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[sup]________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________[/sup][/COLOR][img]https://i.imgur.com/a5vAmUp.png[/img][/CENTER][indent][sub][COLOR=silver][B]Location:[/B][/COLOR] [I]San Francisco[/I] - [I]California, United States of America[/I][/sub][sup][right][COLOR=silver][b]Take On Me #3.029:[/b][/COLOR] [I]After Coffee[/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]Brand New Numb[/I][/right][/SUP]
[INDENT]Dawn’s first light peeked through the hastily drawn curtains as the early rays warmed the espresso-hued skin that had escaped from under the silk sheets. The snoring of her companion roused the woman to consciousness, prompting her to stand as long curls bounced along either side of her head, dancing above her bare back. As she stood, she draped a robe that had been eagerly discarded on the floor several hours before, over her shapely form. Quietly walking to the window, the woman opened the sliding door and moved to the balcony, overlooking the bustling city below from the hotel’s penthouse. The Golden Gate Bridge in the distance caught her attention before, stern dark eyes studied the streets below.

Triton’s body had been found no more than ten blocks from here, posed on a wall upside down, a nail through each outstretched hand. A third nail through both his feet while the body had bled out overtop of his severed head. Across the walls of the apartment, ‘No More False Gods’ had been repeatedly scrawled in the late Foundation Force Member’s own blood. Several hands had contributed to the vandalization, though all wore gloves and no DNA evidence had been found at the scene. Forensics showed countermeasures had been taken and the lips and mouth of Triton’s head had been treated with sulfuric acid post-mortem. 

The welcoming aroma of a fresh Italian roast drew Torres' attention away from the San Francisco Skyline as she turned to see her companion still in all his glory holding out a steaming mug towards her.

[color=#ffffff]“Please tell me you at least put a robe on before teleporting to Florence and getting this,”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]“I promised never to lie to you, Teresa,”[/color] Adrián Alveraz replied with a wink and a twitch of his mustache. [color=#ffffff]“Besides, what's the worst the tabloids are going to do? Call me the Day-Stripper?”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]“Admittedly, I’d rather handle that P.R. nightmare over the death of one of our top agents.”[/color] Torres replied, taking a sip of the hot liquid. The richness of the flavour was unlike anything the hotel would have supplied, let alone the local baristas. She could feel her mind waking up from the haze of the previous evening. The religious imagery used in Triton’s death was a sticking point for her. There were many groups that would see Hyperhumans burn, but the list of those capable of this was much smaller. Taking another sip of the hot beverage in her hand, she was reminded of the Latino man standing eagerly nearby.

[color=#ffffff]“You of course realize last night was purely transactional? I had one too many glasses of wine and had an itch to scratch. You were the first post I could find.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]“You make it sound so romantic, Señora,”[/color] Adrián replied, [color=#ffffff]“I was mourning a friend, you offered a form of comfort, it’s fine. Tonight I can find comfort elsewhere. Plenty of women would kill for a mustache ride from the incorrigible Daytripper.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]“Poor choice of words,” [/color]

[color=#ffffff]“They could have been better, Si,”[/color] Adrián smiled sadly.

[color=#ffffff]“Can you at least put a robe on?”[/color] Torres asked, looking at Adrián as he stood proudly in front of her.

[color=#ffffff]“I was hoping we could perhaps go back inside,”[/color] He replied with a smile.

[color=#ffffff]“Get dressed,”[/color] Torres retorted, “The moment is gone, the wine is empty and there’s work to do.”

[color=#ffffff]“Your loss,”[/color] Daytripper smiled before heading inside, pausing at the door as he put his assets on display one last time before heading inside.

[color=#ffffff]“You really are incorrigible.”[/color] Torres almost allowed herself to smile before the vibration of her cellphone within the robe caught her attention and she quietly unlocked the device before holding it to her ear. [color=#ffffff]“Go ahead,”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]“There’s chatter about another abduction, they’re likely to strike within the next twenty-four hours. When will you be back?”[/color] The gravel-like voice of the Fist asked from the other end of the line.

[color=#ffffff]“I can’t say, I’ve asked Maya to cover in my absence and I have Erin here with me in San Francisco.”[/color] Torres replied, [color=#ffffff]“What happened to Triton, I think it ties into the H.E.L.P. agents that were murdered. Someone is sending a message, and it’s only the start of something bigger.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]“Nakamura gave me this mission, until told otherwise, I’ll be chasing Daedalus. You and I both know if we have any chance of success, the experiments must be stopped, permanently.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]“Understood,”[/color] Torres replied, [color=#ffffff]“Until the Ears and Eyes report in, there’s no need for a Fist. In the meantime, I’ve assigned Arms to watch over each member of the Force. There’s no doubt they’re each being targeted.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]“Torres,”[/color] The First replied, [color=#ffffff]“One more thing, something on this campus is interfering with my abilities, Daedalus knows I’m here.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]“Then exercise extreme caution, the Foundation can’t afford to lose you.”[/color]

[color=#ffffff]“Understood,”[/color] The final word was barely audible before the click of the call ending as Torres looked towards the bridge one last time, a knot forming in her stomach.

If the Fist was compromised, more would suffer.[/INDENT][/INDENT][/COLOR]