Uptown to Midtown

As much as he didn't want to, Michael had to tear his clothes up. He pretty much committed to their ruin the moment he broke into a full stride. Running through Uptown at his greater speed was easy. It was all due to the sidewalks rarely being crowded with people in this district. Now to go incognito. Michael made a squeamish face as his exoskeleton spread across his skin. As much as he disliked wearing the full exoskeleton, Michael had to keep his identity hidden from literally everyone, especially N.O.V.A. As far as the Variant policing organization knew, Michael didn't do a goddamn thing with his powers.

The protruding parts of Michael's second layer of skin tore through the sleeves of his shirt, but within seconds he was all covered up. He figured he could pass as a new vigilante on the scene, especially with N.O.V.A, not being privy about Michael being able to create a full exoskeleton.

"I just have to find them," Michael said to himself with the criminal variants in mind. He jumped up towards the roof of a low building, caught the edge of it and vaulted onto it where he stopped for a moment. His movements had been so quick and instinctive that he was taken a bit by surprise. Taking a good look up at the elevated buildings around confirmed that he was now in Midtown. Now, he just had to put his powers to use to locate his objective. This meant... "The only hot piece of ass at the bar is ready to talk." Michael joked as he attempted to communicate with them.

Hey fuckheads! Yeah, it's me. I need you guys to give me a trail. I'm looking for two Variants running from the police. Should be close by.

Michael squatted down to get a good hamstring stretch as he faintly heard the information echo off before fading. Those roaches never questioned his orders, they just acted. He sometimes wondered how they understood every single thing he even said though. Like how the hell did "Variant" and "police" translate. He stood up to squat again to get his legs warmed up a bit more. Michael waited in silence for about a minute before a response finally echoed back to him.

You better be right.

Michael ran forward and jumped to the side of a nearby building as his foot hit the side, he broke into a full stride. He then jumped to the ground level and ran past people by running across walls and using parking meters to hop over them. Some bystanders panicked and jumped out of his way. Others tried to record whatever they could of the Dressed Up Parkour Bug Dude.

Moments later, Michael was hiding around a corner of the alley while letting the fight between the criminals and vigilantes play out. From what his little minions told him, the fight was even so far and the police were recovering while wondering what to do. This was the best time if ever a time to get in and get out.

Okay, now show me where the duffel bag is. I'll take care of the rest.

Michael nodded to himself to mentally prepare for what he was about to do. Then he rounded the corner. Things seemed to slow down for him as he moved onto the scene. He beelined towards the bag on the ground and stopped the moment he grabbed it. The police looked weary of him and raised their weapons. They had assumed he might have been with villains with his not so accepted appearance. Michael was prepared… to use his most impressive ability. It had already been charged up and prepared. Being sure that no one could counter, he unleashed it.

"Whoa! Whoa! Stop! I'm on your side! I have to get this bomb out of the area! It was supposed to be used on their second target!" The police took in that lie with almost no resistance as they lowered their weapons. As for the glorified brawl and knife fight, they were too occupied with each other. Michael noticed the broken strap on the duffel and hoisted it up onto his left shoulder before darting from the alley and onto the main street like the roach-man he was. Initially, he felt relief and joy. That was SO easy! The timing couldn't have been more perfect. Now I just have to dump this into my car… Wait. Unless this shit really is a bomb… Okay, detour! DETOUR!

Michael headed to a nearby parking garage within Tech Alley a few blocks from where the fighting was taking place. Ducking and going between a van and a sedan, Michael was ready to identify his treasure. He quickly unzipped the duffel bag.

"That's me."

---

Wonderland, the Bywater District

Bloodrose had a dress. that would match her personality. As in, beautiful. Kilroy had complained it was waste of money, but Bloodrose knew differently. How was she going to get anything done dressed with regular old clothes? She had to be attractive! Eye-catching! Otherwise no one would care.

This was all theory, of course. This was the first time Bloodrose had been let off the leash as it were. Purse slung over her shoulder, her high heels clacked along the concrete as she searched her phone for nearby nightclubs. None were really catching her eye. Boring, boring, boring. Too much dancing. Dancing was for fun, and as much as Bloodrose liked fun, she was out here on business. Ah. What's this? Wonderland? Variants welcome. Looked like a good a place to start as any. The makeup she had on this morning still worked, and worked even better now that she had a glamorous outfit to match. Deep red lips and shadowed eyes. Oh yeah, she could chat up anyone.

The sun was almost all the way gone, and the lights of the Bywater district began to come to life. New Haven looked beautiful at night. Approaching the nightclub, she showed her fake ID Kilroy made for everyone and got inside. Bloodrose didn't know exactly how the ID magic worked, but basically it prevented the same name from coming up all over town over and over again. The name said "Ellen Zhang." Sauntering up to the countertop, she sat cross legged upon a barstool. Whenever the barkeep went by, she would ask loudly. "I'll have...ooh...I dunno. A dry martini. Extra dry..." she smiled, lowering her voice and morphing into an appalling british accent, "Shaken, not stirred."

Straighting her back, she tapped the counter top with her fingernails, smiling at the barkeep. "Thanks, sweetheart." She turned and scanned the club for anyone interesting, perking up her ears aswell. It was going to be a long night, full of adventure and good times for all. Oh, yeah, and maybe she'd learn something useful.

---



---

Relka closed the door behind her, the room awashed in darkness, yet she could see perfectly fine in the shadows. She let herself diffuse among the entirety of the room, feeling omnipotent in her domain. She flicked on the light and the small warehouse turned hideout. The best place for an info hub is in the warehouse district. It was basically in the middle of New Haven, she had access to everywhere if needed.

She made her way through the halls of the maze like corriders she had built-in to detract would be assailants from getting to her nerve center. Relka booted up her computer, and was greeted by the normal private secure server that kept her hidden from N.O.V.As eyes. She contacted the buyer for the information she ... Liberated, and set up a meet a hour from now. Relka stretched in her chair and tried looking up a social media account on her new plaything. Sadly if the girl had one it was hidden. She checked her mail to see if any new jobs have vome in, but with the explosion tonight she was sure it was going to be a slow night. Relka sighed and stood up, she was going to go out tonight and have a different kind of fun.

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Relka walked inti her favorite bar, Wonderland, it was variant friendly so she didn't have to worry. And the owner Alice was funny as shit if you pissed her off and someone usually did. She walked in and grabbed a double of forty year old Crown Royal went and sat in her favorite corner where the light never seemed to work and people watched.

After knocking back a couple of drinks Relka felt the warmth run through her body when a woman in a red dress walked in. She stood out because most people didn't wear such fancy clothing here. But when shensaw the girls face Relka raised an eye as she ordered a drink. She thought Mary would stay hidden in her hotel room until at least tomorrow after dealing with her. Relka smiled as she realized she would get to play again with her new toy sooner than expected. Relka pulled the darkness a little closer so she couldn't be seen and watched the events to unfold before she stepped in.

In the middle cart of a train, coming back to New Haven from the city of York New, things were quiet. Soft chatter from passengers on their phones, calling loved ones or work, all with plans on their mind. The turning pages of a book as the paper creased under calloused hands, the muffled sound of someone's music as it blared through their headphones and turning their ear drums to mush. A packed cart, of people having the horror of sitting next to silent strangers.

Aurora herself wasn't paying much mind to the person on her left. A pod cast of various incidents in New Haven updated while she was waiting to get home. Her interest sparked a while ago, only to give way to mute irritation as the voices in her head phones went back and forth, explaining a robbery who just had to be Variants as well.

"With the variants Flea and Noxia detained, the city is once again left with a disturbing question. The building behind me is still up in flames, the damage done only by two people with no casualties as of yet."

"Tom, I'd just like to ask, why we haven't cracked down on Variants yet. I myself just reading about Flea to see he doesn't seem too dangerous, but the footage is saying something else. Imagine if there was someone worse in that little team up to act out crimes for something that could have an actual body count?"

"My own opinion is to just let Variants take care of Variants, it's time to have more officers be aloud to use and train with their abilities to hunt these people dow-

She turned off the podcast, the words humming in her ears, leaving a foul taste in her mouth. She hasn't even set foot back home yet, and she was already listening in on the war in the streets. It didn't take much to find out that Manny was in the fray, it would honestly be surprising if he wasn't in the heart of any and all vigilante work since she left. Still, she couldn't help but sigh, air passing her lips as she felt Goliath shift on her feet.
How were the others doing? The vigilantes? The masked faces and bare voices were more of her family then she could have called her mother and father. Her phone still buzzing none stop as it tried to catch up on the messages that was sent to her over the last six months. One after the other, voice mail after voice mail of angry cries and threats of her coming back home only to give way to quiet whispers of apologies and begging words to get her to come home. She stopped listening after the first few hours, only so much guilt she could take in one day after all.

Fingers running absently over the buttons on her coat as she leaned against her seat and allowed the world to move past her in the rocking train car. The albino wasn't doing much, just pressing the buttons on a simple mp3 player that wrapped around her head, before closing her cloudy eyes. Even then, she could still feel the eyes of the girl in the seat next to her own. The smell of a freshly brewed coffee steaming to her side, making her only slightly jealous. She been drinking the stuff pretty much none stop for the last few months cause of her job, and even now she'd probably kill for another one just to keep her brighter eyed.

It was a long train ride, a boring one after a long job, a terrible one. Her hands were bandaged, arm finally out of it's cast. Bags under her eyes, while a sleepy smile played on her lips as the automatic voice binged in the car. "New Haven Train station" The shift in her mood causing Goliath to sit up, her hand finding his head with her perked ears. "Almost home boy, You'll be able to sleep in your bed soon." She could almost feel the stubby tail wiggle as her train buddy wordlessly reached up and ruffled through their hanging luggage. A quiet "here ya go" only for her to feel her duffel bag dwarf her lap as she let out a yelp.

Feeling the train groan to a halt. Aurora couldn't wait much longer as she collected herself and her dog before the beast began to drag her off. She never wanted to visit that city again, never wanted to do that again. The smell of garbage and smoke, with the sounds of tired groans and rude remarks, was still better then the six months of hell she just had to deal with. Her boots clicking on the station's tile floor, she fished for her phone again, holding it to her lips as she spoke with a grin. "Text Mop Top....I'm home."

Wonderland huh?

Camilla looked upon the bar from across the street. She wore a black surplice halter top, blue jeans, and black boots.

I should have brought a friend. Witting to my objectives or not, it would take some unwanted attention off of me.

Camilla was no stranger to these kinds of scenarios where she had to blend in and not be memorable. Appearing to be a single woman at a bar… Well, it's not the best case scenario.

After some contemplating while pretending to wait on someone by constantly checking her phone while looking around, she made a move to enter. Camilla's eyes lit up and smile perked up on her face as she entered. Her eyes looked upon Wonderland as if its name was purely literal. Scanned, not much different from the intel. And shit, maybe I won't be so memorable. Thanks, Red Dress.

The atmosphere Camilla picked up from the bar could only be described as comfortable… except for one person. As she took a seat on a bar stool, Camilla side-eyed a dim corner of the bar where a single figure lurked. Excitement. Not the good kind though… It's probably some creep, but I should be careful here. She was aware the establishment welcomed Variants which meant a lot could happen if the good vibes at the bar made a turn for the worst. If anything Camilla could rely on her abilities. Camilla then looked to the barkeep, the woman she was looking for, the one who may have the answers she sought after, Alice.

"I'll have the same!" Camilla piped up joyously right after Red Dress ordered her extra dry Martini. Camilla had something a lot more basic in mind but decided she could make some conversation before getting to business. She looked at Red Dress with a friendly smirk. "Can't just let a girl drink alone My name's Camilla." Camilla opened with that before seemingly admiring the red dress. "And you are… owning the night with that dress." Camilla said with a nod. She chose not to lean on her abilities yet. Camilla, like most of the occupants she felt comfortable here...