned the roof.
Malik threw his hands behind his head, and let out a casual huff as he prepared to search around. "Yeah, but be prepared to look around a little bit," Malik started off as he crouched. "She hid one in an air conditioner - and another inside an abandoned building."
Those were not fun to find, but, hey, it's slowly building a trail that ends with Marcelle. He shrugged. "If you really can't find it, I can conjure a little storm and knock it loose." He said.
"A 'little' storm may look out of place on such a gorgeous day." Rhea said, raising an eyebrow as she moved further down the roof's length.
So it could literally be anywhere, hm? Rhea thought, frowning as she wandered past a whirling air vent. Peering inside did not reveal a drop, to Rhea's dismay. She circled the maintenance door, and started making her way back to where Malik was searching. A rusted, graying electrical box came into view, which Rhea was just dismissing when the door hinge creaked.
Curiously, Rhea pulled at the box's lock, where it fell into her hand. Upon swinging the door open, Rhea spied a sleek tube buried at the back behind a mass of wires. With a wry grin, Rhea stood and waved Malik over.
"It's here." She pointed. "But some of these wires are exposed. This thing may have a, well, electrifying quality..."
Malik laughed. "Well, so do I." He said as he walked up to it. He quickly turned into his storm form - accompanied by raging winds, he turned into a mass of clouds that was vaguely shaped like himself. His hands hovered over the wires, before he turned his head back towards Rhea and said, "Just keep an eye out... this just ain't gonna be quiet."
Shaking his head from left to right... he just hoped he wasn't screwing anyone over here too much when he did this. The clouds around his hands were surrounded with electricity as the air pressured thickened. With that out of the way, he reached for the dead drop, unbothered by the wires... but, the only problem was that he was flooding the wires with electricity as he did this. The crackling of electricity intensified as he reached for the dead drop.
Something popped, followed by the power shutting off in the building below.
"Oh," Malik said. "... We should go now."
He snatched the dead drop, and quickly put it in his pocket. "We gotta move!"
Rhea watched a stream of smoke waft up from the box. "Agreed."
Throwing caution to the wind, they ran back in the direction they came, leaping over the ledge to land on the walkway. Reaching the halfway point, Rhea noticed two masked faces pop up from cover at the connecting building's roof. In sync, they crossed the ledge and landed at the other end of the walkway, armed to the teeth. Their marks and outfits were a dead giveaway: the Family's Intimidation Unit.
Shit. They caught up. And it had to be here. Rhea said, noting that traffic was slowing down. People were pointing their phones up to the walkway, others were dialing numbers.
... Awww crap. Malik thought to himself as he saw the masked men. They were bold enough to go around in broad daylight like this? Well, they do have Intimidation in their name. But, that wasn't the point, they had guns, and Malik didn't. His wind powers could throw the bullets off course, but could he really risk that?
Rhea spoke quickly to Malik. "If we can knock them down to the street, we'll have a chance to outrun all this."
"Yeah, yeah, can pull it off," Malik said, fortunately, he was already in his storm form. It would be easy. Malik threw both hands forward towards the Intimidators, and his hands were charged with electricity as a solid bolt came out of his hands, and crashed into the ground the IU agents were standing on. It made them stagger, and would have been an impressive attack...
... If Malik could aim worth shit in his storm form.
That was just a distraction. "Rhea, hold on!" Malik spun around assisted by his storm manipulation, and kicked up one hell of a storm. He focused on the stunned Agents, and bore his teeth. Whipping his body around one last time, and sending out a powerful gust of wind that knocked both of them off the building.
He would have sighed in relief... but, Malik knew that saying; there's more where that came from.
The wind threatened to tear Rhea from her handholds as she clung to the roof, keeping a cool eye on the Unit as they lost their footing. Bystanders and gathering media crew on the street scrambled to move out of the way as the goons met the cement.
"Run!" Malik said as he began leviating, quickly moving at a brisk pace so he could keep up with Rhea.
Rhea gave Malik a nod, sparks lighting up her skin as she activated her empowerment. Within seconds, they fled the walkway, meeting the edge of the next rooftop, leaping, and landing with a roll on the other side.
Sirens pierced the air as police closed in a few streets away. And… was that a chopper she heard biting the air? Rhea glanced behind them briefly. No sign of anyone following. Funny, she thought the Unit would have been prepared to take on the Lightning Duet - Mm, that has a nice ring.
She yelled to Malik as they sped over the next rooftop. “We have a two second head start, at best. With luck, we can escape all this attention.”
Malik pondered if he should simply grab Rhea and haul ass... but, with that chopper above them, it would be nigh impossible to lose it unless they fly up into the clouds. "If we're gonna escape attention... it's best we get off the roof." He urged. They had zero cover up here, and if Malik was going to pull the same trick that he used to escape from the Family trick, they would have to be quick.
What urged Malik was a bright blue light flying towards them. On reflex, he flew over towards Rhea, grabbing her midsection, and dove to the ground. The "light" whirled past them. Malik thought it was like a blue fireball, but it was way too pure, it was almost like a plasma....
... The orb hit the air conditioning unit and exploded violently. Just blew the whole thing to pieces!
Looking over his shoulder, he saw an armored man in a mask... with fist that was radiating with a glowing blue energy. Malik was no detective, but that guy looks like the fireball hurler! And he wasn't alone. Jeez, the IU sure are fast.
Rhea gaped at what remained of the air conditioner - rubble and dying sparks from broken wires. Looking back, the one responible was coiling their arm back to throw another one. Instinctively, Rhea's Empowerment moved to encompass Malik, and she pulled his hand toward the nearest ledge. Even on top speed, Rhea felt the fireball singe the air above her head as they dove into the alleyway. The landing was rough - no time for finesse when the Unit was almost literally above them.
"This way!" Rhea charged down the alley, keeping a firm grip on Malik's hand. At this speed, it would be easy to lose one another. The pavement was a blur underneath their shoes.
A fireball exploded the dumpter to their left, spilling its contents like a cloud. Thankfully, it was mainly shredded paper. Rhea turned them toward a side street, wracking her brain on what maps of the city she'd memorized. Maybe if they found an access to the sewer, they could hide underground. Ew, but the smell... Rhea wrinkled her nose.
The chopper was briefly visible as it passed over a house. At that distance, Rhea had to cross her fingers tight that it didn't spot them.
"We might lose them underground, unless you've got a better idea?" Rhea said, eyes peeled for their next turn.
"Well... I've watched enough movies to know..." Malik started off, before he glanced at the helicopter. "Yeah, we ain't losin' that up here... hope ya' got a strong stomach, yeah."
Malik reached down, and pulled the sewer grate off with his bare hands... as he slowly transformed out of his storm form. He pulled it off, and suddenly, the sewer smelled so much worse. But, hey, it didn't smell any worse than the streets of Paris.
"... Ladies first," Malik started off. "Just start screamin' if you get attacked by a sewer monster. I'll come help you!" And by "help you" Malik means, "leave you to her fate while I gets my ass out of here."
"Rats ain't so bad." Rhea teased, tucking her nose under the collar of her hoodie. With a precise grip, she firepoled down the short ladder, landing in foot-deep sludge. Her eyes blinked in an effort to adjust to the dark as her hand reached for the wall. Something scuttled to her right. A rat, I hope. Rhea squinted. With their fastest Empowerment speed, Rhea figured they had maybe 10 to 15 seconds to make themselves scarse. And she really, really hoped none of them brought infrared vision.
"No sewer monsters," Rhea called up. "We should keep moving."
Malik dropped down, and almost died when he fell one foot into a putrid mixture of human (and animal) bodily waste combined into a slimy sludge that burned Malik to his very soul. He tilted his head, eyes barely open, and mouth agape. "... I don't think my stomach is strong enough for this." He really meant his mind. His mind's not strong enough for this.
"Mm, hold your breath for a bit." Rhea suggested, still firmly pressing the cloth of her hoodie to her face.
He took a step out of the waste, and started walking through the sewers. Every step crushed sewer waste underneath his feet....
"... Y'know, Tanya's not going to let us into the apartment like this," Malik said. "She might just strip us naked and hose us all down behind the building... if he's feeling merciful."
He shuddered.
"But, I hope you know where we're going, because I don't."
In the stenchful darkness it was difficult to see one foot in front of the other, never mind the branching tunnels. Rhea squeezed the near-dead battery in her hoodie pocket, grimacing. There was a long ways to go, and light would be preferred until they safely left the sewers. Raising her hand, Rhea caused enough sparks to gather in her palm to create a fluctuating, white orb that pushed back the shadows.
In the light, Rhea turned toward Malik. His face didn't look so good - probably the smell. "I've actually been down here a few times. There is some pattern to the maze, if you can see where you're going. We'll be at Tanya's in a half hour, naked or not."
"Right, then," Malik said, throwing his arms behind his head. "Doubt anyone will find us down here... lead the way."
Rats scuttled back into the darkness as they progressed through the tunnels under the city. Rhea could tell when they reached a busy street from the constant roll of tires above them. These cues, and the maps she had memorized moved them down branch after branch. At one point Rhea had to persuade Malik down a sludge waterfall. But eventually, and without real harm - besides the crime to their noses - Rhea and Malik exited a manhole just a building down from the apartment.
"My God, fresh air..." Rhea groaned, breathing deeply.
"Good lord," Malik said as he hopped out - almost doing a flip out of joy. "I thought we'd die down there!"
Malik looked around for a moment, before asking. "... Think they followed us back?"
Rhea shook her head. "I'm sure they would have ambushed us in the sewers if they knew where we were."
"Eh, guess so," Malik said, as he reached into his pocket and held the dead drop high and mighty... He was proud to actually recover something in all of that. "Glad we didn't encounter the dog-guy or something, that would have been a headache."
He stopped himself as a thought occured.
"... Speaking of headaches, we gotta deal with Tanya now."
Courtbridge, Prince Ed-field.
"... Oh my God, ya' two smell like ya' bathed in shit!" Tanya loudly shouted - her Jamacian accent being more pronounced here than ever before - and her voice was carried through the halls of her apartment complex. "I don't know what freaky-ass drugs you've been hittin' up on, but ya' ain't comin' anywhere near my apartment smellin' like a literal bumbaclot!"
"C'mon, Tanya, we just want your shower," Malik tried to plead with her.
"Ya' got money - all da' money in the world - go fuckin' pay someone," Tanya seethed. "There's a hose out back if ya' need it."
"Can we at least borrow your laptop?" Malik said.
Oddly enough, Tanya smiled as she skipped back inside - slamming the door in their face in case they attempt to sneak in - and came back with the laptop. Playfully handing it to Malik with a smile on her face. Before he could take it, Tanya snatched back the laptop, and asked.
"... Ya' gonna buy me another one, right?" Tanya asked, and Malik winced. "Right?"
"... Right Tanya." Malik said.
"Yay!" Tanya handed them the laptop. "Now get outta here. Ya' stinkin' up the whole damn place."
Nodding his head, Malik turned off with the laptop in hand.
Malik had placed himself on the rooftop where he had watched Marcelle's log earlier in the day. Adjacent from Tanya's apartment, it was risky being up here, but he should be fine long as no helicopters or ninjas scroll on past. Plus, he needed to air himself out (He was wondering if they should use the hose Tanya suggested).
Rhea was a little late to join Malik as she had, in fact, gone to use the hose. The shoes and socks couldn't be saved, and were left in the garbage bin. Rhea decided to tear her sweats into ragged shorts - the bottoms were literally stained in shit. When she did reach the roof, she was using her hoodie as a towel.
"I'm hoping she has some juicy secrets — we fought hard for this drop." Rhea said, peering over Malik's shoulder at the laptop.
Having his brand new laptop on his lap, Malik turned on Marcelle's log, and watched....
"Marcelle's Log Eleven: It's been a little while since my last log, yes? I've been gathering information on the Family from the shadows, and I'm ready to make a report on something curious I've found. The so called Secretaries that the Blessed Three cart around. They have to be the most disturbing aspect of the Family's resources... someone that devout... it's horrifying. I didn't know what makes a Secretary a Secretary, until I asked around."
"A few rumors bounced around the Intimidation Unit about the Secretaries. The one that caught my eye being that the Secretaries are men and women kidnapped and brainwashed to be the perfect servants for the Family. A did a little research... and took a risk and got close to one of them. A young brown-haired woman with green eyes... she was Ezekiel's Secretary, and the man almost had a fit before the Secretary calmed him down.
"After doing some research, I learned that her name is Lauren Miller... a Canadian university student that just mysteriously disappeared a few years ago. After doing some more research, I found more missing people among the Secretaries' ranks."
"I have come to the conclusion that, somehow, the Family has a way of brainwashing a human being and completely placing them under the Family's control. It's the only way... I've seen the Secretaries take hits for the Blessed Three, and die smiling. It's impossible for any other option."
"What's most disturbing is that I dug deep, and found that these Secretaries have been kidnapped men and women from all over the world. From America, to Africa, to Asia... it's disturbing."
"But, my question is; can they apply this brainwashing to just anyone? And who else has been effectively mind controlled by the Family? I know they can't just be making servants."
"I ponder these questions, but, for now, Marcelle out."
Okay, now mind control is coming into the mix? Malik knew he was getting deeper and deeper, but no matter how many logs he finds, how many people Malik fights... he still isn't closer to finding Marcelle. All he's closer to is the Family, and the insanity that surrounds them.
"... This is really messed up, but..." Malik trailed off. "I still don't know where Marcelle is... I hope she's okay."
“Malik, we’re going to find her. I’m here to back you up 100% of the way.” Rhea said, jaw firm.
What does she mean by brainwash, though? Rhea narrowed her eyes in thought. Brainwashing sounded like a superpower; she wasn’t aware of any technology that could accomplish such a feat. This ‘transformation’ also sounded permanent, and subtle. Could it be true that the Family gained their dominion through mild brainwashing, on top of good old assassinations? She also noticed the log number.
“Did you find any other logs while I was away? Or… is someone else taking them?” She asked.
"Found two while you were away," Malik immediately produced them from his pockets... they never left his side. "We can watch them really fast, then... I don't know. Find some more until we find Marcelle. One of 'em has to have a clue."
He then shrugged. "I go far and wide searchin' for them, but most of them are already gone."
It had been over a week since Haruka had gone back to the bungalow he shared with Akemi in this beautiful suburb area of Baybridge. The house was empty - Akemi had left for Japan three days ago, according to the small note marked on the calendar that was stuck to the fridge door. It's probably Shizuka's doing. He had wanted to ask Akemi about Asami and her relationship with Polaris, but it seemed that either their aunt knew nothing and was sent away to protect her, or he would have to find a way to make his sly younger twin to spill the beans to him.
He and Aislin entered the house first, with Holly bringing up the rear to shut the door behind her. She had a black duffel bag strapped on her shoulder, which she placed it on the dining table and unzipped it, pulling out the various trinkets she had picked up from the RAVEN Headquarters: some comm-pieces, a covert listening device, two suppressant collars, a few pistols (one was loaded with real bullets and another modified to shoot a tracking device; the rest were tranquilizer guns), and flashbangs.
Aislin hovered gleefully over the RAVEN’s reveal, picking up a pistol to check its clip. “Tranquilizer darts? This is perfect, Holly.”
Meanwhile, Haruka went upstairs to his room; he grabbed the tablet on his table and the latest edition of travel's guide on Baybridge from his bookshelf, then went back down to the two ladies.
Aislin had set the RAVEN items into categories on the table. “Hmm… Do we have any Baybridge tourist stuff?” Aislin asked, before seeing the brochure in Haruka’s hands, and chuckled. “Jeez, you’re reading my mind. May I see that?”
Moving to stand at the head of the table, Aislin set her purse by the duffle bag and removed a sharpie from one of the compartments. She twirled it in her fingers. “Looks like we’re just missing some large sheets of paper and brain juice.”
She glanced briefly at the fridge, grinning. “You wouldn’t happen to have a lime in there, would ya? Or, perhaps some ice.” With some amount of multitasking, Aislin also pulled up a satellite image of Baybridge, streets highlighted with addresses. The travel guide was opened beside her tablet, and she gave the two a frown.
“Hmm… now where the hell do we talk to the Fire Spirit…” She mumbled, flicking through the screen.
"First, we can eliminate a few locations to narrow down our choices," Holly said, tapping a finger on the map in the guide. "We can rule out White Coast, especially Oakdell, Greencrest and the area around the Headquarters. While the harbor is a tourist attraction site with a substantial crowd to keep us in public view, the Overload incident—" She paused and gave Haruka a side glance, before she continued, "—isn't forgotten so easily just yet. The Headquarters will most likely be under close watch by spies from the Family, and Greencrest can be used as an easy hostage target against DOVE and RAVEN since it's the closest residential area to the HQ."
She then slid her finger across the page. "Next is Prince Ed-Field. Not only the anti-Metahuman tension there is at its highest due to numerous terrorist attacks by Eco-Natura months ago and later the Family, it's the heart of Baybridge - an ideal place for any extremist groups to turn it into a war zone again and further worsen the social unrest in this city."
Aislin steepled her hands against her lips. "You bring up a good point. But there are certain places in Prince Ed-Field that haven't garnered much attention lately. Namely, Regal Square."
Aislin leaned away from the table, peering into cupboards until she found a glass jug. Filling it with ice and cold water from the fridge's dispenser, she brought it to the table's centre with a few glasses.
"Regal Square not only has old architecture - making plenty of hiding spots - but it has a great air of 'normal'. The city's history starts from that place, and people put effort into maintaining a timeless quality there. They've got grid streets, mainly high buildings, and a large municipal presence." Aislin said, pouring herself a drink.
"It'll be easy to blend and trail, or in Haruka's case, blend and disappear."
"My power isn't the passive type, so I don't think I'll have a problem blending in with the crowd," Haruka spoke up slowly. "If I remember correctly, the BPD main office is also there; their presence means little to Metahumans, but I doubt anyone is reckless enough to stir up trouble there, even if it's an area that is run by non-Metas."
"Regal Square is also a tourist sightseeing location, so we don't need to worry about not having enough eyewitnesses around," Holly mused out loud. "Also, most of the attacks so far are concentrated on Courtbridge. I think there is a Chinese saying that goes... I can't remember..."
"The most dangerous place is also the safest," Haruka supplied.
"Ah, yes, that."
Aislin was in the middle of roleplaying a tourist, holding her hands like a camera. She pointed it at Haruka, snapping a photo before giving him a confused look. "Now what's their logic behind that?"
"Well..." Haruka looked at Aislin, feeling bashful at the attention she was giving him. "It is a common tactic used by many criminals in fictions, where they choose to hide in or attack places that everyone else has least expected because most people would assume that they weren't dumb enough to try it." He shrugged. "It can also be applied to us, where we give them the impression that they have us cornered and they are in control, but they will soon realize that neither side is able to make a move carelessly."
Aislin nodded, raising her eyebrows. "Interesting. That first part sounds like the Hound, at least a little. It's comforting to know we may yet beat them at their own game."
She relaxed into a dining chair, swirling her drink before taking another sip. "Seems we can agree on Regal Square. Now we'll have to choose a specific point, something with plenty of escape routes, cover, walking traffic—"
Haruka perked up when he heard someone unlocking the front door. He raised an eyebrow and exchanged a confused look with Holly. Aunt Akemi? But so soon?
"You're not... expecting someone, are you?" Aislin whispered to Holly, eyeing the 'borrowed' loot they had neatly arranged on the table.
Holly shook her head in response, while Haruka got up from his chair and ran to the door to check...
Only to be greeted by someone who mirrored the exact same face as him - Shizuka was as equally surprised as his twin, which was complimented by a grinning Ryu from behind the white-haired partner.
"I take that this is your older brother that you've mentioned before?" Ryu asked in Japanese, glancing between the gaping Takashiros with a chuckle.
"Yeah," Shizuka replied absently, still staring at Haruka. "...I know I've a lot of explaining to do to all of you, but can we do the talking inside?" As he moved towards the dining room, he saw Holly at the table with gadgets he could immediately recognize were from RAVEN... with a lady he had never met before. Judging from the map page of the guidebook laid down between them, it seemed like they were planning something more than a mere sightseeing trip.
Aislin gave a cheeky grin, waving from across the table. "Was wondering when you'd show up, Shizuka."
Shizuka narrowed his eyes at Aislin, then at how Haruka's eyes were looking at everywhere but him. "...Well, I guess we all have a lot of explaining to do."
... ...
Once the introductions were out of the way, Holly was quick to ask Shizuka about the party, "Any new leads so far?"
The white-head glanced at his twin and Aislin before he spoke, "I was invited to the party of Jiao-Long's brat boy under the pretense of being a date for one of his daughters. Jiao-Long's mother, Biyu, is a member of the Family and Polaris."
That earned himself the intense attention of everyone in the house - even Ryu, who could only understand a little bit of English here and there, but enough to pick up the names of the two major evil forces they were dealing with.
"That's not all," Shizuka went on, pulling a chair to sit down. "...The Family crashed the party and kidnapped Jiao-Long and his wife. They almost got the brat boy, but luckily I was there to save the day and prevent the entire Liu family from falling into the Fag's hands."
Fag? Aislin snorted. Didn't know we've reached that level of... endearment. She pulled the tablet closer to her, drawing up the CID database. It asked for facial recognition and a password before she could look up this Jiao-Long character.
File 14630 - Liu, Jiao Long CEO of the Liu Pharmaceutical Company. Creator of the Metahuman cure. Individual's company is a branch of the Savior Foundation, though this creates some tension as views do not align. Suspect of other involvements - more evidence is needed.
Holly slid a hand down her face. "Don't tell me..."
"Yeah, the worst-case scenario is happening," Shizuka replied in a flat tone. "We have to find that goddamn Machine, ASAP." Then he gestured at Ryu. "That's why I brought him here to assist us." Ryu gave the group a short bow when he was mentioned.
However, Shizuka wasn't done with his shocking revelations - not yet. "One more thing: Biyu spilled to me about someone from Polaris is in Baybridge now, looking for me. The Spirit of Fire, Xing Huo." He raised an eyebrow at the reaction he had received from Haruka, Holly and Aislin, then it was turned into a stern look. "Okay, the situation is getting shittier than I thought... So, what the hell's going on?" He crossed his arms before him, waiting for them to tell their story.
Aislin opened her mouth - before thinking otherwise. She gave Haruka an encouraging look. He should be the one to break the news.
Haruka glanced at the two ladies uncertainly, then he let out a sigh of resignation. "...Xing Huo approached me last night. Before I bumped into Aislin."
Shizuka dropped his jaw. "You what?"
Haruka held the gaze of his younger counterpart; Shizuka could feel an unshakeable determination in those dark, unblinking eyes behind the glasses. "She is probably using me to threaten you since it is pretty much public knowledge that I am your weak spot."
Shizuka knew where his twin was trying to get. "Haru, don—"
"I am the only one who can set up another meeting with her without making her suspicious, and then get some answers out of her mouth," Haruka cut him off sharply. "Stop trying to cover me for every little thing. I'm older than you, for God's sake. It is my job to protect my younger brother, not the other way round."
Shizuka glowered at Haruka - while he wasn't pleased with how his twin had dominated him so easily (it was unfair of him to use his seniority to 'win' this argument!), deep down he was amazed at how much his brother had grown over the years, something that he didn't want to admit for a long time. However... "Yeah, I can feel your passionate resolve from here, but that's not enough to—"
Haruka raised up a hand to stop him. "Save your lectures for someone else. I already got a mouthful from Holly and Aislin just now, but they still agreed to my plan in the end."
Shizuka turned his attention to the two girls with a piercing look. Aislin felt a chill run up her spine.
Holly shrugged. "While it's true that Haruka has no prior experience nor is trained to do such field work, he's the only one among us who can get in direct contact with the Fire Spirit. Only the two of you are able to converse with her directly, and she had chosen to approach Haruka first rather than you."
"Indeed, and not only that," Aislin said, fiddling with the sharpie. "But you knew something like this was gonna happen eventually, hm? At the very root, this is about family ties. No amount of preparation could guarantee you the opportunity to do this on your own. Fortunately, we have an entire team on this, with resources and expertise."
Shizuka frowned. He knew that they were right - he couldn't let his personal feelings get in the way, and Haruka's plan was the most logical route to take - but he just couldn't afford to let it go like this. To put his closest kin in a similar danger as the Verthaven disaster again. He couldn't bear the thought of losing Haruka...
Then a brilliant idea came to him! "I can disguise myself as Haru," he began. "No one would be able to tell the difference since we're identical twins... well, except for the hair."
That made the elder brother snort at him in disbelief. "There is absolutely no way that will work. You are nothing like me - even an idiot can see through your terrible acting." Still, he couldn't help but find that idea somewhat funny.
Holly simply shook her head in amusement. "I have more faith in Haruka's communication skills than yours, Shizuka. Sorry, but my vote goes to Haruka this time."
"Aw," Aislin could see it clear as day. "Haruka, your brother cares for ya something big."
She refilled her glass, studying it for a moment before looking towards Shizuka. "We still need you. You have a RAVEN background if I'm correct. That training will be crucial for the upcoming operations. I would ask, however, that you let Haruka handle this one."
"Uh, I don't quite understand what's going on here..." Ryu chimed in awkwardly. "But your brother seems very serious about whatever he's saying or wants to do. Maybe you should try to trust him more?"
Shizuka looked at everyone around him; finally, he resigned with a scowl, "...Fine. I guess should stop treating my older twin like a kid." He glanced away and rubbed the back of his neck. "I can just watch over the meeting with you all to make sure nothing goes wrong; 'sides, you'll need me to interpret their conversation."
"Yes~!" Aislin leapt from the table, raising a hand to high-five Haruka. "He's on board!" Which the dark-haired twin returned with a victorious grin, much to Shizuka's irritation.
Amidst the conversation, Aislin had drawn up some map sketches on the paper provided, and she pushed them to the centre of the table. "Now that we're all on the same page — although, sorry Ryu; I failed to bring a Pilot. Shizuka, could you...?"
"Sure." Shizuka tried to give her a proper smile, but it still came out as a smirk on his face. "Anyway, this is Haru's game, so I'm just going to sit back and let you all take charge, while I'll just give you guys the help you need and watch your backs... like the usual." He let out a short laugh, recalling those times he worked on the field with Cindy and the rest back at DOVE/RAVEN; then he turned to Ryu and gave him a brief of the conversation they had just now in Japanese.
Haruka rolled his eyes at his brother, then turned to Aislin. "Before we got interrupted, you were saying something about choosing a specific point in Regal Square that has an escape route..."
"Indeed, as well as walking traffic and cover. And, with an overseer, it should be in a location of two or three story buildings. Now, if you'll take a look..." Aislin leaned over the map she'd accurately drawn, pointing to a large square.
"In the business district, there's a popular park surrounded by a grid work of these taller buildings. I'm thinking, if we could position you in the edge of the park, we'd be able to keep three pairs of eyes on you. Shizuka could watch from the rooftops, Holly can be on the street, and I can be further in the park.
"Or, if you think close quarters would be preferred, there's a cafe on the park's street you could meet at. It'll limit possible threats, but Holly and I will need to be close by, and very careful. Shizuka won't be able to see..."
"The cafe," was Haruka's curt answer. "I can use that as a perfect excuse to get her agree to the meeting... since she did want to treat me to a cup of coffee properly the next time we meet."
"Well," Aislin grinned, marking an 'x' on the map. "That is the perfect excuse. 'The Grounds' will be our starting point."
"We can have Haruka wear a wire, on top of us watching them from a safe distance," Holly added, picking up the covert listening device she had gotten from RAVEN.
Shizuka raked a hand through his hair and shrugged. "Well... I can get a wig to hide my white hair, if necessary." Then he tilted his head sideways at Ryu. "He won't be joining us for the stakeout, but he might be able to help you locate your friend and the guy she's run away with."
Aislin jaw-dropped. "Whaaat? No way." Her eyes moved to Ryu. "Really?!" And here I was near chasing my tail with weak leads...
"His ability makes him naturally attracted to electricity," Shizuka said, raising an eyebrow at her reaction. "Since Rhea and her African friend both possess some form of electrical-related powers, maybe he can find them better than us, yeah." He turned to speak a few words in his native tongue to Ryu, who looked at Aislin and nodded at her.
"Perfect~ Given the circumstances, I believe finding them is also important. They're sure to have data to help sort out this mess..." Aislin mused, eyes scanning the map thoughtfully.
"I can look for them tomorrow, while you guys are staking out the meeting," Ryu said, with Shizuka translated his words to Aislin. "But is there a way for me to convince them that I'm on their side if I happen to encounter them?"
"Hmm," Aislin tilted her head. "A hand-written note may do the trick. I'll write some things so she knows it's the real deal, and have them follow you back to,"—she gestured to the room—"home base."
Ryu considered Aislin's suggestion for a moment, then he grinned at her. "...Okay," he replied in English, giving her a thumbs-up to emphasize his point. She could only giggle, mirroring the gesture.
"With the part about Rhea settled..." Shizuka trailed off, looking down at the map. "Anyway, just to run through the plan again quickly: Haru will set up the meeting in this Grounds cafe, Holly and Aislin will take a table nearest to the exit to secure the obvious escape route while watching Haru from a safe distance, and I'll be doing my usual 'sniper job' - hanging around the roof area to keep an eye out for the streets around the cafe's vicinity."
"I think we've come up with something great in such a short time, but now comes the 'what if's'," Aislin said, taking a moment to finish off another glass of water. "What if Haruka's safety is compromised? What if there're more cultists than just the Fire Spirit?"
"Aislin has a point," Shizuka gave the brownie lady a nod. "I mean, there's also Biyu... but from my encounter with her at the party, it's obvious that they ain't working together, and are here for very different reasons."
"And... even if she believes that she can use me as a weakness to pressurize Shizu to join Polaris," Haruka followed up after his twin. "It's strangely careless of her to give me her cell number, just like that - what if we have used it with a GPS tracker to locate her hideout in Baybridge?"
"So you're saying that this Xing Huo lady is here not just for the cult, but may also harbor a personal agenda for trying to bring you two back with her to Polaris?" Holly asked, frowning at the brothers. "I don't know - she is one of the Spirits, so maybe she's just very confident about her powers?"
"Let's hope that is really the case..." Shizuka exhaled slowly. "So far, other than Biyu's appearance, Polaris hasn't been interfering much with whatever shitstorms the Fags have been cooking up in Europe and US." The things that Ryu managed to get for him was able to give him a rough insight that Polaris was merely an investor and supplier to the Family, nothing more - was it possible that Xing Huo was sent here just as a witness for the cult to watch whatever the Family was planning to do?
He did suspect the Machine was probably made and hidden right here in Baybridge, but Xing Huo's presence was the one that dropped the time bomb on them - the real show was about to happen, and very soon.
"Hey," Haruka was quick to inject. "I'm a Metahuman just like all of you here, and I can take care of myself."
"Right," Shizuka snickered at him. "Says the one who keeps ending up in the HQ hospital wing every time a shitstorm strikes you."
Instead of making a snappy comeback, Haruka merely held his twin's gaze and said in a quiet tone, "This time, I am not going to hold back, not anymore."
Haruka had reached the cafe an hour earlier than the time he told Xing Huo on the phone last night. Well, because there was a bit of preparatory work they had to do before 'welcoming' their special guest for today. He wore a black dress shirt - this was to hide the wiring beneath the shirt better, to avoid Xing Huo spotting them. He also had a book with him, Dream of the Red Chamber - a classical Chinese literature well-known for its psychological scope and accurate depiction of the social structure of China during the late Qing Dynasty - in Chinese of course, with a freshly pressed leaf as a bookmark. There was no way he could wear an earpiece without arousing Xing Huo's suspicions, so the leaf would act as a makeshift comm, via Holly's chloropathy.
Aislin and Holly sat nonchalantly at a table near the door, within arms reach of the full pane window. They both had their choice of hot drink — a London Fog and a Caffe Macchiato. Aislin had opted for a chic look that day, with a tan autumn jacket, grey beanie and flower leggings. Her aviators were pressed against her nose - it allowed unrestrained eye movement. Holly wore a crocheted scarf, dark felt coat, and jeans. Two purses rested at their feet, filled with a number of gadgets. For the past hour, they had practised a casual, quiet chatter over their drinks. It also helped ease the pre-job nerves.
Aislin clicked her earpiece. “Comms check. Holly?”
"I'm just sitting across you," Holly replied, her voice directed towards Aislin - and through the earpiece - loud and clear.
She chuckled. “Shizu? How's the grounds looking?”
"Yeah, yeah." Shizuka had already taken up his position; however, instead of the usual sniper-hiding-on-rooftop tactic, he was sitting in an outdoor bar that was situated on the topmost floor (more like a really spacious balcony) of the building diagonally opposite of the Grounds, slowly sipping on his mocktail - a Blue Shoe - before he set down the glass, and let his gaze drift to the streets below. He found this bar when he scouted the area for an ideal lookout spot; well, he wasn't here to shoot the Fire Bitch's head off, so it would be less conspicuous if he also tried to blend in with the crowd. Which wasn't hard, with how he was dressed now (usual formal clothes he would don for office work back in RAVEN), and most of the customers around him were businessmen... not counting a few odd tourists who were the ones that really looked out of place.
He was tapping away on his smartphone (mostly reading random articles on Wikipedia and TV Tropes, because they were obviously more interesting than some stupid stock market news), occasionally speaking into the comm-piece as if he was talking to someone on the line - allowing him to play the role of a busy businessman to anyone who could be watching him.
"Nothing out of the ordinary so far from here, either," he drawled into the comms, in response to Aislin.
Holly pulled out a notebook from her purse; there was another freshly pressed leaf inside. She placed a finger on it for a few seconds, then smiled at Aislin. "He's fine, just bored."
“Excellent,” Aislin nodded. “Our target’s due within the hour. Everyone stay sharp, and report in if you notice anything or change position. Our goal here is to learn, not confront. When we’ve succeeded, I’ll treat ya’ll to a drink. Any questions?”
"'Just not coffee'," Holly said, with a raised eyebrow. "That's what Haruka says."
"And no alcohol," Shizuka added. "But anything else is fine with me."
"Jeez, tough crowd," Aislin said, resting her chin on an open palm.
Holly winked at Aislin. "Good for you that I'm not as picky as the boys."
It wasn't long before the main star had entered the stage - Xing Huo was as flashy with her entrance as the previous time, scrolling into the Grounds with a bang in luxurious clothes (this time, she was in a bright-red knee-length satin dress, with a silver-studded black leathered short jacket over it, ending with a pair of killer-heel dark boots on her feet) and heavy makeup, and as usual the attention of every customer in the cafe was centered towards her.
It was hard not to miss the entrance of such a flashy woman. Aislin turned her head toward the glass as her rested hand tapped the comms. “Target’s entered the building. Show’s on.”
Xing Huo scanned the faces of the people in the store before her eyes shone at the sight of Haruka. "My dear Haruka!" she exclaimed in Mandarin, walking up to the young man's table in a few, long strides. "I really miss seeing your cute face!" Over the comms, Shizuka couldn't help cringing as he translated that to Holly and Aislin.
Haruka merely regarded the Chinese lady with a blank look. "You did say you want to treat me to a proper cup of coffee, after all."
"How sweet of you," Xing Huo beamed at him as she sat down on the opposite couch. She snapped her fingers, pointing at the nearest gaping service crew and making a 'come here' gesture. "I'm going to get a green tea latte this time, but I still want the largest size!"
Haruka gave the confused barista an apologetic smile before he told her Xing Huo orders, then adding his - just a standard, hot cappuccino.
Aislin shook her head, speaking into the comms, "Damn, she's friendly. But Haruka's handling it." She took another sip of the London Fog, trying to ease the repulsion hinting on her face. Too friendly, especially for only meetin' the guy twice now.
"So Holly, tell me more about this 'dream pet' of yours." She said in a chatty manner, trying to keep up the guise of an innocent conversation. Every part of her wanted to simply listen to Shizu's translations.
"My 'dream pet'?" Holly repeated with a twinkle in her green eyes, stirring her macchiato. "You've already met him before." She leaned closer, her voice dropped to a staged whisper, "The white furball sitting on the rooftop and looking down at us, probably with a super-bored look on his face now."
"Oi," Shizuka's annoyed voice buzzed from their comms. "I can hear you."
After the barista left to prepare their coffee, Xing Huo leaned forward, folding her arms on the table and stared into Haruka's eyes. "Taking up my offer isn't the true reason why you're willing to ask me out today. Not with the icy daggers you keep throwing at me with those beautiful eyes."
Haruka's face twitched slightly with disgust. "We should be frank with each other this time too, just like our first meeting," he started off. "...You only want me and my brother for our powers."
The corners of Xing Huo's blood-red lips curled up further. "Oh?"
Haruka narrowed his eyes at her before he went on, "I am afraid that we cannot comply with that wish of yours. Not when there are just too many questions we need an answer to." Just then, their coffee had arrived, and Xing Huo simply swiped out a black credit card to the astonished staff member.
Once the payment was done and over with, Xing Huo giggled at his serious expression. "I wonder... if this is only about trust issue, or something much more." She reached out a hand to touch his, and Haruka had to force himself not to flinch at the contact.
Aislin rubbed her forehead. "Ah, she's broken the touch barrier - her hand's on Haruka's. Definitely a possessive trait."
"...Interesting choice of book you have there," the Fire Spirit commented, glancing down at the thick volume under their hands.
"One of the four great classic Chinese novels," Haruka replied in an offhanded tone, his eyes were still watching Xing Huo carefully. "Power and wealth only make the corrupted greedier, meaner... until nothing is left but tragedy and despair."
Xing Huo let out a hearty laugh. "You never fail to amuse me - especially with such a classy threat." She entwined her fingers with Haruka's. "I guess it doesn't hurt to give you a bit of my service in return of yours. What do you want to know?"
Haruka didn't pull back his hand, allowing her to continue playing with his fingers. Deep down he was being put off by the sickening attention she had for him, but that was a small price to pay for the more important things he had to get them out of her mouth, for the sake of his family... and maybe even humanity. "...You," he finally said, unblinking.
Xing Huo froze for a split second; Shizuka couldn't help but make a gagging sound over the comms.
The Fire Spirit regained her composure, then let out a chuckle. "I shouldn't have underestimated you... You're just as dangerous as that cunning twin of yours."
Haruka didn't reply and merely continued to stare at her. Xing Huo sighed, closing her eyes briefly. "Alright - let's stop playing mind games here. I will be blunt to say that you and your brother have no place in this forsaken city - the two of you just don't belong here, or anywhere in America, for that matter."
"What do you mean?"
"Everything about the two of you is nothing but an illusion," Xing Huo said, dropping the honey-sweet tone she had been using all this while, now sounding flat and blunt. "Your birth was not a product of real love but from regret, your powers were from us through Asami's greed, you didn't have a place you can truly call home... You are nothing but mere shadows that shouldn't have existed."
Aislin's face seemed pained, and she drew her hot drink closer. Awful... I hope to God that isn't true. Her eyes glanced to the windows as she touched the earpiece. "Getting into the 'real deal', stay focused."
"...So you are saying that only Polaris can offer us this 'home'?"
She downed a big gulp of her coffee before she replied, "Yes. I may not have anything as sophisticated to refute what you've said about power and wealth... but you will have to admit that those are the two things that are keeping this world going, whether you like it or not. Without power or money, there is little to nothing one can do in this world."
Haruka regarded Xing Huo with a frown. She wasn't wrong about power and money being the practical driving force essential for one to live on, but those weren't enough to motivate a person to live through decades of spiritual torture. "Power and money can buy the world, the people... but never enough to buy loyalty."
"You really know how to make a conversation difficult, hmm?" Xing Huo's smile was turning into a grimace.
"If that is the case, how about you actually start doing what you have said - to stop playing mind games with me?" Haruka raised an eyebrow at her. "And tell me why someone of your status has to go through all this trouble just to escort us to join Polaris?"
A loose grin was plastered on Aislin's face. "Haruka's doing better than I thought. Holding his own very well." And here we were all doubting his ass... Shizuka snorted into the comms in response, but he smirked to himself. Everything was moving along so smoothly than he could simply focus on the interpretation work, and trust his older twin to handle the Fire Bitch on his own.
"Aww~ 'Escort' is such a cold way to describe all the trouble I've to go through just for you two," Xing Huo said, pulling Haruka's hand closer towards herself. Out of the corner of the young man's eye, he could see some of the baristas and customers were gossiping about them. The Fire Spirit ignored the onlookers, still focused on Haruka. "I won't deny that Polaris is probably interested in your powers, but what I truly want... is the both of you. Not just your abilities, but every little bit of you two."
She got up from her seat and squeezed in next to Haruka, closing in on him. The dark-haired twin was as surprised at everyone else in the store, then he started blushing furiously, trying to put some distance between himself and her sudden advancement (which wasn't much, since the couch wasn't meant for two people in the first place). "What are you trying to do?"
"---What the hell's going on in there?" Shizuka added after the translation.
"She's advanced to sit beside him on the couch," Aislin grimaced, watching steadfastly out of her peripherals. "And... ah, shit."
Xing Huo tugged at Haruka's shirt button, and pulled out the wire of the listening device hidden inside his shirt. "Just as I've expected - you're truly two peas in a pod, after all." She cupped a hand under Haruka's chin, locking her sharp gaze with the boy's surprised eyes. "I honestly care about the both of you... and it's not too late for me to give you two the love that you've desired throughout your whole childhood."
Aislin arched a brow. "Thought she'd be steaming mad about finding the wire. But now she's confusing 'love' with... something else."
Her gaze met Holly's with a subtle wink. "Don't get too comfy in that seat..." Holly was alarmed at the development but merely shook her head - at both the situation that was making her uncomfortable, and also at Aislin's remark.
Haruka's cheeks were burning from the embarrassing attention the people in the cafe were giving them, but he still managed to return her with an equally piercing stare. "Are you expecting me to trust you just by acting like this?"
The smile on Xing Huo's powdered face became bitter. "...You aren't cute at all when the wind is sailing your way." She yanked him towards herself into a hug, and whispered into his ear,
"The world of old will perish, the order of new shall rise; a blessing is a curse in disguise."
Before Haruka could ask her what she meant, Xing Huo pulled herself away and stood up. "I have no intention whatsoever to interfere with the war between you and the Family; I am only here as a neutral entity to watch how you all are going to burn this city down with your sins. However, I won't allow the two of you to die on me before this blasphemy comes to an end - that would be such a waste of your pretty faces!" With that, she grabbed her cup of coffee and strolled out of the shop.
The moment Xing Huo left the building, Aislin was on the comms. "Shizu, I need my eyes. Which direction is she going?" She gave Holly an encouraging look. "You're up in a moment."
Shizuka poked his head out of the balcony seat and saw the bright-red dress exiting the cafe, his sharp eyes following the target unblinkingly. "She's walked to the traffic crossing... and then she's just standing there waiting for the light to change," he spoke into the comms, a light amusement in his tone. "She is hard to miss, but be careful not to let her spot you two---"
He suddenly stopped, and froze - Xing Huo had raised her head to look around, and then their eyes met. He could barely make out the smug look on her face before she faced the street before her again, and began to cross the road.
"...And my cover's blown," Shizuka pulled his head back and finally muttered into the comm-piece. "Just great."
Aislin smacked her forehead. "Ah jeez. Okay, Shizu, hold back a bit. Holly and I will take it from here. Holly?" She gestured to the door. "It's time." Holly nodded at her, a gesture that meant for Aislin to take the lead.
Roughly fifteen seconds passed before Aislin took up her purse, gave Haruka a wink, and exited The Grounds. Holly was already into the crosswalk, whereas Aislin opted to turn left on the block. She moved to the other end, aiming to flank the Fire Spirit from the left. Walking at a clipped pace, she caught up to Holly's adjacent location before the buildings broke her line of sight.
"Holly, what's the Fire Spirit's location now?"
"She's at the edge of the next block... and turning your direction," Holly said.
Just my luck - the enemy's out of my line of sight. Aislin snorted. "Right. Keep behind her."
Aislin sneaked a glance down the street, easily catching the sight of the vibrant Fire Spirit. She pivoted to the right and maintained a steady pace to match that of their target, keeping in communion with Holly. It was difficult to gauge distances when she couldn't actually look without drawing attention - and the last thing she wanted was to have the Fire Spirit catch up to her.
As she crossed another street, Holly buzzed the comms. "She's changed direction again, to the right."
Ah, good. Flanking is much better than being up front. Aislin sighed in relief. "Okay, I'll match her on the left at the next street."
"Hold on..." Holly said. "A black limo just rolled up. She's— crap, she's getting in."
Aislin groaned. "Alright, change of plans. We need a taxi, pronto."
As the black limo peeled away, Aislin and Holly managed to regroup, waving their hands frantically on the side of the street. Precious seconds slipped away as one taxi soon noticed them. The two ladies clambered into the back, Aislin promising the driver triple his rate to keep on the black limo's ass - which was getting away. After a frustrating stop light, Aislin spotted the limo down a side road. They followed at a distance, with Aislin literally on the edge of her seat.
Without reason or a pattern, the limo traversed the streets of Baybridge as nonchalantly as any other vehicle. Aislin and Holly watched with the eyes of a hawk as their driver kept pace. Down into the underground, and up around the thick, bustling streets of downtown. The drive went on for twenty minutes, all the while the ladies were keeping the twins back at the Grounds up to date.
"Oh?" Aislin tilted her head, giving Holly a puzzled look.
The limo had pulled into a valet parking lot. It parked itself in a row of other similar limousines, shut off the engine, and the driver stepped out. He didn't touch the passenger doors, just walked into the office in a calm manner. Aislin asked the taxi man to idle just down the street; she was still waiting for the Fire Spirit to emerge. A minute passed, then two. The parking lot was unnaturally still.
An incredulous smirk formed on Aislin's lips. "You've got to be kidding me."
Holly and Aislin hopped out of the taxi after - as promised - Aislin paid the driver triple his rate. With the area essentially vacant, they could freely approach the limo. Aislin pressed her nose against the tinted glass and gasped. The entire interior was empty. Not a single soul in the vehicle.
"She's gone!" Aislin cried, eyes wide.
"Huh?" Shizuka's furious voice pierced through the earpiece - he sounded like he had just roared directly into the comms, to let out his pent-up disgust at how the Fire Bitch had been touchy-feely and all over his precious twin.
The Blessed Three, Jiao-Long & Chunhua Liu, Veronica Davis, & The Black Hound.
Somewhere in Prince-Edfield.
Jiao-Long and his wife were being escorted through the Family's headquarters... a place he was familiar with, given that he was trained here, but he was not pleased to return.
The Hound was right behind them, the M60 in his hands urged them to keep moving forward; walking at their side was Veronica, wearing the same red dress as before. Even though he knew that they wouldn't dare hurt him him... he peered at Chunhua, and frowned. He wished that she wouldn't have gotten involved, but that was the sad truth. He'd have to find a way to get them out of this, even if he had to play along with whatever insane scheme they have cooked up. They were lead through dark chambers... that definitely had to be underground. Eventually, they stopped at a giant metal door, and at the helm of it was two well-dressed people - a man and a woman - that Jiao-Long immediately knew were the Secretaries.
How horrifying.... they were either devoted by choice, or brainwashing.
They both bowed and said, "The Blessed Three have been awaiting your arrival."
They stepped aside, and the doors opened wide. Jiao-Long and his wife were practically shoved in before the doors were firmly closed. The first thing they saw was this gigantic metal chamber of a room. Like, it was so enormous that Jiao-Long and his wife were practically ants within it. The room had a network of wires and pipes running through it - some of which were so gigantic that it was much larger than a human being. Some of these pipes were transporting a mysterious green liquid from one part of the Family's base, to another. There were a maze of large computer servers, along with a several other large metal fixtures. However, most of these pipes and wires could be easily avoided if one were to take one of the many metal pathways. However, what really caught Jiao-Long and his wife's eyes was the giant glowing tower. The tower that looked like nuclear reactor of sorts. It was frightening, and it touched the top of this giant room. But... it was incomplete. It was still missing many parts.
Even Veronica was surprised by this device.... So this is the machine? She asked herself, as she looked up at it. She narrowed her eyes.
"Keep moving." The Hound lightly bumped Jiao-Long's back with the gun, and that was enough to urge them to keep walking down the pathway. Eventually, they noticed a large mechanical component floating up into the air, surrounded by electricity, being placed into the tower. At the very base of the tower was the bulky frame of Blake Schmidt, the more slender build of Julia O'Sullivan, and the tall body that belonged to Ezekiel Anagnos, surrounded by electricity. When Jiao-Long approached, the two turned around.
"Ah! Jiao-Long," Blake said with a warm smile on his face as he looked at Jiao-Long. "You're here! Are you ready to begin work on our glorious machine?"
Jiao-Long looked up at it in surprise. "What... what is it?" Jiao-Long said.
"The Machine." Blake answered as he slid in close to Jiao-Long, and put his arm around his shoulder, and looked him longingly in the eyes. "Sorry for the unimaginative name - we just couldn't decide on a name! Think of it as a symbolic machine..." He laughed, before he pushed away from Jiao-Long, and leaned back, clawing his hands.
"...And with it, we will take over the world!" Blake loudly announced, followed by the most maniacal laughter ever. Before he broke "character," and reverted back to regular Blake, "...Haha just playing with you." Julia was quite amused by the supervillain act, and Jiao-Long couldn't help but awkwardly laugh.
He slid back in towards Jiao-Long and wrapped his arm around him again. Becoming more relaxed as he casually said, "...We already rule the world." He laughed.
Jiao-Long stared at it in disbelief. "Then what does it do?"
"To explain what it does, I'll have to explain how it works," Blake said as he finally released Jiao-Long, and took a few steps away until his back was to the machine. "To start, it is more of a generator that fuels another machine - which is completed by the way. It constantly funnels Metahuman energy into these devices, and in turn, they will transmit the Metahuman energy globally. Bathing every single man, woman, and child in this energy."
"Are you saying...?" Jiao-Long trailed off, only to get his sentence completed by Blake.
"Effectively turning everyone on earth into a Metahuman, yes... Effectively uplifting humanity." Blake said, before he decided to explain the reasoning behind his glorious plan. "You see, Jiao-Long... so many people fret over who has this gene, and who doesn't. I can see the jealousy in their eyes. It's silly... especially when the line between so called "Man" and "Metahuman" is much thinner than most people realize." He looked at his nails.
Both Julia and Ezekiel had their own reactions. Ezekiel turned his head downwards, and bared his teeth slightly at Blake (While he was too fixated on Jiao-Long)... before it turned into a grin. Julia rolled her eyes up into her head.
Suddenly thrusting a finger into the air, Blake said, "... What's more, is that it'll enhance the abilities of existing Metahumans. So, it's a win-win, for everyone."
"This is your grand scheme? Turn everyone into Metahumans? Then what?" Jiao-Long asked.
"Ah... Jiao-Long, you forget something about the Family," Blake said as he put a finger under Jiao-Long's chin. "We are an organization of science. We benefit the world. Even if the world doesn't want it now, they'll be thanking us later."
Giving everyone powers was a terrible idea in Jiao-Long's eyes - he believed that there were enough power-hungry maniacs in the world. "You can't be serious! Imagine what will happen!"
"Great things... like I said, the world will thank the Family," Blake said. "But, how does it feel to be apart of this glorious dream?"
"I... I can't believe you want me to work on this - a machine that goes against all my beliefs!"
"But, Jiao-Long, don't you know?" Blake said. "Beliefs... ideologies... they shift like the waves... One day you may believe that powers should be reserved for the worthy, and the other you may feel everyone should have a... taste..."
But, is the world ready for someone having a taste of power? Jiao-Long thought to himself.
"Truly, whether or not you believe it is the right thing to do is irrelevant!" Blake loudly announced, before he turned over to Chunhua. "...Not while she's here. Hound!" He said, snapping his fingers.
The Black Hound grabbed Chunhua by the shoulder, and forced her to her knees, before he leveled his revolver at her skull.
"Long as she is in our care, you have no choice but to work on our machine. And I know you value her life above all else." Blake said. "And if that isn't enough... then, well, we'll just get your daughters. They'll make great moral support."
That was more than enough to force his hand. "Okay! I'll do what you ask!"
"Good, because I see no need to get your children involved when I have your wife!" Blake said, before he snapped his fingers again, and the Hound lifted Chunhua to her feet. "Alright, Hound, escort Chunhua to her quarters. And don't be afraid, Jiao-Long, we won't lay a hand on her - in fact, we'll give her the five-star treatment!"
The Hound had escorted Chunhua out of the room... followed by Veronica because she's seen enough.
"...That's reassuring." Jiao-Long snarked.
"Now, are you ready to get to work?!" Blake cheerfully asked. "With your expertise, it should take around... Eh, a few weeks to finish. If we had some more brilliant minds... like your friend Dr. Cross... this would be much quicker. But, you should get to work! The Blessed Three have business to attend to." Blake said as the Blessed Three marched off.
Jiao-Long shook his head.
This device might as well be a doomsday device. This was going to end badly for the world...
...But, alas, he has no choice.
...
The Irish Country-side...
"...Ezekiel."
That was enough to make the boy open his eyes. All he could see was the beautiful scenic countryside of Ireland. A place that was green far as the eye could see, and so gorgeous. This was a sight that few people would kill for. When the boy centered his gaze on the tall, blonde-haired, and blue-eyed woman that looked thick enough to be carrying some hefty left over baby-weight (Meaning she was very curvy). Oddly enough, she was very tall. Like enough to stand out in a crowd at six-two. She had a scarf over her head, and she wore a nice summer dress. A summer breeze came by and reminded the boy of where he was.
The woman smiled. "Are you going to sleep under this tree all day, Ezekiel? We have work to do."
"Y-yeah," The boy said, getting up and brushing himself off from all the dirt and dust he accumulated from lying here as he looked down. Ezekiel was thirteen years old, and much shorter and scrawnier than he was now. His hair was long, and messy, like he just didn't care about his hair. He wore a T-shirt, and some jean-shorts. The second he stood straight up, his mother turned around, and began marching through the fields. Oh! He almost forgot the book that he was reading - he turned around, snatched it, and ran after her.
"You know Ezekiel, you need to stop reading books all day," The woman playfully said. "You're already amazing as is, but you don't want to get too smart." She laughed.
"Y-yeah, mom," Ezekiel said, playfully laughing along with him. "You're a good teacher."
"Oh, you flatter me," Ezekiel's mother said.
"...But, where did you become so smart?"
That made the woman stop in her tracks, as if she vividly recalled something. Her mouth was wide, and her blue eyes stared ahead. That made Ezekiel worried. Very worried.
His mother turned her body back towards him, and smiled. "...I'll tell you when you're older."
That was the "code" that his mother used when she alluded to her rather ambiguous past. Ezekiel, being the youngest, had no idea what happened before he was even old enough to remember. Just hearing from other siblings that Mom had a "rough past." A past so rough that they have to live out here in seclusion in fear of someone. Every time she said "I'll tell you when you're older," Ezekiel became even more curious, but alas, there wasn't anything he could say or do to make her budge.
Besides... There was nothing to worry about. Even though they were isolated from the rest of the world, they still had peace, and each other. So, there was nothing to worry about.
Somewhere in Prince-Edfield, Baybridge...
"...Ugh!"
Ezekiel loudly groaned as he forced himself awake. That damn dream again. It's been decades, but he still experiences it. Even though he has the world at his fingertips... he still looks back at the past. He grabbed his face, letting out a sharp groan (that was more akin to a growl) as he tried to properly awaken.
"...Lord Ezekiel, what's wrong?" One of the Secretaries said, naked as she showed concern for Ezekiel.
"... Yes, Ezekiel, you shouldn't stress yourself."
Growling, Ezekiel answered. "Just... leave me alone." He got out of the bed, and stormed off. He marched through his room, and eventually walked to the balcony of this massive skyscraper that overlooked the city. He was wearing nothing, and let the breeze hit him... He could never escape the memories of his past. Ezekiel was given everything, but he still longed for that time. He wish he still had the photo, but it must have fell out of his notes when he was recovering them from that whore.
Ezekiel leaned up against the balcony, and looked up at the moon.
I'll have you back some day.
...
Somewhere in Prince-Edfield, Baybridge...
"How do you like it, princess?"
A tall, red-haired man, with green eyes asked a girl - who was around ten years old, wearing a rather gorgeous dress straight out of the wildest Disney movies. It was sky-blue, frilly, and over top of it was a black cloak that was embroiled to look regal. The girl looked exactly like the tall man, and had matching red hair. She looked up at the man.
"This is excellent, father." The girl said.
"Julia, tonight's the night we've discussed," The man said to her. "The night you prove your genes are as perfect as mine, and take the number-two spot of the Blessed Three."
Julia was told so much about what would happen tonight. This would be the night she becomes a real princess, and shows her father that she is the perfect princess. "I am ready."
"That's the spirit!" The man laughed, before he grabbed Julia's hand, and lead her through the halls of the Family's skyscraper. Which was lined with all of his secretaries... Well, not all of them. Some were left behind during the schism... the schism in which the foolish members of the Blessed Three were removed from the equation, and left one man, and one man alone. "Personally, I would love to skip this step, because you are perfect enough in my eyes."
Julia smiled, as the two reached a very special pair of metal doors.
An Arabic woman wearing a form-fitting suit, with black hair walked up, and said. "Master Shane, I see you have Julia."
"Of course," Shane said. "... She is ready to be inducted into the Blessed Three."
"The Elders will be pleased... I'll take it from here," The Secretary said, and grabbed onto Julia's wrist, and pulled her away. The doors opened, and as they closed, the young Julia felt a sense of dread.
"Father..." Julia said.
"It'll be okay sweetheart," Shane said. "I'll be right out here waiting for you."
He smiled.
The doors closed... and Julia was suddenly bathed in a green light. It was entrancing...
Lihn looked down at the sheets of paper with the instructions her grandfather had given her, trying to remember exactly what he'd told her on the phone. It had all happened in a bit of a flash and now she was sitting in a hotel room in China, alone. The out-of-the-blue call had resulted in her being forced to get on a plane and leave Kei and Thanh behind in Singapore. While she was sure her brother was fine, and she'd left instructions for him to search for her half-sister. She trusted him to look after Thanh... mostly. She would have brought her daughter with her if she could.
Vien had told her that she was going to be contacted by a Metahuman. How, he didn't say. He had only given scant details as to why. It was something to do with improving business ventures but that he needed her to test the waters first - she was a Metahuman herself after all. Basically, he didn't seem to trust whatever this Metahuman did. Or like the idea of someone using their powers on him. That had gone unsaid, but Lihn was good at figuring these things out. Sadly he hadn't given her very much information about the organisation that he was in contact with. There was a lot he hadn't said that made Lihn just a bit suspicious. She wasn't going to argue with him, though. Not when she'd left most of the belongings that she'd brought over with him (and extended family).
Putting the papers aside Lihn pulled her laptop out of her bag and turned it on. No point worrying about that right now. She'd deal with some work stuff, and checking that Kei and Thanh were okay.
Eventually she had gotten through everything that she'd meant to - Kei and Thanh were all fine, and work stuff was sorted. Lihn quickly read through the notes her grandfather had given her. Hidden among the ridiculously, and useless, information was something that may have been nice for her to know earlier - she had to be asleep, and dreaming, to be contacted. Well, it was getting late.
Putting everything aside, and trying not to curse her grandfather too much, Lihn got changed and eventually managed to get to sleep.
Dreaming was becoming a dread to Naoki each time he was forced to use his power for whatever evil plans the cult might have. He dragged himself - well, an 'astral avatar' of himself - across a dark tunnel that seemed to stretch on forever, dotted with little squares of various colors floating around him. As he walked down the tunnel, his appearance began to change: he grew taller and bulkier, to match the build of an average Caucasian adult male; the dirty and tattered rag that reflected what he actually wore in real life morphed into a hooded black coat that reached to his ankle, and a white mask formed on his face to hide his identity. All the while telling himself repeatedly that he was doing this only for the sake of his parents - to keep them alive until he could find a way to get out of Polaris as a family, at the very least.
He reached the designated square - the window leading to the specific hotel room that Hwee-Suan had taught him to mark. Beyond this window, he could see a rather young woman sleeping on the bed, with features suggesting that she was from the Southeastern part of Asia. He frowned - his contact was supposed to be an old man well past the sixties, but he could make out some similarities between her face and the photo of the man in the file Hwee-Suan had given to him. Taking in a deep breath, he reached out a gloved hand into the window and touched the woman's shoulder, before he spoke to her in Mandarin with a heavily altered voice to make himself sound deep, completely different from his real teenage self, "...Come with me."
When the voice spoke in her dreams, Lihn was a bit shocked (as much as she could be through her dreams). It was different from what she expected. Not that she'd expected much.
I will come with you, she tried to respond, opening her eyes in what was already a slightly odd dream to see the gloved hand. She reached out to touch the hand on her shoulder - and accepted going to wherever he was trying to take her.
Then she was falling; but not literally. It was an odd feeling that she had felt before, but not as acutely as she did, as she drifted into the deeper realms of sleep and dreams.
Naoki took the woman's hand and pulled her 'astral avatar' into his world - "Dream Scape", as his father had called it - leaving her physical body behind in the hotel room. The tunnel and the swirling colored squares all vanished, the darkness was immediately replaced by the same illusional cafe that was empty except for the table and two armchairs in the middle. He released the woman and walked to one of the armchairs before he gestured her to take a seat.
Naoki's eyes regarded her carefully behind his mask - the moment the link was established, he had a bad feeling about this lady. He couldn't quite explain it; he just had a nagging feeling that he had unknowingly invited a Trojan Horse into Scape.
"...Are you here for Mr. Vien Phan?" he asked, this time in an accented English (he had heard the woman spoke English when he was linking up with her just now), and tried his best to keep his tone even to hide his nervousness.
Lihn carefully took a seat, regarding Naoki curiously. She could tell that he was uncomfortable - or, something similar. She wasn't exactly sure. She carefully put up the amount of her power that she was using (which she was shocked she could use in here) to try and get a better read on him. It was subtle, as normal. She didn't have to worry as much about her control when there was only one other person in her range. As she concentrated on picking up the emotions from Naoki a dark feeling settled in her stomach; slightly unpleasant, but bearable. It increased as she read more. So many negative emotions - and it was difficult to tell them apart. Letting out a slight breath she dimmed down her empathy to the level where she didn't need to concentrate; on reading or on keeping in under control. The feeling of his negativity eased, but she could still feel it. She let it wash over her. Lihn had experienced worse and more extreme emotions. She finally spoke, still paying attention to her ability; just in case there were any emotions that could indicate a danger to herself.
"I am," she responded in a neutral tone, her English unaccented - she was practically a native speaker. "My name is Lihn Phan, and my grandfather sent me instead of him."
"We're not told about this... before this session," Naoki had been in this 'job' long enough to recite those model speeches off his head - well, he was literally inside his own head now - though he had to spend a bit of time to translate the words to English in order to convey his thoughts to this 'Lihn Phan'. "We can understand... that you want to be careful about this."
Naoki could just kick her out of Scape now, since her grandfather broke the agreement and there was no point continuing this - besides, she was a dangerous liability he couldn't afford to keep here for too long - but there was something about her that he thought he could make use of. He could feel a queer... similarity with Lihn. She was most likely a Metahuman; he had caught the pained expression on her face, and made an intelligent guess that she possessed some form of power that allowed her to feel something, when there was actually nothing except for the two of them in here.
...A cerebral type like him and his parents.
His training with Reiji and Yui since young had helped him to be able to single out Metahumans with cerebral powers from those of other ability types to some extent, because that was his greatest weakness to his dream world, the kind of people he had to constantly guard himself against. "Be cautious of those who wish you harm," his father had once told him. "We can heal from physical scars, but not mental scars - they stay within our mind for the rest of our lives."
Especially since the mental capabilities of his family were highly sought after.
His mother, Yui, had a more refined, more powerful form of Dream Premonition unlike Naoki's, allowing her to tune and see the specific visions she wanted to see, going up to months, even years (of course, the further the time, the more difficult and vague it would be, which would also come with a crippling mental backslash proportional to the time span). She could directly slip into their dreams to see their future instead of bring the person into her mind world, allowing her to switch targets with ease, almost as if she was watching their life in the coming months or years unfolding before her eyes like a TV show. Hwee-Suan had truly spared no effort to train Yui to make her their greatest, most completed dream seer ever in the clan, in Polaris.
For Reiji, he was born with an extremely potent telepathic power; in Japan, Metahumans were not widely accepted as they were only a small population compared to China. Reiji's father was a telepath also, but he was nowhere as goddamn strong as Reiji, causing him to fear his own son and eventually lost his sanity. Reiji was forced to manipulate the minds of his parents in order to keep his family together, to hide his ability from everyone else. He hated his power - it drove his father mad, it broke his family apart, people around him treated him like a freak... and he wouldn't be surprised if he got captured by the government and threw him into a special cell to isolate him from the world. He didn't deserve such an end - he couldn't let his life end in such stupid misery. That made him found a way to lock his powers away, creating psychic blocks around his mind to contain his power within his own mind, giving himself the chance to live a normal life he had desired.
...Until Hwee-Suan imprisoned all of them in the cult. There was no way she could let go of three dangerous cerebral Metahumans to roam freely. If anyone knew of what the Yagamis were capable of, every single government in the world would love to capture them, and use them for their own evil greed, just like what Polaris was doing. Or even find a way to cultivate their powers to create an army of Mind Breakers to take over the world, who knows?
A person would be able to still live their life even with lost limbs, but it would be game over if they lost their mind.
No matter how strong his parents were, Naoki knew they would eventually break down under Hwee-Suan's cruel treatment and forced into submission.
"Even if the contract is cancelled because of this... change of event," he said to Lihn. "But we can still make this session... useful. You're here for your grandfather to test out my power, so I'll do it on you." He nodded at her slowly. "You ready?" Maybe he could find out more about this lady through her visions, if there's anything that could be of some use to him... to help him escape Polaris. His clenched his fists on the armchair rest as the memory of Hwee-Suan torturing him and his parents reignited the hatred inside him.
If his family managed to get out of this damned cult, Naoki swore to find a way to destroy Polaris - the organization, its members... everything, so that his family could be truly free from their evil control.
Lihn couldn't help but visibly flinch at the pure hatred that suddenly came off Naoki in waves. Slowly she reduced the amount that she sensed so that it moved to the background of her mind. She could tell, just about, that it wasn't directed at her. Still, she carefully allowed herself to send out slightly calming emotions towards him. It was better to be safe than sorry. The changes were subtle, and concentrated on Naoki - only someone incredibly skilled at recognising their emotions being tampered it would notice it. She had honed her skill to that level where the subtle changes were all but unnoticeable.
"I'm ready."
"Very well." Naoki took in a deep breath - he was a little surprised that his boiling rage had gone down much faster than he had expected, but he simply shrugged it off and focused his concentration on Lihn, before he started diving deeper into the mind of the lady before him...
Lihn was on the phone to her grandfather. Whatever the conversation that had happened previously she wasn't happy about it.
"Why am I not to look for my half-sister any longer?" Lihn frowned down the phone, speaking in Vietnamese - as she always did with any other members of the Phan family (excluding Kei, of course).
"Something... has come up. Your half-sister is not the most pressing issue for our family or my company. I need you to stay where you are for now."
"Can Kei and Thanh join me, then?" Lihn only frowned more. She was dependent on her grandfathers funds to fly anywhere else - she only just had enough to fly them back to the US.
"No," the response came with no explanation. "More importantly, was your future predicted? Does it actually work?"
"Yes, I did, I believe."
"Good, then I can move forward with my plans. I'll contact you soon, Lihn."
The phone line cut off.
... ...
It was dark. Lihn didn't know where she was, and she couldn't remember how she had gotten there.
"Do you know why you are here, Lihn Phan?" a voice resonated from the darkness, in thickly accented Vietnamese. Lihn could make out a figure, but no face, in a dim light that appeared. She wasn't restrained but she could tell that she wouldn't get far if she tried.
"I do not," Lihn's response was surprisingly calm.
"It is a shame you have been caught up in this, then. I need you to deliver a message to Vien Phan."
"What is it?" Lihn couldn't do much more than respond. She wanted to know who this person was, and what he wanted.
"Tell him that we will not tolerate his betrayal again. He will understand what you mean. That is all."
Lihn didn't have time to tell whoever it was that they should have given the message, simple as it was, to her grandfather themselves before she blacked out.
Naoki grimaced behind his mask. The migraine - a side effect whenever he had used Premonition - would only hit him after he had left Scape, but thinking about the vague visions he had seen was already making his head hurt. He couldn't understand a word that was spoken, but from their body language he could tell that both were something that made the woman before him anxious and worried about. Things that she was fearful of and didn't want to happen (but would happen within the five days, anyway).
He could replay what he had seen by simply reenacting the visions using Scape and get her to interpret the conversations, but would she be willing to translate them to an outsider like him to know, especially if the visions were about her family secrets? He didn't want to give such important information away to her without some form of safeguard for himself... and then he had a brilliant idea. He could just use it as a leverage - hopefully he could get Lihn, and maybe even the Phan family on his side, and then get them to help saving his family from Polaris.
He closed his eyes briefly, putting together a quick plan. He would have to be careful - he was certain that Lihn possessed some form of cerebral ability even if he wasn't sure what exactly her power could do, and she probably had more control, more experience than him in a battle of the minds.
Taking a few deep breaths, he finally spoke to her, "Now, I will show you the visions that I have seen, right here."
The lonely cafe scene suddenly disappeared, and the two of them seemed to be suspended in total darkness; then, they were falling through flashes of the silent visions - in black and white - but purposely altered to tell a different story from what he had originally seen...
Lihn was back in her own hotel room, on the phone. She seemed unhappy about something, and her hand gestures were becoming more agitated with each passing second. Then her frown deepened, and her shoulders went rigid before her face slacked into shock, the mobile slipping out from her hand...
As she turned around, the lights in her room dimmed; standing at the door was a shadowy silhouette, with no face. The figure was approaching Lihn, who was shuffling backwards out of pure fear until her back touched the wall. With nowhere to run, she could only put on a brave face and glare at the intruder, squeezing a trembling fist on her chest. The figure merely stretched out a hand towards her face, their fingers clamped around the side of her head in a vice-like grip; then the grip tightened, crushing her cheekbones, her skull...
The scene blacked out, leaving only the scream of terror filling the darkness around them...
Naoki and Lihn was back at the empty cafe once more, both of them landed on their respective armchairs. Naoki said nothing; his eyes were watching Lihn quietly through the white mask on his face, but he put his hands below the table out of Lihn's sight, playing with his fingers nervously. He had never tried to trick anyone with such tactics before - he knew nothing about this lady, and he was unsure if she could easily see through the the contradictions of the fake events he had mixed with the real ones...
He even wondered if she could actually see through this facade the cult had forced him to wear, to hide his identity from all their 'clients'. Well, people were less likely to believe a scrawny teenage boy than an intimidating-looking adult man.
Lihn could still feel the fear. It pushed all other emotions out of her mind, making it difficult to retain a calm exterior where she sat. She did not know if the visions she had been shown were true. No, something didn't seem right. Why would this man show her a vision of her death - nothing would come of it.
Something was off.
"Thank you for showing me the visions," she responded carefully, watching closely. She pushed away the fear that had clouded her mind moments before to reach out - and read Naoki. It was a natural feeling, like flexing a well-used muscle, and his emotions came into her mind softly - a controlled river as opposed to a flood. The emotions she felt from this person before her was a dissonance of contradictions... of fear versus confidence, of dread versus hope. Fear was far more prominent, the strongest she could feel from him - even if it was laced with a mixture of other emotions (like the pure hatred that she had felt before he looked into her future), there was no mistake about the erratic waves of anxiety that were coming off him. That could only mean one thing...
He was nervous. Why would he be nervous if he had shown her exactly what he had seen? There should be no reason for that. Slowly, carefully, she pinpointed that emotion - the nerves he felt - and increased the intensity of it. It was gentle, an unnoticeable intrusion that slowly increased just how nervous he felt.
"However, I would appreciate if you were truthful with what you showed me."
Naoki couldn't help but frown behind his mask - no matter how hard he tried to suppress the nervousness inside him, it only got worse, forcing his trembling hands to grip on the armrest in order to steady himself. The growing anxiety was making him nauseous, and he had to pour every ounce of his willpower to stabilize the illusions within Scape. His suspicion about Lihn was right: she was a cerebral-type Metahuman, and it appeared that she had the ability to manipulate emotions. Naoki knew that he was up against someone who was better and more experienced with mind games than him, and he wouldn't be able to hold his mask any longer once she had completely pierced through all this deception.
There was only one thing he could do.
The cafe scene blurred for a split second before it became the hotel room he had showed her in the fake vision. The two of them were facing each other... where Naoki resumed the role of the 'faceless' figure. Gritting his teeth, he tried to push his chaotic thoughts and emotions to the back of his mind, stretching out a gloved hand to Lihn's head, to literally act out the finale...
This isn't real.
The view changed right before Lihn's eyes and she knew that whatever was happening wasn't reality - they were still in the odd dream world that this man had created. She could still feel the chaos of emotions coming off what was now a faceless figure. Yes, that was certainly not the person from the vision (whether they existed or not).
Remaining calm Lihn waited for the hand to reach out before moving her own up to grab his wrist. Her grip was tight - but not enough to hurt. Lihn didn't really want to hurt this person, but she wasn't going to let him hurt her either.
She reached out into Naoki's mind and quickly searched through the chaos. She once again found the fear, the anxiety Naoki felt, and increased it while carefully reducing the other emotions. She wasn't subtle anymore. It was a forceful thing, something she didn't do often, but it seemed like the safest way to end this. This dream world was his playground - it was only logical to her that he would lose more control over it the more emotional he got.
Keeping a tight grip on Naoki's wrist, she put all of her energy in worsening the chaotic emotions.
Naoki struggled, trying to free himself from Lihn's clutches, but his current appearance was merely an illusion; he was just a frail, sixteen-year-old boy who had been sheltered - imprisoned - underground his whole life, and he was obviously on the losing end against a stronger, tougher adult like the lady before him. The scene around him flickered once before it was stable again, and this time Naoki summoned a dozen ghostly hands to pry himself away from Lihn. His control over the hotel room image was waning - the ceiling was fading into the darkness of Scape's original appearance, then coming down to the walls that were slowly dissolving to black...
All that was left, was the masked-and-cloaked man that Naoki had masqueraded, and the waves of incoming disembodied hands trying to claw at Lihn. But they were easily shattered before they could close in on her. His avatar guise was becoming unstable and translucent, revealing the smaller silhouette of his true form beneath the oversized cloak figure. Still, Naoki refused to go down without fighting back with everything he could; he turned the hands into slimy tentacles, hoping that it would disgust Lihn enough to let go of him...
It didn't bother Lihn, and she kept her grip, both physical and mental - though she slowly reduced the intensity with which she changed his emotions. She could tell that she was winning and there was no use to push it too far. Still, she kept a tight grip on her own stable mental condition. The tentacles didn't even make her flinch.
Finally, no longer able to hold up the surrealistic facade in his dream world, the imagery shattered completely; the shards of whatever was left of the illusion burst into bubbles before they melted back into the dark water around them, dimly illuminated by the white grid lines beneath their feet. This was the original form of his power - of 'Dream Scape'.
Naoki had reverted back to his true self: an adolescent Asian boy with unruly brown hair, dark eyes wide with shock and fear, his skinny, trembling frame clothed in something that looked like dirty and tattered rags, and his feet bare. He stopped struggling and went limp, but threw a bitter look at Lihn. "...This is my defeat. I will stop playing childish games with you." Then he dropped his gaze; he was relieved that he could finally stop all these dumb illusions, but another part of him wondered if this lady was sent by Polaris to test him... to make him lose control of himself and betray the cult recklessly.
He let out a sigh. "The vision I showed you just now, as you can tell, was fake... but there were some real scenes." He raised his head and stared straight into Lihn's eyes. "Before I show you the real vision..."
Tears began to well up in his eyes. All the negative emotions pent up inside him, amplified by Lihn's power during the short 'battle' between the two of them, exploded out of his mental cage: anger and hatred, fear and despair... it was all too much for Naoki to bear any longer. "...S-Save me."
Lihn visibly recoiled at the sheer amount of negative emotions; she tried her hardest to block them out, but she couldn't keep them out. Not when they were so intense. She pushed back out - but not like before. She forced herself to fight through the negativity to emit a soothing aura, trying to dampen the terrible emotions that Naoki felt.
"I'm so sorry," was all that she could say, at first, in response as she looked at Naoki's true self. She hadn't realised the person she had fought mentally was only a teenager. He was so frail and so young. She pushed down the guilt she felt from having increased the chaos of emotions he'd felt only moments earlier as she continued to try and calm them now, if only slightly. "How, how do I help you?"
There was so much things Naoki wanted to tell her: to stay away from Polaris at all costs, to find a way to bail his family out of the living hell they had been imprisoned in for years, to warn her about something grim that was going to happen in the West... which would change their current world forever. All these thoughts were filling up his mind with terror and worry, and the words were simply stuck in his throat, refusing to come out coherently.
He could only continue crying in her arms, burying his head into her chest. How long had it been since he last hugged someone, and cried like this?
It took awhile for Lihn's soothing power to take effect on the boy, and eventually Naoki was calming down. He wiped off his tears and raised his head, looking up at Lihn quietly. "Thank you, I am better now. I will show you the real vision I have seen." He held out a hand to her with a small smile. "Let's go."
... ...
After he had shown Lihn the actual snippets of her future, the boy continued to hold hands with the lady, staring at her questioningly. "Can you tell me what were been said?" he asked with child-like innocence.
Lihn only nodded, and began to translate from Vietnamese to English roughly what had been said (as best as she could). It was still a bit of a shock to her that a sixteen-year-old boy had enough power to create a dream world like that. She could only curse whoever had decided to force him to use it for what she was sure was some kind of nefarious purpose.
"That's all of it, in English."
Naoki bobbed his head as Lihn spoke; just like all the visions he had seen in the past, most of them didn't make much sense to him. So many things he didn't know about the world out there... Was this one of the reasons why Polaris was afraid to set him free, so that they could control the fate of these poor souls using his power this way? Even with his limited knowledge due to the cult's propaganda teaching, he knew that manipulating the destiny of others for personal gain was despicable.
"I'm sorry I cannot help you - I'm also not sure what those visions mean." He looked down at the illuminating white grids beneath his feet. "All I can say is that they will happen in the next five days."
He was vaguely aware that he had been spending too much time in here - normally each session wouldn't last longer than ten to fifteen minutes, but his little 'mind game' with Lihn had dragged this session for more than an hour, probably. He would have to send this lady out of his dream world before someone from Polaris try to wake him up by force... and that agony was even worse than the feedback from Premonition.
As he guided Lihn's avatar back to the hotel room she was still asleep in, there was one last thing he had to tell her. "The world is going to end," he said to her in a grave tone. "Someone is trying to become God. Be careful."
With a light push, he bid farewell to Lihn, and turned his back to her. She was a rather kind lady, but he felt that this meeting would be their first - and last.
Charlie woke and groaned. The cardiac monitor beeped, and began to quicken, Charlie began gasping. The monitor raged on in an uncontrollable, furious manner. The piercing beeping filled the room and alarmed the doctor down the hall. The doctor ran to the room and found Charlie sitting up straight a panicked look painted on his face. Tears filled his eyes and his body became heated in a feverish manner. He grew distraught and angry and wanted to scream. The doctor called for help and put his hand on Charlie's shoulder. Charlie flinched rapidly and nearly swung at the doctor. He took a deep breath as the room filled with doctors and nurses all trying to calm him. However Charlie just stared and breathed trying to calm himself. Ignoring the clutter and noise of the room he spoke.
"Where the fuck am I..." Charlie said in a monotone voice as the room continued to roar around him. Nurses were making calls, doctors were checking vitals and talking in a patient tone trying to calm each other and Charlie.
"Hello! Where the fuck am I!" Charlie shouted the compression pained his chest and his lungs pressed against the tight wrap around his torso. It weaved over both of his shoulders and behind his back. He breathed and felt the broken ribs move unnaturally. Then the room grew silent. They all stared at Charlie eyes intently studying him. He felt the room grow tense. Nobody knew what to say. He grabbed the nearest doctor by the coat and pulled him close. The doctor terrified looked into Charlie’s eyes.
“Tell me what happened. Or find me somebody who will.” Charlie said in a low harsh voice. He then released the doctor who immediately straightened his coat and ran out of the room. Charlie spotted a DOVE poster in the hallway through the door as the man ran off. He needed answers, and now.
Without Shizuka, Ryu was having a hard time commuting around Baybridge. Not just the language barrier (which was his main woe), but the public transport in America was truly as terrible as he had heard! Luckily for him, the older twin Haruka and the red-haired Holly did come to his rescue - they were kind enough to compile a list of the major residential areas in the city, with the addresses and some useful routes he could take, to help him get started.
A mental note to himself: once he had completed his mission here, he would have to start learning and brushing up on his English.
He really admired Shizuka, even if he was older than the silver-head. He could still clearly remember the time when they first met each other: not only was the squad surprised that the American Metahuman agency had sent a teen to liaise with them (he was barely in his adulthood yet!), Shizuka was a talented and capable agent. Well, on the field he was someone you definitely wouldn't want to cross paths with. No matter how much he had claimed his intangibility was a lame power compared to the likes of the more offensive abilities, what made him such a formidable person was his astute mind: able to calmly assess the situation, aware of his own limitations and weaknesses, and use everything within his reach to his advantage and turn the tables around in his favor.
Once the boy was off the field... Ryu couldn't help but chuckle to himself at the thought of it. Shizuka was just as pure (and weird) as his white hair when it was about social-emotional stuff. Even better that he was completely hopeless when dealing with girls and women, now that he was at the prime age to find a girlfriend or even a future wife. Such a waste of his good looks!
As he wandered around Baybridge, he felt a strange current spike in the air; a quick check at the map in his hand told him that it came from Stronghold Plaza. By the time he had reached the place it was already destroyed, deserted... though he could still feel the queer currents emitting from the debris.
Yes, he could differentiate three different electrical charges: one was the original current to generate power for the place, but the other two were foreign - and were also the cause of the outage here. He could even tell those two charges apart. To Ryu, the charge that different electrical Metahumans produced were unique entities to each of its own, just like the fingerprints of any normal humans.
He pulled off a glove and absorbed the remnants of the two foreign charges into his body, to imprint the feeling inside him, and use them to find their original owners.
... ...
Which had led him all the way to this house in Courtbridge, where the charges around this apartment was a perfect fit of those he had absorbed from Stronghold Plaza.
Courtbridge, Prince Ed-Field_
There wasn't any point in sitting around on a roof, smelling like sewer or not. Especially since they had goons after them. Even though Strongriver Plaza was far away from Courtbridge, he didn't want to take the chance that somebody just happened to look up, and had goons swarming him! Malik kept his hands in his pockets as he scrolled back over to Tanya's apartment. He was hoping that he could score that hose. With Rhea in tow, Malik turned the corner, and...
Someone was at Tanya's door.
Someone he didn't know. Malik was careful, he pushed his back up against the wall, and peered around the corner - throwing up his hand to stop Rhea. With the Family on him, he knew that it was only a matter of time before they found him. But, Tanya? He felt tense... this man was Asian - but anyone could be working for the Family. They had roped Marcelle, a French woman, in, they'd rope in just about anyone. But, he was about to ring the doorbell. Damn it, Tanya didn't deserve to be in any of this.
He had to take a risk here. Just to keep Tanya out.
"...Hey, friend," Malik said as he rounded the corner, getting close as he could. "How are you doing?"
Rhea followed, eyes scanning their surroundings. Besides the Asian man, and a homeless person far down the block, the area was vacant. Lips twisted in thought, Rhea also watched the roofs. No one. This man appeared to be alone. To her knowledge, that wasn't how the Family worked - although, to be fair, she lacked experience with their covert agents. All she knew was that Makoto and Veronica showed up as a team of two when they blew her door in.
Ryu was about to press the doorbell when he heard someone calling out to him. Turning his head to the source of the voice, he arched his brows, his eyes widened at who the speaker was. It was that African man in the security footage that Aislin had shown him!
"Ah," he let out a surprised gasp at Malik. Then he recollected himself and said in an accented English, "I am looking for you!" He fumbled with his coat pocket, and pulled out the handwritten note that Aislin had given him. "We are..." He struggled to find the right word, but couldn't think of any except, "...Friends." He tugged at his scarf awkwardly, and gave Malik a sheepish grin.
"Friends...?" Malik asked; the guy was shady. At least he didn't attack him right off the bat or something, which was what made Malik more receptive to the man. But, clearly he wasn't from around here - you know, he had heard an accent like that from somewhere. Just couldn't put his finger on it. He looked at the note, and raised an eyebrow at the content... especially who it was from. He quickly handed it to Rhea. "...This is for you."
As Rhea silently took the creased paper, her eyes curiously played over the mystery man. There was something off about his hair... Frizzy, like he had just rubbed his head with a wool sweater. And near every inch of him was covered - the scarf, gloves, everything. She factored in that it was autumn, but today was beautiful. Perhaps this man was a germaphobe? Slowly, she shifted her vision down, and examined the note. As moments passed, her jaw hung agape in astonishment.
Letting Rhea to handle that, Malik had his full attention on the man. He crossed his arms... and raised an eyebrow at him. He was trying to appear big and strong. "So, if we're friends, mind tellin' me your name, sir?" Malik asked.
"Name?" That was the only word Ryu could catch from the long string of gibberish this African guy had said to him; he was too busy trying to figure out what the man before him was saying to spare a thought for his intimidating body language. "Ah, yes. Koizumi Ryu," he replied, giving Malik a short bow. Then he looked up with a questioning look, gesturing an open gloved palm to the African - for his name.
"Oh, yeah, me?" Malik said, "I'm Malik Jakane... It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Koizumi." He said his name surprisingly well... if only he realized that was his last name.
There was another question that Malik had. He raised a finger up into the air as he gave this Koizumi guy a curious look. "So, what I'm curious about is - how'd you find us?" He raised an eyebrow. "That's my friend Tanya's apartment right there... she isn't going to be happy if strange men start knockin' on her door if you know what I'm sayin'."
"Malik," Ryu echoed the African's name, so that he could get it memorized. His gaze followed Malik's fingers up to the sky, then he looked back down at the man, shrugging. He felt a little frustrated, not being able to understand a word this guy was saying.
"I no English," he said, shaking his head. Then he pointed at the paper in Rhea's hand.
"Oh..." Malik raised an eyebrow as everything started making so much more sense. "Um, then what language do you speak? I've been all over the world, so I know a little bit..." Then he realized he forgot who he was talking to. "What language?" he said, trying to be simple as possible without having to break out into interpretive dances.
Ryu perked up at the question. "Japanese?" he asked, a hopeful note in his tone.
Malik nodded his head with a smile... He'd been to Japan a few times. Not long enough to pick up anything major, mind you. But, he'd try his best. Try really, really hard. "I don't know a lot of Japanese." Malik tried to communicate with him in Japanese. It was easier to talk to the restaurant owners around the tourist attractions because they were used to it.
"Sorry. Where did you find us?" He was reaching really hard into that language book of his... he should really head back to Japan. He wasn't even sure if he was using the right words.
"It's fine, I can understand you better now," Ryu had to let out a sigh of relief. Finally someone else who could speak his language! "Do you mean how I found the two of you?" He smiled at them. "Your powers lead me here."
"Oh, yes." It was ironic. Because Malik literally just traded one translation problem for another! Thankfully, he knew enough to make out bits and pieces of what Ryu had said. He mentioned something about "your powers," and Malik was smart enough to guess that he meant he literally found them through their powers. That was one question answered, but he had one more...
"Why?" Malik started off. "Why are you looking for us?"
"We need your help to fight against the Family, and Polaris," Ryu replied, making an extra effort to speak as slowly as he could - which was tough, since he was so used to talk real fast (i.e. the normal speed for natives) in Tokyo.
"Family, yeah... Polaris?" Malik poorly emulated what Ryu said. He had zero idea who Polaris was, but they sounded like trouble. "And who are 'we?'"
"I'm only told to bring you two back to meet her friend--" he gestured at Rhea, "--and they will explain everything to you. You'll need our help also to stand a chance against the Family and Polaris."
Malik shrugged... This was really, really weird, but he was hoping that this 'friend' of Rhea knew something... or could translate this guy, because Malik was lost in translation here! "Okay..." He looked towards Rhea, and whispered (relieved he could finally speak English), "Hey, is that letter legit or not...? I'd like to know before Tanya comes out."
Rhea held a hand to her mouth, a pained look in her eyes. She glanced at Malik briefly before reading the polished handwriting a third time, swallowing the lump in her throat.
Aegis,
Remember that time after classes, when you got out of detention and went to vent on the bathroom mirror? I'd been looking for you, and found the entire mirror covered in angry scribbles.
We talked. I wasn't upset, but your psyche worried me. Eventually, I convinced you to write one single line over top the entire thing. Do you remember what it was?
'After all is said and done, the world is still a beautiful place.' Or, something to that effect.
I understand why you’re on your own now. It puts me to shame, seeing you out there fighting while I've peddled around the sidelines. Our differences need to be put aside, knowing the severity of things. Not just for us, but for each person in this world.
I need your help.
The man with this letter will lead you to where you need to be. Please trust me.
CT
"It's..." She sighed, folding the note up. "...It's legit. I'd recognize the handwriting anywhere, and no one knows that story except one person. She even included the code names from our company, just to be thorough."
Ryu appeared more at ease, but Rhea still felt the need to confirm. "Did Aislin Rose send you?"
"Yes." Even if Ryu might not quite understand what this lady was saying (was she asking if the note was from Aislin?), he could still pick up the name. The lady seemed convinced, so the note really worked! He glanced at Malik the African... Now he was left with just one more obstacle to complete this quest.
Rhea nodded, but Malik didn't appear to be fully on board. Her face held a heartening expression. "I've known Aislin for a long time - she's family. I don't know if she feels the same... but I trust her with my life." Rhea paused, hoping this last bit would win him over. "She's also better at sleuthing than I am. It's well, her job."
The note crinkled in Rhea's hand as she held it up. "Aislin said to follow this guy. I can only assume it's to wherever she is, and I think we should at least check it out."
"Er, well..." Malik said, throwing his hands behind his head. He didn't fully trust this man... but if this Aislin something-something was so trustworthy to Rhea, then Malik was behind her. "...Yeah, I'm with you." It wouldn't hurt just to look.
"Ryu, we will follow you. But first," She smirked at Malik. "We need showers. And fresh clothes."
"Ah, shower," Ryu said, an amused glint in his eyes as he rubbed a gloved finger under his nose. "Yes." He did wonder if American streets actually smelled that bad, but it turned out to be just the two of them. Did they fall into a pool of cow dungs or something?
...Maybe the US wasn't as bad as he had thought it would be.
Nervous. Aislin's stomach was in knots. When Shizuka informed the group Ryu was on his way with Rhea and Malik in tow, Aislin locked herself in the washroom. Not that she needed the facilities, but it was a good place to be undisturbed. Plopping down on the bath mat, she folded her legs in and began to breathe slow. The tension in her gut was unsettling. It was Rhea - no doubt. Having to meet with her was picking at Aislin's anxiety. She had no idea where their friendship stood, or if it still existed. After two years of silence, Aislin was unkind in her words when they met over the briefcase. Did she... make things worse?
Relax. Aislin drew in another slow breath. This is bigger than your personal shit. Let it go.
Focusing on the air passing through her lungs, Aislin managed to melt away the nerves. She sat silently for another ten minutes, listening to the occasional drip of water from the faucet. Relaxed and in the zone, Aislin scanned through the scraps of data she collected. Polaris, the Fire Spirit, and their messed-up cult. The shitstorm at the Liu's, the Founding Family, their Machine. Everything was connected by a threaded needle, however, she failed to see the big picture. Perhaps... perhaps Rhea and her friend could shed some light on the subject.
There was a knock at the front door, followed by the sound of shuffling footsteps. Aislin rose to her feet, splashed some cold water on her skin, and gave the mirror her best game face. It's showtime.
... ...
Shizuka was very glad that he had sent Akemi away to Japan. Well, if she was still here, she would definitely get quite a shock if she knew what kind of guests he had gathered in her home... He glanced at the faces of all the individuals who had settled down in the room after exchanging curt introductions, then at the gadgets and guns laid down neatly on the dining table.
For one, these people weren't your normal guests. All of them were in this house for a very important meeting - one so secretive that had to be held under the nose of the Family dogs, and even their RAVEN comrades... because they couldn't risk losing their wild card status.
They were the last line of defense against whatever insanity the Founding Family would soon be unleashing in Baybridge, and they were going to have to stop it in this city before the madness spread to the rest of the world.
He also made the right decision to 'borrow' Ryu from Suzaku for this war. He knew how handy the Japanese agent's ability was (no matter how much Ryu had claimed to hate his power), but it still amazed him how that guy was able to locate and bring in their new allies so quickly, in just one day.
Good for us, because time is of essence here.
Shizuka nodded to Aislin, to have her start off the briefing for Rhea and Malik; it was better for her to do the talking first due to her ties with Rhea.
Aislin rested her hands on the table, a rueful smile on her face. "Rhea, Malik, I'm glad you could make it. I'll put it as plain as I can - shit's about to hit the fan." She paused to draw a diagram, pointing to it with a pencil. "There are two parties, one being the Founding Family, with control of the West. And Polaris, with control of the East. We have been collecting as much data as we can on these two groups, and have discovered some troubling news."
She brought up a satellite image of Baybridge on her tablet, pushing it to the table's center. "The Family's developing a 'Machine'. What exactly it is, we don't know; but it's somewhere in this city, and I have a feeling it's nearing completion. This is the reason for the Hound's - who, in fact, works for the Family - obsession with scientists like Dr. Cross."
Malik casually listened to what Aislin had to say. Polaris... he totally had zero idea of who they even were! But, if they're working together, that's bad news for everyone. But, they had a doomsday device? Je-sus. And Malik thought this secret agent bullshit couldn't get any weirder! He bet the man in charge was stroking a white cat! But yeah, while he wasn't exactly keen on this world-saving nonsense, who else was there? The authorities didn't seem that capable of handling such a threat.
Rhea's fingers were steeped, tapping against her chin. She listened silently, face neutral. The group collected around her were an unlikely sort - the two Asians (besides Ryu) looked like siblings. Shizuka and Holly were both RAVEN - she had memorized the records. And Aislin herself, delivering the briefing. It was fitting for a spy. Rhea became interested the moment Aislin mentioned the Hound and its ties to the Family. That was a very special bit of information, and something Rhea nearly died to learn. But, where were they going with this?
"Shizuka," Aislin glanced at the white-haired RAVEN. "Could you briefly go over the events that happened at the Liu's party?"
Shizuka unfolded his arms and straightened up, leaning forward as he started off, "Just as Ai has said, the 'Machine' will soon be ready for the Family to use to it and terrorize this city - even the whole world - now that they have the genius brain of Liu Jiao-Long to work on it." He paused a second before breaking the 'news'. "He was kidnapped by the Hound at his son's birthday party... which shows just how desperate the Fags are about their doomsday device. His mum Biyu, who had ties with both the Fags and Polaris, also turned up at the party... but I don't know what her real motives are, and it's probably different from what the two cults want." To make things worse, helping the Zhaos (and in turn the Lius) had put himself on that old hag's killing list on top of the Family's. He wondered if the Zhaos would be able to pay back all the favors they had owed him, ever.
Well, Malik heard of Jiao-Long. Hell, the two even came close to meeting! Unfortunately, the Jakane family, and the Liu family, couldn't be anymore distant. Malik would have loved to attend the party... but, hey, maybe once Malik had saved him, he could be invited to all the Liu parties! Heh... he was getting a little off-track here. The problem was that, with Jiao-Long, they could do whatever weirdo science experiment they want. Build this... Machine.
"Exactly." Aislin nodded. "Polaris too, appears to have more than one agenda, not all of them in tandem with the Family. That fact does have me concerned, but fortunately for us, neither of the parties have anticipated this." Her hands gestured to the room. "A group, unaffiliated with any organisation, working under the radar to throw a wrench in their plans."
Aislin leaned forward, a glint in her eyes. "Now, my dear Holly's told me you two have taken up your own investigation. I'm rather intrigued as to what you've discovered, and I know all of us have a better chance at stopping the Fags - good wording, Shizu - if we work together." She fell silent, head tilted. They're interested, it's plainly written on their faces.
A part of Malik wanted to chime in and say his real goals: which wasn't even fighting the Family at all, he just wanted to find Marcelle. Yet, another part of Malik knew that he should maybe perhaps lend his assistance. He could save Marcelle, but what's it matter if the Family had destroyed the world? There were bigger things at stake here, but Malik still had his childhood friend at heart.
First thing's first, maybe he should share Marcelle's logs with them. They probably weren't the vital, tide-changing, information that they wanted, but hey, even the smaller things can be useful.
Rhea figured it would come to this, as her curiosity frequently created more problems. An innocent Tor search, to her safe house being destroyed and two assassins sweet-talking her with a gun. Malik saved her ass, so she thought it was noble to remain by his side until some amount of debt was repaid. Marcelle, however, was tangled up in a bigger web than either of them anticipated. She was, of course, still a high priority, but Rhea knew her decision fifteen seconds into the briefing. This wouldn't end with Marcelle - the world needed saving too.
"Alright, I'm in," Malik said, standing straight. Rhea gave a short nod in agreement as Malik continued, "I have much to share with you... but, I should come out and say something, yes."
He cleared his throat. "I didn't come to America with the intention of fighting the Family, and getting involved in their insanity. I am looking for a friend of mine, Marcelle Marou, a member of the French DGMHS..." Malik looked around them for their reactions.
Aislin lifted her head. "Fair enough. Men die for lesser reasons, anyhow. This Marcelle - he's gone missing?"
"She went undercover in the Founding Family on behalf of that agency, and she has so much information on them... that she stored around the city in dead drops."
Malik reached into his pockets, and pulled out the three USB drives that he and Rhea found throughout Baybridge. "There are at least a hundred... but many of them are missing, either found by the Family, or her association... all I have is four."
"You mean..." Aislin's eyes lit up. "You have personal logs from someone on the inside? My God, imagine what they'd be worth..."
He nodded his head.
"...I don't even think they'll be useful."
Shizuka raised an eyebrow at Malik. "Won't hurt to have a look at them first. If they're really that useless as you say, why would the Fags and her organization be looking for them also?" That was followed with a nudge to his arm from Holly, a quiet warning to watch his sharp tongue and not intimidate their guests too much. Aislin's sly smile merely widened.
"Well, hope ya' got a computer somewhere..." Malik said.
"I have a laptop," Haruka chimed in, getting up from his chair before he ran up the stairs to his room. He was back at the table a couple of minutes later, even had the screen booted up and ready while coming down. "...Here."
Malik stepped over, and put all the USB drives down. "Well, I'd start with this one." He pointed at the very first log that they had found - Marcelle's first log:
"Marcelle's Log One: August Sixteenth. It's been one month since the Overload Crisis... and I am still on this foreign exchange program on behalf of the DGMHS. America isn't that bad, but I need to focus on the task at hand; my infiltration of the so called 'Founding Family'. I don't even know how I got involved in all of this, I wasn't even one of the top agents and I get pulled into an off by the DGSE to tell me about a lead they had found on the 'Beast' that destroyed Prague early on this year...
"They stated that they had tracked it to this organization - they, they had something to do with the Beast. If they didn't create it, they had a hand in it. So, I was given a simple mission, gain the Family's trust, and infiltrate the Family on behalf of the French. I started out in the Family's French branch, and it was amazing how much of Europe they got under their thumb.
"In America, I met a MISW agent that was on my side: Graham Morris. He told me that he wanted to destroy the Family before they completely take over Europe, but they had effectively taken over the British Military, including the MISW, so he didn't dare speak up. They sent him away on Foreign Exchange so he wouldn't connect the dots... and well, they didn't do it fast enough because he connected all the dots.
"I've been working in their... Intimidation Unit as a spy for RAVEN. They just wanted me to leak some information to them, and I did. Then they asked me to kill a RAVEN off-duty... and oh God, it was the Hound himself giving me the order... in person.
"Despite his ridiculous name... seeing him up close sends chills down my spine. And the fact he could crush my spine didn't help. He's like a God damn devil. Nobody knows how to kill him. If he even can be killed. After the job, I met two of my associate spies... Veronica Davis, and Makoto Koda - or more appropriately, the Terror and Onryo.
"They told me we were 'partners in crime', and after the Asian lady grabbed me inappropriately, they told me I best not disappoint the Hound... that I 'really won't like him when he's disappointed'.
"...It honestly sounded like they knew I was a mole. That's why I'm logging my progress against the Family. For Graham to recover and use as evidence should I die.
"I don't know what shit I got myself into, but I hope I can get myself out of it. Just so I can see Malik again... Marcelle, out."
After Shizuka had translated the log to Ryu, he exchanged looks with the Japanese agent, then with Holly. To think that the Family had most of the European Metahuman agencies under their control beneath everyone's nose in just a few months! They even had a part in the Beast of Prague; the information in this log so far pretty much fell into his expectations, but it was worse than what he could have imagined... The term 'onryo' made the twins arch their eyebrows, while Ryu had a different reaction to it - he frowned at the name, but shook his head in the end without a word.
Other than Malik, this Marcelle lady had mentioned another contact: a British agent, Graham. Shizuka turned his head to the African. "Have you also tried to find this 'Graham' guy?"
"Well," Malik shrugged. "Not yet, we were too busy staying undercover - and besides, the Family could have their eyes on him, too."
"It's a struggle to move around outside nowadays." Rhea snorted. Aislin's eyes snapped to her. That's the first real thing she's said all night.
"Right, a dead end." Shizuka let out a sigh. "Moving on to the next one... Number Nine, is it?"
"Marcelle's Log Nine: It's been a few days since my encounter with the Blessed Three, and I managed to get some more information about them. Only from long time members that were kind enough to share this information with a newcomer... probably because it was all rumor and speculation, but it's stated that each of the Blessed Three survived some sort of experiment - or 'ritual' would be a better term - that only someone with 'perfect genes' can survive. I think that's Hitler-level foolishness... I'm not sure, but there's more to it.
"Now, in my last log, I said that the Blessed Three have supreme control over the Family, but they have a council of advisers. No one has ever seen them in person, because they are only allowed to be seen by the Three. From what I've been told, they groom the Blessed Three into the egomaniacs they are today. Training them how to fight, giving them knowledge that even Ivy League scientists would kill for, and once they are ready, they give them advice from the sidelines. They're basically the elders of the Family, but I don't know how that selection process goes, to tell you the truth.
"Which, has happened before - apparently there was a schism in the Family decades ago that left all but one of the Blessed Three dead. This one man had absolute control over the Family, but he did something. He made some kind of discovery that would change the world should it get out.
"...And it has me terrified. Marcelle out."
At the mention of 'ritual' and 'perfect genes', Holly cast a worried glance at the twins' brooding expressions. This sounded a lot like what Polaris would do... and might be something that was tested out on the boys' mother, which backfired and ruined their family life - their childhood.
"As for this 'Blessed Three', only two out of the Three had shown up so far," Holly mused out loud. "Ezekiel Anagnos at the park incident, and Blake Schmidt at the party. We still don't know the identity of the last member."
No one said another word as they went on to the next log, the eleventh:
"Marcelle's Log Eleven: It's been a little while since my last log, yes? I've been gathering information on the Family from the shadows, and I'm ready to make a report on something curious I've found. The so called Secretaries that the Blessed Three cart around. They have to be the most disturbing aspect of the Family's resources - someone that devout... it's horrifying. I didn't know what makes a Secretary a Secretary, until I asked around.
"A few rumors bounced around the Intimidation Unit about the Secretaries. The one that caught my eye being that the Secretaries are men and women kidnapped and brainwashed to be the perfect servants for the Family. I did a little research... and took a risk to get close to one of them. A young brown-haired woman with green eyes... she was Ezekiel's Secretary, and the man almost had a fit before the Secretary calmed him down.
"After doing some research, I learned that her name is Lauren Miller... a Canadian university student that just mysteriously disappeared a few years ago. After doing some more research, I found more missing people among the Secretaries' ranks.
"I have come to the conclusion that, somehow, the Family has a way of brainwashing a human being and completely placing them under the Family's control. It's the only way... I've seen the Secretaries taking hits from the Blessed Three, and died smiling. It's impossible for any other option.
"What's most disturbing is that I dug deep, and found that these Secretaries have been kidnapped men and women from all over the world. From America, to Africa, to Asia... it's disturbing.
"But, my question is: can they apply this brainwashing to just anyone? And who else has been effectively mind controlled by the Family? I know they can't just be making servants.
"I ponder these questions... but, for now, Marcelle out."
"Brainwashing?" Shizuka had to exclaim, recalling the night he had a conflict with Jennifer over her missing hand--
That's it!
He couldn't find any physical damage to her brain, so he had wondered if her constant headache was due to memory alteration... But this just made everything even worse by tenfold, that the Family had the power to put anyone's mind under their full control, turning them into their obedient puppets for whatever sick scheme they were cooking up. Then there was another thing: even if it was just for a quick check, what if he had accidentally messed up her already unstable mind further with his power? He raked a hand through his hair - he hated to deal with that edgy emo-girl who seriously needed to grow out of her pitiful bullshit, but he didn't want to be held responsible for an accident that nobody could ever expect to happen (namely, the wrath from those two female friends of his).
Still... why would the Family go so far to cut off her hand and rope her into this mind-control game?
"I'll be honest, I didn't see that one coming." Aislin said, scribbling a note on her paper. "If we had a Cerebral-type in our midst we'd be able to counter, or at least detect such tampering."
"I'm resistant to cerebral abilities," Shizuka said, reclining back into his chair, feeling somewhat drained all of a sudden. "But I dunno how far my power can break through such mind-control technique without breaking the person's mind completely. So yeah, it's better that we find other ways to reverse the brainwashing effect, and hopefully it's the Meta who does all the mind-wiping and stuff." Even if he would never consider Jennifer a friend, he knew his stupid twin would likely put himself between them and die for that girl - and he couldn't let that happen. Also, if the Family had more brainwashed innocent bystanders like the regen freak stationed everywhere in this city... this war could get extremely ugly.
Aislin crinkled her nose. "God... Mind-wiping. Although it's excellent you're resistant, Shizu, we may have to start being meticulous with diaries, documenting memories. And I mean - how does one factor memory loss into a battle plan?"
Blowing out a huff of frustrated air, Aislin pushed away from the table and began rooting through the pantry. Snacks were an excellent distraction, and she managed to find an unopened box of cookies. The twins' house was sure loaded with tasty munchies.
Haruka caught the conflicted expression on his twin's face, which made him frown at his younger counterpart. He understood the nature of Shizuka's position and job in RAVEN, but he couldn't help wondering just how much classified secrets his brother was keeping in that head of his. He continued to mull over Shizuka's strange reaction to the brainwashing part as he plugged the last log into the laptop:
"Marcelle's Log Seventeen: It's been a few months since I've arrived here, and I know so much about the Family. I've killed so many people... had sex with so many people... just to earn their trust. Oh my God. It's getting tougher and tougher to keep this going. I'm... just a low-level agent. I joined the DGMHS to help people, not be the Family's toy. I just... I just want to stop, but I have to keep going. I'm in too deep to just give up... and... they know my own family in Europe. They'll kill them, and all my friends. So, I must fight until the Family is destroyed.
"But, I've made major progress in my case with the Beast of Prague... apparently, the Family has such a control over the Czech Republic that they just needed the President to play along. The Family are an arrogant lot. Instead of just assassinating him and replacing him, they attempted to intimidate him into submission. When he refused, they threatened his cities. They told him something 'awful' will happen if he continues to refuse... he continued to refuse, then the Family dropped the Beast onto Prague.
"What's worse is that... they have the ability to turn any Metahuman into this super-powered giant. A literal WMD at their fingertips should they want to employ it. I don't know what it is... but, they said something about creating some of it in one of their labs in Asia.
"Marcelle out."
"Well," Aislin arched a brow, eyeing her cookie before devouring it. "That confirms your suspicion, Holly. The Fags were definitely behind Prague. A demonstration of power, perhaps."
"About that..." Holly gave Shizuka a quick look before turning her attention back to Aislin. "We only had suspicions and wasn't hundred-percent sure, but to think that it's truly the case..." She pursed her lips, thinking if she should say what she had in mind. "...I don't know if the creation of Prague's Beast is more than just a demonstration of power; what if it's actually one of those 'failed' experiments to perfect the Machine they have been working on? To power up Metahumans better without turning any of us into an uncontrollable killing machine as the Beast?"
"Hmm. Let's consider for a moment the 'Machine' is, in fact, designed to power up Metas." Aislin mused, playing with a cookie on the table. "What does the Family gain from making their enemies stronger? Unless, perhaps, this is a varying power-up. Those on the white list become gods, whereas all other power is increased marginally. Or~! Maybe the Family has high level metas, and the power-up has the same level of strength. Since they're so strong already, they're the only ones who become gods."
She snickered. "That is, assuming this is a not-so-evil 'Machine'. I'm still under the impression it would cause a massive loss of life, if anything."
"Yeah," Haruka agreed with Aislin. "Too much power is never a good thing... especially in the wrong hands."
"I lost some friends in Prague," Malik mused as he scratched the back of his neck. "I hate to see what that would be like worldwide."
Rhea's mouth curled. "...I'm sorry to hear that." With ease, she pictured a barren land with roaming titans. It'd be hell.
"As for the part about labs in Asia..." Ryu finally spoke up after being silent throughout the playback of the four logs, giving Shizuka a nod as the younger man translated his words to the rest of the group. "This is where I can come in."
He pulled out his own thumbdrive from his coat pocket and plugged it into the laptop, opening up a file that displayed a map of China on the screen, with several markings on the image. "I've been doing some intelligence work for him--" he titled his head at the white-haired agent, "--and pinpointed some locations with an unusual amount of electrical power being centralized in these places. I've also gathered info that a number of these sites were only set up in the past few months, and they were marked as high security areas by the government, out of bounds to anyone. There had been cases of curious individuals who trespassed these places - they were either caught and never heard of again, or shot on sight if they had tried to resist."
He shrugged at the questioning looks he had received from the rest. "I can't confirm if they are indeed the labs mentioned in the log or some other illegal facilities, but the timing is too much of a coincidence." Bending forward to the laptop, he zoomed in the map to a certain city: Suilan. "However, this particular hotspot is the most curious one of all. While electrical power in the other locations were mainly centered around the base, this one covers the whole city. And I mean a much higher concentration than its neighboring towns and cities."
"I knew the Chinese government was in this shit," Shizuka muttered. "But to go as far as sacrificing an entire city..." Prague wouldn't be the last city to perish under the Family's insanity.
"I wonder what happens when they flick the 'ON' switch." Aislin held a finger thoughtfully on her lips. "Seeing as only 'some of it' - meaning the Beast - was created in their lab..."
Shizuka stood up, clapping his hands together. "Alright, boys and girls, we've made a bit of progress with the intel exchanged so far, but until we can locate the Machine and find out exactly what the hell it is, we still have more sleuthing work to do."
He scribbled down some names on a piece of blank paper with a black marker, before he divided the names into sections: Malik with Rhea, Aislin with Holly, and himself with Ryu.
"First, we can assist you two in finding more Marcelle's logs to give us further insights on the Family, and hopefully more information on how we can deal with those Blessed Bitches," he began, pulling the brownie spy's tablet and booting up the map of Baybridge. Aislin watched him carefully, an eye on the tablet.
"You two sure have a way to get the IU dogs hot on your tails every time both of you went out to search--" Shizuka rolled his eyes at Malik and Rhea, "--so it's better for us to go in pairs, and we can watch out for each other's back."
"I would recommend Malik and I either work at night or get some convincing disguises. Interactions with the Family should be avoided at this point; we're hot on the list." Rhea said.
"And perfect as bait to keep the IU puppies occupied while the rest of us are free to get the logs right under their nose," Shizuka added after Rhea in a dry tone, to which she clicked her tongue disdainfully. The silver-head then looked up from the paper and stared at Malik. "We'll need you to provide us with a list of places where the logs are most likely hidden at, then split them up by the districts to make the search more efficient."
"Well," Malik shrugged as he quickly produced a piece of paper out of his pocket. "My friend Marcelle was sending someone else a bunch of longitude-latitude coordinates."
He put the paper on the table, and hastily written on it were the locations of all the logs. Many of the places he already looked were crossed off.
"It was a pain in the ass to decode em' on just usin' my phone's app, but you'll find some use in them." Malik grinned.
Nodding at Malik, Shizuka went on with the plan, "On top of digging for more logs, we can also scout around the area for possible locations the Machine may be hidden at the same time. The Fire Spirit's appearance clearly tells us that the Fags will be rolling out the Machine and starting their terror fest anytime soon, so we're pretty much racing against time here."
"What if the Fire Spirit approaches either of you again?" Aislin asked.
"I'm gambling on her love for me and Haru not to interfere with our tasks here," Shizuka grimaced in disgust as he spoke. "You heard her over the wire at the stakeout just now - as long as we're still alive and kicking at the end of all this shitstorm, we don't need to worry too much about her for now."
"True enough." Aislin dipped her head. "Beyond that, I think our strategy is sound."
All this sounded like a good plan... with one problem. Haruka had to say something. "...What about me?"
"Contact Jennifer, and set up a meeting with her," was his twin's reply.
Haruka furrowed his brows at the suggestion. "What has happened to her?"
"You've heard the log about brainwashing just now," Shizuka said in a deadpan tone. "I met her last night with the rest of the old Vert gang... She was attacked by someone from the Family, and they cut off her hand for reasons I don't know. They went as far as altering her memory of the assault so we couldn't trace back to them, but the power probably didn't work too well on her, giving her constant headache each time we questioned her about her missing hand."
Haruka could only respond with a horrified look, and it was later replaced by anger. Jennifer had suffered more than enough since the Verthaven disaster, so why couldn't these evil bastards just leave her alone?
"After Lihua gave her a lecture and got her to open up to us, I used my power to check her head for any physical injury just in case, but I couldn't find any," Shizuka continued in the same toneless drawl. "But I dunno if my ability might've unknowingly worsened her condition. That's why I said not to rely on my intangibility to snap her out of the mind control."
"Even so..." Haruka turned his head, looking away from the other comrades gathered in the room. "What do you expect me to do after meeting her?" She might be beyond recognition from the girl he had known back at Verthaven, or even that brief chit-chat with her at the cafe. He wondered if she would want to see him again...
"To confirm a few things," Shizuka's tone became more business-like. "Even if her emotional state is a complete wreck, it's only a matter of time she'll notice something's wrong with her memories, and go out to search for the truth, alone." He let out a snort - bad habits just couldn't be changed overnight. He knew that better than anyone. "Talk to her and see how much she's aware of her condition; if possible, try to figure out how the mind-control thing works on her."
"Who's this Jennifer?" Malik scratched the side of his head. "Well, whoeva' she is, I just hope we can help her..." Malik hung his head for a moment as he thought about it. "But, it seems to me that the best help we can offer her - and the whole world for that matter - is destroying the Founding Family."
"An old acquaintance whom I really don't want to become sworn enemies with," Shizuka responded to Malik quietly, then his sharp eyes gave one last sweep at the grim faces of the group in the room. "If there're no more questions..."
Aislin's hand shot up. "Me~! It's not a question, but I'm thinking this lovely house is getting too crammed." She smiled heroically. "I'd like to offer my sweet home as a crash pad, hideout place~"
"Good idea; besides, I don't want my aunt to come back and kill me for destroying her home..." Shizuka rubbed the back of his neck, tilting his head slightly as he looked at Aislin. "But are you sure about using your house as our little 'base'?"
"Yes, it's a safe house after all. And more of a luxury suite, but there'll easily be space for everyone." She said, pointing to the map. "Right there in Lower South Royer Town." Earning a low whistle of approval from the silver-head.
"Anyway, let's get moving," Shizuka said as he handed out the decoded coordinates to everyone (save for Haruka), to end off the meeting. "We really don't have all day."
Malik grinned. "...I barely know you people, and I have half a clue as to what's even going on anymore," Malik started off. "Mind control, disasters, machines, labs, and all sorts of insanity... but, with ya'll at my side, I know we can get to bottom of this, and find out what happened to Marcelle."
After the collective fiascos at the debate and the ballroom party, it was time for Meifeng and the others to try to pick up the pieces.
Meifeng was in the lobby of Headquarters, with her arms crossed, leaning up against the front desk with her arms crossed. She was pissed that the Hound not only got away, but the F-F's other bastards tore up the debate. She was waiting for the others to show up, so they can officially discuss what the hell just happened. Her eyes turned towards Lihua, who was filling out something so damn fast that she thought the pencil was going to catch fire. While talking on the phone at the same time. She was in a pretty deep conversation, so Meifeng knew not to interrupt her.
Glancing elsewhere, she instead caught the sight of Reed practically bursting from one of the offices, clearly agitated about something. It wasn't often that the DOVE Investigator looked so furious over something as he did at that moment
Meifeng raised an eyebrow at Reed. "Yo, Reed, what's up?" She had to ask.
"You haven't been briefed?" He asked, making little effort to hide the frustration in his voice.
"Well, I probably need to brief you on my fabulous time at my little cousin's birthday," Meifeng sarcastically said as she rolled her eyes. "In short, the Family sent in the Hound and kidnapped Jiao-Long and his wife." She shrugged.
"Shit..." Reed trailed off for a moment, neurotically rubbing at his brow as he heard news. "They're not the only ones those bastards took." He looked her straight in the eye for a moment, before finally spitting it out. "They took Cindy."
"Yeah, I... What?" The shock didn't register on Meifeng for a moment there, then it all hit her at once. "The fuck?! You mean those bastards have Cindy?! What happened?!"
"Whilst you got hit, another one of those bastards who had the same power as Shizu came after the people at the debates. Cindy and Alice tried to stop him but..." Reed hesitated at the next part. "Another assassin turned up. The same one that hit you whilst you were in Singapore. They killed Carter and tried to kill Faith Avalos too, but I pulled her back to the first-response team."
Honestly... Meifeng couldn't give a fuck about those stupid debaters, they have Cindy. They could be doing anything to her best friend.
"I'm sorry." Reed blurted out. "I should've been faster, I... I could've backed her up. Fuck." He should've been there. It should've been him they took, not her.
"I..." Meifeng said, clenching her fists. First her uncle, now her best friend? She just couldn't believe all this shit. That just strengthened her resolve. "Know what? Fuck this pity-party bullshit - I don't care who's ass I have to put my foot up, I'm getting Cindy back, I'm getting my uncle back, and I'm getting anyone else they have back."
That, at least, broke Reed from the weight of the guilt, for the time being. "I'm with you there, Mei. Quentin would be too, if he wasn't in a god-damned hospital bed."
"Yeah..." Meifeng said. "I got a lead on one of the big boys, too. The same guy that works with that Ezekiel bastard that went on a rampage a week ago. I'm going to be looking into him in a second."
At that point, Lihua had returned to the front desk, and put a clipboard onto the desk, saying.
"... I am finished."
Making Meifeng's eyes go wide.
"... Of course, Ms. Zhao, you have my full endorsement."
Maximilian Cornell himself spoke to Lihua over the phone, and Lihua herself had to sigh in relief when she heard those words.
"Thank you, Mr. Cornell, it means a lot from me. Goodbye."
Lihua honestly spoke, before hanging up the phone. Because, she was filling out something that she'd never thought she'd be writing ever again in her life. But, to fulfill her promise to the Liu sisters to recover their father - the brother that she loathed until just yesterday - she's going have to break a promise to herself to fulfill another. Because, she just doesn't see herself making any meaningful progress in saving Jiao-Long unless she joins the very organization that she renounced seven years ago.
RAVEN.
It's true, for the time being, Lihua Zhao has decided to join RAVEN in hopes that she can defeat the Founding Family, and the Polaris organizations with their resources. With Biyu here... and Lihua directly opposing the Hound, it's becoming obvious that Lihua was going to be pulled back into the mix. One way or another. It was regretful since she was so intent on swearing the organization off a few years ago... But, now that Lihua's involved, she has no choice but to join if she was going to save Jiao-Long, and return order to this city - for Lijuan, of course. All Lihua wants is a quiet, peaceful, life.
Is that so much to ask?
With Maximilian Cornell's recommendation, and her already impressive track record, getting back into RAVEN should be fairly easy. Only problem was her physical... she gazed down at her stomach, and realized that she has certainly put on the pounds lately. She'll have to work it off. She didn't know if she would get her previous position back - being a brand new organization and all - but, all she needed to be was a RAVEN. She finally filled out the sheet, and sighed as she put the pen under the clip. She walked over to the front desk, which was being manned by Marianela, and put it on the table.
"I am finished." She said, as Marianela grabbed the clipboard.
"Wait..." Meifeng said, looking over towards the clipboard before looking up at Lihua.
"You're...?"
"Yes." Lihua said with a nod. "If I am going to properly assist you in recovering Jiao-Long... I'm going to need RAVEN's resources."
"Whoooa now." Meifeng said with a smile. "Are we going to be a mother-daughter duo?" She laughed a little.
"I believe so... for now." Lihua nodded her head.
"I'd like to let you know you have my full recommendation!" Meifeng said.
"Thank you, but I already contacted Maximilian..."
Reed had quietly looked on as the Zhao Matriarch announced her return to RAVEN. That was a good sign, at least. "I think everyone will be glad to have you back," he finally said, "Might even get a smile from that brother of mine."
Lihua had to put on a fake-smile as she said, "... And it's good to be back." To be honest, she was only joining RAVEN again so she can resume having a quiet life. So she can live up until her old years, and annoy Meifeng's grandchildren.
"Alright, where's Alice by the-"
Right at that precise moment, the TV began disrupting. It emitted a loud and ear-grating hum, while static overcame the TV. Until the static faded, and showed a dark room, with three silhouettes...
...
Televisions all over Baybridge...
All over Baybridge, televisions and computer screens were intruded upon by the Family's finest hackers.
They all displayed the image of a very dark room, barely illuminated, and showing three silhouettes that belonged to the Blessed Three. Few would realize this, because they are obscured in shadow, but those familiar would recognize Blake, the defacto leader of the Blessed Three in the center, sitting in a chair with his leg crossed over the other, Ezekiel standing to his right, and Julia standing to his left. Shrouded in darkness, their eyes glowed an eerie white color. Everyone looked in confusion as to who, or what, they were, and why they were appearing on everything connected to the internet.
"Hello, denizens of Baybridge." Blake said, his voice was booming, and carried authority like a leader. "We have commandeered your devices to make an announcement - not just to Baybridge! But, to the world!"
Blake smiled from behind the shadows, few could make out his pearly whites.
"We are the Founding Family, an organization of science that has been operating in this very city and beyond for decades now. You have most likely been hearing rumors about us, but we are here to confirm that the rumors are indeed true, there is an organization ruling things from the shadows. Don't worry, we are benevolent... until the foolish tests our patience. You have heard wonders about our loyal subordinate, the Black Hound?"
The camera turned towards the Black Hound, who was standing tall and proud against the wall, eyes flashing red. The camera recentered on the Blessed Three.
"Personally, I'm not fond of violence - but, it's the only language you understand. Haha! But, more about the Family itself, because you all are most likely confused," Blake loudly cleared his throat, "Every human being alive is crafted through genes. Who their ancestors mixed with. Contrary to popular belief, not everyone is born equal. Many are born better than others - all because of genetics. The Family believes this genetic excellence leads to great things. Better scientists, better athletes... and just better people in general to save you the redundancies. But, don't mistake us for being a bunch of Hitler master-race wannabes... the fallacy in his system was that he focused far too much on superficial looks, and didn't look deep enough. An African-American man is as likely to have perfect genes as his so-called 'Master-race.'" He finger-quoted.
"Now that you know the Family, now it's time to learn what we want from you," Blake said, "Not everyone can be perfect like us - if they were, then we wouldn't be all that perfect, would we? So, we service those with imperfect genes. For years now, we have been subtly leaking our medical and technological advancements to the world - some of which you may be enjoying as we speak! We have a grand goal that will improve the lives of everyone! But, only if you cooperate with us. That's it. All we want is the world's cooperation..."
Blake trailed off, laughing slightly.
"...But, yet your so-called champions, RAVEN and DOVE, insist on doing the opposite for whatever reason - I don't know why. You should all know that being lead by the blind does no one good. So, we once again have to do the opposite of what the Family is made for, and will have to intimidate you into compliance."
His tone became much more sinister.
"What we want is Dr. Cross, Ignatius, and the Mannequin - just those three - and for RAVEN to, uh, let us work in peace. But, like I said, you're forcing our hand here... and I'd hate to see this city bleed."
Blake narrowed his eyes.
"So, we're giving RAVEN five days to release the trio before everyone suffers on their behalf - and believe me, we have many ways to make very bad things happen. If you want to try us, then go ahead, I'll tell you that it won't end well for you, your family, your friends, and all of your descendants." Blake threatened with a smile, he got up off the chair, and walked over to the side with his hands behind his back. "And, to RAVEN, I'd like to let you know that we have one of your champions of truth and justice."
A light flickered on behind Blake, and in the middle of the spot-light was Cindy Keagan. Strapped to a chair, and wearing nothing but a T-shirt and underwear - having been stripped of it by the Secretaries earlier. She had the power-suppressant collar wrapped tightly around her neck, and it was clear that she was beaten up a little bit going off the blood dripping out of her mouth, and the large bruises on her face. She was panting heavily as she looked into the camera.
"...Look, whateva' they want, don't give it to them!" Cindy loudly shouted.
"So valiant even though she is at our mercy," Blake said before he swung out full force with his elbow and clocked Cindy square in the jaw. "I think that concludes our announcement... Oh, yeah, almost forgot... How could I forgot? You have five days, RAVEN."
Blake raised his fingers as if he was about to snap.
"...Just so you know we are being serious."
Then Blake snapped his fingers, and the transmission cut off.
Once Blake snapped his fingers, the power went out in several major parts of Baybridge. White Coast, Hedgemount, and Roseview were all completely without power. Several parts of Prince Edfield, and Silver Hills were also depowered. All due to their hackers tapping into the power grid, and royally fucking it up. It would take months for even the best electrician to repair the damage.
But, by then, the Family would have won.
Meifeng Zhao, Lihua Zhao, Reed Taylor, & Alice Barrett.
RAVEN/DOVE West Coast Joint Headquarters.
It didn't take long for the power outage to reach Headquarters - the lights shut off, before the backup generators kicked in and turned them back on a moment later.
What Meifeng wanted to know was why they were getting so bold all of the sudden. They were this shadow-y organization, and now they want the world knowing who they are? Pissing them off enough to kick their shit in? Sounds stupid to Meifeng. But, what were they rambling on about improving their lives? Far as Meifeng could tell, they were making it worse by siccing their dog on them. Now Meifeng knows who holds his chain.
On the other hand, Lihua put her hand on her chin, and contemplated what was going on. Instead of taking it at face-value, Lihua thought about all the reasons they could really be declaring themselves to the world, and announcing their plans. Trying to hold the city ransom, basically. They could be trying to lure everyone into a false sense of security. Try to get RAVEN cocky... while spreading fear. They could be trying to make everyone think this was a foolish, rash, decision, and make everyone jump the gun. Lihua peered over towards Meifeng - essentially the master of jumping the gun. They're going have to take things slow, and carefully consider their next course of action. Unfortunately, they are running out of time with this machine they're building.
"Bastards..." Reed muttered beneath his breath, barely breaking the silence of the moment. That confirmed that they had Cindy as a hostage. She was alive, but... it didn't take a genius to figure that they wanted to use her as a bargaining chip, one way or the other. And the district-wide power outages, Reed had no clue how long that was going to last - BPD were going to be stretched to their limits trying to maintain order and keep people from panicking and descending into chaos. Throw all those little tensions into the mix and Baybridge was a pressure cooker ready to explode if tipped over the edge.
Alice had been avoiding Meifeng, when Reed had offered to break the bad news she'd jumped at the chance. He might blame himself for Cindy's kidnap, but Alice... Alice knew it was her fault. That couldn't work forever, and indeed, it seemed that it wouldn't even work for more than a few hours. She glanced at the tall asian woman, then looked away guiltily, flexing her fingers uncomfortably. Tempting as it was to simply jump out of here, she knew she couldn't especially not after what had just happened. She'd seen Cindy on the screen, felt the guilt, felt the anger that came with it. The Founding Family was trying to intimidate RAVEN, it was obvious, and though Alice would never forgive herself if Cindy was murdered, she would be damned if she was going to let the Founding Family get what they wanted.
"So how are we going after them?"
"I... don't know," Meifeng said, as she was honestly dumbfounded. "I honestly don't know how we're going to do this."
"We have to find their base of operations," Lihua answered Meifeng.
With a sigh, Reed opted to play the role of the devil's advocate, "I want Cindy back as much as anyone, but... can't forget, we're also going to need people on the streets, get them working with BPD before anyone gets the bright idea to start rioting."
"I hate to say, but I have to agree with Mr. Taylor." Lihua said, raising a finger up into the air. "The Family clearly wants to start an uproar... and, at this point, Cindy is, sadly, secondary to the lives of Baybridge at large." She bluntly said. "I'll see about finding the Family's base... with my experience in dealing with Intelligence, it should be trivial for me to find it." She said.
Meifeng hated hearing "her friend was secondary", the same person she's known for years and trusts above all else. She was about to give Lihua lip, but caught herself.
"Fine..." Meifeng said.
"They want us to act rashly," Lihua said. "They want us to make mistakes to capitalize on... and since they just upped the stakes higher than ever before... we cannot afford to take that chance." Lihua said.
"That doesn't mean we forget about Cindy." Reed said, with a slightly sharper tone, "But we can't afford to throw in everything on this one."
Alice nodded, albeit hesitantly, "but if I get the chance, I'm going after her."
"And I'll be with you." Reed affirmed her. "I'm just pointing out that we're gonna be working with limited resources."
"Yeah, yeah, we're a team." Meifeng said, putting her hand out, gesturing for the others to play. "Let's do a hand-stack... We're a team, after all."
Lihua put her hand above Meifeng, playing along without a word.
"Now I wish we had Shizuka here - and that other broad - what was her name again?" Meifeng said, referring to Maxine, and earning a brief eyeroll from Lihua.
Alice glanced guiltily at Meifeng, then added her hand to the stack, grateful that Lihua had followed on first, but not wanting to draw attention by ignoring the offer.
Reed paused for a moment, then quietly added his hand to the stack with a faint smirk.
Surrounded by the only friends that she has in this impossible situation Meifeng was inspired. Inspired by their courage. Inspired to make a great speech! Because without Cindy here, they pretty much had no leader. That means one thing, and one thing only... Meifeng.
"Remember, no matter what happens - we are RAVEN," Meifeng said, looking between the group. "Nothing's going to change that. When push comes to shove, we gotta be ready to face it. Because nobody's infallible. We're on our own, but armed to the teeth with only our wits and good looks. Against an organization of Hitler wannabes and their little puppy pack. Are you ready?!" She smiled.
"I am ready, Meifeng," Lihua said. "Remember what I said, whatever decision you make, I am behind you." She stared.
"Good." Meifeng and the others raised her hands triumphantly, before she looked out the window, and said. "Because we got a lot of work to do."
Cindy Keagan, Julia O'Sullivan, & Ezekiel Anangos.
Somewhere in Prince-Edfield....
After the Family's little broadcast, Cindy was brought to a dark room. Still beaten and covered in bruises, she couldn't do anything but look around.
The room was dark. That was the first thing she gathered. Other than the light above her that gave her a vague idea of what was going on. The floor was a black and white tile, and the room was much bigger than she thought. That was probably the point of their loony-ass strategy. They were trying to unnerve her. Make her afraid of what was hiding. Well, if they take off this collar and rope, she'll show them something to really be afraid of. If only she saw this coming, she could have made a glass blade to cut herself out of this, but the F-F moves and works in very unexpected ways.
It was only a matter of time until Cindy heard the loud sound of a door opening, and a large group of people walking into the room... Okay, now she was starting to get afraid.
Stepping into the light was a red haired woman, with a very tall, blond-haired man at her side. Around them was an assortment of men and women - most notably, one of them was hauling a friggin chair around. They put the chair down right across from Cindy, and the red haired woman was quick to sit down while the tall man stayed right before the edge of the shadows. Cindy stared directly at Julia with a raised eyebrow.
"... And you are?" Cindy asked, before Julia began laughing.
"Julia of the Blessed Three," Julia answered with a sly smile on her face. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"Well, whatever it is you want from me," Cindy started off, before she narrowed her eyes venomously. "Ya' ain't gonna get it."
Julia laughed again from the opposite end of Cindy as she got up, and stepped behind Cindy. The bound girl could only feel an ever oppressive sense of danger from the woman.... but, all she did was put her hand on her shoulder, and smile when she looks up.
"Look, I personally had you taken so I could..." Julia intimately leaned into Cindy, putting her hands on her shoulders. "Convince you to become a member of our Family."
"Like hell I'll join you." Cindy hissed, thrashing to release Julia from her grip, but the woman held her down.
"Well, you're about to see how convincing I can get," Julia said, as the door opened one last time.
... A pair of red lights shined in the darkness, warning Cindy that Julia had called her dog of all people. His heavy footsteps pierced through the darkness, and overwhelmed even her hearing. That made Cindy recoil in fear, as she braced for the inevitable torture.
Veronica Davis, & The Black Hound.
Somewhere in Prince-Edfield....
So, the Family weren't planning world domination? Surprising.
Normally, Veronica would be more than content with getting a power boost, she was bent to ruin everything they knew and loved, she had to stop their machine from being completed. The only problem was that she has to expedite her plans now. If Blake's "one week" estimation was correct, then her time was fairly limited. The best she could do was sneak in, destroy their machine, then leave with her sisters, but she didn't know how that'd bode well with their personal dog. She'd have to come up with a plan that put her on top - or at least get her sisters far away from the Family as possible. But, that's just idealism at this point.
Speaking of her sisters, Veronica was being escorted through their headquarters by the Black Hound. It was time for her scheduled meeting with her sisters, it was a way of keeping Veronica motivated, of course. Long as there was nothing wrong with her sisters, she would be perfectly content with serving the Family to ensure that it stayed that way. Veronica peered at the Hound who was walking alongside her, and merely shook her head at the near-robotic brute of a human being.
Eventually, Veronica was lead to the upper levels of the skyscraper the Founding Family used as a headquarters, and they arrived at a pair of doors. Stopping at them, the Hound pushed them open with one hand, and Veronica was immediately greeted with the sight of a bright and sunny room that overlooked the city. It was the very room that the Hound and the Foundation Woman played chess in just a week ago. A large room with couches, bar, and various pool tables. On the couch, sat both of Veronica's younger sisters that she fought so hard to protect. First was Quinn Rory, Veronica's short and chubby fifteen year old sister. She had similar facial features to Veronica - except much more rounded given her extra weight - but they had the same exact hair texture, and eye color. Her eyes were behind a pair of horn-framed glasses, and she wasn't dressed spectacularly - given that she was essentially enslaved - wearing a black T-shirt, and some jeans. Sophia Rory, on the other hand, looked much closer to Veronica. Being thin and lithe, and having green eyes, and black hair. She was wearing a light-green dress, and some sneakers.
"Veronica!" Sophia said upon seeing her older sister, almost about ready to hop out of the chair and run towards her, but stopped when she saw the Hound. Her eyes going wide in terror as the Hound stood off to the side. Watching from aside.
Veronica approached them, and said, "Sophia, Quinn, I'm so glad that the two of you are okay... Did any of them hurt you?"
"They haven't laid a finger on me," Quinn answered, shaking her head. She probably got it the easiest since they would occasionally come by and make her upgrade their soldiers.
"No." Sophia said, shaking her head, she put her hands together as she awkwardly shuffled her feet, and then looked down. "...They've been pretty nice to me."
Veronica put a hand on her shoulder. "What have they been making you do?"
Sophia wrapped her arms around herself. "...Stripping people of their free will." Tears started running down her face. "I... hate it so much. I just want to stop."
"There, there," Veronica said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It's not your fault... They're forcing you to do this." She wiped little sisters tears. "...And I promise you, this is going to be over soon enough."
She looked directly into Sophia's eyes, as the young girl put her hand on Veronica's. But, the palm of her hand glowed with a faint blue light that made Veronica raise her eyebrow. What is this girl doing?! With the Hound right over my shoulder... Veronica thought to herself as she was suddenly infused with information that was transferred by touch. She was beginning to be comprehend what Sophia was sending her.
Mechanized Memories.
She was starting to comprehend what it was, and it was basically memory alteration that turns anyone implanted with it to turn into a slave to whoever mutters the phrase "Mechanized Memories." And Veronica knew everything about it in an instant. Sophia released Veronica, and gave her a determined look, before she nodded her head. Not a word escaped Veronica's lips as the woman finally legitimately smiled.
"Yeah, it will be over." Sophia said.
"...Alright, time's up." The Hound said, and earned a sharp look from Veronica as she sighed, before standing straight up, and saying to the sisters.
"Goodbye." Veronica said. "Until we meet again."
She walked over towards the door, and the Hound spoke to her.
"It disgusts me that your sisters were subjugated to this on behalf of the Family." The Black Hound said.
Veronica stopped for a moment, and looked at the Hound, out of sheer disgust. "...Pity, from you?" Veronica said, laced with venom. "I'm sorry, but the Family's most loyal dog, the same dog responsible for so many bodies, showing me pity means jackshit." She said to him. "Because you're just as bad as the Blessed Three - even worse because they string you along like a god damn puppet - so you can take your sympathy and jam it up your ass."
That was all Veronica had to say to the Hound, before she stormed out of there.
"Hmph," The Hound said, before he turned to the sisters, asking a very simple question.
"...Did you give her the code?"
Sophia nodded her head.
"Good, because the Blessed Three need you..."
Lower-South Royer Town, Prince-Edfield.
With the commands at Veronica's fingertips, she could possibly turn the Secretaries against the Blessed Three. Maybe even poison some. She'd have plenty of time to plan. It was time for yet another bath. Just to melt the stress of a hard day away. She had the water full of oils, and she slid inside and her naked body was hidden by soap. She closed her eyes, and threw her head back. Ready to lie here until her skin pruned. This was how Veronica came up with a plan, of course. First thing she considered was how she was able to get close enough to a secretary to put in a code of her own, without getting noticed by the Blessed Three. Yeah, that was going to be harder than anticipated now. She just needs to gather more information before she starts to get bold.
The phone resting peacefully resting on the sink shook slightly.
That meant Veronica got a text. She wondered from who. It could be Maxine she met the last night... or the Blessed Three asking her to kill someone. Either way, she might as well stop now, and answer it before someone lost their shit. She got out of the bath, and let some of the water fall onto the bathroom mats that she had placed all over the bathroom before she wiped her hands off on a towel, and grabbed her phone. Veronica looked at it, and saw a text from Jennifer:
Hey, Hailey, can we meet at The Lobster Sands in Oakdell? There's a secluded part of the beach I want to show you.
How cute. The lonely broad think they're friends, but on behalf of the Family, she had to keep this facade going long as she could. Sighing in irritation, Veronica might as well get this done with, and then get a move on to something more important. She rolled her eyes up into her head, before she began moving through the halls of her apartment, and then walked over to her dresser. She put on a white pair of underwear, before she slid on a bra, and a T-shirt. Before she put on a red sweater, and some blue jeans. This should be inconspicuous enough to hide the knife holsters on her arms... and an extra one attached to her thigh.
Once again, Veronica Davis was off... towards these weirdly named Lobster Sands.
God, who comes up with this stuff?
Veronica Davis, & Jennifer Caspin.
Oakdell Harbor, White Coast.
Veronica arrived in the Lobster Sands... the beach was closed, but it was easy to get in if you're a telekinetic Metahuman.
All Veronica did was surround herself with her telekinetic aura, and floated over the fence, and slowly walked inside. Good thing that she had brought her sandals. There was no one here, and the waves have consumed almost all of the beach. It was only her, and the moonlight reflecting off the lake. It was almost like she was meeting for a secret date... if only Jennifer swung that way, of course. Veronica walked over towards the towering rocks, and floated upwards on top of the tallest one. Well, Jenny did say that she wanted to meet by the rocks... she observed the rocks from here - until she saw a faint, electronic, light. The light illuminated a figure that was sitting down. Upon closer look, it had to be a gaming handheld of some sort. Heh, nerd.
Once again relying on her telekinesis, Veronica drifted down to a nearby rock, and made it look like she merely walked up. The regenerator turned off her Gameboy, or DS, or whatever the hell it's called as she hopped to her feet. Veronica had to put on the nice-girl facade, or else Jenny here might get a little suspicious...
"Oh, hello there, Jenny!" Veronica said as she clapped her hands together and walked up. "You said you wanted to meet me, right? You sure know how to pick the place. It sure is... romantic. Haha!" She said as she leaned in close to Jennifer.
Right now, Jennifer wasn't having any of Veronica's bullshit. She practically shoved the taller. She came here for one reason, and one reason alone: the answers.
"You know, Hailey," Jennifer said to "Hailey," her blue eyes piercing through the woman. "You know, lately, I've been having these strange headaches - and what's even stranger is the visions that come with them... And, I've been forgetting things."
Shit... Veronica thought to herself. This was one of the "side-effects" of Mechanized Memories when things start to contradict itself. Headaches, and whatnot. Eventually, she'd see through the alterations... she hoped that Jennifer didn't have backup with her, waiting to ambush Veroniva from behind. She had to play this cool. "Yeah, that is strange. Have you visited a doctor?"
"No, but I asked a close friend of mine, and she suggested that someone's been toying with my memories," At that point, Jennifer's gaze turned much more hostile with her eyebrows furrowed, and a bonespear beginning to punch through her hand. "...And you want to know when all of this started?" She dropped the hard question. At the same time Jennifer lunged at Veronica, and her bonespear punched through her knuckles. In a burst of energy, Jennifer grabbed onto Veronica's collar, and yanked her.
"...Listen here you big-tittied bitch, tell me.what you did to me, and I won't put this through your eye." Jennifer demanded.
Damn it. She's figuring it all out. Veronica thought to herself, but she had to play it cool. Keep character. "J-Jennifer! Think about this! If your memories are being tampered with, what if they came right after - or even before - you met me and just don't remember it!?" That was quick thinking on Veronica's part.
Hell, she even had Jennifer considering it for a moment. She let out a sigh, realizing that she let her anger get the best of her, and she potentially ruined a perfectly good relationship. Releasing her grip of Hailey was the first step. "...I'm sorry," Jennifer said. "I was brash... I'm so sorry...."
"Yeah, I forgive you..." Veronica's lips curled into a toothy grin.
"...Mechanized Memories."
"Wha-" Jennifer barely even got the chance to ask before she froze up. Standing stiff as a stick, with her head hung. She didn't move even an inch. Veronica leaned in forward, and plucked the blonde-haired girl with her index finger, and surprise, she didn't even flinch.
"...So it does work." Veronica said, a grin forming on her face. She had suspected that Jennifer was under the effects of Mechanized Memories, but this just confirmed it. Now, the girl was effectively being controlled by her voice... Oh! The possibilities! She had so much to test. "Now, retract that bone, love."
"As you wish..." Jennifer monotonously said, before Jennifer retracted it with ease, and skin quickly wrapped around it again, until it was good as new.
Veronica walked around Jennifer, carefully examining the girl. "Did you come alone, love?" Veronica asked.
Jennifer shook her head up and down, "Yes, I could not find help. Friends are all busy."
"Did you tell anyone?" Veronica asked.
"Yes... I sent a text to Meifeng and the others saying I would confront you."
Well, that makes things difficult. Veronica knows about Meifeng, and she is the last person she wants to encounter, so she'll make this brief.
"I wonder," Veronica said to herself, before she deviously looked at Jennifer. "Mechanized Memories - Release."
Then life returned to Jennifer, as she shook her head as a sudden pain overcame her. Almost like someone smashed a bottle up against her skull. She tightly grasped her head with both hands, then looked around - before she realized something. She looked at her hand, realizing something was missing. "...So it is true!" Jennifer loudly shouted as she pulled the back of her hoodie up slightly, revealing the freakish prehensile spine that Jennifer had created months ago. She whipped it towards Veronica's face. The tall girl merely put her hand up and created a thin shield, and the spine bounced off it.
"...Mechanized Memories." Veronica repeated, and Jennifer was put under that spell again. She walked up close to the girl, and stared her dead in the eyes. So, basically, anyone under the effects of Mechanized Memories have no memory of it while active. Hm. So, this is how the Blessed Three keep their dollies in line? Veronica mused. "So, Jennifer, tell me what you're willing to do for your new master?"
"Anything... I am yours, and yours alone."
She could do so much to Jennifer (perhaps alleviate a little bit of tension), but perhaps she'd keep the girl's dignity. And besides, she didn't want the Blessed Three catching on. So, she was going to keep this simple...
"Mechanized Memories - Alter." Veronica put in the code specific for altering memories. "Okay, you confronted me, and it turns out I have nothing to do with your little memory problem. We both had a chat, and then you went home, played video games all night long, and went to sleep." Veronica said with a smile.
Jennifer's vision distorted as her mind created those events, and she felt pain... but, at the moment, Jenny was essentially a machine, and pain just doesn't register. Nodding her head, Jennifer awaited the next order.
"Now, go home, Jenny, I'll see you again!"
Without a word, the soulless Jennifer walked off, and Veronica could only smile. What a poor misguided fool.
The only choice she'll get in this matter is death.
Afterwards, Veronica went back to her apartment... she still has a nice bath waiting for her.
Five Days Later... 8:32.
Five days without power has not been going well for Baybridge. Especially since the reveal of the Founding Family to the world, and their threat have been putting pressure on the city. The Washington State National Guard had been mobilised, and there were talks of even evacuating the city. However, they were all playing into the Family's hands. Tonight was the night where they would put their threats into motion. The city was already tense, given that the kidnapping of Jiao-Long on it's own has fired up Anti-Metahuman tensions.
Cindy Gabrielle Keagan.
Somewhere in Prince-Edfield...
Good lord, this was inhumane as shit. Being beaten for five days straight. It was the same cycle over and over again; get tied to the chair, and get her ass handed to her, then get thrown back into the cell.
Now Cindy knows why Meifeng feels the way she does about the Hands.
Right now, Cindy was in the "thrown in the cell" stage of this vicious cycle. It was a dark cell with a bed, a sink, and a toilet. Some weirdly nice people would come around, and give her some food. For essentially being a prisoner of war, the food was nice, but she couldn't help but feel like it was laced with something. While she didn't want to eat it, she has to break out at some point. Whatever it takes. Because she can't die in here like a dog. Cindy merely lied down on the bed - shit, she hasn't had a change of clothes in days. She was still in this T-shirt, and underwear she was wearing the day of the debate - well, that the Family stripped off of her to demean her like a dog. These clothes were dirtied by her blood, dirt, or her tears.
There were footsteps approaching Cindy could only whimper as she saw the intimidating frame of Ezekiel Anagnos... the man that was recorded going on a rampage at the same time of the hostage situation. God, he was much scarier in person. Probably because he was the main man torturing her.
"Get up," Ezekiel said. "I'm taking time out of my busy day to do this on behalf of Julia, so let's get this over with..." Ezekiel said with irritation.
The Secretary at his side opened the door, and Cindy groaned as the others came into the room, grabbing onto her shoulders as they carried her along. She didn't have the energy to fight back anymore - Ezekiel was so powerful... it's unlike anyone she has ever encountered before. Fighting him would be useless. She was escorted back to the same dark room that she was familiar with for days now. Cindy was shoved onto the chair, had her hands tied around her back, feet securely tied to the chair. Suddenly, a Secretary threw a bucket of water on her. It splashed against her, and Cindy whipped her head to the side and felt it hit her in the side of the head.
One thing was certain; she was drenched in water.
"Alright," Ezekiel said as he stared at his watch. "Since I don't care for doing the work that should be reserved for the Intimidation Unit... I'll make this simple."
Electricity bounced off of Ezekiel, as Cindy's eyes went wide. Ezekiel pointed his hand at Cindy and a stream of electricity came off his hands as Cindy convulsed and shook. He was pumping her full of the right amount of electricity - not enough to kill her, but enough to hurt like hell. And she knew it was a simple use of his ability. Cindy loudly screamed and thrashed around violently as she wanted the pain to end. The Secretaries just looked on without flinching. Ezekiel stopped the barrage of electricity, and Cindy took loud pants as she tried to recover from that. Ezekiel walked up, and put his hand on her head, making him stare her in the eye.
"Now, are you ready to play along?" Ezekiel asked.
"Like... like hell I am." Cindy said. "Told ya'.... before, and I'll tell ya' again... I'm never joining you... So, you can go fuck yourself."
"With that attitude, you're just going to get thrown to the Intimidation Unit as... moral support," Ezekiel crossed his arms and looked at her. "You know, it's hard keeping them in line through fear alone...." He laughed as he let the implications set in.
"Lord Ezekiel," One of the Secretaries said as she stepped into the room. "Blake said that he has something he needs to discuss with you."
"Ugh, I am busy," Ezekiel snarled at her.
"... He said that it is urgent."
"Fine, fine," Ezekiel said as he whipped around. "Come now, Secretaries, we have work to do."
They all followed him out of the room, then Ezekiel stopped and looked at Cindy.
"... Don't get comfortable," Ezekiel hissed. "I'll be back shortly."
That was certainly foreboding.... but, Cindy felt different all of the sudden. Like, stronger. Even though she was still recovering from getting electrocuted. She didn't know if Ezekiel just shocked her too hard, or... well, might as well give it a try. Cindy attempted to channel her power, and created a small layer of glass on her shoulder. That dumb bastard probably fried the collar with his weak-ass torture. Yes! This is exactly what she needs to get the hell out of here. She didn't know how long it'd take for Ezekiel to get back, but this was her shot. Cindy created a long, dense, glass blade that pierced through the ropes around her wrists as it erected, and she was almost ready to laugh out of relief that she finally got the opening that she needed to escape. She grabbed the glass blade, and stabbed out the rope around her ankles.
She sighed in relief as she hopped up to her feet - her limbs were starting to get cramp - and quickly ran across the tile floor to the door... she heard so many people going in and out of it, so it has to be here somewhere. She charged into the darkness, and pushed the doors open. She looked to the left, and saw no one there.... then to the right, she saw Ezekiel and his posse.
"How did you-" Ezekiel shouted in surprise. "Secretaries, get her!" He shouted, crossing his arms, and letting his secretaries do the work for him.
A black haired woman that was obvious Ukrainian in origins charged after Cindy, a red aura surrounding her as Cindy felt the piercing heat. The DOVE had no choice, she hauled ass down the other way, and created glass around her arms. When the Secretaries got close, the glass exploded off of her back, and went right into the Secretary. Covering her in wounds, and she hit the ground, as she clenched her face in pain. Ezekiel clenched his fists.
"Why are all of you suddenly so useless?" Ezekiel said as he balled his fist at Cindy, grabbing his wrist with his other hand as he charged up a powerful electric charge. Cindy's eyes went wide as she pulled back the glass and quickly created a circular shield made out of emerald-green glass. A bolt of electricity raged out of Ezekiel's hand, but was halted by glass - which, fortunately, was nonconductive... but, not heat proof as the glass was melted by the overwhelming heat. The shield was launched at Ezekiel, and the man didn't even duck.
"... Lord Ezekiel!" One of the Secretaries shouted as she dove in front of Ezekiel. She took the full blunt of the glass disk. It knocked her back into Ezekiel, but otherwise left her unharmed. He just stepped over her as he followed Cindy at a brisk pace. The Secretaries all dove off after Cindy.
The DOVE had no idea where she was going, but she was getting the hell out of here. Whatever the hell it took. She ran through another pair of double-doors... and caught sight of a massive room, neatly lined into rows by desks, with laboratory glassware, and equipment. Each manned by scientists wearing white lab coats looking at her confused. Cindy looked around, and saw another door to the right of the room, and started running towards it.
Ezekiel pushed open the doors and grit his teeth... he had to say something to his loyal employees...
"... Idiots! All of you!" Ezekiel shouted. "Are you going to just let her stroll out of here?!"
He pointed at Cindy... but, the scientists were men of science, not soldiers. But, they have to do what is asked of them. One of the scientists rushed Cindy, but she used her glass manipulation to pull a chemical filled glassware off the desk, and throw the contents into his face. He screamed as he fell backwards, clenching his face tightly as Cindy just dropped the glass on him. For that matter, she threw the contents of the glassware into everyone's faces. The few that predicted it threw their arms up as they recoiled in fear.
Just gave Cindy even more room to keep running. She ran through the doors, and... oddly, enough. Didn't hear anyone pursuing her, but she didn't care. Above her, she saw a sign for the main lobby, and she turned right. The main lobby was in sight, but she didn't see any guards, or anyone there. No alarms. Nothing... something was odd here, but Cindy was too busy. She shattered the windows of the lobby, and hopped through it, scratching her foot as she ran, and ran, and ran....
Ezekiel slowly walked up to the lobby, and grinned as he watched Cindy leave. "... Oh well." He said as he turned around.
Suddenly, a massive headache overcame Cindy. Making her stop in her tracks as she grabbed the side of her head. What the fuck was going on?! Cindy thought to herself... before the headaches faded away, and she raised her head....
Courtbridge, Prince-Edfield.
... When Cindy raised her head, she was in an alleyway. A dark alleyway in... where ever the fuck. She took a few steps forward to help re-orientate herself, and was assaulted with the street lights as Cindy instantly realized she was in Courtbridge. There were restaurants... but, the streets of Courtbridge were desolate, as everyone was in fear of the Hound, and everything he could do. How did she get here again....
Oh yeah.
She hauled ass here before stopping to take a breath. But, where was the Family's base... When she tried to ponder about it, suddenly, she couldn't remember how she got here as she felt a light headache. Okay, didn't matter, she had to get back to headquarters.
... In her underwear, and a T-shirt.
Peeeerfect.
Wendy Emily Lucker.
Academy 61, Roseview.
Once again, Wendy was forced to take a break... though, the situation in Baybridge was getting worse by the second.
The God damn Family announced themselves to the world... and then knocked the power out.
That went far out as the Academy. Her dorm-room was dark as night, save for the candle that was illuminating the room. The Family must be more cocky than Wendy thought... but, given that they have one of the most important men in the Metahuman world, and easily the most important DOVE. So, they have a lot of reason to be cocky. Most importantly, Wendy knew that the Family was nearing completion of some plan. She didn't know what it was, but she was personally wondering where Diana came into all of this, but she felt like she was going to be finding out soon enough.
Following the Hound's advice, Wendy was upping her training program with Rowan. It was more difficult to pull off since the power was out, and most of the students were advised to stay indoors out of fear that the inevitable riot was brewing in Baybridge. Hopefully, Wendy could stay out of that, and focus on the real matter. Combating the Family. She was starting to realize that the stakes were getting higher here, and getting Diana back may not be easy. In addition, she has considered the possibility that they would retaliate after all of this. She may have to become a soldier in a war that she never wanted to fight. But, once again, Wendy already accepted that fact. But, will she get out alive?
With determination, and the help of equally determined and passionate friends, then she might pull through this.
Her phone buzzed (which Wendy was only running off her own electrokinesis and very low-powered settings), and with a quick glance, it was her mysterious contact.
Look, I'm going have to take a risk here, but the Hound and a large chunk of the Intimidation Unit are launching an attack elsewhere, that means it'll be perfect for you to infiltrate one of the facilities that could be containing your sister. If not, you could be saving a lot of lives from the Family, but it's a big lab, so the stakes are going to be higher. Are you ready?
Of course Wendy was, she was working her ass off trying to save Diana, like hell she was going to stop because the stakes were raised.
Of course I am.
Good. Here's the tricky part; it's on Hailey Boulevard in the Hope Science Center... a place you're not going to get into without help. Fortunately, for you, there's a secret entrance the Family uses to get in and out. Touchstone Pizza, you can't miss it. It's less secure, but there's still plenty of cameras. I'll try to keep them, and security, off you.
Okay, Wendy made sure to gather all of this information... part of her wondered if the Hound was going to appear again.
The address is 4214 Apricot Street. Good luck.
Wendy was going to need more than luck. She was going to need help... for once, she was going to contact Kiri and Jessica for backup, but first, Rowan:
Rowan, where are you? I'm ready to put the hurting on the Family - are you?
It was a simple question, and Wendy wasn't going to even bother messaging Jessica or Kai until Rowan replied.
Soon enough, she got a buzz on her phone in response.
Where are we meeting?
It was a question that answered her question, but it did its job.
At the school gates. I'll be there soon.
Wendy was the first to arrive at the school gates after making sure everything was in order. She brought lots of spare paper (just in case she needed to do a hasty regeneration like before), batteries, and small concrete rocks that she broke off from the building. All of which should be enough to give anyone who stands in her way a hard time. She was working on a few tricks.
Rowan showed up a couple of minutes later, wearing his hoodie and the metal rings that he'd slipped on beneath his sleeves, his bag slung on over his shoulders.. "Where we goin' today?" He asked, with a raised brow.
"To one of their labs in Silver Hills," Wendy said, tightly grabbing onto her satchel. "We're gonna sneak in through a secret entr-"
In the middle of their conversation, a shadow hopped high up over the fence, and landed next to them. Wendy was caught off guard, and had to take a few steps back because it was so damn surprising. She raised an eyebrow, before she shined her cellphone on the shadowy figure... to see it was Jessica Rosefey, holding the chubby Kai Anaru in her arms. Everyone looked at each other confused for a moment.
"Oh, sorry for spookin' ya', heh," Jessica said. "But, when Wendy told us to meet up, I got a little overexcited."
She put Kai down, and the gigantic girl took Jessica's side.
"... Hi." Kai said.
"So, what's the plan?" Jessica said, putting a hand on her hip.
"Well... we're going to sneak into a Family base through a pizza place... and look for Diana, but...." Wendy said, as she reached into her satchel, and pulled out a can of spray paint. "It's time we stop pussyfooting, and show them we mean business."
She displayed the spraypaint among the group.
"They all got an ego the size of the moon, so let's screw with them where it counts." Wendy said, shaking the spray paint, and deviously looking at Rowan. "Let them know how much we feel about their "empire.""
Of the three of them observing, it was Rowan who couldn't help but flash a wry grin. "So that's why I couldn't find any paint on the art shelves." He gave off a low chuckle, one made him sound more evil than he ever had before.
"Let's find the monument of their ego, and just ruin it," Wendy said. "It's gotta be somewhere... a statue or something."
Nodding her head, Wendy said. "Alright, let's get a move on."
"Yeah, we can take my RV," Jessica said, throwing a thumb over her shoulder. "You're gonna have to get over the fence on your own, though." She chuckled.
Getting over the fence was not a problem for Wendy. As she just casually walked through over to the fence, and turned into paper. She went over the fence, before reforming on the other side as if she teleported. She walked towards the RV, as Jessica grabbed Kiri again, and hopped over the fence. Followed by Rowan. Eventually, the four made it to Jessica's RV, and each took a seat somewhere as Jessica turned on the vehicle, and the lights. Since the Family shut off the power, it was dangerous roaming these streets alone. Especially with the street lights, but once they get to Silver Hills, it's going to be smooth sailing from here.
Wendy was more than ready to go straight into the pits of hell for Diana, and so was Rowan, Jessica, and Kiri... actually, she was glad to have these people by her side. While they weren't the strongest compared to the likes of Ezekiel, and the Hound, they made up for it in determination. They had so much to lose by going straight in, and so much to gain - In the end, they were just a bunch of teens waging their own war against a criminal organization that looked powerful enough to make the governments of the world tremble.
Wendy grinned as she looked out the window.
They were going to see who's trembling in the end.
Veronica Davis, & Maxine Diaz
Written in collaboration with @FernStone Lower-South Royer Town, Prince-Edfield.
Since the power outage Maxine had barely been in the RAVEN headquarters - her day off had coincided with everything shutting down. She'd been given the duty of street patrolling; something she was fine with doing. In the grand scheme of things she wasn't quite suited to large operations. She was too inexperienced, she'd realised.
And Lower-South Royer Town wasn't a bad place to be in.
The activities of the Intimidation Unit has grinded to a complete halt.
Even the smaller missions like intelligence, and subtle assassinations had stopped. All because the Family was gearing up towards the grand offensive against RAVEN. Starting with the attack on their headquarters. Once again, Veronica was left out of that mission for the sake of keeping her cover. Big operations were not Veronica's specialty... but, she knew that she couldn't let the Family have Dr. Cross and their posse back. They'll have the machine done in no time - and that was something that Veronica couldn't have. She was wearing her usual outfit which consisted of a sweater, a leather jacket that's been modified with many false pockets, jeans, and her steel-toe boots. Naturally, she had an array of knives hidden in both her jacket, and in her knife holsters, and her pistol hidden away in.
Because, tonight, Veronica was going to take a risk.
One that would probably not end well. She was going to break the facade and tell "Maxxie-poo" that she's been played like a fool. It was fun, but it's time to put that RAVEN to good use. She was hoping to leak information about the Family's movements to Maxine. Thus giving the only people who stand a chance against a monster like the Family the info they need to destroy them for good. But, if it goes wrong, she'll have no choice but to feed the girl to the sharks. She really hoped that it wouldn't come to that, but to save the world from the Family, she's most likely the only person who can help RAVEN stop them. Which means she's far more important than Max.
Sighing, Veronica pulled out her phone as she sent a text to Maxine.
Maxine, we really need to talk. It's extremely important and we have to talk. Lives are at stake here.
Where? I'm in Lower-South Royer Town.
How convenient. Veronica thought to herself, that made traveling easier. They needed a place to talk that wasn't over the phone, or at her apartment (which is seriously bugged).
There's an old abandoned roller rink in Lower-South Royer Town... The High Rollers. I'll meet you there... come soon as you can.
With that, Veronica quickly proceeded out the doors of her apartment, and was quick to skip her way to this place. She knew that it wasn't bugged - at worse, it was a hangout for shitty kids - and it was within walking distance, so Veronica wasn't going to waste anymore time. Veronica stepped through the front doors of her apartment, and marched through the terrified streets of Baybridge.
Arriving at The High Rollers - and it was a dump. It was a one-floor building made out of tan concrete blocks. Even the parking lot was surrounded by other buildings. She shook her head. The whole place was boarded up, and has a for-sale sign in front of it... even though it'll never get bought. Veronica looked around, and quickly proceeded to the freshly reboarded window. She was surrounded with a green, telekinetic, aura, as she tore the wooden planks from the window, and stepped inside. The inside was no better, good thing Veronica had a flashlight with her. Using her telekinesis to pull the flashlight out, Veronica shined it on the roller rink. It was huge, but run down. The wood was degraded, and it was full of trash and rats (all of which scurried). She leaned up against the railing of the skating floor, and sighed as she waited for Max...
Or an assassin.
Max arrived a bit after Veronica - while it hadn't been a long distance she'd had to break up a fight on the way there. She couldn't entirely abandon her duty even in her rush. The place certainly wasn't nice, but Max had been in worse hangout places as a kid. She was sure there was a reason that the area had been chosen.
She cautiously stepped in through the window, a hand moving down to a gun just in case someone else was there - the light told her there was at least one person. Hopefully who she was looking for but it was still better to be safe.
She glanced around, and spotted Veronica, relaxing slightly that it wasn't another, probably dangerous, person.
"What did you want to talk about?"
For a brief second, Veronica wondered how this was going to go. She measured the distance between them... an estimate of their true relationship. Max may think they're close, but they couldn't be any further away. Veronica cleared her throat momentarily, as she finally spoke. She had rehearsed how to down the bomb on Max. Manipulating her a little more won't hurt.
"...Look, Maxxie, I need you to promise that you won't get mad at me. You have to really promise, because what I'm going to tell you is going to hurt a little."
Max raised an eyebrow, folding her arms and looking at Veronica. She didn't know what was about to be said, but she knew it was best to keep control of her anger no matter what - she could do that much. "I promise."
Letting out a sigh, Veronica dropped it on her... with a little white lie, of course. "You know that night when I first met you in that bar...?" She sighed again, looking off to the side to look like she was so shamed that she couldn't look her in the eye. Before she raised her head, and looked at her. "...That was no coincidence. I am an employee of the Founding Family's Intimidation Unit sent to get information out of here... everything I told you was a lie..."
That was the big bomb, she carefully examined Maxine... she decided to take a risk. Veronica took off her jacket, and threw it on the ground in front of Maxine.
"...I mean, sure, you are a little cute, but that's besides the point," Veronica started off. "I can't keep working for them - they crossed the line, for real this time."
Veronica crossed her arms as she continued her explanation.
"I wanna help you, Maxxie. I want to help RAVEN. I want to stop the Family... but, if you don't trust me, then that's fine," Veronica pointed at her jacket on the ground. "Right there is my jacket, which is full of enough concealed weaponry to warrant taking me in... I won't even try to fight."
She put her hands on her hips.
Max hesitated, trying not to reach too much. It hurt, it really did, but hey - she'd signed up for these things. If what Veronica said was true, if she was a part of the Intimidation Unit, she didn't trust her.
But that didn't mean she'd throw away a chance to help solve all the shit that was happening. That was way more important than arresting one employee of the Founding Family.
"You're right, I can't trust you - not if you work for them. But if the information you have can help RAVEN then I'm not going to take you in." She was willing to take that risk. "So, what is it you know that can help?"
Veronica could only smile, she knew that Maxine didn't trust her, but she could change that. She still had a sob story to tell. All Veronica had to do for now was tell Maxine what she needed to hear. She got close to Max, her hands remaining on her hips as she was facing Max. "So much... I'm a high-ranking member of their Intimidation Unit, I know exactly where RAVEN needs to hit to take them out."
She put one arm across her chest, and the other on the side of her jaw. Veronica wanted to leak information about the Machine, but RAVEN needed to know exactly where to hit it, or else they'll be without a paddle.
"I also know the big thing they're planning - the Machine," Veronica started off. "Their pride and fuckin' joy... In short, it's a machine that they plan on using to turn everyone on this God given earth into a Metahuman... and make the existing ones far more powerful."
She shook her head.
"I personally want to stop them to put a curb on their damn ego...." Veronica trailed off, before she looked off to the side. She had to resist the urge to scratch the back of her neck, but she had to admit something else. "... But, I can see why you would want to stop them. It'll be Verthaven on a God damn global scale."
Max frowned, nodding. "That would be a disaster so, yeah, I'd hope that most people could see why RAVEN wants to - well need to - stop them."
"... But, that's not important right now," Veronica said, letting out a sigh. "The Hound is about to launch an attack on RAVEN Headquarters to get back the Mannequin and Dr. Cross. Their machine is close to completion... and they're that one thing they need to finish it."
The hound launching an attack was not a good thing at all... but that information itself wasn't very useful. She could warn the Headquarters, but an attack was expected anyway. "We're not going to let the Hound take the Mannequin and Dr. Cross." Max frowned more. Not that they'd had much success against the hound before. "Even if that's happening, there must be some way we can stop the machine, yeah?"
"Yeah, destroy it." Veronica said, repressing the urge to smirk. "But, that's not all. The Hound plans on inserting the I.U in disguised as BPD officers. Using BPD vehicles that they have "borrowed." They're comin' from the sky and the land..." She trailed off as she figured that she'd add on a little more. "Their intention is to cripple RAVEN in the process of recovering Dr. Cross and the Mannequin. Destroy the base. Kill Deborah and Shannon. Destroy computers Make sure that RAVEN is set back far as they can be."
"Yeah, well, I guessed that much - just assumed there was some fancy way to destroy it," Max shrugged, trying to think of what to do. She had to get this information back to the RAVENs in headquarters - but her com had stopped working meaning she was stuck with reporting back physically. Not very useful if the attack was soon. "I've got to tell HQ about this... but I'm assuming that there's more?"
"Not much else," Veronica said. "They still have your supervisor, Cindy, as a prisoner."
"I know." Max and Cindy had never gotten on, but Max knew that Cindy was pretty damn important to RAVEN. It was a tough blow. "Thank you for the information - I really need to get it back to everyone at the headquarters. If you have anymore, you know how to find me." Assuming she was still alive - if what had been said was anything to go by she'd arrive back to a shit show of fighting. Getting in was not going to be fun.
There was one last thing that Veronica had to say. She knew that Maxine didn't trust her.
"And Max...." Veronica said, shamefully turning her head to the side. She had something to say from the bottom of the heart. "... I'm not being honest here. I'm not just trying to destroy the Family because they're a bunch of narcissistic bastards... There's a personal reason...." She reached into the pockets of her jeans, and produced a picture. She held it out for Max to grab.
It was a picture of Veronica, with a uncharacteristic smile on her face, clearly holding out her phone. As her younger sisters, Quinn and Sophia were each at her side. Ecstatic. Sophia had thrown the peace sign, while Quinn was awkward, but jovial.
"Those two... I know it may sound cliche as fuck, but they're my younger sisters. Sophia and Quinn," Veronica said, as she got closer and closer to Max, staring her in the eyes. "They were kidnapped by the Family for their powers... and they're the really why I vowed to destroy everything they built up."
It was the worst day of her life when she realized that the Family had taken her sisters... and the anger she felt when she was backed into a corner because the Family threatened them to keep Veronica in line.
"Look, I'm sorry for playing you like that... but, for their sake, I really had no choice," Veronica started off... it sounded strange. She was showing more genuine emotion to Max than she has ever shown in years. "I've lied, I've killed, I've had sex with so many people that disgusted me... God, it makes me cringe just thinking about it. But, if that's what it takes, then so be it."
"I'm so sorry about your family," Max responded, genuinely. She couldn't imagine, or didn't want to, her close family being used against her. She didn't really have much to say. "I... I can understand why you've done what you have if its for them. RAVEN will destroy the Family, don't worry, and you'll get your sisters back."
Veronica merely sighed. "Thank you, Maxxie." She said. "Look, maybe after this, can we start again? Just start fresh. You can get to know the real Veronica Davis... and see if it works out between us." She doubted it would.
She looked at the ground, and both herself, and her jacket, was surrounded with a green telekinetic aura as it floated towards her. "...But, we'll worry about that later. You need to get back to Headquarters, and I need to head back to my people... I'll see if I can get some more useful information."
She walked around Max, and stopped at her side. "Stay safe."
Before she left through the very exit she came through. This path could very well lead to their deaths, and long as Quinn and Sophia were okay, Veronica accepted that price.
After a few days, Lihua was gladly accepted into the RAVEN organization.
Ah, they were practically begging for her talents.
Which is why she was able to bypass some of the useless bureaucracy, and get into RAVEN in a few days. She didn't get her rank of head of their intelligence right off the bat, but she is still a high-ranking intelligence officer. Working under one of their Head of Intelligence was a pleasant experience - he was honestly surprised how quickly the Zhao Matriach went to work. And Lihua herself was surprised that she was able to retain so much information. Ah, being in NEST - despite all of it's flaws - was unforgettable, and her worth ethic just doesn't change. And she didn't miss the big fat paychecks she got. Being a teacher was fun and all, but this comes more naturally to Lihua.
Hopefully, they won't be too upset when she leaves.
But, the moment they gave her an office (a small office much like her first one in Verthaven), she went to work finding Jiao-Long. Lihua was scanning for any and all Family activities... but, quite frankly, couldn't find anything. Not even an assassination, much like she heard was going on going off of their reports. Since that was out of the way, Lihua dedicated all of her efforts towards investigating the power outage. Which was difficult with her limited resources, but the first thing anyone with two brain cells would put together was that a majority of the Founding Family's activities took place in Prince Ed-Field, and Silver Hills. They were practically narrowing it down for everyone. But, they were cocky. Either they were hoping civil unrest was enough to slow RAVEN down, or... they could be hiding their machine elsewhere, and throwing everyone for a wild goose chase. What Lihua wanted to know was where their pride and joy was.
Their Machine.
Jiao-Long said they wanted his genius for a machine. What kind was the question. Probably something aiming towards world domination, or... Lihua narrowed her eyes.
Godhood.
One thing that Lihua would never forget was Luis' ramblings about Godhood, and becoming the one above all. She wondered if it was possible that Luis passed on this knowledge to someone else. Or, if Luis got them from the Family. There was so many questions, but the answers were all in his diary... which she hadn't bothered to translate recently, because there were more important matters to deal with at the moment. If it could give a man Godhood, then it must be stopped at all costs.
With no leads on the other hand, there was practically no way to find out where it's located. Which was like finding a needle in a haystack, so to speak.
Sighing in irritation, Lihua reached into her desk, and pulled out a large bottle of whiskey... Hey, it was her office. Lihua had her old office in Verthaven littered with hidden alcohol, because she sure as hell needed it. She took in a deep gulp after gulp of her whiskey, before wiping her mouth off, and putting it back. She was breaking every regulation ever made, but whoever the hell wants to enforce them at this hour can - honestly - kiss her ass. Sliding it back into the desk, Lihua figured that she got back into work. This is why she wishes that she had some kind of super-telepath in her employ. All of the "bad guys" have some kind of fancy Metahuman at their fingertips. The Berserker, Flashbang, and the Witch Mother, of the Changelings came to mind.
But, wasn't the Witch Mother's granddaughter working in DOVE?
"Hey, Mom, you're going to want to come to the lobby," Lihua's earpiece buzzed with Meifeng's voice as the older Zhao tried to figure out what was going on.
"We found Cindy."
It was a miracle that a patrolling RAVEN found Cindy before the Family caught up.
She was transported back to headquarters, escorted by RAVENS, and walked through the doors. Damn, it was dark all the way out here in White Coast, that blackout the Family has induced is certainly doing it's job. It'll be a matter of time before people are throwing molotov cocktails and bricks through everyone's window. But, that wasn't the matter now, what Cindy wanted to do was get some God damn medical attention. When she stepped through the front doors of the lobby, Cindy saw Lihua and Meifeng.
And she barely got a second to ask questions before Meifeng closed in and hugged her.
"Oh my God, I'm so glad you're alive," Meifeng said, not letting go of her embrace for a moment. "I swore they were going to kill you."
"Yeah, glad to be alive myself..." Cindy said, then she clenched her stomach, as she suddenly felt a wave of sickness.
Meifeng released her grasp of Cindy, and put her hands on her hips.
"...But, you look like shit." Meifeng said, before her hand gripped onto her shoulder. "We need to get you to a medic, then you'll tell us everything. Maybe we can find our lead for Christ sake."
"Yeah, okay..." Cindy muttered as she was dragged along.
"...That Ezekiel bastard electrocuted me, and his stupid-ass didn't realize he fried the collar around my neck."
Cindy explained to the Zhaos as she laid down on the hospital bed, wearing a hospital gown as Jade put her hands on the DOVE's stomach. She channeled her powers into Cindy, and healed all the wounds she sustained while being imprisoned by the Family. It was a slow process, so Cindy explained.
"I got free, but then Ezekiel came back, and I had to haul ass all the way out of there, and back to Headquarters... That's pretty much it."
The more analytic Lihua Zhao narrowed her eyes. There was something wrong here, and she could still. She had one arm crossed across her chest, and the other on her chin. "... Cindy, do you remember anything about the base? Where was it?"
"Well, I was busy hauling ass, so I didn't have time to take in the scenery," Cindy said, rolling her eyes. "As for where it is... Arrrrgh!"
Her line of thought was cut off when she experienced a headache. The same one that she experienced earlier when she thought about where the Family's base was. She grasped onto her head tightly, and Jade was caught off guard. Especially since they were practically merged.
"Her brainwave activities are off the charts... figuratively speaking." Jade noted.
"Cindy, are you okay?" Meifeng asked, stepping over, but was stepped by Jade putting a hand up.
"Don't touch her," Jade warned. "You'll throw me off."
Relenting, Meifeng crossed her arms.
It wasn't long before the headache faded. "Every time I think about where that damn base is, I get this headache. I don't know why."
"Jade, is there anything odd about Ms. Keagan?" Lihua asked, raising an eyebrow, and crossing her arms. Something was wrong here. Cindy just makes her great escape without a hitch? Lihua could just smell the bullshit. She turned her attention over to the discarded power suppressant collar. It was apparently electrocuted off... but, if it was fried with so much electricity, then why wasn't Cindy killed? The water would have to have seeped into the electronics, and those are sealed. Very suspicious.
"If there was, I'd know by now," Jade confidently said. "I know Cindy inside and out." She smiled.
That comment made Cindy raise an eyebrow, and Meifeng chuckle, but had Lihua thinking.
"...What about the brainwave activities?" Lihua asked.
"I don't know, they just suddenly sparked when she had that headache, and they were gone just like that." Jade shrugged. "If it's anything mental, then sorry, it's out of my area of expertise." She shrugged.
"Hmmm..." Lihua trailed off.
At that moment, Reed had quietly entered the room with a sports bag undearm. "Figured you'd need some clothes, I grabbed some spares from downstairs." He set the bag down on the table adjacent to Cindy's bed, clearly relieved to see her in one piece.
"Thank you." Cindy said, as Jade finally healed her. She felt refreshed, she had some burns on her from when she was . She looked at the clothes, and then to each member of the group.
"...Ya'll can go now."
After getting dressed in her standard DOVE uniform, consisting of a suit top, a suit skirt, and boots that she borrowed from another DOVE, Cindy was briefed on the situation by Meifeng, and the others. From what she can tell, the Family hasn't been doing anything. Cindy was walking alongside Meifeng, Lihua, and Reed.
"...Thus, we haven't had an idea of what to do next," Lihua explained. "Other than prepare for the siege."
Cindy shook her head. The Family definitely knows how to force them into a corner, and that was what pissed her off the most about them. She shook her head. "Well, I'm just glad to be back in the-"
Their conversation was interrupted by the sharp crackling of gunfire. Immediately, Meifeng pressed her earpiece, and asked.
"Control, what the hell is going on?!" Meifeng asked.
"We're under attack!" A mission control shouted.
"By who?!" Meifeng shouted.
"...The BPD!"
The Intimidation Unit.
RAVEN/DOVE West Coast Joint Headquarters.
A number of helicopters could be seen buzzing overhead Baybridge, each bearing the colours and insignia of the the Baybridge Police Department.
Down in the streets below were vans bearing the same insignia - the BPD's lettering plastered clear as day across them. Few people would've questioned it, especially given the current situation, yet there was more to it than that.
Inside each and everyone of of them were the paramilitary agents of the Intimidation Unit. All wearing the colours and uniform of Baybridge's finest, dressed up as SWAT response team members, only... they weren't. It was all part of the Hound's plan. The man himself was in a helicopter that was set to arrive last, with the Phantasm at his side. He knew what the Family was doing was wrong... but, he had no choice.
As planned, the helicopters were making a beeline towards the RAVEN/DOVE Joint HQ building, a monumental construction which effectively overshadowed all other buildings in the district. It was hard to miss. Closing in, the choppers made a steady descent, approaching the helipads
"Huh? We weren't told we'd be getting you guys this early."
"Yeah, change of plans." One of the "response team" members muttered as the last helicopter made its descent. The door slid open and after a few of the IU agents disembarked, weapons at the ready, the silhouettes of the Hound and the Phantasm came into view as both assassins stepped down onto the helipad.
"Really? What's... oh shit-" The poor bastard who'd been conversing with them moments before had looked on; he was immediately silenced as one of the paramilitaries smashed the butt of their rifle against his face, then finished him with a boot to the skull.
On the Hound's orders, the initial strike team breached the rooftop access doors and descended into the building. A few moments later, the rough crackle of gunfire could be heard throughout the building as the upper floor descended into chaos. "... The hell's going on upstairs?" One agent in the lobby asked, only to be cut off as a loud clatter erupted from beneath their feet.
At this moment, a BPD truck charged through the parking garage's gate at high speeds, punching through it. Followed by several other vehicles who punched through the lowest level of the building. A legion of armed goons came following out, shooting their guns wildly, and the last person to exit was Bonecrusher, who so was merged with so much machinery that he was practically an automaton at this point. The worst part about Bonecrusher was that he was wielded a massive M134 Minigun, that was being fed from an ammo belt leading into a pack on his back. Another truck came up, and two men emerged carrying a bulky, man-sized case, matte black with a combination lock concealing its contents from observation. Covered by Bonecrusher's overwhelming firepower, they advanced into the building.
As the Hound stepped off the helipad, and pressed the communications button on the side of his helmet, "Keep the sarcophagus covered." He said as he readied his M60, the Phantasm at his side held a T91 assault rifle tightly in his fingers. "Everyone else... everything is fair game. Destroy Headquarters. Leave nothing intact, and no one alive."
He nodded his head as he slung the weapon over his shoulder.
"I'm leading the push into the prison sector." The Hound announced as he marched into the depths of the building, stepping over empty shell casings and broken bodies on his way.
At all levels of the building, staff and civilians alike scrambled as the two-pronged assault began. Agents rushed around, confused in the face of a threat that they only knew was approaching them, some only half-aware of the fact the enemy wore BPD uniforms. Those on the upper floors who weren't dead or had escaped were putting up a stubborn resistance, gunfire breaking out in the offices as the paramilitaries pushed further inwards, stacks of paper sent into disarray and computer screens riddled through with bullets. One such defender, an aging DOVE case worker, had managed to bottleneck the IU's forces by pushing a vending machine in front of one of the doorways and holding it in place with sheer strength... until one of the "specialists" of the IU put an end to that by using his own metahuman strength to force it on over the DOVE as though it were a paperweight.
Meifeng raised an eyebrow as she hissed into the comms. Why the hell would the BPD be attacking RAVEN? Are they working for the Family? Nonetheless, they didn't have time for this, because they had to mount a defense regardless of who's attacking them.
The tactical Zhao matriarch quickly pieced everything together. "Meifeng, if it's the Family, it is obvious what they hope to accomplish here."
"Other than killing everyone here," Meifeng started off, as she prepped herself. Pulling water out of a nearby fountain by force. "They want their Hands lapdogs back, and their Changelings."
"Look," Cindy said, turning her head towards Meifeng. "The high-security cells have special defenses in place. Even the Phantasm won't get past them, but..."
A group of armed men ran up to the hallway, Meifeng noticed the BPD uniform, and immediately acted off pure reflex. She forced water out of the fountain, it floated up into the air, and then she slammed it down. Freezing along it the way. A thick wall of ice was created, and it was utterly barraged with assault fire. It was coming apart... and it was for the best if they haul ass the other direction before it breaks.
Meifeng gestured as she broke off into a steady sprint... going slow enough so Lihua could stay close. Cindy was running close as she could to the two, as she generated glass over her arms.
"Hey, Meifeng," Cindy said. "We gonna need some weapons if we're gonna even hope of stopping the Hound this time... even if there's defenses, it won't mean shit if the Hound destroys them."
"To the armory, then?" Meifeng asked.
"I would love some body armor right now." Lihua said.
Reed was following along, his pistol close at hand. His thoughts drifted towards Quentin, who last he'd seen was half-asleep in one of the rooms back on the Hospital Wing... his brother would have to wait. If they didn't hold these people off, whoever they were, everyone in the building would be dead. "Armory's this way!" He shouted to the others, leading them along a side corridor which ran along the HQ. Seven years in Baybridge had been more than enough time to leave him with the ins-and-outs of the building, so he was able to take them along the shortest route.
They followed behind him, to the tune of distant gunfire and more than a dozen voices over the comms warning others of an attack from the BPD... and from a metahuman who's description could've only matched that of Bonecrusher. That was enough to settle any doubt as to who was responsible.
Soon enough they were at the HQ's central armory, men and women of both RAVEN and DOVE rushing in and out with whatever they could use, some only barely having any time to equip themselves with body armour. "In here." Reed spoke up again, leading them past the officer in charge of supervising the armoury and past the now-unlocked security checkpoint, where they were met with the sight of dozens of lockers and secured weapon racks. Nearly a third had already been picked clean already, but the four of them had been close enough that they were still able to take what they needed.
Obviously, the first thing Lihua and Cindy put on was body armor. A simple kevlar vest with the RAVEN logo on them. Meifeng wanted to slip into her RAVEN armor... but, getting that damn thing on would be impossible during this bloodbath, so she had to settle with body armor, but she brought a utility belt. She needed a weapon, something that would take a bastard out. She had grabbed an Bushmaster ACR, her standard weapon, and grabbed several clips of it, and slid it into her utility belt. Though, if they're going up against the Hound, they're gonna need more than bullets. Containment foam was the only thing that could slow that big bastard down. So, Meifeng used her Captain status to grab a containment foam sprayer, and attached it to her utility belt. While grabbing an extra canister. The Meta-suppressant gas would be worthless, so she didn't even bother grabbing it.
Meanwhile, Lihua had grabbed a weapon that she hasn't held in years. A Mossberg 500 Tactical. With extra shells attached to the stock. The weapon felt so heavy in her hands. It was probably symbolic... Lihua was picking up the lifestyle that she had sworn off years ago. She was probably getting overly sentimental. Before she could dwell on it any further, however... "Time and a place for nostalgia." Reed was up and ready to go, an AR-15 tightly gripped in his hands. The DOVE investigator had shrugged off his jacket in favour of wearing a simple chest rig, carrying as many magazines as he could, a comms piece in his ear.
"Oh, sorry." Lihua said, as she grabbed the shotgun, and like Meifeng, grabbed a containment foam sprayer.
Finally, Cindy had elected to use a Glock 15, and brought a lot of clips. It would tickle the Hound and Bonecrusher, but she could at best fight back against them. Her main draw was going to be her defense, speaking of which, she was going to need plenty of glass. It was time for her to use a trick that she hasn't used in ages. She stuck her hand up, and put her palm straight up. A ball of molten glass formed in her hands from bottom to top, and then she threw it against the ground. The orb had exploded into a tree-like structure, comprised of plenty of glass. She stretched her hand out, and pulled the glass around herself to create a curved shield. She did the technique again, and created another tree made out of glass, which she added to the shield. The "glass seed" technique, one that Cindy learned at a young age that lets her rapidly create glass structures, and had perfected around her. She had molded the shield into a multi-layered glass pane with a mixture of dense, and flexible glass - basically creating bullet-proof. A technique that Cindy had been using for years now. One of the tricks that her mother taught her, before... Thank you, mom.
More reports were coming in over the comms however, again of a cybernetic metahuman which could've only matched Bonecrusher's description, this time of a force of "BPD" officers and the assassin pushing towards the maintenance corridors beneath the building, having pushed through from the parking lot. That was when it dawned on Reed just what they were gunning for. "Shit, we gotta move, on me!" And with that, he filed out of the room as fast he could, the others following on behind him as he led them towards one of the stairwells leading down towards the floor beneath the building, right in the direction of Bonecrusher and his escort. Or was it the other way around?
"That metal fucker," Meifeng hissed as she followed behind Reed, followed by Lihua and Cindy.
The group hauled ass, practically invisible in the stream of agents that were running out of the armory, and ready to jump into the action. With the group of four them, they had to quickly intercept Bonecrusher. Cindy started running ahead of the group, saying, "I know a shortcut!"
Running through the hallways frantically was a great plan for getting to Bonecrusher, but not ideal for avoiding the goons the Hound brought with him.
It wasn't long before they came across a group of armed "BPD" SWAT officers, and Cindy immediately threw her glass shield up. It quickly met a barrage of bullets, that stopped them from killing the proud RAVENS. Cindy had to grit her teeth as the sound of as every bullet hit the shield. But, Meifeng had run up with her rifle, an idea cooking in her head.
"Remember that team up move I came up with!?" Meifeng had to shout over the bullets. "The one where you make holes in the shield, and I shoot through it!?"
"Yeah, yeah, kind of!" Cindy said, as she created a small hole - large enough for Meifeng to fit her rifle through, but small enough so that Meifeng doesn't get shot with a bullet or two. She started barraging the men with bullets, while Cindy pushed closer and closer. LIhua opted for another option. She looked up at the ceiling, and raised her hand up into the air, and pulled concrete out of the ceiling and slammed it down on the IU. The men and women were crushed by rocks, as Meifeng cut them down. To put the final blow on them, Cindy took a risk. She sent the shield forward at high speeds and shattered it into a million pieces. Even with the armor on, the glass cut through it effortlessly. Within moments, they were cut down.
Piecing the shield back together, Cindy barked, "This way! Hurry up!"
The group made a turn, and they were quick to arrive in the hallway leading up to the generator room. The maintenance corridor was dark, and was only illuminated by the dimming light bulbs overhead. There was zero reason for the likes of Cindy and the others to come down here. They were fortunate enough to arrive here before Bonecrusher... but, they could hear the heavy footsteps of the beast approaching them quickly. Meifeng reloaded her rifle as the mighty Bonecrusher came in sight. Holding a chaingun, being the one that was leading the charge.
She narrowed her eyes, as she realized there was no way to put a dent in him.
Laughter came from Bonecrusher as the barrels of his chaingun twirled. The group immediately dove behind cover - with Lihua flipping up a block of concrete to take cover behind as the machine gun went wild and sent bullets everywhere.
Written in collaboration with @Mr Allen J Hailey Boulevard, Silver Hills.
It was a long trip from Roseview, to Silver Hills. It took at least an hour in the RV because of the distance... and how the city's state is constantly degrading, it made it extra challenging.
However, they arrived in the Hailey Boulevard... a part of Baybridge that Wendy knew belonged to the science-y types. Most Metahumans stayed away from Hailey Boulevard because of the heavy Savior presence.
At this point, those close-minded racists can kiss her ass.
Though, Wendy briefly wondered how much the Family have a hand in the Savior Foundation. It might be a longshot, but Wendy was the type to think this kind of stuff out. But, her train of thought was ended when the RV parked in a Walmart's parking lot. She was staring out the window wordlessly the whole time. It reminded her of a road trip of sorts, except shorter... and with more at stake.
"Right," Jessica said, as she turned the keys in the ignition. "'Cordin' to the GPS, we're only a walks away from that pizza place."
Wendy nodded her head as she hopped up to her feet with a determined look in her eyes. She stretched her arms as she scrolled over to the exit. Wendy glanced at Rowan for a moment, and pondered if she should say something, but silence was easy at this point.
The group stepped off from the RV, and they slowly made their way through the alleyways of Baybridge in the off chance that the Family has goons wandering around... Wendy didn't put it past the Family to put them on some sort of hitlist.
It wasn't long before they caught sight of the Touchstone Pizzeria.
The trio had peaked behind cover, looking at the pizza place. It was a building on the corner of several other stores, and it was pretty big. It had to be because it's a major restaurant in Baybridge. It was made out of a nice, firm, wood, and had large windows. It was a good view of the intersection. If the Family owns this place, it would explain why it looks so nice (Why the Founding Family owns a pizzeria is beyond even Wendy). But, Wendy's sharp eyes had caught eye of a camera in clear view of the entrance.
Well, going through the front door would be stupid to begin with... but, having one camera over one entrance would be stupid.
"Alright, follow me," Wendy said as she gestured for the rest of them to follow. The streets were pretty clear at this hour - everyone was home ready to defend themselves from the inevitable riot. They walked across the street towards the alleyway behind the pizzeria, very low, before they reached the alley.
Wendy put her hand up in gesture for them to stop. She peaked across the alleyway, and saw three cameras. One pointing straight down at the door, and two other aiming down the opposite ends of the alleyway. Yeah, they really want their pizzeria to be secure.
Fortunately, Wendy had something of her own to bring to the table.
"Rowan, can you mess up those cameras?" Wendy asked as she reached into her satchel as she grabbed a battery.
Disrupting the cameras for a moment would be the best course of action. Since, Wendy could cover up the camera lenses... but, they would still record the audio and still hear them fully.She sapped some electrical charge out of the battery to activate her electrokinesis. She was going to take it from here.
"Gladly..." Rowan said, pushing up a field in order to scramble the feed, then reaching into his backpack to withdraw a can of paint. "I've got an idea."
"What kind of idea?" Wendy asked.
"Watch and learn, paper girl." He said, with a wry grin on his face. Light on his feet, the scrawny teen quickly snuck under one of the cameras he'd scrambled, then gave the can of paint a rattle and coated the lens with a layer of black paint. If his magnetic field hadn't done the job of obscuring the feed, this would have.
Once he was done with the other two cameras, Rowan shot a nod her way and gestured for them to close in.
Personally, Wendy would have gone without spraying the cameras - because now they know something's up here - but, it is what it is. It just means they have to be quick, and stealthy. For now, Wendy quickly moved in, her hands just had electricity dancing across them.
"What?" Rowan asked as he got a dirty look from one of the others. "You wanted to send them a message. C'mon, they'll think it's just some crackheads."
"... Nevermind." Wendy said, as she moved over to the door. She had to be quick, she had to be quiet. She put a finger up against the lock, and channeled her electricity ability into it. Wendy sent electrical signals up into it, and manipulated the lock. A small click echoed from the lock as Wendy turned the door handle. She pulled open the door, and looked inside.
The second she opened the door, she heard a loud beep, and then she realized how stupid she was being. While she was so focused on the cameras... she forgot about the possibility of an alarm.
She took one look around, and realized that this door leads into the kitchen behind the restaurant... she saw the alarm control panel glowing in the darkness. Her eyes widened as she quickly dove towards it and put her hand on it. She sapped all the power out of it, and turned the machine off. The electricity that went into her hand only fueled her.
Wendy let out a sigh of relief as she looked back at her group. Now that security measures are out of the way, they have to find this secret entrance. The main tables are out of the question because of the off chance of someone finding it.
"Alright, everyone start looking around," Wendy said as she used her electrokinesis to close the door. "We need to find their secret tunnel."
"Imma give the kitchen a look with Kiri here," Jessica said as she slapped Kai on the back. Nearly making the tall girl stumble over. "Oh, sorry." Jessica said.
"Maybe me and Rowan will look at the office... or maybe the janitor's closet," Wendy shifted her feet awkwardly, earning a confused look from Rowan, who reached into his bag and withdrew a flashlight after he realized just how dark it was. "You think these guys would really hide in a closet?"
"Well, yeah," Wendy shrugged. "They might try to throw off people like us."
"Alright, fine - we'll check the closet." Rowan said, entertained by the notion.
"Alrighty then," Jessica put her hands on her hips triumphantly. "Let's get to work."
Jessica began to thoroughly scan through the kitchen searching for a secret entrance while Wendy and Rowan left the kitchen to search for the janitor's closet - which is what Wendy wanted to get out of the way first just to see who's right here. Though, Wendy had zero clue where was what. It could've been anywhere.
They walked through the main room of the pizza place. A fancy looking wooden frame, and many, many, tables... and things that Wendy couldn't care about to gloss over. If there was an entrance to their base in here, it would have to be so hidden that nobody would stumble across it by accident.
Wendy caught sight of a closet that looked suspiciously like the janitor's closet they were looking for and Rowan cracked it open after unlocking it from outside. Stepping inside, the two of them found what one might've normally found in such a place, shelves stacked with cleaning materials and equipment, yet at the far back was a space where the floor seemed to slope, with a metal hatch in the center, sealed in place by a locking mechanism.
After taking a closer look, Rowan decided to tear it up and see just what the hell this thing was hiding. With a little bit of concentration, the scrawny teen's magnetic field was able to twist this lock open, allowing him to lift it without he or Wendy actually needing to touch it. That made him smile just a little, knowing how far he'd come with his training that he had such a grasp over his abilities... he'd come a long way.
But that smile was wiped off his face when he saw what lay beneath the hatch. A ladder which led down a few meters below ground, before touching down at what looked to be a hard stony floor. From here, the odour beneath was musty and stale, almost enough it made Rowan's stomach turn.
"You think this is it?" He asked, looking towards Wendy with a look of uncertainty.
Wendy covered her mouth... but, had to suck it up. "Yeah, this looks like the place." Wendy agreed, nodding her head as she looked at Rowan. "Jess, Kai, we found it!" Wendy called.
Meanwhile, the scrawny kid had reluctantly decided to take the lead, shining his torch down as he made his descent. Once his feet touched the ground, it confirmed that, yes, it was hard stone, albeit damp. Very damp. The air was thick down here and the musty odor even worse. Whilst it wasn't exactly as bad as a sewer could've been, Rowan couldn't tell the difference at this point and had to stifle a gag.
"This way..." He croaked, then shined his torch ahead, revealing that they were in a tunnel which seemed to stretch out for some distance. There were lights down here, but they were so dim that one might as well have brought a torch just to be able to see where they were stepping.
Wendy, Jessica, and Kai slowly followed behind Rowan as they stepped into the tunnel. It was dark, and it smelled like a hospital... that really painted a bad picture of what's to come.
Their steps quietly echoed in resonance along the passageway, to the point it almost felt as though there more groups of people in the tunnel with them, behind and ahead. It was unsettling, to say the least. The tunnel seemed to stretch on, the walls lined with bricks and mortar, the occasional ventilation grid showing up every few meters along the way. Strangely enough, some of the bricks seemed out of pattern and newer than others, as though they'd been used to cover up previous openings in the tunnel. It raised certain questions, but nobody would've had the answer at this point.
When Rowan suddenly stopped in his tracks, it was almost jarring to the others, Wendy groaned, but didn't say a word, Jess almost let out a yell because she bumped into Kai, but they soon realised why. At the end of his flashlight's beam revealed a riveted metal door, thick and heavy, with what looked to be a bolting mechanism fitted to the top and bottom corners. When Rowan pointed the beam upwards, it also showed a faded sign which read "MAINTENANCE ACCESS ONLY" and cited some obscure Federal law in even more faded, smaller font beneath the former.
"Think this is it, guys..." Rowan remarked, taking a couple of steps up to the door. He felt himself hesitating as the others followed up behind him. It was at that point that he noticed the access mechanism; a keypad with what looked to be a card-based swiping system.
Wendy gulped as she looked at the door. It was intimidating... she wondered what horrors would be beyond this metal door, but she had to remain strong. If her contact was correct, she would find Diana here. She put her hand on the door, and channeled her electricity into the the door. Wendy used her electrical abilities to interface with the door... before she realized she would need help.
"Rowan, Jess," Wendy said. "I could use a hand here...."
That brought a little confidence back in the scrawny teen, who was glad to be of some use. Planting both palms against the door, Rowan concentrated on the actual locking mechanism, exerting his own influence upon it in an effort to slowly open the way to them. Wendy did the same, but to a lesser extent because her magnetism powers weren't as strong as Rowan's.
Slowly, but surely, the old, heavy bolts gave way under pressure, a faint mechanical groan signalling that their efforts were getting them somewhere. Jessica jumped in, and grabbed onto the side of the door, and was the final push that helped them force the door open.
There stood the entrance, dark and ominous. Beyond the door was a t-shaped intersection of hallways, each barely illuminated by the dim lights overhead. The entire place was made out of concrete, and metal doors. It was... unsettling to say the least. Wendy sighed, as she looked around.
"Right, this place looks safe," Jessica joked... but Wendy could see the look on her face, she was terrified as the rest of them and was trying to break the tension. "So, where do we even start?"
"... I don't know," Wendy said, distraught, as she looked around.
"Hows about this?" Jessica said as she put her hand on Wendy's shoulder, flashing her a confident smile. "Me and Kiri go down one door, and you and Rowan go down the other? We meet back here in saaaaay.... twenty minutes? Regardless of if we find Diana or not.." Jessica said.
Nodding her head, Wendy agreed with a simple, "Okay."
She gazed into the darkness... Before she slowly stepped into the hallway as Jessica closed the door behind herself with her brute strength. Rowan pointed his torch down one of the hallways and set off, with Wendy in tow, the two of them cautiously venturing inside.
"Remember," Jessica said. "If anything goes wrong, make sure to give us a call and we'll be right there."
"Yeah, sure." Rowan said, "Uh... you guys do the same, yeah?" He added, surprisingly enough. He hadn't known Wendy's friends for long, but they'd grown on him. He wanted all of them to get out of here tonight, in one piece, with Diana in tow.
Nodding her head, Jessica flashed Rowan the peace sign, before disappearing into the darkness. Wendy and Rowan did the same.
Continuing on down the corridor, the two found themselves passing more doors, uncertain of what lay beyond them. It was quiet, however, save for the low echoes of their footsteps and the faint electrical buzz of the lights. Discarded cargo trolleys could occasionally be seen pressed against the walls, along with the odd power cable which ran from one side to the other. The floor beneath their feet was a metallic grating, which let off a low clink with each step upon it and through which one could see even more power lines running beneath them. Whoever had set this place up, they'd gone to great extents to prepare and conceal its infrastructure.
Eventually, the two hit what seemed to be a dead-end, with other doors which seemed to branch out elsewhere remaining a mystery. Neither of the two wanted to get lost in this place or, worse still, run into something that didn't want them around. There was, however, what looked to be a door at this dead end and so Rowan passed his torch beam from one direction to another, trying to determine whether it actually led anywhere, finding that it was marked by a sign and a dull, glowing keypad next to it.
"RESEARCH B"
It read, in bold lettering that a great deal more recent than the first sign they'd encountered. "Are we doing this?" Rowan asked Wendy, ready to pry the door open for her.
"We have no choice," Wendy said, nodding her head.
Approaching the door, Rowan paused as he searched for the locking mechanism, then repeated his earlier process of unbolting the door via the subtle influence of magnetic fields, then pushing the door open. He was slow and deliberate, so as to avoid alerting anything else that could've been around to their presence.
Instead, they were met with a strange odor.
As the door opened up to reveal the room within, both teens easily caught the faint scent of what could've only been disinfectant. The space here was clinical in appearance, clearly some kind of laboratory with a wide array of cabinets, tables, petri-dishes and desks scattered all over, along with various different pieces of what looked to be rather expensive medical equipment set up across the room, but the one thing that caught their eye was a large surgical table and opened curtain in a closet-sized room at the far side, with some kind of life support machine and IV system stood next to it.
As they closed in, Rowan's torch beam revealed that there were marks on the table. Whoever... or whatever had used it, they hadn't gone to the effort of sterilizing it yet. Which meant it hadn't been too long since it had seen use.
Wendy loudly gulped as she stepped in the room. Okay, it didn't take a genius to piece together that this was some hell lab. She had an idea... due to the extreme eugenics the group has displayed, but now that she sees it in person, she couldn't help but feel concerned. What were they doing here? Crimes against humanity, yeah, but what kind? Well, Wendy's hands were shaking as she gazed inside.
"Um..." Wendy trailed off. "I hope we don't find Diana down here...." She said as she continued through the room, the only option they had at this point.
At one corner of the space was a computer with a printed notice taped down next to it. It read: "These machines are to be used for RESEARCH PURPOSES ONLY. If I continue to find staff abusing equipment to watch porn or participate in online gambling they can personally explain themselves to the Director." Next to it was a plastic game case for a copy of Resident Evil 2, which showed just how much people gave a damn about the notice and made Rowan snort half-heartedly at the thought that the people here were in any sense "normal" and had "normal" habits.
"Find anything?" He asked, glancing back to Wendy as she investigated the other side of the room.
"I'm still looking around," Wendy said as she looked around. "This place is creepy... we should get out of here fast as possible."
"Yeah, you're-" Rowan stopped mod-way through his sentence as he heard a metallic clank coming from behind them. The door! Like a rabbit smoked out of a hole, the scrawny teen bolted across the room, grabbed Wendy by the arm and yanked her into the surgical space, behind the confines of the curtain, then tugged it halfway shut.
They were just in time before the door jerked fully open, voices that were previously muffled now becoming coherent.
"... doors haven't been working properly for days. I'm telling you, this power outage is a fucking joke. All this does is tighten our deadlines and draw in unnecessary attention. Not to mention it's a god-damned nightmare keeping our equipment operational on reserve power." Through a slim gap in the curtains, they could make out a stocky man wearing a lab coat.
"Whatever it is, they have their reasons for giving the order. If it gets results then it'll be worth whatever trouble it makes, even if we are operating with a skeleton crew." The other voice belonged to a thinner man, of slightly greater height and who also wore a lab coat.
"We'll see. But I'd rather not compromise our work for the sake of assets that we may not even need in the long run." The first man continued, approaching one of the desks in the room. He seemed to be looking for something. "If that wasn't bad enough, security mentioned something about the exterior cameras being vandalized."
"Vandalized?" The thin man said, with what was probably a raised eyebrow."
"Yes, that's what I said. Something about them behaving strangely, then getting covered up."
That aroused an amused grunt from the thin man.
"Probably the work of kids. There's been a lot of vandalism complaints since the city went dark. Police have been stretched too thin to deal with any of it."
"Bah, just another reason why this outage was a mistake. Little shits'll be long gone by now... found it." The stocky man could be seen lifting a folder from the desk.
"Good, let's go. "
Within moments they were gone, the door shut behind them.
Wendy was holding her breath the entire time. Practicing holding her breath was easy because of her Mimicry ability. She sighed, and looked around. "... Looks like you were right, Rowan." Wendy agreed. "Thank God we closed the doors behind ourselves, or we'd be.. out of luck."
"Yeah..." Rowan said, with equal relief, though his optimism soon soured. "Shit, I screwed up. They know about the cameras."
"At least they don't think it's intruders," Wendy shrugged, looking at the bright side here.
He slapped himself across the face, before finally reaching into his bag and withdrawing one of the paint cans he'd brought along.
"Let's do what we came here to do, yeah?"
Nodding her head, Wendy wondered what they could mess up in here. Personally, she didn't see anything that couldn't be cleaned or replaceable. She leaned over and put a hand on Rowan's, pushing the spray paint back into his bag. As a gesture of having a better idea,
"Let's see if we can find a statue somewhere... and they have a statue of their leaders, believe me," It was Egotist 101, after all. Leaning back, Wendy continued, "That'll send a better message than messing up something in here... and we'll probably give ourselves away too early."
Wendy spotted the door on the other side of the room, and nodded her head as she walked over towards it. She was glad to get out of this room... it's creepy. Really creepy in here. They were soon back into the hallways of the lab - the other side. That eerie stench was following them all around, and Wendy was hoping that it wasn't a dead body.
Or, more importantly, it wasn't Diana in there.
The two slowly moved down the eerie hallways, which were, oddly enough, entirely silent save for a few sounds. Wendy was keeping her head up, and hoping that she could get through this without getting seen.
Heh... It'd be the ultimate insult to the Founding Family. Sneaking in and out, destroying a statue, while recovering her sister.
Wendy reached an ominous door... a metal door. She looked at the door, and could feel a chill coming from it. There was a sign above it, again labelled in bold.
"STORAGE A1. CONTROLLED CLIMATE"
Wendy loudly gulped. This looked like a morgue... she didn't know if she could go in there. "I..." Wendy looked around. "... Think we go in there."
"You think?" Rowan said, with a hint of sarcasm in his tone, masking how equally nervous he felt about the idea. But knowing they weren't alone in this place, he wanted to get them on the move again, and so he pried open the door.
As the door slipped open, both of the teens felt a chill upon them as cold air seeped out, steaming in contact with their hot breath. Rowan was glad he'd brought his hoodie along as he stepped inside, feeling a shiver down his spine as the freezing temperatures left him with goosebumps running down his skin.
Whilst the room itself felt and resembled the interior of a walk-in freezer, this was far more unsettling. There were several rows of shelves which stretched backwards with various assorted containers set on them. Each container was labelled, one of which Rowan went over to read.
Donor: [REDACTED] MH: Y Sex: Male Age: 25 Blood type: O-
Curious, though also somewhat unnerved, Rowan popped open the lid of the container and found what could've only been described as a dark red, fleshy chunk of tissue... a heart.
"Oh..."
Wendy winced. Okay, this is fucked up. They have a heart... maybe it's from a man that recently died? Yeah, that's what Wendy told herself to make this any less disturbing. But, what Wendy was hoping was that she wouldn't find Diana here. She started scanning the room, every jar, hoping that she wouldn't find Diana's name.
"C'mon, Rowan," Wendy urged. "I'm looking for Diana's name, help me."
"Alright, but..." Rowan started, off as he joined her in her search of the containers. "Are you sure her name' could be in here?"
"No..." Wendy trailed off as she stopped for a moment. "... But, she could be."
"Even if we find something that says 'Diana', how do we know it's her?" He asked, still looking. "Just... don't give up, y'know?"
"I mean..." Wendy realized that Rowan had a point. "... Yeah, you're right. We should look elsewhere for something more... concrete, you know?"
"What about here?" He suggested, wandering over towards the other side of the room where a series of lockers set against the wall, all lined up in rows stacked on top of each other. They were labelled in the same manner as the containers.
Wendy raised her fingers across these doors... there were bodies in here. This would be more concrete than a heart. She started scanning each of the tags... and didn't see anything for Diana. No matter how hard she looked.
"Diana Lucker... I don't see her name here," Wendy said, honestly more relieved than anything her sister's corpse isn't here. "We should get a move on... this room gives me the creeps."
It was an odd room indeed, Wendy could sort through it, but the faster they get Diana and leave, the better. Leading Rowan out the other door, the two stepped into the hallways yet again. They were just wandering aimlessly, having zero idea where the prisoners were being kept. That was Wendy's best bet.
They were slowly moving through the oddly eerie hallways of this basement. She swore that she sees a fog. She took her mind off things for a brief moment, by trying to imagine what Jessica and Kai were up to-
There was a distinct shouting coming down the hallway behind them. Wendy's heart started racing as she desperately looked for a place to hide in this damn lab. She looked to the side, and saw a janitor's closet of sorts, and opened it up, and dipped inside. Rowan following behind her. She kept the door slightly ajar, peaking out of it. This place was so dark that it didn't matter unless they take a closer look.
"... I'm tellin' you I ain't no Metahuman!" A woman shouted, as she was being carted down the hall by two men wearing the same gear as the last two scientists the pair narrowly avoided. The woman appeared to have been wearing the armor of the Intimidation Unit.
"Doesn't matter," One of the scientists said, "The Blessed Three have said to put you into the Surger, and that's what we do."
"Is this supposed to be some cruel an' unusual punishment or something!?" The woman shouted.
"It's punishment for conspiring against the Family," The other scientist said. "You should know what happens by now."
The woman thrashed as she was carried off into the distance. Eventually, their chatter became indistinct. She wondered for a moment what they were talking about. This "Surger"... It was another question for Wendy, but she wasn't in any rush to solve this mystery.
Leaving the closet, Wendy gestured for Rowan to follow. They slowly went the same way that the scientists had, but kept their distance.
Slowly, but surely, the trail led them down the halls to another door, then the two came to a pause as more voices and other noises sound be heard beyond. Rowan glanced back at Wendy, then whispered. "Are you ready to go? Diana could be behind here..."
Nodding her head, "Yes..."
Affirmed, Rowan cautiously opened the door and took the first few steps in, ready for what lay beyond.
A great network of piping and power cables ran through here, a labyrinthine mass of circuit breakers and other electrical equipment marking the center, but at the other end of the room they caught sight of another door, where other noises could be heard.
They had to be close, right?
Wendy nodded her head. There was something beyond this area... something big. The Family most definitely was storing something here. If it wasn't Diana, what could it be? Possibly where they were storing the prisoners. Letting out a sigh, Wendy slowly proceeded on, with Rowan in tow.
After the scrawny teen had managed to pry the next door apart, Wendy soon got her answer as they stepped inside the next room. This room wasn't so much a room as it was a warehouse in size, coffin-sized storage containers placed in neat rows along the walls. Rowan wondered just how the sick assholes who had set this place up had managed to get all that equipment down here... at least, until he saw Wendy staring towards one particular corner of the room.
This elevator shaft that she was observing carefully was probably a quick way up to the building above this lab. It probably had a secret code to even go down this far! This underground laboratory couldn't have too many levels to it - but, the Family had definitely surprised her before. The doors were also surprisingly wide... this elevator might have been for cargo. However, they should prooobably steer clear of it in case someone comes by at a very inconvenient time.
Rowan thought the same, or at least that was the impression he gave as he moved on, weary of who or whatever else was waiting up there for them. Instead, he seemed more intrigued by the storage containers, most of which were seated on trolleys as if awaiting use, whilst others were plugged into sockets at the base of the storage area, near yet another door which led even further into the maze-like complex.
Most of them seemed empty, however, judging by the lack of lighting on each... save for one, which had been clearly marked to indicate its importance.
FRAGILE CARGO - HIGH PRIORITY Interaction is allowed under the Director's supervision only
"... We should give it a look." Wendy said, praying it wasn't her sister.
Curious, Rowan tried to pry it open, but he felt the storage unit's heavy bolts resisting his efforts. Whatever was inside, they'd got it locked up tight.
Wendy briefly pondered what could be so valuable inside of this case. It could be something that the Family holds dear... maybe they'll smash it just to piss them off.
Undeterred, Rowan tried again, this applying a little more force and doing away with the delicate side of the procedure. There was a low, metallic groan as the container buckled against the magnetic force exherted against it and then...
"Holy shit!" Wendy shouted as something came flying out of the container - followed by a gust of freezing air. She caught what had come out of the container, and it definitely wasn't good. It was a fucking head. A head. Wendy winced backwards with her hand up as the head flew across the room, and came to a rolling stop. "... Okay, the fuck was that?"
Wendy couldn't bare to look at a severed head, but she had to confirm because it looked vaguely feminine.... It was a head, a woman's judging by the features, but warped by mutation. Her skin had dark grey patches across the right side of her face, with a single purple eye remaining whilst a mass of deformed flesh covered where her other socket should've been... there was no jaw.
The mere sight made Wendy sick to her stomach, and she just had to look away.
Rowan shone his torch across her face and almost felt his own insides twisting up, yet... there was something familiar about it, in a vile, disconcerting way. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he'd seen whatever "thing" this head had belonged to before...
A chill ran down his spine as he saw not the woman's face, but the old man's... and at that moment, he lost his stomach and found himself retching in a corner beside the container. "Urgh... "
"Rowan, are you... okay?" Wendy asked, trying to get the face of... whoever the hell that was, out of her head. Because that severed head was truly disgusting.
It took another moment for him to regain his composure, wiping his mouth with a sleeve. "Yeah... I'm fine." His tone came across as a little dismissive, though when it looked as though Wendy was ready to push the matter he raised his other hand and pointed.
There were a few other articles resting in the container; vials of fluid, petri dishes with cell samples, clearly taken from the head or whatever else it had belonged to.
Her own curiousity beating Rowan's, Wendy walked over to the container, and looked inside. Wendy had carefully examined these samples... what could make this Metahuman so special that-
Her eyes landed on a name written on one of the vials.
Sarah Marino. The Devil of Verthaven.
"Oh shit..." Wendy looked at the head, then back to Rowan. "Rowan... all this... that is the Devil's head! You know, that crazy bitch that destroyed Verthaven?" And how couldn't anyone know of Verthaven? It was a massacre, almost a million people died - only around three hundred people walked away. After it happened, everything changed.
Now it had started coming back to him. ".... I know about Verthaven." He said, with a sullen tone.
"... My sister was in the middle of it, y'know?" Wendy solemnly said, recalling the great news that Wendy received when her sister was one of the few survivors of that disaster. "I'm... glad that she made it out alive."
"My... dad never stopped talking about it, either." Rowan said, with a little hesitation - he'd never brought up the old man around Wendy before. He'd heard the anti-metahuman rhetoric inspired by the disaster enough when the old man had dragged him along to one of those rallies, or brought it back home with him. "He wasn't there, though."
At that moment, there was a certain sense of bitter disgust that took a hold of Rowan and he found himself lashing out at the Devil's head, kicking it aside with enough force that it made an awkward, fleshy noise. "Let's just go, yeah?
"Agreed." Wendy said as she proceeded right out the door with Rowan behind her...
Right as they left, someone else came in. The elevator doors that they had previously passed had opened up as a group of scientists came in.
"Heh, we finally got the head." One of the scientists with a deep voice said as they slowly walked into the room. "About time. Why did it take us ages just to get a head?"
"Eh, who knows," A female scientist piped up. "Let's just get it into the cooler before Julia or Blake flips their sh-" She was cut off when they finally entered the room.
Seeing the spectacle of the Devil's container being split open by force, and her head on the ground, half caved-in from a boot. Everyone looked at the scene, slack-jawed because the sample they have is ruined.
"... Sound the alarms." The woman said.
The two continued forward through the base. Moving from one lab to another. Unfortunately, they found no leads in this base until they arrived in the prison sector. Wendy knew that, without a doubt, Diana would be here. Even if she wasn't, Wendy was at least going to release everyone here. The Founding Family did some fucked up stuff that nobody should be subjected to.
It was a long, narrow corridor, lined with heavy doors at either side, each one bolted in place with a hatch in the middle. Coming from within a few of them were voices, pleading or murmuring - it was hard to tell out there.
Without a doubt, they were cells.
"Alright," Wendy said, looking around. "Get these doors open, Rowan. We gotta get-"
That's when Wendy was greeted to the cacophony of footsteps coming towards them from one door, and she heard, "They're in here!" All of her thoughts were wondering how.
"S-shit!" Wendy shouted as she quickly looked around. There was no way they could get everyone free with the Intimidation Unit on them. They needed to get the hell out of here because the plan has fallen through. She dropped on the ground, and her hand slapped the concrete with such force that it was turned red. Wendy's hand transformed into concrete for a few moments as the Intimidation Unit burst through the door.
They came in with their guns primed, and Wendy threw both of her hands in the air and flipped a giant chunk of concrete out of the ground and made it shield them as a barrage of bullets hit it.
"Run!" Wendy shouted as she quickly turned around and ran down the other hallway, Rowan following suit behind her.
From the other side of the wall, one of the heavily armored Intimidation Unit members ran up to the stone, and punched it hard as he could. Sending concrete in all directions as he pressed his earpiece.
"It's those brats again!"
It wasn't long before the two came out of the prisoner cells, and Wendy quickly looked left and right... to see the Intimidation Unit closing in from both sides. They would be cornered in a mere moment, unless Wendy acted fast. She tightly grabbed onto Rowan's wrist, and reached into her satchel, touching a piece of paper.
"Hold your breath!" Wendy shouted as she did the same trick with Rowan that she did weeks ago... a demonstration before all of this insanity began. The two of them turned into a cloud of paper slips that shreded itself into pieces, and the Intimidation looked on confused.
The cloud of paper appeared behind the Intimidation Unit, and quickly reformed into Wendy and Rowan. The two started hauling ass in that direction.
The problem with running around aimlessly was that Wendy had no idea about the layout of this base. The only idea she had was lose sight of them, before trying to find an exit... but, if they had two braincells to rub together, they'd have had the exit locked down. Wendy smacked herself in the head. They would need a miracle to get out of here alive.
Without thinking on it, Rowan turned his focus towards one of the bolted doors and clenched his fingers, then pulled, tearing it from its hinges. It brought them back onto the same kind of hallways they'd seen earlier, only this time the element of surprise was long gone - they rushed through, passing through more doors as they rampaged through the facility.
It took all of Rowan's might to punch through the thick frames, but in his desperation he pulled it off, until the two eventually ended up in an interesting part of this lab, even though they were running about aimlessly. A large foyer of sorts... which confirms there is multiple floors to this base. Except it was dark, made out of cold concrete. The railings were oddly enough made out of wood. This foyer lead into many different hallways....
Once they made it to the middle of the room... that's when they sprung their trap.
The IU soldiers appeared from out of the dark hallways, and primed their weapons on Wendy and Rowan. And they were everywhere. They had absolutely every angle covered, so it was difficult for Wendy to come up with an exit... that didn't already involve getting shot.
Wendy had no choice but to throw her hands up, and pray they wouldn't shoot. Rowan was reluctant at first, still on the defensive, but at seeing Wendy relent he finally did the same.
A few tense moments passed before loud clapping broke the tense silence. There was a group of footsteps coming from the second floor of the foyer.
Stepping out of the shadows was a tall man with black hair, and green eyes, wearing a fancy suit. Wendy thought that he was Ezekiel's brother was something until he saw his face. He was the one clapping, as his team of Secretaries followed behind him from the shadows.
"... Good show!" Blake shouted. "I came here to personally see the two troublemakers that liberated our... candidates, and made Ezekiel very angry."
Wendy was staring down the man, but kept her mouth shut as she tried to think of a way out of this. But, her eyes landed on a woman by Blake's side, and her eyes went wide, letting out a gasp.
"... D-Diana!?" Wendy loudly shouted, recognizing the woman.
Diana, dressed up in a fancy suit-dress combination, having her rather wild pixie-cut tamed, took Blake's side. She had an odd smile that was uncharacteristic of her.
"Holy shit, I've been looking everywhere for you!" Wendy shouted. "What are you doing up there!?"
"What am I doing up here?" Diana asked in a weird monotone. "I am doing my duty and serving Blake, I am his eternal servant, after all." She smiled widely, closing both eyes as Wendy could only look on in abstract horror.
RAVEN/DOVE West Coast Joint Headquarters. Hospital Wing.
...Hospital machines. Screams. Gunfire. No injury could've kept Quentin unconscious through any of the noise going on around him, particularly when he could barely sleep as was. On instinct he'd lurched forward and slipped out of the bed in seconds, yet again disconnecting the drip that fed into his arm with a firm tug. Given the circumstances he thought nothing of it and besides... the way he saw it, he was long overdue for getting out of this place, no matter that the surgical scars were still there.
Alice ducked into the first door she saw, just in time to avoid the barrage of bullets that hammered holes into the plaster. She glanced over, seeing Quentin climbing out of the bed in the center of the room as the machines beeped in complaint. There were two members of what appeared to be BPD SWAT at the end of the hall, both carrying assault rifles. Alice had been caught out with only a pistol, and with the chaos in the building couldn't risk teleporting straight to the armory in case she ended up inside someone. It would be nice to have a little support though. She held up a cautioning hand.
"Give me one second."
Bobbing her head out of the door, she eyed the ground immediately behind the two hostiles, then backed up. In a clear area of ground she took a breath, focused, and then leapt into the air, spinning her whole body around with one leg extended as though striking with a spinning kick, then vanished. She reappeared with a sigh of displaced air immediately behind one of the two, a fraction of a second before her assault booted foot cracked into the back of his helmet. He went down in a clatter of military equipment. She sprayed his comrade with what remained in the magazine of her glock, he fired a burst into the floor as he tried to bring his gun around, then collapsed back against the wall. She wiped her brow, flicking the hair back from her damp forehead, then retrieved the rifles from each of them. Quentin might have been in a hospital gown, but at least he wouldn't be totally defenseless.
"Thanks." The veteran RAVEN acknowledged her as he picked out a roll of surgical tape that had spilled out onto the floor, then withdrew two magazines from one of the "SWAT" bodies and quickly taped the two together, inserting one into his rifle whilst the other remained close to hand. It was only at that point that he realized he was still wearing the hospital gown and shorts he'd been given, yet a quick glance inside the cabinet beside his bed revealed that his spare clothes were missing.
God-dammit, Reed. His brother must've took his threats to check himself out of the ward seriously after the power cut and moved his clothes upstairs in an effort to stop him. Whatever, there was no time to screw around looking for them at the moment. One moment he'd been catching some sleep, the next he'd woken up to a cacophony of gunfire and screams. And why the hell were these bastards wearing BPD uniforms?
Quentin shifted his focus back towards Alice. "Just what the fuck is going on?"
Alice resisted the urge to reach into her uniform for the flask she probably shouldn't be carrying. "It's about as fucked up as it can get. Some big fucker we fought in Regal Square is downstairs somewhere, and I'd bet some serious money that the Hound and Phantasm are around if he is."
She'd appropriated as many of the M4 magazines as she could. Last time she'd gone up against the monstrosity that was the Bonecrusher she had been woefully unprepared, favoring her speed over firepower, but he was so resilient that it hadn't mattered how many bullets she had sunk into him. She shook her head tiredly, "Honestly, at this point I'm just shooting anything that hasn't got RAVEN written on it. Fuck knows they're asking questions later."
There was already a bullet in her chest plate to illustrate her experience of the 'BPD' shooting first. She'd got out before they'd managed to get off any more shots, the agent she had been talking to hadn't been so lucky. The Intimidation Unit had formed into roaming kill squads and were moving efficiently through the building, slaughtering anyone that opposed them. Most of the RAVENs had been unprepared, with only a bare handful in combat gear or with abilities that allowed them to survive the initial onslaught. Whatever this was, it had been in planning for a long time, it was too efficient, too swift, and it was proving far too successful to have simply been thrown together over the last few days. That and two of the most powerful metahumans she had ever encountered were somewhere in the building, and one she now had a personal grudge with.
"That Phantasm prick is in here somewhere, and I want him."
"God-dammit." Quentin grunted, almost wearily. "And those assholes left Shizuka out to dry..." He seethed at the thought of how many lives the political scapegoating could've costed them and would've voiced further opinion about it if not for the fact that the IU was actively sweeping through the building as they spoke. Instead, he resolved to count himself among the others who were looking to fight back and drive the bastards from the HQ. "I'll be dead before I sit back and watch our colleagues get slaughtered by these assholes." Heading back over to the bodies, the veteran RAVEN figured that the Intimidation Unit must've been coordinating the attack somehow and tugged at the radio clipped to one of the dead men's vests and disconnected it from the speaker piece so they could all hear.
"...Remember, Deborah Javuant is secondary," The Hound spoke over the comms. "Making sure the Headquarters is in ruins is the primary objective."
"Shit."
Alice shook her head, "They're making an example of us, 'this is what happens if you fight the Family' bullshit."
Biting her lip, she looked down the corridor. The Bonecrusher had come in through the front door like a bipedal tank, and he was altogether too blunt an instrument to really be effective in tracking down Deborah. The Hound was quite another matter, over the last few months he had been an assassin, shock and awe might be his style, but he was still little more than a glorified hitman, and the Phantasm was definitely his little pet. No, Bonecrusher couldn't be after Deborah, she doubted his colossal form would fit into the elevators, and he would be too easy to avoid. She spun, "Fuck, they've come in from the roof, those damn helicopters."
She cocked the rifle and turned to grab Quentin's arm, "You got my back?"
"Yeah." The veteran agent affirmed her with a nod.
"Here we go."
Alice focused for a moment, stepping them through space to the roof of the building. They were behind a collection of air conditioning units, shielded from view. With a shrug Alice explained what hadn't been asked in a whisper. "I always find it handy to have a few odd places in my head, this is great when I don't want to talk to anyone."
"I bet..." Quentin muttered, shouldering his rifle as she led the way. The coarse surfacing of the roof felt less than comfortable beneath his feet and for a moment he shuddered as the night's bristled against his skin, before he finally regained his complexion. At least his footsteps would be quiet.
She shouldered her rifle and pressed her back to the warm metal, sliding along until she glance around the corner. She looked back to him, holding up four fingers of one hand, indicating the number of hostiles.
Quentin raised a palm as a signal for her to hold up, then twirled his finger around to indicate that he was going to circle around and catch them out by surprise. Then he put a hand to his mouth, then pointed to her.
Alice nodded, taking up a careful stance, before stepping out from behind the unit and loosing a spray of rounds in the direction of the four guards. One of them went down instantly, crying out and clutching at his thigh where a trio of bullets had shredded the muscle, but the others took cover, diving behind the pads and the remaining helicopters.
Whilst Alice kept them preoccupied, Quentin had begun to circle around as planned, keeping one hand pressed against the warm panelling of the AC duct to keep himself steady whilst he made his way across the rooftop. Soon enough, he could hear footsteps and voices from what could've only been a few meters away.
She emptied another magazine in the direction of the IU, though she was fairly sure that they had grouped up now. A barrage of bullets was the only response, carving splinters of metal from the now whining and smoking unit. She couldn't risk leaning out , but she could keep them occupied.
As Quentin pressed his back to the steps below the landing pad, he caught sight of one of the paramilitaries taking cover behind one of the helicopters, who was putting down a good chunk of the fire down on Alice's position. He paused, for just a moment, then shouldered his rifle again, broke cover and fired off a series of rounds in succession. A few slammed into the helicopter's chassis, but another few punched through the back of the man's assault vest and he crumpled to the floor with a gurgle.
But that had alerted the other surviving two around the corner to his presence.
Moving as fast as he could, Quentin scrabbled back behind the landing pad for cover as one of the men closed in on him, whilst the other IU followed him, though still keeping tabs on Alice's last known position.
There was a faint thump of air as Alice took advantage of the distraction, easily lost in the howl of the wind at this height. One man can only watch so many directions, but he probably hadn't expected to find Alice as close as a lover, too close for him to bring his gun to bear. She sank a sharp knee into his groin before he could push her away, then brought the butt of her rifle down onto his head as he doubled over in agony.
Meanwhile, gunfire had erupted across the other side of the roof... before falling silent once again.
"Quent?"
Alice had heard the shots and the sudden cessation of combat. It meant one of two things, either Quentin had triumphed, or the remaining member of the Intimidation Unit had got the drop on him.
She followed the empty shell casings dotted around until she found a thin trail of blood leading around the corner.
Rifle barrel first, the petite blonde rounded the corner, scanning for something, anything that might indicate what was happening. Static noise could be heard, rather loud as well - with another voice speaking through to it with what must've been an authoritarian tone.
"Trojan, what's your status?"
Alice found her colleague squatting over the slumped body of the gunman, grasping the man's radio. "Shit man, couldn't have let me know what was going on?"
Quentin brusquely raised a hand to silence her as he brought the radio up to speaking level, then put on the best impersonation of the guards as he could in an equally gruff tone. "This is Trojan, we're clear rooftop-side. Both contacts are dead." There was a pause after that, but the crackles of gunfire which could be heard over the radio suggested this was just a momentary distraction. Finally, a response came through. "Understood. Keep watch over the birds, we'll need them prepped for the cargo soon."
Looking back up to Alice, he raised an eyebrow, then tilted his head towards the two helicopters on the pad. "Check them both, see if we can trash their escape plan. I'll keep watch in case more of them turn up."
Alice nodded, then disappeared, not straight to the helicopters though, but to her previous victims. The members of the Intimidation Unit had been carrying grenades, two apiece. Alice was tempted to just blow up both transports, but that would give the game away too fast. Whatever cargo the family was after would be far more vulnerable if they had to take it all the way to the roof before they realized that their escape route was cut off. She jumped into the main body of the first machine, wedging a grenade into a crevice above the sliding door and hooking the pin onto the door itself. Opening the door would set off the grenade, killing anyone not fast enough to dive out of the way, and rendering the helicopter useless. It was the work of a moment to repeat in the other chopper, before she popped back into existence before Quentin.
She tossed him a grenade. "First person to open those hatches is going to get a face full of shrapnel."
That earned her an approving smirk from him. "Good call. They don't know we're up here so let's try and keep things that way." With that, he shifted his focus towards the rooftop access doors where the strike teams had made their entrance. "There's probably more of the on the upper floors."
(Written in collaboration with @Zombiedude101.) RAVEN/DOVE West Coast Joint Headquarters - Maintenance Area
Bonecrusher wasn't letting up for a second.
Meifeng was up against a pillar, as the Bonecrusher's wild spray tore apart the whole damn corridor. Worst of all, the rest of those IU bastards are slipping by them. He was just a distraction at best... Meifeng, of course, needed to cook up an idea to get rid of that damn chaingun. Or at least buy them an opening to break the bastard a new one. Well, from what Meifeng could tell, only Lihua or containment foam would do anything more than annoy him - perhaps slow him down, but at this point, Meifeng was going to try anything to get this big bastard to stop shooting. Meifeng looked up, and saw the many pipes overhead... she could feel the water flowing in one of them. It was going to piss off anyone hoping to take a shower after this, but it was worth a shot. She stretched her hand out, imposing her will onto the water within the pipes, and tried to pull the water out. The pipes were violently shaking, but eventually they exploded, and fell open.
Spraying water all over the place, and that didn't stop Bonecrusher even in the slightest. Meifeng was partially hoping that she would discover his weakness to water, but it looks like she has no choice but to go through with her plan. "Someone distract him!" Meifeng had to shout into the comms because it was nigh-impossible to speak normally.
"Covering!" More than willing to oblige, Reed broke cover for a moment and fired off a burst from his AR in an effort to draw the cyborg's attention.
Because of the fluid, flexible, nature of water, it was easy to get it places where a rock or stone couldn't. The moment her distraction went into effect, Meifeng spun from behind cover, her hands were ready. One foot was in front, the other in the back, while she had one hand shoulder-level, and the other waist level. Her eyes were on the water directly underneath Bonecrusher's feet. With a sudden movement, she brought her hands upwards and created a vortex of water that forced it's way into the Bonecrusher's weapon. Allowing it to seep into the machinery, and clenching both of her fists, she snap-froze the water. Clogging the machinery in Bonecrusher's chaingun.
The brute slammed his fist against the chaingun to break the ice... before he merely threw the whole thing to the ground, and stepped on it. He stood in the corridor in an intimidating manner as Meifeng realized what he was doing. His cybernetics changed until a chainsaw had unsheathed from his assimilated machinery. As it began to turn, it lit on fire.
Meifeng was horrified for a moment.
Still awesome, though.
Bonecrusher let out a yell as he charged towards them, his chainsaw behind himself. Meifeng was glad that she was no longer pinned by his chainsaw... but, now she realized how small this corridor was, and how big the Bonecrusher was. "Damn it." Meifeng hissed as she snap-froze the water on the ground, and hoped that would be enough to stop Bonecrusher's charge, but the brute merely crushed it underneath his feet. That flaming chainsaw of his swung wildly towards Meifeng, and the girl ducked. The chainsaw got caught in the wall... and fucking cut through stone as he just pulled it out.
Meifeng knew that getting hit by him even once would be a death sentence, now she realizes how high these stakes are. Though, while that chainsaw is a one-hit kill, it's so telegraphed that Meifeng would have an easy time dodging. Still, that was no reason to get cocky. While Bonecrusher was recoiling, Meifeng rolled to the side, right as Bonecrusher pulled his chainsaw free. Now, they have to find a way to stop him. Thankfully, Meifeng brought her containment foam sprayer!
Keeping the beast at bay, Lihua had tore a large chunk of the nearby pillar, and slammed it into Bonecrusher at high speeds. It hit with the force of a speeding car, and sent the brute flying into a wall. He was sandwiched between the wall and the stone, and caused an explosion of dust... but, all that did was leave a thick dent in his machinery. He brushed it off as he got right back up, revving his chainsaw.
"Okay, what can stop this asshole?" Cindy asked as she surrounded herself with floating pieces of glass that she had broke off herself.
"Got an idea," Meifeng said. "It should be enough to keep this asshole suppressed."
"Containment foam?"
"Yes, containment foam," Meifeng replied.
"It didn't work on him last time," Cindy noted.
"That's because you didn't use it right."
"Girls, stop bickering and focus," Lihua said, as she slammed her foot onto the ground, and a earth shaking impact came from the ground, and stone spikes popped out of the ground and violently impaled the Bonecrusher's foot... but, none of them penetrated his armor. He merely kicked his foot, and brute all of it with ease. Lihua grit her teeth in irritation because she couldn't pierce his armor without using the biggest, baddest, moves in her arsenal. Her skin was already splitting, and oozing blood, it was a painful experience indeed.
Reed fired off another burst at the heavy hitting cyborg, hoping to buy them more time. He felt small next to the immense power shown by his colleagues, but he'd be dammed before he sat this one out.
The burst didn't do much other than annoy Bonecrusher. He was focused on killing Meifeng, and then turning his murderous intent onto the rest of them. Bonecrusher rushed towards them again, and swung his chainsaw in a wide arc - only for Lihua to erect a stone block and catch the blow. That set off a light-bulb in Meifeng's head.
"Mom, keep him still! Cindy, go for the eyes!"
Meifeng ordered as Lihua threw up another stone pillar, and sandwiched Bonecrusher between them, while Cindy broke her glass into powder, and sent it flying towards Bonecrusher's eyes. Even though he was wearing a mask, when the glass flew into his eyes, he couldn't help but howl in pain.
That was Meifeng's cue, she grabbed a canister of containment foam, and threw it over the shoulder at Bonecrusher. "Reed!" Meifeng shouted.
Another burst of gunfire erupted from Reed's AR, this time aimed for where she'd thrown the canister in a last ditch effort. By stroke of luck, a round ruptured the canister and within moments its contents had erupted forth and begun to expand outwards, enveloping the monstrous assassin in containment foam.
Meifeng sighed in relief. "Thank God," She huffed. "Okay, that should hold him for a little bit..."
They could hear Bonecrusher's angered roars as he struggled to get free, but he couldn't even get the opportunity to use his brutal strength in the foam. Meifeng was happy for that, but they have bigger problems. Meifeng looked over her shoulder to see Lihua erecting a wall of spikes in the tunnel to close it. There were some spaces, but they were so thin you'd have to be a cat to fit through.
"That should hold them off." Lihua said, wiping sweat off her head, before realizing there was a oozing wound on her forehead. She knelt forward, breathing in deeply.
"Mom, are you okay?" Meifeng asked.
"I am fine, Meifeng," Lihua said. "They'll need a bomb to get through here... but, it'll stall them long enough." She nodded her head as she finally collected herself.
"Alright," Meifeng knew her next course of action: The Hound. If the Family gets Dr. Cross and the rest of her goons, they are finished. She pressed her earpiece. "Control, status on the Black Hound?"
"He is currently in the mid-level of the building - heading towards the prison sector," A random mission control said.
"Alright... let's catch us a doggie..."
Just then, Lihua's phone vibrated in her pocket. Pulling it out, she raised an eyebrow at the name of the sender, then it became both when she read the text:
Break room, plant by the window. We need to talk.
Lihua nodded her head as she realized the true meaning of this message exactly, but she had bigger priorities to worry about. Shizuka would have to wait.
A little busy right now.
...And that was an understatement. Then the mobile vibrated again with another incoming message:
It's urgent, but I can't say much over text 'cos all transmissions are being watched. It's about your brother.
Lihua immediately changed her mind once she heard about Jiao-Long, and nodded her head.
Very well, I'm on my way.
Lihua said, before she looked over towards Meifeng and said, "Let's detour to the break room, our white-haired ally has some... urgent news for us."
Meifeng rolled her eyes.
"It better be worth it, because in case Shizuka didn't realize, the base is going up in flames." Meifeng said.
As the two RAVENs made their descent into the upper offices, they came across the aftermath of a slaughter. Shell casings, shattered glass and other debris littered the floors, whilst blood spatters and the lifeless bodies of colleagues could be found around almost every corner. The first few that Alice and Quentin had seen were shot through the head or the heart, execution-style, whilst further in were the signs of struggle from what little resistance had risen up.
Quentin felt a seething fury at the sight. Some of the faces were, perhaps, vaguely familiar from the last few months he'd spent here, but most of them were blanks to him. That didn't matter. They all worked under the same roof, adopted the same creed. And they'd all been murdered by the Hound and his dogs.
His companion didn't look at the faces of the dead, she couldn't. This hadn't been a fight, it had been a slaughter, even in the few areas where some had attempted to resist it was obvious that they were outclassed. She grimaced as yet another scene of carnage greeted their eyes. The Hound had moved through here fast, efficiently. She scowled at the body of a man in RAVEN armor, it looked like his head had been beaten in with a hammer, clearly by a metahuman with enhanced strength. It could not have been a pleasant death, but... He was roughly the same size as Quentin. She knelt and began to tug at the straps holding the chest piece in place.
"Put this on."
He felt a pang of disgust at the notion of looting a colleague's corpse, even though he'd been beaten beyond recognition, but this was no place to argue. Grimacing, Quentin quickly slipped on the chest rig over his hospital shirt as best he could. At least he wouldn't
Alice empathized with his reaction, but she wasn't losing another colleague that easily, not if she could help it.
"Sorry..."
Quentin shrugged it off as best he could. "Blame the bastards who murdered him."
She shook her head with a feral grin, "Fuck blame. I'm dropping every single one of 'em off the roof."
It was at this point when Quentin realized that they weren't far from the Chairwoman's office. He'd heard the Hound reference Deborah as a "secondary" target, which suggested she hadn't yet been found. "Javaunt's office is down the hall. Doubt we'll find her, but... it couldn't hurt to check."
The chance's that she was still in her office were slim to the point of impossibility, but they were on the floor anyway, and couldn't take the risk that she was already confronting someone in there. Alice nodded, then took point down the hall. She was still in full body armour and far more likely to avoid initial injury, thanks to her ability, than he was.
Shortly after he was at her rear, watching for anything that might've caught them off-guard, but they were soon at the door to Deborah's office, marked rather clearly by the nameplate mounted next to the frame. When Quentin reached to test the handle, he found that the door wouldn't budge. For all intents and purposes, it seemed to be locked.
"Locked. Can you get inside?" Quentin asked, rifle at the ready.
Alice grimaced, eyeing the door up and down for a moment.
"Hold on. I meant, do you feel strong enough to boot it?" He asked, recalling the risks of teleporting into an unfamiliar space. "It's all about leveraging." Quentin pointed to the door handle.
Her boot hit the door with considerable force, Alice might not have been big, but she had a whole lot of pent up rage, the door shook, but failed to open.
"Reinforced?"
"Could be..." Quentin mused, before bracing his own weight against the door. "Try again.
Alice shifted her grip on the rifle, then took a step back, before moving forward and slamming the heel of her boot into the door. This time it shifted, the lock breaking, allowing the two to look inside.
"Javaunt, you in there? Anyone?" He asked, but met no answer. No surprise - to whoever could've been hiding inside, it could've been anyone waiting outside.
"It's Taylor, Quentin Taylor, from RAVEN. Barrett's with me too."
The room was silent, from what Quentin glanced inside, the room was hastily vacated.
"Agents! This is Deborah Javuant, and we need reinforcements!" Deborah frantically shouted over the comms. "We're by the elevator on the top floor, and we're pinned down! We need back up!"
Alice broke into a run, her superior sounded desperate, and a sudden attack from behind might be just what RAVEN needed to turn the tide. Quentin followed after her as fast as he could, rifle at the ready.
The Intimidation Unit.
RAVEN/DOVE West Coast Joint Headquarters.
In a few moments, the RAVEN Headquarters were in ruins.
All because of the man who wears the symbol of the dog on his armor. He marched through the base, with a team right behind him, and his loyal Phantasm at his side. Where ever he went... went up in flames. He walked through the office sector, and he turned towards an office room, and threw a grenade inside. He kept marching as the room went up in flames. Unhindered by the destruction he was causing. As whatever the Blessed Three asked of him, he would do it. If it meant destroying what stood in their way, he would gladly do it. RAVEN knew what they were getting in.
He was advancing towards the prison sector... where he imagined they were hunkering. Well, that just made the Hound's duty easier. Thin out their numbers from the sides, and go after other targets. From what the Hound realized, he was in the DOVE's section of Headquarters. Where they kept information on their various cases. It wasn't anything in here that would bother or benefit the Family, but they must destroy everything the organization has built up.
He walked over to a doorway, grabbing an incendiary grenade, and tossing it inside of the office complex. It exploded into a flurry of flames that incinerated the room before the sprinklers came online, and damaged the computers as the water seeped inside. This was a momentary distraction at best, giving them time to gear up, but they were to leave both RAVEN and DOVE in such a sorry state that it would take them awhile to get back up. The water dripped down from the Hound, and puddled on the floor underneath him. "Destroy everything, leave nothing behind."
On orders, the Intimidation Unit started destroying files, computers, everything. Leaving nothing behind but ruin.
The Hound marched on towards the prison sector, then it occurred to him - the backup generators haven't been shut off yet. Which would make this very difficult. "Bonecrusher?" The Hound spoke into his comms, only to get no response from his brute. It's unlikely they killed Bonecrusher so easily, but sending the Phantasm down there would be foolish with all of those electrical wires.
"Sir?" A member of the I.U spoke into the comms. "We have Javuant and Balore pinned, but we need assistance." He said.
"Phantasm." The Hound said, as his ghostly assassin team mate phased through the ceiling, and floated towards Deborah.
That just left the Hound to go against the prison sector alone.
Just how he liked it.
The Hound lead his army of the Intimidation Unit up against the prison sector.
Once he arrived in the long hallways of cells, the first thing he came across was a barricade... and was met with a hail of gunfire from the RAVENS. The bullets made the Hound stagger, and throw his hand up to guard his face. He quickly switched to his grenade launcher, and pressed a button on his helmet, "Intimidation Unit, with me." Before quickly rushed down the hallway with the Intimidation Unit providing covering fire. The Hound pulled the trigger one time, and a large shell came flying out of the grenade launcher's barrel, and hit the barricade. Electing screams of terror as the barricade was blown to pieces - along with one unfortunate RAVEN. A few more pulls of his trigger caused the rest of the barricade to go down in pieces, and what RAVENs weren't killed were left scrambling for help.
He marched through the flaming wreckage of their barricades, stepping over their bodies as the Intimidation Unit followed behind him.
This was too easy. Stalling, at best... The Hound thought to himself. The real resistance must be near the high-security cells.
Though, he was in the low-security cells, full of prisoners who were awaiting trial before they were each sent to the more secure prisons around North America. The Hound could find use for them. The Hound briefly pondered if he should give RAVEN more time to set up their defenses, but, instead, realized that adding a horde of angry prisoners running around would magnify the already massive damage done to RAVEN Headquarters. He stopped for a moment, raising his hand.
"Get these cell doors open, and the prisoners out." He ordered his Intimidation Unit.
"Yes, sir!" They all shouted.
With the first door unlocked with a "borrowed" key, a woman came out with a collar around her neck. The Hound walked over to her, and grabbed onto her collar, crushing it. "You have been unjustly imprisoned," The Hound said in his usual monotone as he dropped the collar to the ground.
"Holy shit!" The woman shouted in shock.
It wasn't long before the rest of the prisoners in the hall were released.
"I have taken time out of my own mission to liberate all of you, and you have the right to leave the base immediately..." The Hound said. "... But, all I ask in return is... destroy as much as you can on your way out. Along with liberating as many of your fellow prisoners as you can."
He threw the keys to the ground, and the woman grinned.
"You heard him!" The woman shouted as she snatched the keys. "Tear this place a new one!" She said, followed by cheering from the rest of her prisoners.
The Hound was already gone, he pressed a button on the side of his helmet, and alerted the rest of the Intimidation Unit, "Push into the prison sector and release everyone you can."
(Written in collaboration with @Zombiedude101) RAVEN/DOVE West Coast Joint Headquarters.
The group had to take the stairs all the way to the prisoner sector because the elevators were currently out of commission. They all received a grave warning right when they made it there.
"Agents, the Intimidation Unit have breached the prison sector!"
"Fuck me," Meifeng hissed to herself, she looked behind herself and there was Reed, Cindy, and... Lihua at the very bottom, panting.
"Mom, you okay?" Meifeng asked
"Yes, I'm fine... just a little winded." Lihua said in between pants as she tried to put on that strong facade that she always did for Meifeng.
"I hate to put this on you, but we're gonna have to push - if those prisoners get out, we're fucked." Reed said, weary of how disastrous an attack at the heart of DOVE and RAVEN would be.
"I am aware of the stakes, Mr. Taylor," Lihua said as she kept running.
"Agents, we have another problem!" A Mission Controller said. "The Intimidation Unit is releasing all the prisoners."
Meifeng almost threw her gun to the ground. "...They're trying to slow everyone down." Meifeng said. "Weaken our defenses, that jazz."
She kicked the stairwell door open, and held the door open for everyone.
Reed pushed in first, AR shouldered with his sights pointed down the hall. He knew well enough what kind of prisoners they were going to find here,
"We need to get to Dr. Cross first," Meifeng said as she took a sharp right, and started running down the hall. "That's our best chance of stopping the Hound."
Lihua nodded her head as she panted heavily, pushing on behind Meifeng with the best of her ability as the group moved through the halls of the prison, but, it wasn't long until the group encountered a few of the Metahumans that the Intimidation Unit had released. A group of three men in orange jumpsuits, the one that stood out to Meifeng was the dude with a singular, cyclopic brown eye.
"It's RAVEN!" The one-eyed man shouted as his eye began to glow red, Lihua reacted as she threw her hand up, and flipped a piece of stone from the ground around them, and ducked down behind it as a red beam of light hit it dead on. They could feel the heat from the other side, but concrete was one material that was difficult to burn through, luckily for them.
Cindy had an idea, she put her palm straight up, and created a orb of molten glass - different from the other glass seeds she created as it was reflective. She threw the orb over Lihua's shield, and it erupted into a tree-like tower of reflective glass. The beam of light was immediately reflected back into the man, and he loudly screamed as his eye was being overloaded with energy. He loudly screamed as he covered his eye, and winced for a moment.
Meifeng smiled at Cindy as she hopped out of cover, her eyes were on the other two men - a man with enlarged, ape-like hands (Both Meifeng and Reed were aware of what horrors had been accomplished with those same hands), and a man who had encased himself in a thick layer of ice. She grinned. Iceman would be easy because all she did was revert the ice back into water, and shot him in the chest with her assault rifle. The bullet went right through him, and he was dead in an instant. Meifeng couldn't afford to be so merciful in these times. Reed, on the other hand, appeared from behind the concrete shield and finished off the cyclops with a short series of rounds which punched through his mid-section.
That just left the would-be inmate with the oversized hands, who quickly realised he was outnumbered and outgunned. "Awh, shit!" He raised both hands in the air as Reed trained his sights on him.
"If I were you," Meifeng said, aiming her gun at him. "I'd get my ass in a cell, and throw away the keys."
He had enough sense to do as Meifeng said - even if he was going to try to leave later, well, they'll worry about that later. They had to get to the encampment fast as possible. Meifeng broke into a sprint with the others in tow.
With so much on the line, Meifeng and the others got there fairly quickly. The encampment to the High-Security risk consisted of everything they could gather together to make a solid barricade. It mainly consisted of superpowers, but Meifeng knew the Hound could break through it with ease if he'd wanted.
When they approached, the paranoid agents manning the defense levelled their weapons at the group, ready for another fight.
"Stop! Not a fucking muscle!" One of the agents growled, prompting Meifeng to immediately throw her hands up, "Hey, hey, don't shoot, it's us!"
"Meifeng Zhao?" An Agent asked... one that Cindy immediately recognized as April Cooper. "How'd you get here befor- know what? Just get in." Meifeng and the other complied as they got behind the barricades.
"Phew, you guys sure know how to hold down the fort," Meifeng said as she put her hands on her hips.
"Yeah, we got everything we can... ammo, and everything," April said.
"Um, excuse me," Cindy said. "What about the field? You know, the Meta-Suppressant field?" She asked. "Shouldn't it be on by now?"
"We're hoping to catch the Hound off guard with it," April said "If he and his goons get by, we're turning it on."
"Hmmmm..." Lihua mused, their fallback plan was as flawed as it came, but at least that meant that their little portal maker couldn't teleport them out immediately. "With us here... we can reinforce this sector." She mused. She was already getting tired from all the work she's been doing, so, she will take a back seat here at least.
Cindy nodded her head. "Yeah, I'll get to work." She put her hands on the ground, and created glass on the floor that traveled along the ground, creating reinforced barriers of glass that could withstand gunfire.
But, what Lihua wondered was if Dr. Cross was honestly worth keeping alive. She had to be the pragmatic one here... killing Dr. Cross and her band of goons would most likely be more beneficial than keeping them all alive. Especially when it was ambiguous that it would even work. "Suggestion, Zhao?" Reed asked her, picking up on the veteran agent's contemplation over what action to take next.
Lihua looked at him for a moment.
"...It's nothing."
"You sure?" He asked, aware that the Zhao Matriarch's many years in NEST gave weight to her words. Even if they were few, it was worth hearing her out. She'd got them through Verthaven, after all.
"I'm just worried about Lijuan... I know she's out of town by now, but I'm hoping she's safe." Lihua lied.
"...She's a tough kid, you know." Reed remarked, recalling how brave the girl had been when he'd pulled her out of the lake, "Quentin was right. Guess it must run in the family."
Lihua put fingers on her jaw. "I know, I know... but, there's only so much a child can handle."
Shizuka tossed his mobile phone onto the coffee table as he reclined back on the couch. "What's going on at the HQ?" he turned his head and asked Holly, who was tending to a few potted plants at the balcony. "I don't think a dumb power outage like this can keep the RAVENs that busy..." Jiao-Long's name certainly got Lihua's attention when he texted her moments ago, but she was taking too long to show up at the 'meeting' place in his message: the break room. Meanwhile, Ryu was setting up Haruka's laptop on the table (which they brought it over from Akemi's house, along with some other... supplies), sorting out the USB drives they had managed to recover in the past five days.
The three of them were holding the fort at Aislin's suite while the rest of the group was away. Aislin had some business to attend to for CID, Haruka was with Jennifer, and the 'Lightning Tag Team' (i.e. Malik and Rhea) were probably still out somewhere in the city to search for more of Marcelle's logs together.
"The Headquarters is currently under attack..." Holly began, her brows furrowed in concentration as she mentally linked up with the floras in the DOVE/RAVEN building to gather intel. "...The IU has infiltrated the HQ."
Shizuka sat upright at the news. "Huh? Now, of all times?"
"...They are mostly just tearing down the place, but they seem to be heading for... the prison sector," Holly finished, shaking her head. "They still want Dr. Cross and the Mannequin."
So that's probably what kept Lihua so busy... Shizuka stared at the back of his mentor in silence, then he blew out an air of resignation. "...With the Fags probably watching all telecommunication channels, we can't get in touch with RAVEN so carelessly, and alert those Blessed Bitches about what we know or going to do."
"I know," Holly turned her head around slightly and gave him a nod. "Just leave it to me to deliver the information we have to them."
When Shizuka's gaze shifted from Holly to Ryu, he was greeted with a questioning look from the Japanese agent. "From your tone, it sounds like something bad is happening to your other allies?"
"Yeah, something troublesome," Shizuka sighed, closing his eyes for a brief moment. "In the meantime, let's hear the logs we have so far..."
"Marcelle's Log Three: I'm getting settled into the Founding Family's ranks... and I encountered an interesting individual; Samantha Allger. A member of the Intimidation Unit that was apparently a former member of NEST. She was rough, but she wasn't that unpleasant to talk to. She spoke of a sect within NEST known as VULTURE - NEST's personal black ops group. She didn't go into it, but NEST betrayed her, and she was welcomed into the Intimidation Unit. This isn't useful... but, I've managed to have little 'interviews' with some of the other Intimidation Unit. It turns out that many of them come from all over the world. Some are mercenaries, and others were scorned by the nations of this world and were welcomed into the Family's arms. Which gives me an idea of where they're coming from.
"Sorry this Log doesn't have much new ground to cover, but I am trying to get a feel for the organization. It's these small facts that can help us find a way to stop them. Samantha is easily the only friend I have in the organization - if you can call her that. Veronica, my other coworker treats me with contempt, and Makoto is either sexually attracted to me, or is really good at getting under my skin. But, Samantha tells me that Veronica herself has no military background, but was trained to be an assassin by the Family... only to sate her lust for revenge against this world. While Makoto... Samantha doesn't know much about her, but she says that she's the daughter of someone very powerful in Japan.
"Marcelle out."
Shizuka glanced towards Ryu with arched eyebrows. "This 'Makoto' person... The time when she was mentioned in the very first log, you had this weird look on your face. You know her?"
"...No, not really," Ryu answered, his expression was saying otherwise. "I'm not sure... She sounds like someone I think I know, but I can't quite place just who, and from where." He shrugged.
Shizuka threw the next drive up into the air and caught it with one hand, before he plugged it in. "...Right. Anyway, let's hear more."
"Marcelle's Log Five: I managed to receive an information dump from Samantha. When I asked, she kindly explained the Family's past to me. Okay, it started during the dawn of Metahumans - when they were rare. One of the dozen Metahumans that popped up worldwide had a powerful Cerebral-based power: essentially being made into a genius decades - maybe even centuries - ahead of his time. This man used his knowledge to gain favor with the nation he was working for, and traveled the world using his medical knowledge to make millions. Becoming a wealthy man. However, he decided that his knowledge shouldn't be free to the world. He instead declared that he was the most genetically perfect man on the planet. He gathered a society of scientists of that era, and made various scientific advancements in secret. Gathering a following as he birthed his lineage of children - many of whom were recruited into this secret society. Thus, becoming the 'Founding Family.'
"Even after this man's death, his work is a precedent for the Family to come. His lineage turned his small secret society into an empire. Roping many of the world's richest people, and their greatest minds, into their organization until they created a self-sustaining beast of sort. They used eugenics to keep their leadership 'pure' and create superior human beings to serve them. He wanted to create a breed of perfect human beings through genetic modification, and apparently the leadership of the Founding Family; the so-called Blessed Three, are perfection on every level a human being can possibly achieve. Physical, mental, emotional... genetic, perfection. I don't believe in that, but I've yet to meet one of the Blessed Three in person.
"Strangely, Samantha told me that she didn't even know who this man's name was. She just shrugged. Which raises another disturbing question of whether or not he could even still be around. He was a genius on every level, correct? What if he found a way to achieve immortality? But, that is just my musing.
"One thing I gathered about Samantha is that she doesn't seem too keen on serving the Family. Unlike some of the more fanatical members of the Family, she treats it all with casual indifference. I'm starting to believe that there is hope for the people who work for this insane organization after all.
"Marcelle out."
Shizuka and Ryu exchanged looks with each other. Both of them had the same thought: the Family was truly some fucked-up cult, twisted beyond any humane understanding. It all began with a narcissistic genius with an obsession for human perfection, that escalated to the use of illegal genetic experiments on people, putting them through extreme mental and physical conditioning to cultivate a group of Metahumans as close to his vision of what a 'perfect' human being should be. Even more frightening that his brilliance and charisma easily attracted curiosity - and greed - of the brightest minds and wealthiest snobs, feeding limitless resources to his sick cause and expanding his influence from cult to country, then to region level.
The mention of immortality made Shizuka perked up a little. He still had zero idea why the Family would want Jennifer's hand and even brainwash her, when she had more than enough problems of her own to even pose any threat to them (she was a troublesome liability that any intelligent person wouldn't want to deal with, as far as he was concerned). He couldn't think of any reason other than the possibility that they might be interested in her regeneration ability. Maybe her power was a missing link in their pursue towards perfection - of (near) immortality?
The two men didn't spoke a word to each other as Ryu plugged in another log:
"Marcelle's Log Fifteen: I've gathered some interesting information. Apparently the Family has some enemies out there. There are two organizations that primarily oppose the Founding Family; the Philosophers, and the Coven. Both of which are secret organizations... and are a thousand times more altruistic than the Family ever will. I should start with the information I've gathered on the Philosophers. Like the Family, they are an organization of science. Primarily comprised of Metahumans. They were helping the world from the shadows for ages now. Saving people from the Founding Family through secret raids, and recovering children that were kidnapped by the Changeling Unit. However, they barely have the numbers or the might of the Family, and are barely doing more than annoying them. I honestly wish to seek out the Philosophers.
"Another thing I learned was that the Family are clients of the Changeling Unit. If you don't know who the Changelings were... they were an organization of psychopaths that kidnapped children, along with having a hand in the Verthaven disaster and an alley of the Hands of Science. The MISW had crossed paths with the Changelings - apparently the Changelings broke out a powerful Metahuman from the MISW - and that's what put the Changelings on the DGMHS' radar. Thank God the Changelings are gone or this would get a lot more complicated.
"But, the Coven... they are the most interesting out of the two organizations. For one reason and one reason alone; the Verschlinger. It means 'Devourer' or 'Eater' in German, but she was apparently one of the first Metahumans ever to become a Metahuman - and has some form of immortality that allowed her to live for three centuries. And was the strongest of them all. The details are vague, but she was the scourge of all Metahumans of her time... until she stopped. She mellowed out with time, and formed the Coven. Who seem to be an organization of lost Metahumans with altruistic goals. The Coven was the main opposition of the Family for decades now - long before the nations of the world got involved, they had this invisible far. I don't know too much about them, but the Family truly fear the Verschlinger - at least, that's what Samantha says. All because she is so powerful that she can defeat even their strongest members.
"But, Samantha told me that the Coven isn't strong as they used to be - that the Coven primarily consists of young and inexperienced Metahumans. Which is why the Verschlinger hasn't been going up against the Family like she wants to be; she doesn't want to put them in the line of fire. Which has lead to a mutual 'ceasefire' between the two organizations. I want to look into the Coven soon... maybe after this is over I'll investigate both the Coven and the Philosophers.
"Marcelle out."
"Jennifer - the acquaintance that I've talked about - did mention this 'Coven' when I questioned her about her hand that night," Shizuka raised his head and looked up at the ceiling, recalling the things that emo blonde told him and Lihua about her time as Missy in the seven-year gap. "She said about two Metas from the Coven came to take the girl Jen had under her wing away. Her name was Lily-something, and she had a power that could empower people - like turning normies into Metas, and making existing Metas even stronger than before."
Ryu let out a low whistle. "That's an ability that certainly anyone who kill to get their hands on. But that aside, the Coven and the other group, the 'Philosophers'... It would be of great help to us if there's a way to join forces with them to overthrow the Family--"
Shizuka shook his head. "At this point it's kinda too late for us to try and get in contact with them. We don't even know where or who exactly they are, and our resources are quite limited at the mo' to split that up further to investigate more weird cults. Let's just keep this in view for now and focus on our immediate problem: the Fags." Earning a grin from the electrokinetic as Ryu moved on to the log marked '20':
"Marcelle's Log Twenty: I've gathered some information... some very disturbing information, at that. I've visited their headquarters in Prince Edfield, and learned about the Cultivators, as they call them. In essence; the Cultivators are children of the Family's most loyal and dedicated employees - loyal and dedicated enough to give their own children to the Family - who are raised from birth to be the perfect employees for the Founding Family. Taught science, education, or combat, like no other. It's... indoctrination. Utterly inhuman. It's my top priority to get these children far away from the Family as possible.
"I am not allowed anywhere near the Cultivators, no one is. Blake made that loud and clear - but, it seems that the best Cultivators get an exclusive position as one of the Blessed Three's... apprentices. It goes beyond mere servitude... it's almost like they are training these children to take their place. The only Apprentice I've seen was Blake Schmidt's... Daniel, I think his name was.
"But, it would seem that the Cultivators aren't that perfect as the Blessed Three are lead to believe. Because, Daniel turned against Blake, challenging him for the freedom of the other Cultivators. Unfortunately, it was not a fight that Daniel could win, and he was soundly defeated. I do not know of his fate - no one does - but, that leads me to believe that he could still be alive. Somewhere.
"I think I'll buy the kid a drink after all of this is over."
"Marcelle out."
A long silence followed after the end of the log; in the end Shizuka spoke up first, "We all know the Fags are a bunch of sickos; regardless of whether they are Metas or normal humans, their background... To them, all of us are just expendables to help them seek greater heights to whatever madness they're aiming for. Well, at least we know that not everyone in that crazy org are under their mind control. Maybe some of them were bought into the IU with their greed for wealth and power, or even desire for revenge and bloodlust... but anyone who has a bit of humanity in them is likely to start resisting the Family, unable to forgive the kind of horrors they've been doing to people around them."
Ryu rubbed his chin with a hand, thoughtful. "Even if they may harbor feelings of spite towards the Family, they know that they don't have the power to overthrow the Blessed Three, so the Family can still effectively keep their members in check using their fear for life - the basic human instinct for survival."
A faint smile appeared on Shizuka's face as he said, "Haru told this to the Fire Spirit during our stakeout: 'Power and money can buy the world, the people... but never enough to buy loyalty.' The same goes with fear tactics; the Fags know that very well, and that's probably why they have to employ mind control to force them to submission, to make sure that their underlings won't try to betray them, ever. Unfortunately, an acquaintance I know has proven that even such power isn't absolute and there are ways to resist it."
"But like you've said so yourself, unless we can find the Metahuman responsible to reverse the effect of his or her power, it's dangerous to break through the control by force."
Shizuka gave Ryu a smug look. "No, I'm not really talking about releasing those who are being mind-controlled by the Fags. I'm talking about the possibility to exploit these puppets if we have to fight against them. Emotion is a very powerful tool - not something I like to deal with, but it's as important as logic to a person's overall psychological makeup." He plugged in the next log while Ryu was trying to digest what his white-haired partner had said...
"Marcelle's Log Twenty-Two: I have made an interesting discovery... one that doesn't even concern Europe at large, but one that the Americans would find very useful. The Family wants Deborah Javuant, leader of DOVE, and Maximilian Cornell, chairman of RAVEN, dead. That is no secret. But, there's a reason for that; they want to subsume the Meta-Regulation organizations of the world just like they did to the MISW... and I hope not the DGMHS, but that is neither here nor there, as the Americans would say. They want to take over RAVEN and DOVE, so that they may pervert it in their image.
"Just like they did with the MISW over the decades; they basically ruined the image of Metahumans in the UK so that they may have free reign over them. It was the foolishness of Britain that played a part in it, but like I said; that's neither here nor there. They've been using the MISW to kidnap Metahumans of interest, and even normal people for their genetic experiments.
"But, the big thing about the Family is that they had the previous NEST organization under their thumb. It is true, the original NEST council were all loyalists to the Founding Family. Which is how they managed to get the Family's shield technology into cities like Verthaven. When the Verthaven disaster took place, it was the Family who ordered the shield over the city. Only for the protection of their own assets in the off chance the Devil escaped the city.
"After the disaster, the NEST council were the ones that took the fall for it... and at the same time, the Family basically threw away the control they had over America's Metahuman Regulation... something they seek to rectify. I don't know what exactly the Family did with NEST as their puppets, but I don't want to imagine with such a large amount of Metahumans in America.
"Marcelle out."
Shizuka crossed his arms before him once he finished translating for Ryu, a grim look on his face before he glanced at Holly. RAVEN - especially the Verthaven ol' crew - would definitely have to know this. The truth behind the disaster that had haunted each and every single one of them for all these years. He wasn't sure how Lihua and the rest were going to feel after hearing this information, but he was certain that they knew the stakes here; they couldn't let the Family get their way and kill the leaders of the only organization left in America that had any chance to save the world from the Family's insanity.
"Horrible," Ryu commented, shaking his head slowly. "I've heard a bit about the Verthaven disaster on the Japanese news, but this is just atrocious. Even more ironic that the Family fear for their own life as much as commoners like us."
"Yeah," Shizuka agreed, picking up the drive with the number '25' on it and plugged it into the laptop. "No matter how powerful they are, they're still flesh and blood human beings, after all."
"Marcelle's Log Twenty-Five: I've been working rather closely with the member of the Blessed Three; Julia O'Sullivan, as one of her bodyguards. I've been personally wondering why she needs a "bodyguard" when few people know of her, and she is surrounded by her Secretaries... God, I pray for them. But, it turns out that I'm less of a bodyguard, and more of a lab rat. Case in point, Julia asked me to take a strange pink pill. It had something written on the side - 157 - but I didn't get too long to look at it as Julia urged me to take it... and once I took it, oh God, I've felt joy like no other. Like, all my stress, fears, and negativity just... melted away. I felt so good, like I was in a state of ecstasy. I blocked out the world as I... as I moved with a new vigor that made me feel like a child again. That's when Julia locked me in a room, and studied me until the effects had worn off. After it had wore off, I felt oddly... violent. Like I wanted to kill someone with my barehands...
"I was horrified. That bitch... drugged me with something. I had no idea what it was, but I kind of wanted to experience it again. When I questioned Julia... the first thing I received was a slap across the face, for questioning a member of the Blessed Three. Then she politely explained it was an experimental drug of hers. She wanted to test it's effects on someone who was 'loyal' to the Family, then said that the drug wasn't 'addictive enough...' Just what was she working on?
"It might be another way of keeping their men in line... because, to this hour, I crave the happiness I felt when I was under the effects of the drug. I begged her for another dose, but she declined, saying that she wanted to make a few adjustments... and said I can have as much as I want then.
"I want more. Please. I don't know what it was, but finally feeling some happiness is... is... Oh my God, I got to resist it... but it was so good...
"I... I... Marcelle out."
Another time a long silence stretched on between the two men. Now they knew the identity of the last member of the Blessed Three - Julia - but the more appalling part was the drug. If mind control wasn't good enough to keep their minions in line, how about an addictive drug to make them becoming hopelessly dependent on it on top of amplifying their bloodlust, turning them into raging, killing machines? Just how far the Family were going for the sake of creating 'perfect' Metahumans, and to tame that perfection into absolute obedience?
This is beyond insanity - this is just inhuman. All for the sake to pursue some childish perfection.
Ryu's face showed pure disgust. "The more I hear about this 'Founding Family', the more I feel revolted at everything they have done. I can't help wondering if the Blessed Three have some sort of god complex..."
"More like a bunch of spoiled brats with an ego so swollen that they deserve a thorough spanking," Shizuka said darkly, getting up from the couch and walking towards the balcony - to Holly's side. Giving Ryu some time to mull over the new things they just learned from the six logs they had heard so far.
The chloropath turned to face her junior with a smile. "Anything interesting that you have learned from the fresh batch of logs?"
"Loads," Shizuka drawled, gazing far ahead into the night. A few dim lights could be seen scattered around - those who had a backup generator of sorts - but most of the landscape was still shrouded in darkness. "In fact, I think we also need to find a way to meet up with them, and join them for the finale of this ridiculous shitshow."
Meifeng Zhao, Lihua Zhao, Cindy Keagan, & Reed Taylor, vs. The Intimidation Unit.
(Written in collaboration with @Zombiedude101) RAVEN/DOVE West Coast Joint Headquarters.
With the help of both Lihua and Cindy, their defenses couldn't get any tighter than it was now. With brutal stone spikes in front of chest-high, glass barriers. Along with the powers provided by the other agents, they made sure that this one hallway was going to be hard as hell to break through. But, Meifeng and Cindy knew that the Hound and his cronies have broken through much, much, stronger defenses.
"Agents, be aware," Their little eye in the sky said. "The Hound is approaching."
Meifeng grinned. "Looks like the party's about to get started!"
The lights exploded from far down the hallway, each ending with a pop as the glass fragments fell from the ceiling. It stopped right before their defenses, but RAVEN weren't even the slightest bit off put by the display... that was for later.
The black "sarcophagus" that the Hound's men had rolled in earlier from the garage slid into the hallway on a trolley, thick, heavy lid that was seated atop it now unlocked and ajar. Whatever was inside was now exposed to the open air.
A dull blue glow pulsed from within, then the lights flickered and buzzed again. There was a muffled noise coming from within. A desperate, choking sound, as though someone were trying to speak with fingers clenched around their neck. Arcs of electricity crackled from within, until the lid was thrown off violently, to the horror of the agents watching. Then, a hand emerged from the object, a pale blue in colour, veins pulsing with that same glow, fingers tightening around where the lid had been moments before.
"What is... oh, shit. Everyone, get back!" Reed shouted to the others as the hand's owner emerged from the sarcophagus, a pale blue figure with a pulsating circulatory system which could be seen glowing from beneath the surface of their skin. It was nude and emaciated, revealing that the figure was male. His eyes seemed glazed over, though the agonised expression on his face and the choked sounds coming from his mouth made it clear that he was fully aware of the experience as he emerged from his chamber, stepping out onto the floor with shaky, unsteady steps, towards the barricade. More arcs of electricity jolted forth from the pale man's skin, the lights overhead bursting under his influence until the hallway was near enough illuminated only by the intensifying light beneath his skin. Finally he opened his mouth yet again in an effort to form words...
"...Help... help... please." It was a desperate, resonant sound, inhuman in its nature, but a voice nonetheless. The voice continued without end, the glowing light beneath his skin intensifying with each word. "Help... stop... stop... pain... burning....."
Meifeng raised her head, looking in abstract horror as she realized what they had done to this man. They had to have put him under some experimentation of some sort.
Soon enough the light was nearly blinding, the man still stumbling towards them as some of the agents raised their weapons, uncertain of how to act. One fired off a round at the poor bastard only for it to disintegrate as it made contact with his skin.
"Aw, hell," Cindy said as she quickly ducked down behind her barriers. She quickly released mirror-glass from her body to try to reflect the light in hopes that she could at least deflect some of the blinding light away from RAVEN.
"Stop-it-stop-it-stop-it-stop-it-stop-it..." The last few words were a desperate pleading, despite how unnatural the voice was. Only next came wasn't so much a voice as it was a screech as the man lunged for them. What was he doing? Only then did any of them realise that he was ashing, his body disintegrating as a wave of energy swept forth from his body, overwhelming all.
"STOP IT!"
In an instant, all of the lights died, bursting forth as they were overloaded the sheer energy pouring forth from this man. A few of the agents who'd been two close were knocked down, scorched by the lightning crackling against their body armour, whilst the others found themselves pushed back or otherwise knocked down. All electrical systems in the vicinity died, the pulse of energy too much to cope with.
"Holy sh- ARGH!" Meifeng shouted as the lighting crashed against her... her body, due to her power, was far more sensitive to electricity. When the electric shock hit her and she was sent convulsing to the ground. She hit the ground hard as she was knocked unconscious.
"Meifeng!" Lihua shouted as she dropped down to her daughter's side, checking her pulse... Meifeng was still, fortunately, alive, but wouldn't be for long. This man had absolutely destroyed their defense all on his own... they'd have to get out of here. Lihua pressed her earpiece, but realized that it was dead. Everything in here powered by electricity was dead. She hissed as she pulled it out of her ear and threw it to the ground. She'd have to do this the hard way. She grabbed Meifeng by the shoulders, and tried to pull her away.
"Everybody, get back!" Cindy shouted as she erected her glass shields - which were melting. While glass doesn't conduct electricity, it won't last too long against all this shit. Cindy was back pedaling inwards towards the base.
"Mr. Taylor," Lihua looked up at Reed. "Give me some help."
Nodding, the DOVE Investigator took a knee beside Meifeng and looped his arm under her shoulder, then glanced back towards her, "Steady now."
Lihua quickly began to pull Meifeng away... there wasn't too much time to be steady with the Hound pretty much over top of them (And Meifeng is pretty tough herself). She dragged Meifeng off towards wherever she hoped safety was.
"Hey, Cindy," April said as she backpedaled, shooting wildly into the darkness. "Remember what I said about the field?"
"Yeah." Cindy said as her focus was on keeping this glass barrier up.
"...I don't think that's gonna work now."
"And water is wet," Cindy harshly said, the Hound's glowing red eyes could be seen through the darkness. This isn't good... now, he can just waltz into the room as if it was nothing. "Fuck." She briefly considered whether or not she should just bail, but she's a DOVE. She's in this for the long run. She changed her mind about this glass-shield plan, and merely threw up the shield and fixed it to each end of the hallway. She then just turned around and ran it, ordering the rest of the defenses, "Just fall back!"
She quickly retreated to the final stand, the hallway leading into the cells belonging to the three people RAVEN was so desperate to keep out of the hands of the Founding Family.
Their defenses were blown away by a few well placed grenades from the Black Hound's grenade launcher. Through the smoke and rubble, the Hound stepped over it, and continued undeterred. However, the Hound's mission was not to personally extract the prisoners...
...It was to get someone else in position.
Reed felt the halls shaking behind him, the odor of smoke and debris seeping through the halls. When the shooting had started, the DOVE Investigator had practically hauled Meifeng over onto his shoulders, carrying her as he'd carried Faith in the massacre at the debate. Lihua was just ahead of him, keeping pointing with her Mossberg as they made their way down the corridors by the light of an emergency flare. The crimson glow would lead them out through the other entrance to high-security, where they might've had a chance at getting Meifeng to safety.
Only thing was, if it wasn't for either of the Zhaos, Reed would've gone back to fight with the others. He could only hope that Cindy and their colleagues would hold out against the bastards for as long as they could.
Hopefully.
Cindy and the other RAVENS were quickly forced into a long hallway full of cells (that are empty). At the end of the hallway were three cells belonging to Dr. Cross, Ignatius, and the Mannequin. Three people that RAVEN weren't too keen on letting leave here - they were also not seeing the point of going this far to defend criminals. But, they had hastily thrown up defenses with whatever they could gather, and with their abilities. Several different walls, that each had more RAVENS the further they got down the hall. All they were preparing to do was madly open fire on them. The Hound could probably pierce through it like it was nothing, but they had to at least try to hold out.
But, when the Hound lead the charge, followed by his Intimidation Unit, it felt like they were holding out for a miracle. There was nothing but bullets as Cindy took the rear, and was barraging the IU from afar with her glass powers. Also producing shields for whoever needed it. But, it still wasn't enough.
It was really a desperate situation indeed.
They were pinned down, and the Intimidation Unit was punching through whatever Cindy could put up. They had no back up - and even if they put out a call, it wouldn't be long until the IU overruns them. Cindy was getting very tired. All this glass she was creating, mixed with using her power without any break, was wearing her down. She created three glass spears, each three feet long, and sent them spinning at the Intimidation Unit.
One man was impaled through the chest with it... while the other two were dodged. Which barely put a dent in their numbers.
At this point, Cindy was debating between giving up... and straight up killing the three. At least, that way, if they got overrun, at least the Family wouldn''t get what they want. Cindy would die a hero at very least. Loved by all of Baybridge for her work in the DOVE field. Hell, maybe even get a statue made after her.
The Hound finally made his push, and took a hail of gunfire as he got close as he could. Shooting RAVENS left and right, and utterly tanking their ammunition. Cindy Keagan was in the far back. Exactly where he needed her... he didn't want to play along in this upcoming atrocity, but he has no choice. It's what the Family wanted, after all.
He turned a dial on his helmet, and let out a low sigh, as he said, enhanced by his helmet...
"...Mechanized Memories."
It was almost lost in the chaos, and everyone looked on confused. But, Cindy, she froze up for a moment. Before she continued her assault. Throwing shards of glass at the Intimidation Unit hoping to turn the tide of this incredibly desperate battle.
However, the tide of the battle came alright.
Cindy quickly, for no discernible reason at all, turned her glass shards on RAVEN. They quickly cut through the ranks of RAVEN, opposed to the Intimidation Unit. Everyone was so caught off guard, that they barely had time to react. There were screams as men and women were literally torn apart within their armor. Blood was pooling on the floor.
"Ms. Keagan!?" April shouted as she turned around, expecting an explanation... only to get an arrowhead shaped shard of glass shoved into her throat. She fell over, grasping her throat as Cindy went to her pistol and opened fire on her own team. First shot fired killed a coworker she'd been friends with for years... and she didn't even flinch.
"What the fuck?!" The RAVENS quickly turned around to face Cindy - only for the Hound to make his big push and shoot a grenade into the group of them. They were reduced to chunks at the IU pushed in, and ultimately overwhelmed the defenses.
In less than a few moments, RAVEN's defense was reduced to nothing but a hallway full of dead bodies. The Hound stepped over the bodies, as Cindy was... double-tapping.
She would walk up to a body, check to see if they are alive, and would promptly fix that with one bullet.
She came over to April Cooper's body, who was blooding, on her very last limbs. She put her hand up, and asked, one question,
"...Cindy, why...?"
Cindy didn't answer, she merely aimed the gun at her head, before pulling the trigger, and splattering the contents of April's head on the floor.
Ignoring all the bodies was easy - but, the Hound found this tactic... inhuman.
He briefly stopped and looked at Cindy with narrow eyes as he walked up to the three cells that RAVEN were desperately trying to defend from the Intimidation Unit. He snapped his fingers, and three members of the Intimidation Unit walked up with long thermic lances. They took position at the door, and used their heavy tools to cut through the first door. They quickly moved on to the others, as the Hound used his strength to pull the heavy duty door off, and threw it to the ground.
The person inside was Dr. Cross... wearing a orange prison jumpsuit. She looked up at the Hound, horrified, as she was standing before the Family's favorite assassin... and he was their favorite for a good reason.
"...Oh God," Dr. Cross said. "It took you this long to kill me?" She asked.
"No," The Hound said as he stepped inside. "We are here to recover some... valued employees for our project."
Dr. Cross' intention was to betray the Founding Family, but now they wanted her back? Too good to be true.
"I..."
"Come now," The Hound said... before, in a swift motion, he grabbed Dr. Cross by the neck, and held her up to his face. "We don't have much time to spare before reinforcements come."
Dr. Cross gulped as she was single handedly hauled out of the room. When the Hound stepped out, he saw that both Ignatius and the Mannequin were also free. Ignatius grinned at him, and said,
"Well, are you a sight for sore eyes." He said, monotone, with the intention of mocking the armored man. "I guess you want us to go back to the boss so you can hang us from the gallows, right?" He slowly snorted through his nose, and spit on the Hound's boots.
The Hound's eyes flashed a bright red. "...Not quite," He started off. "You will be punished for your crimes later. For now, you are required..." He trailed off.
"For what? Still want me apart of your murder squad?" Ignatius snorted. "Killing people's fun... not when it's to stroke the egos of your little demigods." He calmly said, rolling his eyes. He definitely wasn't taking the Hound seriously.
That could be fixed.
The Hound shoved his revolver into Ignatius's face, and said, "Do you remember who is in charge here? And do you know who's the least useful right now?"
Ignatius merely rolled his eyes. "...I take it you don't like my criticisms of your masters?" He said. "But, I'll be a nice doggy from here on in."
Ignatius wasn't the Hound's problem, he merely pressed a button on his helmet, and said, "Zenith."
A portal opened behind him, and the IU quickly made their exit. Dr. Cross and the Mannequin were following into the portal, but Ignatius had a question.
"...What the hell is she doing here?" Ignatius asked, pointing a finger at Cindy. "Last time I checked, she's a DOVE."
"Sorry, but I changed sides," Cindy said with an oddly eager smile. She shrugged as she had a pleased expression on her face. A face that reminded Ignatius of the Joker. She then spoke, "I work for the Blessed Three now. It pays more." She laughed.
Ignatius didn't ask questions because he knows that the Family have their ways. He merely stepped into the portal.
"...Intimidation Unit, pull out." The Black Hound said, and just like that, many portals were called, and the Intimidation Unit had ended their assault on RAVEN Headquarters. There was nothing left for them here. The entire building was left in ruins.
The Hound and Cindy walked into the portal side by side.
But, why would Cindy Keagan, the kindest and most dedicated DOVE, suddenly defect?
While Baybride bled... Jennifer merely sat in the living room of their apartment, with a DS in her hands.
It was the best Jennifer could do, after all. Her hunt for answers lead to nowhere... and where the hell could she even look to begin with? Jennifer ultimately gave up, and just resigned to waiting in Cindy's apartment for all of this to blow over. Not like she could do anything. The Hound and the Founding Family were in the range of... Meifeng, Quentin, and the others. She entertained the idea of joining DOVE, but she knew her mental state would make that... difficult. Fighting the Family, regardless of what they did, would be foolish, and she had little stake in this.
But, what if the Family had something to do with her mind?
Well, there's sure as hell nothing Jenny could do about it. As she was playing the newest Pokemon, she could only shut the game off, and sigh in frustration as she laid on her back and put a hand over her head. Her job had... closed for now, and Jennifer probably wouldn't have been in a rush to go there anyway. She wished this nightmare could be over already. Over so she could get back to normal, and work out this train-wreck she called her life.
God damn it, she really wished she had someone to talk to right now.
Meifeng, Quentin, and Reed, were busy fighting the Family (well, that's what Jennifer presumed), Cindy was kidnapped by them, Shizuka was... hell if she knew what he was doing (nor did she really care, he wasn't that good of a talker if she had to be honest with herself), Haruka was probably finding a nice rock to hide under, and Asuma... Well, he was one of the people who was the first to go missing during the kidnapping wave that overcame the city. That's what Jenny thought; he suddenly stopped showing up to work, and suddenly stopped answering her phone calls.
Yeah, didn't seem suspicious at all.
On the plus side... this downtime has really allowed Jennifer to regenerate that hand of hers. She flexed her fingers on her hand... which was smaller than it should be, and on closer inspection, not fully formed yet. But it was enough to hold and play a video game, so that's that. Though, she couldn't help but feel loss in knowing that she has lost her hand, and this was just a shallow replica of it. Weird. Maybe she should just forget about it and stop worrying about the small things so much.
Then, a rattling sound could be heard coming from the balcony, which was followed by a muffled voice calling out her name, "...Jennifer?" Other than the ruffled hair and clothes from riding the wind to get all the way up to Cindy's suite, this person still looked the same as before she had last seen them. More importantly, she wasn't expecting this person to show up with such an entrance, at all.
Jennifer raised a blonde eyebrow. Okay, what the hell was Haruka doing here? Well, if he was coming in through here, it had to be urgent. She felt a little annoyed that her moping was interrupted... but she was innately glad to see Haruka. She opened the door, and was quick to say, "...There's a door, y'know? And what are you doing here?"
"It's faster for me to fly up here than climbing the stairs, with the elevators out of service and all," Haruka replied, walking into the living room after Jennifer. He couldn't tell her that he was here mainly because of Shizuka's paranoia, knowing that they were on bad terms with each other. That aside, he did want to see her, anyway. "And... uh, just to check if you're okay." He shrugged. "You know, your hand... and headache." This was the second time he chose to get straight to point with her; her opinion of him would probably sour further if he kept continuing to be so direct with her, but he really didn't like to admit that Shizuka was always right, that they didn't have much time to waste on pleasantries.
Jennifer put her freshly regenerated hand up for Haruka to see. "Well, you don't have to worry about the hand, heh..." she quietly chuckled at her own joke. "I guess you can say that I'm doing fine as I'll ever be... just here alone... in Cindy's apartment."
Haruka let out a sigh of relief; that was one problem checked out. "...How about your head?" he pressed again. "I heard that... you kept having migraines ever since you got assaulted for your hand."
"They've been going down..." Jennifer lied as she quickly looked off to the side, before she caught herself. "...No, I can't do that anymore," She trailed off. "I've been feeling headaches nonstop lately... I just can't do anything... and worst of all, I'm starting to see these weird visions... like me - or someone - floating in a big test tube or something."
Haruka's brows furrowed - his twin had warned him about the possibility his phasing power might have amplified the side effects of the mind control on her. From the looks of it, it was affecting her worse than what Shizuka had predicted. "...Can you tell me more about these visions?"
"I... don't know how to explain them..." Jennifer trailed off, a hand touching her temple. "During the worst of the headaches I see this place in my mind's eye... a vivid memory... I'm floating in a liquid tube, and I see a shadow of someone in front of me..." She scratched the side of her head as she looked at Haruka briefly. "...You probably think I'm crazy now."
Sounds like a laboratory of sorts, Haruka mused, his jaw tightened with muted irritation at the next thought. What else have they done to her? Then he shook his head at her last line. "I believe you. I'm glad you still keep to the promise from the time we had spoken at the cafe." He stared straight into her eyes, ready to drop the bomb on her. "...Well, you are likely being put under some kind of mind control by the Family."
"M-Mind control?" Jennifer stuttered as she tried to wrap her head around it. "It... can't be. It has to be memory alteration... but why would they target me of all people?" She said as she sat down on the couch, playing with her thumbs for a moment. "I'm nobody important... Never was..." She looked at Haruka. "...Never will be."
"The Family was probably after your regeneration power," Haruka responded in a strained voice. "I don't know why they would go so far to brainwash you on top of getting a sample of your ability, but you heard the announcement before the power outage happened, about some 'grand goal to improve our lives'... the Machine they plan to use to destroy Baybridge. Their leader - Blake, I think he is the one - talked about 'perfection' of the human race, of our genes... It is possible that your power to grant near-immortality was what they need to achieve that 'perfection'."
"Huh?" Jennifer scratched the side of her head as she tried to process all of this. Who was Blake? What is the Machine? "Haruka, you need to slow down a bit there... I have no idea about this Machine or who Blake is."
...Oh. Jennifer wouldn't understand what he was talking about, since no one beyond the odd group that Shizuka had rounded up knew all these information. However, he had one more thing to ask before it was his turn to tell her his story. "Have you tried to look around for some answers? And I hope you didn't do that alone..." he trailed off, adding as an afterthought.
"Well... I went to meet a friend of mine about it..." Jennifer bluntly said as she scratched the back of her neck. "Hailey Guinn... turns out she didn't know anything about it, and I have no where to look... so I've been in here. Playing games." She just shrugged. "But, I need to get to the bottom of this... I don't know what this Family would even want anything to do with me, but I guess standing in the sidelines and hoping it works itself out isn't going to cut it."
She looked up at Haruka. "Right?"
Haruka frowned at what Jennifer was telling him. Something felt a little... off, but he didn't know where this strange feeling of dissonance was coming from. In the end he went with a nod in response to her question. "That is another reason for my, um, sudden visit. I want to help you - we want to help you." He paused to recollect his thoughts, then he began, "I know you hate my brother, but even if he was suspended from RAVEN he had been working nonstop to gather intel in secret, trying his best to make some sense out of all this madness so that we can have a better chance of stopping the Family from repeating the Verthaven disaster again, this time in Baybridge. He told me about your hand and headache, and about how his power might have worsened your condition unknowingly when he used his ability to check for any internal injuries you might have sustained..." he trailed off to catch his breath, before he went on. "He wanted me to get in contact with you as soon as possible to see how much you are aware that your mind has been tampered with by the Family, and also look for ways to release you from the brainwash, or at least any weaknesses we can exploit to help you resist the control... But it is my own choice to meet up with you."
Jennifer nodded her head. "Like I said, I figured that there was someone after me," Jenny said as she looked at Haruka. She didn't care for Shizuka, but at the same time she couldn't deny that he was dedicated. "I had no idea it was this Family even was until they broadcast it like that... Wasn't that crazy, just announcing who they are like that?" Jennifer just had to note.
Haruka shrugged. "Well, they are the literal embodiment of madness this time..." he trailed off, recalling the time when they had fought against the Devil, Luis and his Changelings back at Verthaven. "That announcement was nothing compared to all the other things they had done. The Family was the one who created and set loose the Beast that destroyed Prague."
Prague... Jennifer herself didn't hear much about it - except from her boss Megan - but she could feel the effects of it from all the way over here. "The Beast was like... a Verthaven-level shitstorm," Jenny said as she looked Haruka in the eye. "They could fuck everything up if they can just create them."
Haruka stared at her for a minute before he looked away. "Also, you are not the only one who got subjected to their mind control game. The Family kidnapped people from all over the world and brainwashed the victims into obedience, to serve the Family and even die for them."
She was about to say something, but she caught herself before she got up off the sofa and walked over towards the door. "...That just proves it." Jennifer started off. "We gotta save them from whatever the hell the Family has them under... It makes me cringe thinking of what sick things they're doing to them."
"That isn't all," Haruka continued in a quiet tone. "There is this group within the Family - they call themselves the 'Blessed Three', if I remember correctly - whose members might have undergone some form of experiment... or 'ritual' of sorts, that made them into extremely powerful Metahumans." He shook his head at Jennifer. "From what I have heard about them from my brother and Holly, we cannot hope to stand a chance against them without a solid plan, and charge into their den carelessly, all alone."
"Blessed Three..." Jennifer said, before she had a slight headache and... Oh God. It's starting to kick in. Jennifer looked at Haruka with worried eyes. "I don't know why... but I feel as if I am... resonating with those words. I just get a headache." Jennifer said, before she realized she was rambling. "In other words, I think I know them... Or whoever did this to me doesn't want me to."
Haruka was alarmed at the anxious expression on Jennifer's face at the mention of the Blessed Three. Was it possible for the mind control be related to them? In Marcelle's log he had heard with the rest of 'Team Spy' (as Shizuka had called - which the elder twin felt that his counterpart was hopeless coming up with a name that didn't sound remotely lame), the Blessed Three controlled the Secretaries and played with their brainwashed marionettes around their fingers as if they were dispensable... Haruka couldn't help but grit his teeth at the thought of how they treated Baybridge like a giant reality chessboard, and its people the pawns of a bloody game for their own sadistic entertainment.
The empathetic side of him was telling him that he should let it go and stop putting pressure on Jennifer's current mental state, but the logical side that he shared with his emotionless brother (that he didn't like to admit) made him press her further. No more running away, no more distant politeness and pushing each other away, no more pseudo-respect for each other's personal space that had proven time and again than saving the people precious to them - with everyone simply played into the hands of the masterminds, losing the ones they loved...
He stood up and walked towards her, stretching out a hand to her with a worried look. "I'm sorry about triggering your migraine with all these intense questions from me, but I would like to know as much as what you can remember about them. Anything that you know, anything you feel that doesn't sit well with you."
"I... need a moment," Jennifer tried her best to recall something, anything about this Blessed Three, but all she could recall was nothing. She received a slight headache as she merely looked up at Haruka. "I can't recall anything... I don't know, just thinking about that name gives me a bad feeling, so is that a start?"
Haruka pursed his lips as he continued to watch her. "...I guess that is a start," he replied slowly. "Maybe you have met them face to face before, then they erased that memory from your mind? Or one of the Three was responsible for putting you under the mind control power?"
He had probably pushed her too far today - maybe he should save further questioning for another time. "Um, anyway... We managed to gather unaffiliated people who shared similar goals as us to our side, and together we might be able to take down the Family once and for all," Haruka said, a small smile appearing on his face as he recalled how he had first met Aislin, and later the gathering with Malik and Rhea sharing the logs that belonged to the African's friend working undercover in such a deranged organization. "We do need all the help and resources we can get our hands on to better prepare ourselves."
Though, he had a few more things to add on, "We'll be glad to have you on board, but only if you have the resolve to join us in our fight against the Family till the bitter end." The expression on his face hardened. "Shizu will probably say something along the lines of your unstable emotional state being a liability, and the possibility that the Family won't hesitate to use the mind control to turn you against all of us... But I fear that this is a fight you will have to face yourself, and it is only a matter of time the Family will hunt you down again, no matter how far or hard you try to run away from them."
"...Then I can't run away." Jennifer said. "My life belongs to me, and only me, Haruka. I have the the power to fight back, so I'm going to use it."
Haruka regarded Jennifer for a moment. She seemed to have made up her mind - for now. He still couldn't help worrying about her, about the worst-case scenario where he would be forced to fight against her if the Blessed Three activated the mind control on her again. No, he and the rest of their odd group would do everything they could to find a way to break her free from the powerful cerebral dominance the Family had over her, before she lost her mind to those despicable extremists... and was forced to kill her own friends.
"...However, you are not alone," he finally said with a gentle smile. "There is only so much one person can do on their own, but you can do more if you try to rely on your friends more. Have more faith in us."
Jennifer nearly cried... she quickly skipped over to Haruka and wrapped her arms around him tight as she could. "Thank you, Haruka. Thank you so much. I promise I'm going to change when we get out of here."
Haruka was taken aback at the sudden hug, then his shoulders relaxed, and he gave her a pat on her back. "It's a promise, then. Just remember that you have us supporting you from behind you." He turned his head and glanced towards the balcony. "Though, I'd recommend us to go by air - it's quicker, because we are running short of time."
