North Side Apartments^™
Near North Side, Tenebrae
Time: Late Night
@Blizz

”If it means Tenebrae doesn’t get destroyed, then I’m in. But still, how are we getting there?”

The doctor's gaze seemed to drop. "Well, the thing is... I haven't thought of that yet."

It was a lie, of course. He had thought of it. But now...

He leaned toward Ellie, face tense. "I have a favour to ask of you tomorrow morning. I mean, uh, if you're okay with it. There's a package I want to give you."

He took out his phone and began tapping through some screens. "I'll arrange to have it delivered. It's a small underwater drone, it should fit on your motorcycle. From there, it will uh, if you could, um, just drop it into the water along the shoreline of the Loop."

Dream raised an eyebrow. "Reconnaissance right before a mission?"

The doctor stammered. "I-it's the best I got. Time's not on our side, but I assure you I'll think of something before we start."

Dream studied the doctor before nodding. "Then I'll rent some scuba equipment. It won't be ideal, but we can swim there if we have to. It's a plan B while you come up with plan A."

He nodded. "Y-yeah, that sounds, uh, fair."

"Ellie," Dream glanced her way, "How about I take you for that coffee tomorrow evening?"

***

True to the doctor's word, after he and Dream left Ellie's apartment for the night (and they all caught a few hours of sleep), Ellie received a knock at the door early in the morning. Laid out on the carpet in front of her door was a large, steel briefcase, unlocked, with a delicately placed drone inside, pressed against the case's foam walls. The drone itself seemed to be a few generations ahead of technology, with a sleek design and a strong motor. It would be perfect to survey the lab and, hopefully, find a point of entry for her and Dream to slip in unannounced.

All that was left was to slip it quietly into the ocean.

---

BREAKING NEWS
Location: All media outlets, Tenebrae
Time: Early Morning
@Lady Seraphina, @Shu, @Blizz

A brawl broke out at the Love Street last night, or as the locals like to call, the 'Haven'. Footage taken from the fight shows the bar erupting in panic as a woman throws a lit Molotov cocktail at a man, who then catches fire. Mild damages were also inflicted on the bar, like the scorch marks on the floor. The two suspects fled the scene shortly after. Police arrived at the scene later that night, however, the bar's owner is not pressing charges.

***

Scandal at the museum! Owners found the safe holding the to-be-veiled Queen's diadem empty last night. Police were called to the scene when the night guards heard an explosion on the third floor. Two suspects fled the scene, one described as wearing ninja clothing, the other bearing a red crescent emblem. Police, at this time, do not have them identified. If anyone has any information, contact your local police department immediately.

***

Local jewellers found their doors and windows blown open last night, along with half of the cars along the street. However, nothing was stolen. Police only have footage of a masked suspect in the store, and then a bright light appears at the edge of the camera. Choppers sweeping the area report a streak of light shooting down the streets toward Near North Side, and police have reason to believe two suspects are behind the bombings. However, at this time, police do not have these suspects identified.

---

Navy Pier
Loop, Tenebrae
Time: Early Morning
@Blizz

"My my, what do we have here." said a smooth, silvery voice.

Behind Rainsinger stood a tall man, just over six feet, with a strong build and black garb covering his muscles. A silver chain clasped a large, black, flowing mantle on his shoulders, a prominent collar sweeping his neck. Gleaming silver hid his eyes and nose in a simple, elegant mask, and his ash-brown hair had thick curls, beautifully framing his face.

"I would mention that the park doesn't open until ten, but then again," his smile widened. "We're not here because we follow rules."

They both stood under the pier's ferris wheel, gleaming with water like a spider's web at dawn. Then man took a step forward, gaze intent on Rainsinger.

"What I want to know is," a chill seeped into his voice. "What a man like you, one of the most powerful meta's in Tenebrae history, is doing back from the dead. You go by many names, Rainsinger. Or should I say... Mr. Danvers."

A howl of wind swept up between them. He appeared relaxed, the contrast only showing in his sharp, discerning eyes; he knew Rainsinger would be the type to talk first, especially with the way Rainsinger fondly walked through the pier's attractions like a sailor with a bittersweet heart. He had lived long enough to see some of Tenebrae's history, and couldn't help the curiosity in him, staring at this superhuman. What would cause the ocean's trident to come back to port?

---

Cloud Gate
Loop, Tenebrae
Time: Late Morning
@Lady Seraphina

Her boots shone with what remained of last night's rain, kicking pebbles off the slicked sidewalk. On her back lay strapped a guitar case, and her face remained shadowed by the Shadow Knight's hood. Hands in her pockets, she strutted up to the raised platform, ignoring the tourist's photo she was clearly photo-bombing. As she shrugged off the guitar case, an Initial D jingle sounded from her pocket.

She tossed her hood back, revealing a flaming wreath of red hair and a colourful mask atop her eyes. "Hey, you finally awake?" She said, pressing her phone to her ear.

"Don't you pretend you're not in trouble, Myriad. What the hell are you thinking?"

"Relax. You need bed rest, and I was free. Besides, she doesn't like you, sir." A theatrical shrug. "You just can't help a woman's heart."

"What? I don't care if she—Ugh, listen, this lead is dangerous. You know she can easily overpower you if things don't go according to plan."

She sat down on the steps, setting the guitar case beside her. "Your regard for me is too high if you think I have a plan, sir."

"Oh my g--" Muffled grumbling came from the other side of the line. "Fine. But I'm putting some men on extraction detail. And lay low, Chronos got his badge shown on the news earlier."

"Alright, sir. So, that means you're letting me off the hook?"

"Not even close."

She laughed, "Glad you're feeling better, sir."

After the call disconnected, she popped open the guitar case at her feet. Inside lay a gleaming, jet black acoustic guitar, which she took into a practiced grip and gave the strings a quick strum. Perfectly in-tune. She glanced over at the passersby to the streets of Tenebrae, eyes open for a certain Valkyrie ghost. And then, she began to play.

---

Location: Unknown, Tenebrae
Time: Daytime
@Shu

It was a few minutes later when Kara’s phone lit up. On the incoming call screen was a photo of an old Chinese man with a grey beard, flowing hanfu robe wrapped around his full belly. In one hand he pressed a wary black cat to his chest.

This was the call Kara had been waiting for.

“Hello, Miss Shadow,” said a gravelly, spirited voice on the other end. “It’s been a long time since I’ve heard from you. Why don’t you come down to the jade shop when you have a moment? I—hey! Where do you think you’re going?”

The voice moved away from the receiver as the sound of crates knocked over in the background. A long, drawn-out meow could be heard.

“At least look at me when I’m talking to—,” the voice sighed. “And there she goes. What am I going to do with that cat.”

The sound of a smile returned to his voice. “No bother, I’m sure you’ll see her before you leave. I’ll set a pot of tea for you and we can catch up. And, obviously, discuss my new shipment of goods.”

With that subtle hint, he chuckled. “Come now, old man Shen wouldn’t forget about paying his respects to the Queen. I’ll leave the door open for you.”

***

The Jade Arts Emporium, situated on Oak Street in Near North Side Tenebrae, was the kind of store you'd shop at to find a souvenir for your millionaire grandmother back home. Most of its glass shelves were lined with ornate jade, gold and precious stone creations. Just to window-shop, one could easily get lost in the mystic quality. But, more covertly, the store had a locked back door filled with strange and highly illegal goods. Of course, Mr. Shen behind the front counter had the key, neatly tucked away in his hanfu.

---

The Perfume Gourmet
Oak Street, Near North Side, Tenebrae
Time: Daytime


The last customer left with their bags of packaged Wonderlust and Versace before the afternoon lull set in. Dream, dressed in her business professional attire, set about dusting the shelves in her glossy-floored shop while her assistant counted receipts.

"Miss Epherel?" The young girl pressed her round glasses to her face, squinting at the door. "I think I see a cat scratching the glass."

"Hm?" Dream said, glancing to the door.

A small, thin black cat stared back, yellow eyes like daggers. Dream stared flatly back.

"Give me one good reason why I should open this door for you."

"Because, darrrling, I bring news that will shatter your whole world." the cat purred through the glass, voice high and garbled.

Dream didn't move.

"Please, I'll be five minutes." the cat said, winking.

"Only five minutes." Dream opened the door, beckoning the cat in. "Wait in the showroom, and don't break anything."

The young assistant stared nervously as the cat leaped upon the receptionist's desk, sitting perfectly poised while Dream went into the back room. A minute later, Dream came back carrying a small plate filled with canned tuna, and the cat smiled.

"You always know how to treat your guests, darling." the cat said before taking a bite.

"So, what's this news." Dream folded her arms, leaning on the desk's raised counter.

"Always to the point. That's what I like about you." The cat mused, eating the rest of the canned tuna before turning towards Dream. "You might want to consider closing shop. They've caught on to you, and it's only a matter of time before they approach you."

Dream's heart panged in her chest, and she pursed her lips. "Who?"

"Oh, wouldn't you like to know?" The cat teased.

Dream only glared, and the cat chuckled shyly. "Okay, okay." her voice dropped a note, eyeing her assistant warily. "It's the Hunters. The you-know-who of the you-know-what."

Oh, didn't she know? The Hunters were the reason behind a large part of the disappearances lately. Dream's face pulled into a grimace. It was their sick pleasure to aggressively investigate until they uncovered a meta's secret identity or unreported powers. They certainly had an edge with their own meta's sleuthing—telepathy, or a type of psionic talent, she figured. Her hand unconsciously ran over her face, pressing back the hot, angry tears that wanted to escape her eyes. All her years of hard work to make a life for herself, her secret, normal life. The shop, her home, everything registered under Malyn Epherel... could it really?

Dream strode across the floor and opened the door wide. "Thank you, but we're closed now."

The cat eyed her mischievously, hopping off the desk. "Taking my advice so quickly, I see."

"Who wouldn't, Madame Fauxpaw. Please, send my regard to Master Shen."

The cat paused at the door, looking up at Dream sympathetically. "You know, darling... we could protect you."

"Absolutely not."

The cat simply shrugged. "We will see. Have a good day, you two."

As the door closed behind the cat, Dream flipped over the 'closed' sign and locked the front door. Her assistant stood up, knocking her chair back in her haste.

"W-what's going on, Miss Epherel?" she asked.

Dream came closer, putting her hand on the girl's shoulder. "I want you to listen very carefully to me, Anne. You should go home early today and start looking for a new job."

The girl's eyes began to tear up. Dream patted her shoulder, "Hey, take it easy. You're not in trouble. You'll be paid a full day's wages today, two weeks' wages, plus all your vacation pay."

"That's not what I'm worried about," Anne said. "Is what that cat said true? Do you really have to close shop? You can't, I don't want to work anywhere else."

Dream tilted her head, then nodded. "Fine. I'll contact you after a week and let you know if the store's out for good or not. So for now, consider it an unexpected vacation."

The girl seemed to relax at that. "Okay, Miss Epherel, I'll go get my things."

Dream stood in the showroom alone, eyes staring unseeing through the glittering bottles and illuminated shelves. The renowned Madame Fauxpaw, known well in the vigilante community for her spy work—who even knew Dream's own secret identity, as she did countless others—wouldn't normally tell a lie. It would be best to investigate this for herself and pray the cat was wrong. But then again, when was a spy like her ever wrong?

Cloud Gate
Loop, Tenebrae
@Lady Seraphina, @Estylwen

Gloria and her squad woke around noon the following day. Gloria's loft often served as something between a hang out and a home base. They woke groggily, paying for the night of partying they'd enjoyed. Unfortunately Gloria knew that they, or rather she, didn't have the time to let her hang over fade. Now that the day had come she needed to deal with the problems she'd been perfectly happy to ignore the night before.

"Sonya, Siobhan, see if you can get in touch with Lady Hel." Helena Kristansen was the leader of the Valkyries. She'd been moving in gang circles for the last twenty years. If anyone would about a new player in town, it would be her. "Let her know what happened last night and ask if she knows anything about these 'Shadow Knights'. They're either new in town, or they're very old. Either way, they're going to be trouble." she paused. "Don't go as far as to mentioning that I'm meeting with them. I don't want her getting the wrong impression, not till I know something solid."

Then she turned to Jinny and Quinn. "If you're up for it I would like some backup. Someone to follow behind discretely. Maybe even pull me out of danger if things go south."

"Why do they get to go on the fun mission?" Sonya asked sulkily.

"Cause they didn't breath in who knows what from an unknown meta last night."

Sonya lapsed into silence.

"I actually have a theory regarding that. I think the dust was particalized metal which would greatly increase the damage 'Arc' was able to do with his storm powers to those that had breathed it in. With any luck, it should work itself out of your systems in a couple of days." said Quinn.

Gloria nodded. "Let's hope that's all it is. But in the meantime, best not to risk it."

"What about that?" Quinn asked, nodding down at the briefcase that Gloria had dumped drunkenly by the door the night before. "If you gave me a couple hours I could probably work out what it does." Quinn was good like that. She could spot complex patterns in systems. Give her a pocket watch and just from the sound she could know that it was seventeen seconds slow and losing another second every hour. It didn't really help in a fight but it did make her one hell of a mechanic.

Gloria looked down at it. She was curious. She was really curious about what the device was. The Shadow Knights had decided it was a good fit for her based on observations from a distance. Given their choice of power matching over diplomatic when they'd chosen someone to approach her she suspected that meant it did something to boost her abilities.

Still they didn't have an unlimited amount of time and Gloria preferred to have someone watching her back.

"I think we leave it alone for now. I don't know what I'm walking into, I'd like you close by."

Quinn nodded with a smile, took something out of her pocket and tossed it to Gloria. "I think you'll be wanting that then." With a well practiced hand Gloria snatched it out of the air. It was a plastic disk about the size of a poker chip but twice as thick. "GPS. Hope you don't need it but I don't wanna risk losing sight of you."

Gloria mirrored her grin and stuffed the disk into her bra. "We best be headed out then."



Gloria had expected to have to wait for the Shadow Knight's representative but as she pulled her bike up to the Loop, it became obvious that they'd been waiting for her in the open for awhile. On the steps across from the Cloud Gate sculpture sat a performer, strumming a steady tune on a jet-black acoustic guitar. If not for her encounter last night, Gloria would have written off the dark hood she wore and the colourful face mask as a costume to help draw attention to her performance. Except that the woman's outfit was also marked with the crescent symbol she'd seen and despite the personal touches it still looked very much like how Arc had dressed. Her hair was wild and red, accented by the colours woven into her mask and Gloria thought idly that she was pretty.

The guitar case on the ground, littered with coins seemed to indicate she'd been waiting patiently most of the morning. Her eyes flickered past the tourists and though she nodded at each one that tossed a coin to her, it was clear from the slightly predatory glint in her eyes that she was searching for someone specific.

Gloria strode towards her. She wasn't wearing her Phantasm outfit, at least not completely. Her mask and cloak were stuffed into a bag hanging over one shoulder. Without them she looked more like a biker than a grim reaper but she was just as capable of kicking someone's ass.

As she approached, the woman's eyes fixed on her but she didn't stop playing. When Gloria got closer she recognized the song. It was an old folk tune, one of a collection that her little sister Cassie used to like. She leaned on the stair railing next to the musician and added her voice to the instrumental.

"Three things do not anger or you will not live for long,
A wolf with cubs, a man with power, or a woman's sense of wrong..."

She smiled slyly at the woman. "If that's a warning, it's a bit on the nose. But then" she gestured at the woman's ensemble. "So is this."

The woman matched her grin. "If heaven had a voice, you'd be the only one singing, partner."

Her hand slid into her guitar, the surface once having the consistency of reflective acrylic now rippled like standing water. When she pulled it out she was holding a small, woven bouquet of flowers. Pink and coral roses, and hyacinth, rimmed with fern. She held them out to Gloria, winking. "A token of my gratitude, though they fail to capture the beauty I see before me. That's the only thing that needs a warning."

Gloria was not entirely successful in suppressing a bashful smile. The woman was certainly a flirt but she hadn't forgotten why they were there.

"I don't take candy from strangers."

The woman shrugged taking no apparent offence to the gift's rejection and the bouquet disappeared back within the depths of the guitar.

The audience, who'd for the most part had not taken in the interaction between the two girls seemed surprised when she clapped the guitar case shut with a snap. "Alright, folks. I gotta run. Y'all enjoy yourselves."

Throwing the case's strap over her head, she ascended the stairs to the top of the platform, and motioned for Gloria to follower her. She still held the black guitar in one hand but she offered the other to Gloria in a handshake. "Name's Myriad, by the way. Myriad Eex. I'm probably the most playful bunch outta the Knights, lucky for us."

Like she'd refused the bouquet, Gloria pointedly refused the outstretched hand. "I'd introduce myself but I rather suspect you already know my name, probably more than one of them."

They stood under the massive, mirrored bean, their own reflections warped under the city skyline. Myriad took a step forward, and Gloria watched as her guitar melted. It curled into a orb in her hands, the same shade of black that the instrument had been. She tossed the small ball into the centre of the concrete, where it bounced once and sprung into a large, crackling black arch. It was a gateway. On the other side was a much less welcoming location compared to the brightly lit public square. It looked industrial, a plant or a lab. There were florescent lights casting an unflattering glow over the hall, a long grilled railing, and what appeared to be glowing tubes filled with clear liquid on either side. At the end of the hall, a metal door was inset into the concrete.

"After you," she said, grinning wide. Her head tilted as she studied Gloria closely. "You can hold my hand if you like."

Myriad inextricably reminded Gloria of the Cheshire Cat and she felt like she was about to stumble down the rabbit hole.

This was a bad idea. Going to a second location was a poor decision at a party, it was no safer with a shadowy organization. But, she thought, doing the calculus of risk assessment in her head, portal metas were rare and their range was usually limited. At the most, she expected the other side of this portal was still somewhere in the city. With any luck that would mean Quinn could get a signal from Gloria's GPS from within. Hopefully that meant she and Jinny could still provide backup but even if they were cut off it could provide them with a location for whatever this place was.

Wordlessly, Gloria stepped through the portal. The other side was even less inviting than it had appeared. The place was cold, the metal grate and the concrete walls uninviting. She didn't like the place any better now that she was actually there. She took comfort in the fact that the structure didn't look like it had been built recently. While Gloria had encountered places where electrified insulation had been baked into the walls, it was a security precaution that effected her, or people like her specifically. This didn't look like a place that had been designed to be meta proof, if it came down to it she felt confident she could lunge sideways through the wall. Of course she didn't know how thick it was or what was on the other side but then that was a worst case scenario option for a reason.

She glanced back at Myriad. "I feel a little under dressed." She pulled her mask out of her bag and clicked it onto her face, then, with a flourish she removed her cloak and in one swift move donned it, pulling the hood up. She would not admit to anyone how many times she'd had to practice doing that in the mirror before it looked as seamlessly cool as it did.

As Gloria donned her new attire, Myriad stepped through the portal behind her. She held a hand to her face in a playful 'oh my' expression which quickly morphed into a grin. "My, I'm starstruck," she chuckled. She reached toward the gateway behind them, and the black substance pooled in her hand before curling up her arm, solidifying. They were now sealed in.

"Where to?" Gloria asked.

Scarlet Shadow had always liked Shen. He was friendly enough at face and the more time one spent with him the more friendly he seemed to be. Granted she sometimes wondered how much of this was genuine good-hearted kindness and how much was just a case of an elderly man getting his thrills chatting with a young woman and cultivating a warm interactional relationship with her.

Of course that mattered not. He had always been civil and appropriate and - aside from the occasional little wink or sly word - had never given her intense vibes of being a creep type.

Shen had seen Scarlet Shadow outside of costume several times though in truth she preferred to be “fully clothed” so to speak and ready for any kind of potential situation even when among reliable and trustworthy company. She did not travel via her bike but rather made her way to Shen’s shop by darting between alleys, crossing rooftops, and even “surfing” atop a garbage truck when passing through a district with small enough buildings to avoid her being seen.

Of course even in her otherwise societally conspicuous getup she was hardly a total sore thumb. Scarlet Shadow wore over her costume a pair of sweat pants and a hoodie. Her boots while not matching the lazy wear were hardly super noticeable and the hood over her head concealed her cowl and mask. Under her hoodie she carried a concealed pair of tanto and also had several flash bangs on her person as well. On her back she carried a large empty backpack, as she always did when visiting Shen. If she were to make a purchase she would conceal it there.

She slowly approached the door, looking both ways and then closely in the glass reflection for any sign of anyone following her. When she was sure she was in the clear, she pulled the door open, barely noticing the bell clinking above her. She reached back behind her and turned the lock on the shop door. Abrasive as it was she didn’t plan on being here long and didn’t want anyone waltzing in to interrupt their exchange or eyeballing Scarlet Shadow in her curious getup.

“Shen?” she called striding forward, marveling the store full of valuables she once again found herself tempted to fondle. There was easily a hefty fortunes’ worth of goods here in Shen’s store and the master thief reminded herself for perhaps the hundredth time that Shen’s business was off-limits. In exchange for acting as a fence and appropriator of goods for Scarlet Shadow she would not knock off his store. It was a solid understanding and a deal that had benefitted both so far. Each was a valuable business partner to the other and neither wanted to ruin what they had going.

Location: Unknown, Tenebrae
Time: Early Morning
@Blizz

The furious typing on a keyboard could be heard as Akihiro sat at a desk, squinting up at a large, glass pane. Blue coding flickered down the screen in one section, while other sections displayed holographic maps with pinpoints of light.

The doctor leaned back, hand pressed to his face in concentration as he read the text feeding through. "Who on earth would he be seeing? And why?"

He typed in another line of code, fishing up a file. The 'Access Denied' flashed once before dissolving, and he scanned through the contents. Biographies of metas with names, faces, and locations flashed by, until he came to the last entry, lit up in green. An unread entry, with the face of an older, thin-faced man. And below, a picture of smouldering rubble lined in police tape. The old Crane Company Factory, located in West Loop Gate. To his knowledge, it had been demolished years ago. At least, that was the public story. It was shortly after that Tenebrians began seeing a rise in gang wars. The two couldn't be related... right?

Why would the city council go as far as to cover the truth, claiming the factory to be demolished instead of burned down?

What were they hiding?

He pulled out his phone and dialled Ellie's number, hoping his suspicion was true. If Ellie didn't mind that he'd done his snooping into her personal history already, then he would rest the responsibility on her shoulders. Perhaps, if his plan worked, they'd gain entry into the lab by tidal means.

"Hello? It's Doctor Takeda," he said, "I, uh, hope I'm not catching you at a bad time, but um, have you heard of the Crane Factory? And who died there?"

He fidgeted as he tried to phrase his words delicately. "I, uh... Have reason to believe he's, uhm, alive? And if you could talk to him and see if he could help us—I mean, he's—there's his affinity with water and all..."

---

Navy Pier
Loop, Tenebrae
Time: Early Morning
@Blizz

”Do I know you?”

A smooth hand unclipped the silver mask, pulling it away to reveal strong eyes, a youthful face, and a thin, sweeping scar from the right side of his eyebrow to his left cheekbone. A minute haze, like black fairy dust, rose from the scar's faint edge.

"I wouldn't imagine so, no. But I'm a human being, like you," he said. "My name is Soliman Kader, I'm in charge of keeping the balance in this city, and with me are a team of Shadow Knights to carry out my mission."

His eyes glanced at the city sprawling out from the entrance of the pier. "Metas have always suffered a power struggle in Tenebrae, fighting each other and fighting this city. But with you here..." his eyes shifted back to Rainsinger. "It's a whole different story."

"A lot of corruption has happened in your lifetime. But, perhaps the years have changed you," he said, a thoughtful look gracing his face.

He stepped forward, head inclined toward Rainsinger, eyes soft. "I'll admit, I'm nervous that you're here. So, I wanted to approach you directly, and ask you to not get involved in anything that'll 'sink the city', so to speak. Or I'm going to have to deal with it, and I won't want to."

He turned away, eyes staring out toward the ocean as his mouth twisted in thought. "To put this in a better way, you've come at a critical time. I am days away from completing a certain project that will change the face of the world. There will be a struggle to get there. At present, I can contain it, knowing which metas will be in play."

His eyes glanced back at Rainsinger. "You though, are what is known as an alpha-class meta. Something I was not expecting, which is half the reason for our unexpected encounter."

His shoulders shrugged a little, shifting the collar of his black mantle. "I can offer you to join me. But, of course, I have a feeling you didn't come here looking for a job. So, I would ask that, for the next few days, move in the city peacefully. After that, it won't matter."

---

Location: Unknown, Tenebrae
Time: Late Morning
@Lady Seraphina

Myriad held a delicate hand to her face, hiding a blushing grin as Phantasm threw on the cloak.

"My, I'm starstruck," she chuckled. Her hand reached toward the gateway behind them, and the black substance pooled in her hand before curling up her arm, solidifying.

"Where to?"

Myriad skipped down the grill platform gleefully, hands behind her back and she spun toward Phantasm. "Aren't you curious where you are? What these are?"

Surrounding them on both sides were the large tubes that, upon closer inspection, contained what looked like rays of light, suspended in clear liquid. The rays shifted in and out of sight and disappeared entirely if stared at too long.

Myriad put her hand on the glass, turning toward Phantasm. "Do you know where meta abilities come from? There are lots of theories out there, sure, but has anyone actually told you?"

Her eyes lifted to the tubes. "Each one of these vessels contains a meta's abilities, directly as a manifestation shining off their soul. You know," her hands made a circle, fingers wiggling behind it, "like a sun, and the sunlight coming off? That's what these are."

They walked a few paces down, and Myriad pointed to a tube. "Some of these are really pretty, like that one there. Do you see the little white flames peeking through the sunlight? This is what a fire meta's ability looks like."

She shrugged, "Some don't have a visible trait of their meta ability, so they might look a little boring. But they're just as important. At least, that's what Eos told me."

They stopped in front of the door, Myriad pausing with her hand on the knob. "Hmm, you know," she grinned. "You might get to meet him today."

She held open the door for Phantasm, eyes peering into the next room. A large 'Happy Birthday' banner was hung along the back of a cement wall, flooring to match. A simple portable banquet table with twelve folding chairs was pulled up underneath the banner, with balloons and streamers placed haphazardly here and there. Two men bearing the Shadow Knight's crest stood around a tall man, pearlescent gold in his brown hair and lab coat worn neatly over his dress shirt. He looked up as the door opened.

"What a pleasure, Phantasm. Myriad." He nodded solemnly as they entered the room.

"Oh, yes," Myriad smiled sheepishly, "Phantasm, this is Eos. He's uh, well... Beside him is Arc, you've already met, and the other one is Chronos. He likes to be intimidating." She made a face at Chronos, to which he silently glared at.

Eos politely inclined his head. "Ma'am."

Arc's eyes narrowed at Phantasm, half his body still bandaged from their encounter last night. He jerked away in a dismissive manner before Eos leaned in and whispered something in his ear, causing the colour to drain from Arc's face. Immediately, he bowed his head towards Phantasm.

"Please forgive me for disgracing myself in front of you last night. It won't happen again," he said.

Chronos, an IV in his arm and black-lined eyes staring down Phantasm, simply turned and pushed through the double-swinging side doors, footsteps clomping down the other hall and out of sight.

Eos turned toward Phantasm, a calm expression on his face. "This is for you if you choose to take it, Miss Phantasm of the Valkyries."

In his hands he held out a thin black briefcase, unlocked, containing documents on an underwater lab, and sketches of a Heart.

"I've spoken with your colleague already for this two-person mission. The job itself is simple enough, to steal a microchip from a lab here below the coastal reefs of Tenebrae. We have a submarine and a pilot, but our point of entry is blocked."

He smiled softly. "That is unless you want to try that device Arc gave you."

---

Jade Arts Emporium
Oak Street, Near North Side, Tenebrae
Time: Daytime[/i]
@Shu

“Shen?”

"Oh, xiè tiān xiè dì!" Shen called out heartily, popping in from the kitchen. "Just a moment, Miss Shadow, I'll bring the tea."

A few moments passed as Scarlet Shadow could hear the clinking of china and rustle of bags. The old man walked serenely into the showroom, carrying a tray inlaid with the carved stone of a dragon. Atop it was a steaming clay tea set and plates of sesame rice balls and custard tarts. He set it on the front counter, coming around to take a better look at Scarlet Shadow.

"My dear, it is so good to see you. You're looking beautiful. Have you been eating enough?" He said, studying her like a concerned parent.

He waved his hands in a beckoning manner. "Come, come, there's so much to discuss. Backroom like usual?" He scooped up the tray and walked with her to the back of the shop where, at the turn of a key, let them into where Shen did his real business.

His eyes cast around the wooden floors and unopened crates before turning back to Scarlet Shadow. "There's a number of new shipments since your last visit. You're free to look around while I set our tea."

If the front store held a mystical charm, the back could be compared to an oasis of history and mysticism. On top of some of the crates were opened treasure chests with pirate loot, doubloons, gems and all. And placed against the wall were eight-foot high frames, curtains hiding the exquisitely painted canvases beneath them. And on a pedestal near the table, a thin veil covering Scarlet Shadow's shining diadem.

Shen took a seat, gesturing to the chair beside him. He poured a cup of tea for Scarlet Shadow, the fragrance of perfectly timed jasmine tea infusing the air.

He smiled, pushing a plate of sweets towards her. "Please, enjoy! If you want more, you only have to ask, dear."

The old man leaned back in his seat, sipping his tea with a contented sigh. He paused, eyes falling on the diadem. "My dear, I have just one question..." His eyebrows wiggled mischievously. "Have you tried the crown on yet?"

He laughed heartily before settling in a more serious mood, tea resting in his hands. "I have a potential buyer. However, he's completely undercut me. 'It's too hot,' he says. 'I don't want any trouble.' Ah, in my youth, clients didn't care about that."

Shen sighed, stroking his long beard thoughtfully. "Alas, my dear, I cannot push him any further. He's offering $500,000. Of that, I would take my 25% cut, and the rest would be yours."

"We can always wait for another potential buyer," he shrugged. "But, unfortunately, with all the press in an uproar about Her Highness, it would take many years for this item to cool down."

He sipped his tea again. "Of course, the decision rests with you, my dear." He gestured to the rice balls, winking. "Please, have another sweet. You're not eating enough these days, I think."

Looking beautiful? You can't even see me you old coot. Scarlet Shadow mused to herself regarding her veil. Though odds were he was just being overpolite. She nodded at Shen's backroom query though of course he had already turned away with the tray of tea in hand. They had done this routine so many times it was clockwork to both and any question and exchange was mere traditional courtesy between the pair.

The thief followed him to the back of the store, taking up his invitation to look over the newest selection. Shen's 'collection' was quite impressive and Scarlet Shadow found her kleptomania raging inside as the sparkling gold coins and flawless gemstones practically beckoned to her to grab them up. While she had handled item's in Shen's store in the past she decided not to in this particular instance. Her eyes feasted on the small fortune that her fence had stored away, her trance broken by Shen's invitation for her to sit with him. Tossing a quick glance at the diadem she slipped back her hood and pulled down her mask as she sat with Shen, her ebony neck length hair tumbling down and bunching up atop her collar.

Kara clasped the teacup in her right hand and lifted it, taking a heavy sip of tea. Her brown eyes looking over the rim of the cup at Shen as he spoke. "Have you tried the crown on yet?" Shen jested, to which she thought Very funny.
She said nothing, only a slight smirk catching her mouth causing a dimple to appear against her right lip corner as she lowered her cup. On hearing of the current offer Kara stopped in the midst of lifting her cup for another drink. Sitting the cup down a little too hard she abrasively said, "Five hundred K', are you kidding me Shen? You shouldn't even have to put that forward for consideration. Between the value of that prize and the amount of trouble I had to go through anything that doesn't have 'million' at the end of it is a waste of time. Keep looking."

She took another long sip of tea emptying her cup, hoping her words weren't too harsh. After all it wasn't Shen's fault. He had always been good for landing a good take on stolen goods. But Kara was above pandering simple apologies so she simply sat her cup down and beckoned for more tea while reaching for a rice ball and asking, "Can't you find someone on the black market with some daring? What about other countries? I understand the heat and all but I really don't want to have to wait half a decade for payout on this and I doubt you do either."
Kara swallowed the rice ball she had near whole and eagerly reached for another as Shen filled her cup with more tea.

"By the way," Kara asked, "since we're on the subject of payouts, any news regarding previous goods I've funneled your way recently? Like the loot from that last jewelry store heist or that jade dragon statue I pilfered from that Chinatown bigshot?"

Location: Unknown, Tenebrae
Time: Late Morning
@Estylwen

Myriad skipped down the grated walkway gleefully, hands behind her back and she spun in an easy movement to face Gloria, continuing to walk backwards. Gloria winced at the echoing sound of every footstep. Yeah, she'd had one too many last night.

Still she watched Myriad sashay down the hall. She was... fun. There was an ease to the way she moved and the way she talked, that belayed the heavy situation she was involved in.

Gloria was almost envious. She'd had to learn to look after herself at a very young age. She'd never really gotten the time for 'fun'. Not that she didn't enjoy herself but she was always guarded even when she was cutting lose, always on watch for an attack. She could never truly just let everything fall away the way Myriad seemed to be able to.

But then, the woman in front of her had joined an organization called 'The Shadow Knights'. Who know how much of what Gloria was seeing was the real Myriad.

"Aren't you curious where you are? What these are?" She said with a laugh.

Gloria would have been lying is she said she wasn't. Lining both sides of the walkway were the large tubes Gloria had glimpsed from the portal. On closer inspection, they contained what looked like rays of light, suspended in clear liquid. It was like looking at an optical illusion. The more Gloria tried to pin down a shape in the containers the more twisted they seemed to become. Some vanished all together if she stared at them too long.

"Honestly, I figured those were the kinds of questions no one would want to answer."

Myriad put her hand on one of the tubes and turned it so Gloria could see the interior. The liquid inside was an violent electric green and seemed to be boiling angrily. "Do you know where meta abilities come from? There are lots of theories out there, sure, but has anyone actually told you?" she asked.

"I suppose you're going to tell me you make them here?"

Myriad's grin grew wider. "No silly, we collect them. Each one of these vessels contains a meta's abilities, directly as a manifestation shining off their soul. You know," her hands made a circle, fingers wiggling behind it in a pantomime of a sunset, "like a sun, and the sunlight coming off? That's what these are."

That set off alarm bells in Gloria's head and her eyes darted to the side of the corridor, considering how dense and thick the stone walls might be. There were a lot of test tubes here. If each one represented a metahuman ability... that was a large number of metas, more than Gloria could believe would turn themselves in for such a procedure willingly. Assuming that one could survive having their abilities harvested. That was also a lot of potential leaks for a project that as far as Gloria was aware, had remained completely under the radar.

Was that why she was here? To add one more cylinder to their lab? She wondered vaguely what her power would look like, pickled and put on display.

Her feet shifted, ready to sprint depending on the answer to her next question. "What happens to the metas after they have their powers harvested?" she kept her voice flat, not betraying how the cylinders on either side of them now made her nauseous.

Myriad looked up from the glass she was examining which seemed to contain an aurora borealis. “They’re alive and well," she shrugged "living it up in one of the recovery facilities with cakes and custards all day. I’m a little jealous, myself.” She sighed wistfully and Gloria let her footsteps relax.

It wasn't that she believed it. She was sure that for every one of these glass cylinders there was a metahuman corpse lying in a ditch somewhere. But something in Myriad's voice suggested to Gloria that she believed what she was saying. Whoever did the meta harvesting was higher up the food chain than she was and if her bosses didn't want her to know about it then Gloria felt a certain sense of safety in her being nearby. If they wanted to harvest her powers, they'd have arranged for Myriad not to be a witness.

They walked a few paces down, and Myriad pointed to a tube. "Oh, look at this one. Some of these are really pretty, like that one there." Gloria looked through the glass. It looked like flames burning underwater, turning the fluid it was engulfed in into liquid sunlight. "This is what a fire meta's ability looks like."

Myriad shrugged and they kept walking "Some don't have a visible trait of their meta ability," she pointed to another glass tube that looked for all the world like it was just water. "They might look a little boring. But they're just as important. At least, that's what Eos told me."

Eos would be her boss and from the sound of it, the scientist of the operation.

They stopped in front of the door, and Myriad paused with her hand on the knob. "Hmm, you know," she grinned. "You might get to meet him today."

She held open the door for Gloria who scanned the next room warily, determined not to be taken by surprise. The room was, well the room was bizarre. It looked like another piece of the industrial complex, cement walls and flooring, but it had been decorated like a hastily thrown together birthday party. There was a large 'Happy Birthday' banner along the back wall. In front of it was a portable banquet table, the type that typically decorated the lawns of church picnics. Twelve folding chairs
were placed around the table and balloons and streamers had been scattered haphazardly across its surface.

There were three men in the room, the two facing the door signalled to her that this display was meant for her. One of the three was Arc, half his body still bandaged from their encounter last night. The other looked injured as well with his eyes blackened and an IV inset into his arm. However it was the third that drew Gloria's eyes for despite their injuries both Arc and the black eyed man where standing around him like a protective detail. He was in charge.

He was tall, pearlescent gold scattered through his brown hair and lab coat worn neatly over a dress shirt. He nodded solemnly as they entered the room. "What a pleasure, Phantasm." A stiff silence fell between the group before the man in the lab coat glanced at Gloria's escort. "Myriad." he said promptingly.

"Oh, yes," she said with a sheepish smile "Phantasm, this is Eos. He's uh, well..." she trailed off in the way that people did when they suddenly realized they didn't know how much about a topic they were allowed to talk about. She instead changed the subject. "Beside him is Arc, you've already met," Arc narrowed his eyes at Gloria. "And the other one is Chronos. He likes to be intimidating." She made a face at Chronos. He silently glared back.

Eos politely inclined his head. "Ma'am."

Arc made to turn away from Gloria, refusing to meet her eyes but as he did so, Eos leaned in and whispered something in his ear. Gloria saw the colour to drain from Arc's face. Instead of turning away he faced her straight on and actually bowed his head.

"Please forgive me for disgracing myself in front of you last night. It won't happen again," he said.

A satisfied smile stretched across her face and she was glad they couldn't see it beneath the mask that made her face look like a gaunt skull. She said the most aggravating thing she could think of between two people who both knew the other was incapable of being sincere with them. "I forgive you."

They were playing to her ego. She knew it. The pretty girl sent to fetch her, the tour, Arc's apology. The balloons and the banner were definitely a step too far but she couldn't deny that this tactic was a lot more effective than the brute force one that Arc had attempted the previous night.

The other bodyguard, Chronos, stared at her silently before he turned and pushed his way through the double-swinging side doors, dragging his IV with him, out of sight. She didn't know exactly what to make of him. She hadn't seen enough to even form a hypothesis about his abilities. All she could be certain of was if he could stand next to Arc as a bodyguard then he was dangerous.

Eos turned toward her, a calm expression on his face. "This is for you if you choose to take it, Miss Phantasm of the Valkyries."

In his hands he held out a thin black briefcase. She took it and clicked it open. Inside was a thick file. She skimmed it briefly, identifying blueprints, reports, and layouts within. The thing that caught her eyes was a sketch of a computer chip that looked to be their target.

"I've spoken with your colleagues already to get approval for this two-person mission. The job itself is simple enough, to steal a microchip from a lab here below the coastal reefs of Tenebrae. We have a submarine and a pilot, but our point of entry is blocked."

"You spoke with the Valkyries?" she asked.

This wasn't how Lady Hel did business. Not that she was above contracting out to other groups but she didn't do it like this. She always made sure that the introductions were done on her terms, Gloria suspected to cut down on other gangs trying to poach her best members. Lady Hel was... she was an absolute terror but she took care of her own. Gloria couldn't imagine a scenario in which she'd have sanctioned Arc's attack last night. Not least of all because that had been the girl's downtime. For as demanding and forceful as she often was, Lady Hel let them rest when they needed it. Either the Shadow Knights were dealing with one of Hel's lieutenants who was not playing by the rules, or Eos was lying about having contacted them.

Eos paused, seemingly caught by the detail. "Ah yes, I don't believe you two have met."

Someone with command enough to sanction a mission but not someone she'd met personally. So the Knights weren't dealing with Hel. That left the question of if they knew their contact with dealing behind Hel's back or were under the impression that they had the Lady's blessing. On the off chance it was the former she didn't want to tip to something being wrong.

He smiled softly. "That is unless you want to try that device Arc gave you."

She had been right. It was some kind of amplifier for her powers. If this operation could extract meta abilities, juicing them was probably a pretty easy ask.

"Are you asking me to go in, retrieve this, whatever it is, and get out. Or are you asking me to phase a submarine and its pilot through an obstruction?" Her tone was incredulous but it also carried a hint of a warning of how poor an idea that was.

"My body was built for phasing. Other people's, not so much." She took Myriad's hand to demonstrate. "Solid." she said, showing off the two making contact. Then she took her other hand and passed it through the woman's shoulder. There was a tingle, like the feeling of licking a nine volt battery as their electrical fields interacted but it didn't hurt. "Not solid." she dropped Myriad's hand.

"I can do both at the same time. My body can handle being in multiple quantum states at once. Other people can't. You don't want to know what it looks like when half of a dude phases through the other half." It wasn't actually as easy to do as her carefree tone made it sound. Matter on a fundamental level wanted to stay cohesive. She'd bisected people and objects only by accident or fatigue, at least in her normal state. When her powers had been pushed to their limit on Cypher, ripping things apart had been a hell of a lot easier.

"If you're asking me to phase an entire sub and something goes wrong... well I'll be fine but I can't make any promises for your sub or your pilot."

Location: Unknown, Tenebrae
Time: Early Morning
@Blizz

”...That man is dead. Gone.”

The line went dead. "Ellie? Ellie!" The doctor panicked, the phone almost slipping from his grasp as he redialed. But then he froze, finger hovering over the call button.

The laid-back Ellie from last night and the one on the phone didn't add up. There was something in Ellie's voice that betrayed a painful feeling. As if whoever Astra was talking to meant something to her. Immediately, his heart began to race. He didn't want to be the one to open that can of worms. To shove past years of pain for his own selfish request. Whoever this meta was, it wasn't worth driving his rag-tag team apart. It wasn't what he was here for. Tearing open old wounds. Especially not with someone willing to fight with him. But if he didn't push this, how were they going to complete the mission?

A dull beep from the glass monitor and his eyes glanced up.

He had to remember what was at stake.

Astra was on the move.

The doctor, with fumbling fingers, tossed the phone to the side and began furiously typing on the keyboard again. Astra was so close, could he be...? No, how could he know? It had to be a coincidence. Astra couldn't know they planned to make their move tonight. But, why were his eyes on the lab?

---

Navy Pier
Loop, Tenebrae
Time: Early Morning
@Blizz

”Tenebrae’s a coastal city.”

Astra felt the weight of Rainsinger's hand leave his shoulder as the man walked off.

"I know." He murmured. He knew too well. At least Rainsinger had the decency to lay Astra's own fears to rest. If Rainsinger wouldn't move unless the Shadow Knights provoked him, that was fine by Astra. The Shadow Knights would stay away, and the plan would move forward. However, Astra wasn't so sure Rainsinger would stay away. He was a Gray Dragon, after all. Maybe the name meant nothing now, but it meant something many years ago.

He stared at the glint coming off the mask in his hands, bearing his own conflicted reflection, and slipped it on. From his other pocket, he dialled a number and pressed his phone to his ear.

A pause, and then a feminine, velvety voice picked up. "Yes, my king?"

"Send a flare out to mark the lab. I'm in position. Also, mark the Dragon's position, don't let us lose sight of him."

"Yes sir, deploying flare in 3... 2..."

Five miles off the Navy Pier, a single black drone circled back, dropping a single package that tumbled through the air. As the drone speared towards the downtown skyscrapers, a red light exploded in the Tenebrae bay.

Astra smirked at the light show. "Anticipating me as always, Corva."

"It's my job to anticipate, sir. Corva out."

"Ah, she's dying for fieldwork." He murmured, grinning to himself as he slipped the phone into his pocket.

A circular stream of glittering darkness appeared behind the king, engulfing his body, and he disappeared from the pier. The circle reappeared over the water five miles out and he stepped onto the water's surface, thickening it with black smoke to support his weight. His hand felt the water, dipping in as smoke poured from his fingers.

Beneath the water's surface, rays of filtered sunlight fell upon a white lab attached to the cliff-face, the size of a small apartment building, pristine despite the algae-covered rocks beside it. Black appendages arced through the water, landing on the white walls, skimming its surface like many tiny hands, searching. All of the CCTV cameras, radars and scanners were sought out and cleanly separated from the lab, absorbed in darkness.

Astra stood, pulling his powers back as alarms began to light up the cliff face. His smile was grim, knowing that a lab like this, even if rendered deaf and blind for a short time, would only push the mission's margin of success by 5%.

He hoped it would count, for both of those two. Or rather, those four.

Darkness swallowed him, and Astra, along with the surveillance tech, blinked out of sight.

---

Location: Unknown, Tenebrae
Time: Late Morning
@Lady Seraphina

"You spoke with the Valkyries?"

Eos paused. "Ah yes, I don't believe you two have met."

"If you're asking me to phase an entire sub and something goes wrong... well I'll be fine but I can't make any promises for your sub or your pilot."

"Your powers are unique, Miss Phantasm. Although I admire your idea, what I have in mind is much more simple."

Eos gestured with his hands, drawing out her route as he explained. "The submarine will drop you off at a chasm half a mile off the lab. From there, you will travel due north for 10 minutes through solid rock, and phase into the lab's basement. The control room will be nearby, and you will let the submarine into the loading bay and continue onward with the mission."

Eos smiled, gesturing with his hands apologetically. "I know I've made it sound easy, but the device given to you will make your entrance much easier. The device mimics your frequency, so it's one less thing to worry about while wading through solid rock. There's a light on the device that acts as a compass, so as long as the rock around you is thin enough, you won't lose your way.

"The granules in the disks act as a set of super lungs, giving you a compound that dissolved into oxygen over a span of time. One breath equals five minutes, the second breath equals four, while the third breath equals two. A fourth breath and the chemicals in the device begin to activate, causing it to be unsafe. It will allow you to navigate solid objects with ease, and only requires the disks to be replaced after use."

Eos gave a nod, and Myriad was at his side, black matter pooled in her hand. He turned to Phantasm. "The Shadow Knights will answer any further questions you have, however, I do have to inform you that time is of the essence. The operation begins tonight if you choose to accept."

He passed a closed slip of paper to her, a dollar amount written inside. "Compensation will be made to cover the quick turn-around time, and all compensation will be wired to an account of your choosing after the mission is complete."

"Myriad, if you please."

Myriad tossed her black ball to the right, where it opened up into a gateway. On the other side was complete chaos. White floors and a vaulted ceiling were doused in flashing red lights as alarms shook the air. Skittering footsteps flew across the hallway as scientists lost their coffee and papers in the confusion, running from one place to another. Near the gateway, one of the many doors stood out in particular, reading 'Dr. Alexander Kaj, Head Scientist of the Institute of Meta Sciences'.

Eos pressed the bridge of his nose, shaking his head before turning to Phantasm. "Ma'am, please enjoy the party." He politely inclined his head.

Two strides and Eos crossed the portal, walking past the doors and down the curving hallway. Myriad held the gate open, barely hiding the grin on her face at the sight. Slowly, the gate began to close.

---

Jade Arts Emporium
Oak Street, Near North Side, Tenebrae
Time: Daytime
@Shu

"Can't you find someone on the black market with some daring? What about other countries? I understand the heat and all but I really don't want to have to wait half a decade for payout on this and I doubt you do either."

Shen stroked his beard thoughtfully, eyes drifting to the ceiling. The young lady was right. The wait for such a treasure would be unpleasant, in the least. However, the only way he could think to circumvent the press and investigators would be to make a dirty trade. It would have to be someone as deep in Tenebrae's underbelly as he was. And there was only one crime syndicate he knew that was actively building up its treasury to launder its money. However, they were also the most dangerous to meta-kind, and to Scarlet Shadow.

His eyes glanced at the young woman, a tinge of worry knitting his bushy brows.

Scarlet Shadow continued, "By the way, since we're on the subject of payouts, any news regarding previous goods I've funneled your way recently? Like the loot from that last jewelry store heist or that jade dragon statue I pilfered from that Chinatown bigshot?"

Shen smiled, happy for the change of topic. "Ah, how delightful you've asked. My connection at the Hindman has offered an exclusive showcase at their next big auction in four weeks. And knowing this auction house, it'll sell for much more than its market value."

"They're willing to take the jade dragon as well, but, my dear, I'm tempted to buy it directly off you myself." He laughed heartily. "I am always interested in adding another dragon to my collection."

He paused. "Though, I admit, the story behind this jade piece is a bit peculiar. A cursed dragon, as they call it."

The china teapot hovered over Scarlet Shadow's cup as Shen poured more tea for her. "Another idea, not so superstitious as a cursed item, is selling to the Hunters. Your diadem, in particular."

"They are ravenous for laundering opportunities as much as they are for selling compromised metas on the black market. I could sell it to them at full price as soon as tomorrow, guaranteed."

He pulled at his beard. "But there's a reason I haven't traded with them for the past ten years. Even using a large chain of couriers, and taking every precaution to cover the Guild's tracks, there's still a risk they find us, and find you—they're a dishonourable, miserable lot, those Hunters."

---

North Side Apartments^™
Near North Side, Tenebrae
Time: Daytime
@Blizz

Dream

"Save our children! Stop the crimes!"

"Metas are people too! Give us our right!"

Dream drove past one of the governmental buildings, seeing the same old protests taking place on either side of the field. She wondered why she bothered taking this route—it always upset her. It was the same sad story, over and over. On one side, a large and angry crowd with shiny signs and speakers. The humanists, pushing for safer streets and harsher penalties against criminals, especially meta ones.

And on the other side, smaller and under-funded with their cardboard signs, were the pro-metanists. Not all in the crowd had superpowers—most were likely friends or family of slighted or missing metas. And as usual, the police were warier of the second, smaller group.

Dream could only stare in forced indifference as she drove down the street, turning the corner to continue home. The One333 apartments were quiet, leaving the loading bay empty. She skidded to a stop on the street and slipped into the building, ransacking her apartment. Ten minutes later, she was out, dressed in her proper costume, and with two loaded duffel bags which she slipped into the back seat.

The engine roared to life, and with her home and business locked up, she headed straight to the North Side Apartments. The parking area she used last night was still empty, and she eased the black caddy in, took out the keys, and walked into the street. A scruffy, short gentleman stood at the front entrance of Ellie's building. From his nervous mannerisms and white coat, Dream only narrowed her eyes as she approached.

"Doctor?" Dream said.

The man bristled and turned around. "Oh! Uh, Dream. What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same," she said, eyeing the sweaty face and tired eyes of the doctor. "How long have you been standing here?"

"Longer than I would like to admit," he said sheepishly.

Dream gave a small smile. "Come on, it's getting close to that time anyway." She pushed the button for the office, and the doors unlocked for them. The doctor fidgeted with his coat as they stepped into the elevator.

"Dream?"

"Yeah, doc?"

"Maybe this isn't such a good idea. I mean, you guys are gonna be risking your lives, and we don't even have a concrete plan. Maybe we should just... c-cancel the mission?"

Dream paused as the elevator opened, brows knitted. "Doc?"

"Y-yes?"

"If everything you've said is true, do you really think we're in a position where we can just quit?"

The elevator doors glinted red as they began to slide shut, and Dream's hand snapped up to catch it. She nodded her head towards the hallway. "Come on, Ellie's waiting."

"She is?" the doctor asked, shuffling down the hall.

Dream laughed. "No. She has no idea."

They arrived at Ellie's door, and Dream gave it a swift knock. "Don't worry, doc, we'll think of something."

The doctor nodded listlessly, gaze dropping to the ground.

A few seconds later, the subtle tapping of claws on the glass as a small black cat sat perched at Ellie's balcony window.

In the time it took Ellie to toss her phone, her mind of floored. Grayson was dead for two decades now. The idea of someone like him being back home, let alone alive, put her on edge. Needless to say, she was shaken. Ellie wanted to believe that there was no chance after all this time, but if Takeda could find her, couldn’t he find him too? She hasn’t even had to think about him in twenty years, and now her life could be uprooted. The man they called Rainsinger was the only one left who’d have any connection to Ellie’s past, to think a ghost could just come in, and throw a wrench in everything she’s worked towards to make her life normal...It bothered her. As much as Ellie wanted to just drop the idea, it didn’t sit right with her. Why would Takeda bring him up? Wouldn’t he just be a dead memory if he was dead at all? No, something was amiss. Grayson always did have some unforeseen trick up his sleeve. That’s why he couldn’t be killed so easily now or then, because he was resourceful. ”Fuck...DAMNIT.” Her emotions were jarred. A flicker of a warm glow spurred across her hands before blinking away. He was a threat to her life. Ellie wasn’t the same person anymore, and yet something scared her about this. About being seen as the same person still by him, or by extension, everyone else in her life.

A little while later, Ellie was going to town on the punching bag behind her couch. A flurry of well-practiced punches that never stopped, never overkilled, or preformed sloppily while a song called Over The Neon Lights filled the sound between punches. Honestly, if Ellie was anyone’s type of girl, this would probably have them head over heels. All of this was being done because Ellie needed to clear her head of the thoughts she had. Doubt from this mission, paranoia from the idea of Grayson being alive, it just wasn’t her at her best. Sometimes you just have to take out your frustration on a ceiling-hung target.

Even still, he had to think of something. Maybe Fauxpaw would know something. She always knew something. That would have to wait, though. There was someone at the door. Probably Dream and Takeda. She was a bit hesitant to be confronted about their conversation, of course, that wasn’t gonna stop Tenebrae from getting flattened, so she did it. ”Yeah?” She looked fine but it was apparent she was being physically active for a while now. Ellie wasn’t sweating, or winded, but you could tell by the redness of her hands. There stood Dream and Takeda. ”What’re you guys-“

tap...tap

She turned around and saw a cat harassing the glass of her window. ”Faux?” She immediately hopped across the room to open the window for her. Madam Fauxpaw knew Ellie since her early days of being a vigilante. They always had a good bit of info to share between them. As everyone came in, the scene became more clear, the music over Spotify, the still-wobbling bag strung up, and the morning just-out-of-bed clothes she was still wearing.



Time to hit the town.

Linus strolled away from the pier on the sidewalks of Tenebrae’s south end, hands in his pockets with his things slung over his back. From what he could tell, things looked largely the same, the buildings still touched the sky in the same way. You couldn’t gauge a city by its exterior, though. If this city wasn’t still as morally roundabout as it was when he left, he’d be genuinely surprised. Cars drifted down the road, bikes soared up and down the sidewalks. Everything was visually pretty tame, now to see how things were beneath the surface.

He continued to work his way through the city like he knew it the same as the back of his hand, which, he felt like he still did. Being back after a 20 year pseudocide felt strange. It’s like he just left. Still, the guy he spoke to stayed on his mind. Shadow Knights? They sounded like they carried a bit of weight around here, meaning that things actually had indeed changed in the time he was away. Back in the old days, before metas were called metas, that sort of thing was scarce. There weren’t any kind of meta organizations, they were gangs, groups, bands, and sometimes orders. The most leeway any gang in Linus’ old life had was the occasional family member who could bail them out of a tough situation. Of course, if that happened, it happened once and never again, because people were often killed for helping them. Things like that explained the reason Gray Dragons even existed. It wasn’t about power to them, at least not to him anyway, it was about knowing when your next bite of food was coming without worrying from where.

That was why he felt no obligation to wipe out the man he spoke to earlier. He had made something of himself already, going back to squabbling over terf was past him. If the “Shadow Knights” wanted to go there, who was he to stop them? Besides, maybe someone’s gang was still kicking and evolved as well. Wouldn’t that be something...Oh, look at that. A bar. Linus rolled up to a lightly occupied place called the “Love Street.” Judging from the view from the windows, he could snag a drink here. What kind of sailor doesn’t drink? Not this one. He made his way inside and took a seat at the counter.

Surprisingly, there weren’t a lot of people at a bar in the morning, 10, maybe a dozen people who did something with their weekends were in here. A man came by and slid him something with a kick. And there he rested for a while to watch the news on TV. Time to see what’s going on in the world.

” Local jewellers found their doors and windows blown open last night, along with half of the cars along the street. However, nothing was stolen. Police only have footage of a masked suspect in the store, and then a bright light appears at the edge of the camera. Choppers sweeping the area report a streak of light shooting down the streets toward Near North Side, and police have reason to believe two suspects are behind the bombings. However, at this time, police do not have these suspects identified.”

Gulp

A streak of bright light? Sounds familiar.

Come to think of it, Sunrider never did get thrown in jail.

Gulp

Wouldn’t that be a funny reunion? 20 years, pretending to be dead after the big man around town gets pummeled like a sandbag, just to show up saying “What’s up?” On second thought, she’d probably just slam him into the dirt, or run away. They never did like each other too much. They weren’t the same, anyway. Not like they needed too. They both got paid all the same regardless.

Linus shot a look towards a barista behind the counter. She looked visibly disinterested in her surroundings. ”Hey, girl with the gills-“ He spoke to get her attention, and her demeanor seemed to get very tense as he mentioned the gills on her neck poking out from her collar. Linus, of course, being the smooth sailor he was, raised his empty glass in a requesting gesture. The ice cubes in the glass lifted upwards towards the empty rim and started spinning in a circle, to show a sense of similarity between them. The barista seemed to feel relieved at the sight of the floating ice. ”Grab me another round.” He said as his glass seemed to push itself across the counter, after a $20 tip was dropped inside. A disarming gesture of meta abilities never hurt here or there.

”Gotcha”

”So- hear n’ything interesting around town lately?”

Cursed dragon indeed.

The thief helped herself to another rice ball as her fence talked on. Shen’s food always hit the spot and his tea was a delight. She worked the chewy sweet in her mouth pondering the jade dragon. It had been one of her easier jobs in recent, nabbing it from the showroom of a suspected triad in Chinatown. A very wealthy man with top tier security systems and armed guards. Even so, a master thief like Scarlet Shadow had little issue stealthily circumventing the estate and avoiding the guards to swipe the prize and be out without so much as stirring a mouse.

She was glad to have some good news during her visit to Shen and was further pleased to see that her little bout of impatience hadn’t soured his mood. Besides, thinking of the payout from that dragon statue was a salve in its own that lightened her mood.

When Shen mentioned “Hunters” Scarlet Shadow tensed a bit, drawing up her toes in her boots and and feeling her hairs prickle slightly. She knew little of them but had heard whispers due to years of skulking the underworld as a thief and mistress of intrigue. As Shen said - “a dishonorable miserable lot”. Still even with what he said being true the thief could take care of herself and she knew that Shen could watch his own back. Besides, she wanted that diadem paid for and gone the sooner the better. Of course there was this whole business with her mysterious “host” that had tipped her to the diadem to begin with, he and his shadowy organization. She really didn’t like the idea of having two unknown factors with her in their lenses.

Of course if the diadem was handed to the Hunters - the exchange quick and easy - and the money moved without a hitch she could be done with them and just keep her “fourth eye” extra vigilant for a while. But then there was the problem of them dishonoring the dealing and simply taking the diadem. Or trying to. There was too much grit in trying to deal with such an ill-reputed lot.

With a heavy sigh the thief stood, took her tea cup and suckled it down to the last drop, and looked to Shen ,”Hang on to the diadem for now. I’ll… think it over. But expect a ‘no’ just a heads up. And keep me updated on that dragon statue.”

“Thanks for the time and treats, Shen.”
She sat the teacup down gently and skipped her cowl back over her face, leaving only her eyes to be seen once again as she turned her back to Shen.

Location: Unknown, Tenebrae
Time: Late Morning
@Estylwen

Eos smiled at the suggestion. "Your powers are unique, Miss Phantasm. Although I admire your idea, what I have in mind is much more simple."

Eos gestured with his hands, drawing out her route as he explained. "The submarine will drop you off at a chasm half a mile off the lab. From there, you will travel due north for ten minutes through solid rock, and phase into the lab's basement. The control room will be nearby, and you will let the submarine into the loading bay and continue onward with the mission."

Eos smiled, gesturing with his hands apologetically. "I know I've made it sound easy,"

He really hadn't. Ten minutes through solid rock was not a light ask. When she phased whole body like that, she could only take as much air as was in her lungs with her. Even with a lot of practice and some choice breathing drills she'd only ever been able to hold her breath for three minutes before she started to pass out. Moving in a straight line was also not as simple as it sounded. It was difficult to maintain a straight course with no sound or sight to guide her.

"That might be a problem. I don't really fancy suffocating."

Eos nodded. "That's what the device provided to you is for. It will make your entrance much easier. The device mimics your frequency, so it's one less thing to worry about while wading through solid rock. The granules in the disks act as a set of super lungs, giving you a compound that dissolved into oxygen over a span of time. One breath equals five minutes, the second breath equals four, while the third breath equals two. A fourth breath and the chemicals in the device begin to activate, causing it to be unsafe."

"There's one problem solved. What about navigation?"

"Rest assured, we've done our homework. There's a light on the device that acts as a compass, so as long as the rock around you is thin enough, you won't lose your way. It will allow you to navigate solid objects with ease, and only requires the disks to be replaced after use."

The device didn't sound entirely foolproof and she wondered precisely how they'd managed to test it. Did they have another meta like her somewhere they were running experiments on? Or was this just based on research and her dip through a mile of rock was going to be the test drive. Neither option really appealed to her but she didn't say anything, not yet.

Eos gave a nod, and Myriad was at his side, black matter pooled in her hand. He turned to face Gloria. "The Shadow Knights will answer any further questions you have, however, I do have to inform you that time is of the essence. The operation begins tonight if you choose to accept."

He held out a closed slip of paper to her, she took it and unfolded it. On the inside was a dollar amount that made her eyes widen. "Compensation will be made to cover the quick turn-around time, it will be wired to an account of your choosing after the mission is complete."

The amount they were willing to pay for this chip they wanted stolen worried her a great deal. Not that she was opposed to taking the money but people who were willing to pay that kind of cash for something, generally weren't planning anything good.

His business with her apparently concluded, he turned back to his colleague.

"Myriad, if you please."

She tossed her black ball to the right, it flattened into a large disk, forming another portal. The other side was pandemonium. It looked like a lab, white floors and a vaulted ceiling, but the entire place was doused in red as flashing warning lights blared and alarms shook the air. People ran all over the place, scientists in lab coats dropping materials as they rushed to wherever they were supposed to be. Gloria craned her head and just managed to get a glimpse of a door. It looked more ornate then the rest, made of fine oak. There was a plaque on it that read 'Dr. Alexander Kaj, Head Scientist'. There was darker writing that was smaller and less embossed under the name. Gloria thought it might be the name of the facility but she wasn't close enough to read it.

Eos, looked at the unfolding scene before him but rather than distressed he simply looked tired. He pressed the bridge of his nose, shaking his head, like this was an ordinary day at the office. He glanced back at her. "Ma'am, please enjoy the party." He politely inclined his head.

He entered the portal nonchalantly, walking past the doors and down the curving hallway. Myriad held the gate open, barely hiding the grin on her face at the sight of the chaos. Slowly, the gate began to close.

Gloria had a sudden moment of panic. It felt like a golden opportunity was slipping by with every inch the portal shrunk. Every nerve in her body screamed at her to make a dive for it. But there were too many variables. It looked like a place that studied metas and that more than likely meant weapons that were effective against metas. She didn't exactly blend in with her current attire. She had no desire to be running through the building dodging death rays.

Instead she pointed to the 'Happy Birthday' banner and said "Isn't that a little bit much? It's not my birthday."

When Arc and Myriad's eyes flicked over to see what she was pointing at she acted. She drew in a deep breath and let the GPS tracking disk she'd stuffed into her bra fall through her clothes. She caught it with her outstretched hand and tossed it at the portal. It whistled through the gap just before the portal winked out of existence.

It seemed more than likely that she'd be leaving here alive and if the GSP disk worked then Quinn would already have this location, and if this place was shielded then it wasn't doing her any good here anyways. If she was lucky Quinn would have both places of importance marked on a map. If she wasn't... well it wasn't like that was any less information than she already had.



Love Street
Lincoln Park, Tenebrae
Time: Late Morning
@Blizz

A black sedan pulled up on the street in front of Haven. A woman in a neat black suit got out of the front and opened the back door for the woman inside.

She was striking, high cheekbones and sharp features. Her bone-white skin and silver eyes contrasted against the black of her hair and clothes. Despite wearing head to toe leather in an outfit that wouldn't have been out of place in a biker bar she somehow looked far too classy for the neighborhood she was in.

She exited the car in a fluid movement and turned to her driver. "You and the girls can wait outside. If this goes poorly, you'll know." She spoke with an English accent that wouldn't have been out of place on the grounds of Oxford or Cambridge. It was a little more posh than the dialect she'd been born with, a little less 'street' than the one she'd used twenty years ago when the man inside had known her but she found it added something to her facade.

The building in front of her was 'Love Street', colloquially known to the meta community as Haven. It was a quaint little place that didn't have a problem with serving meta clientele or hiring meta employees and so it had become something of a sanctuary for her people who unfortunately still felt the grinding foot of movements like the Humanists and the persecution of groups like the Hunters.

A few of the Valkyries had had an eventful time at Haven the night before. As she'd heard, there had been fire involved. She'd sent one of her lieutenants to smooth over any hurt feelings with the proprietor. Meta bar fights happened from time to time but it was still prudent to make sure he was compensated when one of hers was responsible. Haven was important to the meta community, it wouldn't do to have it shut down.

When her lieutenant reported back about a familiar face dropping by Haven for a drink she knew she had to see to it in person. Linus Malden hadn't set foot in Tenebrae in decades. Some sources of hers claimed he died in a warehouse fire, others that he'd escaped into the sea never to return. She hadn't really concerned herself with which it was. The important thing had been that he was gone; until now.

He was dangerous, an Omega Class metahuman. For all her tricks, he even outclassed her in terms of raw power. Maybe he was just passing through, if so she had no reason to bother him. But an Omega Class metahuman could by themself disrupt the delicate balance she'd been building in this city for so long. She'd be remiss if she didn't check in on him.

As she strode towards the entrance to the bar, people walking down the street instinctively took a step back from her, allowing her space to pass without breaking her step.

As she entered, the shadows in her presence seemed to grow just a little bit darker, the lights casting just a little less light. Not enough to inconvenience anyone but enough to signal her arrival.

He was sitting on a bar stool, ordering a drink. She sat down next to him, her back to the bar, bracing herself on her elbows as she lounged on the stool.

"Hello Oshus." she said, uttering a nickname she'd given him when they were much younger. When she was too young and inexperienced to realize that the Greek Titan of the Sea was 'Oceanus'.

"Word was, you managed to burn yourself to death."

Location: Unknown, Tenebrae
Time: Late Morning
@Lady Seraphina

As Eos left, the steel double doors swung open. Chronos walked through, hefting a huge, triple-layer cake in his arms. Wheeled behind him was the IV, tube pulled by his teeth.

Myriad's eyes bugged out. "Oh my god, sir."

She took the cake from him, giggling as she set it on the table. "If you wanted to impress a lady, you know chocolates wo—"

Chronos gave her a look that could burn ice, and she backed up. "I'm uh, sure Phantasm will love it. Right, partner?"

"Isn't that a little bit much? It's not my birthday."

Myriad simply shrugged, calling the black matter to rest around the length of her arm. In her hands were two sparklers, and she sized up the cake. "Mm, I dunno. It was Mr. Chronos' idea."

Her eyes peered at the black-clad blond. "Is it too much?"

Arc pressed his hand to his forehead. "Why are you asking him when the answer is obvious?"

"I dunno, maybe this time he'll explain himself."

"You know he hasn't for a very, very long time."

Myriad put her hands out, shaking them excitedly. "Oh, but where's your sense of adventure?"

A clearing of the throat, and Myriad and Arc whipped their heads around. Chronos startled, and he self-consciously rubbed his throat.

"She's one of us," he said.

Both Arc and Myriad stood slack-jaw, and Myriad nudged Arc with her elbow, murmuring. "Forgot how nice he sounded."

Arc simply shook his head. "She's a Valkyrie, Chronos."

Chronos looked pointedly, as if Arc had simply repeated his words.

Arc pressed the bridge of his nose, eyes screwed shut. "Chronos. That agreement was disbanded with the new king."

Myriad placated Arc with a gesture. "Relax, Chronos is just fond of the old queen. I don't blame him. She was a beautiful leader until she, ahm, had to..."

A blanket of silence crept over the conversation, faces betraying a sentimental pain. Chronos slowly took the sparklers from Myriad, face set in a hard line as he pressed them into the top of the cake, zippo flashing out to light them. The sullenness washed away with the fizzling lights in the air, and Myriad's smile grew.

"You're right, Mr. Chronos. We're here to celebrate our new collaborator, not make her cry," she laughed, eyes peering jokingly at Phantasm.

A slice of homemade chocolate cake was pressed into Phantasm's hands. A few minutes passed as Myriad enthusiastically gulped down her own cake, to Arc's clear disdain.

"So, what'd he mean by the chemicals in your fancy snorkel 'activate'. What exactly does 'unsafe' mean?"

Arc's silver eyes flickered over to Phantasm as he sat with his boots up on the table, empty plate put to one side. "Chlorine gas. It's a by-product of the compound. That kind of stuff will cause acute pneumonitis, which means medical attention."

"Geez, even I wouldn't want to snorkel with that." Myriad giggled, wrinkling her nose.

"The device is safe if used properly, unlike everything else you do, Myriad."

"Still mad?"

"That's certainly a way to put it."

"Well. Cool people like me have a 'get out of jail free card'. And ya wanna know what qualifies as 'cool' nowadays? Getting phased through by hers truly." She gestured at Phantasm, swooning theatrically, "Ah, like the electrifying touch of a Tesla globe."

Chronos seemed to stifle a laugh, to which Arc grimaced at. "Come on, man. Who's side are you on?"

It was a few minutes after everyone finished their cake that Arc gave a nod to Phantasm's briefcase. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I'll, uh, give you a call when the mission is ready to start."

Myriad seemed to pout, but Arc held up his hand. "No, Myriad. I'm sure Phantasm wants to be back home, and you have a lot of work to do before tonight. Plus, you and I have to talk on this whole 'leaving without consent' thing."

Myriad's grin grew wide, "Sir, I can happily inform you that won't be changing anytime soon."

Chronos stifled another laugh. Arc rolled his eyes, gesturing to Myriad with a loose hand. "Alright, alright."

Myriad nodded. "Yes, sir." She nudged Phantasm with her elbow. "What do you think? Wanna head out?"

The black ball was already in her hand, and she shot it behind them, opening a gateway. Rays of sunlight slipped through the grey sky, painting the mirror of Cloud Gate.

—

The Institute of Meta Sciences, situated between Ivan Rueda Law Office and City Sports
West Town, Tenebrae
Time: Late Morning

Footsteps began to slow as the alarm shut off, and a sense of calm poured through the hallways. The familiar white light from the side-mounted lamps banished the remaining chaos, and the scientists, smiles on their faces, began to resume their work. And no one, for better or worse, noticed the disk laying in the middle of the hallway, sending off a clear signal.

---

Love Street
Lincoln Park, Tenebrae
Time: Late Morning
@Blizz, @Lady Seraphina

”So- hear n’ything interesting around town lately?”

"They're calling the explosions on Halsted Street at the James & Sons jewellery store a meta-terrorist attack. The Humanists are having a heyday with the press, and a lot of metas are scared of the backlash." She shrugged. "I mean, more scared than usual."

She set a fresh drink down in front of him. She didn't hold back with this one; Her specialty was making drinks that pleasantly had patrons rolling in their booths halfway through the night.

She brushed the hair out of her eyes, lips pursed in thought underneath her black silk veil. "Mm... if scandalous thievery is more your thing, there are rumours that a golden-finger meta is loose on the town. Just swallowed up the to-be-unveiled crown at the old museum last night."

"And more locally, there was quite the stir here the other night. Word is, it was some sour deal with a spy and a Valkyr—" Her voice trailed off, eyes flicking up.

A hush settled over the bar as a lady in black leather sat by her patron, speaking to him on familiar terms. The bartender read the atmosphere well enough that she began preparing another drink, and she placed a Vesper Martini near the newcomer.

"On the house, ma'am," she said dutifully, dropping her gaze to a glass in her hand. She idly polished it; The bartender's way to look busy.

---

Jade Arts Emporium
Oak Street, Near North Side, Tenebrae
Time: Daytime
@Shu

”Hang on to the diadem for now. I’ll… think it over. But expect a ‘no’ just a heads up. And keep me updated on that dragon statue.”

"I'll refrain from wearing it, but I can't say the same for the Madame," he teased.

Scarlet Shadow prepared to leave. “Thanks for the time and treats, Shen.”

"I'd be honoured to walk you out, Miss Shadow," Shen said. He opened the back door, the dazzling displays of the showroom greeting them. When they reached the shop's entrance, he unbolted the latch and stuck his head out, scanning the streets.

"Madame's still not back," he said, giving Scarlet Shadow a torn look. "I know you were looking forward to seeing her, but even with all her shifting tricks, she still can't be in two places at once. I'm sure she'll rendevous with you another time, she does love to share her secrets."

Shen reached into the sleeve of his hanfu, procuring a wadded-up envelope, bound shut with a rubber band.

"This is for you, my dear." He pressed it into her hands, brows furrowing. "I just, I wish I could do more... You must let me know if you need anything. I find myself worrying more these days, especially..."

He lightly coughed, brushing his face with the hem of his sleeve. "Well, mm, consider it a deposit on the jade dragon. We can finalize the remaining amount another day, but ah"—concern flashed across his face—"I know business is slow, and I wouldn't sleep well knowing my best client hasn't seen a dime for months of hard work."

He pressed the door open for her, ushering her into the plaza. "Now off with you. Wouldn't want to keep you from your big debut," he said, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Shen watched Scarlet Shadow slip into the streets unseen, his easy smile slowly fading. The door to the Jade Arts Emporium shut, sign flipping over to the 'closed' as Shen ambled further into the back. The web surrounding this city, he could feel it tightening. An exponential rise in his personal connections disappearing, unexpected faces, and from what Madame Fauxpaw procured that morning, their plan was taking a turn. And that meant one thing only: hard times for everyone else.

A storm. Clouds thick as pitch, were descending over this city.

—

Shortly after, Scarlet Shadow heard a call coming from her other phone.

"Good evening, Scarlet Shadow." The same voice as last time. Silver-toned, pleasant.

"Shall I send a car for you, or would you like to meet us at the warehouse on the waterfront?"

Little did she know that, waiting up ahead in the shadow of the alley, was a Triad with his own mission. To the uncultured eye, he was just a punk wearing gold. But the tattoos peeking out under his collar told a different story.

He pushed off the wall, eyes sizing her up, a white hankerchief in hand. Despite the years, he half expected her to charge him right now like she did the day his boss, Mr. Jiang, met his end. But there would be time for all that.

"Long time, Kara."

---

North Side Apartments^™
Near North Side, Tenebrae
Time: Daytime
@Blizz

Dream

”Yeah? What’re you guys-“

As Dream's 'hello' sat on the tip of her tongue, a familiar tapping at the glass caught her attention. The cat had impeccable timing, but this was exceptional. Twice in one day. It couldn't bode well, especially with what Madame Fauxpaw had to say last time.

”Faux?” Ellie said, letting the cat in as Dream slid the lock over on Ellie's door.

"My precious, so good to see you," the cat said graciously to Ellie, pawing into the apartment.

"Madame Fauxpaw?" Dream said, stepping into the living room and folding her arms at the small intruder.

"Darling, it's certainly been a long time, hasn't it?" Madame Fauxpaw said, to which Dream merely narrowed her eyes.

"Who?" the doctor said.

The cat perched elegantly on the coffee table, licking a paw absent-mindedly. "Who indeed, doctor. You should really do your homework."

"I-I beg your pardon?"

Her yellow eyes gleamed mischievously. "The infamous little doctor who ran away from his lover and his benefactor, all on a misplaced sentiment that you could save the world. Oh yes, I know all about you." Her warbled voice was smooth, watching the confusion play across his face.

"I—uh, t-then you know why we're here," the doctor stammered.

She hummed, eyes glancing at the silver case propped against Ellie's wall. "Perhaps. I hope you plan on getting your eyes on that lab sooner rather than later. They make their move tonight, judging from the extensive sabotage."

"Sabotage?" Dream raised an eyebrow.

"Darling, you have your own problems to worry about," the cat said. "If you're lucky, you'll shake them before the mission starts."

Dream stared flatly. "You're kidding me."

"I'm a prankster but I'm no liar. I know, deep down in that heart of yours, you're thanking me." She purred innocently.

Dream paused, a hand passing over her masked face as she grumbled incoherently. She squared her shoulders, eyes glancing at Ellie, "If I'm not at the pier for our coffee date, start the mission without me. You'll be fine with the doc watching your back."

The doctor watched as Dream zipped up her boots at the front door and unbolted the latch. "What's going on? W-w-we—"

"Don't worry, doc. The scuba gear's in the back of the caddy, in case you need it." Dream said, stepping out the door. "Just business I gotta take care of."

—

Takeda

As the door shut, the doctor spun on Madame Fauxpaw, exasperated. "w-what's going on?"

She tutted. "Maybe ask her yourself. Speaking of which, have you told Ellie about our unexpected guest?"

"You mean the hydrokinetic?" The doctor said. "Well, yes, uh, of course."

Madame Fauxpaw grimaced, her tail swishing. "Doctor," she said slowly, "Did you consider her history before opening your yap?"

The doctor spluttered. "W-what do you mean...?" His eyes shifted to Ellie, mouth pursed. Their phone conversation did go off in a direction he didn't expect.

Madame Fauxpaw raised a feline brow, "Your expression is a tell-all. The man you want to use is known as one of the most dangerous metas alive. If he didn't fake his death, he would have wound up on the military's wanted list."

"Not only that but..." Her large eyes looked up at Ellie. "I don't think him being here is good. I saw him on the port, speaking with the terrible sort in Tenebrae. The same sort the doctor is fighting. I fear what may happen if he finds you."

"So, what do we do?" the doctor asked.

Her canines glinted in a knowing smile, eyes flicking from the doctor to Ellie.

"Walk through the lab's secret door, of course. It's on the sewer maps from over twenty years ago. I'm sure you'll have little difficulty getting there."

Dream, Takeda and Fauxpaw found themselves acquainted apparently. It seeks Dream was already familiar with this little spy. That didn’t exactly come off as a shock, Fauxpaw was good at this sort of thing, finding things out and learning about people. ”Huh, so I guess we all know each other.” Except Takeda, of course. ”This is Madame Fauxpaw. She’s familiar with pretty much every vigilante in Tenebrae, and always has a good nose for sniffing out the truth. If she can’t figure something out, no one can.” Turns out she knew him, something about running from a relationship to “save the world.” Weird.

"I—uh, t-then you know why we're here,"

"Perhaps. I hope you plan on getting your eyes on that lab sooner rather than later. They make their move tonight, judging from the extensive sabotage."

What was happening exactly?

”What sabotage? Is something going on? Dream” Dream seemed stressed about something, and was already preparing to leave again... "If I'm not at the pier for our coffee date, start the mission without me. You'll be fine with the doc watching your back."

”What’re you talking about? Where are you going?”

Then she left.

"w-what's going on?"

"Maybe ask her yourself. Speaking of which, have you told Ellie about our unexpected guest?"

"You mean the hydrokinetic? Well, yes, uh, of course."

What?

”Let’s not.”

"Did you consider her history before opening your yap?"

Ellie shot Takeda a look that practically screamed “Not another word,” but Fauxpaw didn’t seem to take a hint. She began rattling off a dead man’s reputation, she was right on the mark, as usual. But the things she said were really just the surface level facts.

If he didn't fake his death, he would have wound up on the military's wanted list."

”Fake...?”

Everything else they said just went out the other ear. If anyone knew it was true, it was Fauxpaw. It felt like hours went by in the span of seconds. Ellie’s demeanor went from the usual to nothing short of a distant, detached feeling of despair. Ellie had to do something. Carver was locked up. Fadeaway disappeared, and the only person who actually stood a chance against that man was dead thanks to Ellie. She had to do something about this. This wasn’t good, this was bad. Whatever brought him back from wherever he went, she had to see it for herself.

”...Look. If, if what you’re saying is true, this is way worse than Takeda knew.” She spun around and looked to Takeda with a sharp, jagged gaze. ”Now, listen to me and listen good. I don’t care what you’ve read or hacked into, that man is not our friend. I don’t know why he’s here, but let me put it so you get my point. He could snap his fingers, and this city would disappear. Faux-“

She strutted around her room gathering things, her shoes, a jacket, a glock.

”If you got any idea where he’s at right now, I need you to find him and give him a message. Tell him, “Seven. Where five fingers make a hand...Sunrider.” He’ll know what it means-“ There was a fervent, uncharacteristic haste in her movements. ”If you need to find me, the Valks are gonna hear about this when I get to the bottom of it. They need to. Takeda, you’ve got my number but stay the hell away from where I’m going.”

”I’m taking the drone, I’m gonna follow through with the mission, don’t worry, just text me when it’s time, I’ve got that covered, it’s fine.”

And grab the drone she did, and with a flash of light, she jumped off the several stories high balcony without even thinking about it. Not even two minutes later, a motorcycle churned away into an unknown location.



”Terrorism and Humanists still, figures. Thieves? Sounds fun.” Linus took a long drag on the noticeably stronger drink. What wasn’t noticeable however, has his reaction. He’s had stronger. It was definitely a good drink to indulge in after a day on the sea, though. Linus sat there, taking in the buzz of the day, until a change stifled the air. The lights around the place took to dimming, and the bartender seemed to feel it too.

”Hello Oshus.”

A familiar name, a similar voice.

An old acquaintance.

”Mm. It’s been a while, Helasdottir. Hasn’t it?” He uttered another name back, in an improvised Germanic accent, very obviously not intimidated by the presence of such a woman. Lady Hel, ruling leader of one of the older gangs. The Valkyries. They had worked together a decent amount, enough for both of them to know one another’s skills and capabilities quite well. A rocky history, with a discordant ending. Sure enough, who could picture them meeting like this? ”You sound...different. New cover?” He joked, quite literally having a laugh with death.

"Word was, you managed to burn yourself to death."

”Hm. You sound surprised. You know me better than that-“ A coy, snarky undertone in his voice that few people would have the nerve, let alone the right, to speak to her with. ”You don’t think I’d die in a fire, do you? That guy? Even if old Sparky wanted to trap me for real, you think he’d hold a candle to me? Know what, don’t answer that.” Eluding to irony, Rainsinger took down another half of his drink in one breath.

”Anyway, what I just heard, something rough’s goin’ on around here. Never changes, I guess. How’s the gang doing? You ever take over for Jörm while I was out, or did someone take the man’s seat after he died?” He asked casually, like he didn’t just come back from being dead 20 years and accidentally throw an unforeseen wrench into an unknown amount of plans on several fronts. Lady Hel probably had better things to do than shoot the breeze with an old ally, but it’s not like he did.

Scarlet Shadow sifted through the money in the envelope Shen had handed her. It was packed with hundreds and fifties which was a welcome sight - wrinkled as they were. She kept her head low as she briskly rounded the first corner nearby, stuffing the envelope down into her hoodie pocket, eyes flickering about in the natural way of a person of subterfuge.

”I know business is slow, and I wouldn't sleep well knowing my best client hasn't seen a dime for months of hard work."

Shen’s last words riveted in the thief’s mind as she plodded along looking for a ladder or fire escape up onto a rooftop from which she would make her way back home. Shen had always been more than a fence for Scarlet Shadow, he was a friend. A friend who always had her back and was a man she could trust. She worried about him sometimes in truth, but she knew he had his ways to defend himself. As anyone who walked the underworld of black marketing and shilling he had his devices as any did and he knew how to tend to his own. Still, it was only natural to worry.

Lost in her thoughts, the master thief jumped in surprise as the disposable phone she was carrying rang. This of course meant only one thing. Jaws tight she raised it to her ear, thumb hitting the “talk” button.

“Yes?” Her voice muffled slightly by the veil.

“Good evening, Scarlet Shadow,” said a voice she remembered well, “Shall I send a car for you, or would you like to meet us at the warehouse on the waterfront?"

“Warehouse, I’ll be there.”

The master thief hung up without awaiting a response, slipping the phone away into the pocket opposite of the payment and her own phone. She was walking down an abandoned side street, the only sounds were the roaring of vehicles and honking of horns that carried through the air from nearby streets and avenues.

She caught sight of a single individual skulking near an alley corner. Most people would have sped up or turned the other way, but Scarlet Shadow did not. Aside from seeing a ladder that lead straight up down through an alleyway further ahead across a Main Street she wasn’t intimidated by common hoodlums that frequented shady streets and alleyways. If he tried to attack her she could easily disable him and be on her way. She wouldn’t even have to use her powers.

The thief was near adjacent to her from where she walked down the lonesome street when she saw him moving in her peripheral vision, her body tensing slightly in a natural fashion.
She saw a flash of white and then she heard him speak.

"Long time, Kara."

The thief froze where she was. Fists clenched so tight in her pockets that her fingers hurt. She looked sideways at the stranger, giving him only a single eye to make contact with.

Bling, tattoos, and my name…

That was all that Scarlet Shadow needed. He was Asian as she could see, and this plus him calling her by her name was the final simple clarification to be had. How? It’s been years?

She blinked. No, with them, that is never a factor.

Acting on a combination of instinct laced with plain old bad memories the master thief took action. With a flick of her hands her two tanto were firmly in her grip and she set to action. Head down and arms and blade tips forward she took three initial strides and with a burst of inhuman speed she was on the thug in less than six seconds. A forward powerful kick into his stomach lifted him from his stance and sent him tumbling backwards into the alley, the white handkerchief he had flapped about slapping loosely against the pavement nearby.

The wheezing groans and muffled retching sounds made it clear she had him disabled at the moment. The blade in her right hand disappeared back to it’s hiding place while she gripped the one in her left hand firmly.
Her shadow looked over the man who was still downed on the alley floor, Scarlet Shadow half expecting him to vomit though he didn’t. Glaring behind her veil she she used her foot to push him over and down flat on his face and squatted down - straddled across his back - lifting his head upward by the hair, blade then pressed across his throat.

“What do you want? Who sent you?”

Plain and simple, yet forward and inquiring enough. She knew who he was - what he was. All she needed to know was who sent him and what they wanted.

Location: Unknown, Tenebrae
Time: Late Morning
@Estylwen

Gloria's eyes flicked back and forth between Myriad and Arc, checking to see if either of them had noticed her toss the tracking chip through the portal. Surprisingly both had looked back at the banner; apparently none the wiser.

Myriad shrugged. "Mmm, I dunno. It was Mr. Chronos' idea."

Almost as if summoned by the mention of his name, the steel double doors Chronos had vanished through swung open. Standing on the other side was Chronos, but the thing that really drew her eye was the elaborate triple decker cake he carried in his arms. His IV stand dragged along behind him, one of the wheels squeaking. He held the tube of it in his teeth to prevent the force ripping the needle out of his arm.

Even through her mask Gloria could see Myriad's eyes grow to the size of dish plates. "Oh my god, sir." She rushed forward to take the cake from Chronos as he looked like he was barely managing to balance it. "If you wanted to impress a lady, you know chocolates wo—"

Chronos gave her a scathing look and she trailed off. Gloria wouldn't have called the look in Chronos' eye anger but it seemed as though Myriad had crossed a line with such an innocent turn of phrase. She wondered if maybe Chronos had lost someone if the suggestion that he was trying to impress a woman was so distasteful to him.

Myriad backed it up, sounding, for the first time since Gloria had met her, unsure. "I'm uh, sure Phantasm will love it. Right, partner?"

She glanced at Gloria, looking for support but not being entirely sure of the dynamic playing out in front of her Gloria instead just shrugged.

Myriad looked a little dejected but turned back to Chronos, asking in the slightly pleading tone of a kid unsure if they're in trouble "Is it too much?"

Arc interjected, pressing his hand to his forehead in frustration. "Why are you asking him when the answer is obvious?"

"I dunno, maybe this time he'll explain himself." she shot back.

"You know he hasn't for a very, very long time."

Myriad put her hands out, shaking them excitedly. "Oh, but where's your sense of adventure?"

Chronos loudly cleared his throat, interrupting the developing squabble between them. They turned sharply to look at him. He rubbed his throat in a manner that Gloria would almost have described as self-conscious before he spoke.

"She's one of us."

Gloria cocked her head to the side staring at him. She'd been toying with the theory that he wasn't able to speak, whether because he was deaf or nonverbal. Evidently she wasn't the only one surprised that he actually spoke. Both Arc and Myriad stared at him slack-jaw before Myriad elbowed Arc in the stomach, murmuring. "Forgot how nice he sounded."

"Huh," Gloria said from behind her mask. "I was beginning to think I'd have to brush up on my sign language for you."

Ignoring her Arc shook his head at what Chronos had claimed. "She's a Valkyrie, Chronos."

Chronos looked at him pointedly, almost as if Arc had made his point for him.

Arc pressed the bridge of his nose, eyes screwed shut. "Chronos. That agreement was disbanded with the new king."

Gloria has the distinct impression that she was listening to half a conversation. Maybe the three of them were very good at reading each other. When a crew worked together long enough they generally learned how to communicate in as few words as needed. But another part of her wondered if maybe that was Chronos' specialty, if he was a telepath.

The thought did not appeal to her. She didn't like the idea of other people rooting around in her head.

Myriad put her hand on Arc's shoulder. "Relax, Chronos is just fond of the old queen. I don't blame him. She was a beautiful leader until she, ahm, had to..."

A dense silence settled over the room. Each of them looked pained, the kind of look one gets when a dead loved one unexpectedly crops up in conversation.

Gloria was the one to break the silence. "I suppose this is one of those times when I'm supposed to let the subject drop?" she paused. "Yeah well, I've never been very good at that. So who's this queen and why isn't she on the throne anymore? Where'd this 'new king' of yours come from?"

She felt safe enough asking questions. The most they'd glean from it was that details didn't slip by her notice. If they'd been surveilling her for this job for as long as it seemed, they'd already know that she paid close attention to all the angles.

Myriad smiled teasingly. “What, you mean they don't teach that in Valkyrie class anymore?” Arc gave her a warning look, and she shrugged nonchalantly. “What? She has a right to know. Besides, you explain it better than me.”

Arc rubbed his temples. “You're a constant pain in my side, you know?”

He turned his silver eyes on Gloria, leaning forward. “Alright. Phantasm, you'll like this story. The queen, Chronos and I were causing some problems for you people. Many clashes led up to a fateful day. Against the black of night, Hel and the Queen with their small armies faced off in a battle that caused the city a year’s worth of construction. I'm not sure how, but we withdrew as the dawn broke, and she told us ‘If you see a Valkyrie, consider them as family.'

“King Astra changed that when he took charge, but, Chronos, well,“ Arc glanced at Chronos, he seemed to be choosing his words very carefully. “He has always been most dutiful towards her.”

Chronos cleared his throat again, closing his eyes and turning away. Arc and Myriad shared a worried glance before Myriad’s eyes darted around desperately, and she found the sparklers. When Chronos took them from her, the only noticeable change she saw was the mist in his eyes as he stabbed the cake. The click of a zippo, and a fizzle of party lights filled the room.

Arc folded his arms as he stood beside Phantasm, watching the sparks fall like comets. His voice was hushed, eyeing Chronos. “As for the King, he stepped up because he needed to when she was no longer fit for duty. Where he came from before that is anyone's guess.”

Myriad silently let the black matter curl around her arm and suddenly there were two sparklers in her hands. Gloria wasn't entirely sure if they'd been materialized by the black goop, transported from another location, or simply hidden up Myriad's sleeve for dramatic effect. Chronos slowly took them from her, his face was set in a hard line as he pressed them into the top of the cake. If the prospect of him impressing a woman was such a sore subject, she imagined she'd just found out who he'd lost that made it so.

The heavy atmosphere of the moment seemed to burn away as Chronos flicked out a zippo, lighting both sparklers in one fluid motion. They started to fizzle, throwing dancing sparks into the air as the magnesium burned.

Myriad rearranged her face into a smile. "You're right, Mr. Chronos. We're here to celebrate our new collaborator, not make her cry," she laughed, eyes peering jokingly at Gloria.

And there was that feeling again that Gloria had of hearing half a conversation. Maybe it was just that the other three had context for the subject that she didn't, or maybe Chronos had told her not to speak of it telepathically. Time would tell. It didn't quite explain his name though. Arc, she was positive, created lightning. Myriad's power seemed so multifaceted that it was impossible to quantify, which made her name fitting. So what did the Greek version of Father Time have to do with Chronos' abilities?

He pressed a slice of the chocolate cake into her hand and seeing it up close she realized it was homemade. It looked moist and delicious and she stared at it for a solid ten seconds.

She knew what Lady Hel, what Quinn, even what her parents would have said about eating food from strangers but she glanced at the rest of them, Myriad was enthusiastically gulping down her slice cake like it was more liquid than solid. If they wanted to kill her they had all the fire power they needed to do it right here. Besides which, they needed her for this mission of there's. There was no reason the cake wouldn't be safe.

She reached up a hand, pushing her hood back and touched the clip at the top of her mask. With a click it split away from her face and she placed it in her bag. She still struck a nice figure in her leather clothes and ragged cloak but she looked more human without the mask.

She sliced a section of the cake off neatly with a fork and pressed it to her mouth. It was delicious. Just as moist as it had looked, it almost seemed to melt on her tongue.

Her eyes flicked down away from the others. She hadn't really had birthdays growing up. Not since she was very young, not since Cassandra has been born. No one had made her cake, hung banners for her, none of that stuff that kids were supposed to get. She knew this was all phoney. These people weren't her friends, at best they were her employers and depending on how Lady Hel reacted, they could easily become her enemies. But still, it was nice to sit around and eat cake that had been made just for her.

While Myriad inhaled her cake, Gloria ate hers neatly, piece by piece. As much as she might look rough and tumble, she'd grown up in a nice household, one where table manners were reinforced. It was a habit she hadn't really shaken.

After she was sure that at least one of them had finished enough cake that they wouldn't have their mouths full she said "So," the question phrased as casually as possible. "What'd Eos mean by the chemicals in your fancy snorkel 'activating'. What exactly does 'unsafe' mean?"

Arc's silver eyes flicked from his cake which he seemed to be enjoying very begrudgingly to Gloria. He put his boots up on the table and set his plate to one side. "Chlorine gas." Gloria eyes widened. "It's a by-product of the compound. That kind of stuff will cause acute pneumonitis, which means medical attention."

"Thanks Arc, I do know what chlorine gas is. I am a little more than just a pretty face." She also knew it was really easy to generate the stuff by mixing all the cleaning chemicals under the sink together in a vat but that was a story for another time.

Myriad giggled, wrinkling her nose. "Geez, even I wouldn't want to snorkel with that."

Arc gave a condescending grunt. "The device is safe if used properly."

Gloria smirked. "Easy for you to say, you aren't the one that has to wear it."

"Actually, you'd be surprised," Arc said. "There have been many devices that have blown up in my face, and it's always from misuse." He turned to Myriad. "It's at least safer than most everything you do."

She smiled. "Still mad?"

"That's certainly a way to put it."

"Well. Cool people like me have a 'get out of jail free card'. And ya wanna know what qualifies as 'cool' nowadays? Getting phased through by hers truly." She gestured at Gloria, gracefully deflecting Arc's annoyance and swooning theatrically, "Ah, like the electrifying touch of a Tesla globe."

A subtle smile tugged at the corners of Gloria's lips. Myriad really was quite endearing.

Chronos seemed to stifle a laugh, causing Arc to grimace in annoyance. "Come on, man. Who's side are you on?" It seemed like he was often on the outs with these two, but in a friendly way, almost like family. At least how family was supposed to be.

They chatted for a few minutes as everyone finished their cake. Meaningless barbs and jokes mostly. When the cake was gone Arc nodded towards the briefcase Eos had given her. "I'll, uh, give you a call when the mission is ready to start."

She nodded. "Right."

Myriad gave an exaggerated pout, but Arc held up his hand before she could speak. "No, Myriad. I'm sure Phantasm wants to be back home, and you have a lot of work to do before tonight. Plus, you and I have to talk on this whole 'leaving without consent' thing."

Myriad's pout turned into a wide grin, "Sir, I can happily inform you that won't be changing anytime soon."

Chronos stifled another laugh. Arc rolled his eyes, gesturing to Myriad with a loose hand. "Alright, alright."

Myriad nodded. "Yes, sir."

Gloria stood her ground, not joining the leaving party quite yet. "A question before I go Arc, what was that stuff you let loose at Haven? Two of my girls breathed it in. Do I need to be worried about them, is there something that need be done for them, or is it too late for them and I should skip to the vengeance fuelled making you dead now?"

Arc stared at her appraisingly for several seconds, she guessed deciding how much to tell her. Then he lifted a gloved hand. Just as it had back at Haven, the cloth around his fingers tips blurred ever so slightly and then began to dissolve. She reflexively sucked in and held a breath but rather than scattering as it had the night before the dust flowed down his hand, collected in his palm. It looked like ash or fine dust.

“This is what they breathed in, and it's processed like any foreign contaminant in the body. It will be flushed from their system after twenty-four hours.”

He gave the dust a small shuffle in his hand. “In short, yes, they’re fine.”

She noticed how he very deliberately didn't tell her what the dust did, only that it didn't stay in the body.

Myriad nudged Gloria with her elbow, breaking the appraising stare she had locked onto Arc. "What do you think? Wanna head out?"

Gloria nodded. "I'd say its time, but this was fun." Myriad held out her hand, the black ball was already in her hand, and she shot it behind them, opening a gateway. Rays of sunlight slipped through the grey sky, painting the mirror of Cloud Gate.

Gloria paused for a second waiting to see if Myriad was planning on accompanying her or was simply opening the door the way she has for Eos. When Myriad didn't make any move towards the portal Gloria said "Would you mind stepping out with me? There's something I'd like to ask you." she glanced between Chronos and Arc. "In private. Don't worry boys, she'll be back in a couple of minutes."

Myriad chortled. “Of course I'm going with you. What kind of host would I be if it were otherwise?”

She turned around, humming from the other side of the gateway, "Though I don't know who's the host today. Is the one who serves cake the actual host? Or is the friend the host?" Her voice sounded strange coming from an open space and echoing into an enclosed room.

Myriad shrugged at her own question, waiting for Gloria to follow her through the portal. Just before she left the underground compound, she looked back towards Arc. She motioned to his neck at the places where he'd been burned by her cocktail.

"I'd try some alovera on that stuff. Works wonders." She said with a sly smile before she disappeared through the portal.

On the other side, after Myriad had collapsed the gate back into the black ball Gloria spoke. "What's your group, the Shadow Knights', relation to the Valkyries? Chronos spoke like they're friends but I've never heard anyone back home mention you before. These people, they're like family to me. I appreciate the money but I'd like to know that this isn't going to blow back on them."



Love Street
Lincoln Park, Tenebrae
Time: Late Morning
@Blizz

The bartender, a pretty girl in her early twenties set a Vesper Martini on the bar by Hel's hand. It was nice to go somewhere they knew your order. "On the house, ma'am," she said dutifully, avoiding looking Hel in the eye. Her voice was steady but flat, the way people who are trying not to panic sound. Hel couldn't blame the poor girl.

She dipped her pinkie into the drink and for an uncomfortable beat she looked at her nailpolish. When it remained the same effervescent black she sucked the alcohol off her finger and picked up the glass. "Thank you so much Miss Hallett."

She took a sip from the drink and turned her attention back to Rainsinger. He nodded at her in return.

”Mmm. It’s been a while, Helasdottir. Hasn’t it?” She hadn't heard that name in a long time. A nickname he'd given here the few times they'd worked together so long ago. He said it in vaguely European accent, calm and seemingly unconcerned with the aura she brought with her. He had for as long as she'd known him been cool, verging on indifferent. She hadn't expected that to have changed. ”You sound... different. New cover?” He said with a joking smile.

She smiled back, hers much less warm, more like the grin of a shark. "Ah, you're right. I had almost forgotten. I suppose back in the day I sounded a little less proper. In my line of work the illusion of class overcomes many difficulties. After all, perception is everything."

As she said the word perception, the darkest shadows in the room seemed to open unblinking red eyes, their bloodshot gazes staring at Rainsinger. In the blink of an eye they were gone, so briefly visible that Rain might question if he'd seen them at all, at least he might if he didn't know who he was sitting next to. No one else reacted to the sight, they were for his enjoyment along.

She took another sip of her drink before continuing. "Word was, you managed to burn yourself to death."

”You sound surprised. You know me better than that-“ His tone was coy, almost snarky. She'd frightened men who spoke like that to her to death before. He was different, there was a certain amount of irreverence she could tolerate from such an old friend, but only so much. ”You don’t think I’d die in a fire, do you? That guy? Even if old Sparky wanted to trap me for real, you think he’d hold a candle to me? Know what, don’t answer that.” He downed half of his drink in one breath; ever the sailor.

"No," she agreed. "I didn't really believe you'd died, even when I had people swearing to me that nothing could have gotten out of that fire alive. I figured you'd gone, I figured you wouldn't come back. It might have been wiser if you had stayed away."

”Anyway, what I just heard, something rough’s goin’ on around here. Never changes, I guess. How’s the gang doing? You ever take over for Jörm while I was out, or did someone take the man’s seat after he died?”

She smiled. "I'm not sure I'd call it a gang at this point. Back then we were what, a half dozen rogues. Huddled together in abandoned warehouses to keep the rain off. Taking whatever jobs were available and working with whoever we had to to make sure we didn't starve. Most of use were scared kids. It's not like that anymore. The Valkyries are part of this city, woven into fabric of it. This is my city. It's a safe place for us and ours. At least, safer than it was when we were at its mercy. But I do wonder, what are you doing here after so many years? Homesickness finally catch up with you?"

Location: Unknown, Tenebrae
Time: Late Morning
@Lady Seraphina

"I suppose this is one of those times when I'm supposed to let the subject drop? Yeah well, I've never been very good at that. So who's this queen and why isn't she on the throne anymore? Where'd this 'new king' of yours come from?"

Myriad smiled teasingly. “What, you mean they don't teach this in Valkyrie class anymore?”

Arc gave her a warning look, and she shrugged nonchalantly. “What? She has a right to know. Besides, you explain it better than me.”

Arc rubbed his temples. “You're a constant pain in my side, you know?”

He turned his silver eyes to Phantasm, leaning forward. “Alright. Phantasm, you'll like this story. The queen, Chronos and I were causing some problems for you people. Many clashes led up to a fateful day. Against the black of night, Hel and the queen with their small armies faced off in a battle that caused the city a year’s worth of construction. I'm not sure how, but we withdrew as the dawn broke, and she told us ‘If you see a Valkyrie, consider them as family.'

“King Astra changed that when he took charge, but, Chronos, well,“ Arc glanced at his second-in-command, wording his words carefully. “He has always been most dutiful towards her.”

Chronos cleared his throat again, closing his eyes and turning away. Arc and Myriad shared a worried glance before Myriad’s eyes darted around desperately, and she found the sparklers. When Chronos took them from her, the only noticeable change she saw was the mist in his eyes as he stabbed the cake. The click of a zippo, and a fizzle of party lights filled the room.

Arc folded his arms as he stood beside Phantasm, watching the sparks fall like comets. His voice was hushed, eyeing Chronos. “As for the king, he stepped up because he needed to when she was no longer fit for duty. Where he came from before that is anyone's guess.”

Myriad was standing beside Chronos as he put the zippo away, giving him her best smile before peering at Phantasm. “You're right, Mr. Chronos. We're here to celebrate our new collaborator, not make her cry.”

When the conversation shifted to Phantasm's 'snorkel device', Arc explained it, and Phantasm added, "Easy for you to say, you aren't the one that has to wear it."

“Actually, you'd be surprised,” Arc said. "There have been many devices that have blown up in my face, and it's always from misuse."

At the offer to go back home, Phantasm paused, facing Arc with hard eyes. "A question before I go Arc, what was that stuff you let loose at Haven? Two of my girls breathed it in. Do I need to be worried about them, is there something that need be done for them, or is it too late for them and I should skip to the vengeance fuelled making you dead now?"

Arc stared at Phantasm for a moment before lifting a gloved hand. The weave around his fingertips came undone as dust rose, spinning off until it dissolved the whole finger of the glove. In his cupped hand, he held out a small pile of what looked like ash, or dust.

“This is what they breathed in, and it's processed like any foreign contaminant in the body. It will be flushed from their system after twenty-four hours.”

He gave the dust a small shuffle in his hand. “In short, yes, they’re fine.”

Phantasm glanced at Myriad. "Would you mind stepping out with me? There's something I'd like to ask you."

Myriad chortled. “Of course I'm going with you. What kind of host would I be if it were otherwise?”

She hummed as she stepped through the gateway, "Though I don't know who's the host today. Is the one who serves cake the actual host? Or is the friend the host?"

Phantasm followed her, and as the portal closed, Phantasm turned back to smirk as Arc. "I'd try some alovera on that stuff. Works wonders."

Arc simply narrowed his eyes, arms folding over his chest. Myriad could be heard giggling as the gateway shrunk and disappeared, and Arc's eyes flickered to Chronos.

“I swear, I'll kill them both.” He said, throwing his hands up and walking away.

—

Cloud Gate
Loop, Tenebrae
@Lady Seraphina

Standing under the mirrored bean, Phantasm turned to Myriad. "What's your group, the Shadow Knights', relation to the Valkyries? Chronos spoke like they're friends but I've never heard anyone back home mention you before. These people, they're like family to me. I appreciate the money but I'd like to know that this isn't going to blow back on them."

“Ah, so they really did cancel that class,” Myriad said, fingers tapping her chin.

She skipped down the steps of the Gate. “You're my friend, I know that. As for us and the Valkyries, there’s old history." She turned back, shrugging. "But I wasn't a Knight then. Nowadays, it's doubtful the two interact much. You may well be the first interaction we’ve had in, um.”

Myriad counted on her fingers, eyebrows raising. “Wow, in five years.”

---

BREAKING NEWS
Location: All media outlets, Tenebrae
Time: Late Morning
@Lady Seraphina, @Shu, @Blizz

"We should ship them off to the asylum," he said grudgingly. "Every last one of them."

A live broadcast in Love Street, and across all of Tenebrae. On the news channel, the host sat poised in a black suit. Beside him, a harrowed man, the spokesperson of the humanists.

"What is it that you dislike about people with special abilities so much?" the host said.

"They're just not all right in the head, you know? It's like a disease. It's why most of the criminals you see nowadays are—"

The screen flickered, displaying sharp stripes of a lost signal and a terrible sound, before snapping into focus again. The host and his guest were gone, replaced by a man dressed in black garb and a cloak, lounging in a chair with his hand rested against his chin. He smiled.

"Terribly grateful, aren't they?" he said, light-catching the edges of his silver mask as he turned his head. "It's like this city has forgotten all the good those with superpowers have given it."

He held up a gloved hand as he counted. "Dissolution of cancer, illnesses, and poor health. There are metas in this city devoting their lives to healing what is considered unhealable. Many others, those with super-intellect, are at the forefront of technology, pushing for cleaner sources of energy and a sustainable future."

"But, I have to give credit where it's due. To you people, I mean. Your gratitude has made it so metas with visible traits struggle to find jobs, and harassment is a factor that deters many from even stepping outside of their homes." His hands gave a slow, mocking clap.

The man leaned forward. "Now, if you were to tell me they'd be fine with that kind of gratitude, I'd call them an idiot. We both know there are only two ways forward."

A pointer finger was raised. "All of the metas leave. Or—"

He paused, fingers held up as the humour left his face. "—We stay. And we push back. This city will witness a breaking point. And you'd be best to side with the people you've 'been grateful to' for so long."

"On that note, I'd keep an eye on City Hall tonight. Past midnight and our symbol of peace'll fly higher than a kalepsian kite."

At that, the signal went dead.

—

Time: Daytime

After showing the clip for the fifth time that day, the news anchor, a thin-framed lady, turned to her co-host.

"Never a dull moment, huh?"

"Especially for our police department," said the co-host, "Here's what Sergent Jones said over Twitter, 'A terrorist threat on City Hall is not something we take lightly. I want to stress that we are doing everything we can to prioritize citizens' safety, and ask that everyone stay home, and evacuate the area around City Hall.'"

The lady nodded her head. "Wise words from the TDP. Let's just hope we can see the sun rise on City Hall tomorrow."

---

Oakstreet
Near North Side, Tenebrae
Time: Daytime
@Shu

“Sweetheart, as much as I'd love for you to”—he coughed, careful to not jostle the knife’s edge against his throat—“put me out of my misery, Hell’s not gonna run itself.”

His eyes glanced at the hand holding the blade. “All these years and you held back, huh? Sweetheart, I'm touched.” He chuckled hoarsely, “How about a bribe, then?”

The man took a few shallow breaths, gritting his teeth. He appeared to still be somewhat winded. “Listen. I know what you're up to tonight, and I also know who your competition is.”

He paused, certain his little Shadow would need more of a nudge. “Your employer never told you what the heart is, did they? Failed to mention it could power an entire city for a year. A new power source greatly coveted by the elite around the world. And its actual worth to the right buyer, easily adding a few zeroes to your cut, someone”—a cold grin crept on his face—“that only Triad knows.”

A little shrug in his shoulder. “Such a shame, isn't it?”

From what his intel had gathered, Kara chased after the dollar harder than he did. Surely, the prospect of earning more for the same work would appeal to her as it did to him. There was a reason they had discovered her, yet held back until this moment.

“Come on, Kara. There will be plenty of time to kill each other after we talk.” He said, voice a little too casual. “In my back pocket, you'll find a tablet with three GPS trackers. All three want the heart that you're after.”

“The heart," he said, "that you'll hand over to me.”

---

Seward (William) Park
Near North Side, Tenebrae
Time: Daytime

She could see them lurking over her car, the people responsible for her business being shut down and her home boarded up. The people that wanted her for her ability, those who thought of metas as nothing more than an object of money. In a hurried shuffle of boots, Dream moved to the back door and snuck out.

That's when she heard the cock of a large gun.

Silhouetted on the roof, blocking out the clouded sun was an eight-foot cyborg, punk vest hanging over a scarred body and metal prosthetics. A part of the forearm was unhinged, Tommy gun sticking out the side. The cyborg lined up his shot on her forehead, and Dream dove into the bushes as the area behind her exploded. When the smoke cleared, she was halfway across the street.

"After her!" was the cry behind her.

Using light to increase the length of her strides, she bounded from one alley to the next, zig-zagging her way into the neighbouring field. Perhaps, if she was lucky, she could lose them here. Tucking herself into a ball, she rolled into a group of bushes and lay still, holding her breath.

Emerging from the alley, her pursuers slowed as they strutted across the street, cars screeching on their breaks and horns blaring. Dream could see them better now, two pursuers in total, both with cybernetic enhancements. Pink, punk-style hair seemed to be popular among Hunters. The eight-foot giant on the left, and a fierce lady with a short mohawk and shock bracers on the right, eyes trained on her.

Dream gritted her teeth, cursing. Did cyborgs have heat vision? Those cheats. She burst from the bushes and ran full-tilt into the field, caught off-guard and making a fatal mistake. In the wide space, she had no cover, and with the screams of frightened picnic-goers, she was running into an empty dead-end without any eyewitnesses.

She felt a wire snag her feet, wrapping tightly as she plummeted face-first into the grass. Her pursuers stood over her, smiling as she spat out dirt.

"There's only two ways this is gonna go, kid." said the lady. "You choose the difficulty level."

"I don't bargain with criminals like you," she said hoarsely, rolling up off the ground.

"Shame. If you were a little more cooperative we would have let you say goodbye to that pretty motorcyclist."

"And lead you right to her?" Behind her back, traces of light left her fingertips, soaring in an arc across the field, slowly solidifying into something she could use.

The giant noticed, Tommy gun lowered at her, "Oi, no funny business, short stuff."

Dream raised her hands in mock surrender, "Or what, fill me with pebbles? Trust me, I do that just fine."

She tightened her hands into fists, cutting the arc short. The hard light struck their targets, the temples and pressure points of the throat, leaving gash marks from the high spin. The lady fell instantly, but the man was knocked to the side and snapped his head back at Dream, hissing.

Her feet pounded the grass. She could see the train overhead and hear the clicking of metal, and looked back as the giant cyborg stomped after her, his lady draped over his shoulder. Dream swung her hand up, a hasty light barrier catching the short burst of bullets from the man's gun. She cursed as it shattered with the second burst, knocking her back.

By the time she was on her feet again, the train was long gone. The man slowed his pace, certain he had her cornered for good, arm reloading for a third round. She cursed again, eyes shifting for another exit. Something metal tapped under her retreating feet, and she looked down.

Another way out. Tearing desperately with her fingers, she pulled aside a grate. To the cyborg's dismay, he watched her leap feet first into the city's sewer system. As much as the disgust on his face was apparent, he circled back toward the seawater channel, where he knew a larger gate for his size would be.

The hunt was on.

---

North Side Apartments^™
Near North Side, Tenebrae
Time: Daytime
@Blizz

The doctor noticed when Ellie slipped a gun into her bag, and he felt his skin prickle. No one brought a gun unless they were ready to kill or be killed. Where was she going? Was it his fault?

As she leapt from the balcony, the doctor’s eyes trailed after her guiltily. Madame watched his eyes, purring serenely. “You know nothing stops her when she makes up her mind."

The doctor was quiet, words lost as his throat clenched up.

Madame tilted her head. “There's a long history between the two of them. It wouldn't have mattered if you said something or not.”

Akihiro shook his head. “No, no you don't— I mean, this is my fault. She panicked and left and I didn't think.”

The doctor sank on the couch. “Dream's in trouble, Ellie's looking for trouble, and I…”

Madame tutted, “Doctor, you have a habit of carrying the world on your shoulders. Stop it.”

She smiled mischievously. “Listen to me. There's a drone following ole’ Rainsinger around. If you hack into it, we can find out where he is, and you'll be a hero.”

The doctor mutters behind his hands, sagging into the couch. “I'm no hero."

There was a loud explosion as Dream could be seen through the window, dodging gunfire and taking off across the street. The doctor's lips parted as if to shout something but instead turned hastily to the cat.

“W-w-we gotta help her.” The doctor said, anxiety tightening his voice.

“Trust me, she's fine," she said.

The doctor's lips twisted, his silence expressing his unease.

Madame Fauxpaw brushed him off. "Doctor, I have watched her deal with worse. She's fine.”

“Then what about Ellie?”

“She's seeking answers. We just need Rainsinger’s location.”

The doctor shook his head, standing up. “No. I, I can't. I have to stop her.”

“Can't what, doctor?" Madame Fauxpaw said flatly.

"There's no telling what will happen if Rainsinger sees her, or, or if she sees him. I'm afraid of what she'll do, and what he could easily do. 'Not our friend', is what Ellie said. A-a-and I thought, I thought I was helping. I can't sit by while she goes off with the knowledge I gave her. I shouldn't have said anything, I should have, I, I—"

He grabbed his shoes by the laces as he ran out the door, choking on his words. “I'm g-going after her.”

On the side of the building, he untied his pedal bike, almost falling over as he gripped the handles. Ellie and her motorcycle were long gone, but the doctor ignored his lack of a lead, and he pedalled as hard as he could. He knew the direction Ellie was headed when she left, some he kept his eyes open for any tell-tale light or commotion. Minutes passed. His muscles began to burn and he drew ragged breaths, desperate.

“You're going the wrong way, doctor.” Said a croaking voice above him.

Startled, Akihiro nearly drove into oncoming traffic. His eyes shot up. A small crow glided on the air a few feet over his head, taking point.

“M-madame?” He said.

Beady yellow eyes stared at him. “While you were floundering about, I found the drone and our ‘missing person’. Rainsinger has been given the message, but—“

“You, but why?” The doctor huffed as he pedalled. “He is, I mean, he’s, dangerous. Ellie could die. We could all die.”

“There are many things that can kill us, yes.” Madame Fauxpaw said, dipping her wing down to glide around a corner. “But many more things that make us stronger.”

Up ahead, Ellie could be seen. Madame Fauxpaw spun one large circle in the air, dipping down to be eye-level with Takeda. “Here's your chance to talk her out of it, doctor. If not, you'll tell her where he is.”

She brushed past him, whispering, and took off down the other street.

“Where are you going?” The doctor asked.

“Business, doctor. I'll be around.” She called back after him, disappearing as she turned down another street.

The doctor pursed his lips, watching her go, before turning his head, cupping a hand around his mouth. “Ellie! It's me. I have what you're looking for.”

Scarlet Shadow glared behind her cowl though she knew the pinned man couldn’t see her expression. “Firstly,” she pressed the knife dangerously hard against the tender flesh of his neck, “enough of the ‘Kara’ and pet names. You don’t need to call me by anything.”

She let her statement sink in as she pondered what he had said. The heart? A powerful energy source?… Just what have I gotten myself twisted up in? If this heart was some kind of highly coveted prize worth a lot she knew she couldn’t let it slip from her grasp. This shady organization that had first lead her to the diadem wanted it and apparently they had put several individuals on it’s trail, at least that was her first thought. Or perhaps multiple parties were after it. She really couldn’t say. If it was some sort of revolutionary energy source it would make sense for multiple parties to seek it out, or a single party to invest in multiple operatives to ensure it was secured. Of course then there was the issue of operatives competing over reward and the prize being lost in the competitive shuffle, so there was that flaw.

Scarlet Shadow reached down with her bare hand and fumbled around at the triad punk’s back pocket and fished out the GPS he mentioned. She took a moment to glance at it before stuffing it into her hoodie. She’d look at it more closely after dealing with him.

She leaned down close to his ear, voice at a dangerous low, “I thought I made it clear I don’t play nice with Triad back in China. I killed more than enough of your kind when you took my family from me.” Scarlet Shadow made a grinding motion with her wrist letting the blade shave of a very thin layer of skin, enough to leave a red streak when she removed the blade. “I’ll decide for myself who this heart goes to, and it won’t be to any of your ilk. Tell whoever your superiors are to stay clear of me. ‘Else they’ll find their lackeys - like you - minced and mixed into their stir fry.”

“Still,” she said removing the knife from his throat and standing, “thanks for the help.”
A swift kick to the skull rendered the goon unconscious. Scarlet Shadow looked at the GPS the man had. True to his word there were three blips on the GPS. The thief realized she needed to further gauge the situation, but of course she couldn’t just head off and leave things to chance. Slipping the GPS away momentarily she went and scuttled up the ladder she had first spotted leaving the downed triad behind.

Scarlet Shadow had long ago learned that a situation could change or a sudden demand could rise as it were. That was why she had several “safe spots” marked throughout the city where she could temporarily leave weapons, money, rations, spare clothes, and other items. All of these safe spots were in areas of low to zero foot traffic and so well concealed even she would often need a moment or two to locate them. She left her payment, pack and causal wear behind to recover later not wanting to risk the time to take everything back home. Taking to the rooftops and alleys - GPS in hand - she set out for the nearest mark.

”Yeah. Homesickness. You could say that. Old town’s a piece of work, but she’s our piece of work. Well, yours, I guess. You get it, anyway, I’m getting old. People retire when they’re old, dunno how much I got left in me. Being out there so long and not here very long, it’ll make you realize where you went ain’t much far from where y’came from.” An inhale of whatever he was drinking punctuated the awfully poetic explanation Linus just gave Lady Hel. For all his composed, somewhat standalone-ish nature, he always did have a soft spot for this place. It wasn’t out of memories, hell, he’d never touch this place again if that were the case. It made him him. The name “Rainsinger” wouldn’t exist were it not for mire of messes and street politics he grew up in. ”Guess I couldn’t stay away from the place’s charm for another twenty…Say, you wouldn’t happen to know anything about Fade, would you?”

And on they went. Reminiscing about this, that, and everything in between.

”Welp- Sweetness. It’s been a pleasure talkin’ with ya, funny enough, but I’ve got other reunions worth seeing to.” Linus slipped a $20 into the empty glass, not even feeling a buzz from the strong drink as he slid it down to the bartender before standing up. ”Grab me sometime, I’ll be in town a while. We can catch up some more anytime. Oh- and while you’re not busy, might wanna put those Shade Knights on a leash. Shade Knights…Shadow Knights, the guys in the dopey lookin’ hoods. The kook with the scar thought he was gonna spook me. I guess you know who I’m talking about, if you don’t, I don’t.” What were the odds Hel actually knew any more about them than he did? He felt them pretty high, given he took a life-long vacation. ”Tell your girls I said hey.”

And so he left.

Linus left the bar, and proceeded to make his way around Tenebrae, seeing all the old things he used to wake up to every day. From the looks of it, this old city hasn’t changed much, hasn’t aged a day, he thought. Then again, when he and Hel last knew each other, they were nothing but a bunch of squatters hiding from the rain as she put it. The sun was pulling more and more into the sky as he strolled down street after street, block after block, recalling old memories. The time he learned to walk on water, the time he made the whole city blind thanks to Carver. His “death.” The fire. That fire. It was all enough to make a man of his age sit back and think.

As he continued making his journey into the city, he saw it.

The old Crane factory.



A tall, crumbling spine of forgotten days and endings. The building wasn’t really a building anymore, but just a decayed husk kept together by settled soot and gravity. Long-forgotten police tape fluttered in the breeze as Linus stepped around broken glass. At one time, this was a busy and thriving place of work where many came and made something of themselves. That, however, was until Carver and Rainsinger came along. Linus stood in front of the old, twisted mess of construction that he destroyed, pondering the last time those two ever saw each other. The day this factory burned was the last time the man named Grayson ever lived, and the last time Rainsinger was seen in Tenebrae. If he looked hard enough, he could see what was left of the window they were both supposed to jump out of, in order to evade the cops. Too bad it didn’t work for them both, Carver got caught. Poor bastard. He stayed there for a while, and the sun started to hang lower and lower. It was about time to find a bed. Suddenly, a bag of fur and shiny eyes calling itself “Fauxpaw” was at his side with a message. “7. Where five fingers make a hand. Sunrider.”

Sunrider. That’s a name he damn near forgot…



Ellie was already a quarter of a mile away from everyone when things started happening. She wasn’t aware that the Hunters were on Dream’s trail, otherwise there’d be nothing left of them at all. She was zooming down the roads and intersections, weaving through traffic in ways that could only be described as unusually hasty. But then, how else should one feel in her state? Memories were flood back into Ellie’s head that she wanted to bury; Fire. Insomnia-driven nights. Unchained decisions. Danger. Everything Ellie swore that she left dead and buried many years ago. The last - very last - thing she needed was anyone that she couldn’t trust knowing those things about her. It wasn’t a matter of fear, her life depended on it. There was nothing out there for her to go to if things went south. Last time, she got lucky, that one-in-a-million everyone gets only once in life. There were things building inside of her the longer she laid her floor flat against the throttle, and not the kind of thing that glowed.

Anger, bewilderment, embarrassment even. She was mad for reasons she could understand. Why would Rainsinger fake his death, what did he gain from that? Moreover, she felt like an idiot for thinking a man like him could die in a fire, what in hell did she think that for? It didn’t matter, she thought those things two decades ago. He was supposed to die two decades ago. Where has he been? Here? Somewhere else with a dock? So many things clouded her thoughts that she almost couldn’t think straight, she was going down roads she never went down anymore, towards the south east end of Tenebrae. Ellie passed through old neighborhoods, down cracked pavement and dusty houses. Colson Street. No one lived here anymore, not since anyone found out there was a gang of violent metas living under their noses. Weeds were growing in clumps out of old pavement, unattended to for years. Ellie stopped at a turn to look around the empty place. It’s been years.

Takeda was a ways behind her, she should’ve figured. That didn’t matter, she’d just keep driving. Whatever he wanted didn’t matter. She’d just keep driving. What she didn’t know is she wouldn’t have lost him yet. Even still, Ellie disappeared behind the turn and went straight for a little while long before another turn, and down a dead alley, and up a forgotten road again. She came to a desolate warehouse. Dulled sheet metal on the roof, rusted metal doors, weathered brick. In front of it was the remains of a fallen chain link fence, as if someone had flattened it with something. It lay tangled in overgrown grass, untouched for a lifetime. Ellie pressed on, affected by her surrounding not in unfamiliarity, but nostalgia. Foreboding, uncomfortable nostalgia.

She came to the front entrance, a garage door barricaded by cinderblocks in a stacked pattern, on the door off to the side for workers was a peeling, painted sign depicting a wire frame of a hand. The fingers were all different colors: Blood red, bright orange, faded gold, and navy blue. This was the place Ellie was coming to- the place where five fingers make a hand.

This was a dead place, in a dead part of Tenebrae, held by dead names.

And she didn’t even see Takeda follow her in.

---

Ellie snaked her way under a rusted garage door that let her into the sprawling building. Boarded up windows that let in just enough light. Relic-old shipping trucks connected by boards used for walkways, and what used to be the Gray Dragon’s central base of operations. Ellie’s home away from home. Rainsinger’s real home. Fendrix’s castle. Carver’s lab. Fadeaway’s hideout. Rainsinger…

She continued into the grass-ridden building, knowing the place like the back of her hand. On the other side of this husk was a common space, where they hung like they were normal people discussing which banks to shatter. You know, the usual thing normal people do when they live in decaying warehouses in a city full of superhuman criminals. It felt…like the absolute opposite of catharsis sitting on the same stack of crates again, like she was 15 again, waiting on the sun to poke through the roof; When the rest of the gang would get here after her, after Grayson came crawling out of some unknown part of the building with a granola bar in his hand as he’d say-

”Hey, kid.”

That voice. That fucking voice.

Ellie’s whole body nearly fell to fight-or-flight. She tensed up into a stance as her eyes instantly locked onto him. He was roughly 30 feet away from her, walking out from behind a box of retail crates, with his hands in his pockets as if he just woke up 23 to 24 years ago. Ellie’s whole body was frozen, not out of fear, not out of rage, at least not yet. What she was feeling was the feeling you get when you hear something explode out your window. Like being floored, he was dead. But here he was. The one and only. Her face’s expression melted from shock to stand-off as she began to accept what she could see with her own two eyes. Grayson Danvers didn’t die. He simply left.

And now, he’s come back.

Linus stood away from her, at a considerable distance where punching didn’t work. He had an odd look on his face. It was a smile, a patronizing one. It was the kind of smile you get when someone’s trying to make a point. ”Did’ya miss me?”

”Grayson…”

”-He’s dead. I go by Linus now. Haven’t used the name Grayson Danvers in years.”

”Like in 20?” She sounded bitter and angry. She wasn’t either, just anxious.

”Easy there, Sunny. Your furball told me you were lookin’ for me. By the way, Hel says hey-“

”Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kill you for real this time.”

”Who am I again?”

”You’re supposed to be dead!” Ellie shouted, her exasperation was showing. She was uncomfortable with the fact that he was here. Irrationally so. ”You burned! You just vanished!”

”Well, you’re half right.”

”Why?! Why didn’t you stay dead?! Gone?! What do you want?!”

”What, you think I came back for you? Take a knee, Sunny.”

”That’s not my name!”

”Right, lemme guess, you went and redeemed yourself. Got good, got right with yourself, and now you’re scared I’m gonna throw you out there, outta the kindness of my heart.”

Ellie didn’t have anything to say to that, because he was right.

”And you think I sailed all the way back to little old Tenebrae because your old friend Rainy had some sorta- karmic vendetta on the one who scattered the herd a whole generation ago? Your hand’s showing.”

”I…How…”

”Take a deep breath, kid- You think I’m gonna rat out my own runnin’ pal? Me?”

Ellie seemed speechless and disarmed of her anxiety. The more the thought about it, how would he make any dirt on her count after so long…

”There it is. See? Why don’t we start over…Ya miss me?”

Now that Ellie was thinking a bit more clearly, she took a more abrasive mindset, similar to the kind she had when she first met Takeda. Only now, it was with a hardened criminal rather than who she thought was a criminal.

”Grayson- Linus, whatever- what the hell are you doing here. You fake your death, leave without a trace like a ghost for 20 years, and come back for what exactly?!”

”Heh, I guess Hel says I’m homesick. Felt like seein’ the old place again. Tenebrae ain’t getting any older, no time like the present.”

”Yeah, right. I don’t trust that for a second.”

”Would I lie to you?”

”Don’t start with me.”

Of all things, Rainsinger laughed. One would swear this man made a hobby out of acting like an ass around dangerous women.

”Hey, come on. This is me we’re talkin’ about. Your old buddy, the Rainsinger. Oshus, Tenebrae’s Trident. Been meaning to swing by and say hello for a while, but things happen. Relax, kid. I ain’t like that no more. I didn’t come here to rob a bank. Doesn’t look like you do that either, am I right? You clean up your act?”

”Did you?”

”What kind of question is that? I got out, I moved up. Haven't I always told you that's what I wanted? Just to get better? Hell, we're standin' in what used t'be my house, now I got a boat and enough cash to retire like some Florida Keyes tax expert or whatever."

"And you just happened to come back to this, with all that? You hated Tenebrae."

"Yeah. Hated. It's easy to hate a city when it's full'a things ya don't have."

Ellie was at a loss for words. In the old days, the man who stood before her was known for his capability to flatten the city with so much as a wave of his hands. He was unpredictable, unreadable, and the only person who stood a chance again the bane of every normal person's life. And now, he stood here saying he was stopping into town because he was homesick. Nothing added up, it was like he was a completely different person, and she was dumbfounded. It made her uncomfortable, knowing he was here.

"Anyway, you invited me here. What's the word?"

"...I had to see you for myself, I didn't want to believe you weren't dead."

"Yeesh. That bad huh?

"What?"

"Must've scared you pretty bad, huh?"

"Look. Y-" Ellie heard an out-of-place noise behind Linus. Something knocked over, someone spying on them.

"Takeda?"