Ashlyn finished talking with the birds, and after many cheerful goodbyes, they all flew away to their various nests for the night. She had heard Knight leave but had said nothing, he clearly preferred working alone and had some ideas about where to get more information, no doubt he would let them know what he discovered. She spent some time around the building talking with the various animals, rats, mice, bats and even a fox but none had any more information. She did her best to filter out all of the smells in the area but knew she had no hope of picking up the killers scent. She didn't know what she was looking for and all of the scents were old besides. She heard voices and came around the side of the building to see men around Athena. She hesitated unsure whether to intervene, her protective instincts told her she should but she wasn't sure if Athena would thank her for it. She was sure the young woman had tricks up her sleeve to take care of herself. Before she could act someone else intervened for her and Ashlyn listened as the bow wielding woman warned them away. Interesting, so we're not the only ones looking into this

"I'll run you home." She said to Athena choosing not to mention what she had seen yet, you never knew who was listening after all.

______________________________________

After collecting Artemis and Apollo and saying goodnight to Matt and Athena she drove towards home. Before she had gotten very far her enhanced hearing caught the sounds a struggle and a woman's scream. Without hesitating she pulled over and slipped her mask back on her face. She entered the alley moving quickly and saw what she had suspected. A young woman was being held by a rough looking man with three of his friends surrounding them. The woman was struggling as the man tried to rip her blouse open, the woman was screaming but the men just laughed at her fear. Ashlyn felt the familiar animalistic rage flood her being and she moved, her movements so fast and fluid that she appeared almost to have disappeared and then reappeared next to them. Before any of the men had realised she was there she had gripped the man holding the woman by the throat. Behind the other men growls rose as Artemis and Apollo approached them, she had forgotten in her haste to tell them to stay.

"Jesus Christ!" One yelped in surprise at seeing Ashlyn suddenly there. The others all made various sounds of fright except the one she gripped. He couldn't speak due to the grip she had on him, tight enough to make breathing difficult but not impossible...yet.

"Let her go." Ashlyn said the rage clear in her voice. It took a great deal of self control for her not to squeeze just a little bit harder. The man seemed to sense she was serious for he released the woman without argument and the woman staggered away from the men holding her blouse closed. She seemed to frightened to even run and simply stood there wide eyed.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw one of the men brandish a knife at Apollo and she reacted without thought, she threw the man she held against the wall and attacked the others. Using her enhanced speed and agility to her advantage she quickly incapacitated them with a series of kicks and punches. She checked all were unconscious but breathing before turning to the woman who still stood wide eyed, she was staring in shock. "Y-you're Wildheart aren't you." She finally said nervously.

Ashlyn was surprised, she didn't think she had built up that much of a reputation, but she was more well known than she had realised. Much talk had been going around the city about the woman clad in Dark green almost black leather who helped those in need. Ashlyn nodded and then gestured to the men.

"They'll be out for a while. Long enough for you to call the police." She turned away with Artmis and Apollo falling in on either side of her. She didn't like leaving the woman but she didn't want to be there when the police arrived. "Oh and in future I suggest you avoid wandering around alone at night. The city isn't safe...yet."

She left the woman reaching for her phone and returned to her car, she was tired and could feel a migraine coming on, she needed a hot bath and sleep. She started the car and resumed her drive home, thankful that the rest of the drive was event free, and relaxed when she finally pulled into her driveway.



Nate looked at Ghost sharply as he realised what she had said, he wondered what she would say if she discovered that the dirtbag killer was him. He felt a pang of doubt about what he had done, he didn't care about the family but Ghost was another matter. He didn't love her or anything, he didn't think he was capable of feeling love, but she was a friend of sorts. He shoved the doubt away, he did what he had to do to survive and if killing made that easier then so be it.

He shrugged at her words. "Sure I'm in the mood to party."

He pulled on his coat and put his goggles in his pocket, then casually leaned over to the lamps he had in one corner resting his hand on them without feeling the heat. They flickered as he absorbed the energy and then went back to normal after he had finished and let go.

"So what trouble do you wanna get up to?" He asked with a grin

---

The dip in temperature as the night took hold over the dimly lit streets didn't phase the teenage vigilante at this point. Knight was slowly walking the road back to the Wayward House, a swift flick of the wrist tossing the blood from his blade. Within the next 24 hours, Knight knew that 11 bodies would be found by the police, all of them suffering from similar lacerations. The police would begin a panicked search for the culprit, not caring for the service he had provided them. The police had the responsibility of trying to lie to the public and tell them that they are safe: Knight had the responsibility of actually protecting the city.

Knight entered into the House without a word, refusing to use the front door and instead opting to enter in through his own bedroom window, one that he had left unlocked but moderately trapped earlier in the day. A small bit of fishing line attached to the pin of a tear gas canister just out of sight would be enough to scare away most, and would be undetectable except by those similar to Knight. The trap was easy to disarm: Knight himself lodged a small blade between the two panes of the window, cutting the line.

Once inside, Knight removed his mask and his clothing, stripping down into boxers and a tank top. He folded his clothes, stowing them away before beginning the process of removing the other minor instruments from the bag he left in his room: a drill, screws, and special shelving equipment. Late in the night, Knight began the process of mounting his equipment. Once everything was correctly assembled, James crawled into bed and passed out, letting his night end with a peaceful slumber that would end in the mid-afternoon the following day.

A week has past since Matt and Athena opened their home to the roaming aspiring heroes of La Vida with the hopes of helping the neighborhood, however, they were having a tough go of it. Not only had they not found the people responsible for the Blake family murder, there were also bodies piling up. The night the team had investigated the murder eleven Hell-Fire gang members turned up dead. Police had publicly blamed it on the Black Spider though they had their suspensions and so did Matt and Athena.

Due to the Hell-Fire killings La Vida’s gang fights were popping up all round Los Angeles, with whole blocks becoming battle fields with gun fire. The police had their hands full trying to keep the city from completely falling into chaos. Most days everyone, at least those who didn’t have day jobs, had been out taking down gang members and protecting innocent lives. However, it wasn’t just gang violence, people that wanted to take advantage of the police being distracted had started looting stores.

With the Queen Industries tech show taking place soon, police desperately were trying to get a handle on things. They even looked the other way when they ran into one of the Wayward team, they were just happy to have one less scum off the streets. Every now and then the team would run into a group of bad guys tied together and a few red arrows about.

During the chaos a new meta started to make an appearance, he was quick and effective and made sure not to hurt his targets more then he had to. Matt had noticed the man approaching the house on a couple occasions but was ultimately turned away by the “ward” system that protected the house from unwelcomed guest. Athena would approach the man and get a feel for him before inviting him into the house.

Though Athena and the others were busy, any down time she could manage to find she spent at the animal shelter with Ashlyn. She enjoyed working with the animals and the other people that cared for them. Though it made her feel uneasy seeing that the richer part of La Vida had remained nearly untouched. Private security and constant police protection made sure it would remain that way.

Athena had tried to get to know James, but he seemed so angry all the time, she was tempted to read his mind though she felt that would do the opposite of bringing them together. Regardless, Athena went out with him on patrols and she felt that she could at least rely on him in a tough situation.

Matt had been busy with his project he was presenting for the Queen’s tech show, but he was always available to back the other up with information gathering and tech support. He basically lived in his work shop and if Athena didn’t remind him to eat or sleep he would have went with out both. Later in the week the A.I. Aliya took on Matt’s role of back up, she was sometimes difficult as she had the personality of an angsty teen.

Ashlyn was beyond tired, she'd been working non stop for the last two weeks in both her clinic and on the streets. The tensions between the rival gangs had erupted into outright war and the streets were in chaos. She had been forced to cut back on hours at the clinic, only coming in for surgeries etc, and spending the rest of the time trying to deal with the chaos. She did her best to spend time with Athena and whenever she was due to operate or perform some other procedure she always invited Athena to watch. She was due at the clinic in the morning but she knew it would be a while ywt before she saw her bed.

She'd already stopped two gunfights that night, and saved several police that had been caught in the crossfire, and it was only just past midnight. She knew the others were doing their best too though she worked mostly alone. There were too many separate attacks for them to deal with each one as a group so most of the time they were solo. But it hadn't taken long for Ash to rely on Matt or his stroppy AI in her ear.

Crouched atop a building in the heart of La Vida she allowed the bats to cling to her clothes and hair. Their small furry bodies were warm and she gently stroked them. More than any others the bats and the rats were her eyes and ears in the city. She ignored the pain beginning in her head and focused on the information they were giving her. It wasn't long before she was moving again, running along the roodtops leaping from one to the next. She heard them before she saw them, in the street below, more gang members trying to kill each other. Without hesitation she dropped off the building, she wasn't worried about hurting herself as she knew her enhanced body could handle it, landing in a crouch in between both groups.

"Stop this now." She said. "Or I will stop it for you."

She wanted this over quickly, her head was hurting more now and she knew a killer migraine was incoming. Not only that but she was hungry again and needed to eat again soon.



Nate sprawled on the plush leather sofa with a glass of whiskey in one hand and a cigar in the other. Scattered around him were the remains of multiple meals, empty bottles of booze and other items that he had no idea what they were or how they'd gotten there. There were also bodies lying in various places throughout the hotel apartment. Most slept so deeply that they looked dead but a couple had snores like jackhammers. In the bedroom he heard giggles and debated moving, clearly he was missing some fun in there, but couldn't be bothered.

"Seriously dude what is the matter with you?" He said aloud. "Crazy parties, booze and girls and you're bored!"

It was true he was bored, the first few crazy booze fuelled nights at been fun but after almost a week he was bored. He sighed and lazily watched the smoke rising from his cigar, he didn't actually like it but Vegas seemed the sort of place to smoke them in your hotel room.

"Ya know, I'm thinking it's prob time to head home. We're missing out on the crazyness back there you know. Think of all the trouble we can cause whilst the police are dealing with the gangs."

When there was no answer he nudged the form lying on the sofa next to him with an elbow. "You still with me Ghost?" He said slurring slightly. "Come on wake up already and do your thing!"

Samuel walks the dark, twisted alleyways that dot La Vida's landscape, on the look out for would be muggers. Ever since Samuel arrived in the city, he could taste the fear that hung heavy in the streets like a miasmic smog. The staggering amount of people who have gone missing, especially children, has taken it's toll upon the people. To make matters worse a full-out gang war is erupting on the streets with complete disregard for those just minding their own lives getting caught in the crossfire. Samuel didn't care much for the casualties of the gangs as they had made their choice to die upon their hill, but such callous disregard for human beings outside one's target disgusted him. It was not violence, but senseless violence that wrought his ire.

Samuel causally strolled through the grey streets when he heard the faint shouting of obscenities coming from around the bend and the smell of testosterone on the wind. He clinged to the dark walls as he silently shimmied his way across the bend. After confirming to see that no one was looking at him, he turns his head invisible so that he could see around the corner without drawing attention. Two groups fully speckled in gang heraldry were approaching each other, both of them eager to shed the other's blood. Samuel was glad to see that no one who wasn't prepared to die was there, but he didn't want the gang members to throw away their lives. They were scumbags definitely, but even scumbags deserve a chance at life.

As Samuel saw them draw closer, he readied his blow gun to fire one of his specialty cocktails. Then from above he saw her, a woman with hair like fire fell from the heavens like a shooting star, only to land gracefully as a cat, and poised to strike with the ferocity of a tiger. With a steely resolve, she threatened them to cease their frivolity, least suffer her wrath.

Samuel's jaw laid agape in amazement from her spectacular entrance. He had seen other metas before, but never displaying such motion nor within such visceral vicinity. While fascinated by her power, Samuel was also strangely entranced by her, like a cobra fixated on the snake charmer's flute. He felt within him some sort of primal calling, as if his snake blood was compelling him to approach and protect her.

With the combined zeal from the heart of a warrior and the heart of a beast, he decloaks, armors himself with his thick scales, crouches on his hind legs, and starts channeling his excited energy into his legs. Charged like a spring, Samuel leaps forth with blinding speed between the rival gangs. Samuel draws his knife seamlessly in mid-flight before his feet slides smoothly across the pavement with the grace of a swan, landing just behind the mysterious stranger.

"Lady, I like your style! Please allow me the privilege of fighting by your side!" Samuel exclaimed with enthusiasm. His now narrow slit irises eyed the enemy before him. Thankfully, the gang's hard-on for bloodshed was significantly cooled from both of the meta's displays and was replaced with just the slightest twinge of apprehension. Hopefully they will decide to back down, though he had a sneaking suspicion that they might not take the hint. Either way, it is a honor to stand next to another warrior.

---

The week had been busy. The body count was rising significantly, especially through Knight's own work. He was skilled in the art of stealth and assassination, but his abilities helped when things got out of hand. This night was one of those nights. The bullets collided into his skin, collapsing upon reaching their intended mark instead of piercing Knight's skin. The officer watched in horror and amazement at the sight. Knight turned around, smiling beneath his gas mask as he stood amongst the corpses and viscera of at least a dozen gang members, both Hell Fire and Black Spider alike. Some of the gang members never got the chance to draw their weapons.

Things changed significantly for Knight in that moment. A simple impulse... an instinctive reaction changed it all. He swung the chain of his Kusarigama, the sharp balance on the end of the chain opposite the sickle slicing through the police officer's neck in an instant. The vigilante felt nothing as the officer gasped for breath, only able to suck down his own blood until the embrace of death enveloped him.

Needless to say, Knight was forced into a worse situation as the other officers who stood idly by drew their weapons and opened fire. They too met swift ends, Knight swinging the chain and wrapping it around the neck of one of the new hostiles and snapping it in an instant. The other two met a more personal end, as Knight reached the first officer and used the chain to direct the firearm at his comrade in blue, accidentally pulling the trigger with a small application of force. The sickle's blade then embedded itself into its target's neck. The masked vigilante clad in black was practically soaked in blood, both criminal and law enforcement. But his work wasn't over. He had more streets to prowl.

He was across the street, observing Wildheart approach the gunfight about to ensue. And he smiled slightly as another vigilante, one he didn't recognize, slid into the fray. It was clear that the individuals wished to back away. But Knight wasn't going to let that happen. The pain and the anger he felt... it needed to be released. And who better to take it than criminal scum?

Knight's brief entrance was marked by a single, well-placed throw of a kunai. It planted itself right into the heart of one of the Hell Fire gang members, knocking him down into the ground with force. The second kunai landed in the temple of one of the Black Spiders. Whether or not a fight commenced was up to them now. But there was little chance the Knight of La Vida was going to let them go.

---

Katarina came to consciousness as Nate tried to wake her, half asleep Kat reached up for his mouth and put her index finger on his lips. “shh…headache,” Kat says as she sits up and holds her head. The crazy night had left her with a horrible headache and very thirsty. She wrapped a sheet tightly around her form as she stood up as she stumbled around the sleeping bodies of the unknown people they seemed to have collect throughout the week.

Making her way to the kitchen she almost tripped and became every annoyed at the people around her, she grabbed a bottle of clear liquor and threw it against a wall making causing the bottle to burst and shatter. Those who were sleeping were awake now and those who were awake were on their feet. “Parties over, get out,” she said as calmly as she could. People looked confused at one another which made Kat even more annoyed. “Get the fuck out now!” she yelled throwing another bottle.

It was ten minutes before the suite was empty and Kat watched as the last of the party goers left. She was drinking a large bottle of water and was feeling slightly better, though, she was ready to leave now. Kat walked over to Nate and placed a hand on his shoulder and the next moment they were both in Nate’s home.

Usually teleporting as far as Nevada wasn’t a big deal, but Katarina felt drain before the teleport and now she felt sick as her face went pale. “Ok, I need a minute…” she said as she fell onto the couch. She didn’t want to admit it but that whole week of depravity was much crazier then she was prepared for.

Kat searched for her phone and searched for local news she hadn’t been keeping up with the news in La Vida, but she knew something was going down. She read a few articles and sighed when she read about the young vigilantes trying to help the police gain control over the gang crisis. She knew she would have to talk to Matt and Athena soon and make sure they don’t do something that would get them killed.

Angel was only seventeen, but he had a family to help provide for. After his father died in a police shoot out four years ago, it was just him and his mom left to provide. His mom could only find part time jobs and managed to work three so she wasn’t home very often. Angel had two younger sisters that he would literally sell his soul to anyone buying to give them a good life. It was his job to pick up any slack his mom could not handle, so he joined the Hell Fires. Not that he had much of a choice, his family lived in the heart of the gang’s territory, so it was join them or be consumed by them.

It wasn’t always guns and drugs in the Hell Fire gang, some times they did some good for the community as they had their own code of honor. However, there were guys that were just crazy and did horrible things just for laughs, but Angel stayed clear of those men and just kept his head down and followed orders. He was just a runner and a dealer, he ran errands for the dudes that were higher up and he sold weed, that was all he was trusted to do as he was did not have the stomach for “a man’s work”.

The night he was murdered, by the boy who wanted to free the people of La Vida, he was out slinging drugs. Things had been crazy lately as both Fire’s and Spider’s bodies were piling up, and it seemed that the two were heading for war. That night two other guys were with him to provide back up just in case the Spiders came to mess with him, though, he would have liked it better going out alone. The two with him were not good guys and he wondered if it was only a matter of time before he was going to end up like these two, willing to do anything for money and respect. Though he would never know as a blade cleaved through his neck and the other men were cut down just as easily not even able to draw their guns.

Angel lay in the ally trying to stop the blood from escaping his wound, but it was a losing battle. He did not feel hate for the boy who wanted to save the people of La Vida or hatred for the city that forgot about people like him, he thought only of his family, and how they would survive without the little extra cash he brought home and who would protect his sisters when they got older and men started to pay them attention as they walked home from school? Who was going to comfort his mom when things got too heavy and she cried at night thinking she failed her children? However, the last thing Angel would see is the boy in the gas mask thrust his sword into Angel’s heart then the boy knew no more.

The gang members on both sides didn't seem to know what to do after her surprise entrance. Before anyone could react another figure appeared and with inhuman speed was suddenly beside her. Wildheart controlled her surprise with effort, it wasn't often anyone could startle her, and glanced at him sidelong.
A man, she guessed around her own age, he was clearly more than human. His scent was...interesting, there was definitely something reptilian about him. If she wasn't in the middle of a dangerous situation she would have had a lot of questions for him. She'd never met anyone else even remotely like her.
She smiled slightly at his words and was about to respond when she caught a familiar scent...Knight. She would recognise his scent anywhere, he always seemed to smell of blood and death. Seconds later one of the gang members fell with a blade in his chest and then another. Ashlyn knew they were dead, she could smell the blood. She felt rage well up inside her, a combination of righteous anger and animal savagery, and she clenched her fists. She spoke coldly and very precisely struggling to get the words out around the anger.

“I don't know who you are.” She directed her words to Sam. “But your presence is welcome.”

The gang members had recovered from their shock and were prepping their guns to retaliate. She glared at Knight.

“I will subdue these misguided idiots.” She gestured at the gangs. “Then I will deal with you.”

With that she sprinted forward wading into the spiders with fists and feet.
Knight watched from the fire escape, watching the fight ensue and only aiding with the expert throw of several kunai, each reaching their target expertly. While he had not completed his training, he remained one of the most deadly in his order and it showed. His precision and strength were his greatest skills. And as a result, another Hell Fire felt the darkness envelop him as the dagger impaled the base of his skull. His death was swift.

“I am doing this city a favor. They are a plague on the people here. I am the cure.”

His voice was echoed and distorted by the mask, resonating in the alleyway to the point it could be felt in the core and bones of those present. With the death of the couple Hellfires, the gangs were thrown into a state of panic and began to draw their guns. Samuel could only make a cursory glance at the assailant before he retreated back into the darkness. This mysterious executor of death effortlessly ended the lives of several of the gang members. It was a skill he admittedly thought was impressive, though such callous plucking of potential flowers he found in bad taste. Samuel wanted to track the bloodthirsty fiend down, but the fight he and the lady where in took precedence. Fortunately she seemed to be on the same page as she began to charge the Spiders. He decided to follow suit and charged the Hellfires to cover her back. Samuel charged the tensions in his legs, not as much as last time but to just enough to give him a burst of speed to right, swinging him around to attempt a throat jab upon the rightmost foe, taking advantage of their confused and panicked state and target their flanks. He still didn’t intend to kill them if he could avoid it. Beat the stuffing out of them sure, but he still restrained himself.

The spiders were no match for Wildheart. They could fight, surviving in La Vida had ensured that, but against someone like her they were woefully outmatched. With her enhanced speed and reflexes she was able to move around them and avoid their blows easily. She used quick, efficient movements aiming to put them down with as little effort as possible. A jab to the throat followed by a low sweep of a leg sent the first to the floor and a swift kick to the head ensured he was out of the fight. This close they couldn't use their guns and instead had blades or knuckle dusters. She caught a wrist with a blade aimed at her chest and twisted sharply. Before the man could react she then headbutted him hard. He went down. A third tried to grapple her and she used his momentum to flip him over her shoulder and then a sharp blow stopped him cold. The last backed away,realising he was alone, and then turned to run. She grabbed him and and slammed his head into a nearby car. She took a moment, ensuring they were all alive and not seriously hurt, before checking on the others. The mysterious vigilante had things well in hand and she could see he would have dealt with them in minutes.

Confident the gang situation here was under control, for the moment, she scanned the area looking for Knight. The street was dark with only one working streetlight, but that was enough for her to see clearly. He blended in well with the darkness around him but with her sight and sense of smell she pinpointed him to a nearby building. He crouched on the fire escape watching the scene. Evidence of his handiwork lay amongst the unconscious, blood pooling from their fatal wounds. She walked across the street so that she was beneath the fire escape and looked up.

“Your so called cure only brings more chaos not less.” She snapped, her anger still close to the surface. “What you do makes you no better than them.” She jerked her head at the bodies. “I will not tolerate a murderer running amok in the city. I am going to bring you to the police to answer for what you have done.” She smiled then, a savage smile showing her anger and her determination.
“Now are you going to come down here or do I have to come get you?”

Knight gave a brief smile, watching the fight take place. He was marginally impressed with the skill they showed. They lacked the proper discipline that came from a tortured, regimined upbringing. Needless to say, the threat was empty. Baseless. He was near invincible without his training, and near unstoppable with it. He wasn’t afraid of a girl who talked to birds, or some random passerby. But alas, within moments he swung himself down towards the others. He had one simple thing he needed taken care of.

“Tell you what… I’ll give you a single shot. Make it count.”

And there he stood, only a couple feet away from Wildheart with his hands in his pockets, mocking her. Waiting.
Samuel had just taken down the last of the gang members and looked to see the warrior lady took care of her ruffians around the same time with equally little effort. Man, she’s pretty AND kicks ass? Seems like my kind of woman! He thought to himself. Before he could spend too much time admiring her though, the killer appeared almost without warning mere feet from his ally. He issued a challenge targeted towards her with the utmost cockiness and bravado, leaving himself completely defenseless. Samuel knew for damn sure no one would leave themselves so open to attack, ESPECIALLY against metas unless they were either completely sure of themselves or had a serious ace up their sleeves. He was no ametuer either, though he seemed fixated on her, he still kept a half cautious eye towards him. Whoever this warrior was, he was damn good. Samuel stuck his tongue out to catch and memorize his scent should he need to be tracked down. Despite the foreboding nature of this strange malefactor, Samuel smiled, licked his lips and decided to humor him.

“Alright, you caught my interest. I’ll play your little game.”

He tried to take the killer’s attention away from the lady. He sidestepped just a little to the right so that when he fired he wouldn’t hit the lady by mistake. Samuel decided to bust out his trusty blowgun. He loaded the blowgun with his secret weapon, a dart tipped in a powerful neurotoxin, a few drops of which could paralyze an average built man in a matter of seconds. He had used his fangs to paralyze the majority of the hellfires, a fact he knew the killer knew since he was watching. This was just a ploy to see what kind of tricks this mysterious foe possessed. Samuel took his time, aimed, and fired, aiming right between the eyes.
It was almost amusing as the dart collapsed in on itself before falling to the ground with a crunch. Of course, the poor man had no idea about Knight’s natural ability. How could he? Regardless, Knight wasn’t focused on him. He had a job to do, and he was going to get it done.

Wildheart took the bait and lunged, though not straight on as he initially expected. She sidestepped at the last moment in the same direction Knight moved to dodge. Animal instincts and keen perception suited her well. Wildheart moved in to grasp the back of Knight’s arm, twisting it and kicking at his leg. For most individuals, this would have been incredibly painful and would have shattered a bone or two. To Knight… this was just childsplay. It hurt, of course, but Wildheart’s foot would have stung from an attempt at brute force. Knight, for his part, was not going to stay immobile long.

“You want to take me to the police… of course. But they’ll never keep me long.”

With a swift use of precise force, Knight twisted himself out of Wildheart’s grip, but she was not one to hold back. She was intent on subduing him, and her abilities made her more agile than the trained ninja. It was like a wrestling match of sorts. She was not one to try and pull the same mistake more than once. It was amusing.

“If you let the cops take me, then I’ll kill them. Their deaths would be your causing.”

“Their deaths would be your fault, denying otherwise makes you a coward.” She snapped striking at his face which he dodged.

The two danced with expert precision. Knight almost immediately recognized the fighting style. Krav Maga, a primitive if not barbaric style, was made somehow graceful by her swift movements. She struck faster than most Knight had fought, but it would take more force to hurt him. And so, suddenly, Knight stopped moving in reaction. He had done what he needed to. With a sudden twist and turn, a slight pop burst out from Knight’s right arm. He was right where she wanted him. But Knight still spoke.

“Or you could kill me… snap my neck and leave me with the carrion flesh of those I slaughtered. Maybe then you’d understand… My actions were for the greater good.” His voice was slightly muffled as his face was jammed into the hard concrete.

“You're not interested in the greater good.” She said close to his ear. “I've known men like you before, men who disguise their enjoyment of violence and death behind so called moral ideas.” Her voice was still quiet but there was remembered anger and pain in her tone.
“Many of these gang members are only members because they feel they have no choice. They were raised amongst violence and safety for them means the gangs. But then you would know that if you were interested in more than getting your kicks.”

A small smile and spatter against the ground came from his lips.
“We all have a choice. They chose to hurt the citizens, they chose to kill others in the streets. Denying that makes you an idiot.”

It was almost as if on cue that the police had arrived, as Wildheart had Knight pinned to the ground. Two officers emerged from the car with their weapons drawn, approaching. Two more cars approached, and the cops surrounded them. One of the officers moved in close, replacing Wildheart’s force to handcuff the vigilante. She stepped back warily as the police moved in unsure how they would handle the situation. As a vigilante technically she was classed as a criminal yet they made no move to arrest her. Clearly they had decided that she was the lesser of the two evils. They trained their guns on the murderer, removing the throwing knives and chained sickle from him. The only two weapons he had on his person. They had removed his mask as well, the beautiful face of a madman revealed to the officers as they pulled him away.
Knight was remarkably compliant, stepping in time with the officers as they placed him in the back of the squad car, handcuffed. He looked out at Wildheart specifically, giving a small smile and a wink as the cars formed a small convoy to bring him to the station. Once they had left Wildheart allowed herself to relax, a little anyway as she wasn't about to relax completely around a stranger. She turned to the other man and nodded.

“Thank you, I appreciate your help. I'm sure you have questions about what just happened. I'm happy to explain if you want but not here. I do know somewhere safe but I need to check with...the owners. We're a group trying to help the city and I think we could use your help.”
She held out a small piece of paper with a phone number. “This is the number I use for this work. Call me if you're interested.” She gripped the fire escape then glanced back with a small smile. “I'm Wildheart by the way, maybe you've heard of me.”
She then crouched and then leaped to the fourth floor then again to the roof. Then she was just...gone… almost.

Samuel ran to the fire exit in order to block the killer’s escape should he attempt to run. Fortunately, though his defense proved unbelievable, the badass lady managed to hold him in place long enough for the police to arrive. Not wanting to give the police any more reason to suspect him of suspicious activity than he already has, he retracted his scales back beneath his skin, reassuming his human appearance. Once the cops unmasked him, he saw the face of a deranged fanatic, a man driven solely by dark impulses masquerading as a man of decency and justice. Such self-aggrandizing without an ounce of self-awareness sickened Samuel. He knew that this false prophet was far too tenacious and addicted to his carnage to consider abandoning his twisted mission. Nevertheless, Samuel was relieved to see the psychopath driven away into the darkness where his vile kind belong.

With the tensions of scene defusing, Samuel finally had a chance, albeit brief, to talk to the red-haired wonder. She introduced herself as Wildheart, a fitting name for a wild woman. Sam gave a warm smile to her. “It is an honor to meet you Wildheart. My name is Samuel, Sam for short. I’m happy to help others who share a similar longing for JUSTICE!” Sam exclaimed the last word with gusto. Wildheart explains that she works alongside a group of metas who are working in tandem to take out the trash on the streets. This of course is freakin’ awesome. Sam was DEFINATELY calling that number when he gets back home. If this group had more badass hot ladies like her, AND they hunger for justice, that sounded like a sweet deal to him.

Sam gave a gracious smile. “I look forward to meeting again under more pleasant circumstances. We saved who we could, and didn’t die ourselves. Every life saved is a victory. Until we meet again.”
He gives a small bow before Wildheart leaps up four stories up the building then to the roof within 2 leaps. “Hot damn.” Sam spoke with sincere amazement. He felt so much more comfortable knowing others with noble hearts and kind souls still carried the torch.

As she made it to the roof and began to make her way off into the night, something sent a chill down her spine. A sound incredibly high-pitched and beyond piercing, something no human could hear, filled the air and echoed off the alleyways around her. A sonic emitter, of sorts… a single trump card in Knight’s deck. Something that could force someone like Wildheart to the ground in absolute pain. It wouldn’t keep her down long… just long enough.
The sound hit Wildheart like a physical blow, it was so loud that it felt as though her head was going to explode. She cried out in pain and fell to her knees hands pressed to her ears in a vain effort to block the noise. But the noise continued and she fell onto her side no longer able to do anything but whimper. One of her weaknesses was her inability to shut down the part of her mind that communicated with the animals around her. All she'd been able to do was learn to tune it out so that it became a constant background noise instead. Incapacitated as she was right then, she was unable to do even that and her mind was wide open. The animals out in the night were not only able to talk to her they could also receive her thoughts.

All animals in range received her pain and they reacted. If anyone had been watching they would have been astonished as hundreds of bats began flowing towards the roof. Rodents in the street below began scurrying up the fire escape in a stream and a variety of stray cats and dogs gathered in the street below. Though unable to actually help her they gathered around her in solidarity. Even though those in range were affected by the device they stayed where they were, many remembered her and felt a loyalty to her sensing the animal within. Wildheart didn't notice them having already passed out from the pain. Just as Sam started to resume his patrol he is hit with an intense screaming echoing within his snake blood, causing his body to shake uncontrollably. Simultaneously, he could smell the strange scent of bats and looked up to see a congregation of them. It was then that Sam remembered a similar feeling, albeit thousands of times gentler in comparison. It was the strange sensation he had when he first saw Wildheart, as if his primal animal instincts were taking over. It was then that Sam’s human half had finally understood what his snake half knew immediately; Wildheart was in danger.

Sam last remembered Wildheart hopping onto the rooftop. There was no way the bats and other animals assembling around the building the same time he got this mental alert was simple coincidence. Somehow, they must be sensing her distress as well since they weren’t acting aggressively. Now though was not the time for thinking! Sam busted out his scales once more, bends down as deeply and solidly as he could. After channeling his energy with the strength and desire to save his newly made ally into his legs, he zooms up the building, actually overshooting his jump by an extra story, just narrowly avoiding colliding with the bats as he lands solidly upon the rooftop. Good thing his legs were really good at absorbing the shockwaves, though Sam had to catch his breath as that was one of his greatest leaps. He had jumped onto three story tall buildings before, but this was a new personal record. Sometimes when the chips are down and someone needs your help, you find a way to break past your limits. After taking just a moment to breath and collect himself, he ran to Wildheart who laid unconscious. Sam checked around her to see she had been stabbed or had suffered from external wounds but that didn’t seem to be the case. Sam had no idea what had caused her to become unconsciousness and release her distress call other than some nebulous searing pain.

Sam couldn’t smell anyone nearby so it couldn’t have been the killer or anyone else, though he did suspect the killer had something to do with this. All Sam could hazard to guess was that whatever knocked her out was somewhere close. He had to get Wildheart out of here as soon as possible. He lifted her up on his back and secured her before looking around for the nearest even rooftop. Fortunately there was a three story apartment complex next door. Sam knew it was a gamble to hop across buildings with an unconscious passenger. One slip-up could result in both of them breaking their necks. However, whatever hit her could be in the building they were on. For all he knew, the assailant could be lying in wait for an ambush below them.
Despite the risks, Sam made his call, carefully calculated the distance and jumped, the bats trailing close behind. He landed successfully upon the rooftop. He retracted his scales and ran inside the complex carrying her on his shoulders, surprising the occupants. Upon explaining to them that she was hurt and in danger combined with the agency in his voice they were convinced to lend him help. The residents called 911 and an ambulance, giving him a slight sigh of relief. At the very least, someone was coming to help. All Sam had to do now was keep Wildheart safe until the ER showed up. He gently laid her on the guest bed and whispered to her. “Hold on just a little longer Wildheart, help is coming.”

---

Knight gave a small smile as the car bumped along the road. They weren’t that far from the Wayward House, the one where his remaining supplies lied. The game was over in Knight’s mind. His point would be proven easily enough. The officer’s head a small crack, causing the one in the passenger seat to turn around and look at Knight. By that point, it was too late. His left hand was out of the cuffs, and Knight was bracing himself as he used both feet to kick at the door. It didn’t take long until the force caused the door’s locking mechanism to break. The car was already trying to pull over to the side. What a mistake.

The three cop cars had pulled to the side of the road, out in the dark streets of La Vida only a dozen or so blocks from the Wayward House. Guns were drawn as Knight stood outside with one arm raised, the other clearly out of its socket with a slightly mangled hand. A wicked smile was on his lips as they fired into him, holes tearing through the fabric of his clothing. The horror that came next, a look he was used to, always got to him. He had a point to prove. And so within seconds they all laid dead, killed by a one-armed psychopath.

Well, all but one was dead. A woman, early 30’s, was clutching to life as the bullet had lodged itself into her stomach. She didn’t have much longer. She wasn’t what James wanted, though. He reached for the microphone attached to the radio on her belt, pressing down on the button. “I am the vigilante known as Knight. I’ve been curing your city of its plague, eliminating members of the gangs. You’ve placed your trust in a certain group of vigilantes… children in costumes. You have one month to reveal their identities to the press and end your support. I tried to save your city… but if you do not comply, I will kill your chief of police. No one will be safe. You have a choice to make, ladies and gentlemen. Choose wisely.”

He smiled as he fished out his weapons and gas mask, stowing them on his person as he made his way back out onto the streets.

---

Knight’s room was starkly empty. The weapons on the wall were gone, his clothes too disappeared. The window remained open, the wind whistling in. There were only two signs Knight had ever lived there. The hooks imbedded into the wall, used to showcase his vast array of weaponry, remained. A note was hooked into the wall by a knife, containing Knight’s goodbye message, with a smudge of blood along the edge:

“You knew what I was when you asked me to join. I was a shadow seeking to help those who were trampled on and abused. I continue that work in the name of justice, doing what you never could. I warned what would happen, Ashlyn, if you handed me to the authorities. Their blood lines this note, blood spilled as a consequence of your decision.

I am giving you all a chance to walk away and leave me to my methods. If you abandon La Vida and let it be purged of its sickness, you will be spared. Your half-measures are not enough to stop the gangs and end the violence. Violence must be stopped with violence, death matched with death. It is not pretty, but it is necessary.

Good luck with your efforts, you wayward souls. You better hope you don’t see me again.”

---

Matt had been listening to the chaos happening around La Vida, his police scanner program picked up on multiple shots being fired and warned that Wild-Heart was on scene. Matt knew that Ashlyn was more then enough to take out some punks with guns but still he worried for her and wished he could be more useful in times like these. However, on his screen he saw that Knight was in the area and heading toward her. Matt was always on edge around the guy, something about James gave off a don’t trust this dude vibe but that only made Matt more attracted to him.

Matt gave a sigh of relief, soon Knight and Wild Heart would handle the gangsters and get back to the house and so would Athena. Matt didn’t like that Athena went to LA to stop a meta from causing a scene in the down town area, but she argued that there would be no one else, all the big heroes were always on the east coast, so it was up to her to help.

Matt had been watching Athena fight a meta with multiple elemental powers, the news had been covering it since Athena had intervene. The woman had already destroyed a few streets and caused damaged to a few buildings, thankfully no one had been seriously injured. Matt made a note to himself to work on a uniform for Athena, she was out there fighting a crazy meta-human dressed like she was on her way to a mall, the only thing that made her look like a super-hero was her dumb domino mask.

Suddenly Matt got a ping on his scanner program and he brought it to his attention, the report had said that the vigilante Knight had been taken under arrest for the murder of sevral police and gang members. Matt’s face went flushed as he thought about all the deaths that had to do with cuts and stabs from the past week, there’s no way, he thought. Moments later he had another alert this time it had been ab unconscious woman dressed in crazy clothes and red hair, EMS was requested.

“Shit!” Matt cursed. He looked at the monitor watching Athena, she was being pushed back by the powerful meta and was forced into a defensive position. The teen gritted his teeth, he had to do something, and he was no help to Athena here. He ran to the garage and used his mind to activate a car that looked like a Ford Focus RS and climbed in. The techno-path plotted a course to the address the EMS was called to and sped down the streets passing a police escort on the way. He panicked hoping the police wouldn’t go after him because he didn’t have a driver’s license and didn’t have time for a police chase. However, they seemed to be more preoccupied with something else since they did not turn to follow him.

Matt followed Wild-Heart’s signal to an apartment building, two of his sphere like drones quickly shot up the building looking for the signal, they had found it and alerted Matt. He was glad he was there before the EMS, they surely would have unmasked the hero and Ashlyn’s identity would have been revealed. It didn’t take Matt long to find the woman, but he was huffing loudly when he got to her. Though she wasn’t alone, some man had been over her and looking at her.
The teen panicked and his nanites began to cover his hands as he out stretched them aimed for Sam. “Get away from her or I’ll blast you!” He yells as his drones fly over the woman’s body ready to extract her.

Location: La Vida, Apartment complex

Sam stood by Wildheart's side, vigilant and nursing to the unconscious heroine. Out of respect, he stopped the occupants from unmasking her. Fortunately the EMS should be here soon to take her away from danger and into more delicate, caring hands. Just then, a young man burst through the door, and his hands started to become encased in metal as if thousands of tiny metallic ants were swarming them. "Get away from her or I'll blast you!" The teenager shouted at Sam as several high-tech drones flew in and began to take the body of the heroine away.

Sam had no idea who this man was, why he sounded genuinely concerned for Wildheart's safety, or why he was sporting tech that could put a Japan tech demo to shame, but one thing sam did know is he did NOT want to be blasted by whatever the hell he was packing. He raised his hands in plain sight and began to slowly back away from Wildheart and stepping back towards the back of the room. The fact that the upfront youth threatened to shoot Sam with god knows what made for damn certain that did NOT want to see her hurt. Ironically, the stalwart little guy might be the best person he could trust her safety to next to a doctor. Sam didn't know for certain if he truly could help, but a slim chance is better then no chance at all. Besides, it's not like it was up to him anymore.

He didn't want to escalate the situation so he spoke calmly and slowly. "I did not hurt her. I was trying to help her. I don't know what hit her, but I see your concerned for her safety. I have no doubt you can help her." Sam gave the young man a relieved smile. "Thank you." Sam has no plan of chasing them. Whoever the young stranger was, Sam knew he was no danger to Wildheart.

---

A woman wakes up from a week-long coma, she finds herself in a sterile ICU hospital room, she has tubes coming out of her nose, mouth and arms. The woman struggles to move her arms and grabs on to the tube in her mouth and pulls it out becoming panicked at how deep it had reached. She then starts working on the other wires and tubes ripping them away from her body as alarms from the machines she as connected to start blaring. As she begins to move the pain in her chest and head cause the woman to pause and take respite.

A team of nurse rush into the room to find the woman that had been in a coma for a week struggling to sit up. “Ms., I need you to lay back down!” one of the nurses says as they gently hold her shoulder. The red-haired woman smacks the nurse’s hand away, “Where’s my family!” she demands, though for some reason she already knows.

“please ma’am, lay back down, a doctor will be here to explain everything a moment…” the nurse replies trying to calm the woman down.

The air in the room begins to seemly come alive and gust of wind builds as it circles the room causing anything that is not strapped down to begin to be carried with in the building current. One of the other nurses picks up a phone and speaks into it as calmly as she could, “Code: Ash! Code: Ash!”

The lead nurse speaks again, “Please calm down, your family…your family didn’t make it. I’m so sorry…” The nurse says holding her hands up to show she wasn’t going to hurt the woman. “Ms. Blake please calm down, you are going to hurt yourself or one of my nurses, please Ms. Blake we are only here to help.”

Victoria Blake closed her eyes and sat back down on the bed, the wind subsided, and the room was peaceful once more. The woman put her hands over her face and began to weep for her family, she thought of her husband the teacher who tried to make La Vida a better place through education. Her Young children, who would never get experience what this life had to offer them. The lead nurse, a Hispanic woman no more then 30 years old sat next to the grieving woman and placed an arm over her, she could not begin to understand the loss the woman felt but she could at least give Victoria a bit of comfort.

Suddenly several boots could be heard coming down the hall way as men in full riot gear stepped into the room with large automatic rifles pointed at Victoria. “Ma’am step away from the bed and put your hands behind your head. The nurse jumped up with her hands in a defensive position. “wait, what is all this, my patient just woke up from a coma, you all need to get the hell out!” she demands. The officer grabs the nurse’s wrist and throws her into another officer’s arms. Victoria startles at the sudden movement puts her hands up defensively. The officers react as if she was about to smite them with her meta powers and fires their weapons. Victoria instinctively slips into the elemental plane where she is untouched by the bullets the widow behind her is shattered. Victoria is overcome by an anger she had never know before and as she comes back into the material plane she winds jets into to hospital room and forces the anti-meta unit to the floor. She jumps out the now open window into the twilight sky as she discovers she is 30 floors up, however, the air gathers around her and her bare feet are gently set on the warm cement.

Victoria felt her whole body shake from exhaustion and she fell to the ground, she put her hands under her to pick her upper body off the ground. However, she did not have time to rest as three black vans rolled up on her and a squad of people clad in all in black and armed to the teeth. She did not give them time to get into a position as she slammed her fist into the cement and the ground around her rose up shielding her from their sights. As her assailants circled around her location she released her powers once again causing the earth around her shoot out and collide into the armed soldiers.

In the chaos she used the moment to make an escape as she used the wind to shoot up into the darkening sky. Though, she could not stay skyward for long. She landed a few blocks away and rested with in an ally. Yet again, she did not have much time as she heard more boots stomp toward her. Victoria gripped the corner of the building she had rested on as she broke off a large piece and threw it at the approaching men and as they entered the ally the chuck of building broke up and peppered them causing them to take cover and once again she takes flight. As she has a bird’s eye view of the city she sees more of those black vans closing in on her.

Victoria did not know why this was happening, she had doubt that these men were part of the LAPD was it some enemy she had made in the Justice League? Was that the reason why her family were killed? She felt the anger boil over and as she hovered over the city clouds began to form above and with flick of her wrist lightning struck the ground near one of those black vans causing it to collide with another car. Her red hair whipped around behind her and her hospital gown was thrashing around he, she raised her hand to the heavens readying another bolt to strike the now motionless van, however, a force struck her back causing her to fall a few feet.

It was only a short flight from La Vida to down town and she knew she had to go when she the news broke that a powerful meta was wreaking havoc in the city. She knew that La Vida had been in chaos ever since the gangs started killing each other with no rhyme or reason, the at least respected each other not to start something like this before.

“Athena, I don’t like it there are other people that can handle things like this. Please, just sit this one out…plus La Vida is already going crazy. We need you here.” Matt argued.

Athena put a hand on Matt’s shoulder and gave a reassuring smile, “I’ll be fine and Knight and Wild Heart can handle things here without me. Besides, this is the reason why we started this in the first place right? Putting good in the world and making people remember our names.”

Matt rolled her eyes but couldn’t help but smile, “you know this isn’t a game…but you gotta do what’ya gotta do.” He said putting his fist out for Athena to tap with her own fist.

Athena met Matt’s fist with her own, “I know it isn’t, but you know why.” Matt’s smile turned to a frown. “Yeah, I know…” he retorted.

As Athena got closer she could see the damage that the meta had caused, she just had to follow the path of destruction. The sky had been mostly been cloudless all day, but it seemed that the weather had changed, though she couldn’t remember the forecast calling a storm. However, she looks into the skys and saw something so awesome she had to take a moment to take in what her eyes were seeing. Was this some wrathful red-haired god taking out her vengeance out on the city below. No that’s silly she thought it had to be the meta she was looking for. As the woman rose her hand to strike again Athena shot her own hand out sending a force wave hitting the woman’s back.

“Hey, lady! This needs to end now, you’re making trouble for other metas that get bad rep cause people like you!” Athena says as she floated to be at equal levels with Victoria.

“Little girl, you don’t know what’s going on, just head back to the ground and stay out of my way…” Victoria says as she looks for the van again.

Athena felt a bit slighted that the woman just blew her off, but she pushed the feelings away and made a grasping gesture at the red-head. Victoria felt something grab her and hold her arms to her side and was officially annoyed with the girl.

“Okay, you want to be a hero, let me give you a lesson in taking a fight with someone above your weight class!” She called out. Victoria arched her back and called the wind to her, Athena was felt the winds pick up and was suddenly trapped in a whirl-wind, the girl’s hair started to smack into her face and made it harder for the girl to see and the air was being sucked from her lungs. Athena lost focus and let Victoria out of her grasp as she tried to take in air.

Victoria sight went blurry has the exhaustion crept in, but she wasn’t some newbie that couldn’t last in a fight. She took in a deep breath and waved her hands in a circle pattern, collecting water particles from the air until she had a ball of water between her hands. She aimed it at the girl and small orbs of ice rapidly fired at Athena meant to pepper her with hail. Athena tried to fly out of the hails path, but it seemed to follow her so instead she held out her hands and created a force barrier and she was able to breathe again.

“Okay, this is not going well…” Athena told herself as she was forced to take up a defensive position. She hadn’t noticed the channel 52 news helicopter until then and felt embarrassed. “Great Matt is watching and he’s going to be so angry that he was right.” She thought out loud.

Victoria watched as the teen blocked her attack and steadily increased the force of the hail testing her defensive power. “Sorry, but lesson is almost over, I would put everything thing into that shield of yours. It’s going to get a little rough.” She says as she reaches to the sky once more then with her arm down like if she were striking something and lightning followed and hit Athena’s barrier straight on. Thunder cracked as the flash of energy exploded in Athena’s face. She had successfully blocked the lightning but the mere force of if hitting her shield threw the girl back and start to spiral toward the ground. Athena couldn’t tell which way was up as she tumbled in the air still blinded by the lightning, though that was starting to fade as she began to lose consciousness.

The red-haired woman frowned at what she had done, she had let her anger get the best of her and she had taken it out on this young hero, she was not proud. She called the wind again to slow the girls fall as she sped after her easily catching the unconscious teen. Victoria land them both in the shadows of the nearest ally and sent Athena down. She checked Athena’s breathing then checked her eyes for damage. It seemed that she would be alright, having done that, she took the teen’s hoody and shoes.

“Sorry, Hun, I’m going to need these more than you,” Victoria tells the her as she slips on the girl’s converse over her bare feet. She was fortunate that they fit. Victoria could hear the helicopter coming for them, so she called the wind once more to carry her somewhere she couldn’t be followed.

---

---

In a poorly lit business office sits a woman starring up at the darken clouds, she sighs as she rests her face on her hands as she lazily in her chair. She already knows her men have failed to capture Elemental Girl or rather Victoria Blake. “Capture the girl, she is most likely going to be come a problem with our project in La Vida…do not fail me again…” the woman’s voice is silky and calm but has a hint of anger. “yes sir of course,” a man replies and quickly leaves the room. The woman sits alone in the shadows of the room and gives a dangerous smile, “it’s almost time to kick off phase two…”

---

---

---

The drones hovered over Wild-hearts unconscious form and projected a light that caused Ashlyn’s body to rise a foot of the ground. Matt was happy that his anti-gravity tech actually worked, he hadn’t had time to test the tech, but he knew it theory that it should work just as expected or blow up raining hot metal on Ashlyn…he would make sure to not tell her that bit.

Matt mostly ignored the strange man, he hadn’t seemed like he was going to try to stop him and didn’t know if that was a good thing or not. Matt simply looked at the guy and shrugged, “right, have a blessed day…” he said sarcastically and followed the drones out and down the apartments and into his car.

On the ride back, Matt made sure to drive as safely has possible so that he would not be noticed by the cops. The drones scanned Wild-Heart taking her pulse temperature and blood pressure. She seemed fine but there was some damage in her ears. and up until now he hadn’t noticed but they were being followed by a swarm of bats. “what the hell is that all about?” he asked Ashlyn and of course she didn’t answer.

As they got closer to the house he could see one of the streets were blocked off and a swarm of police cars at taken up the street along with emergency vehicles. “Oh shit, what’s going on now?” he asks Ashlyn and again she rudely does not reply.

Once they get to the house Matt brings Ash to the room they use for a med-bay, it was clean, and he had some tech that he was working on to enhance the normal regenerative factor everyone has. But for now, they only caused rashes. And it didn’t help that Ashlyn’s little beast were trying to investigate and whining as soon as they smelled their master and they seemed to have been worried. “Get out, no dogs in the med-bay!” he yells at them as he tries to fight them out of the room.

Suddenly Matt realized that he hadn’t deactivate Knight’s entry pass to the house, he opened the door allowing Artimas and Apollo into the room as he runs to James’ room. It had been emptied, he was here! He backed into the room looking for the murder, not sure if he was still in the house. He looks around the room and finds the note that he has left and reads it. Matt backs into the wall and takes a deep breath, “what the hell is happening?” he says trying to take in all the information.

Matt deactivates Knight’s entry pass and if he was in the house still he would be hit by the ward and be forced out. He makes his way back to the medical bay and sits with Ashlyn and her dogs, he did not have the energy to fight them again. As he sets back into his chair he remembers Athena and quickly takes his phone out and looks for a news feed.

---

Black vans began to close in on Athena’s location as she lays in an ally unconscious and defenseless, unknowing of the danger she is still in.

---

The van screeched to a halt, blocking off the exit to the alleyway. The chipped red paint and clearly shot suspension instantly showcased that this was not some government, black ops operative. The confirmation truly came when the door rolled open with a slight screeching, revealing a young man in a red jumpsuit, a baseball cap, and red sunglasses. He quickly rushed to the side of the girl lying in the alleyway, scooping her up in his arms before returning to the van, sighing as he heard faintly the sounds of nearby tires screeching. "Damn it... This is how I end up on a register."

Once the girl was inside and strapped in to the passenger seat, Roy hit on the gas. He began zooming down the road just as two black vans appeared in the rear view mirror, drifting out onto the city streets. The archer gave a slight groan. This wasn't going to be easy or fun. The doors of the vans slid open, and men in full ballistic armor began leaning out and letting out bursts of gunfire towards Roy's van. The bullets pinged against the metal siding, piercing through the metal when they did hit. Arsenal checked the back seat, noticing that his motorcycle and... well, arsenal, were still intact. That was good at least. They didn't hit the RPG.

Roy turned left into the first alleyway he could. It was only large enough for a single car to drive through, and Roy watched as one van entered in behind him as the other van continued driving. They were going to try and cut him off. Smart plan. Too bad they didn't know exactly who they were dealing with. Arsenal pulled out a handgun from the center console of the van, pulling back the hammer and looking in the rear view mirror as he used his left hand to aim out the window. The other van's soldiers had to pull back in, as there wasn't enough room to safely lean out. With two quick shots, the Black Ops vans' tires were blown out, and sparks flew. Within a mere moment, the van managed to crash into the wall of an adjoining brick building. Roy was almost out of the alley, but not before the soldiers behind him slid their door open and began to fire again. A few bullets pierced through, one even managing to lodge itself into Roy's left leg, tearing through it with ease. A hard pull on the wheel saw Roy's van careen out onto the street again.

Roy grunted at the pain, but was more angered to notice the other van drift out behind them. The enemy soldiers slid the doors open. Arsenal had to think fast. Pressed for time, he decided to go with a crazier option. Roy wrapped his seatbelt around the steering wheel, managing to secure it enough that it would keep the van going relatively straight. A spare brick was used to hold down the accelerator as the van began to pick up more speed. Arsenal limped back as the bullets began to pierce through, the windshield itself being cracked and shattered by the impacts created. He grabbed his weapon of choice, spinning his body around so his feet were at the back door. With a quick kick of his right foot, the door shot open. Roy released the arrow, and watched as it shot directly onto the hood of the opposing van. He gave a quick wave as it got to work immediately. The Thermite charge tore itself into the van's hood, and it took only a couple seconds for the opposing van's engines to fail. Better yet, the placement managed to remove the car's ability to steer, along with causing a failure of the braking mechanism. The scarlet archer gave a small smile as the hostile van veered to the right and crashed into a bakery. Poor folks didn't deserve the damage. But Roy gave a slight sigh of relief as he was able to crawl his way back to the driver's seat and make an escape, despite slowly losing consciousness.

Not long after, Roy managed to pull the van into a relatively deserted spot on the outskirts of Los Angeles. He crawled into the back, barely hanging on to consciousness. His wound wasn't very severe, but he was still losing a lot of blood. He grabbed a bottle of rubbing alcohol and poured it over the bullet wound (luckily, only a graze). A quick wrapping of bandages then would help prevent infection and hopefully keep enough pressure to slow the bleeding. Roy, rather quickly, slammed against the back of his van as he fell unconscious, amidst his various weapons and equipment while a teenage girl slept somewhat soundly in the passenger seat. Not exactly how he expected his day to turn out.

Location: La Vida Streets

After the young man took Wildheart, Sam thanked the residents and walked back onto the dark streets of La Vida. When all the chaos and commotion finally subsided, peace returned to the night. There was a certain charm to the city whenever the constant sound of tires and horns that rang across fell silent, and this was one of those times. A warm soft wind kissed the dusty streets, and the sand devils danced where their lips met. Sam walked the streets once more at ease, admiring the artistry of the rustic but raw sincerity of rock and metal.

After a few minutes his thoughts drifted back to the man who killed those men Sam tried to apprehend. Though his words he admittedly disregarded as ramblings of a mad man much to his chagrin, he felt there was at least some amount of clarity buried beneath a storm of hatred, narcissism and pettiness. Sam agreed that crime and senseless violence was a plague that drained the people of the land, and he too desired to be a paragon of JUSTICE! Perhaps that man, like the others Sam had fought that night, were souls who allowed their circumstances and their trauma to define them instead of their own hearts. It is a shame though the killer's words and action could not save him from becoming a mockery, a twisted caricature of his own ideals. He would have had the potential to become a truly amazing warrior.

As soon as the thoughts had come they had gone from Sam's mind, and a silent peace returned. La Vida was both a place of terror and wander, and held a strong presence transcending the senses. Sam was sure the city had plenty more secrets to show as he walked beneath the moonlight.

---

La Vida: Wayward House.

Tonight, the moon would find her way inside a very bullet ridden van finding an unconscious girl and boy. Athena would stir to wake and blink the blurriness out of her eyes and as her vision comes to she discovers that she is sitting in a parked van in the passenger seat. Athena rubbed her temples trying to soothe her horrible headache, the lightning strike hadn’t hit her directly, but it had damaged her eyes. No matter how much she blinked, the blurriness would not leave her. The ringing in her ears had faded and she could hear just fine and she let out a breath of relief.

Athena then realized this was not where she had been before she had blacked out, she had been falling out of the sky. “That woman, she must have saved me…” she says has she holds her head. She looks around and takes in her surroundings. It had looked like someone one was living in this van, she looked to the floor of her van and found the boy who she assumed lived in said van.

The girl clicked off the seat belt that and was glad the boy had at least thought of safety first when he grabbed her from where ever she had been. Athena stood up as best she could and crawled to the back, she needed to find out why this boy was also unconscious. She then realized she was in her socks and her hoody was gone, was she robbed while she was unconscious? She pressed the thought to the back of her mind as she struggled to the back with out stepping on the boy.

Athena first checks if the boy is responsive and when he doesn’t respond to her calling, she checks his breathing and his pulse which she finds. She examines his body which she notices that is very…well kept, however, she finds blood on his leg and sees a that he has a wound that was wrapped in an attempted to stop the bleeding. Blood was seeping out of the make shift wrap, she needs to get him to a hospital but looking around seeing all the bullet holes she thought this guy would probably not want to get the police involved.

“Okay I guess you’re coming with me,” she says to the unconscious boy. Athena jumps into the driver’s seat and starts the vehicle, she was not the best driver and her vision was darkened. However, she had to get him back to the house and properly take care of his wound. She did not know why this boy had picked her up but seeing the van and the boys state she could tell he had saved her.

They were not far from the house and it only took a short time to get back home, once home she had disabled the ward to allow the boy to pass through the ward and took him to the med-bay. She had found Wild-Heart lying in one of the beds and Matt sleeping in a chair. Athena floats the boy into one of the clean beds across from Wild-Heart. Athena hurried and grabbed a suture’s kit, she had unwrapped the wound and cleaned it then started closing the wound. It was her first time stitching up a wound, but she had seen Ashlyn stitch animal wounds. Her hands were shaky but with her telekinesis she was as steady as a surgeon.

Wildheart heard the sounds first, movement around her and the hum of machinery, she opened her eyes wincing at the bright lights. Her head felt as though it was being hit repeatedly with a sledgehammer. She knew she had a migraine but she was used to that and was able to push through the pain enough to function...just. Later would come the vomiting but for now she could cope. She looked around, moving her head slowly to avoid more pain, and recognised Matt and Athena's house. There was a stranger lying in the bed next to her and out of habit she registered his unique scent as she did with everyone she met.

Athena was standing over him and seemed to be trying to perform surgery, Wildheart had to look twice, it was the first time she had seen it done with Telekinesis. Matt sat in the chair by the bed and Apollo and Artemis lay beside the bed both asleep. She smiled gently and leaned down to stroke them, both jumped as one and she was immediately enveloped in fur and wet tongues as they crawled over excitedly. She let them for a few minutes then calmed them down sending them reassurance and calm. She realised that her brother was probably worried sick as well as her cats and she quickly took out her phone.

She spent the call reassuring him too and apologising for making him worry, she also said she would return home as soon as she could. Hanging up she swung her legs to the floor and carefully stood. Other than the pain in her head she seemed uninjured, her healing abilities had done their work and her hearing was fine again. It was a pity her enhanced regenerative ability couldn't heal migraines though. She moved to stand beside Athena glancing down at the young man on the bed. The wound didn't look serious, bullet wound, she guessed.

"Need a hand?" She asked Athena. Though a Vet she had performed basic surgery on her father before when they had been miles from the nearest hospital.

---

Resting on the couch with Katarina’s slender frame draped comfortably over the furniture as if this was her own home. She browsed the internet searching for memes on her phone when an app notification interrupted mid dancing cat video. She checked the notification and nearly dropped the phone on her face when the video started playing. There in the sky, her friend, fighting a powerful meta. Kat sat up and intently focused on her phone. She watched Athena being pushed back by the red-haired woman and finally be struck down by lightning before the video feed was cut.

Katarina sat there silently thinking of hundreds of scenarios, was her friend dead? Surely Athena was still alive, she was a powerful meta herself. In her panic she forgot that Photon was still in the room and was unhearing for a few moments before she got up.

“I have to go…” Kat said before vanishing with the sound of air rushing to fill the spot where she once was.

Nate was sitting on his living rooms battered armchair, a faded blue thing with numerous stains, watching the television screen attached to the wall in front of him. He was surprised by how much chaos had happened because of his job killing the family, he wondered if the gang leader who had paid him had known what would happen. Of course he couldn't have known that dead bodies would pop up in the space of only twenty four hours. Both of the major players in La Vida were convinced the other was responsible for the deaths but Nate wasn't convinced. From the few details he could glean from the press, whoever was responsible was professional and extremely skilled. Though the gangs were perfectly capable of killing they weren't known for their efficiency or professionalism. Nate was betting it was a new player someone who was perfectly happy to leave a trail of bodies in his wake.

Thoughtfully he messaged several of his contacts, he had a lot of them in La Vida's underground, sending them the details and asking if they had any information on the mysterious new player. Nate wanted to meet him or her. In his new job as hired killer it had occurred to him that having someone with the skills, this person had, in his corner as an ally could only be a good thing. Nate was pretty powerful in his own right but he wasn't stupid enough to assume that he was invincible. He was all too aware that if you took away his powers he would be an easy target.

His phone vibrated and he opened the incoming message. He read quickly then cursed under his breath and sat up in his seat. The message contained an image of a red headed young woman in a battle with another young woman, who looked a little familiar, and a short message.
Target has not been terminated. Deal with this

He opened his mouth to speak and Ghost beat him to it, she hurriedly told him she had to go and vanished a moment later. Nate frowned she had looked...worried. He glanced at the tv and saw that the report was about the battle between the two meta's that he had been messaged about. Did Ghost know the target? Or the other meta? His mind thinking in a thousand different directions he grabbed his goggles and left the apartment. He had a meta to find.

---

Roy's eyes fluttered open moments after the stitching had finished. He looked pale and weak, but flashed a small grin as his eyes closed in response to the bright lights, wincing slightly from both the pain of his wound and the pain the lights provided. He lifted his arm to shield his eyes from the harmful beams, stretching his back and shoulders just slightly as he repositioned himself on the bed. "You owe me for saving you from those fuckers, kid." Roy spent only a moment longer gaining up the strength to sit up and open his eyes, examining those in the room with him. A girl, a woman, and a boy... but obviously Roy's eyes immediately locked onto the dogs. He gave a small smile and held his hand out towards them. "Hey little buds... didn't know y'all brought in therapy dogs for patients..." His demeanor changes almost on a dime, as he looked to examine the room. "You didn't bring me to a fucking hospital, did you?"