[COLOR=GRAY][CENTER][COLOR=dimgray]
[sup]________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________[/sup][/COLOR][img]https://i.imgur.com/uA98Dc2.png[/img][/CENTER][indent][sub][COLOR=silver][B]Location:[/B][/COLOR] [I]The Southern Plateau[/I] - [I]Dundas Islands, Pacific Ocean[/I][/sub][sup][right][COLOR=silver][b]Hope In Hell #2.021:[/b][/COLOR] [I]Cult of Personality[/I][/right][/sup][/indent][COLOR=dimgray][SUP][sub]____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________[/sub][/SUP][/COLOR][INDENT][sub][color=silver][B]Interaction(s):[/B][/COLOR] [I]None[/I][/sub][SUP][RIGHT][COLOR=silver][b]Previously:[/b][/COLOR] [I]Crash Into Me[/I][/right][/SUP]
[INDENT][color=#ffffff]“Do you think she bought it?”[/color]

Miranda smiled as she and Tad walked towards the pair of waiting Harpys. For months, the school’s faculty; particularly herself and Jim, had been suspicious about a resurgence of Hyperhuman Supremacists on campus. There were rumours of a newly strengthened House Orcinus and a return of Hyperion as preached by his supposed Harbinger. 

It was seemingly fueled by the gossip regarding the Alexandria Foundation’s takeover of Pacific Royal. While Pacific Royal had firmly been affiliated with H.E.L.P., its statements regarding equality for all its association with the Hyperhuman & Human Alliance, the Foundation was more ambiguous in its stance regarding Human and Hyperhuman relations.

No doubt House Orcinus saw the Foundation as a potential ally. Which meant the hijacking of the Trial was not only meant to incriminate the Foundation, but also to paint Pacific Royal as incompetent. 

[color=#ffffff]“Hook, line and sinker,”[/color] Miranda replied, picking up a helmet. [color=#ffffff]“You might have missed your calling as a thespian, Mr. Finch.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]“We’re still not out of the woods,”[/color] Tad pulled his helmet on, [color=#ffffff]“The Team is still trapped in that simulation with a traitor amongst them. Not to mention my fiancé was kidnapped in the middle of the night and is currently being held-”[/color] He paused, looking at Miranda.

[color=#ffffff]“Where did you say they took her?”[/color]

It was all part of their plan. Jim would escort Naira and have her placed in Foundation custody while Tad and Miranda freed Jessica. It was bold of Orcinus to assume that Tad wouldn’t notice another woman taking the place of his fiancé. Naira might have been able to fool people visually and even had the voice, but the smell, the body language and the way she spoke had given it away for Tad.

[color=#ffffff]“The old H.E.L.P. Blacksite.”[/color] Miranda responded, [color=#ffffff]“Guess they like the dramatic irony of hiding in the building that would have held them had politics not intervened. Can’t say I love the power dynamic between H.E.L.P. and the Foundation right now, would much rather Naira and the rest of the whales stay in our custody. Probably better for them.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]“Is it true about the Foundation?” [/color]Tad asked into the helmet comms between the pair, [color=#ffffff]“About the Foundation and the experimenting on students? I’ve seen the scars on Amma, they’re subtle beneath all the ink, but they’re there.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]“More true than they like to let on.”[/color] Miranda answered before suddenly braking at the sight of smoke over the treeline.
[color=#ffffff]“No.”[/color] She uttered before raising a hand to her temple. Turning her head as she surveyed the forest edge, Tad watched as her body froze before she said a single word that sent a chill down his spine. A single tear welled up in the corner of her eye as she spoke.

[color=#ffffff]“Jim.”[/color][/INDENT][/INDENT][/COLOR]