"What did I do to her?" Blake whimsically asked with a wry grin on his face, that sent shivers down Wendy's spine. "I merely convinced her to join our Family, and look how happy she is now!"
Diana had an off-putting smile on her face as Blake said this - as she leaned in towards her new "master" that made Wendy recoil in fear.
Despite recoiling in fear, Wendy was still very disturbed by the display of affection that her normally aloof sister was showing towards this man. She clenched her fists. "That's bullshit! You did something to her!"
Blake merely stared down Wendy with his arms folded behind his back as he walked across the indoor balcony. He had that cocky look on his face that just told Wendy that he wasn't taking her seriously. He stopped, and gently placed a hand on his chest. "... If I were you, I'd be more concerned with myself." A Secretary, who was a African-American woman with some South American features, handed him a clipboard and he took a look. "Thank you Ivete - Because of you, the Family has lost a multi-million dollar facility, and I want that repaid in full."
Wendy squinted, "... And how the hell do you expect us to replace that?" She asked as she stared Blake down.
"I'm glad you asked..." Blake continued to look at the clipboard. "Wendy Emily Lucker, born in February-second two-thousand and four. Lived in Stadium City for a majority of her life until she was sent to Academy sixty-one after a scuffle in a library. Has a Power Replication ability that is limited to elemental-types exclusively. Described as introverted, intelligent, and very creative." He read off the facts that was gathered off the clipboard, and flipped the paper.
He knows so much about me. Wendy thought to herself as she recoiled slightly, taking a step backwards. She was disturbed that these people know so much about her - and for what? Wendy was as unimportant in the grand scheme of things as they get.
"Rowan Campbell born in November. Had a father that was a member of the Pure faction... and your family-life was quite dysfunctional until you finally snapped and killed him with your impressive magnetism powers."
Blake handed the Secretary back the clipboard as he loudly clapped, rubbed his hands, and placed them on the metal railing. "What I see before me are two displaced children that were destined to appear here before me. You might be children, but like any children, you can be groomed into something worthwhile." He crossed his arms across his broad chest.
The implication hit Wendy first. "Huh, you want us to..." She trailed off when Blake finished the sentence for her.
"... Join the Founding Family!" Blake triumphantly said, and that made Wendy worried. "Pay off your debt to us, and we'll let you go free - in fact, you'll leave with some benefits."
That was when Makoto Koda, the tall Japanese assassin that worked for the Intimidation Unit, had sauntered into the room. She saw the scene, and couldn't help but cringe when she saw just what was going on. "... Oh no." Makoto said to herself.
She briefly wondered why he was so willing to let them go free - they did destroy one of his bases, after all - but then it hit her; Blake saw them as a resource, an asset. Wendy was a power replicator like he said, and Rowan was pretty powerful himself. And from a pragmatic standpoint, the two of them paying off the "debt" would be better than just killing them. But, Wendy had no interests in working for theses narcissists, and all she wanted to do was be done with them. She didn't want to destroy them, she didn't want to be a hero... she just wants her sister back and to be left alone.
"Why the hell do you want us to join you...?" Wendy asked with legitimate curiosity.
"It's just your natural talents that make you so useful to the Founding Family," Blake said as he leaned forward yet again, firmly planting his large hands on the railing. He turned towards a disgusted Rowan, and said, "I see you as a valuable soldier in my army-" He then turned towards Wendy. "And I see you being a useful apprentice of mine. I could use a replacement, after all. You have all the right things except for loyalty... but, you've got so much to lose here."
Wendy briefly wondered what that could even mean.
"But, perhaps, I am being dishonest... it would take decades for you to pay off your debt unless you reach the very top of my organization - hell, even your descendants would be paying it off decades from the time you'll die," Blake said as he took slow steps, keeping his eye on Wendy the whole time. "So, let me make things easier for you." He grinned.
"Well, perhaps I did put your sister under some kind of effect, and perhaps I can easily remove it," Blake said, and Wendy mentally noted everything he said. It has to be some kind of mind control. "But, I want something in return, of course."
Blake raised his finger in the air, before he scrolled over to the nearest Secretary - an Indian woman that was most likely under the same thing that Diana had to be - and put his hands on her jaw, turning it upwards while she kept a grin on her face. Her body changed - she went from an Indian woman, to a blue-eyed, blonde-haired, woman in mere moments. Before shifting to a dark woman with pronounced Ethiopian facial features.
"I want different women under my employ, of course, every Secretary comes with a price!" Blake started off. "I'd say every Secretary is worth around... quarter of a million. So, to pay off your debt, you need to bring me two-hundred beautiful people and that should pay off the building.... Add another five, and you'll have your sister back." He released the Secretary, and put his hands back on the sides of the railing.
What Blake was asking of Wendy was... inhuman. He was asking her to become a slaver just to get her sister back? That was... Wendy couldn't do it. She couldn't subjugate a hundred different people to the same thing that Diana was. That would just build a cycle of grief and hatred that nobody is prepared to stop. But, could Wendy be that selfish to ruin someone else' live for the sake of her own?
No. She was taught better than that.
"No..." Wendy said.
"What was that?"
""... I said no!" Wendy shouted, clenching her fists tightly. "I don't want any part of your bullshit - I just want my sister back, and I just want to be done with all of this."
"You heard her, we're not doing shit for you!" Rowan joined in, dripping venom in every word he spat out.
"Let me remind you..." With one snap of his fingers the Intimidation Unit that had pinned in the center of the room flipped on their laser sights, and every man and woman with a gun had their rifles trained on Wendy Lucker. The girl had yipped loudly as she froze in place. Rowan raised a hand, ready to cover her, only for a few of the guards to train their sights on him.
"We don't even use those!" Blake said, oddly amused. "They're just for show!"
Blake laughed as he finally realized that the conversation was going exactly where he wanted it to go. He grinned as he separated from his Secretaries and slowly walked down the stairs to the ground floor. He raised his hand in the air, and the IU had lowered their weapons.
"You forget," Blake said as he leaned up against the railing of the final step, with his arms crossed. "You don't have a whole lot of maneuverability in this situation, do you?" He asked. "And just in case you were thinking your little friends could get you out of this."
Snapping his fingers again, members of the Intimidation Unit had thrown two people over the edge of the railing. They hit the ground with a loud thud, and Wendy immediately recognized them.
"Jess, Kai!" Wendy shouted.
"That should show you how serious I am." Blake had narrowed his eyes, with his eyebrows furrowed, and his mouth kept sharp. He spoke not with the same condescending amusement he displayed earlier, but with a dead serious tone that made it clear that he wasn't playing around,
"Join me, or die, the choice is yours."
Wendy was terrified upon hearing those words... He wasn't playing around now was he? Wendy realized that he was just toying with them all along - giving them the illusion of choice, only to snatch it away at the last moment, and make it clear he wasn't playing around. Wendy wished that she could find a way out of here - but, a part of her knew that Blake would never stick to his word, no matter how many people she enslaves... she gazed up at Diana up at top of the foyer. She couldn't see Diana like this... a puppet for the Founding Family, and whatever sick things they might do to her. If there's no way out of this... then, Wendy is going to make sure that Diana doesn't suffer.
She sighed in shame, hanging her head. What she has planned is not the best option, but it's the only thing she can do. She looked towards Rowan with her eyes drooping.
"... I accept." Wendy said, sighing one more time.
But, she had left an elaborate message for Rowan on the palm of her hand, which was angled in such a way that only Rowan should be able to see it. Written in ink, it simply said:
PROTECT ME.
Before the ink faded away.
"Splendid! I knew you would see reasoning!" Blake said as he stepped over towards Wendy. "We'll shake on it!"
Believe me, Rowan, what I am planning is the epitome of stupid, but we have no choice. Wendy thought to herself as she took steps towards Blake. What I am going to do has a high chance of failing...
She inched a battery out of her pocket, and her hand grazed it for a moment as electricity subtly shot into her hand and she switched to her electric ability. When she had approached Blake - Jesus, the man was tall. He made Wendy look like a twig in comparison.
"... I knew you would see the light, Ms. Lucker," Blake said with a grin as Wendy reluctantly . "I'm just glad we've come to this conclusion instead of-"
"Blake!" Ivete shouted. "She is-"
Before the third word even escaped her lips, Wendy had already wrapped her hand around Blake's wrist and administered a painful electric shock. The man, despite all of his size, violently convulsed as Wendy pushed the already weakened man over and he hit the ground hard. Rowan had her covered, because at the moment Blake fell down, Wendy stepped on top of him, and planted her foot on his his wide chest whilst both hands were aimed at the Intimidation Unit, arcing electricity.
"Blake!" Diana shouted.
"Back off! All of you, fucking back off!" Wendy shouted as the IU aimed their weapons at her. "Anyone does something, and I'll make his heart explode!"
Her threat was punctuated by the electricity hovering around her foot, ready to go straight into Blake. The Intimidation Unit didn't even bother shooting at .
In moments, Rowan too had torn apart the metal stairway from which Blake had descended minutes ago, edging the railings and torn steps towards those with their weapon sights trained on the teens. "You heard her! Back the fuck off!" His voice was a growl, the metallic debris primed to be launched at whoever dared attack them.
By the time the large man had recovered from the literal shock, he shook his head, and looked up at the girl standing over him with pure irritation. How dare she! He extended a helping hand, and she did this? No respect. He was going have to teach her that the hard way! He turned his head towards the Intimidation Unit, and shouted.
"Don't raise a finger!" Blake barked his orders to them, "I will handle this!"
"Wha-"
Blake shot his chest upwards, but when Wendy tried to excrete her electricity into his system, it had absolutely no effect. She was so surprised, that when Blake grabbed her foot, she had little defense against him. His superior strength was used to throw Wendy across the room, and she came to a rolling stop by Rowan, who quickly pulled her to her feet.. He loudly cracked his neck as he cracked his knuckles at the same time. He stared Ms. Lucker down with a smile on his face. Apparently, he went from being annoyed to amused by that act of defiance. But, Wendy noticed that his hands turn black... like jet black. For a brief moment. She was worried, but she had to stay strong.
It was just the two of them. No one to get in between.
"Now Ms. Lucker..." Blake said as he stood with one foot in front, and both fists were chin-length, and both feet are in front. "... Show me you are serious."
Wendy grit her teeth as the words dug deep into her. "Serious?" Wendy asked as electricity arced up and down her body in a field of sorts. "You want to know how fucking serious I am?"
Wendy pulled both hands back as the thick electric web engulfed them. "Well, here you go!" She had thrust them both forward, and fired a stream of electricity that clashed against Blake in what should have just electrocuted him. He put both hands up to block his upper-body, and it did little to nothing to him other than singe his suit a little bit. He shook his hand as he ran towards Wendy and swung his leg out hard as he could, and the impact of his heavy legs hitting her in the stomach at high speeds was enough to knock her right on her ass. Before she could even blink, his leg was raised up into the air over her. Rolling over was the only option as the moment his leg came down, it split the concrete they all stood on.
In the middle of her roll, she had slapped the cold concrete with such force that she had turned her hand red - but the adrenaline coursing through her system made it impossible for her to worry too much about it. Her hand transformed into a grey concrete, and she had went from one power to another in an instant. She hopped up to her feet. Blake cracked his knuckles yet again as he cocked his fist back and threw it forward. Wendy's reflexes kicked in, and she side stepped the blow, and slammed her heel onto the ground, and caused a stone pole to erupt out of the ground and hit Blake square in the stomach. He loudly gasped as Wendy didn't let up for a second.
Both her hands were thrown backwards, and were covered in bits and pieces of concrete that she had gathered from their "arena." Blake wants to see how serious she is? Fine. She's going to smash this arrogant bastard's skull in, and show him how serious this bookworm can get. Her hands were covered in concrete as if they were a glove of sort. She didn't know how to punch worth shit, but she was going to make this work, she swung her hands around like a mace, and the first strike slapped Blake across the face. The second strike was a quick blow that drove square into his chest, and the last strike was an upper-cut to the chin that sent Blake falling backwards.
"Master Blake!" Ivete shouted as he hit the ground.
"Good... I killed him! Are you all satisfied!?" Wendy shouted.
"... Not quite," Blake abruptly spoke, surprising Wendy who had assumed she killed him. He whipped his face off, and Wendy realized that his face was jet-black like a smooth charcoal. The chips and pieces that Wendy had dislocated had fallen off his face, and he pushed himself back up to his feet. Standing tall, he outstretched his arm, and spoke, "Like you yourself Ms. Lucker, I too am a Metahuman." With every word that left his lips, his arm was turning into a black, volcanic stone, almost like an obsidian. With cracks that were glowing with a faint orange light - almost like he had lava underneath all of that. His entire body was covered from head to toe in this stone. His fist briefly exploded with fire like a torch.
He got back into stance, with both of his fists up. "Except, the difference here is that I am superior in every way." He shrugged. "... I am perfect, after all."
He outstretched his hand and an inferno of flames came out of Blake's hand, and Wendy had to quickly create a stone shield out of scraps, and that wasn't even enough to take the brunt of the firey assault. All it did was split it into multiple streams. Then it stopped, before Blake came rushing and punched through the barrier with his golem strength. Wendy yipped as she slid off to the side as the shield was in pieces. The two came face to face as Blake took slow steps towards her.
"Come now, Ms. Lucker," Blake said as he cracked his knuckles. "I said show me you are serious about getting your sister back... because, I have to say, she is excellent at serving me if you catch my drift."
Wendy clenched her fists... as the implication hit her. She knew what he was trying to do - but, deep down, she knew what sick things they were doing to her sisters. But, she couldn't.
"Ah, I wonder if you are just as good as her! It must run in your genes... " Blake said, taking steps towards her. "... But, obviously, you lack the... attributes that make her so good at pleasing me."
That was it. Wendy was going to shut this narcissist's mouth for good. While he was flapping his gums Wendy was analyzing him. Analyzing his fighting style down to his walk. He was taking a casual walk towards her that left his legs open instead of walking in a manner that leaves them closed off... His mistake. Blake dashed towards her yet again, swinging his fist hard as he could towards her, but Wendy had a plan. When Blake shot himself forward, Wendy had bound his left foot in concrete, as she made another glove out of concrete to cover her left hand and slapped Blake across the face again. Her hand was on fire, but she was going to make this work.
Wendy fell forward, and quickly crawled off as she looked upwards and shot both hands forward. Massive cracks in the ceiling formed as everyone but Blake noticed them. Blake was busy breaking his concrete binding with his fist. It was smashed to pieces, but Blake looked up to see what Wendy was doing. He turned back into flesh to get the speed he needs to escape - but Wendy had quickly shot him in the back of the leg with a block of concrete. It knocked forward, and it gave Wendy all she needed to finish this bastard off.
Looking up towards the ceiling, she raised both hands in the air, and brought them down hard as she could. That was enough to knock the already fragile ceiling over, and cause it to come crumbling down on Blake. Massive pieces of concrete and the floor above them came crashing down on Blake. Forming a massive pile in seconds as a cloud of dust engulfed the room. The second the dust settled, Wendy came crumbling down to her knees as she grasped the fresh wounds caused by her concrete power. She hissed in pain, but had to take it one way or another. Tears had came down from her cheeks as exhaustion was quickly taking over.
"There!" Wendy said. "I win! Completely!"
She forced herself to her feet. "It turns out your Blessed Three aren't so perfect after all!" Wendy said as she pointed at Diana. "You're coming with me!"
"... On the contrary," A voice spoke from the concrete as Wendy quickly whipped around. The largest stone was shaking as it was raised in the air, and the black form of Blake Schmidt in his volcanic form was made quickly apparent. He threw the large chunk of stone to the side, and quickly cracked his knuckles as molten rock came leaking from the wounds in his body caused by Wendy's all out attack. "I wouldn't celebrate until the ten-count in over, Ms. Lucker."
Blake then stood sideways, and raised his hand up into the air, and it quickly exploded into flames.
"But, I am glad you showed me how serious you are! How much you want your sister back!" Blake said. "Now, at this point, I have redacted my offer for you to join me. So, the only conceivable way to liberate your sister... is to kill me." He grinned.
"I'll kill you alright..." An exhausted Wendy groaned, when she realized she didn't have anything left in her. She fell down to her knee, and looked up at him.
Blake was interrupted at the end of his sentence by a metallic screech, followed by the sound of metal smashing against stone. Rowan had forced chunks of the metal railing into the orange fissures across the man's body, where the lava had begun to seep out. It skid with a harsh and metallic sound that was nails upon chalkboard. Blake bared his teeth - which were made of a shiny jet-black stone just like the rest of him - as the metal railing split off even more stone that belonged to Blake. The stone man grabbed the railing tightly with both hands, and transferred his heat into the railing until it had begun to reach a glowing red, weakening the magnetic pull he had on it. He looked up at Rowan, and grinned as he took a few steps forward.
"So, Rowan Campbell finally steps in," Blake said with a cheery grin. "... I bet you believe you can stand up to me like you stood up to your father."
The remark hit a raw nerve with the scrawny teen, who pushed the red-hot railing back further against Blake's own strength, fighting in a contest of physics until the sheer forces exherted upon it caused the shard of metal to break in half and almost disintegrate. But Rowan's wrath was anything but sated; "You don't fucking know me!" He seethed, before slamming chunks of metal that had been torn out of the stairwell's steps into Blake's mass, aiming particularly for those brittle looking obsidian teeth, each strike making another ear-piercing sound to the extent that sparks flew across the room.
It was simple to merely grab into the chunks of metal that Rowan was sending his way. Blake's strength gifted by his stone form made crunching them fairly easy, and infusing them with his innate-heat was easier. He tried to pull it away, but it was a battle of who was stronger at this point. Himself, or this dusty, insignificant child.
"Ahhhh, child, but..." Blake trailed off, keeping the facade of a struggle going. "... I know enough."
At that moment Blake utterly crushed the metal that Rowan was wielding into nothing, before he slammed his foot onto the ground, and caused massive cracks on the stone. But, that wasn't all, the cracks were emitting an orange light that was funneling heat into the room. It wasn't long before the air was waving, and even the strongest of men would have a hard time operating in the heat.
Beads of sweat were rolling down Rowan's forehead, the wave of heated air just inches away, the room felt almost like the interior of a furnace, his feet as though he were standing on top of it. The orange cracks in the ground were slowly snaking towards him and it became so intense that he had to back away, before it could burn him.
Wendy already exhausted, couldn't take the heat that was filling the room. It took all of her strength to remain on her feet - but, she didn't have that much left after her brawl with Blake. She fell onto her side, as she heavily panted. "Ro-Rowan..." She trailed off. "... It's... up to you now." She muttered before she passed out from two different kinds of exhaustion.
Only it was then he realized they'd backed him into a corner.
With Blake approaching and running out of ammunition to waste on him, Rowan looked to Wendy's unconscious frame for a split second, then her sister... and the guards next to her. One was equipped with a heavy-duty looking shotgun which, unknown to him, was loaded with slugs. He'd never tried this before, but he'd practiced with small objects in the past. Now he had no other choice. One shot at this, you've got. Make it count.
The scrawny teen deftly twitched his fingers and pulled. Next to Diana, one of the Intimidation Unit let out a sharp gasp as he felt his weapon being pulled away from his control, aiming away from Wendy...
And now pointing at Blake.
Rowan hesitated for just another second, before feeling Blake's searing heat closing in, and clenched his fingers together. There was a sharp boom as the aimed weapon was expended into it's owner's employer.
Blake took advantage of the brief hesitation to cover up his center of mass with his arms. The slug slammed against Blake, but it didn't do much more than leave several deep holes in his mass. Causing even more lava to leak out of his body.
Before Blake could take a chance to fathom that maneuver, Rowan bolted across the room, hopping over one of the glowing fissures in the ground and around Blake's volcanic mass, hoping to take advantage of the seemingly cumbersome nature of his form. More chunks of metal were torn off from the walkway above, sections of the floor torn away and hurled straight at Blake's feet in an effort to slow him down.
"Come now," Blake grinned as he shifted back into his human form, his body was heavily bleeding actual blood, but he was resistant to the pain. He slammed his foot up, and erected a pillar out of stone that blocked Rowan's barrage completely. He quickly turned back into stone as his fist was covered in fire, and he punched the stone pillar with all of his strength, breaking it into a multitude of shattered pieces which were flying towards Rowan.
The scrawny teen instinctively raised his arms to shield himself and dove to the side, narrowly avoiding a chunk of debris which would've probably caved his head in, but by doing so he'd given up his footing and leaving himself open to attack. Scrabbling to his feet, he could see that Blake was closing in fast and pulled on the nearest piece of metal architecture that he could find - a section of piping which ran along the wall.
With a deep, resonant groan, the piping was torn away from the rivets restraining it against the wall and slammed into Blake head-on, a jet of water that spurted across the room following soon after.
Blake had thrown his arms up yet again, as the water had sprayed against him. The splash of water had created a loud sizzle as a cloud of steam had erupted from Blake, as his body was cooled off by force. "Ah, you at least know basic physics." Blake growled, trying to hide his irritation under that polite mask. The steam cloud faded, and his body was just black molten rock - no longer glowing. The molten rock leaking from his body had stopped, completely cooling off. He could still function fine, but he seemed irritated about something. "But, can you pierce my armor?" He slammed a hand against his stony chest, and dragged it across.
He raised his foot up into the air, and slammed it down, sending shockwaves through the room. Everyone who didn't have a solid footing was falling over, while the fragile ceiling that was weakened by Wendy's attack was sent even further over the edge. While Rowan's footing gave out under him, Blake turned back into flesh, and rushed him, attempting to get close as he could. Since, even without powers, he could beat this child physically.
The scrawny teen had only just begun to regain his footing when he felt a shoe slamming into his side. Blake was standing over him, crunching his knuckles, as he grinned like a crocodile. He pulled his fist back, and swung it full force towards Rowan's face as the kid tried to force himself back to his feet, leaving a bright red mark beneath his cheek, before another foot impacted Rowan right in the stomach, winding him him breathless as he fell forward.
"Come now," Blake said as he marched forward. "Don't go out in such poor form, Mr. Campbell." Blake teasingly said as he raised his foot up into the air, and brought it down hard as he could on Rowan's back. There was a moment where the kid felt something crack, though he wasn't entirely sure what that was... only that he was taking beating from someone else who was bigger than him. But as he looked up, there was something about that grinning face that something drove him to keep on trying to get up. Raggedly breathing, he clenched a palm into a fist and drove it into the ground in yet another effort to stand as Blake looked on, clearly enjoying the sport of it.
Blake reached down, grabbed Rowan by his hair and firmly raised him up by it. He cocked back his fist, then nailed him square in the face one last time with a punch that held all his weight behind it. This would be the decisive blow that knocked the kid unconscious. Blake loudly cracked his neck as he peered towards Wendy.
"Ah, that was a fun break, wouldn't you say?" Blake said as his secretaries surrounded him, quickly and meticulously cleaning all of Blake's wounds. Dusting off his tattered suit.
"Master Blake, are you okay?" Diana asked, still under the effects of the brainwashing.
"I am okay, in fact, I am refreshed!" Blake loudly said as he looked at them. "I have to thank these children - I was right when I said that they have something alright." He stretched his arm out, allowing the Secretaries to clean it.
"What do you wish to do with them, Master Blake?" Diana asked again.
"Ah, that is a tough one," Blake said as he put his hand on his chin as he considered it. "They've seen far too much for us to let them live... but, at the same time, I want to probe them on who is helping them."
He merely shrugged.
"Just throw them in the prisoner cells, we'll feed them to the machine after I get my answers."
"As you wish, Master Blake," Diana nodded her head as she slowly walked over to her sister whom she didn't even recognize, and grabbed her by the feet, dragging her off into the darks of the base. While Rowan was carried off some some other secretaries.
Blake merely cracked his knuckles, and looked at the nearest Secretary - Ivete. "Arrange for Zenith to get us out of here."
"Right away, Master Blake," Ivete said as she pressed her earpiece, saying, "Zenith."
A portal opened, and Blake and his remaining Secretaries walked inside.
All while Makoto looked on in horror... biting her nails as the Intimidation Unit scattered.
Written in collaboration with @Mr Allen J and @Nosuchthing RAVEN/DOVE West Coast Joint Headquarters.
Once the bullets started firing, Deborah immediately knew what was going on.
The Hound had finally launched his attack on Headquarters, and Deborah's first instinct was to get the hell out of there. Because, it didn't take her power to realize that Dr. Cross and her band of goons weren't the only target here. Deborah had quickly reached into her desk and pulled out two pistols - throwing Shannon's to her. Well, this was the best weapons the two had - even though both were in NEST before they were even considered for the position of DOVE Chairwomen. The two ran out of the hallways of their office - it would have been smart to barricade themselves inside and hunker down... if they were against anyone that wasn't the fucking Black Hound.
Deborah was leading the run through headquarters, she pressed her earpiece, asking, "Control, this is Deborah Javuant! We are heading to the garage for-"
"No, that isn't advised," A mission controller said. "The Intimidation Unit have overrun the lower floors of Headquarters."
"Then we'll get a chopper-"
"They also have the helipad locked down."
Deborah almost screamed, 'Then where the fuck are we supposed to go?' but she had to keep her cool above all else. If she got rash, then she'd be dead before she can even worry about escaping this hell. They heard footsteps behind them... and Shannon looked behind herself, and saw a group of Intimidation Unit soldiers. She quickened her pace, as she channeled her fabric manipulating abilities to pull a thread from a single agent's pants - one thread - enhancing the tensile strength to steel-like levels as she attached it to one end of the hall to the other. They barely even noticed before they were tripping over each other.
That bought them some time as they quickly ran through the building.
"We are setting up a barricade at the elevator, get there fast as possible, Deborah!" A RAVEN shouted, and Deborah took a sharp right down the hall, and came in sight of a barricade of furniture, and... ice? Deborah didn't question.
"Hurry up, Deborah, get in!" An Agent shouted as Deborah and Shannon got behind the barricade.
"What's the plan?" Deborah asked.
"Hold out!" An agent shouted, as the oncoming wave of Intimidation Unit hit them.
A barrage of bullets overcame any and all sound while everyone began a desperate battle at the elevator. One that RAVEN was losing. Even with their Metahumans, the oncoming tide of the Intimidation Unit was whittling them down with ease. Deborah was just blinding firing at them, when she realized this was something they couldn't win. They desperately needed back up.
"Agents! This is Deborah Javuant, and we need reinforcements! We're by the elevator on the top floor, and we're pinned down! We need back up!"
Deborah shouted as she popped out of cover again to deliver a barrage of bullets, but a stray shot had grazed her hand and made her drop the gun. She loudly shouted as she grasped her hand and looked... there was a large hole in it.
"Debby!" Shannon shouted as she fell towards her.
The Intimidation Unit had cleared the upper floor, but it seemed that they hadn't banked on a teleporting metahuman on the other side. Alice and Quentin appeared from behind, and caught their opponents off guard. Alice glanced at Quentin for a fraction of a second, then continued to charge forward, this time with her rifle up and blazing. Two went down to the first burst, entirely unprepared for the attack from behind. They didn't remain unprepared for long however, and Alice vanished as they turned, riddling the wall behind her with bullet holes. She appeared beside one, catching him off guard with a side kick, he stumbled, and in bringing his rifle to bear managed only to down another of his companions. Alice reappeared near Quentin, her back to the wall. She was panting, "Guess we found Deborah..."
"Yeah..." Quentin nodded in agreement, before adjusting his hold over the rifle as he spoke up yet again. "Alright, keep them occupied, I'm gonna hit these assholes from behind whilst you pick them apart."
She nodded, "Got it, keep them from pinning me down..."
"Will do. " The veteran RAVEN affirmed her with yet another nod, then took up his position at a corner behind the hallway that the IU were positioned around. Most of them had their line-of-fire pointed towards Deborah and her agents making a stand at the elevator, but a few were also observing the rear, whilst others were already startled by the sudden appearance and subsequent disappearance of a teleporting metahuman.
"Al, on my mark." Quentin whispered, ready to strike.
She tightened her grip on her rifle and nodded, her face grim, but determined.
"Go!" He crept out from behind cover and opened fire, nailing one of the paramilitaries through the side and slumping against the wall with an agonised groan. The others soon scrambled for cover and began returning fire, bullets whizzing down the corridor past his head. "C'mon, Al.. c'mon.."
As Quentin's suppressive fire went down, Alice teleported into the group that was still focused on Deborah's position. One man turned in time to spot her, and was the first to drop with half a magazine dumped into his chest. She turned, vanishing into thin air and reappearing with her rifle already blazing, bullets sprayed amidst the slow to react IU, clipping one and wounding another. Then she was in the centre of the group. They couldn't risk opening fire for fear of hitting their own men, whereas Alice had no such compunctions. She swung the now emptied rifle like a baseball bat, cracking it into the head of the first man to charge at her. He dropped and she seized the next one, disappearing once more. There was the sound of a scream, and a black clad flailing figure fell past one of the windows.
Her next attack wasn't quite as effective, they were ready this time for her to jump into their midst, and one swung a nightstick at her. She swayed backwards to avoid it, and another fired low, at her legs. She vanished, but not before a sharp pain in her upper thigh. Alice collapsed against the wall next to Quentin, one hand pressed against the wound.
"Fuck... fuck that hurts..."
An unsettling silence overcome the floor as the fighting died down. but it was only as Quentin retreated back into cover to eject yet another expended magazine that he realised she'd taken a hit.
"You gonna be okay?" He asked with genuine concern, tugging at one of the remaining two magazines in his vest and finally pushing it up into the magwell of his AR until he felt it latch it in place. "Think we've got most of 'em."
She nodded, gritting her teeth as she tore a strip from the sleeve of her uniform to tourniquet her leg. "Flesh wound, nothing important... Really stings though, first time I've actually been shot..."
"First time's always the worst, just keep it pressed tight." Quentin muttered back, before creeping back out from behind cover to see where the others were positioned.
Pressed against the wall beside him, Alice couldn't see what he could, so she was relying on his eyes.
"How many and where?"
The veteran RAVEN paused for a moment before he gave her an answer. Just a few meters down from them was an overturned vending machine that had been used as makeshift cover, its ruptured contents of drinks cans splayed out across the floor in a vile puddle of sickly sweet liquid, mixed in with spatters of blood. From behind it came the sound of a man's ragged breathing, and he could just about make out the outline of the man's helmet peeking out from above it, though only just. "One wounded behind the drink's machine." Must've been the one he clipped earlier.
If there were others out there, Quentin couldn't see them, but that just made things worse."Can't see anyone else. Might still be one or two in hiding." His gaze passed over her 'flesh wound', then he raised an eyebrow. "Stay in position here, watch my back. Don't put too much weight on that wound and keep it pressed down right."
Alice nodded, tying the strip of fabric tight about her leg. It hurt, but she could walk on it. As Quentin moved around the corner she pulled the flask from the inside of her uniform, taking a quick swig to dull the pain. The alcohol was cheap, and it burned as it went down. She grimaced, but shoved it back inside her chest plate.
It was becoming clear that he'd need to push on and make sure the others were cleared out. One benefit of being barefoot was that his footsteps were almost completely silent to any listening ears, unless they happened to be metahuman ears and somehow he figured the odds were low on that.
Ragged, labored breathing could still be heard from the wounded man as before, but from the sounds it Quentin made an educated guess that he wasn't long for the dying. Hearing the man's final moments was sobering, in a way - it was easy to desensitize himself to the fact that each member of the Intimidation Unit had a face behind the masks they wore. It was a reminder that they were human, same as him.
And then it stopped.
Quentin paused for just a moment, wondering if it was a trick, but as he grew closer to the man's corpse he soon realised that he was well and truly gone.
A moment came where it seemed as though they were in the clear, then he heard a rustle and what could've only been footsteps from one of the rooms. One more. But which room exactly, he didn't know... until he saw a faint shadow cast across the corridor from the room on the right, its silhouette matching the profile of the IU.
He could only guess that the bastard was dug in tight. Charging in was suicide and flushing him out could've been a risk too great to take. Right now, a grenade would've been useful... then the idea clicked.
Making a temporary retreat, Quentin grabbed for one of the cans of energy drink that had spilled out from the vending machine and took up a good position behind the doorway. There was one shot here, and it had to count. He gave it a moment's pause, then tossed the can inside at an angle that made it bounce off the ceiling with a heavy clunk.
"Christ-" The IU agent inside fell for the bait and bolted almost on instinct outside of the room as Quentin had laid in wait, only for the latter of the two to spring at the last second. The veteran RAVEN threw all his weight against the would-be assailant, forcing the barrel of his rifle upwards before he could pull the trigger, then slammed an elbow into the man's throat. Yet as he subdued what seemed to be the last of the Intimidation Unit, unbeknownst to him emerged another threat.
The Phantasm rose from the floor... body coated in a layer of demonic-looking black smoke that engulfed the floor he was rising through. His arrival was as unexpected as it was fast, because in an instant, he was standing on the same floor as everyone else. Making his arrival right as the smoke cleared. He narrowed his sole eye, and figured that the Intimidation Unit had failed. That it was time for someone with two brain cells to rub together to take this situation by the horns. The Phantasm aimed his weapon at Quentin, looking down the sight, before he fired.
"Al, we're... shit-"
The veteran RAVEN had only just caught a brief glimpse of the assassin when he felt the first bullet, hitting him like a brick to the ribs, then another with an equally painful crunch. Quentin staggered sideways through the nearby doorway, clutching at where he'd been hit, but his heart was pounding so hard that he couldn't focus on that. Instinct kicked in and he practically threw himself behind the cover of a wall in the room, unarmed and facing down an opponent with a dangerous track record.
Alice heard the shot before she saw the Phantasm. She was injured, and from the looks of it, Quentin was too. Neither of them were in any state to take on the Hound's pet, but it looked like they had no choice, it was kill or be killed.
The Phantasm was finished with playing with the grunts of RAVEN - he had a target; Deborah Termellio, and her alone - he eyeballed the DOVE leader in the center of the barricade, and merely teleported past through both Quentin and Alice, and had his gun aimed and primed at Deborah, pulling the trigger-
A mere string of fabric had wrapped around the gun's trigger, and kept it in place. The Phantasm tried his best to pull the trigger, but he realized that the tensile strength of this string exceeded his strength.
It left a window of opportunity for both of the RAVENs to strike whilst his attention was diverted elsewhere; the assassin caught a faint rush of air before a foot being driven into the back of his knee, then he felt an arm locking around his neck whilst another reached around in an effort to forcefully point his weapon to the ground, but it was all rendered for naught when the Phantasm merely turned into pitch-black smoke and phased through the floor... with Quentin coming with him. As the two fell through the floor, the Phantasm thrashed about, and attempted to get free from Quentin.
"Release me immediately!" The Phantasm shouted, as he merely looked around. It was an office room that had been sacked by the Intimidation Unit.... Before pulling out a revolver from his belt, and aiming it square at Quentin's face, and pulling the trigger wildly. The veteran RAVEN frantically pushed a hand up from beneath the revolver's barrel, grasping at it with equal vigour in an attempt to wrench it from it's owner's grasp. But the Phantasm merely let go of the weapon in order to catch him off guard, then quickly followed it up with a solid strike to his throat, eliciting a hoarse croak from the RAVEN.
The Phantasm followed that up by quickly reached down for his belt and pulled out a large combat knife, then tried to slash at his face. Quentin narrowly shifted backwards, but not before he felt the cold steel biting into the left side of his cheek and dangerously close to his eye. Warm crimson blood ran down the RAVEN's face and disoriented him, while the Phantasm came in for another brutal slash towards his face. Yet another struggle began between the two as Quentin desperately caught the blade with his hand, yet again, more fresh crimson seeping outwards as cold steel dug into his naked palm, but this time he wasn't taking a beating from the Hound. No, he was going to survive.
As he wrestled with the Phantasm for control of the blade, Quentin drove a knee into the assassin's lower abdomen and slammed his other palm into his opponent's helmet. Attempting to counter attack, the Phantasm merely wiggled the helmet even more out of Quentin's grasp. Grabbing onto it and pulling it down was useless as the Phantasm's helmet slipped...
... And impacted the ground, revealing the Phantasm's face to Quentin.
And it would be quite a surprise to Quentin. Despite the presentation of a man, and the voice... what was underneath the helmet was the tender face of a woman.
Soft, but damaged. Her right eye was missing, and in it's place was a hideous burn scar where her eye socket had been completely burned out. She looked at Quentin and stared him down, recieving a bewildered look back from him in return. Her features were distinctly Arabic and she had a light-copper skin tone. She narrowed her eyes as she turned back into black smoke, and floated down through the floor, not saying a word.
Dim lights emitted a red glow on the halls as shadows moved between rooms. CID's back-up generators were on their last reserves as it took a large amount of energy to maintain their servers. A meeting had been called and all personnel were required to attend. Within the main conference room, extra chairs were brought in as spies, couriers, security and techs alike crowded the mahogany table. Those unable to attend in person - like Rhea - stared out from iPads and tablets at one end of the table.
Hallmark, sitting calm and collected at the table's head, began the meeting. "As you're all aware, the Founding Family went public recently under the pretense of good intentions. What's remained privy to only a select few of you, is that they're all but benevolent.
"The Family was involved with a number if disasters, including the Beast of Prague. They have a substantial hold on North America, and still look to expand their spheres of influence through intimidation. A third party - Polaris - is also working with them. We have reason to believe the Family's motive for wanting RAVEN's incarcerated people is to speed up their big project - a 'Machine'."
He leaned back in his seat, gesturing to his loyal employees. "Now, where do you come in with all of this? I've decided to change CID's tactics, in light of recent events. We, as an HQ, will retract from Baybridge and relocate to a suburb a half hour out."
Aislin, sitting near the left of Hallmark, raised her hand.
"Yes, CT."
"Are we retreating from the city's Family situation?" Aislin said plainly, cocking an eyebrow.
"No, I wish to cover my assets. We need power to run the servers, by which we're running low. I've already arranged for several copies of our databases to be made, and these will be transported to a temporary HQ. CID's task force will remain active, especially in Baybridge."
Aislin considered his words before she nodded, and Hallmark continued. "Those of you abroad, I would like a portion to go under cover in Asia - see what you can uncover about Polaris. To the agents stationed around the US, keep vigil. I may call you home to help. And to those in Baybridge,"—he looked around the table—"maintain low profiles, and please refrain from engaging the enemy. We are a secrets enterprise, not a military operation. Any more questions?"
"No, boss." Was the consensus.
"Good. You'll find further details in your personal briefs. To all of you, good luck. We move out within the week."
As the conference dispersed, a single technician tugged at his tie as he paced down the hall. Turning the corner, he waited until it was silent. Pulling out a disposable cellphone, he tapped methodically on the keys.
They know. Planning on moving HQ out of the city.
The text was sent to the Foundation Woman.
Seraphine Campbell & Aislin Rose
Written in collaboration with @Nosuchthing Location unknown_
Seraphine had heard of the Founding Family, probably before a great deal of RAVEN. It was not uncommon, the Society dealt in sex and services yes, but their most lucrative trade was, and had always been, information. Men, and women, were too loose with information when sharing a bed with someone, and even the knowledge that they were doing that was an expensive commodity. It was how the Society survived, it had influential members, and control over people in even more influential positions in society.
Seraphine wanted power, and wealth, and above all, influence. She wanted to rule her own life, and control that and those which sought to control her. She was a popular girl in the Society, but that didn't equate to power. If anything, she had less control over her life than many of the other girls she worked with. Most days she was engaged, and it paid well, but it wasn't her choice, it wasn't her decision.
This... this was...
She knew that people tended to talk when they were in her company, but she hadn't thought that they might spill something so big so easily. He wasn't a regular of hers, though she had seen him in the halls of the Society before, usually in the company of the cheaper girls. He wasn't bad looking, if a little chubby, but had a bloated sense of entitlement that had probably led to him betraying his employer. He liked to complain that he was under-appreciated, under paid. She'd heard it all from the other girls. Which was why it was such a surprise that he had managed to afford her services.
He had been more concerned with her body and her less savoury skills than her company, but her carefully shaped questions and feigned interest, along with several bottles of champagne, had eventually led to the revelation that he was informing on the CID. He'd earned a bonus, and blown it all on a night with her.
Present Time...
Hailey Boulevard, Silver Hills_
Aislin was surprised when Hallmark called her about a delicate matter. Evidently, a young employee within the White Spider Society held information critical to CID's security. The less people who knew, the better — that was the reason given on why she approached CID on an individual level.
"Seraphine Campbell, a Caucasian woman with auburn hair, green eyes," Hallmark said. "I've arranged a meeting at the Roasted Bean in Hailey Boulevard, one of the few places with working power."
So, Aislin found herself in the back of a taxi and soon walking up to the coffee shop. With her leather jacket zipped up and a scarf wrapped around her neck to stave off the autumn chill, Aislin stepped into the warm and aromatic Roasted Bean.
The pale redhead resisted the urge to stand anxiously as the person she was to meet walked into the coffee shop. It had been difficult to organise this meeting without the help of the Society, but she didn't want them to control this exchange. If she'd told her superiors what she now knew, then one of them would be sitting here - not her.
The woman who entered was older than her, though from the youthful cast of her face Seraphine guessed that she was older than she looked. The scar on her chin drew the eye however, it looked like someone had gone for her throat with a knife. Seraphine looked away, she already sat in the spot they had agreed, if this was her contact, then she would know to come over.
As Aislin walked past the 'Please Seat Yourself' sign, she grinned. Out of all the people enjoying their hot drinks, Seraphine was the most beautiful. Very easy to pick out from the crowd. Sitting across from the young lady, Aislin folded her aviators and set them on the table by her purse.
"Ah, Seraphine, right?" Aislin asked. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm CT. I was told you'd be here."
The redhead looked up, smiling, clearly this was her contact. It would have been easy to appear nervous, but she'd long since moved past being concerned about the impression she made on people. After all, it was how she made her living, and the Society had ensured she knew how to mask her nerves when meeting a new client, this was hardly any different.
"I am... it's lovely to meet you..."
A blonde waiter walked up to their table, notebook in hand. "Can I get you ladies anything to drink?" Evidently no one taught him the art of being subtle with the way he gawked at Seraphine.
"A London Fog for me, thanks." Aislin said, snickering. She nodded to Seraphine, "Get whatever you like - I'll foot the bill today."
It was not uncommon for people to react in such a way, particularly young men, Seraphine normally enjoyed the attention, but had no time for it now. She ordered an espresso, then ignored the waiter until he realised he was still staring and left sheepishly. She waited a moment, then turned back to CT.
"Sorry, that happens a lot, I wonder if his eyes would pop if I told him what I can do."
She smirked, displaying a far dirtier smile than her otherwise innocent appearance would suggest. Aislin mirrored the smile, knowing more-or-less what Seraphine was referring to.
"I thought secret meetings in coffee shops only happened in movies, won't people be able to hear us?"
"Not necessarily," Aislin said, glancing at the cafe around them. It was a quaint, hand-crafted place. Dark wood table sets lined a portion of the floor, with mismatched sofas on a raised platform to the side. Glass partitions ran through the cafe, giving the tables more of an 'island' feel.
"Notice how everyone here is so engrossed with their own conversations?" Aislin nodded to the couple two tables down. "It takes a certain intent to eavesdrop, one that's not hard to detect in a cafe. As far I can tell, no one but that waiter cares we're here."
She chuckled, resting her arms on the table. "Besides, as I'm sure you're well aware - it's hard to find a discreet, comfortable area since there's been a lack of power in Baybridge."
The waiter returned, flourishing a metal tray with two china cups. With a delicate grip on the saucer, he set out the steaming drinks in front of them. Evidently, he was attempting to show off for Seraphine.
"Is there anything else I can get for you two lovely ladies?"
Aislin's eyes squinted in amusement. "Mm, nothing for now, thanks."
The escort smiled innocently at the waiter, "Thank you, that's all, we'll let you know if we need you."
At the same time her eyes flicked up and down his form, as though she were making her own private judgement, and she turned away before he could gather his own thoughts and begin to walk away.
Blowing on the foam of her drink, Aislin paused a couple moments before fixing her gaze on Seraphine. "What was it you wished to discuss?"
Leaning forward, Seraphine resisted the urge to whisper conspiratorially. Judging by Aislin's response it would only look as if she were trying to have a secret conversation.
"CID... has a mole..."
She sat back, trying her best not to look smug, "and I know who it is."
"Mhmm, that's quite a bold claim," Aislin said, eyes twinkling.
In the back of her mind, she didn't feel so good. A mole in CID? With the tireless labour Hallmark took to know his team, Aislin's concern about their internal security was very low on the list. Knowing her boss, he had a plan for such a case, but if this claim was true... they were in trouble . And not only that, but who did the mole report to? How bad of a security issue was on the table? If that French gang from New Raygate was stirring trouble again, she'd have to tear their leader a new one - maybe pull out some blackmail files. Or... Maybe it was the Society itself that the mole took orders from — that would explain why Seraphine came on her own. But that would also denote some amount of generosity, which was rare in their line of work.
"Would you, by chance, have any evidence to back up such a claim?"
Seraphine almost answered immediately, but caught herself, she couldn't simply blurt it out, if she did that, then she had no bargaining chip, no way to negotiate. She sipped from her espresso, taking advantage of the pause to gather her thoughts. She took a moment to examine Aislin, though if the news had truly worried the CID agent she hadn't let anything show upon her face.
"I thought this was a negotiation. This information is not free..."
Aislin snorted. Well, then. May as well cut to the chase, eh? She leaned forward, resting her chin on overlapped hands. “Very well, what was it you wanted in return?"
Here the redhead seemed lost. She hadn't planned this far ahead, or rather she had, but now that she was here she wasn't sure if she could go through with it. She was playing a game that she didn't fully understand and for the first time she realised just how out of her depth she was now. For a moment, just a brief fraction of a second, the facade that she normally maintained slipped, and a frightened, confused girl shone through.
"I want out..."
Aislin’s brow furrowed. “Mm, if it’s the Society you refer to, I wasn’t aware they had policies against employees leaving.”
"I cost more per night than most people earn in a year. The Society spent a lot of money training me, and they won't want to let their investment go so easily..."
"Understandable," Aislin said, bobbing her head. She unzipped her purse and fished out a tablet. Setting it up so they could both see the screen, Aislin found a PDF with client service packages. As it was, CID had a knack for almost any kind of falsified work. Passports, work visas, birth certificates - you name it.
“We do offer options in such cases, and I’d be willing to exchange some for your intel. We got disappearance acts, new identities, fabricated documents. Even 24 hour security watch in case your past catches up with you.” Aislin said, keeping a calm, even tone in her voice. Seraphine appeared a little over her head, but Aislin had to commend her. This kind of situation required no small amount of courage.
Disappearance, a new identity, new documents. Seraphine hadn't thought what this would entail, she wouldn't just be leaving the Society, she would be hiding from them. The Croquetaigne sisters terrified her, in truth, and she didn't want to cross them, or to earn their enmity. She was tired of this though, perhaps it hadn't been very long, three years wasn't that much time, but she couldn't keep it up. The thoughts of those difficulties were hard enough to shake off, but she still wanted to do, she wanted, needed to escape the control they had over her life. She wanted to ask this woman for her advice, to ask anyone for help, but this was the most she could do, she had to bargain from a position of power here, at least for as long as she could hold onto it.
"That... could be acceptable, but I would need more than just a description, I need assurances."
Aislin scoffed, flicking over to a testimonial page filled with five stars. "Then you must not know CID too well - of course, no one really does. We have a 95% success rate in our client relocation services, and have 20 years experience behind us."
She took a sip of her latte, admiring the china cup. "Hm, I could quote the facts for you all day," Aislin tilted her head thoughtfully. "But I wonder, what kind of assurance do you need? I can take point in your safety myself, if you'd like. Introduce you to our finest security chap - Brucie. Or..."
Aislin leaned in close, lowering her voice. "It's not for the faint of heart, but if you wanted a place within CID akin to that of your aptitude... I may have an opportunity for you."
Of her aptitude? Seraphine wasn't entirely sure what that meant, nor was she entirely happy with the potential implications, but it was a concrete offer. Right now she didn't really have many other options. She could accept this offer, or she could go back to the Society and hope they didn't find out about the deal she had tried to make behind their back. She swallowed uncomfortably, then nodded, "I'm listening."
"Gee, it's really not as horrible as you're imagining." Aislin said, giggling. "I'm merely suggesting CID could use an extra pair of hands, and you could use a steady job. We need those who are subtle, who can ask the right questions, uncover information. Along with the protection of a new identity and and new place to call home, you could also become a Private Investigator. Well, in-training, of course. The professional training would have to wait until this Family bullshit is done and over with."
She waved her hands in a dismissive manner. "Of course, I'm only suggesting this."
"Now, I believe I've been more than fair in regards to my part of the deal. What I offer is easily in the hundreds of thousands - but don't worry about that." Aislin said, her voice light. Money seems to be her language; if I must, I'll push that again. She thought, keeping a smile on her face. She must tell me what she knows...
With a nod, Seraphine expressed her continued interest, "How do I know I can trust you to uphold your side of the bargain?"
She must sound paranoid, but she was afraid that if she didn't get assurances now, then she might be hung out to dry when she handed over what she knew. She was afraid enough that any moment the twins might walk in, she dreaded to think what they might do if they caught her after the fact, let alone red handed.
"C'mon, sweet pea." Aislin winked. "We didn't become a multi-million dollar company by going back on our promises or throwing potential clients to the dogs. What I've laid on the table, I'm 100% serious."
Seraphine smiled faintly, then leaned forward, "One of your techs, I don't have pictures, but I can identify him. Early thirties, 6 feet tall, about 200 pounds, brunette."
Here she frowned, "Proof is a little harder, he went from the standard rate girls to me in one night, that's not something a normal bonus covers, and he bragged to me that he was informing. You could check his phone but I'm willing to bet it's a burner, he doesn't seem thaaat stupid..."
Aislin bit her lip, scanning through the gallery on her tablet before pulling up a photo. Standing in front of a black curtain was Miss Admin, radiant and focused — a smile was absent from her face. Surrounding her was the tech team, dressed in the usual white shirt and tie. Most were photogenic; some gave the impression they wished to be elsewhere.
"Do you see him here?" she asked.
Seraphine nodded, laying a slender finger on a figure a little to the left of the apparent boss. He actually seemed to be the most photogenic of the group, if a little bored.
Aislin nodded, clicking her tongue. "Well, you've made this much easier. Did you happen to catch who the traitor was informing?"
Seraphine looked even more uncomfortable here, this was her last chance, once she told, there was no going back. They'd only just gone public now, and their first appearance had shown they were not to be trifled with, "The Founding Family..."
The... Family? Aislin stared wordlessly, eyes wide. How long? How much did they know? Who was at risk: the company itself, or the individuals? From her knowledge, they had almost total control of the West, but she had no idea they were so damn close. A listening ear in her home, in CID. And with the recent events... Aislin gasped. The meeting! Hallmark went public in the company about the Family's existence. And the mole likely told the very same about their plan of getting CID's assets out of dodge. Their illusion of an advantage against the terrorists was promptly shattered.
"Goddamn it..." Aislin swore in a low voice. She tossed back the remainder of her drink, thankful it was cooled. She needed to report this 20 minutes ago. But as soon as possible would work too.
A number was speed-dialed as Aislin brought a phone to her ear. "... Mel? It's CT; this is a high priority request. I need Brucie to chauffeur a bit - I'm at the Roasted Bean with a client. Schedule out a safe house, text me the address. And I need a meeting with Hallmark in 40 minutes. Also, lock-down the technology division."
"Lock-down, miss?" Mel said, confusion in her voice. "Under who's authority?"
"Mine." Aislin said, chin up. "Don't worry, I'll deal with the boss.~☆"
"...Very well. I'll pass it along."
"Thanks." Aislin said, and ended the call. Seraphine was looking at her with an amount of concern. "And now for my end of the deal, Seraphine. We're going to stop by your house, you'll pack a suitcase, and we'll bring you to a temporary safe house until a more permanent residence is organized. In the next 32 hours, you'll have a new identity, and perhaps, a new career."
Aislin waved over the waiter and pulled out her debit. He almost seemed sad to have them leave as he swiped it, and was bold enough to ask what Seraphine was doing after his shift.
Five minutes later, a black Audi rolled up to the cafe. Slinging her purse over her shoulder, Aislin led them out of the Roasted Bean. Brucie, a well-dressed man with narrow shades over his eyes, rolled down the passenger window. "Hey gals, need a lift?"
Aislin smirked, opening the back door for Seraphine, "After you, sweet pea."
Rhea Harlow
Lower South Royer Town, Prince Ed-Field_
Rhea found herself surprisingly comfortable in her new establishments. Along with fresh clothes and a gifted arsenal of batteries and batons, almost everyone - especially Aislin - stayed out of her hair. Not bad, seeing as she’d hit a rough patch with the whole ‘laying low’ deal.
Aislin’s luxury suite became the ‘wild card’ group’s base — which started looking like a shared home rather quick. In the themes of modern and chic with a few threads of futurist, the suite was certainly of pleasant design. In light of recent events, however, the bathroom had been converted into a water storage area. The tubs were to the brim with clean water with filled dispenser bottles lining the wall.
As for resting spaces, Aislin opened the spare room and den to her company. Sofas were laid with blankets and sleeping bags set out on the living room carpet. A battery-powered heat generator stood in the centre of the room and a propane camp stove sat on the kitchen counter. In the effort of sanitation, the city had set up portable washrooms in the tower’s lobby - so that was a relief.
Aislin usually spent hours brooding over the maps and diagrams laid out on the dining room table, but was currently out on business. Urgent call from Hallmark, apparently, so she missed the shenanigans involving Holly, Shizu and Ryu.
After Rhea attended CID’s emergency meeting via video chat, she found herself on the tower’s rooftop. From this height it was easy to feel the stronger winds - perfect for her practices. After a light body workout Rhea rolled into a perfect handstand, eyes closed and breath slow. Eventually she shifted to one hand, taking care to keep herself perfectly poised against the breeze.
There appeared to be a great contrast between her stillness and the sounds of the city. Every few minutes a siren would move around in the streets, or a chopper cut the sky overhead. And recently… the subtle rat-tat-tat of gunfire - far, far away.
Not far enough... Rhea’s brow furrowed, causing her stance to wobble. With a sigh, she cartwheeled back on her feet. From her view over the ledge, Rhea watched the growing storm in Baybridge.
With RAVEN Headquarters in ruins, half of the agents dead, and the equipment fried beyond all belief, there was only a handful of people capable of assessing the damage.
Lihua stepped over all the bodies and chaos with casual indifference to all of it. The battle-worn woman had seen incidents like this like it was nothing, it even reminded her of her Hei Long days. The elder woman paused for a brief moment, as if she was suddenly hit with a realization of some sort.
...Maybe she shouldn't be reminded of those days.
There was something Meifeng mentioned that Lihua wanted to check herself. Which is why she was moving over to forensics. The district of the building was completely abandoned the very moment the attack began - which Lihua attributed to the fact that forensics didn't really fight in the front lines. Though, a few members were in hiding. Lihua took a step through the normally armored doors that were blown open by the IU during an insertion. So much for the "top secret" portion of the building. If it wasn't for how terrible the situation was getting, she would have cracked a smile. There was something she wanted to investigate. According to the computers (which she checked and memorized before all of this) it should be in this room...
Opening the door to the high-security section of the forensics storage, Lihua looked around, shining a flashlight on the contents of the room. The room was, predictably, destroyed. However, Lihua wasn't the type to merely leave without confirming anything. She traced her fingers along the tags searching for designation 361... but no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't find it. She put fingers on her chin as she finally realized what had happened.
I have to find Meifeng.
Once he'd known they were safe, or at least as safe as they could in the aftermath of this attack, Reed had left the Zhao matriarch with her daughter and departed towards the lower levels to survey the damage.
He could barely fathom the destruction of HQ.
For the last seven years, this had been his workplace, almost a second home to him. Colleagues he'd known and worked alongside for years had been walking through these same corridors just a few days before, going through the same routine as always.
And now most of them were dead.
It was like Verthaven, all over again. Down to the colleagues in the VPD who'd died fighting off the Devil and her abominations, the good friends that he'd seen dying on the streets. Soon, he he came to the realisation that there was something he'd missed. Quentin. After he'd done what he could for the others, Reed had made a steady course towards the hospital wing, passing by survivors and first respondents alike. Only, when he stepped onto the wing where his brother had been staying did he find beds that were empty, or filled in by others. A few of the occupants of said beds were dead, shot through the head or chest. Executed. Reed's gaze frantically searched for any sign of his brother, until he found the bed that had belonged to Quentin.
It was empty.
What had happened here? His brother had been dressed in hospital wear, last time he'd seen - not exactly dressed for a fight. There'd been no sign of the elder of the two Taylors on his way down though and given his position in RAVEN, what if he'd been taken, like Cindy? No. Reed refused to accept that outcome. He'd lost one family member in Verthaven. He couldn't have lost another tonight.
Instead, Reed quickly took a knee beside the bed and checked for any clues that might've explained what happened. First thing that Reed noticed was that the IV drip had been disconnected, its contents having slowly leaked out onto the floor. There was no blood trail coming from the bed, no clear sign that Quent had been wounded, either - maybe he escaped? Two of the paramilitaries lay dead at the end of the corridor, empty nine-millimeter shell casings scattered across the floor across from the bed. Neither of the two bodies had any weapons with them, which suggested that someone had pried them from their cold, dead hands. Was that his brother's handiwork? Maybe there'd been someone else with him, too - it would've explained the shell casings across from his bed.
It was a lead, whatever way he looked at it.
Taking care not to disturb the bodies and aware that forensics, be it their own, or the actual BPD's would need to take a look at this either way, Reed headed back towards the stairs and started heading upwards, towards where some of the heaviest slaughter had been. If there was one guess where that stubborn brother of his would've gone, it was wherever he felt he was useful - where the fighting was.
Alice almost cannoned head first into Reed, she was moving as fast as she could with her injured leg, using her ability to cover distance more quickly down the stairs, but she hadn't been quite prepared for the other agent coming around the corner of the stairs.
"Alice?!" Reed barked out loud, grasping onto a railing to stop himself from tumbling backwards as she phased in front of him.
"Fuck." She dropped the pistol from it's ready position as she realized it wasn't another member of the Intimidation Unit. She winced as she rested her weight on her injured leg, shifting slightly to stay upright.
It didn't take more than a couple of moments before Reed caught a glimpse of the tourniquet around her thigh. "How bad is it?" he asked.
"It's fine," she replied, resisting the urge to reach for her hip flask once more. "Stings, but I can move on it."
"Those bastards seem to have pulled out," Reed said, before shaking his head. "Here, let me give you a hand, or you'll just make it worse."
She shook her head. "I have to get down there, and I can move faster without you, that prick has Quentin..."
It was a remark that quickly caught his focus. "What?! Who? Where?!"
If it was possible, Alice's face darkened even more, "Phantasm, this floor."
There wasn't time to expand on the events of the last few minutes, and Alice turned away from Reed to push open the door, fearing the worst.
"Al, she slipped through my fingers--" a familiar voice croaked, before its owner's eyes widened in surprise as Reed showed up just behind Alice.
Quentin looked a strange thing in his choice of attire. Over the hospital gown and shorts, he wore a scavenged RAVEN vest that had some clear tears in its external fabric from where something had punched into it. The veteran RAVEN was clutching a revolver in his right hand, whilst the other was planted against the wall for support. A pattern of bloody hand prints trailed behind wherever he'd touched it. Worst still was a gash that ran up his left cheek and just past the eye, which in turn had left his face awash with blood.
"He's gone?"
Alice moved past Quentin, scanning the area for any sign of the Phantasm, and spotting only the abandoned helmet.
"Fuck! Fuck!"
She kicked the helmet, grunting as the pain shot through her leg. "Alright, take it easy..." Reed responded to her with an equally stressed tone.
"Is Javaunt safe?" Quentin's voice cropped up from behind her, "As can be..."
Alice hadn't turned around, simply thrown the response over her shoulder as she stared at the spot where the helmet had been. Her fingers flexed on the grip of her handgun, clearly anxious to be using it again. She turned around, resolved. "Where is he?"
"She disappeared through the god-damn wall before I could stop her," Quentin said, with an aggravated tone. Reed was by his side, clearly concerned about his physical state, though Quent didn't seem particularly concerned about his own health so much as the fact that the assassin had escaped. "How bad is it?" He was asked, by his brother, but all that did was cause Quent to snap at him. "How bad... You didn't see the fucking bodies outside?"
"I meant your injuries," Reed pointed out with a sharpened tone. "I saw how bad it was. I just wanna make sure you're in one piece."
"I'm alive, aren't it?" The veteran said, rhetorically, before shaking his head and gesturing to the gash across his face. "Tried to slash my throat open," then pointing downwards to the two clear tears in the RAVEN vest where he'd been shot, "She did these too. Don't worry though, vest stopped the rounds. Fucking ribs are gonna be bruised for a while, though."
Alice had been listening, but it was only now that something penetrated through the haze, "Wait... what? She?"
Her colleague tilted his head towards her, "Yeah. Helmet got knocked off in the struggle, got a good look at her... you can write it up in the report," Quentin paused, then reconsidered. "Assuming there's anything left to write on."
While Lihua was searching forensics, Meifeng was trying to assess the damage done. What had happened during the final stand. Dr. Cross, the Mannequin, and Ignatius were all gone, and they left behind a pile of dead bodies for Meifeng and the others to sort through. But, something wasn't right here. Meifeng squat down over a dead RAVEN. She examined glass fragments deeply embedded into his neck... the same emerald-green glass that Cindy used. It couldn't have been a simple case of friendly fire as many people were pierced with the glass. Meifeng had picked up a stray piece of glass - forensics would tear her a new one for this, but was there even a forensics team anymore - and closely examined it.
Everyone here was dead. There were no witnesses, no cameras, no nothing. Only the word of dead men...
She crushed the glass in between her gloved hand, as she looked forward in anger. Meifeng was not a good loser. First Uncle Jiao-Long, and now this? Meifeng stood straight up. Whatever the hell those bastards were working on... was this the price? Meifeng knew that every agent that died here today had a family back home, had something to strive for. And this was what the Family strive for in the name of perfection? What sort of perfection was this? It's just... narcissism.
Nothing more, nothing less.
"Hello, Meifeng," Lihua said as she made her quick approach.
"H-hey, Mom," Meifeng said. "I'm just... checkin' the bodies for Cindy... can't find 'er for the life of me."
"I checked forensics, and that case you recovered from Singapore?"
Meifeng rolled her eyes. "...Gone, ain't it?"
"Yes," Lihua said.
"Well, damn it," Meifeng said, throwing her arms behind her head as she looked around. "I have no fuckin' idea what the hell we are even supposed to do at this point. Houndie and his pack have trashed Headquarters, and not only have they got the Hands, but they got their mystery serum back."
She loudly huffed in anger as she tried to contain herself.
"Cindy's MIA, half of RAVEN is dead, and the other half is doing no better, we have zero leads on the F-F... just... ugh!" Meifeng kicked a rifle belonging to a fallen IU member, as the hopelessness of the situation began bearing down on her. Everything was just so bullshit.
"Meifeng I understand..." Lihua said as she put a hand on her hips. "...But getting angry about it is what they want. They want us to act rashly, they want us to lose hope."
"I know you're right, but Jesus," Meifeng said. "It sure as hell ain't lookin' up for us."
"Darkest before the dawn," Lihua said.
"Now you're just being cliche," Meifeng rolled her eyes up into her head.
That's when Lihua remembered the text message that Shizuka sent her, and she dug it out her pocket... but of course, her phone was fried. Ugh. This situation was getting worse by the second. Lihua looked back towards Meifeng.
"Where is that white-haired boy's lapdog?" Lihua asked.
"You mean Holly?" Meifeng said.
"Yes, her. I need her," Lihua said, wondering about where the hell she even was. Unfortunately for them... they didn't keep tabs on Holly, but there was that text Shizuka sent her. Something about a plant in the break room (if it wasn't currently on fire). She glossed over it only because there were more important things to deal with, but now she wished she did pay attention. That gave Lihua an idea. She grabbed onto Meifeng's wrist, and said, "Come here!"
"Hey, wait!" Meifeng said as she was dragged along through the ruins of RAVEN/DOVE Headquarters. Stepping over all the bodies was... difficult for Meifeng, but simple for Lihua.
Sometimes Meifeng wonders how she did it.
They arrived in the large break room that Meifeng often visits in her off-time... surprisingly, it was pretty intact. As intact as blown to bits, and shot up, as it could get (what Meifeng guessed was that anyone who was in here bailed because it wasn't a tactical position). But, Lihua found the plant that Shizuka mentioned without a single shot in it.
Taking a shot in the dark, Lihua touched it with a finger.
'Ah, Ms. Zhao. Finally.' Holly's brisk voice manifested as a telepathic message in the matriarch's mind. Without wasting another second, the chloropathic agent went straight to the point. 'I'm aware of the situation at the HQ, that currently the IU has Dr. Cross and the other two prisoners in their custody, and the Family is probably using them to complete the Machine together with Mr. Liu. Fortunately, we have managed to locate the most probable place the machine is hidden at, and chances of Mr. Liu and Dr. Cross being held there is very high.'
That was excellent - she knew that she could count on Shizuka. 'Good, now where is it?' Lihua asked Holly.
'Regal Square, Prince Ed-Field,' Holly replied through the plant-mind link. 'However, we should regroup and come up with a plan first, and work together to bring the Family down for good.' She paused for a moment, then continued in the same curt tone, 'Also, we have other intel that would greatly interest you, but it's best to tell you in person. There are things that you - and the rest of the Verthaven survivors - should know before we raid the Family's base.'
Lihua nodded her head, as she realized how useful Holly was being right now. What intel did Shizuka get his hands on? But, if it was so important... 'Where can we meet you in person?'
'Lower-South Royer Town. Shizuka will get in contact with you there.'
'I'll gather everyone and meet you there.'
"Alright, I'm going to brief here; Shizuka has found the Family's base." Lihua said as she turned back towards Meifeng.
"Whoa, are you psychic now?" Meifeng jokingly asked with a grin.
"I enjoy how you can ease the tension, but you have to be serious right now," Lihua said. "Gather everyone you can... we'll need them."
Meifeng looked down. "Well, I'd like to get comms back up and running again before we do anything." She looked around. "You know, communications."
"I'm certain our techs will do all they can to get the systems back in operations - but, we have no time to waste." Lihua said.
Lower-South Royer Town, Prince Ed-Field_
Gathering everyone that could be trusted was easy. Lihua left that to her daughter's judgement because she seemed to have a way with people that Lihua - honestly - always seemed to lack.
They met at the coordinates that Shizuka had thankfully given them - and Lihua was glad that it was in Prince Ed-Field where there was actually power - and they met the white-haired man there, where he was explaining everything they needed to hear as they walked down the street.
"...So, yeah, that's about all the info I've gathered so far," Shizuka finished summarizing the logs for his RAVEN comrades, turning his head away from Zhaos and the Taylor brothers to look up at the sky. "I know it's a lot to digest, but I thought that you guys have to know about these; the truth behind the Founding Fags, the Prague incident... and the Verthaven disaster." He had purposefully left out a few things - Haruka's meeting with Xing Huo, the cryptic warning from the Fire Spirit, and Jennifer being under the Family's control - from the briefing. Meifeng would definitely be pissed at him for roping her best friend into this shitstorm, but this was the only chance for that edgebitch to be done with all her retarded lies and excuses to run away from reality and repeat the same mistake again, her own personal battle to grow out of her disgusting pitiful state (and in turn stop being Haruka's dead weight). Also, Polaris only had interest in the twins, so there was really no need to get these people involved in his own family problems, adding fuel to the fire.
Tucking his hands into his coat pockets, he added, "Of course, we should focus on the most immediate problem - the Fags - for now, and once they're out of the way we can worry about the rest."
Meifeng was walking alongside Lihua with her arms thrown behind her head. "So, we got experimental drugs, mind control, and children raised to serve the Family to deal on top of the shitbags like Blake, the Hound, and whatever other weirdos they have," Meifeng rolled her eyes. "This is gonna be greeeeat."
"I'm concerned about the children," Lihua said - letting her soft spot for children show a little more than she'd like. "If we do rescue them, who knows what the Family has put them through? They could possibly be beyond saving..." She mused.
Quentin had simply nodded, hiding a cold fury that broiled beneath the surface at the revelation of the truth. With a dressing wrapped tightly around his left palm, along with another that covered the gash along the side of his face and several weeks' worth of accumulated facial hair growth, the veteran RAVEN looked more a thug than a government agent... which was probably more appropriate, given what they had in store for these bastards.
"We have to try," said Reed, who wasn't far behind his brother.
Meifeng rolled her eyes up into her head as she continued, "There won't be any kids to save if they blow up the moon, or something stupid like that."
"You mean if they blew up your ovaries," Shizuka corrected her in a deadpan tone, slightly amused at the unexpected joke he had just uttered. "Anyway, whatever that Machine is, we'll have to destroy it before it destroys everyone in this city, kids or not."
That joke made something inside of Meifeng want to throw itself in front of a bus that was passing by. Hidden behind that smile was now a tormented soul that, thanks to Shizuka's joke, only prayed for the sweet release of death. It was a sentiment shared by the Taylors, which earned Shizuka a strange look from Quentin whilst the younger of the two brothers facepalmed.
Fortunately, Lihua was able to save Meifeng from this torture, at least. "But, there is something else I need to discuss with you, Meifeng," Lihua said, before switching to Chinese. "It concerns a certain man's diary."
Meifeng perked her head up, and looked at Lihua as she realized what she meant.
Luis' diary.
It was mentioned in passing by Lihua.
"I believe there could be further information on the Family in Luis' diary... but, I had left it in the Liu estate. It may not have been the safest place to leave it, but with Jiang lurking around, I couldn't risk him finding it."
"But, the Family probably got eyes and ears all over that place," Meifeng said. "Going back there might be a risk."
"If Luis knew something about the Family that could help, then that's a risk I am willing to take." Lihua finished.
Shizuka had been listening to their conversation quietly - well, he was still within earshot, and he could understand Mandarin. Knowing Lihua, it could only mean that she wanted him to know about Luis' diary as much as Meifeng. He spoke up after the Zhao matriarch in her native tongue, "I'm more suited for covert jobs like this. Besides, you two simply attract too much attention wherever you go, so it's best you hold the fort here and keep the eyes of their spies glued on you, giving me some room to get more work done in their blind spot."
"Ah, but, Mr. Takashiro," Lihua said as she came to a stop. Wrapping an arm across her chest, and looking at Shizuka with a look of concern. "The Liu estate is quite large... you'll get lost in there if you don't know exactly where you're going..."
"Yes... Lihua knows this from experience." Meifeng flashed a cat-like grin to Lihua, as she recalled a certain incident where Lihua got lost in the Liu Estate (except, it happened four times).
"You do have a point there..." Shizuka let out a sigh and shrugged. "But I'll still go with you two. Just a gut feeling that I should."
"Well, I don't think the Liu Estate is a big target this late in the game," Meifeng said. "If we're quick we can be in and out before they send any of their goons after us." A part of Meifeng knew how horribly wrong it could go if the Hound or Bonecrusher showed up. Now that would be a dumpster fire.
Glancing down at his automatic wristwatch, Shizuka said, "Right... we can get the diary before raiding the Fags' base. Other than that... We should probably get started on coming up with a plan to--" He had switched back to English for the last part, only to be cut off by Reed.
"No offense, but I didn't get a word of that. Mind letting us in on this, or is it some kind of ancient Chinese secret that us foreign devils aren't allowed to know?" It was admittedly a shitty joke, but he'd made the quip in an effort to take the edge off his query.
Meifeng wondered if she should even reply... before, she simply answered with, "Oh, sorry, my Uncle has something that could help us in the fight against the Family at his mansion. We were just trying to decide how we are going to get it."
"And that we might as well collect it before we give the Fags a taste of their own medicine, of what they've done to our HQ," Shizuka finished for Meifeng. "Just me and the Zhaos are more than enough to get this side job done before the main showdown - they know the layout of their relative's huge house, while my power is perfect to nick the stuff without making much fuss." The Zhaos (especially Meifeng) would probably try to blow up a safe with their flashy powers without much thought, and that would put the Family's dogs on their tails again.
"Also..." Meifeng said, looking over towards Shizuka with narrow eyes. "This Malik guy, this Rhea girl... can we really trust them?" Meifeng asked. "I mean, even if they are trustworthy, they could get in the way..."
"While I do think you have superb judgement, Shizuka, I do think we should officially limit our involvement with them," Lihua agreed with Meifeng. Something about all of this didn't quite make sense with Lihua - and she wasn't the most open, trustworthy, woman on the planet. Especially with strangers of the strangest variety... "It just doesn't sit right with me."
"Actually, that's my intention," Shizuka raised an eyebrow as he glanced at the Zhaos. "It took me and my friends quite a bit of push to get them to trust us, so they'd probably feel the same way about you guys also. The spotlight is yours, the RAVENs; our role as a wild card team is to continue to stay hidden in the dark and launch a surprise attack from their back while their eyes are fixed on you all." Though, he had a nagging feeling it was odd how things on his side seemed to be unfolding too smoothly for comfort. He could only hope that even if they were still being watched, as long as they played their cards right, they might be able to stay one step ahead of those watchful eyes.
"But..." Lihua was about to voice more concern, but kept her mouth shut. Shizuka was placing too much trust in these strangers. Lihua, again, was never really the type to place overwhelming trust and faith in other people, but a total ragtag band of misfits that Shizuka only known for a few hours? That was just a recipe for disaster. Lihua herself would be more comfortable with it if she had known more about their talents, but she wasn't sure about leading what had to be civilians in a fight against the likes of the Black Hound. But, once again, she'd trust Shizuka on this... but if they got in the way, then Lihua would have no choice but to remove them by force.
She couldn't possibly let some strangers get in the way of her mission to rescue Jiao-Long - regardless of what reasons they might have.
"I trust you on this," Lihua said, hiding her true intentions.
Shizuka regarded Lihua's silent hesitation for a moment, before shrugging in the end. "Honestly, we don't have much choice in this matter, not with how the IU had pretty much wiped out a large number of DOVE and RAVEN agents, and they have successfully acquired Dr. Cross and her cronies. We need all the manpower with a common goal we can gather to get this done and over with, or else everybody's gonna die. You don't have to worry too much about my team - they ain't idiots." Besides, they had other agendas to settle than getting into a suicidal fight with the Hound and the Blessed Three. He could leave them to be tamed by a trigger-happy Meifeng (and the vain Lihua while at it), allowing him to freely sneak beneath everyone's nose to finish whatever he had to do.
One mistake - one error - can change everything, Lihua thought to herself. Despite all of Shizuka's reassuring, she was more than prepared to finish where they fail if it came down to it. That was the risk Lihua knew was omnipresent when working with unknown parties. "Very well, I have faith in your team."
"Yeah, we got more important things to worry about," Meifeng said. "Like smashing that machine of theirs."
Shizuka gave Meifeng a look at how simple-minded she was. If the Fags were as blessed and perfect as they had claimed, he wouldn't be surprised that everything happened so far was within their calculations, all part of whatever shitty grand plan they had... They would probably be expecting the RAVENs to raid their base, and maybe even waiting to welcome them with some nasty surprises. Even so, he could use her brashness to his advantage. "Yeah, you can have your fun with the Machine, and save your uncle in the process," he said to her with a smirk.
"Anyway, Malik, Rhea and Ai are probably still not back yet," he said as they turned around a corner. Then he dropped his voice and muttered to himself, "I doubt Haru is, either, especially since it's that person..." He spoke up again, glancing at the comrades he had been with through thick and thin for the past seven long years. "We really should start planning our next move - we don't have much time to lose, if you truly want to rescue your family and destroy the Machine before this city becomes Verthaven or Prague 2.0."
"First thing we need is proper means of communication," Meifeng said, still not getting over how comms were still down. "I don't want to walk into there, and find out that they have another trump card. 'Course, we need organization, intelligence, and so on." Meifeng trailed off.
"And that reminds me - second, we probably could use some reinforcements from anywhere because the five of us going in there alone would be great if they weren't seeing us coming..."
"Four, you mean," Shizuka rectified without missing a beat. "I'll leave it to you guys to plot the frontal assault, while I'll just stay out of your hair with my little rogue team." Well, because he had other - more important - things to do, and they couldn't afford to be stalled by the Family's minions, preventing them from getting the real work done.
Meifeng rolled her eyes. "...That wasn't my point, Shizuka." Briefly, Meifeng wondered how dense Shizuka was, but he seemed to be keen on wanking his 'Stealth Expert' approach.
"Either way, we're going to need some time before we do any of this, Meifeng," Lihua said.
"Which is why I'm going to put the call out, then we search Uncle's mansion." Meifeng said, scratching the back of her neck.
Rhea’s feet pounded the concrete, her body twisting through the air as she landed on the next rooftop. The clouds above were thick, low, and the atmosphere misgiving. At the agreed time, she took cover two blocks off the dead drop behind an air duct. Peering over the angled metal, she searched the gray canopy for signs of movement.
Knowing Malik, he’d arrive any minute. Many of the locations they’d looked at over the last several days were duds — someone already made off with the dead drops. Despite that, they pressed on. Perhaps the ‘Lightning Tag Team’ - as Shizuka so eloquently put - would be ahead of the race this time.
"... You rang?" Malik said as he fell from the sky, his landing cushioned by using his wind abilities, before he hopped up to his feet, and looked straight at Rhea. "What are we looking for, again?"
"The next log," Rhea said, grinning. She'd grown accustom to Malik's theatrical entrances. "One of the last, I think. And the coordinates are recent; we might get the drop on whoever-- whatever's taking them."
"Good!" Malik said, rubbing his hands together. "Hopefully, this will give us a clue as to where Marcelle is."
All this information about the inner-workings of the F-F was useful and all... to Shizuka, but Malik came to America just to find out where Marcelle is. And that's what he intends on doing. Once Marcelle is okay, he'll have to respectfully bow out of this confrontation. Superpowers or not, he's not a soldier.
The rooftops were surprisingly void of life, giving them the perfect opportunity to sneak in. Rhea got her game face on. "Ready? Keep your eyes peeled for those damn IU's."
Keeping low to the ground, Malik and Rhea moved at a clipped pace to the coordinate's location. Leaping over an alley way, they found themselves on a half cement, half glass ceiling. Rhea could see a botanical garden below them, humidity fogging up the panes. There were a few large objects here with them, namely a maintenance entrance, an electrical box and ventilation system. The fan was offline and the garden sat in the dark, so Rhea had to assume they lacked power in this section of town.
"You know," Malik whispered, as he crept over to Rhea's position. "Maybe after all of this is over - you can join me on my world adventure, y'know?"
Rhea raised an eyebrow at Malik. "Your... world adventure?"
It was probably inappropriate at this hour. "Everyone needs to leave their country just once... and I need to look for someone to help me with my little family problem."
"Huh. And you actually want me to tag along?" Rhea said, smirking. "I'll consider it. Later. With a full brief."
He looked up at the top of the building, and eyeballed the maintenance entrance. "Right. But, let's focus on the task at hand. Is it on the roof like the others, or is it a surprise?"
He tapped his foot on the glass. "I don't think we got to worry about any alarms."
"Fortunate for us." Rhea moved to the air duct, searching around it. "As for the drop, I think Marcelle's following an evolving pattern. It's always on the roof and hidden in glued rocks, or something unassuming. That electrical box over the strip mall, however, was the first time she set the drop in a hazardous place - meaning there's reason for her to get serious."
"Could this be the log that leads us to her?" Malik said with hopeful optimism... all he wanted to do was find Marcelle and get far from this crazy conflict as he could. Fighting evil wasn't Malik's thing. He'll leave that for all the Captain America wannabes out there! But, maybe he should help. If they destroy the world, where will Malik live?!
Her methodical sweep of the roof brought Rhea to the maintenance door, where upon she found a pile of rubble on the back side. It was placed in a specific way, as if there was something to hide. Rhea knelt before it, moving aside a worn brick — unknowingly disturbing the nest. She could see the corner of a black tube glinting in the shadow, alongside a large, pale yellow egg sac.
"Malik, you'll-- shit!" Rhea dropped the brick, turning her wrist to see eight legs and gleaming eyes digging into her skin — a Black Widow.
"Rhea!?"
Swearing like a sailor, Rhea flailed her hand in the air until the Widow lost its grip, falling to the cement. Without hesitation, Rhea laid into the spider with the heel of her boot. A crunch, and then silence. Rhea grimaced, first at her boot, then the bite. Two puncture marks and a slight swelling of the skin. The pain made her eyes water, but if there was anything she knew about venom, it needed time. Black Widows held a neurotoxin that developed into nausea, muscle cramps, and in extreme cases, hypertension. Maybe death.
Not that she had experience healing venomous bites; Rhea wasn't sure if treating it like a tumor - and flushing it from the system - would be effective.
Malik hopped over to Rhea, riding a wind over to her, and asked, "What's wrong?!"
"Black Widow," Rhea said, showing her wrist to Malik. "I don't know if I can fix it; this is a hell of a way to find out."
Malik thought she was talking about the Marvel character for a second!
Rhea sat with her back against the wall, face contorted. "Also, ugh. The drop... it's in the rubble."
Malik merely nodded his head as he sent a kick forward, and what followed was a powerful wind that was enough to blow the rubble away, revealing the dead drop that he reached down and picked up, placing it in his back pocket.
She held a hand over the bite as water-like energy collected in between her fingers, disappearing into the wound site. Rhea was able to stop the pain, but how did one tackle a micro toxin? For all she knew, the venom already circulated her veins, interspersed with cells. Very unlike a tumor... What if I tagged the venom and burned it? Rhea pursed her lips. No, no, she couldn't feel the venom directly - it'd be impossible to tag, or identify. She would have to use some kind of micro-counter. But what?
Rhea sighed, leaning her head back. Until it dawned on her - antibodies. Of course! Fight proteins with proteins. Rhea wanted to smack herself for not seeing it sooner. White sparks concentrated around the bite, shifting as her immune system started producing a counter protein. In a few minutes, she'd pull through.
Rhea got to her feet, still a bit dazed. "Huh. Good to know deadly spider bites aren't a big deal." She stuck her tongue out, more in mockery to herself. "Can't believe I didn't see that coming. Do you think Marcelle...?"
He awkwardly laughed as he scratched the back of his head, "Well, Marcelle hated spiders-"
Malik's little quip was cut off when he felt something metal and round press up against the side of his head. His eyes drifted to the side - but he couldn't see anyone.
“Malik... Don’t move a muscle…” Rhea whispered, cautioning with her hands.
It took a moment for the gun - a massive revolver - to appear alongside... floating clothes. A floating grey long coat which was zipped up tight, a matching grey bowl fedora, and sunglasses. Of course he floating gun, but Malik was pretty sure it wasn't floating, and the person was just invisible...
"So, you two must be the ones going out of your way taking the dead drops?" The invisible man asked. "Who are you with? The IU?"
"... H-hey, hey, hey..." Malik awkwardly stammered as he searched for a response. "We're with no one... I'm Malik... I'm just searching for my best friend Marcelle."
"... And I'm supposed to believe that?" The Invisible man asked, he turned towards Rhea, keeping the gun pressed against Malik, and asked, "And who are you, young lady?"
“Rhea Harlow,” she said, eyes wide. “Like Malik said, we’re just trying to find Marcelle. And we hate those Family guys.”
She squinted her eyes at the invisible man. “...You’re not with them either, I take it.”
The man was silent for a moment, before he looked down at Malik, "If you know Marcelle so well, what was her favorite city to go on vacation?"
"Lyon, she had the time of her life there," Malik said, trying to stay cool. "Look, I don't know... wait, are you Graham Morris?" The thought occurred to Malik when he remembered what the man said earlier.
Again, he was silent. "That is correct."
"Look, we would love your help. We have a team of people willing to go up against the Family," Malik started off. "And I've been trying my hardest to find Marcelle. Just give me a break here..."
A few tense moments passed.
Which felt like an eternity of being at the mercy of this invisible man.
Then he pulled the gun away, and placed it into the holster hidden underneath his longcoat. "Alright, I'll play ball."
Malik sighed in relief. "Thanks friend, thought you were going to kill me there for a second..."
Rhea relaxed, clasping her hands together. "Halle - frikin' - lujah." An invisible man with some goddamn sense — the very one Marcelle seemed to trust.
"So, you're looking for Marcelle?" Graham asked.
"That's the reason why I flew to America, and started collecting the dead drops, fightin' the Family..." Malik shrugged. "... You know.
Fortunately for Graham, he was invisible so his facial expressions were impossible to tell. "You said you had a team, who are they?"
The courier stepped in for this one. “A small conglomerate of people from RAVEN and CID, working independently and under the radar.” Rhea said. It was the safest answer, not giving away any individual identification.
"RAVEN?" Graham answered. "I doubt you should place your trust in them... given how many Agents the Family has in their pockets...." He wasn't in America long enough to tell who this CID even was. "I am with the British MISW investigating a lead on the Family in America - Oh, Malik, this keeps concerning me, but you mentioned you came to America?"
"Yeah, I was in Morocco when I got a message from Marcelle," Malik nodded his head.
"May you play it for me?"
Malik quickly dug through his pocket to pull out his phone, before finding the message, and putting it on speaker...
"Malik, c’est le dernier message que vous allez recevoir de moi pour un certain temps. Mais, permettez-moi de vous donner une explication. Je dois vous que beaucoup. J’ai été envoyé vers l’Amérique pour aller d’infiltration pour la Direction généralede la sécurité humaine méta, mais les gens qu'ils veulent savoir sur... la famille fondatrice... Ce sont des gens fous. J’ai soufflé ma couverture... et ils viennent après moi.C’est le meilleur que je pouvais aller à vous avant qu’ils me trouvent. Ne venez pasme chercher."
Graham was quiet yet again...
"... That has to be before she fell under the effects of that damn drug. Pre-recorded." He said as he walked off to the side, with his hands in his pockets.
"What do you mean?"
"Marcelle was given an experimental drug by a member of the Blessed Three... I don't know the details, but she felt quite addicted to it. So addicted that she made a mistake and blew her own cover."
Malik was... concerned for Marcelle. That was an understatement, his heart was racing. Not only was Marcelle addicted to a weird drug, but she was also found out. With the Family... they are crazy, man. He couldn't help but feel like she's already dead. He couldn't formulate a single sentence.
"... But, there is a glimmer of hope." Graham said. "I know where Marcelle might be held..."
That gloominess that was overcoming Malik was replaced with a ray of sunshine. "Really?! Where?!" He said, sounding like a child.
"They have a major base of operations in Silver Hills, Hailey Boulevard... an ISD building that is the cover for a massive underground complex..." Graham said as he took a few steps towards the group. "I have the fleeting suspicion that she's there, but lacked the manpower to go investigate..."
He groaned.
"Against the likes of the Hound, and their Blessed Three, I am powerless..."
Well, that's relieving. Rhea tilted her head back. Towards Malik she didn't say a word, but she knew how the game was played. Before this, she thought they were tailing a dead woman. Graham, however, offered more than just a sliver of hope. If Malik and her knew Marcelle was still living, breathing — despite having an addiction — they would be more empowered to find her. A state of mind like that was a force to be reckoned with. Who cared if she was locked away within the enemy fortress?
"Hey, now, don't worry," Malik said. "That's why we're a team."
"We're?" Graham asked.
"Well... let me put it this way," Malik said as he walked over to Graham. "If you help us find Marcelle, we'll help you defeat the family. Deal?"
Graham paused, as if he was considering it. "... Very well. Deal."
"We'll shake on it." Malik said as he put his hand out, and Graham firmly shook it.
"But, I prefer to work alone," Graham said. "I will help you... but, I think it would work better if I stay hidden, so to speak. Helping you from the shadows..."
"... Now you sound like our leader." Malik said.
Rhea chuckled. "Ooh, spooky. Well, the help is appreciated." Especially with the Family, and their crazies.
Graham slowly walked to the edge of the building, before he turned his head and looked back at them. "Just do me a favor and avoid mentioning this encounter... we'll keep in touch."
"Yeah, we sure will..." Malik said, still happy that he may have a lead on where Marcelle is.
Graham suddenly vanished, and Malik wondered if he was still there or not.
But, that wasn't important.
"Okay, yes!" Malik said as he turned to Rhea. "Our first real lead on Marcelle in awhile! But... maybe we should go contact boss-man?"
He reached behind himself, and pulled out the dead drop spike.
"... And show him this, yeah?"
Rhea nodded. "Agreed. Then, a scouting mission around Hailey Boulevard, mm?" A mischievous smile played across her face.
"Yeah." Malik grinned back.
He was close to finding Marcelle! He's so excited.
It was exactly ten years since Julia's inauguration, and the ten year old girl was now all grown up. Currently in her twenties... and her so called training had come to an end. She was now a fully pledged member of the Blessed Three. She had all the benefits... all power over this organization. Alongside her father, of course. She was interested in all the knowledge they had in their possession. Which is why she was spending most of her time in the library underneath the building. Studying. They had already trained her in the field of biology... to the point where she was a medical genius that could pull off feats that no one else could.... but medicine and biology was getting boring. She needed more to excite her. With a snap of her fingers, a male Secretary had stacked another pile of books on her desk to read while she shifted her current book aside. Ready to continue this meticulous process until she was a genius in every field there was. She is Blessed, after all.
"...Master Julia?" A woman spoke from behind her, and made the sitting Julia turn her head to see an Indian woman wearing the same form-fitting suit as the rest of the Secretaries, but she remembered her as being one of her father's Secretaries. "Your father would like to speak with you in private. He said it's an urgent matter."
Julia didn't like the sound of urgent, but she would get to the bottom of it soon enough. Julia stood up onto both feet, and nodded her head at the Secretary. Following behind her slowly. What could it possibly be threatening the Family? Is there really an obstacle that the Blessed Three couldn't surmount?
Arriving in Shane's quarters, Julia looked up at her father pacing back and fourth in his office. When he turned his head towards Julia, he couldn't help but smile. "Oi, Julia," Shane said, "You made it, have a seat, we have much to discuss." Snapping his fingers, his Secretaries pulled out a chair in front of his desk that Julia sat down on, and Shane sat behind the desk with his hands folded.
"There is another candidate for the Blessed Three," Shane bluntly started off.
"Who?" Julia asked.
"The son of two loyal members of our society... the Schmidts," He stood up, and folded his hands behind his back, and started pacing back and fourth behind his desk. "They produced a son that hits all the prerequisites. His father is a genius, and his mother is a Olympic level athlete - and has a PhD - which means the elders are considering this boy for title of Blessed Three...."
"But, father, I thought you said that the position of the Blessed Three belonged to our family - the O'Sullivans?" Julia quizzed, only to get swatted away with another comment.
"I thought I could delay it long enough for your sister to be ready..." Shane groaned, shaking his head. "This boy has to survive the ritual to prove he belongs among us, there isn't anything to-"
"... Sister?" Julia questioned, wondering what in the hell her father was talking about since he never mentioned a sister before.
"Oh, I've never told you, my little secret" Shane said as he leaned in forward, and used his hands to balance his upper-body against the desk. He was about to say something, having his mouth wide open, before he firmly shut it, saying, "...I think it's best that I show you."
He looked over towards his Secretary, "Saanvi, prepare the transportation."
She bowed, saying, "Right away, sir."
Faircrest Woods, Roseview.
A limo transported the entire O'Sullivan family through Prince-Edfield to the southernmost parts of Baybridge known as Roseview. A limousine was not the most inconspicuous vehicle (Especially in Roseview, the last place you'd expect to see a limousine in Baybridge), but it was definitely comforting. The interior of this vehicle was a nice padded red color... but, it was nothing special to Julia. It was mundane even. She sat right across from her father, and his Secretaries, with her legs crossed in a proper manner, and her hands gently resting on her lap. She would rather continue studying those books, but the mention of a sister sparked her curiosity. What sparked it even further was the fact that her father was taking her all the way across Baybridge.
In all her curiosity, she barely even noticed the limousine stopping, and her father and his Secretaries stepping out.
Shaking her head as she was knocked back into reality, a Secretary opened the door for her, and she slid her way out. The first thing she caught eye of was the massive mansion before her... she turned around, and saw the large gates. She wondered what this facility was, but it couldn't have been on the radars of the Family if she hadn't seen or heard of it until today. The doors were opened by the Secretaries, and Julia was lead in. The large group were lead through the halls of the mansion, until they arrived at a large door with a keypad on the side. Shane punched in the code, and the doors opened wide... revealing a dark basement that just reeked with an acrid smell of some kind. She had to cover her nose.
"Now, you have to keep this a secret, as the Elders don't know about this facility..." Shane said, "... Nor do they know about what I'm about to show you."
A Secretary turned on the lightswitch, and the concrete steps were well illuminated. Well, the only thing that they seemed to be able to do was head straight down, and Julia took up the rear as she realized that Shane must really be hiding a secret of some kind. Julia heard of the schism that divided the Family... could this be it?
Eventually, they reached the bottom of the steps, and Shane flipped one more switch, and Julia's eyes fell on the contents of the room... her eyes going wide, and her jaw going slack, as the shock overcame her. But, she found herself taking steps towards it. Towards the large objects that were on the other side of the room. Placing a hand across the glass as she stared inside....
There was a human being - floating in liquid - In the fetal position. Inside of a large pod that was like a test tube. Various pieces of machinery were attached to it. She couldn't take her eyes off what was inside... it was a human being, but incomplete. Many body parts were small, and weak looking. Almost like a large fetus.
"Father..." Julia asked, as she looked back behind her father. "...W-what is this?"
"Julia, you ever question your mother's identity? Why she was never around, or even mentioned?"
Julia reluctantly nodded her head.
"Because, you never had one," Shane bluntly said as he turned away from Julia, folding his arms behind his back, "You're a brand of perfection created not from decades of foolish eugenics, but by my design. I specifically used my genes as a template, and pick and choose everything about you until you were, just that, perfect."
Julia was at a loss for words, she couldn't help but keep staring at what was on the other side.
"It was decades of hard work, Julia," Shane said. "With the Family's resources at my disposal, I found the keys to creating life itself. Just think of the possibilities, Julia. We can create a new brand of perfect and lead the Family into greatness. But, not just that, but we can do things that no one else on Earth is capable of doing."
"But, what is this...?" Julia trailed off.
"Well, you see, Julia, you weren't the first attempt... there were many others that had to be flushed because they weren't... perfect," Shane started off. "Some came close, but I couldn't accept that... and when I finally got it right, I knew I couldn't stop there. I had to create more... this right here... is your sister. Isn't she beautiful?"
Julia was once again at a loss for words... she was wondering if she was even human - No. She was nothing but a lab experiment. Just her father's pride and joy. She looked up at the man with fear in her eyes as she wondered if she should even keep going. If she should kill her father, and...
Even though she wasn't born with a mother, does that mean she should stop and doubt everything?
She feels human. I think, therefore... I am. Julia thought to herself to gently reassure herself.
"...I have nothing to say."
"I know it might be a shock... all of this," Shane said. "But, trust me, Princess."
Julia narrowed her eyes at Shane upon hearing those words.
"Let me teach you what I know, let me teach you how I did it," Shane said as he put his hands on Julia's shoulders, looking her in the eye. "Forget about those books you've been studying, they will not help you with the genetic-talents that you have running through you. We can make the Founding Family perfect..."
Julia looked off to the side for a moment, as if she was considering it.
"...Yes father." Those words were hard to say... Father. Was he really her father? She looked back towards the test tube.
That thing was as much of a parent as Shane... and the mere concept was horrifying.
"Good... good, good, good, I knew you would do it, Princess," Shane said. "One benefit that came out of the failures was that I discovered something useful... maybe the imperfections have a use. I have started a new project of mine that I want you to finish..."
He looked up at the tube.
"...The ZODIAC project."
Blake Schmidt... Nineteen years ago...
"He's here! He survived the ritual, he is blessed."
A woman shouted as a small figure stepped out of two large metal doors, accompanied by two well-dressed women - that were most likely Secretaries (His Secretaries). He was a boy that had to be no older than thirteen, with messy-black hair, and sharp-green eyes. He was wearing a tuxedo with a black king's robe draped over his shoulders. As he walked into the room, they were practically throwing confetti at him, but his eyes landed on an older man wearing a matching tuxedo, and a proud look on his face.
"I knew he could do it... I knew he was blessed from the get go..." The man said as a tear fell from his eyes. "My son..." He trailed off.
The boy looked off to the side, so he didn't make eye contact with the man.
"... Blake Schmidt."
"Oh, my, um," A woman said as she walked up to Blake. She was different from the other Secretaries because, while well-dressed, she was quite expressive, and got close to Blake as she looked him in the eye. "We'll have to get you trained by the elders soon as possible... Once you're finished, you'll be perfect."
A loud clapping came from the other side of the room. A slow, rhythmic clap. Everyone turned towards it.
It heralded the arrival of both Shane and Julia O'Sullivan.
"Oh, sorry we're late," Shane said as he looked around. "What? Did we miss the inauguration of the boy who will be taking the final position of the Blessed Three?" He asked.
"No, you're just in time." The woman said, stepping aside, and letting Shane get a good view of the boy... Inferior. He doesn't deserve a position among the Blessed Three, but if that is what the Elders want... He'll put up with the child for now.
"Now, you must be Blake Schmidt," Shane said. "I've heard so much about you! How about, before your inauguration... we should perhaps clash? Test power to power?" Shane asked as he put a hand on his chest.
"Oh, lord Shane, he isn-"
"No," Blake said as he finally took a step forward. "If I am going to stand with the Blessed Three... I have to do this."
Blake's right arm exploded in flames as his suit was burnt to tatters... he stared down Shane.
"Oh? I will not be sparring you tonight," Shane said as he stepped aside, putting Julia in front. "My Daughter, who has all my greatest attributes... shall be standing in for me."
I'm just an accomplishment for him.... Julia trailed off as she took a similar stance, with the left side of her body being encompassed with cold, hard, ice that sent a chilling aura through the air.
The young Blake jumped through the air with his flaming hand cocked back, throwing it forward as Julia merely threw her frozen hand up and caught the punch from the young boy. The clash pressed on for a few more moments before Blake's fist suddenly turned into stone and he wrestled his hand free from Julia's grasp. Throwing both of them back several feet.
Shane looked on, excited.
After their spar, Shane had gathered both into his office, for a talk that is supposed to take place before Blake's inauguration. The boy merely sat there, staring at the tall, Irish-man, that was supposed to be perfect in every single way. But, Blake knew that he was even more perfect. He will be the one to lead the Family, not this man. He crossed his arms and casually gazed to his left to see this man's daughter, Julia, merely sitting with her legs crossed, and her hands rested on her lap.
"Now, that the Blessed Three is completed, there is something I need to tell you," Shane said as he paced back and fourth in front of the two. "For years I was the sole member of the Blessed Three – the supreme leader – only because there was a disagreement over how the organization should be... run." He shuddered for a moment.
"Years ago when I was young, there were two others; Juno Anagnos, and Abdu Nasser. We were the Blessed Three – incredibly powerful, we had it all."
Shane bitterly spoke... almost like he was betrayed, he shook his head for a moment. "But, they wanted to change the organization into something that went against the very doctrine of the Founding Family. They wanted to halt our genetic experimentation all because ti was inhumane."
He stopped, before he hissed, "They were never Blessed to begin with. They were merely fools that let their emotions get the best of them."
He stopped for a moment, before he said, "I told the Elders of this, and they were going to be stripped of their position... but, it ended in a civil war between those who believed in the core ideology of the organization, and those who followed the fools... it was like a second ritual because, in the end, I succeeded yet again."
Julia got the underlying message of Shane's speech... And she was more frightened by her own father than ever before.
"I killed Abdu... but, Anagnos fled," Shane started off, "But, I found out where that traitor scampered off to. She is hiding in Ireland with her brood of bastards..."
"So, how does this concern us?" Julia asked, narrowing her eyes. "If she's off hiding in Ireland, then she is most likely paying the Family little mind..." She tried to convince her father that going after her would be foolish.
"She knows secrets of the Founding Family... she can single-handedly ruin us, especially when young Blake here is merely in training...." Shane answered. "Even if she has no interest in us, we cannot let her live with those secrets."
Julia sighed.
"Julia, I have arranged for a flight to Ireland so we can have a word with her..." Shane said, he turned towards Blake. "You are too young and inexperienced to handle someone like Juno... she is a powerful Metahuman on par with me, but me and Julia should be more than enough for her...."
Julia sighed.
"... Yes, father."
"Good... we'll leave the inauguration to Blake."
The boy raised his head.
"... It's your big day, Blake, go make them proud."
Ezekiel Anagnos... Nineteen years ago...
The Irish Country-side...
It was practically a routine for the young Ezekiel to find a book, and go wander the Irish-country side.
There was virtually no one here save for a few vacationers, and other roamers. It was difficult for Ezekiel to find peace and quiet in his house as everyone would bother him as he's trying to read. A part of him wanted to go explore Ireland... it's a big country, and Ezekiel's practically an ant. Stepping on a stick, Ezekiel raised a finger up into the air, and it was encompassed with an electric spark that went up and down his finger, before it disappeared.
... Well, ants don't have the power Ezekiel has, far as he can tell.
For now, the sun was getting ready to set, so Ezekiel would rather not wander around aimlessly at night, electrokinesis or not. He just needs to make sure he doesn't fall asleep at the tree again at the dead of night. Under his arm, he had Thus Spoke Zarathustra... a book that was a little ahead of him, but Ezekiel, thanks to his mother, could understand philosophy and the concepts suggested by Nietzsche just fine.
Getting to the top of the hill, Ezekiel sat down, leaned his back up against the tree, and looked down at the book...
... Right before he could even get into it, gunshots rang from the direction of his home. Followed by roaring bolt of lightning. One that lit up the nightsky, followed by an explosive boom, before fading away.
The boy's eyes opened wide, as he nearly dropped his book. Ezekiel was tempted to run away, but he recognized that electricity. He ran over to his house with the book underneath his shoulder, and every step he took he heard more electricity crackle, and pulse...
He leaned up against the wall, and peaked around the corner to see.... Chaos. Bodies everywhere, so are shell casings... but, most frightening of all....
... Was his own mother.
"Shane..." Ezekiel's mother spoke with dead seriousness as she floated a few inches off the ground. All around her was bodies... Intimidation Unit soldiers that were immolated, or skewered with their own weapons, from Juno's onslaught. She stared down the Irish-man who was merely running a hand through his hair, and resumed staring her down.
"Juno, even though you've... slacked in the training regime..." Shane trailed off, looking at all the weight that the former member of the Blessed Three put on. "You're still as powerful as ever... ruthless, too."
He pointed at a dead body of an Intimidation Unit... who had her own rifle jammed through her skull.
"You slaughter my men like animals even though you renounced all that made you... tell me, do you pick and choose your morality?"
"Shane, don't give me that shit!" Juno shouted at the top of her lungs as her electric abilities flared. She pointed at Shane. "You're not 'like' animals, you are all animals. You've come all the way here to threaten me and my children even though we were done with you narcissists!"
"Nonetheless," Shane said. "Why were you even acting like you could renounce what made you? This was just a long time coming, Juno."
He snapped his fingers and more of the Intimidation Unit came rolling up with their weapons drawn.
"You're right," Juno started off. "It is a long time coming... I finally get to finish what I started twenty years ago!"
All of the Intimidation Unit opened fire with their assault rifles, but all their bullets came to a stop as they were surrounded with sparks of electricity. Juno threw both hands forward and a barrage cut through the soldiers of the Founding Family as she flew right into the thick of the group. What would be a suicidal move... only got her closer. One man tried to hit her with the butt of his gun, only for the weapon to blow his own head off. Juno pointed both hands forward and shot a bolt of lightning that split off into several streams that shocked at least seven soldiers at once.
The weapons from the fallen soldiers were levitated as Juno charged through the small army at Shane. Right when they tried to aim their weapons at her again, the guns were literally ripped from their hands.... they were realizing it wasn't working and chose to rush her all at once without their weapons. That's when Juno created an "orb" out of all the guns that she had taken... there was a weapon pointing in every single direction. They quickly turned around, and tried to run for cover, but all it took was one thought for Juno to pull the trigger and continue the massacre against them. Many more members of the Intimidation Unit were killed in that attack alone.
Once the guns were dry, Juno kept going with her rampage against the Founding Family. Condescending all the firearms into an orb and launching it through the very center of their formation. Someone tried to come from behind with a knife, but a quick burst of electricity stunned him, before Juno made the knife swing back around and jam him through the jaw. Before the knife launched off and stabbed another man in the chest.
Finally having enough, Juno spawned as much electricity as she could... making all the Intimidation Unit run for cover, as she killed so many of them they had lost all hope of even trying to kill Juno. Which left their leader defenseless...
"Shane!" Juno shouted at the top of her lungs as she prepared to end this.
"It's about time," Shane said as he looked at his watch. "I was personally wondering when you would let your guard down."
Shane reached into his suit and pulled out a barrage of knives that was propelled through the air by Shane's telekinetic ability. Juno tried to catch it - only for her ability not to work on it.
It's... non-magnetic!
Was the thought she had before the blades pierced her, turning her into a living pin cushion, and before she knew it, she was falling from the sky... she was bleeding profusely... she coughed up a large gulp of blood as she tried to channel her electric ability through her hand, only for it too to get pinned to the ground by an extra blade.
Shane merely walked over to Juno, and stood over top of her.
"S-Shane... y-you bastard." Juno said as she was pinned to the ground.
"Juno..." Shane said. "We could have built a great age for the Family... but, you had to throw it all away, and for what? This?" Shane pointed at the house.
"Great age?" Juno scoffed as she coughed blood. "What a load'a bullshit. We both know that all that would have happened is another few decades of the Family blowing themselves." She said, crass as possible.
"I got tired of it Shane. Tired of torturing all those people... and for what...? Genetic perfection? The longer I remained in the Family, the more I realized that everyone there was nothing but a bunch of kids on a power high! I thought I could appeal to your humanity just like I did Abdu... show you that all of this is wrong... but, clearly, Shane, you don't have any humanity. No moral compass. Nothing. You're basically a maggot in the grand pile of shit that is the Founding Family. I hope you rot in hell."
Shane stared at Juno. Not saying a word as he produced another knife from his suit. Julia, realizing that the smoke finally cleared, looked on... She had something to say,
"Father, is this really necessary?" Julia said, trying to convinced her father to spare Juno. "It's just-"
The knife that he was holding was launched square into Juno's skull, and killed the woman that wiped out so many of his men.
"... We used to be friends, Juno," Shane started off. "But, not anymore..."
He turned off, and ordered the Intimidation Unit. "Round up the rest of the bastards and kill them on sight. We have no use for them."
"Father..." Julia trailed off.
But, on the end of Ezekiel... the boy was on his knees, loudly bawling because of the loss of his mother. However, he was losing control of himself. Electricity sparked off his small frame as he began to float. He overloaded with power, and the display didn't go unnoticed.
"Oh," Shane said as he looked at Ezekiel. "Another of her bastards? Just kill him-"
Ezekiel screamed at the top of his lungs as a bolt of lightning fell from the sky and impacted him. It hit with such force that everyone was sent staggering. Ezekiel pointed both hands at Ezekiel, pulsing with electricity, and let loose a powerful blast of electricity at Shane. The elder member of the Blessed Three loudly screamed as the electricity coursed through him, shaking as everything burned. It was such immense power. No human being can survive it. It wasn't long until Shane's eyeballs popped, and every fiber of his being was set ablaze.
Once it was over, there wasn't much left of Shane except for a burned carcass... Shane fell onto his knees, before hitting the ground. His jaw falling off on impact. Ezekiel went over to his fallen mother....
"Master Shane!" An IU member shouted, before taking aim at Ezekiel.
"Halt! Lower your weapons..." Julia said as he slowly strut over.
"But, Mistress Julia, he killed Master Shane!" The IU member said, refusing to lower his weapons.
Well, Julia gave him a good reason as he grabbed onto him, and froze him solid. His screams were brief before he was encased in ice. Pulling her hand back, Julia snapped her fingers before the man crumbled to pieces. The remaining members of the IU got Julia's message.
"Now... as of now, the official story is that Juno and Shane killed each other in combat," Julia stopped and looked over her shoulder. "Am I clear?"
"But, that was your father...?" The IU member was amazed by her callousness.
"Yeah, was," Julia coldly said. "He's gone, and that means I am the authority here."
Since they were just as frightened by Julia, the Intimidation Unit merely followed her orders.
"And call off the search for the rest of those kids, will you?"
Nodding his head, they put in the order as Julia walked over to the sobbing Ezekiel. She squat down, and looked at him for a moment. Pretty sad... Julia should be feeling the same way about Shane, but he was nothing but her creator. Shane will die with that secret as Julia merely holds onto the fantasy that she wasn't a produced abomination.
"Hey kid," Julia softly said, getting Ezekiel's attention as he stared at her. "I know what happened here was hard on you... but, I think I have an offer for you. You interested?"
Ezekiel nodded his head, and Julia smiled.
"... There's a vacant spot in my organization for you."
Regal Square, Prince-Ed-Field.
It was a few days later... and people were skeptical of Ezekiel. Having little idea of who he is... and those that did knew he was the daughter of a traitor. However, Julia was able to convince the elders to give him a chance on the basis that he's the son of a Blessed Three, and one of their top scientists. He must be blessed. Even now, Julia walked as Ezekiel walked up to the very same metal doors that she walked up to when she was just ten years old... now, she was curious whether or not she was made to be perfect just like her father said.
But, now, the metal doors opened for Ezekiel, and now Julia will see if Ezekiel lives up to her expectations. The ritual was something else... if he dies, then it won't be of any loss to the Family, and they'll just find another. Julia just shrugged.
Ezekiel stared at the doors in silent fear... before the doors opened, and Ezekiel stepped inside. Wearing a suit tailored for him on behalf of Julia. The room was bathed in a green light, and there were nothing but white tiles. The people inside were wearing environmental suits.
"Alright, come with me," A man said as he grabbed onto Ezekiel's wrist, and pulled him through the room until he caught sight of a large black vat, with a platform above it with straps. Ezekiel stared at it curiously, but the man pulled his arm to catch his attention. "Are you ready?" The man asked.
Ezekiel nodded his head.
"Good." The man said as he pulled Ezekiel through the room, and the other scientists in environmental suits took off his suit save for his underwear, and hoisted him up on the platform. Strapping him to it as he dangled above it carelessly. Once he was completely strapped, they got off him, and stepped away.
With one pull of a lever, Ezekiel was slowly lowered into it.
"... If you survive we will know you are Blessed, genetically perfect."
Ezekiel barely paid the words any mind... He was hollow at this point. Apathetic. He was lowered into the glowing green liquid and felt... empowered. He felt the Metahuman energy inside the liquid charge him. The longer his skin soaked on it, the more his power went up. He felt the power inside of him. The electricity sparked off his being... going through the liquid and even being visible at the very top as it danced.
Ezekiel was barely conscious as his body was adjusting to the newfound power he was receiving... Badly. Ezekiel's already natural electrical ability that he inherited from Juno was being tripled... and the boy could already throw cars, shoot lightning... and now he would develop into a God.
The platform was raised, and Ezekiel was alive... his body was surrounded with electricity, and he was loudly panting. The employees of the Family looked on in amazement.
"... He really is Blessed."
Julia O'Sullivan... Nineteen years ago...
Faircrest Woods, Roseview.
After the death of her father, Julia quickly went back to America, and right to her father's secret little project... She walked down the concrete steps accompanied by her Secretaries, and walked up to the pod with an apathetic look on her face. She stared at the embryo inside, tilting her head to the side. Julia placed her hand against the pod, and traced her fingers across it slowly. Creating a thin layer of ice as her fingers graced across it.
"Part of me is tempted to kill you," Julia said in a blank tone. "Put you out of your misery..."
She took her hand off the pod.
"... But, you're the same as me; a creation instead of a person. Not born of flesh and love... but, a machination...."
She shuddered as she said creation.
"I can find a use for you... according to my father, you will be finished in about... five years?" Julia said. "Once you are complete, I will decide what to do with you. For now... you are a variable that not even the Family knows about."
Julia turned away from her "sister," and folded her hands behind her back.
"Sleep easy... Chloe."
The elder O'Sullivan named her sister as she took a few steps forward, and spoke to her Secretaries as she walked up the stairs.
"This facility will remain a strict secret," Julia said. "No one knows about what it is, or what goes on here. In addition, bring all of my father's research, and store it in the confines of this mansion."
A twisted grin formed on her face.
"... I'm going to make use of my father's research."
Several days of literally slaving away at this machine, and Jiao-Long was reaching his limit.
He was leaning forward on this machine, and adding components to it. The Family was denying him basic human needs as "motivation" to finish working on this machine. If he did good for the day, they would at least let him shower (they fed him and kept him hydrated so they wouldn't lose their precious scientist). Long as he knows Chunhua is okay, he'll keep working on this machine - but, he has the sinking feeling that they would dispose of him the moment he stopped being useful. Chunhua too. Damn that Biyu. If it wasn't for her, he wouldn't be in this mess to begin with. Jiao-Long's eyes narrowed at the unfairness at the situation, and his work ethic became much rougher - until it had literally exploded in his face.
A mass of smoke and sparks exploded outward from the Machine, and gave Jiao-Long quite the scare. He shielded his face with his arms, as he coughed, shaking the smoke away. He looked at it, and noticed a fire in the machinery... and fire was bad. Jiao-Long quickly looked around, as he dreaded what the Blessed Three would do to him if a fire ruins their machine. He pulled off his jacket...
Only for a female Secretary to run around him with a fire extinguisher, and sprayed it with fire extinguishing agents. Jiao-Long was relieved... except when he realized just who this woman was. He lowly turned around, to see Ezekiel Anagnos standing behind him with his arms crossed, and impatiently tapping his foot on the floor.
"Mr. Liu..." Ezekiel said, with an eyebrow raised, and a very irritated tone. He was narrowing staring Jiao-Long down. "Need I remind you have zero room for such errors?"
"Oh, I am sorry, Ezekiel, very sorry." Jiao-Long said, bowing his head.
Ezekiel bared his teeth. He raised a hand in the air, and it was surrounded with an electrical aura. "If it turns out you are sabotaging my machine..."
"Lay off him, Ezekiel," Julia said, rather bored as a male Secretary was filing her nails. "You're wasting more time getting fed up over it."
Ezekiel loudly grunted as he spat out, "Fine... Jiao-Long, just work on-"
Their conversation was interrupted by a portal appearing in the center of the complex. Stepping through the portal was the trio - followed by the Black Hound. His eyes were shining a bright red color as he lead them into the room. Ezekiel grinned ear to ear.
"My, my, Hound..." Ezekiel crossed his arms while he grinned. "...It seems as if you really do deliver."
The Hound looked around. "Where is Master Schmidt?"
Ezekiel rolled his eyes. "He went off to handle some business with intruders."
"When in actuality, he just got bored of working on the machine and went there to entertain himself." Julia said with a smile.
While they were chattering, Dr. Cross was looking up at the impressive spire that the Founding Family had erected. It was their pride and joy. "...This is your secret project you wanted me to work on?"
"Like it?" Ezekiel asked, rhetorically, "It is of my design, after all."
The Mannequin was silent in this exchange - he examined the machine, and wondered what he could get out of this. Ultimately, he could simply just sabotage the machine, and slip out of here... but, he had a faint loyalty to Dr. Cross, and Ignatius.
"So, what's this thing do?" Ignatius asked. "Please don't tell me it'll blow up the moon." He rolled his eyes.
"Let me save you Blake's theatrics and say it'll turn everyone on Earth into a Metahuman." Julia said.
"Oh." Ignatius merely shrugged.
Seemingly on cue, a portal opened and Blake Schmidt stepped through with a confident look on his face, followed by his legion of Secretaries. His suit was in tatters - covered in holes, and other burns. "Ah, I solved the problem with the kids harassing us for good..." Blake adjusted his tie which had thankfully survived. "Let's just say the Machine now has more fuel."
He then turned towards the Hound and his group. "Oh! Splendid, you recovered Dr. Cross!"
"That is correct, sir."
"But, given that the Machine is almost finished..." Blake trailed off as he walked over towards Dr. Cross. "...With you here, it should be complete in less than an hour."
"Then comes the charging phase." Ezekiel said with a smile.
"But, with our enemies closing in on us... I think it's about time that we use that secret weapon to buy us some time..."
"You don't mean...?" Julia asked. "But, Blake, it'll destroy all of us with it."
"Not if we employ our little defensive measures..." Blake said, before he looked up at the semi-completed machine.
Maximilian Cornell.
RAVEN/DOVE Joint East Coast Headquarters. Black Fall, Pennsylvania.
The east coast headquarters of RAVEN is much more in line with the headquarters that NEST had in Verthaven - before it was destroyed, of course. They were already in the progress of building another headquarters on the east coast only so they can have such a base more readily available. When NEST was disbanded, all that happened was the logos were changed as construction continued, and eventually finished. And it was a tower that stood above Black Fall, a shining light of hope and optimism for the city. Maximilian himself had an office on the very top floor of the building... and God damn he hated it. It took forever to get up and down. To the point where he briefly considered punching out the window with Echo, and flying down himself.
It was late at night in Black Fall, Maximilian was merely enjoying a coffee as he leaned back in his chair. He was gearing up to head home.
"Maximilian!" A wheelchair bound woman pushed the door open with all of her strength, as she wheeled her way over to Maximilian. "West coast headquarters is under attack! The Hound destroyed all of it."
Maximilian, in rage, crushed the coffee cup in his hand. Blood seeped out of the wound, but he didn't give a shit. He heard about the Founding Family, and the Hound, but his superiors told him to stay out of it because there are other places that need RAVEN's protection - he also knew that with the survivors of Verthaven there, the people he trusted could easily defend the city. But, can they really turn an eye now? Maximilian had a feeling that the situation would get a lot worse...
...If he didn't step in of course.
"Dana, have someone arrange a flight to Baybridge for us," Maximilian said as she pushed himself up to his feet on his desk, "Get ready to take the express trip out of headquarters..."
"Wait, what?"
Maximilian walked over to Dana, and grabbed the wheelchair bound woman by both sides, and lifted her head. Behind him, a golden light appeared and materialized into a humanoid form that was gigantic compared to the two of them. Because it was twice the size of the already large Maximilian. The humanoid eventually took the shape of Maximilian's exact appearance. Down to the clothes he wore.
"...Echo." Maximilian said to himself as the golden light turned around and punched out the window. With one strike - that went with blurring speeds - the window which was guarded from even bullets was blown to pieces. Maximilian focused, as he flew over towards the broken window, leaving Dana confused.
"Maximilian?!" She said, confused as they come.
And in a matter of seconds, both of them flying over Black Fall. With Echo flying right above them, as they went straight for the airport.
"Take it out of my check." Maximilian said with a grin.
Two Hours later... 10:42 PM.
Veronica Davis, & The Founding Family.
Hailey Boulevard, Silver Hills.
It seems that RAVEN can't defend a position for the life of them.
If Veronica was in that situation at the very least, she would have killed them before they had a chance to be liberated in the first place, but no. Now that makes Veronica's job harder because now the Blessed Three are closer and closer to their goals, and Veronica now has less wiggle room! Maybe the end of days won't be that bad? Regardless, that just means she just has to work harder before everything goes horribly wrong. What Veronica pondered for a moment was whether or not she could get RAVEN into their headquarters without them realizing it was her. Because, far as she can tell, RAVEN has a thumb so far up their own ass they might as well be a gastroenterologist.
She was walking down the halls of the base in Silver Hills... since she was called in here by the so called Blessed Three. All Veronica wants to do is lead RAVEN straight to the Family's base, but with their base in ruins, and their soldiers dead... that wasn't looking so good. Veronica might have to pull all the weight herself. She passed by two IU members, and then she heard them immediately whisper something to each other as if Veronica wouldn't notice. For a moment, she wondered if she should even pay them the mind, and just keep walking. But, now she's paranoid. Wondering if the Intimidation Unit is catching on. Especially since they caught those kids that were sneaking around in here, and somebody is responsible for letting them in here. It wasn't Veronica, because why the fuck would she be helping kids?
After all, the only reason why she's so "loyal" to the Family is that they have her sisters. If they weren't in her care, then... Veronica would fake her death or something, and hide out in the Caribbean somewhere with her sisters. Apart of the woman was wondering whether or not Maxine even went back to headquarters. She wouldn't be surprised if Max just chose not to deal with the hassle, and wait for the attack to be over. Rushing in headfirst would have been completely idiotic - and she was hoping Maxxie wasn't that stupid.
Drifting into the main lobby, Veronica saw three portals open, and she dipped back behind the wall to peak around the corner. She narrowed her eyes upon witnessing the entire Blessed Three stepping through the portal with their horde of Secretaries. Her eyes widened when she briefly wondered why the fuck they were here... Oh no. Their machine, it has to be finished.... but, even if it is, why are they here?
Well, Veronica had a way of finding out, of course.
Veronica slowly walked up to the three, and bowed... while she hated the idea of bowing to them, she long learned exactly what to do to get their trust. While bowed, she said, "Master Blake... what brings you and the Blessed Three here?"
Blake crossed his arms and grinned. "Ah, we just finished up work on our big project, and came here to start up another real quick."
When Veronica raised her head, she caught sight of someone that made her eyes widen a bit, and her aura of confident evaporate... Ivete. A girl that she had known for awhile now, at Blake's side as a Secretary. She knew of all the perverse things that the Blessed Three were doing with their dolls (Veronica herself even participated in them), but seeing this girl like this sent a chill down her spine. All because she had a hand in turning this girl into what she is.
Veronica wondered if Ivete's family still hated her.
"...That is great, master Blake," Veronica started off, trying to hide her internal cringing at her own sins. "What is your project if I may implore?"
"Ah, my loyal Veronica," Blake said, "...How about I show you?"
Veronica was lead through the base into the deeper confines of the laboratory underneath the building. The eerie, acrid smelling, place that Veronica stayed away from only because she had a sensitive nose. However, knowing what this project was is of utmost importance if she was going to pass the information onto RAVEN through her good friend Maxxie. Eventually, the group arrived at a large metal double door that was opened by Ezekiel. Hm... far as Veronica could tell, this was a lab that belonged to Julia, and was dedicated to her various projects (where as the last laboratory was all about Ezekiel's many mechanic projects). These labs were lined with tiles, and bright lights, as the whole place smelled clean. Since this was where Julia did her personal projects (the ones that couldn't fit in that tower of theirs).
Hm... Veronica wondered where Makoto was, usually she would have annoyed her by now... regardless, Veronica was lead through the halls of the base.
Until, they had arrived at their destination - what Blake wanted to show them. Veronica stopped in the middle of a hallway, and peered through a glass window into a large room. She was certainly interested in what was on the other side of the window... it was a man strapped to a machine of some sort. He was devoid of clothing other than his underwear, but he was bond in a T. Both his arms and legs were bound by metal straps (His eyes were covered by a dome-shaped helmet made out of metal), as scientists in the room attached IV lines to various parts of his body.
"Ah, how familiar are you with the Beast of Prague, Ms. Davis?" Blake said as he leaned in close to Veronica, putting a hand on her shoulder, and leaving the Canadian woman wondering what to say next.
"I heard of what happened there," Veronica aptly answered. She knew the Family did it to intimidate the Czech Republic.
That's when Blake leaned in really close to Veronica, "...We're going to do it again." The words made Veronica shudder.
"Wait," Veronica took a step away. "And destroy the city?"
"Ah, that is the plan... we're going to leave RAVEN too preoccupied to worry about us," Blake said, clapping his hands together, and rubbing them roughly. "And we can finish charging the machine in peace while they're fighting it."
"What if this thing destroys your Machine? What then?" Veronica skeptically asked.
"We'll just deploy our little shield if it gets close... remember the one that we gave to NEST to put over Verthaven, Philadelphia... etc?" Blake asked, but before Veronica could answer, he finished. "We have one there - just on a smaller scale. It should keep the Beast out while he continues his rampage elsewhere."
Hmph... Veronica also knows about a little countermeasure that the Family employed in case the shield gets abused. She'll have to sneak in and get some.
"Either way, we need all hands on deck for this one," Blake said as he put his hands behind his back. "In case RAVEN finds this base like those brats did... we'll have the Hound, Bonecrusher, you, Onryo, and the full might of the Blessed Three - in their weakened state, they are just no match for us!" Blake put a closed fist into his open palm to punctuate his point.
Yeah, no match for us. Veronica mused to herself when she realized she had to urgently tell RAVEN of this base. If they let another Beast into Baybridge... at this hour, there would be no doubt that the Blessed Three's plan would reach fruition completely. But, in all of their arrogance, the Blessed Three never realized that some of their greatest servants dulled humanity are starting to shine in the face of their numerous atrocities.
"Now, get to work, if RAVEN does find this location, we're going to need you on the front lines," Blake said as he pushed Veronica along, and she was pretty quick to get out herself. What Veronica had to do was contact Maxine soon as possible, and inform her of what the Blessed Three is planning here. But, first, she needs to get something out of here. Veronica knew that she would definitely need this for later. The armory was hidden in the underground catacombs of this lab, because it made no sense to put an armory in the cover part of the building. She pushed open the doors to the armory, and the quartermaster looked up at her.
"Veronica, what do you need?" The man asked.
"I just need to head in there, and have a look around," Veronica said.
The Quartermaster was skeptical, "At what?"
"Look, it's orders from the Black Hound himself," Veronica said, "He wants to check if everything is exactly where it needs to be."
He rolled his eyes, "Oh, alright." He pressed a button and the door opened. "Just make sure to be quick about it, I don't want to get yelled at for breaking protocol."
Veronica strut her way inside, and realized that she absolutely had to be quick about it. There were many shelves full of weapons, that Veronica had quite frankly ignored. She went to the very back towards the special lockers that had exactly what she was looking for. They were locked with a key that Veronica had swiped away from another quartermaster during a... rendezvous with another IU. She slid the key into the locker, and turned it. Slowly opening the door, and revealing the contents.
A long lance of some sort. It had a blade like a longsword, but plenty of machinery leading up to it. The lances designed to pierce through the shields the Blessed Three created. Only used if RAVEN began to use the same technology, or if there was a situation where they were necessary. Veronica wondered why they would leave them where anyone can get them, but it was convenient for her. She pointed over towards the side, and used her telekinesis to grab a weapon's case that was large enough to fit them. She placed all four of them inside, before she closed the locker behind her.
Now came the challenge of slipping them past the man without him raising a fuss. She needed a quick plan before he turns around... and raises a fuss. Hmmmm... Veronica looked up at the lights overhead, and got an idea. She raised her hand up into the air, surrounding herself with her wavy telekinetic aura, before every light bulb in the room was spontaneously crushed underneath the pressure of her immense telekinetic ability.
The Quartermaster looked up, shouting, "What the hell? Are they screwing around with the grid again?" He said as he dug underneath.
In this moment, Veronica slipped on by him in the complete darkness of the room... but, just to keep him from getting suspicious, she said, "Good grief," Veronica said. "I'm going have to save my report for later... but, the Hound will have a word with you, later." By the time he had pulled out his flashlight, she was gone.
Veronica hauled ass through the halls of the base, desperately typing in a text message to Maxine while she heads for the exit,
Max. High Rollers. Royer. It's important.
Veronica sent the text message as she ran through the secret tunnel that lead to the pizzeria.
Veronica Davis, & Maxine Diaz
Written in collaboration with @FernStone Lower-South Royer Town, Prince-Edfield.
Veronica was waiting in the same abandoned roller-rink that she had met Maxine in a few hours ago. The Family could be watching them, but Veronica needed a place to hide these lances... they're gonna need to later. She was leaning up against a wall with her arms crossed.
"C'mon, Maxxie... you're our only shot." Veronica said to herself as she quietly hummed.
It took Max a bit to arrive, it hadn't exactly been an easy journey to and from the headquarters. Especially with the headquarters being under attack.
Upon her RAVEN cohort arriving, Veronica couldn't help but put on a false smile. It was the best she could do... and she has to keep up the facade of being somewhat interested in her. "The attack on RAVEN headquarters was a dumpster fire, I know," Veronica said. "I'm just glad to see that you're alive."
After the formalities were out of the way, Veronica had to get to the meat... which she should have done from the beginning, "Look, Maxxie, I've been gathering information, and it's important, like really important." She started off, and just decided to cut the rhetoric and get to it, "The Family is planning on creating another Beast here in Baybridge, with the intent on setting it loose on the city to distract RAVEN while they finish the Machine."
If that plan comes to fruition, then everything is going to fall to pieces. RAVEN barely has enough of a force to attack the F-F, and if they release a Beast? Everything burns. The last thing that Veronica wanted was her RAVEN friends getting another kick in the head. But, if they can prevent it.
"I know where the lab is, it's a place in Silver Hills... an ISD building... I know a few secret ways in that you can - but please, you gotta get in there, and kill whatever they're making."
Max nodded. "We'll do that - it seems like someone needs to."
"I have the blueprints to the underground lab, and above, here," Veronica said, reaching into her pocket, and pulling out a blue sheet of paper with the entire F-F base outlined in white - there were notes here and there about notable places of interest, such as where the morgue is, and where the IU armory is located. Though, she looked into Max's eyes for a moment. "... I have been plotting this for ages."
She awkwardly coughed, bringing a fist up to her lips in the process as she continued.
"In addition, the entirety of the Blessed Three are in that location working on their base... while a majority of their defenses are actually in their headquarters. They might not believe that you know where the Beast two-point-oh is, but they are definitely prepared in case you know where their little pride-and-joy is."
That brought her to the Blessed Three... each of them were powerful Metahumans that Veronica couldn't hope to beat in an up-front fight. RAVEN fighting as a team? They'll go down with ease. "The Blessed Three, in case you are wondering, are the three with supreme control over the organization. Let me cut you the redundant shit, and say each of them are powerful. With one being able to control earth and fire, another having control over electricity and magnetism, and the last with a powerful manipulation of water in all it's stages..."
"In addition, a vital component for their Machine is in the base - fuel." Veronica started off. "I assume you've been keeping up with the strange disappearances, yeah? The Family has been behind them, and they keep getting taken to these... 'processing' plants within the bases. I don't know. It's that 'people go in, but never come out,' deal."
Though, a nagging thought has been bothering her over one detail. One small detail... She looked off to the side, and grabbed her chin.
"...But, not everyone who were put into these plants were Metahuman." She mused, before disregarding the thought. "Oh, nevermind. The bottom-line is that it's connected to the Machine, and you can perhaps at least stall it's completion if you find these plants."
She brushed a strand of hair off to the side, "...I know this is a lot to take in, but you gotta have a little bit of faith in me. I'll see about sabotaging the F-F's efforts from the shadows, and feeding you information... And don't worry about me, I can handle myself."
"Okay, I think I've got all that," Max slowly processed the information. It was a lot to take in, but she was making sure to take it all in and remember because it was pretty important. "Thank you for all the information - I'll make sure it reaches the others in RAVEN. We'll do something about all of that."
"I know I bogged you down enough," Veronica started off as she walked back over towards the door. "Take care... and stay alive, just for me, Maxxie."
Veronica was pretty sincere now... she felt like she was growing a connection - even if it wasn't romantic. But, now was not the time, she had to get to that base, and see what she could do. Veronica was the key to destroying the Family from within, and she wasn't going to toss it away just like it was nothing.
Meifeng Zhao, Lihua Zhao, & Shizuka Takashiro.
(collaboration with @tsukune) Greenflower Garden, Silver Hills.
The Liu Estate was quite an impressive building, a three story building that was quite large at that!
Meifeng wondered what half the rooms were for.
Since there were only like ten Lius, and... Ah, Meifeng was getting off track. After the trio passed through the fence with the help of Shizuka, they were in the rather large garden around the building. Quite nice, with many fountains, ponds, and whatnot. Though, the flowers hadn't been tended recently because after the whole incident in the ballroom, the entire mansion had been completely abandoned. Gardeners were gone, and so was Jiao-Long's legion of maids and butlers. So, the building was empty, but no one was foolish enough to try breaking in... mostly because this mansion was so out of the way, and secure, that there was no point in even trying to look it when the more readily available locations in Fallbridge Square, or even in the innermost locations in Silver Hills. Which meant there's less pain in the ass looters to deal with, and more of a quick in and out.
Meifeng was crouching, slowly creeping her way through the garden closer to the building. She reached towards her utility belt, and grabbed her binoculars, quickly scanning the horizon for any threats. Specifically the building. It was her idea to come in through the side of the building - because with Shizuka here, there was no door they couldn't get through!
The coast was clear, and Meifeng turned behind herself, and gestured for Shizuka and Lihua to come on... Though, trying to move close to the ground was very challenging for Lihua. Who didn't have the hips for it.
Or the back.
Or even the legs.
In her attempt to walk in a crouched position, Lihua fell over towards the side, and landed in some flowers. Causing quite a stir that made Meifeng whip around and stare at Lihua with narrow eyes as the anger inside herself rose. Lihua got back up, and took some time to dust the dirt, the leaves, and whatnot, off of her body, before continuing. As she crept past Meifeng, her daughter whispered to her in Chinese,
"This is why I said wait for us in the car." Meifeng angrily whispered. "I can't believe you wanna act like a super spy falling over like that."
In response, Lihua didn't even say a word... delegating to respond in sign language. A complex series of hand motions to convey a simple message!
'Shut up.'
If Meifeng wasn't focused on the mission, she would strangle her own mother, but continued ahead of the group, right until they reached the east-most wall. Shizuka caught the sign but kept his trap shut, determined to stay out of their little family squabble and concentrate on the task.
Meifeng poked her head through a window, and looked around... the lights were off, but she pulled out a flashlight, and turned it on the dimmest it could reasonably go, at least giving them a vague idea of what was inside... they were entering a mere hallway. One that probably just lead to the many rooms... and Meifeng remembered just why Lihua found it so easy to get lost in this damn place. It's so big! And... maze-like.
"A'right, Shizuka, the coast is clear," Meifeng whispered. "Just ghost us inside..."
Shizuka responded with a quick nod and grabbed the arms of the Zhao women, pulling them through the wall to the hallway. His eyes scanned the corridor briefly, before he turned to Lihua. "So, which way to your room - or wherever you stowed the diary?"
Lihua had to take a moment to realize she had absolutely no idea where the hell she was. Fortunately, she had an idea to find out. She had her arms crossed, and stuck one hand out, bouncing a finger as she thought to herself. "We have to get to the second floor," was the first thing she said. "We can either go to the foyer, or find another way up." As far as she can tell, the Family were not here... and why would they be? This building held no tactical advantage... unless they expected the Liu children to return here, and that just seemed unlikely.
But, a tiger never let her guard down regardless of where she roamed.
She had to be careful. Because with the Family, the unexpected could happen at any given moment. Lihua lead the group to where she believed (going off rough guesswork here) the foyer was merely by heading inwards towards the center of the mansion. And she hadn't lost her touch as she found the foyer... she could almost picture the scene with Lijuan and Honghui that happened only a week ago... Ah, memories. They were fleeting.
Without a word, she began the accession into the upper-levels of the building with the two behind here - but something didn't seem right. It was her... intuition, but she wasn't going to obsess over a bad feeling.
She remembered that the Lius slept on the third floor, while guests were on the second floor. The problem was that every damn room in this mansion looked the same.... and encountered a room that had "GUEST ROOM" labeled in gold.
Sometimes Lihua wondered if the dementia was slipping in.
Nodding her head, she opened the door slowly, and had to remember where the hell she hid the diary. She had to put it where the damn maids and butlers wouldn't touch it... and, she had to be honest with herself when she said that she might as well put it on a golden pedestal that said "SECRETS HERE" if she hid it in the bed. (What fool hid things in their bed?)
Which was why she broke a hole in the wall, and pushed the dresser up to it.
She walked up to said dresser, and grabbed onto it... when a thought occurred to her.
"Oh, Shizuka, Meifeng," Lihua started off as she feigned being too weak too move the dresser. "May you move this for me? My fifty-year old bones just can't take it."
Meifeng saw through the bullshit almost immediately, and rolled her eyes up into her head as she walked off, saying, "Step aside, Miss 'Fifty-year old bones.'" She said as she grabbed onto the dresser and pulled it away single-handedly, leaving Shizuka to simply watch her with amusement. Moving it out of the way, and revealing the conspicuous hole in the wall. In which Lihua reached inside, and pulled the dusty diary that belonged to Luis... and the translation notes that she kept with it.
"Okay, we got what we came for, let's get a move on." Lihua said as she strutted her way over to the door.
"Well, better be something useful in that dusty book..." Meifeng trailed off as she walked with both hands behind her head as the group made their way through the Liu estate. "I would say to have Shizuka phase us out of here, but I'd hate to dry up the great and powerful Shizuka before the big show." Meifeng teased.
Shizuka rolled his eyes at her. "You've got a point there... so I guess I can take my leave first, and you two can go figure out how to get out of this labyrinth the long way?" He held out his hands to them. "Lame sarcasm aside, let's just get out of here. Now." The sooner they could disappear from the mansion, the better. He shared a similar sentiment with the paranoid Lihua, that they couldn't be certain the Family didn't mark this house, waiting ensnare them in whatever trap they might have set up here...
Around this time, they were coming around the foyer. "Nah, I wanted to stop by the kitchen and make a..."
A swirling blue portal opened on the side of the foyer, and Meifeng's eyes shot wide open, as she knew just what was coming for them...
A hulking brute stepped out of the portal, the same brute that Meifeng was familiar with as the man that tried to kill her in Singapore. The eight-foot tall giant that was half machine... and this time, he was decked out in a different gear. He was covered in metal machinery like he usually was, but the two igniters on each of his arms that looked like they were taken off of flamethrowers... the faint flames coming from the barrel told Meifeng that they were indeed flamethrowers.
"Oh boy..." She said in English. "...My God, do you ever just fuck off?" Meifeng said to the brute as she pulled water out of her pocket dimension. Game plan was simple... just extinguish any flames this bastard created while Lihua and Shizuka run off...
Unfortunately, that wasn't Bonecrusher's plan. He thrust both hands in different directions and unleashed a firestorm of flames out of the igniters... a barrage of flames that set the Liu Estate ablaze.
Shit, Meifeng thought to herself. He's trying to cut us off - smoke us out of here.
Speaking of the devil, Shizuka cursed silently when he turned around just in time to see the Bonecrusher entering the foyer through a similar portal as the one the Black Hound used back at the party. He could catch on Meifeng's plan, that she intended to stall the metal hulk here to give him and Lihua an opening to escape... But he knew that even with her water manipulation power, she wasn't going to hold out long in this inferno. There was only one way for them to get out of the blazing heat.
Grabbing Lihua's arm and pulling Meifeng to himself, he yanked them down to the floor below - to the basement. They should be safer now, at least from the flames... if only for a moment before the Bonecrusher found his way down here.
"Thank you," Lihua said, she was vaguely familiar with the basement layout from her brief trek through here with Mika... but, she heard some rather... intimidating banging coming from the floor above as the Bonecrusher shoved his metal foot through the floor.
No respect for other people's property. Lihua thought to herself. And we're going to get set on fire if we stay down here...
It was time for quick thinking... Most of the basement was lined with concrete, so Lihua would have to take advantage of that. If she recalled correctly... She turned towards Shizuka with a devious smile.
"...Boy, does your ability allow you to retain momentum?" Lihua asked.
"Yeah," Shizuka replied with an arched eyebrow. There was something about that dodgy smile he didn't like (aside from how she had regressed to just call him a 'boy' of all things), but he didn't have another second to make a snarky comeback with how close the Bonecrusher was coming through from above their heads. "...What are you planning to do?"
"Let's just say I'm going to thrust us to freedom." Lihua simply answered, before she turned to Meifeng, commanding, "Meifeng..."
That was when Bonecrusher fell through the ceiling with a lot of wood falling down behind him. He was invisible underneath all the dust and rubble for a few moments as he stepped out, the first thing becoming apparent were the flames.
"...Distract him for us."
Meifeng sighed.
"Yeah, yeah, I got this." Meifeng knew that she didn't have this at all. The last few times she encountered the Bonecrusher only went well as they did because of sheer dumb luck. Bonecrusher pointed both hands forwards and fired a wall of flames, as Meifeng placed her elemental will on the water in the pipes and made them burst open and shower the basement with water. Bonecrusher growled in irritation as he rushed Meifeng and slammed his fist down over top of her... only for Meifeng to use her water manipulation to skate off to the side.
While Meifeng got him distracted, Lihua ran to the very edge of the basement. So, she had absolutely no idea which direction she was going, but she was going to make this work. She looked at the ground, and slammed her foot on the ground, and created a crack in the concrete that created a chunk that rose above the rest slightly. Lihua looked to Shizuka and said, "I hope your timing is good, because we're going to need it..." She trailed off as she looked back at Meifeng.
"Just give me the signal when the time comes," was the curt reply. They didn't have much time to waste; Shizuka could feel the roaring heat from the floor above. He would just have to put his faith in whatever loony idea Lihua had in that brain of hers, to get them all out before they got [/i]barbecued[/i] in the fire.
Bonecrusher swung with his right arm a quick jab that Meifeng ducked under... finally resigning to just dodge because she was basically tickling him if she tried to attack him with what she had on hand.
"Meifeng, get over here!" Lihua commanded, shouting at her daughter.
On cue, Meifeng gathered all the water she could, and when Bonecrusher threw another punch, she zipped around him - a jet of water grazing Bonecrusher. But, once it hit the brute, she froze the water, thus binding his legs, as she skated over to Lihua and came to a skidding stop on her little block of concrete.
"Shizuka, grab on tightly," Lihua ordered the younger boy. "Now, on my cue... turn us intangible."
Then she turned to Meifeng to quickly say, "Oh, and Meifeng, you are responsible for our landing."
"Wait, are you--" Meifeng caught onto Lihua's plan a few seconds too late.
"Now!" Lihua practically screamed as she slammed her foot onto the ground with such explosive force that she and the others were propelled through the air at high speed. The sheer force of Lihua's action would surely send anyone flying, and all it took was Shizuka's ability to phase them through the building. With the force they were sent at, they were getting through the buildings rather quickly.
Meifeng was screaming at the top of her lungs out of sheer shock at the audacity of Lihua's plan. Soon enough, they were falling through the sky, outside of the building... and Meifeng remembered that she was a RAVEN. And RAVENS don't puss out like this.
Taking in a deep breath, Meifeng created a massive pillar of water out of her pocket dimension, and used the water friction to show down their fall. Soon enough, they were gracefully drifting to the bottom of the pillar... in which Meifeng quickly dispersed because that was taking up a lot of her energy. They hit the ground, and Meifeng was probably the most shocked.
"...That plan was fuckin' insane." Meifeng mused out loud.
Even with the water slide, Shizuka still turned intangible again, allowing his feet to sink a little into the ground before they resurfaced above the concrete. He wasn't going to risk getting a sore ankle from Meifeng's (or rather, Lihua's) crude idea to break their fall. "Really." He rubbed his ears gingerly, giving Meifeng an irritated glare. "Your scream is even more insane."
"...Shut up, Shizuka."
Lihua curtly shrugged in response. "You're alive, right?" she asked.
"Yeah..." Meifeng trailed off as she looked back to the mansion... the flames were spreading to the rest of the building. They could see the flames through the windows, and that's what distracted Meifeng from her pointless bickering. "I... Damn. The F-F just burned down the Liu estate like it's nothing..." She trailed off. "They're gonna need a new home."
Lihua shrugged. "But, this is war, Meifeng." She turned off and walked back towards the entrance they came. "The Liu Estate is just one causality... Now, come along before he catches up, he probably got the order to just go ahead and burn the whole place down..." She thought out loud. They were probably planning on destroying this building to send a message, anyway... but, in this dark hour, what more of a message can they send? The fire department will most likely not even come for this place... the whole building, and all the memories it held, would be burned to ash. Never to be spoken of again.
Lihua raised the book up into the air, and gave it a light shake.
The drive back to Headquarters was certainly a quiet one... one without music, or soul. All because Meifeng and Lihua were mulling over the losses the Liu Family had been going through.
First Jiao-Long and Chunhua, and now they didn't even have a home anymore.
But, Lihua was concerned for Lijuan above all else, she was praying that the child didn't get dragged into this conflict that was devoid of honor... or humanity. She had the utmost faith in the Liu sisters. Though, while Meifeng drove this DOVE car that they borrowed from the garage (that already taken a beating from Bonecrusher), Lihua stared outside the car at the city that they passed by... all Lihua could see was flames. The riots that were breaking out were destroying this city. Lihua merely shook her head and focused on the road ahead. Those animals are going to destroy the city before the Family even gets a chance...
She wasn't the only one who'd noticed. Reed sat there, dwelling on the losses they'd taken today. How many had died? How many injured? Neither of those two were statistics the DOVE Investigator wanted to know and for his part he kept quiet about it. Quentin had little to say, either - instead the eldest of the Taylor brothers was sat by the window, a pistol close to hand, ever vigilant to the slim chance the Founders were ready to ambush them again. There was no taking chances, here.
Shizuka had left them to their silence - they needed it, after all. He looked out of the window at the lifeless street outside... The city that once thrived with vibrancy was now in a stalemate, the nonchalant crowds that once roamed the districts were now no different from violent mobs of lunatics, leaving only the fear towards the Family's tyranny hanging in the cold, autumn air, carried into the sky by the rising smoke from the burning mansion.
The vehicle came up to Headquarters, and Meifeng walked up to the front doors. The doors were guarded with a few able-bodied RAVENs, and they saluted as Meifeng and the others stepped inside. From what she could tell, everyone else was all over Headquarters trying to pick up the pieces. She was hoping to gather everyone together so they could read the book.
"Right," Meifeng said as she turned on her heel, and faced the rest of the group, "I'm going to gather everyone, and assemble them all there... just wait in there."
In the break room, Meifeng had gathered all of their close friends together on the sofas, to read Luis' diary, which was in between them on a coffee table. The man who killed her best friend a few years ago. She felt the need to burn this diary, but something useful could come out of it. She was nervously staring at it, before she looked at the other book - just noticing it - and pointed at it.
"What's that?" Meifeng asked.
"Translations," Lihua answered. "He... for whatever reason, wrote his diary in many different languages."
Curious, Reed leaned in towards the original writings, then furrowed his brow. He recognised lines of English here and there, then several more snippets of Spanish which he could only just barely understand, but the rest of it was ineligible. It was as though the Spaniard had developed his own personal cipher to prevent anyone else from discovering what he'd known.
"Oooooh, damn it," Meifeng said, as she leaned back in the chair and threw her arms behind her head. "And we have zero time to translate it... wait, how did you translate that?" Meifeng pointed at the book.
"Google Translate," Lihua bluntly answered.
For a moment, Meifeng was so flabbergasted that she wondered if she should just take this book to her skull five-hundred times, but she was going to need something useful out of the diary. Something.
"Shall we begin reviewing?" Lihua asked. "I've honestly forgotten about this..."
"Yeah, I'm not sitting here for my health..."
Lihua brushed off that comment, before she opened the book, and delved inside...
Their review of Luis' diary was interrupted by the untimely arrival of Maxine Diaz. Meifeng immediately recognized her, waving her head in the air saying, "Heeeey, it'ssssssssss..." Meifeng looked over towards her group with wide eyes, dragging out her sentence while she hoped that someone could tell her what this broad's name was.
"Max Diaz," Shizuka supplied, shrugging at how he could still remember the rookie agent's name even though they barely had any contact with each other for months. Well, his memory of her was nothing more than a partner-in-crime to ditch work to the unfortunate juniors so that he could savor the precious break time he so deserved after countless stupid missions. "Y'know, similar name with our boss-guy."
"Oh," Meifeng gave Shizuka a thumbs up. "But, what brings ya' around here?"
Max took just a moment to catch her breath (she hadn't exactly just taken a pleasant walk there). "I've got some pretty important information."
She paused, still a bit out of breath, before continuing to explain everything.
Everyone listened intently as Max told them about what the Family was planning, and what they were going to do next....
To Lihua, it was foolishness, but it changed things. They knew that the Family were planning something, but turning everyone on Earth into Metahumans? That was going to end horribly - not everyone was ready for such a taste of power. She recalled Luis and his Changeling Unit... but more of them and worse. If it didn't create something like the Devil again. But, Lihua was surprised that this was their endgame... why not build something more powerful?
Meifeng was surprised it wasn't a doomsday device. Very surprised... but, in all honesty, it might as well be. She put her hands on her knees, and tapped her fingers on them. "That's... But, can you trust this little source of yours?" Meifeng raised an eyebrow. "For all we know, she could be playin' all of us..." The problem was less of the fact that she didn't trust her contact, and more of she didn't trust Maxine. All because she barely knows the woman.
"That is a good point," Lihua said, raising a finger up into the air. "We can't trust just anyone in this dark hour."
Shizuka had been listening to every word in Max's story with utmost attention, putting the two and two together with everything he had heard from Marcelle's logs so far. The jigsaw pieces were starting to fall into place, and the picture he could see in his mind's eye was far more deranged than what he had originally expected. "Trust issues aside, Max's intel tallies with the things mentioned in the logs I told you guys about moments ago," he spoke up, giving the brownie a nod before he went on. "Logic doesn't apply to the Fags, so it's best that we take Max's info into consideration. Better be prepared than sorry, yeah."
It was an unsettling notion for Reed, who'd spent the last seven years looking at the ugly side of the metahuman community. The pain, the untold potential for chaos... not to mention there were plenty enough people out there who would've sooner died than become metahumans. He felt somewhat disturbed by the fact he himself had been made a metahuman, but at least he'd had a choice. Even if he'd claimed this power from the same man who'd wrote the diary in front of them. "If this is true, if what you're saying is... how do they even know it works? What if it goes wrong, jesus.... that's billions of confused and angry people with untold power they might not have even wanted."
"They don't care." Quentin answered him, blunt as ever. Deep down, the veteran RAVEN felt a pang of guilt from his own past, before he reminded himself that he'd left it back in Verthaven. He shared the same kind of sentiments as his brother, only instead of feeling disturbed, he felt anger. "Whatever we do, that machine has to be destroyed."
"We can trust her; she's got as much reasons as us to want to see the Family stopped," Max responded evenly.
"Alright... I'll take your word for it..." Meifeng said as she crossed her arms.
"That's not even the only thing," Max frowned. She didn't really want to have to add more bad news, but she had to tell everyone. "Their also making another Beast - and they're planning on letting it loose in Baybridge as some form of distraction. I've been told where it is, but it won't exactly be that easy to get to."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa..." Meifeng said as she jumped up, surprised. "...They're going to make another one of those bastards and throw it in Baybridge? Wouldn't that destroy their own fuckin' Machine?"
"If they are so dead-set on creating another Beast... we can safely say they have a precaution of some sort," Lihua answered Meifeng. "Given who we are dealing with, they have everything so far planned... But, ah, I am going off track here."
She slowly rose to her feet, and shrugged with her eyes closed, as she finally explained the situation.
"We are in a bad situation here... and that is likely what the Family planned on doing all along - forcing us into such an unfavorable situation," Lihua first started off, as she opened her eyes and looked between the group. "If they create another Beast and release it into Baybridge... the loss of life will be unparalleled. But, if we focus on the Machine, they will finish their little Beast and most likely use it to just wipe us out anyway."
That was the first part of her explanation.
"On the other hand, if we go to their facility in Silver Hills... we'll just be buying time for them to finish their Machine and fire it, and we clearly don't have enough men and women to split into two groups and tackle both the threats. Not with the overwhelming firepower they have at their fingertips."
The Hound, Bonecrusher, Phantasm, and the Blessed Three came to mind.
"And at the same time, they are most likely expecting us to split into two groups... which they can divide and conquer."
"Well, it's official... we're boned." Meifeng slunk back into her chair as optimism faded.
"But, if we concentrate all our efforts on one target..." Lihua said as she took a few steps. "If they are willing to create such a powerful Metahuman, then they also must be afraid of us. Afraid that they won't have enough time to finish their Machine before we come knocking down their door..." she trailed off.
"And that means we may have more time than expected." Meifeng said out loud as she sat back up. "If we go in quick and hard, we can kill their Beast before he's even finished, and have enough time to finish off their Machine."
"Exactly."
Shizuka thought about Lihua's little speech. She had some valid points there, but getting cold feet after coming this far would be an equally dumb thing to do. Also, weren't they forgetting something here? "First, we can have the 'Hero of Prague' to enlighten us with how to deal with the Beast," he started off, staring at Meifeng. "Even if we don't know what kind of nasty upgrades the Fags might've done to their latest lapdog, we can still make the necessary preparation based on Mei's prior experience with the prototype."
"Well..." Meifeng said as she stared at her fingers. "Like you said... but, the Beast was this really big dude that glowed bright... dunno if it was just the fire powers he had. Also, no one really noticed this, but he was preeeetty slow. He could only slowly walk at you... but, it didn't matter because of all the damn firepower he had."
Meifeng thought out loud... at some point it stopped being a recount of his abilities, and more of her thinking out loud.
"He could control earth, fire... magma..."
"Meifeng," Lihua chimed in.
"Yeah?"
"Let's worry about stopping it, right now there's a lot of things we don't know yet. But, you're our shot-caller in case everything goes wrong."
"Right." Meifeng said.
Lihua looked up at Max, asking, "Do you know if your little contact is able to get more information... without getting caught, that is?"
"First thing we should do is scout out their base. We got lots of methods of reliably scouting... but, I feel like this is more of a job for our stealth expert, Shizuka." Meifeng started off. "Then we gotta figure out who in the hell is there. The Hound, the Blessed Three... Bonecrusher, et cetera, et cetera..."
"Yeah, yeah," Shizuka replied, shrugging at the attention that was now directed towards him. Contrary to Lihua's overly cautious approach, he felt that they could make use of the Family's bloated narcissism to their advantage instead. Maybe he could even make use of this opportunity to kill three birds with one stone. "...I'll do it."
Time to put those 'Blessed' Bitches back to where they truly belong.
There was also one more thing he needed for the plan he had in mind. "Hey Max, can I get the contact of your informant?" For a rookie of her rank to get such valuable intel so easily and free of charge, that person must be pretty desperate. "I have an idea..."
Wendy Emily Lucker & Rowan Campbell.
Written in collaboration with @Mr Allen J Hailey Boulevard, Silver Hills.
The dim lights of the room were quite... overwhelming, as Wendy regained consciousness. She grasped her head as she slowly opened her eyes - not too quickly - because the lights of this room were blinding. She loudly groaned as she rubbed her eyes, quickly giving her room a scan. The first thing she gathered was that she on a cot. It wasn't the most the comfortable thing on the planet... but, it was preferable to the floor. Looking straight across from the cot, she saw a concrete wall, and her eyes drifted over towards the left to see a sink, and a toilet. Oh boy, she knows where this is going... she barely even had to look to the right to tell that there were metal bars, and she was in a prison cell.
Great.
They captured her.
Well, this is better than them just killing her, but, she reached for her neck, noticing a tightness, then she felt the metal power suppressant collar around her neck. That was a given, knowing what bullshit the Founding Family is capable of.. But, she recalled what happened before, when she tried to crush Blake under a thousand pounds of concrete... he survived, and filled the room with heat, before everything went dark for Wendy. So, that was a solid damn it. She knew they took her satchel, so she didn't even bother looking for it. That was great... they have all of Wendy's items, but wait.
Wendy quickly ran to the bars, and shouted into the halls, "Rowan! Rowan are you here!? Answer me!"
She was met with a few seconds of silence, before she heard another muffled voice that eventually became clear. "W...Wendy?!" His voice sounded cracked and hoarse, as though his throat was dry.
"Rowan! You're alive!" Wendy stammered as she looked around. "What happened?!"
"I... I couldn't stop him..." Rowan's voice trailed just a little, still dry and cracked. "...I'm sorry."
"Hey, don't feel bad," Wendy said. "We... both lost. He was clearly a lot stronger than both of us."
"No." It was only then that a silhouette became visible through the thin, barred gap in the cell door across from hers. Rowan's face was a shadow, though after a close inspection, one could make out the swelling along his face, black and blue with bruising.
"Oh shit!" Wendy said, near subconsciously once she saw Rowan's face. She recoiled, as her eyes went open. "He... he did all that to you?"
Despite just how shitty their situation was, the scrawny teen couldn't help but force a crooked smile. "I've... I've had worse."
"Yeeeeah..." Wendy said, trying to divert the conversation from his father. "Do you have any ideas on how to get out of here-"
"Hey, Wen!?" Jessica shouted from a few cells down, Wendy stuck her head in between the bars the best she could, and looked off to the side to see Jessica with her hands on the bars.
"Jess!" Wendy said. "I thought you were dead for a second there."
"Just a little roughed up - that stone bastard had us tazed!" Jessica replied. "Well, in case you were wonderin'... Kai's in the cell with me. Just lounging a bit, but perfectly fine."
"Guys?"
Ellen's voice, a little ragged, followed Jessica's response. It had taken her a little time to realise that people were talking. She was short on sleep, desperately short on it. She should be shifting soon, the next few hours, but the collar had prevented that, and shut down whatever it was that allowed her to operate normally. Her eyes were bloodshot and bleary, she looked as though she hadn't slept in a week, which was very nearly true.
"Wait..." Wendy said to herself. She vaguely recognized her voice. "Wait, Ellen?"
Wendy nodded her head. Everyone is okay and accounted for, but now they need a way to get the hell out of here-
The door down the hall let out a loud creak, and Wendy whipped her head down the hall, and listened for the two heavy footsteps of the man that would be the thing of her nightmares for years to come. The massive, towering, man hidden behind the mask with glowing red eyes. Wendy felt like the symbol of the dog meant something, but she couldn't focus on it given the flash of his eyes alerted her to the imminent danger. He stopped at Wendy's cell, briefly looking into Rowan's cell, before he turned his full body towards Wendy's cell... Wendy noticed someone else in the corner of her eye, but couldn't pay attention to them. It seemed more fitting to address... the elephant in the room.
"Ms. Lucker," The Hound said, his voice reverberated in a demonic echo. "What did I tell you? What did I warn you about...?"
The Hound said, and Wendy could only look away in shame that she finally found the clue as to where her sister is, only to fail right before the finish line. She clenched the bars out of the sheer unfairness of the situation, but couldn't make eye contact with the Hound.
"I told you that you were going up against someone infinitely more powerful than yourself," The Hound said. "And now look at where you are, at the mercy of all your enemies..."
Wendy didn't say anything.
"But, that doesn't concern me... On the request of Master Blake, what I want to know of just who has been helping you," The Hound asked. "Because... it is unlikely you have been finding our facilities just by chance."
He paced back and fourth in front of Wendy's cell, speaking quickly and clearly, "We searched your satchel, we searched your phone, we even have men searching your room in the Academy... and yet there are zero discernible signs," The Hound said.
Wendy was hit with a sudden realization when she remembered that she forgot to clear those text messages from her phone. If they have her phone, and cracked it... then why didn't the Hound know about her contact by now?
"Either your contact is very illusive, or you are good at covering your tracks..." He leaned in very close to Wendy's face, almost forcing her to stare the monstrous man down. "Well, then, Miss Lucker..."
"...Which is it?"
The question made Wendy cringe as she desperately looked for an answer. Something to tell the Hound - because her contact could still be very useful, and might be the only thing that can get them out of this (Whoever the hell (s)he is). She was desperate, but that was the only light in the darkness that Wendy could see.
Then it hit her, and Wendy regretted not coming up with it sooner.
"...I honestly don't know, the person didn't tell me. They never even gave me a name to use, so I just assumed... John, Jane, Doe? But, this person said they felt sorry for me, and told me how I can get my sister back, and I trusted them."
Mix a lie with the truth.
"Gave me places to find dead drops with all the information I need..." Wendy said. "I really don't know who this person is, you have to believe me."
"Heh... now that would make sense," The Hound said. "I doubt your contact would disclose his identity with children, but this basically means you are useless to Master Blake."
The Hound said as he stopped and looked over his shoulder, and Wendy realized what the context meant.
"You are most likely going to be killed on his orders..." The red lights behind his helmet narrowed as if his eyes did. "...It is unfortunate, as I respected your resolve, Ms. Lucker."
"I will be running evidence until then." He said as he stormed off... which lead the other person who was watching from afar to walk up, and look at Wendy with rather sad eyes. Wendy narrowed her own eyes at the woman... who was tall as her, and Asian in descent, wearing the IU armor with a ghostly cloak, and many chains hanging from her figure.
"W-what do you want?" Wendy asked, her voice laced with venom.
Makoto Koda looked at Wendy... and merely sighed as she walked off.
"Oh nothing..."
Wendy shook her head. Damn it. The Family was going to kill them if they don't get out of here. "Jess, Rowan, Kai, Ellen, we really need a plan to get out of here."
"Who you telling?" Jessica said.
"There's gotta be a way out of these things..." Rowan grumbled, digging fingers into the suppression collar around his neck. There nothing so humiliating as feeling it every time he tilted his head, but if he could've just got it off, they might've had a way out. The cell doors were metal, after all and the scrawny teen had few reservations about tearing the place apart.
"Your collar, Wendy?" He asked.
"Sorry, but it's stuck on..." Wendy said as she grabbed onto the tight collar around her throat. "These things are made of steel, there's no way we're getting them off without a crowbar."
"Hmph...." Someone else walked up to the two within the cells... and Wendy looked up at the overly tall Ezekiel Anangos... their first "taste" of the Blessed Three. He stood in a white suit with blue pinstripes, and sunglasses. Standing before them unamused, he crossed his arms before he said, "I wouldn't bother if I were you." He tilted his head, "Like you said, they're made of steel..."
He placed one hand in his stylish suit pocket as he grinned.
"...And if I were you, I wouldn't dig myself deeper," Ezekiel looked at his other hand as electric sparks popped off. "If it wasn't for Blake and Julia, I would have the whole lot of you executed."
Wendy feared his power... how he was able to lift cars, and tear piping out of the ground. If she could get that power... No, she'll probably inherit his crazy. She looked off to the side, and wondered when this asshole would shut up.
"...Is there any reason you're coming here?" Wendy asked, before she narrowed her eyes. "I thought it's obvious that we don't give a shit about your rhetoric."
The electricity around Ezekiel flared up for a moment as he turned his nose upwards, before he went back to a more neutral expression followed by a sigh.
"As disrespectful as you may be..." Ezekiel seethed. "Julia has insisted that we log and store a DNA sample of everyone before they are hauled off to the Machine..." He trailed off, before he snapped his fingers and the Secretaries that accompanied him presented a metal tray with many dishes and scalpels. He put his hand out to Wendy.
"Your hand, Ms. Lucker." Ezekiel commanded.
Wendy didn't know what these bastards were going to do with her DNA, but she grabbed her hand and took a step back, "No, fuck yo-"
Ezekiel had enough of her defiance... a quick strike of electricity hit Wendy dead on and sent the girl convulsing on the ground, screaming in pain as Rowan cursed at them from his adjacent cell. After a few moments, she rolled onto her hands and knees, panting, and clenching her teeth out of frustration. Frustration as to why she was so weak.
"Now, Ms. Lucker..." Ezekiel had his head turned upwards as he looked down on her. "... Are you ready to cooperate?"
She punched the ground with a fist as she said, defeated, "Yes...."
"Good." Ezekiel muttered to himself as Wendy stuck her hands through the bar, and Ezekiel scraped off a piece of skin with a scalpel and Wendy winced as the cold of the blade peeled off her beige flesh off the back of her hand. With a snap of his fingers, the Secretaries quickly applied antiseptic spray, and wrapped up the wound, causing Wendy to raise an eyebrow.
"Wouldn't want you to get an infection, would we?" Ezekiel grinned... and Wendy immediately realized he was up to something else.
"You, boy," Ezekiel pointed at Rowan as he turned around, "If you don't want me to injure you worse than Blake did, I suggest that you comply."
For a moment the man didn't get an answer from the scrawny teen, who instead shot him a contemptuous look. He felt disgust at being in the man's presence and a certain resentment towards the man who'd put him in hospital before.
Electricity intensified around Ezekiel's hand. "... What did I just say?"
Rowan's gaze became sharp for just a second, opening his mouth as though he were going to say something...
Instead, he gave what could've been interpreted as a defeated grunt and limply his left palm, just a little ways past the bars. He looked stiff, probably from the beating doled out to him by Ezekiel's peer. Soon, the same scalpel descended upon his palm, still glistening from the coating of antiseptic applied to it earlier. But Rowan had other plans in mind - as the man's wrist twisted to take a sample, Rowan grasped for it and tugged at it with all his might in an effort to pull the scalpel within reach.
Ezekiel didn't take that well, however, and reminded the boy of just what kind of power he held as a paralysing electrical charge ran through his arm and into Rowan's body, then yanked him back against the bars with a painful thud. He'd forgotten that his powers couldn't protect him with that collar around his neck.
"You... you..." Ezekiel tightly clenched his fist as electricity absolutely surrounded him. The Secretaries had to take a step back. "... Idiot." He said, as he ran a hand through his hair. "Hmph... desperation really does breed such actions - but, don't forget, you belong to us now, so get used to it." The electricity faded away.
Dazed and now firmly held in place by Ezekiel, Rowan said nothing as the man took the sample he needed with a rough incision across the tip of Rowan's ring finger, peeling away a thin layer of skin.
Then, when the man had done his work, the Secretaries cleaned and dressed the incision, before relenting. Ezekiel handed them the tray and folded his hands behind his back. "Now, there are a few things we know you are not telling us...." He trailed off, deviously, as both Wendy and Rowan looked on with fear and uncertainty.
"Fortunately for us, we have a mental manipulator on our side... and you have an appointment with her," Ezekiel said, before he raised his fingers together, getting ready to snap them. "Which means we have some reason to keep you two alive for a little longer...."
He wiped around, looking over his shoulder back towards Kai and Jessica, "... Those two on the other hand, are not needed. Secretaries, take them to the Conversion Chambers." With a snap of his fingers, his loyal employees were going into the cells, and yanked Kai and Jessica out.
"Hey, get your hands off us!" Jessica said as she got an arm free, and elbowed one of the Secretaries in the face... only for her rebellion to be quickly squashed by a taser, and were dragged into the depths of the base.
"Hey! Wait! Jess! Kai!" Wendy shouted at Diana's friends as she stared off at them before they disappeared, before she looked at Ezekiel, "You bastard! What are you doing with them?!"
Ezekiel just blankly stared at her. "... You'll find out soon enough."
Before he followed behind the Secretaries, ignoring both Wendy and Rowan.
"Damn it!" Wendy hissed as she slammed her fists into the bars of her cell. "Rowan! We really got to get out of here. Kai and Jess are at stake."
While they may not have been able to save Diana right now, the least they could have done was save Jess and Kai from whatever perverse fate that the Family had in store for them.
After the encounter with Mr. Morris, Malik had plenty to report to the boss-man.
Returning to Aislin's flat in style, Malik kicked the door open and rode a gust of wind into the building. Spinning all the way, but Malik came to a stop as he looked around for Shizuka. He raised the dead drop spike up into the air the second he saw the silver-haired agent.
"Boss, man!" Malik said. "Me and Rhea have so much to report right right - first, we found a dead drop, second, we found a friend that can help us."
Shizuka had just finished updating Holly and Ryu on his fiery encounter with Bonecrusher with the Zhaos at the Liu Mansion when he heard the African calling out to him. Turning around with an amused look, he watched Malik tossing a package in his hand into the air. "You can pass the log to Ryu... and tell us more about this 'friend'." Then he spoke to his Japanese partner. "Ryu, get the laptop." Which the scarfed man did, and had the computer booted up in a minute.
"While he fires up his computer," Malik said, putting his hands on his sides, giving Shizuka a confident look. "We came across Graham Morris - you know, the man that Marcelle mentioned in her very first log - and we came to a little agreement."
Malik threw up both thumbs with a smile.
"He's going to lend a hand!" Malik said... before something came to mind and that smile flipped. He slapped a hand to his forehead. "Wait, damn it! I forgot to ask about the logs he has." He felt like an idiot... even though, at this point, they have little use for the logs.
Shizuka rolled his eyes at Malik's enthusiasm. There was no way he could maintain such high level of optimism in light of the recent development across Baybridge like this man. "Great to know... So where's he now?" He nodded in agreement to the part about the logs - right now they had more than enough on their plate to deal with, and overloading their brain with more intel wasn't going to help them much in the upcoming operation.
Another blast of cold air distracted everyone from their chit-chat, this time it was from the balcony. Shizuka looked around to see his twin touching down with Jennifer, and the elder Takashiro quickly let go of the blonde, stepping into the living room first. "What did I miss? Any new developments?" Other than the ruffled hair and clothes due to his air manipulation power, Haruka was still the same as ever, with a quiet and steely strength in his dark eyes behind the wire-framed glasses.
Malik waved at Haruka and his blonde-haired associate. Briefly, Malik wanted to ask who she was given all the friends they're making. Seeing the confused expression on some of their faces, Haruka added with a shrug, "Uh, she's Jennifer. A friend of mine - of ours." He shot a look at his nonchalant brother.
Jennifer scratched the back of her neck as she looked at everyone... Jesus, she had no idea of anyone here was. Well, she knew Shizuka, but not any of the other two girls, the other Japanese man, or the tall African-American... Wait, she saw him quite awhile ago back at the cafe. Same with the other girl. She wondered if Thanks-A-Latte was still standing... Who's she kidding?
With a name like that, it'd be the first target of arsonists.
"Well..." Shizuka rubbed the back of his neck, his brows furrowed with muted annoyance as he recalled what Max had told the RAVENs back in the Headquarters moments ago. "For one, the Blessed Bitches actually want to become gods by turning every single human being on Earth into Metas with their gay Machine. Also, the Fags are aware that RAVEN's gonna go after them after they had wrecked the HQ and kidnapped Dr. Cross. They've set up a Beast 2.0 in their other base in Silver Hills to stall us from getting to the Machine. Which means the device isn't completed yet, and they're doing this to buy some time for themselves."
Malik's eyes shot open. "We're looking for a base in Silver Hills! Our friend Morris said the key to Marcelle is there." Malik crossed his arms with a grin on his face... but, the Machine sounded bad, too. Maybe they should look into that. Malik didn't know what it would do for the world at large, but it didn't sound too good. Malik knew Marcelle wasn't going to like it, and when they liberate her, Malik is going to finish the fight that she started.
"Sounds like a certain someone..." Jennifer said, turning off to the side as she thought about that man... this was why she's here. To stop people like Luis from hurting people for their insane dreams and bids for Godhood. "...Never mind." Jen said quickly to divert the conversation away from her. Haruka gave her a sideways glance - he knew who she was referring to, but like her there wasn't a need to mention that awful name to these people. They couldn't change what had happened in Verthaven, but now they could do something to stop that incident from repeating here in Baybridge.
"Anyway, here's where all of us come in," Shizuka began, glancing at all the grim faces in the room. "We'll infiltrate the Silver Hills base, and cover three objectives." He raised a finger, and went on, "One: scout the area and get down the layout of the place. Take note of the guards, security points, secure the exit routes... ex cetera, ex cetera." Then the second finger. "Two: locate the MIA French agent Marcelle, and gather more info on the other missing people the Fags have kidnapped if possible." Instead of putting up the third finger, he dropped his hand to his side, scowling. "The last one is an undercover job, which I'll do it personally." And he turned to Ryu to give him a brief in their own native tongue.
"Undercover, heeeey, I like that," Malik said with a child-like smile on his face. "But, I think it goes without saying what I'm - we're - gonna do, right Rhea?" Malik turned his head towards Rhea, and smiled.
Shizuka opened his mouth to say something, but closed it in the end - he couldn't bring himself to shoot down Malik's overflowing optimism. On one hand, he felt that everyone should drill the seriousness of the situation into their blood, and one mistake could easily wipe them all out, just as Lihua had tried to warn him. On the other hand, he couldn't deny the fact that sometimes people needed some hope in order to push them through such helpless circumstances, to enable them to keep going until the bitter end. He'd be lying to himself if he didn't consider trying to find the Family's weaknesses for them to strike was something akin to the act of finding a silver lining in the Blessed Three's seemingly perfect plan to turn Baybridge upside down.
"So, that means I'm going to be on scouting?" Jennifer said, scratching the back of her neck. "I have a trick if you can take out a guard or something." Instead of explaining it, Jennifer chose to demonstrate... She pointed at her face as a horrible sound of bones cracking filled the room as her facial shape reconstructed completely. It turned into a woman with a much thicker jaw, and stronger chin than Jennifer, along with a larger nose. Then she changed her skin to a much darker tone.
"It hurts like a bitch, but I can shapeshift... kind of," Jennifer said, taking cues from her mentor Megan. "This is the most I can do, though, we'll have to get someone with a similar look." She said as she reverted her face back, to normal, tightly grasping her face as it returned to normal. A small drip of blood came from her cheek as she didn't put the right bone back correctly and it punctured her cheek. She wiped it away.
All of them grimaced at the bone-splintering sound (except for Shizuka, who merely raised his eyebrows in amusement), and then their expression was turned to awe as they watched her facial features shifting into someone that somewhat different to her original appearance. Haruka spoke up once Jennifer had reverted back to her real face, "Uh... Hopefully you don't have to resort to doing that. It seems... really painful."
"Y-yeah, it is..." Jennifer rubbed the back of her neck again, rather nervously. "Sorry for freaking everyone out like that."
Haruka winced when Ryu suddenly gave him a slap on the back of his shoulder. "I'll also be scouting with you guys, to cover your backs." Then the agent raised a hand to adjust the muffler. "Well... my power can handle the cameras and their electronic gadgets, if necessary." Pointing at the laptop, he flashed a grin to the rest of the group. "...Ready."
"Ready as I'll ever be..." Malik optimistically said as he rubbed his hands together as he formed the circle. Jennifer, on the other hand, had joined in, being informed of the logs by Haruka...
"Marcelle's log... W-whatever, it doesn't matter. Morris, I've messed up. Messed up bi- big... I don't know what's been even going on with me lately. Ever since I took that drug... I-I've been desperate for more. I did something stupid... I gave away that I'm a mole to Julia, and n-now, they're coming. I'll kill all of- N-no. I have to stop that line of thought. Morris, if you get this, please, collect all the logs I've been texting you. They're coming for me... Their headquarters is in Regal Square, the 'Oasis Bio-Research Headquarters', and they have a major base in Silver Hills using the ISD as a front. Marcelle out."
Immediately, Malik hung his head as his jaw slowly dropped, and his eyes went droopy. "Ma... Marcelle...." Malik trailed off, muttering her name under his breath. "I... I need a moment." He said as he turned around, and walked away from the group towards the balcony. Opening the door and closing it behind him, he let out an exasperated huff as he leaned up against the railing. Followed by Rhea, whom gave him quite assuring words.
No one spoke as they watched the lightning duo leaving the group. Once they were out of the living room, Holly shook her head - while she could empathize with how Malik felt about his friend, trained soldiers like her and Shizuka didn't have the luxury to feel sorry for them, not when they were already this close to their goal. The best they could do now was to continue to push forward with their plans, to end all this shitstorm once and for all. However... "I'm worried if those two would still be able to carry out their part of the mission..."
"The urgency of Marcelle's current situation can help to motivate Malik to be more devoted to this mission--" Haruka began, but his twin shot him down almost immediately.
"I won't be too sure about that," Shizuka warned, glancing at the slouched figure of Malik at the balcony with narrowed eyes. "Emotions can be used to increase a person's inner drive to reach their goal, but it's ultimately a double-edged sword." He didn't like having another unstable liability to further jeopardize the already-risky plan, but he knew they didn't have much choice with the limited number of people here in this team of misfits, as Lihua had called it. Even so... "We really need them for the operation to work out. Holly, you group up with those two instead and keep an eye on them." In which the chloropathic agent replied with a curt nod, a grim expression on her face before she walked towards the African outside.
Shizuka then turned to give Ryu a knowing look before he straightened up, giving every single member in the room one last piercing glance. "If there're no more questions about the mission and the grouping, let's get this done and over with...
One thing that pissed Veronica off, one thing, was having her good friend Maxxie basically give her information away to another RAVEN.
There was a God damn reason she wanted to keep her name out in case one of the RAVENs were in the Family's pocket, and the fact that, after all of this, she didn't get her own ass arrested. What Maxine did was pretty much just paint a target on Veronica. And that made the normally charitable woman consider taking back all of that praise... but, maybe she was being a little too hasty. All she had to do was to establish that she's in charge, then she'd play ball with the RAVEN. That's as simple as it needed to be.
She was waiting in a desolate part of the Family's underground lab. Far away from the tactical positions, and merely a hallway leading into a lab that was... undergoing repairs. She gave her little contact detailed instructions as to how to get there. Long as she set the rules up, it should be pretty simple.
...If only her supposed contact was as simple as she had thought.
With Ryu's discharge power dealing with the security cameras as the other groups of the misfit team were infiltrating the base, it was a piece of cake for Shizuka to sneak into the base without anyone noticing. With those electronic eyes out of commission, it became apparent that the physical security was too slack for comfort, almost like they were only here as a decoy for something bigger. Though he could guess the reason why, he wasn't stupid enough to drop his guard down just yet. The route to the meeting place felt shorter than it seemed, with him taking the more direct shortcut simply by walking through the walls. But what greeted him the moment he finally popped into the hallway was a nasty surprise.
"Well, well... I wasn't expecting you to be Max's informant," he spoke up from behind the woman. "Veronica, right?" He had Holly to look up on her details as a precaution, but after the IU totally wrecked the HQ, there wasn't much she could gather from whatever was left of the database. Veronica Davis, a telekinetic Metahuman. He had his ways to deal with mental abilities, but he wasn't here for a fight - it was his idea to rope this bitch into the little surprise plan he had in store for those Blessed Brats, and he would do whatever it takes for this alliance to work out.
It was a jolt, Veronica whipped around herself with her hand on her holster at surprising speed. Not the first time someone got the drop on her, but she fortunately had enough reflexes to react on time. A part of her just wanted to shoot anyway because this jackass thought it's funny to pull little pranks now of all times. It was that grey-haired loser Shizuka that she had the oh-so-displeasure of encountering at the ballroom. 'Course, it had to be him. Far as she could tell, he trusted her as much as she trusted him.
"Yes, that's correct, but let me get one thing clear here." The hand that was hovering around her pistol quickly went over to her hip, and rested there as she stared Shizuka down. "I am not helping RAVEN out of altruism, or whatever bullshit you wanna label it. I have one very good reason for doing any of this. And I'm hoping that we can have ourselves a very mutualistic relationship."
She narrowed her eyes at Shizuka. "If it doesn't turn out to be that way - or you try to pull something on me - then I'm going to promise you that it won't end well for you. Are we clear?"
Shizuka had to lock his jaws to keep his face expressionless - he had to fight to suppress his urge to laugh as Veronica spoke to him. One, she sounded a lot like an old lady trying to lecture a kid (well, minus the dangerous gun at her hip). She was probably only a couple of years older than him, but to him, most Caucasians seemed to look older than their actual age anyway. Two, she might be trying to establish some sort of power over him, to show who was the one in control here, but it didn't sound one bit convincing from the way she was babbling at him.
...Whatever. He could care less about who to take charge, as long as he got what he had come for, he could play along with her for now. Besides, from her tone he was now very certain that this bitch was really desperate to take down the Family, so desperate that she had to go after a lowly agent like Max to scrounge for some flimsy (now turned serious) external support for her own cause. That was worth making a mental note of.
"Yeah, yeah," he rolled his eyes at her. "I heard you loud and clear, alright: this is just a mutual, temporary partnership to help us get whatever the each of us really want. As long as you also hold up your end of the deal, I have zero interest in you. At all." He knew they were merely using each other for their own personal gains, and unlike his more righteous comrades, arresting a double agent after getting her cooperation wasn't part of his job scope (as far as he was concerned, that was their job, not his).
It didn't take a genius to tell that Shizuka didn't take her seriously. Seems like the 'overwhelming arrogance' part of his file holds true, but if he really wants to test me, then we'll see who comes out on top. But, she knew they had no reason to screw each other over (unless Shizuka wanted to arrest her for the mountain of charges they couldn't possibly trace back to her). "Good, good, good... now let's get to work, shall we?" Veronica said as she dug into her pocket and pulled out a USB drive. "Fortunately for all of you, I have been planning this for a long time."
She displayed the USB drive to him, explaining, "In here contains a layout of this current facility, and a... rather outdated patrol route." She said, shrugging. "But, inside of it also contains the layout of their main headquarters, a tower in the middle of Prince Ed-Field, and all the things inside of it. Vital targets, patrol routes, and where they might be storing any other gadgets." The result of years of careful plotting and note taking is finally about to pay off.
Though, there was something else she had to note, "Unfortunately, the Machine you're looking for is in an underground part of the headquarters that I only have a vague idea of because that place is normally locked down tight." She sighed, before she continued. "So, once you get down there, you're on your own."
It was mostly to persuade them to not simply blow the base up with everyone in it. Those self-righteous loons couldn't possibly sacrifice a good hundred or so innocent people for the sake of destroying the machine. Though, her eyes landed on Shizuka again.
...She was certain that he could.
Nonetheless, Veronica only wanted to get her sister and the other children out of there - what happened to that base after that was none of her concern. "Now, I also know a lot about the Family, so if you have any questions, let's get them out of the way now--"
"Well, I've been wondering," Shizuka began, returning Veronica's glare with mild amusement. "You are very desperate about this. Why are you so hellbent to destroy the Fags when you're working for them?"
"Well, you know that one reason I mentioned?" Veronica said... seeing no reason to hide her little sob story from him (not out of pity-seeking, but it might be beneficial if she wasn't hush-hush about the most important thing here: motivation). She put a hand on her hips as she took few steps over to the side. "I have two younger sisters that have essentially been enslaved by the Family... they've forced me to work for them just to keep them safe."
She sighed, and figured that she should let Shizuka in on more information about her sisters. "Both of them have powers that are very... beneficial to the FF. One can apply upgrades to superpowers, and has been giving their goons a little power boost, and the other... She has easily one of the strongest Cerebral abilities: mental manipulation. Different from telepathy, she can alter memories to the point where she can come up with an entire person's past, and apply mind control to anyone... Well, neither ability is faultless, but they're still incredibly powerful."
Mental Manipulation? Now that was another mystery solved. This whore was more useful than just having those watermelon-sized tits, huh. "I'm aware that those Blessed Bitches have quite a large number of their minions in the Family under mind control. We'll have to find a way to break them free from the control to have any chance of crippling their army of mindless puppets."
"I have a way..." Veronica said. "But, I don't think it'll be a 'long-term' solution, so to speak..." She put a hand on her hip.
Shizuka put a hand to his chin. Unless they could get all the affected people to Veronica's sister - the source of the mental manipulation power - to reverse the effect completely, it was like Veronica had said: it would only be a temporary solution. It sounded like whatever method she knew might be the same one used by the Fags. "If that's the case, we can only use whatever way you have up your sleeve tactically." Hopefully he didn't have to knock those puppets out of the mind control the hard way. "So, what's this short-term solution?"
"My sister slipped me their mind control code..." Veronica said. "Merely by saying 'Mechanized Memories' to them, they can be controlled - by adding on 'Release', we can turn off the control... at least until one of them turns it back on, but only the Three are capable of that." She shrugged again.
...Interesting. But more importantly, they would have to get her sisters out of the Family's custody first. "I guess I can help to rescue your sisters from the Fags' clutches. We need them to free all the prisoners - the Secretaries, the IU, and the children - from the mind control, after all." While on the surface Shizuka probably looked like he was doing his duty as a RAVEN to protect this damned world, deep down he was no different from Veronica - he could empathize with her determination to save her own family, because if their roles were reversed, he'd probably do the same as her: using everything he could get his hands on only for the sake of his family.
"One thing you need to note about the Secretaries," Veronica started off, her tone shifted ever so subtly. "Not all of them are under control. Some of them are just devout servants, thoroughly indoctrinated by the Family."
Her eyes narrowed for a moment. "...There's no saving them."
Shizuka raised an eyebrow at her. "Makes sense - with a cult as mad as the Fags, some people probably don't need much convincing to brainwash them, without the need for superpowers." Hmm, at least they both had one thing they could easily agree on.
However, if this woman thought that by saving her sister and bail out of this shitstorm ASAP to flee as far as their legs could take them (he wouldn't be surprised if she did that; he could see his own shadow in her), then she sure was a short-sighted dumbass. She reminded him of the narrow-minded Lihua from years ago. "Also, hate to tell you that if you think that as long as you get your family out of the way and you have no more business in this, that arrogant mistake might cost the life of your precious sisters." He narrowed his eyes at her. "You're already too deep in this shit more than you want to admit yourself. If you truly want to protect your family, we'll have to be thorough and make sure there's no way for the Fags to rise up again, then find you to take out an even worse revenge on you. That means this partnership will have to hold out until everything is truly over."
"Think I haven't thought that far?" Veronica said, realizing that this boy took her for a complete idiot. That's what make him an idiot for rambling on about the very thing she already knew. She held her tongue, for once. "I want them out of the way before we do anything, because I'm on thin ice. According to their glorious leader Blake, they're currently expendable, and knowing the FF, the very second they get the slightest whiff of my betrayal they're gonna be thrown into the Machine."
The very concept made her clench her fists tightly at the boy. "So, can you save me this redundant bullshit and actually be useful?" She sighed, as she let the anger out, before she realized she wasn't helping. "Look, I'm sorry about that, I'm just a little stressed because so damn much is at stake here."
Shizuka shrugged at her, unfazed by her sudden outburst. This conversation was going smoother than he had originally thought - she wasn't as tough (and bright) as she had appeared to be. Well, any sane person would be near breaking point working for a bunch of lunatics, and she did say she had been with them for years. "Glad to know that we're on the same page about the stakes. Anyway, your intel is, well, quite helpful... but are you expecting me to charge in like this?" he said, giving Veronica a sideways glance. "You're sure impatient."
"I'm expecting you to pass on this information to your RAVEN buddies," Veronica rolled her eyes up into her head as she replied. "One person can't topple them, after all."
She sighed. "Besides, their machine is already finished. It's just charging. So, I don't think we have time for tea parties, yeah?"
"I can get the info to the RAVENs, but that's not my point." Shizuka rolled his eyes at Veronica. "According to your info via Max, the Fags intend to release the Beast first to keep RAVEN - and everyone else - busy, to buy them the time to finish charging up the Machine. It's obviously a dumb diversion trick, and we can't fall for it." He crossed his arms before him. "The main RAVEN force can deal with the Beast and make the Fags think we have fallen for their plan, while we'll be free to shut down the Machine before it can fully charge up, right beneath their nose."
He then rubbed the back of his neck. "But I can't possibly be phasing past the security the whole time, so there has to be a better way for me to get around the main base without having to use my power, and without them noticing..."
"I have an idea..." Veronica said. "You can't phase or fight through security, but what if you had a way of slipping past them right under their nose without them being none the wiser?" Veronica rhetorically asked. "But, for my idea to work, I'm going to need your measurements," she said... realizing that sounded kind of pervy.
Veronica's hint struck a chord in Shizuka's mind. Of course! Most of the IU members wore a mask, which was a perfect way to hide one's identity, allowing him to roam the base more freely without arousing much suspicion. "Yeah, right. Go ahead," he replied, too focused on the important things to think about the dirty stuff. Though, he was quick to add, "And don't forget to hold up your own end of the deal."
"At this point," Veronica said with a toothy grin. "Why wouldn't I?"
There was something about her perverted smile that Shizuka didn't like, but getting the work done was more important than his personal dissatisfaction about joining forces with this despicable woman. Oh well - at least he managed to get her fully on board without having to try too hard to break that thick skull of hers.
The rest of RAVEN were waiting outside the base in various inconspicuous locations, vehicles mostly.
Thanks to Meifeng's forward scouting, they had managed to set up a few cameras in key areas, and Lihua was situated in the back of a car viewing them, while Meifeng sat in the front seat wearing a disguise that took attention away from her more standout features. She glanced over her shoulder at Lihua as the woman was obsessively shifting through the camera feeds, ready to update Shizuka on any new situations that may have arisen. Though, Meifeng remembered that, last time she checked, the F-F goons didn't like using doors. It was hard to fit her RAVEN uniform underneath this disguise, so she'd have had to quickly throw it back on. It wasn't like anyone was walking these streets at this hour. Only the roving bands of kids, of course.
"Are you alright, Mom?" Meifeng spoke in Chinese. "You've been staring at that computer an awful lot..."
"With so much at stake right now, I have to be focused as possible..." Lihua trailed off.
"What has really popped up on that screen so far?"
"A rat... and a leaf," Lihua said in resignation.
"So, let's--"
"Let's focus on the mission... Mind doing a roll call for me?" Lihua said.
With a mere roll of her own eyes (no pun intended), Meifeng pressed her earpiece and said, "Alright, all RAVENs, what are your current positions?"
Alice was seated beside Quentin with a box of powdered donuts on her lap. She had offered them around the van, but had been the main culprit in their consumption as the veteran RAVEN found himself preoccupied with equipment prep whilst his younger brother kept watch for any noteworthy changes outside. No one was quite sure where she had managed to acquire them from, most businesses had shut down in the light of recent events. More than one of her fellow agents had hypothesized she was raiding the stale stocks of abandoned Krispy Kremes and Dunkin' Donuts to satisfy her appetite. She'd seen a medic, and though her leg twinged, it was far from the hindrance it had been in the defense of RAVEN headquarters. She swallowed what appeared to be an entire donut before mumbling into the mic.
"Shortcut about fifty meters to your east, ready to move in as rapid response."
It made sense. Alice was hardly the most powerful of the metahumans they had managed to assemble, but she could cover ground much faster than the rest of them, and get back to report quickly if their comms went down.
"Good... good, good, good..." Meifeng trailed off in the comms. "Keep me posted."
There was another buzz in the comm-piece, followed by the quiet voice of Shizuka, "Everything's been going smoothly on my end. I'll be counting on you guys to keep the Beast busy." He intended to keep his report short - one had to be callous especially now that he would be going deeper into the enemy's den - but the other side didn't share the same sentiment as him.
"Hey, hey, hey," Meifeng chimed in, before Shizuka rushed off to do whatever weird things. "What information did you get?"
Shizuka was about to cut off the comm-link when Meifeng had to ask that question. "Right... Good news is that the Machine's location is indeed the very place we have pinpointed - which is where their other base is - and it's kept deep underground. As for the bad news, it's all completed and currently just charging up, so we are really running out of time. I still need to dig further down for more info on it."
"Shit, that means we don't have a lot of time to waste," Meifeng said as she heard all of what Shizuka said. Knowing where the machine is located the first and most important step to destroying it. Long as Shizuka found it, and marked it, then destroying it would get a lot easier. Though... if it's deep underground, that meant her earlier plan of just blowing up the whole building might not work. They'd need more information. "We'll hold the fort down here, just make sure to pass any new developments back to us."
Shizuka should be more than capable of handling himself. Meifeng looked at the back seat at Lihua, "Yo, we gotta get the show on the road. Shizuka and his boys have the base scouted out, but he found out that the Machine is complete, just charging."
"That means we have no time to waste," Lihua said.
Since Meifeng was the one who wanted to hold this line, Shizuka might as well dump the new things he had learned from Veronica to them so that he could continue his own part of the mission without further interruption. "Oh yeah, the security may seem thin, but be on your guard. Not all of them are under the mind control spell - some are just that devoted to the Family's cause," he said, not bothering to keep the disgust out of his tone. "I'll also be sending the layout and patrol routes of the Silver Hills lab to your computer. My team has already taken care of the cameras."
"Excellent - I mean that's great, Shizuka!" Meifeng said to her white-haired companion, having nothing to say about the part on the Family's loyal minions merely being devout. "Thank you so much for this."
"Yeah, you two owe me loads of favor," he had to let out a light joke at Meifeng's enthusiastic voice. Ugh, he hated how contagious her weird optimism was, like Malik's. "Whatever, just give those Fags a real hell." And he finally cut off the comm-link with her.
"Alright, everyone," Meifeng spoke into the comms. "Get ready for the insertion."
In any other situation, Alice would have made a joke. After recent events though, she just didn't have the heart. She shoved the last donut into her mouth with far less gusto than her colleagues would have observed before Baybridge, then cocked her gun. Quentin followed suit behind her with his own weapon at the ready and could only assume that Reed wouldn't be too far behind them.
After Meifeng prepared, getting dressed in the standard RAVEN armor, it was time to kick the plan into motion.
In the least subtle way possible! That was all apart of the brilliance of it. Devised by Lihua and Meifeng, they were going to make a diversion in a diversion. They had helicopters, and armored trucks go and tactically insert their way into the ISD's half of the base, raising hell and drawing the attention of the IU up there. While Meifeng would lead a small team to encounter through one of the secret tunnels they spoke about and go straight into where the Beast was being created. Small team consisting of what was left of her friends in RAVEN and DOVE with Cindy missing.
An armored truck with long battering ram mounted in front of it charged through the front doors of the facility, followed by a RAVEN helicopter landing on top of the ISD building. The second both of them were in position, squads of RAVENS were charging into the building. It wasn't long until the IU came from below the building to meet their challenge. Prompting an explosion as they went gun to gun, power to power, fist to fist. Causing anarchy in an otherwise perfectly normal laboratory.
While the explosions were keeping everyone's attention, Meifeng had broken into the same pizzeria that Wendy had entered merely a few hours ago, and had already found thanks to all the information that Max gave them. Opening the hatch, Meifeng was blasted with a horrid smell that reminded her of a situation she'd been in seven years ago. Quentin took point with his 870 at the ready, mouth twisting just a little as the same odor reached his nostrils. Even with all the body armor and equipment that he'd thrown on, he still felt a chill run through his spine as a faint gust of air rush out from the tunnel below.
"...Alright, let's get a move on," Meifeng said as she tightly clutched the ACR in her hands. She took the time to flip the visor on her helmet down. "Let's take them out."
Entering behind Meifeng, Alice was met with a face full of the pizzerias' stench. She had foregone her helmet this time, and even cut down most of her armor. In the attack on Headquarters it had done little other than slow her down. She was still wearing the chest plate, but the heavy armor plates for her arms and legs had been removed and left in the back of the van. She needed to be able to move as fast as she could, and the less weight she was carrying, the easier she would find it to jump from place to place. She scanned the room with her MAC11, then nodded to Meifeng as she moved further into the building, whispering, "Here we go."
After making his descent, Quentin was met with an expanse of tunnel which seemed to stretch onwards, barely illuminated by light fixtures that periodically seemed to pulse. How there was any lighting down here to begin with, given the power cut, was a point of suspicion whatever way you looked at it. But nothing else came within sight as the others finally appeared from behind, so it was that they began to proceed, albeit cautiously.
It didn't take them long to find the 'maintenance access' door that Wendy and her friends had stumbled across just a few hours ago, the heavy bolts which had once sealed it in place now warped under the influence of a previous intruder. Quentin glanced back over his shoulder for just a moment, waiting on Meifeng's signal that they were ready to proceed.
Lihua prepared her Mossberg 590 Tactical, giving it one pump as she looked to her daughter for guidance. Meifeng had ran through the door, and quickly checked her corners as she tried to find an opponent in the darkness of the base. The younger Zhao raised her hand up into the air, signalling for the rest of RAVEN that the coast was clear. If everything would go correctly, they would get to the neo-Beast pretty quickly according to Shizuka's information. The moment when they got there, they would plant bombs and bail the fuck out, going straight for the Machine. Though she had a gut feeling that this was going to go horribly wrong.
Inwards they moved, into the belly of the concrete labyrinth.
A gigantic boom from above them knocked a few rocks off the ceiling. Well, that wasn't going to halt their progress... they needed to keep moving forward without fear of what would happen to the RAVENs above them. Part of Meifeng was worried that they wouldn't even have enough RAVENs for the next mission, but they were doing a good work by keeping the IU busy.
Hopefully, they'd be able to safely withdraw from the base.
The man they had strapped down to the wall was undergoing a transformation of some sort.
Going from a muscular man, to more of a being made out of light. There was a thick yellow glow that obscured his entire body, rendering it invisible. Just as planned. The 'Beast', as the people of the Czech Republic called it, was a collaborative project between Julia and Blake - mostly Blake's knowledge of Metahumans at play here, but Julia couldn't give him all the credit. It was her knowledge of biology that had helped to keep it all together, after all. What was keeping her attention was that she was examining the vial of yellow Metahuman energy that she had recovered from RAVEN. She couldn't believe that fool got her hands on it, but now that it's finally back, she could finish it.
She looked up at her creation, which was just about ready. She almost smiled in joy, but of course, something had to go wrong. The man thrashed around, as the light got more intense. A brief whip of yellow electricity bounced off his glowing being as the scientists scrambled to get away. Julia took a step back, before their new Beast projected a beam of a strange energy that was similar in appearance and consistency to light. The beam graced one of the scientists... and reduced the woman to dust.
"Mistress Julia!" A Secretary dove out and shoved Julia backwards as another beam came towards her. It barely grazed them, but something was going horribly wrong here.
Ezekiel gritted his teeth as he focused on the machines feeding the man the liquids. He projected an electric field, and tapped into the systems of the machine, before he managed to turn down the liquids. The Beast began to simmer down, and everyone present was relieved as Ezekiel put a hand in his pocket.
"...Thank you, Ezekiel!" Blake cordially said from underneath a table as he came climbing out with his troupe of Secretaries in tow. Taking slow steps over to Julia was the first thing he did before he put his muscular arms on his sides. "...Perhaps we should dial back the serum. A little bit."
"Agreed," Julia said, realizing that their Beast was on the verge of going off before he even got a chance to destroy Baybridge. "But, that just means he'll be extra powerful when he's fin--"
The shockwave of what sounded like an explosion, which had to be one hell of an explosion if it reached them all the way down here.
Someone ran into the room, wearing the armor of the Intimidation Unit, "RAVEN is attacking the base!"
But, news that would distress anyone else, merely made the Blessed Three grin like hyenas.
"...Looks like you were correct, Julia," Blake said.
"Aren't I always?" Julia said. "It's just good they weren't desperate enough to go straight to the Machine."
It was all according to Julia's plan... she knew that, if their informant was as knowledgeable as she had thought, they would come here after the most active threat. And even if they didn't, Julia would just sic the Beast on them and wipe them all out anyway. But, that wasn't the problem. No, no, RAVEN was just a nuisance. What Julia was worried about was the informant that was obviously supplying them with intelligence which made them more than a mere nuisance that could be swatted aside. What Julia intended to do was simple: find the informant no matter the cost. She had everything planned out perfectly.
"Ah... I guess I'm going to be heading the defense of our assets," Julia said as she folded her hands behind her back, and gradually walking over towards the exit. "...And snuff out that rat of ours. Ezekiel, would you do me a favor and guard the conversion chambers?"
Ezekiel's electricity intensified around his hands. "Gladly."
"Blake, put the finishing touches on the Beast, will you?"
"Ah, and who made you the shot caller? Blake said - his playful tone made it abundantly clear that he wasn't hostile at all. "But, I'm wondering how you're going to find this mole in all this chaos."
"...I have a few ideas," Julia started off. "Besides... to catch a rat, you... have to cut off its exits..."
The sound of her base being destroyed from around her didn't phase Julia even in the slightest. This place was truly... expendable. Everything that was valuable to her was gone, and if Ezekiel does his job, they'd have the last little bit of fuel that they need for the Machine. A massive rumble shook the very foundation of the base, but her stride still wasn't halted. She was determined as they come to get to a very special part of the base. One room that could be best described as a control room with many monitors... that were unfortunately, non-functional, due to the interference of a rat that would be killed in the long run. When Julia walked into the room, the doors closed behind her.
"Mistress," A female-soldier of the Intimidation Unit tried to bow as she addressed Julia, but the genetically perfect woman grabbed her by the head, and said,
"I don't have time for that - what is the status on the base?"
"Cameras are offline, ma'am," The soldier said, "But, our IU is holding RAVEN off."
"Ah, I presume the Zhaos aren't with them? Or the Taylors?" Julia asked.
"Negative, only one Taylor is with the RAVEN attack party, the rest are unaccounted for." The soldier said.
The tall red-haired woman merely put a finger against her jaw as she tilted her head. "It's exactly what I thought, it's a mere diversion. They're probably sneaking through the rest of the base straight to the beast." She shook her head because of how easily she could see through their plan. "... Bring up the advanced terminal prompt, and close the tunnels while you're at it."
"...Affirmative, Mistress." The IU soldier said as she went over to the computers and started flipping a few switches. Typing on the computer one last time brought up a prompt, which Julia strutted over and punched in with the best of her abilities.
HIGH EXECUTIVE PASSWORD REQUIRED: **************
ACCESS GRANTED.
> ACTIVATE SHIELD OF LIGHT?
>> YES.
ACTIVATING SHIELD OF LIGHT...
The last line flashed in the window as a bar appeared underneath it to go left and right... outside of the base, at the very top of the ISD building that was the front for the FF base, a panel opened up and revealed a large glowing device that could be best described as a satellite. It glowed with a blue color as it shot a blue beam straight into the sky, before the beam bloomed into a full on dome that surrounded the entire facility with a transparent, blue, dome. Nigh-impenetrable, it would be a task to destroy it with conventional weaponry, let alone superpowers. Save for the convenient portal ability provided by Zenith. According to Julia, it made it impossible for RAVEN to escape the Beast once it was complete, and would wipe them out before going on a rampage throughout the rest of Baybridge.
Once the shields were up, a loud explosion took place that destroyed all the secret tunnels in and out of the base. The IU soldier looked awfully concerned, "What about the group heading for the Beast?"
A smug grin appeared on Julia's face.
"I have something very special for them that'll make short work of them."
The loud tapping of a cane filled the room, and Julia turned around to see Biyu Liu scrolling in, "Mistress Julia," The woman put on the most convincing smile she could... which was difficult given the circumstances. "I personally request for me to handle... the Zhaos." She said, bowing her head, hoping that Julia would agree to let her wipe out that whore of a daughter, and her legacy, in one go.
Julia merely shrugged, Biyu was, currently, completely useless to her and all of her plans. "Yes, you may." At worst, she'd slow them down. Julia folded her arms behind her back, before she turned around back towards the door, and muttered to herself.
Rhea recalled the last time she saw the walls of a Family's base, a gun pointed at her with two snarky agents ready to put her through the wringer. It was with a certain amount of relish that she crept along the walls with Malik and Holly — sneaking under the radar was something to be savoured.
Despite an extensive search, and skillfully avoiding the patrol’s attention, Rhea had to accept the facts. Malik, however, was losing his enthusiasm. It was hard enough knowing Marcelle’s mind was torn up by a psychotic drug. Rhea pursed her lips, watching him carefully.
Finding out that Marcelle wasn't even here was really hurting Malik.
It felt like a hopeless battle, in which Malik was losing. What was he even aiming for? A fight that'd never end - one that'd probably end with him finding out the ugly truth that he was so desperate to pretend wasn't true. The tunnels of this base smelled like shit, and he couldn't help but feel a little agitated. He could hear the sound of RAVEN fighting above them, but he was down here with the devils. He wished that he could find Marcelle, but whatever prison they searched, they couldn't find her. All they could find were more and more faces in distress. More people oppressed by the Family. He wanted to help them, but how could he?
He was just a man. Not a savior. Not a hero.
His back was pressed against a wall as he peered around it. Far down the hallway was a group of people... all around a tall red-haired woman. Marching towards some end of the base with her legion of Secretaries.... she had to be important. But, Malik couldn't rush in after her. He turned towards Holly, and Rhea... not with them at his side.
"So, yeah..." Malik awkwardly said, trying to play off his desperately with idle chatter. "Where we goin' again?" He knew where, but just wanted to try to justify going after Julia.
"We have to get out of here - and quickly," Holly replied, narrowing her eyes at the approaching figures. She could feel a fearsome power radiating from the woman heading a group of people in suits with dead looks in their eyes, even from the trio's hiding place. "Seems like Marcelle isn't kept here but probably in the other base, so we have no more business in this place."
Malik looked between Rhea and Holly again. Yeah, they should search somewhere else. Stop wasting time here...
"Yeah, we don't..."
His agitation was terribly blatant. Or maybe it was resolve. Rhea’s face flashed with confusion. “Malik…?”
Malik looked at the two ladies one more time and narrowed his eyes.
"...But, I do."
He quickly took a few steps away from the wall, and said to the pair, "Sorry about this, but I'm going have to do this alone." He quickly darted down the hallway, sticking to the walls, and trying to get far away from them as possible so his stupid decision wouldn't get them killed.
"Hey, wait--" Holly tried to stop him, but the African man had already disappeared from her side, already heading for the woman and her suited underlings ahead.
She gritted her teeth - so much for tasking her to keep an eye on these two emotional liabilities. She couldn't risk running after him and make the situation worse than it already was now, so she switched to the comms with a resigned tone, "...Very well. I'll fall back with Rhea and regroup with the others first, then we'll come back for you. Just be careful, and keep us posted." It was bad enough for Malik to reveal himself before the enemy, but as long as those marching menaces didn't catch on her and Rhea, they still held the crucial cards in their hands.
“Malik,” Rhea hissed into the comms. “It’s suicide out there, you have to come back.”
Malik ignored both of them for now. It was probably for the best. If he ran to his death right now, then.
She shot Holly a look. “You can’t be serious. You’re going to let him go?” She cleared her throat; attempting to speak levelly. “With what he's walking into, he can’t go alone.”
Holly stared at Rhea, sighing in response to her indignant exclamation, "Look, Shizuka might have assigned me to keep watch over you two because I've more experience in this than the both of you, but my main job here isn't to babysit the reckless impulses of you two. This is a choice he has made for himself, and he's not a child."
Then her eyes hardened, giving the CID agent a piercing look. Whatever she was going to say next might sound a tad unemotional, but she really couldn't afford wasting any more time catering to the whims of two hot-headed idiots. "Even if we go after him there's nothing we can do, only to speed up our own death instead. If you truly want to help him, then stay focused and don't lose sight of the more important things. We'll still need to regroup with Ryu and Aislin to have any chance of going against those people."
Turning away from Rhea, Holly gave their surroundings a quick glance, to secure an escape route away from Julia and her suited guards. "Let's hope that he has enough sense not to get himself killed in the heat of his rash decision, and hold out long enough until we can get reinforcements. I'm not going to let you go after him and get the both of you killed just because you two can't keep your emotions in check." To think that Shizuka's eccentricity pales in comparison to the childishness of these two, Holly thought to herself as she beckoned Rhea to follow her.
Gritting her teeth, Rhea’s eyes hesitated on the hallway Mailk took off down. She sighed. “... Fine, we’ll do it your way.”
Rhea snorted. “Please, lecture me all you want when this is over.”
Ezekiel is taking too long.
Julia thought to herself as she merely strutted down the hallways of her lab... she made it to the place where Blake battled those kids. The foyer and what a wreck it was. Tons of rubble everyone (and the lab above must look like hot garbage) all because Blake couldn't be bothered to clean up after himself. At least he could put back-
"Hey, given all the goons, I take it you're Julia O'Sullivan?" Malik said as he walked through one of the doors of the lower floor, currently in his storm form in case they decide to start shooting at him. Julia looked down on him from the top of the stairs.
And, as expected, Julia's bodyguards aimed their guns at him - but, Julia raised a hand up into the air.
"At ease, soldiers," Julia said as a half-grin formed on her face... she knew exactly who this man was. "And I take it you're Malik Jakane... one of our many pains in the asses."
"That would be me," Malik said, crossing his arms as he stared down Julia unafraid. "I want to know what you did to my friend... my friend Marcelle."
Julia shrugged.
"...Oh, you are so bold as to confront me personally without your little friends, when I can kill you with a flick of my wrist... oh, so, very, very, bold."
"Sorry, but I'm not in the mood for your rhetoric," Malik said. "In her very last log, she said she was outed, and I can't find her anywhere. So, what did you do to her?"
Julia shrugged. "Well, if it gets you out of my hair..." Julia said in a condescending sarcasm that made Malik narrow his eyes incredulously. "...She's dead, Jakane."
"What?!" Malik said, his fists were shaking, "You... bastards! She was my best friend! I can't believe you killed her like she was a dog!"
"Me? Killed her? No," Julia said, crossing her arms. "I wanted her brought back alive for... further study."
She stuck one hand out.
"If you want to know who killed her, perhaps you should be looking to the women you must be getting information from."
Julia laughed as she reached into the pocket of her suit, and pulled out a USB drive. She held it up in the air, presenting it to Malik.
"If you want your answers, here's they are... the only stipulation is that you get the hell out of my hair," Julia said as she threw the USB drive at Malik's feet as she walked down the stairs. She stepped over to Malik, and stared him directly in the face. "...Do we have a deal?"
Malik had already picked up the USB drive, and realized that, from the tape that was around it, it was one of Marcelle's logs... he couldn't pass this up if it was real.
"Yeah..." Malik said as he depowered his storm form. "...We have a deal."
Julia gently tapped Malik's nose with her finger, and elected a confused look from Malik.
"See you around, then, Mr. Jakane," Julia said as she walked past him with her posse. "It was nice meeting you."
Malik stared at the USB drive... There was something wrong here, she was awfully willing to give this to them.
Either way, he got to get back to Rhea.
"...Sorry about that, guys," Malik said into the comms remorsefully. "But, I managed to steal one of Marcelle's last logs off the tall lady... where do we regroup?"
Luckily for him, Holly and Rhea didn't progress too far, because Holly had to make sure Rhea didn't try to sneak off after Malik from right under her nose. "That was fast," she commented, giving Rhea a nod that Malik was alright. "Just head straight down the corridor we were hiding before you went after the redhead, then turn left. We'll wait for you there." While she was glad that the African man had somehow miraculously managed not to get himself killed by that woman and even got his hands on another one of Marcelle's logs, there was something fishy about this. How could someone like her let off Malik so easily like this without a fight?
Either way, they would have to regroup first and then ponder about this suspicious development.
It took a few moments for Wendy Lucker, who had just about lost all hope of ever seeing sunlight again, to register the explosions in the distance.
"Huh?" Wendy said as she hopped up to her feet and ran to the cell doors, immediately looking left and right as explosions rocked through the very base. Knocking chunks of the ceiling above them down. "Ro-Rowan?" Wendy called out to him to get his attention.
In the mist of the explosion, Wendy heard footsteps coming up on them. Whipping her head around to see the same Japanese woman that has graced them with her presence a few moments ago. Her chains were rattling as she came in view.
"...Okay, I shouldn't be doing this," Makoto said as she came to a stop in front of Wendy's cell and leaned in forward, doing something to the lock with a device that Wendy couldn't quite see. "But, you have to promise me - promise me - that you'll get out of here fast as possible and stay away from this." She spoke with dead seriousness.
A hand drifted towards Wendy's mouth, and she asked, "Who are you...?"
Makoto looked up at Wendy, before answering,
"...Just a concerned individual that doesn't quite agree with the Family," Makoto started off, before pressing on the subject. "Now, are you going to get out of here or what?"
She stared at this woman for a few moments as she considered just who was she. To Wendy, she was just a stranger, was there something about her that elicited sympathy from this woman? No, no, no... that didn't quite make sense. There had to be another reason, a personal reason. Because, otherwise, she wouldn't-
"...Well?" Makoto asked, dragging Wendy back to earth, she shook her head as to quickly recover from her mental rambling.
"Yeah..." Wendy trailed off, scratching the back of her neck as the lock to the cell door was suddenly broken open, very crudely, before the cell door opened, and Wendy sure as hell didn't waste time in stepping through the door.
The collar around her neck was broken - sliced into pieces - merely by Makoto's metal manipulation ability. Wendy could feel the power returning to her in the collar's absence, and she finally realized that this was the miracle that they needed...
The mysterious woman turned away, saying bluntly, "Like I said, get the hell out of here," She looked over her shoulder with a less than impressed look in her eyes, as smoky black wisps surrounded her, "...This is a one-time thing." She said as she completed her transformation into a shadow-y being, and ran through the wall, disappearing.
What was that about? The thoughts occurred to Wendy as she just brushed it off, and decided to flex her powers just to make sure that everything's in working order. She spread her fingers out, and focused on the concrete floor. Pulling a small rock out of the ground, and floating it up into the air. She briefly looked around... so many people here... even though the strange woman broke her out, she couldn't just leave them all behind - what kind of person would she be if she left them to such deplorable conditions?
The floating stone flew into the cell's lock hard enough to bend and contort it out of place - and Wendy walked over, and pulled the bars aside. Looking Rowan square in the eyes.
"...Hey." She awkwardly said, as she once again was dumbfounded as to what to do next, then her eyes landed on the collar around Rowan's neck. "Shit, we gotta get that off," She started off. "I... really don't think I can control stone well enough to get it off. Without breaking your neck, I mean. What if..." She grabbed her chin as she looked around.
"Just break this thing off already, I don't care how you do it." Rowan firmly stated.
Wendy still wasn't super sure about this, but she was going have to try something. Just be really gentle with Rowan. She focused on the stone, and hoped for the best, pressing the the concrete chunk against the underside of Rowan's collar with enough force to damage it... but, not shatter Rowan's spinal cord.
Hopefully.
A choked grunt escaped from the scrawny teen's mouth as the chunk of debris crushed the inhibitor unit in the collar, before he did the rest of the work and tore free with his restored powers.
Now that Rowan was out, they had to save Jessica, and Kai... but, at the expense of all these people? "Rowan... we gotta save Jess and Kai... but, can we really save everyone here?"
"We can try," he said, before clenching both fists and concentrating on the closest cell doors, spurred on by his returned strength. A great metallic screech resonated throughout the corridor as doors were torn from their hinges, sometimes pulling down the doorframes with them.
Wendy nodded her head, as she remembered that the most she could do was break open the cell doors... they didn't have time to individually break every single collar. She was sorry. She just focused on the hallway and bent and turned the concrete around so that the next few cell doors were blasted open by Wendy's concrete powers. The people inside of them came stepping out, only for Wendy to urge them.
"Try breaking everyone free!" Wendy urged them... all they could do was hope that they could break everyone free while they went for Jess and Kai. "Rowan, try popping their collars off."
Nodding, he turned his sights towards the first liberated prisoner that he saw and wrenched his arms outwards as though he were pulling a pair of sliding doors apart. In an instant, the collar broke in half at the center and its victim, a scruffy looking man with a beard, gave the two teens a nod and made a break for what looked like the exit. Rowan repeated this step for the rest of those with collars, though more than a few of them weren't wearing any. They weren't metahumans, that was for sure.
It didn't take long for the rest of the prisoners to be freed, Ellen among them, and she rubbed at the faint marks about her neck where the collar had rested for what felt like a lifetime. She felt a rush as her power returned, steadying her swaying form, at least for now. She knew she had at most a few hours before her body shut itself down. At worst she only had a few minutes. It was strange, she normally had much longer with her powers, but she had only possessed this speed for a few days, and already she felt mere hours away from another shift.
"I think that's the last of them," Rowan said with a glance over the shoulder towards Wendy after she'd finished checking the last few cells for any survivors.
"Good, lets go," Wendy said as she was quick to run down the hall towards the door Ezekiel's goons took Jess and Kai. As there was nothing stopping her from saving them. Rowan was right behind her.
However, one of the prisoners who was a woman took a step out of the cell, she looked down the hall where Rowan and Wendy went before her form "melted". Flesh dissolved and went downwards until it had all disappeared. And it revealed the form of Blake's shapeshifting Indian Secretary. Wearing a suit opposed to the casual clothes that were apart of her disguise. She pressed her earpiece, and said,
"...Blake, I believe I found your mole."
Running through the halls of the damn base finally paid off when they came across the massive metal doors to the place known as the "Conversion Chamber." The place where Ezekiel said that he took Jess and Kai... that bastard was going to get it when Wendy was finished, but Wendy had to, first, settle business down here. These massive doors made even the large Wendy Lucker feel awfully small... She had to make an effort to stay strong, and remember everything that was at stakes here.
A brief glance towards Rowan's battered face reminded her that she had to stay strong.
"Okay," Wendy said as she brushed her hands, on contact, her electrical ability created sparks. She focused on the door, sticking both hands out as she created electricity that went into the door, "Rowan, can you lend me a hand?" She asked.
"Doesn't come for free," he remarked with a weak grin, pressing his palms against the metal.
The doors to the room were violently pried open by both of their combined strength. The door was pushed apart... loudly skidding against the ground (Hell, Wendy could see some sparks), so if it was anything, it was not subtle. Didn't matter, because at this point, Wendy was past the point of worrying so damn much about staying quiet. Just like she told Rowan earlier...
The doors opened to reveal the shining light of the room.
...It's all about sending a message.
The room was circle-shaped, almost like a dome, and not quite that large. Fairly medium sized... the floors were large tan tiles, and the walls were made out of a different title. But, that wasn't what caught Wendy's attention. Lining the room, starting on each end of the door, were large glass pods that were straight out of a scifi movie. They had metal tubing on the top of them that went off into the walls to parts unknown. That wasn't all... every single pod had a person inside of it. A different person from all walks of life. That never wanted any part of the Family's insanity. Just trapped in these pods.
In the center of the room, stood the tall blond man that Wendy had long declared her mortal enemy: Ezekiel Anagnos. With his troupe of Secretaries, holding Jessica and Kai down and ultimately relieving Wendy that the two were still alive.
"Shit, Wendy?!" Jessica said as she thrashed around. "I don't know how you did it, but thank God you're here."
Ezekiel glared down Wendy, and Wendy made sure to return the favor... before the man broke out in laughter.
"Oh my goodness, you truly are a nuisance!" Ezekiel said in laughter. "No matter what we do, you still find some way to be a pest... I can see why Blake wanted you on our side." He continued laughing, before he went right back to glaring at Wendy.
At this point, Wendy was far from being afraid of the Family anymore, she took a few steps up, and said to Ezekiel, "Yeah, and I'm here to get my friends back." Wendy said, swiping her hand aside. "So, I'm going to be a pest a little longer." She narrowed her eyes as she took one more step forward, but her march was stopped when Ezekiel pointed his hand at her and shot a low voltage blast of electricity - deflected by the combined efforts of both Wendy and Rowan.
"Isn't it convenient that you arrived at just the time to watch the spectacle?" Ezekiel asked.
"What?"
"Allow me to show you." Ezekiel said with a grin as he merely snapped his fingers, and he flipped a switch in the center of the room.
Screams of the people in the pods filled the room as they slammed against the glass desperately trying to get out. The pods were being filled with a green energy... No, the energy was being pulled out of them, and being sucked into the metal pipes above the pipes. The very essence of their being being yanked away. To Wendy, it almost looked like someone's soul getting pulled out of their body. But, that wasn't he awful part. As more of their Metahuman energy was being removed... they began to lose cohesion. Their bodies melted and dissolved as they ultimately reduced to nothing but ash.
Wendy was standing there, staring in shock. How... how could they do such a thing?
"You all are fucked in the head!" Wendy shouted.
"It's all about progress, Ms. Lucker!" Ezekiel shouted back over her. "To change the world, you have to make sacrifices!"
Wendy could only watch in horror as people died in the pods... though, she caught eye of someone that she had seen earlier, a few weeks ago at the fair; Nick O'Connor. The tall man who got her out of the fair. She could only feel indebted to him as she tried to pull apart the pod with her magnetism.... and she made no difference as Nick faded away with people like Asuma Obokata, Samantha Cole, Abraham Gene... people she would never know. Before it was all over... and the pods were full of nothing but black ash.
Ellen had sprinted past their opponents, blurring in her haste. She skidded to a stop, slamming into the glass so hard she nearly bounced off. It was too late. The figure before her, someone she didn't even know, had just disintegrated. It was horrifying. She stepped back turning around to see two of the Secretaries approaching with out-stretched hands. She backed up, pressing her back against the pod. Her eyes darted about in panic, seeking an avenue of escape, seeing it narrow as they drew closer. It took her a moment to remember that she could move faster than both of them. The wind whipped her hair behind her face as she sped between them, narrowly avoiding their grasping hands.
"Oh my God..." Wendy said, as she witnessed the Auschwitz-level massacre that took place before her. She thought the Family were bad before... but, now, they are utterly irredeemable in their eyes. "... Some of them weren't even Metahumans." She noted.
Ezekiel loudly scuffed, before he loudly said, "Everyone's a Metahuman, you fool." He raised his hand up into the air, and the double-doors that they had opened with magnetism were dragged shut by Ezekiel's far superior electromagnetic abilities. He took a few steps forward. "Now that I made... room, I think I'm going to stop playing with you children and put you to good use. Regardless of what Blake says, you're useless."
He started laughing as he was surrounded by electricity, he looked over his shoulders at his Secretaries, "Put them in the pods, and prepare them for conversion. I will handle this." As much as the two thrashed, they couldn't break free of the Secretary's grasps, as they were shoved into the pods.
"No!" Wendy said, before she was struck with another bolt of Ezekiel's electricity, only to absorb it. She stared down Ezekiel. "Rowan, get Jess and Kai out of there... I'll hold off Caligula here..."
Wendy said, fearlessly marching forward to meet Ezekiel's challenge... hoping that she could defeat him so Rowan could save Jess and Kai.
The scrawny teen almost looked ready to argue, but the familiar expression on Wendy's face told him it was no point arguing, especially not when their two remaining friends were about to be reduced to ashes. Turning his sights towards the two Secretaries stowing Jess and Kai into the pods, Rowan realised they were still wearing the collars slapped on earlier and set his focus towards them, tightening his fingers into a fiat and then unclasping them. With a crunch, both collars were split in half.
The herculean strength had returned to Jessica, and she felt powerful. She could feel power flowing through her. Suddenly, that Secretary holding her down didn't seem so tough! She broke out of her grasp with one twist of her upper body, and gave the Secretary what for with a elbow to the chest. She was strong as the mountain! The Secretary hit the ground, and Jessica wondered if she was being melodramatic. She was pulling her punches after all. Kai had already transformed into clear-blue ice, and froze the hands of the Secretary holding her. Ellen crashed into the unfortunate man a moment later, and he screamed as his now brittle hands snapped under the force of the impact. Ellen winced, "Sorry..."
She turned to the other two for a moment, the bruises already forming on her arms. "I guess we're the rescue party?"
"Hell, thank you," Jessica said, she couldn't smile because they had to get the hell out of here. "Shit, with those doors close, we gotta deal with this maniac. We need to get them open."
Ezekiel looked over his shoulder, before whipping his whole body around in a teeth baring display. "Ugggggggh! You... I have no words! You two are the most annoying children I have ever encountered!" Ezekiel groaned out of irritation.
Wendy took the moment to run over to the wall, and touch the concrete, and switch to her terrakinesis. It barely crossed her mind that her hand was turned into stone, what she was more focused on was the fact that she had an ability at her disposal that could even the odds against Ezekiel. Clapping her hands together, she violently pulled a pillar out of the ground, and punched it, shooting it directly at Ezekiel. The man's reflexes were top tier, because the very instant he noticed it, he floated out of the way, and let it hit the wall behind him.
"What you don't realize is that you have nowhere to run!" Ezekiel shouted as electricity surrounded himself, he crossed his arms as it got more and more intense. He pointed one hand at Wendy, and the other at Rowan, and fired off arcs of electricity at the both of them. Wendy flipped up another chunk of concrete on reflex that dispersed against the blast of electricity whilst Rowan's magnetic field shrugged it off with little effect... but, Ezekiel was right. The doors were a bitch to open, and she doubted that they could get them open again.
They would have to kill Ezekiel to get out of here... but, after witnessing what Ezekiel did...
Wendy was more than comfortable with that.
Out for blood, she charged forward, screaming, "Why don't you go to hell?!" before she slammed her fist into the ground, creating a wave of stone spikes that split the earth as they went for Ezekiel. The electrokinetic man merely floated up into the air and charged Wendy. Swinging his leg followed by a trail of electricity that the younger girl could only parry by surrounding her arms with concrete, and taking the blow. Sliding backwards slightly. Hell, it could have been worse, but Wendy was going to kill Ezekiel here and now. Wendy brought her fists back and used the stone as boxing gloves to punch Ezekiel - but the man released a quick burst of electricity that caused Wendy to convulse. He followed that with an electric-infused kick to Wendy's stomach that knocked over what was left of Wendy.
Ready to finish the job, Ezekiel raised his leg high up into the air, to bring it down on Wendy and kill her.
"Hey, asshole!" Rowan had his own score to settle with Ezekiel - the man had put him in hospital before and subjected his friend to the electrical tortures and he sure as hell wasn't going to let it lie. Teeth clenched, the scrawny teen narrowly ducked as the man fired off another arc of electrical energy which crackled and burst against his own magnetic influence, before gesticulating with his arm towards a set of loose piping by one of the ashed pods and clenching his palm into a tightened fist and drawing back. In mere seconds, the piping tore away with a screech, before it was projected at Ezekiel with its jagged point aimed straight for his heart.
Ellen took advantage of Rowan's distraction, zooming in and helping Wendy to her feet. There was nothing she could do about the doors, but she could at least try and help her against the madman floating in the air.
The blonde-haired man bore his teeth as he whipped around towards Rowan, and in a display of incredible reflexes, grabbed the pipe with his bare hands, and used his magnetic abilities to stop the rest of them. Engaging in a tug of war between himself and Rowan. "Don't be so conceited...." Ezekiel growled at Rowan. "... Your magnetism belongs to me, and me alone!" He shouted in a display that literally tore apart each of the metal pipes, and whipped around back towards Wendy. Only to see that whore had disappeared. Only to hear cracking from the distance, as a desperate chunk of concrete flew towards him, and missed. Hmph, his eyes landed on Wendy, and he could notice all the blood that was dripping off of her.
"You'll die soon." Ezekiel said... before he snapped his fingers and emitted an electromagnetic field that stopped the obvious sneak attack that would come from Rowan.
In the midst of the chaotic battle against a man who proclaimed himself a God, the doors were parted from each other by the will of yet another party entering the fray. The doors opening displayed a light that seemed almost angelic... the doors revealed Makoto Koda yet again. The unexpected savior of Wendy and Rowan much earlier. Wendy looked on, still in confusion as to which side this woman is on. Ezekiel merely grinned.
"Ah, Makoto, assist me in the disposal of the-"
It all happened in an instant, the chains that were hanging off Makoto's waist were thrown at Ezekiel - the bloody hooks at the end were barbed, and the most painful part of her chains - as she ran towards him. Ezekiel eyes shot wide as he did the first thing that came to mind; use his superior reflexes to sidestep them. They flew past him, but it was the last trick of Makoto's sleeve. He looked at Makoto.
"What is the meaning of this?!" he shouted.
"Oh, just me reconsidering my career in villainy, love," Makoto said, as a distraction to use her metal manipulation to quickly bind Ezekiel's legs, having the hooks stab into his heels. Ezekiel loudly shouted in pain as the hooks dug deep, every inch he could feel with such painful detail that he'd vividly remember this for years to come. Tears dripped down from his eyes as every motion to break free only made the chilling experience of having cold metal in him.
That woman... Wendy had trailed off in her own head as she watched Makoto once again save them... but, why? Wendy was stopped in the middle of their encounter, tempted to finish Ezekiel off, but they finally have their exit.
"Kids, get out of here!" Makoto loudly shouted, whipping around so her shoulder was facing the door.
"Oh no you don't!" Ezekiel shouted. His legs were binded, his arms were not, as he pointed his hand at Makoto and shot her with a quick, desperate, shock of electricity that stunned the older woman, sending her falling to the ground. Wendy who was ready to run for the door, reconsidered for a moment. She noticed that Jess, Kai, and Ellen were running for the door desperately, but she couldn't leave the woman behind.
Not after she had saved them just now, and twice in a row.
But the man hadn't almost forgotten about the presence of another metal manipulator in the area, who drove the barbed points further into his flesh.
That was it, that was when Ezekiel finally had enough of the constant humiliation at the hands of mere children. He loudly screamed out of anger as he emitted extreme amounts of electricity from his body. All metal in the room started flying around wildly as he finally reached his breaking point. It became impossible to see anything, and Wendy had to get behind cover to hide from Ezekiel's electric storm, but she knew that it wasn't long until he destroyed this in his rampage. He desperately crawled towards Makoto, with the intent on killing her clear as day.
Well, like she said before, the only way to save themselves was to kill Ezekiel.
Wendy couldn't pinpoint where he was... but she could vaguely see his dark figure in the storm of electricity. She had one shot at this... one shot at bringing down a tyrant that was, in her eyes, beyond any and all redemption. A being of pure evil. She darted out fearlessly as a lion, before slamming her hand down one more time, and did the same technique that Ezekiel dodged earlier; creating a wave of cascading spikes that went straight for Ezekiel's body. She dipped back behind that concrete... hoping for the best.
Only to hear a hoarse yelp from Ezekiel... the output of his electricity slowed down to a halt, and Wendy felt like it was safe to come out. A spike of concrete had impaled Ezekiel square through the side, a bloody display that leaked blood in all directions. Ezekiel quickly ramped up the electricity, and a stray bolt had hit Wendy and knocked her back again. It wouldn't have long until Ezekiel overloaded and killed all of them.
"Ro-Rowan!" Wendy shouted, "It's up to you!"
A great metallic screech roared out once again as her scrawny friend heard her voice and drew in more metal debris under his influence, shielding himself from one of Ezekiel's projectiles. The man's electrical arcs couldn't touch him on account of his magnetic field, but that hadn't stopped him from turning his focus towards smashing Rowan into a finely ground paste with whatever objects he could push towards him in desperation.
But the scrawny teen found an opening and took it, ducking down below a sheet of metal and bolting towards where Ezekiel stood, metallic debris trailing behind him, only to draw up some of it at his feet, then lifting himself upwards as the wounded man fired off a pipe at him. For what felt like a minute, Rowan soared above the projectile and over Ezekiel's head...
And dropped down behind him with an awkward thud. Rowan felt what might have been his knee cracking, maybe, but in the heat of the moment he didn't give it more than a fraction of a second's notice.
"No, no, no, no..." Ezekiel repeated over and over again.
Ezekiel twisted to face him, contemptuous but shocked by the child's unexpected manoeuvre, only to feel a sharp, agonising pain as something punctured through his abdomen. A chunk of sharpened, metallic debris, pulled from one of the pods by Rowan and driven inside him. Only in his case, there would be no chance of getting to a hospital. Rowan hesitated for moment as this man stared back at him like a deer caught in headlights, then drove it further inwards.
For a moment... there was a brief moment of regret in Ezekiel's eyes as the metal pushed into his body. Ensuring that his death... his death was set in stone. He coughed out blood. Only someone who paid close attention to the man's final death cries would notice that he had a look of shame in his eyes. Was it realization of his psychosis? Or was it shame that he was killed by a mere, dusty, little child like Rowan? After that flash of emotion finally faded, there was nothing left of Ezekiel but a pool of blood, which his head was slumped down into.
The once "glorious" leader of the Founding Family killed by his own arrogance.... truly, he had only himself to blame for this.
"...Tyrant destroyed." Wendy muttered to herself as she regained her composure and stood straight up. Staring at the gruesome sight of Ezekiel's lifeless body almost as if her eyes couldn't be pulled away. He was a monster for what he did. "... I kind of wish it didn't have to be this way," Wendy said to her friends. "Someone like him... he needs to face accountability for his actions." She bitterly said as she turned away towards the woman that did so much to save her life: Makoto Koda.
The older Japanese woman was pushing herself up to her feet, "... Can't say I'll miss that." She bitterly muttered underneath her breath as she hopped up to her feet. She turned around and saw the dead body of Ezekiel, and wretched a little bit. Not at the dead body, she's seen (and made) plenty, but the fact that these kids had killed someone. "I... can't believe you kids did that... that's one hell of a weight."
She looked between Wendy, and Rowan.
"...And you're gonna carry that weight."
It didn't register with Rowan for another couple of moments, before he finally felt the gravity of it sinking in. This was the first time he'd really looked it in the eye. Seen it up close and personal. The old man had gotten it hard but he only ever remembered the body being carried off in a bag. Not like this. The scrawny teen grunted, them closed his fingers "This was payback, for what he did to us." A certain disgust overcame him as he tried to rationalise the killing and he found himself planting a foot against the man's lifeless corpse, nudging it firmly.
Wendy nodded her head when. "After what he did to the people here - and hell, countless others we haven't even met... he really deserved it. It was a long time coming." She felt a surprising clarity and justification behind her actions.
"Let's just get out of here, my ass is already in the fryer for all of this," Kumiko said, trying to urge them to get the hell out of here. She pulled the chains that were previously wrapped around Ezekiel's legs away, and the chains rested hanging off her waist, as she held onto them.
Though, there was a question that was in Wendy's head since the very moment she met this woman: who is she? Why is helping them? There had to be something else at stake here. Putting her foot down hard, Wendy turned towards Makoto, and asked her one question, and one question, and one question alone...
"...Just who are you?" Wendy said, putting her foot down. "I'm not taking that 'concerned citizen' crap, either. You have a reason for helping us. It has to be more than 'reconsidering your career.' I want answers."
That was when Makoto froze in place. Completely silent. A part of Wendy wondered if she was going to come clean, or make up another lie to cover her ass. The only sound Makoto made was a sigh, before she looked over her shoulder at Wendy.
"What? Didn't Euan show you one photo of me?" Makoto said, immediately earning a raised eyebrow from Wendy. "Then again, we didn't take a whole lot of pictures together. What a shy man he was."
"Wait... are you...?"
"Yuuuuup," Makoto said, fully turning around with a smile.
"...Your mother."
Wendy Emily Lucker, Rowan Campbell, Jennifer Caspin, & Haruka Takashiro.
"...What?" Rowan broke the silence, perplexed by the news. He'd not heard much of Wendy's mother, much less seen her, now this person claimed to be her. It was a lot to take in.
"Wait... you're Kumiko?" Wendy asked, hearing that her father spoke very fondly of her mother, but never showed her at least what she looked like. She was so surprised that her jaw dropped.
"Y-yeah," Kumiko said. "Wish we could have met under different circumstances... but, hey."
"But, how did you know who I am...? What I look like...?"
"Well... I used the Family's resources to keep tabs on you," Kumiko said... before realizing that sounded really weird. "I mean... you plastered your little photos all over the place! It's not like you were keeping yourself private..." She scratched the back of her neck.
"But... but..." Wendy trailed off. "...Where were you all these years?"
That's when Kumiko turned her head. Purely out of shame. She tried to come up with something. "...Look, I'll be honest here; it was a completely stupid reason, and you have every right to hate me."
Nodding her head, Kumiko faced Wendy. "But... right now, I don't think now would be the be the best time to discuss it."
There was the elephant in the room... being Ezekiel's dead body. If the Family found out about this, ooooh boy, they would stop pussyfooting for sure. "You two - no, all of you - need to get the hell out of here, and stay out of this. If they-"
"No," Wendy calmly said. "I'm not doing this for my health, Kumiko. My sister's been... mind controlled, and they're doing sick things to her as we speak."
She stared directly at Kumiko to say, "I've been through too much just to give up here."
Kumiko was silent as she realized Wendy's determination.
"...Fine." Kumiko resigned. "If you're so hell-bent on saving your sister, I'll help you - but, you gotta get out of here afterwards. Got it?"
"I want nothing more..." Wendy said.
"Righto, I know where Diana would be if she's been... controlled," Kumiko said. "Let's-"
At that moment, she heard the footsteps of someone entering the room, and sounded a little surprised.
One moment, the place was dead silent; then all of a sudden, the base was now roaring with explosions and screams.
Ryu was pretty reluctant to let Haruka pair up with Jennifer at first - the young man knew that the Japanese agent was probably told by his paranoid brother to keep an eye on them. Most likely being callous about Jennifer who is still susceptible to the mind control. In the end Haruka was allowed to go with the blonde, after he swore to Ryu that he would put his own safety first and not to do anything dangerous. Then they parted ways, with Ryu teamed with Aislin.
The route Haruka and Jennifer took was deserted, and they had yet to bump into any of the Family's guards. Thanks to the side effect of Ryu's discharge ability which easily took out the surveillance cameras, but it was just as he had told them: the security in this base was awfully thin. The main force must be on standby in the other base where the Machine was, and kept away from the Beast to preserve their own numbers while taking out more RAVENs to render them powerless to stop the Machine. Little did the Family know that his twin had devised a plan to turn the Family's diversion tactic against them. Everything seemed to be within Shizuka's calculations so far, but they couldn't let down their guard just yet.
...Until an explosion from somewhere at the end of the hallway nearly threw Haruka off his feet. It sounded like there was a fierce fight going on ahead of them. Haruka's mind was telling him to retrace his steps and get out of here as quickly as possible, but they had already come this far to turn back now. "Let's go," he said to Jennifer, and they both ran towards the source of commotion.
By the time they reached the end of the tunnel, they had arrived in a strange circular room lined with human-sized pods, each was empty save for a pile of ash. it wasn't hard to guess that these pods originally contained some Metahumans... and Haruka didn't want to imagine what might have possibly happened to them. The battle had apparently ended, with a handful of teenagers and an older Asian woman around a dead body. It took the young man a moment to recognize the person on the floor covered in blood was none other than Ezekiel Anagnos, one of the two Blessed Three members whose faces Shizuka and Holly had identified and showed the team their pictures during the meetings back at Aislin's suite.
The first person to notice the newcomers was Kumiko... damn it. Her twitchy fingers lingered around the chains wrapped around her hips. She noticed a man and a blonde-haired blue-eyed woman. She had zero idea of who they were, and was on the offensive. One swing from her chains, and both of them would have their throats slashed. She was about to say something, but he was looking at her - newly reunited - daughter with some shifty eyes. As if he knew her.
Haruka's eyes then shifted to the teens, and widened at the one familiar face he hadn't seen for months. "...Wendy, right? Why are you here? What's going on?"
It only took a moment for Wendy to recognize Haruka... though, she was still in shock over the fact that she just met her long-lost mother. She just couldn't keep her composure like she normally could. Instead, she stammered out the words, "I'm... looking for someone." Wendy replied. "What are you... what are you doing here?" She recognized him, but couldn't remember off the top of her head.
Rowan instinctively went on guard at the sight of the newcomers, but the apparent familiarity with Wendy kept him from drawing up any debris into a threatening stance. Ezekiel's blood had slowly pooled at his feet, staining the soles of his shoes with a dark crimson. "Who are you?!" He demanded, the pressure of the situation getting to him.
Haruka couldn't help being wary as he watched the defensive stance that the woman and the rest of the teens had put up in Jennifer's and his presence, but it seemed like they were holding back from killing them both when he was able to recognize Wendy. As long as he didn't make any sudden movements to pose any threat to them, they probably wouldn't hurt him for no reason. At least that was what he tried to convince himself with to calm down.
"We're here on a mission for RAVEN... in a way," he started off, giving Jennifer a sideways glance. "We know the Family keeps the second Beast here and is going to unleash it to buy themselves some time until the Machine is fully charged, so we're here to scout this base to help the RAVENs plan their assault attack." There were more he could tell them, mainly Shizuka's own schemes, but the woman's suit was the same as the IU's standard wear he could never forget from the hostage incident at the Courtbridge Mall, and that was enough to make him hesitate. He frowned at her. Did she kill Ezekiel with the kids? Whose side was she really on?
Kumiko, in response to Haruka staring at her incredulously, merely waved with a cheery smile. Whether that was to be a smartass or legitimate was... up in the air.
"Machine...?" Wendy said, before she looked over her shoulder at the pods. She knew Blake and Ezekiel mentioned something about the machine - but, something here... This had to be its fuel. "Um, nevermind."
Haruka shrugged. "All I know the Machine is not in this base, but the other one in Regal Square."
"And that's where we're going next." Kumiko begrudgingly said. Hopefully they'd get out alive! Horribly maimed, but alive. She looked at Wendy for a moment, and realized that the squirt would find a way in there and out, either way. So, hopefully they'd have an easier time inside with her help.
Another deafening explosion shook the room once more, this time from somewhere above. Noises of gunshots and yelling people followed after the boom, prompting the young man to take the cue that it was time they should really leave here, ASAP. "Let's save further explanations for later. We have to get out, now."
"Yeah, was thinking the same thing." Kumiko said as she grabbed her chains and moved towards the door gesturing for Wendy to follow behind her. "Follow me, I know an easy way out of here."
"There's no reason to stick around here regardless," Wendy said as she followed behind Kumiko, whilst Rowan moved close beside them in tow. "Let's get out of this shithole," he agreed.
"...Stop right there." Julia said as she rounded the corner with her posse of Secretaries and bodyguards. Her arrival made everyone come to a stop (and Kumiko felt a distinct irritation towards Haruka for wasting their time here) before her large presence. She snapped her fingers and her guards had their weapons trained on the group. Julia personally came down here to ask why Ezekiel hadn't finished his task yet... only to look over the group to see his dead body.
"E-Ezekiel..." Julia muttered underneath her breath, realizing the boy she saved all those years ago was dead... No matter. If he had fallen here of all times, then he wasn't as perfect as the Family built him up to be. In the end, it would be Julia. One way or another. She cleared her throat, before her booming voice asked, "What is the meaning of this? What has happened to Ezekiel?"
"Um, well," Kumiko said, putting her hands behind her back. "I think he tripped..." She said, in a tone that well-hidden the sarcastic undertones of her message. Julia was not amused.
Her eyes fixed on Makoto, and she narrowed them. "Hello, traitor."
"Aw, damn," Kumiko said. "I was hoping to make the news of my betrayal a surprise. With confetti and everything." The words that came out of her mouth were merely a distraction... she was trying to subtly remove the triggers to the goons weapons. Though, they had literally nothing to deal with Julia's overwhelming cyromancery. She looked over her shoulder at Wendy. Well, except teleporting out of the way.
Julia rolled her eyes as she finally paid attention to the people in the room. Her eyes landed on the blonde-haired girl, and immediately recognized her.
"W-what are you doing here?" Julia asked, her jaw dropping as her plans were dangerously close to falling apart. She took a step towards her, and demanded. "I repeat: what are you doing here?"
Jennifer (who was more than content with keeping quiet and focusing on the mission) looked at the woman's face, and immediately everything started distorting. She grasped both sides of her head, as she fell to her knees as the crippling headaches nearly knocked her unconscious. "God damn it..." Jennifer said, as it nearly drove her insane. Haruka held her shoulders to steady her, glancing at her with a worried look, then to Julia with narrowed eyes. From the air of authority and power he could feel from the red-haired woman, she was probably a member of Blessed Three; the one who gave Marcelle the addictive drugs.
Then it all disappeared, and Jennifer had never felt so much clarity in her mind.
"I... I know you," Jennifer said as she steadied herself, and pointed at Julia. "You're that woman that kidnapped me... took my hand... Julia O'Sullivan."
Julia put a hand on her hip and shook her head, "Well, it looks like you're seeing through that girl's mental ability... the mind can only take so many contradictions, after all..."
"Psst," Kumiko said to Wendy. "I broke their guns... just give me a second, and I'll get the three of us out of here." Kumiko had no idea what was going on, and quite frankly, didn't care. Her mind was on getting out of here... and she had the perfect way out of here. She just had to recall. She used her superpower to vividly remember something related to her teleportation ability... It brought a tear to her eye, but she managed to switch from metal manipulation to teleportation. Now, she just needed the perfect moment... "Just try to grab someone..."
Wendy nodded her head, whilst Rowan shot her a confused glance, oblivious to their conversation.
"What did you do to me?" Jennifer snarled at Julia, the bone spears were ready to punch through her arms.
Julia merely grinned. "Come now, Jennifer, you're a smart girl," She shrugged, and put her hand out, "Couldn't you figure it out?"
"You said creation, and I keep having visions of myself in a pod... you did-"
At this moment, Kumiko's shouted, "Now!" That the signal for Wendy to grab onto Haruka and Jen, while Kumiko grabbed onto a surprised Rowan. "Huh?!" Kumiko didn't really have think to really be looking around, wondering if Wendy got everyone. If Wendy couldn't get them in time, then oh well. Kumiko grabbed onto Wendy regardless, and she disappeared in a dim flash of light. Appearing on the other side of Julia in the moment, before Julia's head could even whip around, they were already down the hallway. "Let's go, kids!" Kumiko said as she started to run alongside them, leaving Rowan no choice but to stumble along after them before he had any chance to question what had just happened.
Haruka shook off the effect from the sudden teleportation and followed after the woman and the teens, when he realized they were missing one person. "Hang on, where's Jennifer?"
"Oooooh..." Kumiko said as she came to a stop, then she turned to Wendy.
"I... couldn't grab her in time," Wendy said. "I-I'm-I'm so sorry." Wendy nervously said.
Kumiko was probably going to sound real harsh here, but, "...Sorry, but that's out of our hands," Kumiko said to Haruka, "If you want to go back and save her, fine. But, we have someone else we need to save. We have to go." Kumiko once again gestured to Wendy and Rowan to come along, starting a sprint, but Wendy hesitated for a moment. Before shaking her head, and running behind Kumiko.
Sorry... I'll make it up to you some day, Haruka. Wendy thought to herself. I can't believe I'm so desperate to save Diana that I'm just leaving everyone else to die... I... No, just stay focused.
"Let's find Kai, Jess, and Ellen," Wendy said, wondering where they went. "They've gotta be around somewhere," Rowan added, "I broke their collars."
Haruka recalled the times when he talked to Jennifer, of what he had told her: while her friends could try to help her as much as they could, it was ultimately still down to herself to put an end to all the emotional agony she had been through all these years. He just had to believe in her. If what Shizuka said about the flawed mind control was right, Haruka knew she was strong enough to overcome that.
He closed his eyes. "Yeah, let's go," he said finally. "...This is something she has to do on her own; it's her own fight. There's nothing we can do to help her." Though, he should probably inform the rest of the misfit team on the recent development.
With one last glance over his shoulder, he ran after Wendy and the rest, his finger pressing the comm-piece as he reported to Ryu and the others while running. I'll be back for you, Jennifer, he thought to himself. Just wait a bit longer.
Julia sighed. Perhaps she should have paid the kids, and the traitor some more mind. If they killed Ezekiel... then they are easily the biggest threat to the Family. No doubt. Blake would not be happy to hear this... Heh, the poor bastard's heart might explode. But, she'd worry about killing them later. She had to focus on Jennifer.
"Let me just stop you there," Julia said as she turned back towards Jennifer. "It's just me and you now... at this point, I might as well just tell you everything. Because it doesn't matter because I am so far along in my plans..."
Julia walked around her prey with a malicious smile on. Which told Jennifer that Julia was the one in control here, and could kill her at any moment. Like a tiger circling a lonesome lamb...
"You remember your little 'past'?" Julia said. "Where your foot was miraculously caught on a rock, and you lived a few years as a new person...?"
"Y-yes..."
"All lies," Julia said as she took a few steps and put her hands behind her back. "In truth, all was it was one big lie. All memory manipulation. Just to give you a convincing past so you can blend in with your friends."
"Then... what happened? Who am I...? I swore I..."
"In truth, you never even left Verthaven alive," Julia said, finally facing the confused Jennifer. "...You drowned when the Devil pulled you under. The Hound just fished what was left of you out of the water."
Jennifer gasped as the words. "It can't be... then how am I here today? I am alive."
"Because, I did what other scientists only fantasied about," Julia said. "With my medical and biological genius that the Blessed Three are known for..."
She cleared her throat.
"...I revived the dead." Julia said, and Jennifer loudly gasped. "You owe every moment from when Megan released you, to me." And what a loyal employee Megan was... hmph, was.
"No, I refuse, it can't be true," Jennifer said. "How can you revive the dead? It's impossible."
"Well, you can't just revive anyone from the dead, I admit," Julia said, shrugging. "You need a special someone with a special something... and that something is regeneration."
Jennifer honestly couldn't keep denying that it was possible.
"All I did was keep poking you until I provoked that regenerative factor, and the rest just did itself," Julia said as she stared at her nails.
"W-why are you telling me this?" Jennifer asked, trying her best to forget everything Julia told her. But, the more Julia spoke, the more the memory alterations faded away into nothingness. She could no longer remember the events of San Diego, but only the pod... She shuddered.
"Because it doesn't matter anymore; say goodbye to your last moments of free will," Julia said, making Jennifer's eyes go wide. ".... Mechanized Memories."
Suddenly, the blonde-haired girl went stiff, dead eyed. Perfect. Everything was going as planned. She'll have to get Jennifer back to the O'Sullivan manor back in Roseview until everything blows over. "You're still needed, Jennifer," Julia said to the mind-controlled girl, grabbing onto her chin, and shaking her head a little bit. "Time to go now."
She turned around, and began to leave the conversion chambers. Sad that Ezekiel died, but that man was a mockery of a human being, so it doesn't matter in the long run. Whether or not the Machine succeeds is irrelevant to her. As she lead her posse out the room, she wondered how everything was going so flawlessly that-
It all happened in an instant... Julia went from mentally gloating about her victory, to having a spear piercing through her chest. She let out a cry of pain as she looked down at the spear impaling her. Her eyes were shaking as her vision got extremely blurry.
"Mistress Julia!" A Secretary said, her bodyguards reached for their guns, but when they pulled the trigger, they, well, fell out. Thanks to Kumiko.
Julia could feel Jennifer's breath on her neck as the girl inched forward and whispered into her ear.
"...Next time, don't announce what you're going to do next, dumbass," Jennifer said, her ears were bleeding... she couldn't hear a damn thing. She totally destroyed her eardrum with the closest bone. Jennifer leaned in just to say this, "Oh, wait, there isn't going to be one."
Jennifer withdrew the blade, and let the blood come pooling out, making the woman fall forward to her knees. Perfect. Jennifer brought the tyrant to her knees. It couldn't have been any more fitting as she raised the bone spear up into the air, and was about to slam it down on Julia's skull.
"Mistress!" A Secretary said as she came between Jennifer and Julia, and took the blade that was supposed to kill Julia... it was horrible as the blade embedded itself in her skull, and her body just went limp... what made it worse was that she knows most of these people are mind controlled.
Julia had to quickly do something or she risked bleeding to death... she had a good healer in their employ. Julia merely froze ice over the wound to prevent herself from bleeding out at least. It wasn't going to last long, and it was definitely going to make things worse, but it was desperation at its finest. The Secretaries she had pulled Julia away.
When Jennifer had pulled her blade free, she noticed that they were pulling the bitch away. Oh no... Jennifer ran after them with the bloody blades ready to kill... but, one of the Secretaries pointed a hand at Jennifer, and a stream of fire came out of her hand. Jennifer could only briefly stand there like a deer in headlights before the flames hit her. She screamed in agony as the flames burned her flesh... and the Secretary stopped to tend to Julia.
Jennifer was on the ground, covered in burns... that were quickly regenerating as she pushed herself to her feet.
"If I can come back from the dead, allegedly," Jennifer said to herself. "Then, I can survive that."
Her clothes were left in tatters, while the rest of her was quickly healed. Albeit red skin, but that was the least of her concerns right now.
Part of her wanted to chase them down, but, they were long gone. She needed to regroup with her friends... she felt a strange amount of... clarity. Finally having all of her questions answered was good... but, she now knew that she had died. She's basically a walking corpse... she clenched her fist tightly as she thought about it.
Perhaps she should just regroup with the others. Yeah, just prepare as if this never happened.
Her earpiece was fried, though, she'd just have to find them.
Breaking off into a sprint towards the opposite end of the hallway, Jennifer knew she would get another chance at Julia's life.
I finally have my answers, Haruka.
...
Somewhere in Baybridge...
The Founding Family's city-wide blackout stunt had plunged Baybridge into more than just literal darkness. Every district had crumbled under the pressure of chaos - the once-peaceful city had lost its order, allowing the underworld syndicates to unleash further terror on the restless people with little to no resistance from the law enforcement. For one, the BPD had no way to control the frenzied crowds - normal humans and Metahumans alike - with their painfully limited department size. They couldn't request help from DOVE and RAVEN either - the DOVE/RAVEN Headquarters took the hardest hit of all, now in a shambles after the assault from the Intimidation Unit.
True to her words to Haruka, Xing Huo had spent most of her time in a luxurious suite the Family had prepared for her. Cladded in a loose maroon bathing robe where the collar parted all the way down, beyond her clevage line to show parts of her perfect breasts, she helped herself to a glass of red wine before she strolled towards the balcony, giving gave her quite a view of the Baybridge Lake, which was what it was well-known for in this city. Surprisingly, it was still a sight to behold, even after the week-long riots breaking out everywhere around the breathtaking landscape.
She tipped the glass to her lips, the crimson liquid trickled down her throat with a satisfying burn, then set the emptied glass down on the table, her lips curling back into a smirk. She was well aware that she had been under close surveillance ever since she had arrived in Baybridge - not just the Family, but also some other annoying pests she didn't give a damn about (she could easily crush them all with just one finger if they were dumb enough to get into her way). Her short-tempered sister, Shui Xian, would have gone out to give them hell for spying on her bod, but providing fan services without getting the equivalent payment was at the bottom of Xing Huo's worry list.
She could care less what those Blessed Idiots and the old hag Biyu were up to, because as far as she was concerned, they were both wasting their pathetic life for a lost cause. Foolish, greedy pigs thinking they could bend the world's will around their hands, but they could never understand the true might of mother nature.
She poured herself another glass of wine. The moment one started to think perfection was within their grasp, or thinking that they had finally ascended to godhood, they were as good as done and dead. Any intelligent person should know that, much less those who were supposed to be well-versed in the field of sciences.
She swirled the alcohol in the glass slowly, the smile widening on her face. Those fools would soon get a taste of their own stupidity, of how their so-called 'perfection' would crumble away into the abyss of the cruel truth, of eternal imperfection. She then picked up a photograph off the table. It was somewhat dated, and appeared to be taken before an international school. A few children of different races were grinning ear to ear in the picture, but the main focus was on a pair of twin Asian boys in the center.
Xing Huo finally raised the glass, toasting to the scenery of Baybridge before her. "Let the final act begin, shall we?"
Naoki couldn't remember how long he was bedridden from the side effect of his Premonition after he had used it on Lihn. Maybe it had been days, or even weeks - it was hard to tell how much time had passed, being locked up in such a place for as long as he could remember. It was the worst case of migraine he had ever gotten so far, and it didn't help that Hwee-Suan came in shortly after he had sent Lihn out of his dream, to intensify his agony with another beating for acting on his own without informing her about the change of plans. He wobbled to his feet, dragging his chained legs towards the table filled with calligraphy materials; on top of the stack of rice papers was the file of 'Vien Phan' he was given sometime ago. He gathered up the resources into the brown envelope, and carried it to his bed before spreading out its contents on the bed sheet.
As he was sorting through the files, the door of his room was suddenly blasted open, and Shui Xian stormed through the scattered calligraphy papers on the ground towards the boy. "You. Come here, now."
Naoki frowned at her. What did the Spirit of Water want with him? He knew she had never liked him ever since he was forced to take over his mother as the new figure of the Yin symbol. However, he wasn't given much time to contemplate her unannounced appearance as Shui Xian pulled him off the bed roughly, with her vice-like grip choking around his neck.
"Release him," the lady ordered the two bodyguards, loyal servants to Polaris, and they marched forward, freeing Naoki's limbs from the chains that had locked his freedom with the despicable cult all these years.
Naoki was too surprised to even move, even after the metal cuffs fell off his wrists and ankles with a noisy clang. "...What's the meaning of this?"
The confused look on the boy's face made the Water Spirit roll her eyes at him. "Let's just say that the tide is turning... and you are the trump card that'd determine the outcome of this war. You should know this better than anyone else."
Naoki continued to watch Shui Xian with narrowed eyes. Even if she was probably after his power like Hwee-Suan did, that didn't explain her true motive for doing so. An ominous feeling that something big - and bad - was happening. However... "What exactly is going on? Where are you taking me?"
"Oh, be quiet, brat," Shui Xian snapped to shut Naoki up. "You're useless with just you alone. I'm actually doing you a great service to at least let you pay your oh-so-loving parents a visit. Of course, this favor would not come cheap." She cupped a hand beneath Naoki's chin, to tilt his head up so that they were both looking at each other in the eye. "So, are you coming with me, or not?"
The staring contest seemed to go on for ages as the silence stretched on. Finally, Naoki dropped his gaze with resignation. "...We have a deal. Let's go."
Reiji and Yui were both surprised when Naoki suddenly showed up before them, but even more when they noticed the person who brought their son here. Yui gritted her teeth and was about to lunge after Shui Xian... when her husband stopped her with an outstretched arm across her chest and shook his head.
"Always the cool-headed one, huh," Shui Xian commented, not bothering to hide the sarcasm in her voice. "That amount of self-control, coupled with the level of your mind control power, is what make everyone who knows what you're capable of fear you." She snorted at the Yagami family, before she signaled her guards to unlock the cell door.
The Yagami couple exchanged looks with each other; Reiji was the first to speak up, "...Why are you helping us? What do you want from us?"
"I think you know," Shui Xian replied with a curt tone, giving the scarred man a piercing look. "Even with your powers sealed away, I highly doubt that it has much effect at all to your acute insight into things you shouldn't know about."
Reiji opened his mouth; before he could say a word, Yui had chimed in, "Oh, please. Save us all the ridiculous riddle talks. That old hag won't let you off so easily if she finds you here." She refused to call Hwee-Suan her mother. No, she never had a woman like that as a parent.
Rolling her eyes, Shui Xian scoffed, "I could say the same for you all. If it wasn't for the powers you three possess, you'd be dead long ago and not here, trying to be smart with me." Her guards removed the cuffs around the couple's limbs, but they left the suppressant collar as they were around their neck. "If you've got so much time to waste, how about spending it on getting out, now?"
As the guards dragged the Reiji out of the cell, the man resisted, before he jerked his chin to a woman unconscious on the ground. "...Wait. Take her with us, too."
"Excuse me?" Shui Xian was getting very impatient with how carefree the Yagamis were even when they were in an urgent situation.
"She can be... useful," Reiji said, unfazed at the Water Spirit's anger towards him. "She works for the Japanese government... Asami Takashiro."
The name made Shui Xian froze, glaring at him with such intensity that her eyes seemed to be burning into his very being. "Did you just say 'Takashiro'?" She narrowed her eyes at the still figure lying on the floor, and bent down to flip her over. The lady's face was gaunt, as if life force was slowly being sapped away from her, and her breathing was rasp, almost like she was having a painful nightmare. There was something awfully familiar about this woman's face and her name, but she couldn't quite recall just exactly who... yet.
...Whatever. She could save the questions after all of them were out of this place. "Very well." She gestured at one of the guards to carry Asami on his back. Naoki stepped forward to steady Yui with his father, and the odd group finally moved out of the cell.
Meanwhile...
Somewhere deep in the Polaris' base, someone was indeed watching their every move on the screens that filled up the walls in a control room of sorts. A man who appeared to be in his fifties, in a well-ironed pinstripe suit. He smacked his lips as his unblinking eyes fixated on the figures leaving the cell room where the cult had kept the Yagami couple.
Pressing a button on the dashboard, he drawled into the mic with a scratchy voice, "Oh, Hwee-Suan, it is finally happening."
The squad was lead through the tunnels of the base, precisely following the pathway provided to them by their good informant friend within RAVEN. Meifeng was the one leading the group, with her weapons ready to shoot whatever the hell got in her way. Hopefully, with the RAVENS keeping the IU's attention above them, they could sneak around down here. Thanks to Lihua's planning, they didn't even need to get close to the Beast. They packed some left over C4 charges, and all they had to do was set it up around the beast, and BOOM! The beast would be dead before he could even get a start, and they could worry about the Machine... hopefully. Eh, it was best that they keep a flexible mind because, at this point, anything and everything could happen. Of course, there was a large explosion coming from the place where they literally just came from! Meifeng stopped for a moment as her head leered around her shoulder to look behind her. Hoping that it wasn't anything bad. That something just fell.
The earpiece they each had buzzed, and Reed's familiar voice spoke up. "We've got a problem."
"Oh, I was so looking forward to this part," Meifeng muttered to herself, before she pressed her earpiece. "What is it?"
"There's a... there's a shield over the base," The DOVE Investigator said. "Same as the one that appeared over Verthaven."
Lihua, listening, shook her head. She remembered the shield being mentioned in Marcelle's logs, but she never expected them to have a smaller version for their base. "... This is a... unforeseen factor, to say the least." She said, trying to keep calm.
"Not just that, the tunnels you snuck in through were caved in. No going back," Reed continued, and Meifeng couldn't help but facepalm. "But the teams on the roof reported some kind of object projecting a beam. I'll keep you posted, just... watch yourselves."
"Thanks, Mr. Taylor," Lihua said to Reed.
"...Essentially, we're boxed in with a ticking time bomb." Meifeng groaned, she looked up towards the base above them. "Best that we keep pressing on. Shield, or no shield, it won't matter if the beast gets out." She tried to push on forward.
A hand grabbed onto her shoulder, and stopped her, "Meifeng," Lihua said. "While that is true, they most likely anticipate us knowing about their secret tunnels... even if they don't know we're here, they likely prepared for the possibility."
As she explained, she released Meifeng and took a step back. "In the event we cannot stop the Beast before it's completed..." She closed her eyes as she sighed. "... It'll be a massacre."
"So, what do you think we should do? Waste even more time?" Meifeng said, "I don't know if you noticed, but the doomsday clock is ticking."
"For this situation to turn out in our favor, we have to," Lihua said. "But, you're forgetting we have one of the... fastest RAVENS." Lihua said turning her head towards Alice.
"A small strike team splitting up from ours, and going to the rooftop should be sufficient," Lihua reached into the bag that Meifeng was carrying, and pulled out one of the C4 charges, presenting it to Alice. "Go there, Alice. The odds are less and less in our favor by the moment."
"But, don't go alone," Meifeng said. "That's just asking for trouble."
"I'll go with her," Quentin volunteered, well aware of the risks involved. "She can plant the charges whilst I keep watch. Anything we come across, I'll deal with it."
Alice took the charge, strapping the bulky rectangle awkwardly to the back of her vest. It would be extra weight, but it would also be the only thing she had capable of damaging whatever machine was projecting that force-field. She looked to Quentin, grateful that someone had volunteered to watch her back. She might be fast, but she was not invulnerable. She paused before she left, "Are you sure about this? If I take down that shield then the Beast will be able to escape it too. Can we take that risk?"
"...The shield emitter is going to be destroyed anyway," Lihua said as she put a hand on her hip. "That was probably their plan from the beginning, at least the difference being that we at least get a chance to retreat and regroup." She noted, realizing that Alice didn't quite grasp the severity of the situation.
The blonde shook her head, "we can't take that risk, there are still innocents in the city, not everyone has evacuated. The Family might not give a shit about them, but we should. I might not be a cop anymore, but I took an oath to protect and serve, and I'll be damned if I go back on it now."
Lihua narrowed her eyes at the woman. "Child, we don't have time for your foolish rhetoric," She said, getting incredibly annoyed. "We didn't put up the shield, the Family did. They're just going to drop it once their Beast is done wiping out RAVEN, and set their Beast on the city to keep RAVEN off their tail."
Alice bristled at 'child', biting her tongue in her response, "with respect ma'am, our duty is to protect the people out there, and sacrificing innocents for the 'Greater Good' is exactly why we're in this fucked up situation in the first place."
"And we're also the only people capable of destroying their Machine - which, in case you forgot, also has the potential for a mass loss of life," Lihua said. "And are you forgetting that they have people here, as well? People that have been tortured for God knows how long. That shield is not to protect the people at large, and you're stupid for thinking the Family gives two damns about them to begin with..."
Then again, she realized that her argument would fall on deaf ears. "If you can't follow orders, then I guess I'll have to do it myself." She said as she turned around.
"Wait, Mom," Meifeng said as she was tired of sitting in the sidelines of this conversation. She didn't agree with either of them to be honest, but they were already wasting enough time. "We need to come to a middle-ground here... a compromise." She knew that apart of Lihua didn't want to risk herself getting killed... Lihua still promised the Liu sisters they would get Jiao-Long back, and Lijuan still needs her. "We're here to stop the Beast from even getting finished above all else."
Pulling her glare away from the Matriarch, Alice turned to Meifeng.
"What do you suggest?"
For a moment Meifeng looked at Lihua as she said, "We set the charges on the emitter anyway, and only detonate them once the Beast is dead." Lihua scoffed, but didn't seem openly against it. "That way... we're keeping our options open - but, we really need to stop wasting time." She said.
"Every second we waste, is another second the Beast gets closer and closer to completion...." That was the bottom line.
Alice visibly relaxed, she realised that she had been going toe to toe with a superior officer on the subject, although potential career futures were hardly a concern right now.
"You're right," she looked back to Lihua, "We've already slowed down too much, you go, I'll take Quentin."
She put her hand on the bigger man's shoulder, glancing back at the group they were leaving.
"Kick his ass for me..."
Meifeng saluted Alice, before they turned down the hallway and kept moving. She knew that Lihua probably didn't care too much (and was most likely only annoyed), but she was concerned with the mission over the concerns of a subordinate. Meifeng made sure to pick up haste because they had to make up for all the time they lost arguing about it.
They kept moving through the halls, getting closer and closer to their objective.
"G...guys?" A familiar voice called out from the shadows, and Lihua was the first to shine a light on it. It revealed Cindy Keagan in tattered clothing, leaning up against the wall as if she was injured.
"Shit? Cindy?" Meifeng asked, as she lowered her weapons. "Wh-what are you doing here?"
"S-sorry, I tried so hard, but the Hound captured me again," Cindy pleaded. "I need help getting out of here."
"Shit, let me-" Meifeng outstretched a hand, only to be stopped by Lihua.
"Meifeng, no," Lihua said, staring directly at Cindy. "Something doesn't feel right here..."
"But, mom, she's Cindy," Meifeng pleaded. "The girl you've known for years now. The girl that took care of Lijuan, and hell, she let her live with us for a few years."
Instead, Lihua kept her shotgun trained on Cindy. "But, that was before we learned the Family had mind control."
Cindy narrowed her eyes, then Lihua did the same, wondering who would pull the metaphorical trigger first (or Lihua, who's packing the literal trigger).
"...Prove you aren't, Ms. Keagan," Lihua said, before she shook her head. "Actually, we don't have time for this; show us you have no weapons, and put on this collar for us." She said, presenting.
"Mom..." Meifeng said.
"I can't believe you would doubt me, Ms. Zhao," Cindy said, before a sinister grin formed on her face. In the blink of an eye - far faster than Lihua's reaction timing would allow - she had created a shield out of glass to absorb the inevitable shotgun shell from Lihua. A small hole formed as Cindy chucked a grenade through it that rolled towards the center of the group idly...
"S-shit!" Meifeng's instincts were to blast the grenade away with a gust of water... but, that was when Cindy broke the glass shield up into powder. And began to barrage them with a storm of green glass that would be hell. Meifeng had to cover her eyes, as she ran out... She couldn't believe Cindy, her best friend, was subjugating her to this... and now she suddenly felt bad for all the people they fought over the years. Getting out of the storm of glass, Meifeng couldn't help but cough out,
"Shit! Retreat!" Meifeng shouted, as she went down the hallway away from the every expanding glass storm... she didn't know where the hell the others were. But, she heard a scream that had to be Maxine. "Max?! What is your status?!" Meifeng asked in the comms. Only to get no answer.
"Shit, I'm coming!" Meifeng said as she started running.
Thank God Lihua put on this damn helmet.
Without the visor and helmet, the glass storm would have killed her. Though, some of the glass got in despite her best efforts. Lihua managed to creep out of the glass storm, to catch her breath in one of the side rooms. She found herself in one of the labs, she quickly scanned the room, and realized it was desolate. The next thing she did was pull the helmet up to get all this damn glass out of her eyes, then dump the glass out of the helmet. Well, this plan had gone horribly wrong, right before it even started. Apparently the Family had guessed their exact angle, to the point where Lihua wondered if she should have pulled some more advanced mind games. Eh, that isn't the point.
Their forces are so expended that all they could spare was Cindy... Oh, Cindy. It was Lihua's worst fear. The girl has been mind controlled... she's got to save Cindy from the Family, and their machinations-
Before Lihua could get lost in her thoughts, she heard the sounds of a cane tapping against the ground, slowly approaching as the door opened. It was hard to see her at first, before she created a small light to illuminate herself.
"...Biyu," Lihua hissed at her mother.
"I figured you'd be here... Qiaolian," Biyu said, in a gentle tone, as she slowly closed the distance.
Lihua stood straight up, and had primed that shotgun on her mother. "Don't think I won't kill you... Mother."
Biyu scoffed as she looked at Lihua, "That just goes to show how little respect you have for me... or anyone. You just do whatever is truly convenient for yourself... Qiaolian." Taking one step forward, Biyu stopped. "I, unfortunately, have little time to teach you some damn discipline... so, I think I'm going to bring this to a close..."
For a moment, Lihua let her words sink in as she considered an angle she was too bitter to consider before.
"...It doesn't have to be this way, Biyu," Lihua tried to plead with her, lowing her weapon. "We're both two strong women... we're better than this... Fighting to the death like animals."
"Oh, Qiaolian," Biyu said... before she disappeared in a flash of light, appearing in the air right before Lihua, her hand was pointed at her, and she fired off a ball of light that cut through the air. Would have hit Lihua dead in the chest, but instead, it burned her arm as she desperately rolled out of the way. Lihua hissed as the heat singed her arm... not a feeling she was new to, but it definitely hurt.
"If you're so desperate to end things in blood..." Lihua said, as she hopped to her feet to face Biyu down. She had clenched her fists tightly, and said, "...Then so be it."
Unfortunately, Max wasn't able to get away from the glass storm as... successfully, as the others.
She was stumbling away, barely holding onto the walls as she was coughing up blood and glass powder, trying to get the garbage out of her eyes. Desperately. In the darkness of the base, she had no idea what was going on, and she knew that getting attacked now would be a death sentence.
Well, all her worst fears came true when the glass spear pierced through the back of her knee.
Max screamed as she fell down, and looked at the long glass weapon that had destroyed her knee, and made it impossible for her to stand up. She reached for her side-arm, but another thick glass spear went right through her hand and elected another painful grunt as Cindy stood over her.
"Maxxie..." Cindy said as she gently put her hand on Max's back... Ending up on her head, and her hand lingered there for a few moments. Before glass began growing on Max's body.
"...Never liked you much."
Meifeng Zhao, vs. Cindy Keagan.
Hailey Boulevard, Silver Hills_
By the time Meifeng reached Maxine... the girl was facedown by the side of the hallway.
She ran over to the girl, and announced into the comms, "Max is down!" She knelt down and flipped the girl over... only to see one of the most gruesome sights she had ever laid eyes upon. The green glass that she knew was Cindy's was piercing out through her mouth, eyes... all over her. Almost like she was filled to the brim, and her body couldn't contain it anymore. Her eyes were dead and lifeless as they could get, Meifeng wished that she could have been faster, then she could have saved Max... but, this wasn't Cindy. This had to be that God damn mind control, because the real Cindy would never do this to even her worst enemy.
The sound of glass breaking announced her presence, Meifeng rode on a spinning pillar of water and dipped out of the way as a glass spear was flying towards her. Ready to impale her the same way Max was impaled. It merely hit the wall as Meifeng stared down Cindy, the dead lifelessness in her eyes, mixed with that smile... unnerving.
It reminded her of Luis.
"Cindy," Meifeng said as she balled her fists. "You're not yourself... but, I promise you, no matter what it takes..."
"...I'm going to find a way to reverse it."
Cindy didn't even respond, she merely pointed her hands forward, and a hail of glass crystals came floating outwards towards Meifeng. It was too slow for Meifeng, as girl's reflexes were quick enough to quickly whip her hand downwards, and a jet of water came bursting out of the pipes in the ceiling. The jet of water quickly froze, and trapped the glass. Along with creating a wall allowing for Meifeng to shield herself from further attacks from Cindy.
"Agent Rogue Wave here, I have located Agent Keagan, but she seems to be under the effects of a Domination type Metahuman," Meifeng said as she pressed her comms piece. She noticed Cindy prepping a large orb of glass to pound against it. Meifeng reached for the canister of containment foam. "...I'm moving in to detain."
When the orb went through the ice, Meifeng quickly rolled the canister towards Cindy, and, as expected, all of Cindy's efforts went towards wrapping glass around it to shield herself.
If I'm going to stand a chance against Cindy, I'm going have to keep her on the defensive, Meifeng thought to herself, she had created a floating orb of ice, and swung out a kick that flew towards the distracted Cindy and hit her right in the arm. Meifeng was aiming for her chest, but this was a battle of attrition. Only difference was that Cindy could shred her to bits in an instant if she slips up even for a second. Remember Cindy, I know you. I know the woman underneath it all. All of her strengths... all of her weaknesses.
Sliding across the ground, Meifeng was closing the distance best she could. Cindy was only equipped with what she had during the raid. The kelvar vest, a pistol... Meifeng would have to be careful. If Cindy shoots her... the fight's over. Meifeng was going have to use her own weapon if all other attempts to disable Cindy fail.
I'll do anything for you, Cindy. You know that, right? Meifeng said as she swung out her foot with such speed and grace that Cindy could once again go on the defensive erecting a glass barrier. Both their powers clashed as the water jet bounced off the glass - knocking the glass barrier back. That's why I'm doing any of this... because you're such a valuable friend not just to me, but to mom, my lil' sis, Quentin, Reed, even Shizuka...
Planting her foot down firmly, Meifeng quickly whipped around with her other leg, shooting out a water enhanced back kick - right before the moment of impact, the water turned into hard ice and punched through Cindy's ill-prepared shield like it was nothing. Putting her foot down again, she skipped forward, with water arcing around her hands. The water beneath her feet shot her up into the air, and she cocked her fist back, water was forming a coil around her hand.
Which is why... saving you from the Family is my top priority.
Cindy grinned. The glass that Meifeng had previously broken and scattered all over the floor had quickly shot upwards. The RAVEN armor provided to her was enough to stop most of the blades, but Meifeng had to cover up her face as the glass tore apart the flesh on her head. She groaned as her momentum was utterly shut down, and it let Cindy do what Meifeng feared.
Go on the offensive.
What glass was left floating around was quickly used to create an emerald-green javelin, which was sent flying at Meifeng's midsection the moment she hit the ground. Meifeng's eyes shot open as she pointed her hand off to the side, and fired a giant blast of high-pressurized water out of her pocket dimension. The force created by the water was enough to push Meifeng out of the way... then, she did a grabbing motion that pulled all the water into a column that she swung like the mightiest of weapons.
Cindy had merely backtracked out of the way of Meifeng's improvised water weapon... leaving behind a little surprise on the ground, that she knew Meifeng would miss.
After seeing that she had missed, Meifeng's first instinct was to hop on an orb of water and dash after her... but, the second she hopped on her orb, she felt something stab her in the leg. She let out a surprised gasp as she looked down, and saw that Cindy had left behind a glowing "glass seed" as she called them. It had "exploded" into a blade that pierced through the armor with ease, and hit her in the leg. She smashed it with her leg, but what Meifeng had feared had occurred.
A barrage of glass was flying down the hallway, and Cindy kept pumping it out by the second. By the time Meifeng noticed, all she could do was create a flimsy dome made out of ice to shield herself from the barrage. Crouching down, and lowering her body the best she could, she could hear the glass scraping against it. She watched as Cindy walked up, with that same evil-grin on her face.
I'm not even going to try that "I know you're still in there, fight it" bullshit, because if there was even a semblance of Cindy in there, she would have stopped this by now. Meifeng watched again as Cindy walked up, gathering the glass to create a multilayered wrecking ball out of glass. It pounded against the ice barrier more and more... but, Meifeng was the person who knocked the barrier over. Launching it into shards that went in all directions as she lunged at Cindy, throwing a punch that hit her square in the jaw. Sending her stumbling backwards. Another fist was ready to punch her, but when she threw her punch, Cindy side-stepped it, and grabbed her wrist tightly.
She coated the tips of her nails with glass as she tried to jam her fingers into Meifeng's eyes, the woman had to tilt her head to avoid Cindy poking her damn eyes out. The glass covered nails were dragged downwards across her flesh. Meifeng quickly grabbed onto Cindy's wrist that was holding onto her, and jammed it upwards hard as she could. Electing a grunt from Cindy as she threw a punch, but the girl dodged it, and followed up on it. Her hand was covered in glass, and she punched Meifeng hard as she could in the face. That was the punch that knocked Meifeng on her ass, seeing stars.
She felt a weight on top of herself... Cindy planting her body firmly on top of her with no intent of letting her leave. Especially stunned as she was.
Hell... it only felt like a few days ago we were having a good time in the bar. You getting drunk off your ass... yeah... I remember it fondly.
Cindy gently put her hands on Meifeng's face, caressing it... before she began to grow glass on her face.
What... no... I can't... let her...
Meifeng realized that her hands were free enough to grab her gun... but, was she really ready to kill her own friend? After everything they'd been through, and her own desperation to save the last Keagan?
There is a way... a way I can save everyone... but, I have to act fast.
It was a last ditch effort. Banking everything on creating one water orb in the distance between herself and shooting it hard as she could. It wasn't that hard... but, it stunned Cindy for a moment. And in that moment, Meifeng managed to flip Cindy off of herself. The first thing she did was pull this damn glass off herself before she stopped breathing. The crumpled glass fell off, but Meifeng was on her knees, and Cindy was standing. Prepping her next attack - but, how long could she keep this going? Stunned to all hell, and bleeding... there's no way she could beat Cindy alone.
She remembered... the promise.
Save Cindy... whatever the cost.
Her hand drifted towards that sidearm that she had, but quickly whipped it out and drew it while Cindy was in the middle of her next attack - another spear out of glass that would have killed Meifeng... if it wasn't for what she was about to do next.
Forgive me, Cindy. You might not walk right ever again...
Meifeng knew the golden rule of shooting is: there are no shots to disable. You shoot to kill, and only to kill, but there was that shred of idealism inside of her that told her that Cindy can more than survive this bullet. She pulled the trigger, the moment she did, there was nothing that Cindy could do to defend herself. The bullet cut through the air at super sonic speeds, and hit Cindy in the leg. The mind-controlled girl screamed loudly as she grabbed her leg. Immediately limping in pain.
Well, that went better than expected. Part of her feared she would hit a main vein... Meifeng pushed herself to her feet as Cindy fell. Okay, time to take Cindy back to headquarters until they find a way - some way - to fix all of this.
She walked over to Cindy.
"N-no," Cindy said. "I was told by Mistress to kill you... I... I-I can't fail her."
Meifeng had the power suppressant collar ready, that would eliminate Cindy as a threat for the moment. They would have to drag her out of here, but that was the price. As Meifeng approached, Cindy quickly shot her hand out, and a which jet of glass powder came out of her hand that sprayed Meifeng in the face. The RAVEN loudly screamed as she reached up to cover herself.
The mind-controlled DOVE hopped up to her feet - well, the best someone shot in the leg could - and began limping off. She created a large glass seed with one hand, and threw it over her shoulder... and the seed exploded into a wall that went from one end to the other. Nothing that Meifeng couldn't break... but, it bought Cindy enough time to get a sizable distance. Meifeng ran over to the wall, and slammed her fist against it. Cindy... she was crafty. All those play-fights had finally paid off... but, she had to go catch up to Cindy before she could lick her wounds - or get help from someone worse...
...Not that it would matter when she was bleeding, but Meifeng had other matters.
There was a large crash in the distance, one created not by an explosion, but what had to be something else. Then it occurred to her:
"Concrete Dragon, your status?" Meifeng asked, only to get no answer. "Mom, what is going on?!" She tried to plead.
While she was concerned about Cindy... she'd have another chance to help her. Because now... now...
...There was someone else that needed her help.
Lihua Zhao, vs. Biyu Liu.
Hailey Boulevard, Silver Hills_
While Lihua said she was against the fight... there was a part of her that was more than accepting of this outcome. A part of her that vaguely wanted this.
A wall was blown open by Lihua's ability as she rode out on a stone. A flash of light came from the hole, and Biyu appeared right outside the room they were previously in. It became obvious that she was keeping her distance far away from Lihua as she could. Which was painfully easy when she could transform into light and teleport... The problem was wondering how good Biyu's reflexes were in her age. All Lihua had to do was get one hit on her. One. However, Biyu pointed her finger forward, and a bright yellow beam of light came out of the finger. It traveled at light speed and hit Lihua in the side, which made the woman loudly groan in pain. It dug a hole in her flesh that was the least pleasant experience on the planet.
"Oh, it seems my aim isn't what it used to be..." Biyu mused to herself, as she realized the destination of the beam was off. It was supposed to go through her head. Nonetheless, Biyu knew that Lihua couldn't kept up with all these wounds. That arm was practically useless, and all Biyu had to do was to keep filling her with holes until she's dead.
Lihua slammed her foot onto the ground, and Biyu instinctively turned into light, appearing some distance away to dodge the spike that broke through the ground, but that was just a diversion for Lihua. While Biyu was reforming, she hit the ground with her foot, and tore chunks of stone out of the ground. Just needed three. These three chunks of stone floated a little bit in front of her, as she assumed one of her Tai Chi stances that she could remember fondly... 'High pat on the horse', they called it. One leg was in front of the other as she dropped all of her weight onto her back leg. Both hands were up, pointed towards the ceiling. She was going to be the one who survived this. Survived this for Lijuan and everyone else who were counting on her.
When Biyu had re-orientated herself, she quickly kept the offensive up. Both hands were open, and she fired two large beams of light. Unbeknownst to her, the three blocks of concrete were covering most of Lihua's body. Leaving as little of her exposed as possible. As Lihua predicted, the light merely bounced off, and the moment they did, Lihua continued keeping up the offensive. She threw a punch forward, and the stones broke off into tiny pieces that sprayed the area in front of her with a hail of rocks. Biyu was blinded by her own light, and didn't even realize the spray of rocks. They slammed against Biyu as the elderly woman scrambled to teleport away.
The woman reappeared down the hallway, in a nexus of sorts. It was a fairly large room, where most of the hallways met. Biyu had to stop for a moment to catch her breath... She traced a finger over her bleeding wounds, and examined her bloody fingers. Nonetheless, that was just a motivation for Biyu to kill that worthless daughter of hers. Her head looked over her shoulder as she heard the heavy footsteps of her daughter's boots... the second her gaze went over her shoulder, all she could see was Lihua diving through the air, riding the chunks of concrete. The woman disappeared into another blinding yellow flash of light as Lihua came crashing down. Punching the ground which made a spire of stone pop out. Her head whipped around towards the light, and she grabbed the spire by wrapping around it with both arms, and lugged the construct at Biyu. Blood was dripping down her very being as the excessive use of her power was tearing through her flesh itself.
Once again, Biyu barely had any time to reorient herself when Lihua kept up the assault, but Biyu was so damn fast. Lihua came to realize that there would be no way to take her out the "old fashioned way." The second that Biyu had returned, she had both hands ready, and Lihua reacted on instinct to shield herself from the barrage of light. But, Biyu wasn't firing any mere blast of light... It was a massive beam that was twice the size of her body. It clashed against stone... but, the sheer heat it was giving off was unbearable to Lihua - still, she persevered in the face of the heat. Packing up more and more stone on top of her shield in an attempt to block out the heat.
There is a line, Biyu, Lihua thought to herself as she took steps away from the hot stone. You can't keep this up forever... everyone has a point where they have to stop... and I promise you, you'll get there before I do. She meant that.
The beam of light came to a stop as Lihua predicted... That woman was getting tired making zero progress, but, with one thought, she had teleported off to the side, and created one orb of light that went flying towards Lihua. The woman reacted by strengthening her defenses from that angle. Only for Biyu to try the same tactic from a different angle... but ending with the same result. Biyu grunted as she tightly clenched her cane, heavily panting as she thought of a way through Lihua's defenses.
But, Lihua couldn't help but break out into a fit of laughter... Muffled by the stone, but she made sure to be loud.
"We have reached an impasse... Mother," Saying that word deeply wounded Lihua worse than the burns, because she would never, in a million years, declare this woman her 'mother'. "You're too fast for me to possibly hit... and my defense is so strong that you can't possibly pierce it."
A cocky grin was on Lihua's face; not like Biyu could see it, but it symbolized their impasse.
"It now comes down to who gives up first, and I assure you, it will not be me." Lihua firmly said. "[/i]I have too much on the line to simply[/i] give up and die like a dog. You, on the other hand, are just a... whore of Polaris and the Family."
Those words made Biyu clench her cane tightly. She wanted to tear this whore apart, piece by piece... but, her usual tactic of keeping away wouldn't work. She knew Lihua had to give up at some point, but she also knew that she would be the last person who would be fighting alone. If she was going to kill Qiaolian... she had to do it here and now. She realized that, in order to win, she had to think outside the box. While Qiaolian was expecting a blast of light from somewhere... would she expect this?
Biyu grinned as she eyeballed some cracks in the shield. She blinked over towards Lihua's flank, and in the instant that Lihua tried to reinforce her defenses, Biyu instead teleported inside the shield. The flash of light was startling to Lihua, but Biyu was so scared of Lihua injuring her in this moment of vulnerability. She barely even thought as she stuck her hand out and created a large dome of a burning hot light that briefly engulfed the two of them. Lihua loudly screamed in pain as she was burned from essentially every angle. That familiar feeling of being burnt alive, it was too much for her. She fell to the ground, along with all of the stone she was manipulating... It was only for a brief moment, before Biyu had to stop for a moment to begin panting, kneeling forward.
That was the first time in ages that she had used her power this excessively... Nonetheless, the victory was hers. Lihua Zhao was nothing more than a whore. She pointed a hand at Lihua, and got ready for a blast of light that would finish her once and for all. It was mercy at this point...
"...No!" Meifeng loudly shouted, as suddenly, an arrowhead shard of ice had impaled Biyu clean through the hand. The elderly woman gasped as she was completely caught off guard. The feeling of having the ice impale her... the cold. It was unbearable. And Meifeng kept coming with more ice shards. Lunging forward by a burst of water, she threw a kick at Biyu, followed by a gust of water. The elderly woman tried to teleport away but, the reflection given off by her water disrupted the teleportation, and she took the entire blast of water. She was launched across the room, yelling as she hit the ground rolling very hard. That's where she stood.
"Shit, Mom, are you okay?" Meifeng said as she knelt down to her burned mother, she earned a nod that made Meifeng exhale in relief. She pressed her earpiece, "Reed, Lihua is injured, and I need to get her out of here, how is that shield coming along?" Meifeng said as she tried to help Lihua to her feet. Hoisting the women over her shoulder. Getting her out of here was the first priority.
"Heh, amazing that you're still conscious," Meifeng said as she carried Lihua out of here. "I know you're toughing than that... bear with me, I'm going to get you out of here."
Meanwhile, Biyu forced herself back to her feet.... which was difficult with the ice shard impaling her hand. She was fixated on her hand. Staring at it as she let out many groans of pain. "That whore... how d-dare she?" Biyu gritted her teeth in anger as she turned her eyes towards Meifeng. She was not going to let them get away with them... not that easily. They had to pay for this... that whore of a daughter was the first.
Her other hand started glowing as Biyu let anger consume her. She blindly cast an orb of yellow light at the two of them.
"H-huh?!" Meifeng said, as a flash of light had appeared behind them. She was whipping her head around, but... Lihua had shoved Meifeng out of the way. She hit the ground hard, but quickly rolled over.
"N-No..." Meifeng said. "I... Mo... Mom...."
Lihua fell onto her knees, as Meifeng couldn't help but look on in horror. A moment later, she fell face-first onto the ground...
...A large gaping hole from one end of her chest to the other. She was hit by the blast of light, and had all of her insides burned out of her chest from Biyu's powerful attack. She had a few moments of consciousness left that she spared for Meifeng. Looking at her as she hit the ground.
This is... for the best. Lihua thought to herself, before the last fraction of her life had faded.
"No!" Meifeng shouted as she scrambled over to Lihua grabbing onto her shoulders. Unable to grasp what had just happened. "Come on, mom, please! You're..." She stammered out as tears began to pour from her eyes. Shaking her deceased mother hard as she could. It was... the worst feeling of her life. Family gone... while they didn't get along for a majority of her life, she... just couldn't come to terms with this. Her hands were tightly clenched around Lihua's clothes.
"Hahaha!" Biyu cockily laughed. "That's what that whore gets!"
...And suddenly, that sorrow turned into rage. Meifeng hopped up to her feet with newly invigorated energy... She didn't know what was powering her anymore. Summoned water had launched her up into the air towards Biyu, and she raised both hands up. Drawing every once of water that she could, before throwing it at Biyu in the shape of a tidal wave that packed as much of a punch.
"...I'll kill you!" Meifeng screamed.
Biyu looked up at her, and merely grinned. She created a massive flash of light that blinded Meifeng, and teleported away. She had no energy to face Meifeng down... and, the lingering anger inside of her would completely destroy her.
Once the light faded, Meifeng hit the ground. "No..." Meifeng said underneath her breath. "Get back here, you coward! You..." She said before she broke down into tears, falling onto her knees.
At that moment, Meifeng's earpiece buzzed. Of all people it had to be Shizuka, who had called in urgently to update the RAVENs on some alarming things his own little team had learned so far. "Hey guys, Phantom here to bring more bad news to--" The sarcastic tone quickly changed to concern when he picked up sniffling noises from the Chinese agent. "Mei, why are you crying? What happened?"
The words brought Meifeng back to the world. She pressed her earpiece, and hollowly said, "M-Mom's... Mom's dead..."
"What?!" Then another, rougher voice came up across the comms. "Wave, what's your status?!" Quentin spoke, alerted by the sound of Meifeng's cries being transmitted across the team. "Wave, I-... fuck this, Mei, I'm sorry... fuck, I'm sorry, Mei."
"I'm sorry to hear about Lihua, too," Shizuka said her Meifeng through the comms, and he really did mean that. "We'll send her off properly after all this is over... But how is this possible? Lihua is a veteran agent - soldier to the very core - so it's hard to believe that... she's gone." As annoyingly prideful as she was, he had to admit that a woman with so much authoritative vigor like her wouldn't just get herself killed without a very good reason.
"Bi...Biyu tried to kill us... and she... she threw me out of the way," Meifeng said... before coming to realize that she couldn't give up now. Despite Lihua's loss... this was... this was the way she'd want it. Herself dead before Meifeng and Lijuan. And if she gave up now, Lijuan was going to be next. Meifeng was going to preserve the rest of Lihua's legacy, no matter what. She stood up, wiping her own tears, before she pressed her earpiece with clarity, "I... I'm in the nexus, heading towards the Beast." She said, looking down the hallway. "If I go alone... it'd be suicide, awaiting reinforcement." She said with a fairly cold demeanor.
Talk about more bad news, Shizuka thought as he kept quiet while listening to the Meifeng's recount. His reaction towards Lihua's passing was nowhere as emotional as those two, but he couldn't help having the same deja vu feeling when he watched Sonya and Cass murdered before his - and the rest of the Verthaven survivors' - eyes. A pang of regret at how time was ruthlessly robbed from these people before he could get the chance to know them better. His relationship with Lihua didn't begin on a good note, because back then they were too prideful to see each other in the eye. Just when he thought that things were starting to improve after age had mellowed out their respective arrogance, she just had to leave the world without a goodbye.
He recalled the recent - and few - conversations he had with the Zhao woman. The night at the bar with a bitching-drunk Cindy, and then the emo bullshit with Jennifer and her missing hand. He remembered her talking about her willingness to give up her life for her daughters. He knew how much she loved them, and he even felt a little jealous at Meifeng for having a mother who actually cared for her... but he could also see how Lihua was blinded by her own motherly love for her children like most mothers do. He wasn't sure if she actually got his hint when he told her not to get too far ahead with her 'mum's heroism' thing and take a step back to think about how her daughters might feel if she was really gone. Especially since Lijuan was still a child, at the age where she still needed her mother to be around for her.
Regardless, he couldn't blame her for saving Meifeng from being killed by Biyu - her own mother. The thought of that old hag's name made Shizuka grit his teeth. If she could kill her own blood without any remorse, everyone else was expandable as far as that bitch was concerned. Once she was done with her own family, who would become her next target? It might even be his own family, since he had crossed paths with her back at the party. All the more he had to join forces with Meifeng and those against the evil side, to remove this rotting threat once and for all.
However, they would have to save the grieving for later. Right now, their priority was to continue what they had come to the Family's base to do... and finish the job for Lihua.
Which came to why he had called in the first place. "...I have more bad news for you all. Two of the Blessed Three members were spotted in the Silver Hills base: Julia, and Ezekiel who's found dead according to Haru. She's extremely powerful, so don't engage her carelessly if possible. I think you all know already about the same shield as Vert that covers the entire base above ground - they're probably planning to wipe out everyone trapped inside together with the lab... and the Beast." At one glance, it made no sense to anyone why the Three were in the base they were planning to destroy... But that just meant there was definitely a way to get out of the shield.
"Yeah..." Meifeng said. Trying to hide her emotions the best she could. She honestly couldn't care less about the Blessed Three... They were only enemies at this point. "Got it."
"And..." Shizuka hesitated. He knew that now was a bad time to tell her this other piece of information, but there was no point hiding it from them anymore, either. "...Sorry for not saying this earlier, that Jennifer is also part of my team. She was last seen with Julia... I don't know what else has happened between them after their encounter. As you know, she got subjected to memory manipulation, but I can confirm that there are signs of her fighting against the control." He was unable to connect with her comm-piece, but he believed - wanted to believe - that she wasn't as weak as she had been trying to convince herself. He knew she would survive this, once she got the answers to free her from her mind dissonance. "I need to say this, though - she came on her own accord," he added quickly.
"Look..." Meifeng said. "I'm not worried about Jen at all... she's survived so much before, I trust she'll do it again... let's just focus on the mission. We'll find Jenny later." Meifeng felt a little harsh saying that... but, there was no time to waste bickering over irrelevant matters.
...On the contrary, that went much better than Shizuka had anticipated. The him from the past would be glad that it was actually the right time to tell her that, but now... it was just as she had said: focus on the immediate task at hand, and worry about the others later. Jennifer was old enough to take care of herself... well, under the assumption that the mind control thing no longer worked on her to turn her against her own friends. He shrugged. "That's the spirit. I'll update you guys again if I've got anything new from my side." And he cut off the line as abruptly as he had called in.
When the comms went silent, that's when Meifeng kept it moving.
I promise I'll come back for you... I'll make sure no one forgets you... Mother.
Quentin forced himself to draw a hand away from his comms piece, numbed by what he'd just heard. She was gone. Lihua Zhao was gone. The woman who'd been responsible for him joining RAVEN to begin with, perhaps one of the closest things he'd had to a 'mentor' of sorts. But more than that. For better or worse, Zhao had been a friend, one of the few people he'd trusted to know about his past. More than that, she had been a mother. Not just to Mei, but to Lijuan too. Both had lost the woman holding their family together, both rendered 'orphans', for what it counted. No child deserved that.
And he knew just how it felt as a familiar sense of loss crept up on him, reminded of how he'd found his own Mom slumped lifelessly on the couch.
For a few moments, he felt like the Hound was twisting another blade in his gut, those crimson eyes boring into his own. Only then, the assassin's form was replaced with Alice staring back at him, which was enough to drive him onwards. "Let's go. The sooner we plant those charges, the sooner we can deal with that thing."
"Shit..."
Alice had heard the same news. She'd not known Lihua Zhao well, she hadn't even liked her that much, but she'd respected her and her reputation at least. They had to keep going though, if Zhao was down, it meant that their firepower had just dropped drastically.
"I'm sorry man, I know she was a friend..."
They didn't have time to mourn however, and she turned back to the doorway. In theory this was where they needed to be, but she doubted very much whether the IU would have left the shield projector unprotected. It had taken them some time to get up here, Alice wasn't familiar with the base, which limited how far she could jump. That and it wouldn't have been pleasant for Quentin to go through over a dozen jumps in quick succession. They'd faced little opposition on the way up here and all that had done was put her on the edge. She double checked the charge strapped to her back, then raised the compact SMG. She nodded to Quentin, ready to rush through the door the moment he broke it open.
A firm boot against the locking mechanism seemed to do the trick, alerting to their presence a few stragglers from the Intimidation Unit who'd been split from their comrades in the confusion. Quentin quickly leveled his shotgun with the first figure he saw and squeezed back on the trigger, the slug punching straight into the man's midsection. It hadn't penetrated, but the sheer kinetic force of the projectile at this range was enough to knock the man down, leaving Alice open to push through.
Alice flashed into existence above the man, her gun swinging low to spray hard-core bullets through his face plate. Then she vanished again, reappearing with a boot outstretched, planting a kick into the next man's face. He stumbled back, but before he could recover Alice had rushed back into existence behind him. Sheltering from his comrades fire behind his form, she perforated him with a quick burst from the MAC11.
Then came another, near-defeaning crack which resonated across the passage as Quentin fired off another slug at one of the remaining paramilitaries from behind cover. Seconds later, Alice was on the move yet again as the veteran RAVEN provided the others with a distraction, leaving them blind to the rapidly moving silhouette in the dimly lit confines of the facility.
Quentin's distraction was all Alice needed. The IU couldn't possibly deal with him and keep track of the teleporting RAVEN at the same time. It only took her a matter of seconds to put down the rest with extreme prejudice.
"Clear?" Quentin barked at his colleague down the passageway.
There was a sharp scream from around the corner, then Alice appeared with a grimace. "Clear."
Nodding to himself, Quentin pushed up further, loading a couple more slugs into the magazine tube of his 870. They couldn't have been far now, especially with how deep they'd pushed into this wretched place and somehow he couldn't help but shake the feeling of deja vu. It evoked memories of the lab in Verthaven, of when he'd met Meifeng all those seven years ago and started on that path which led him here. He was a different man now, a better man, but none of it had been without loss.
Half a dozen faces he'd known had passed before him Sonya. Cass. Trevor. Max.
And now? Zhao.
"Quent!" A voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
Alice called sharply back to him from around the corner, "Looks like we're here."
"You're sure?" He asked, before his colleague affirmed him with a nod. Glancing back over his shoulder, he took a moment to survey the area for any potential chokepoints that he could exploit, then took up cover in a position that gave him a good view of the doorway. "Good. Plant the charges, meanwhile I'll keep you covered."
At that point he was going to shut up and focus, but another few words of encouragement came to mind.
"Don't let anything get in your way."
Wendy Emily Lucker, Rowan Campbell, Haruka Takashiro, & Ellen Nile.
It wasn't long before Kumiko lead Rowan, Wendy, and Haruka over to the very same entrance that they had used to get into this base. Wendy was disconcerted by the sounds of fighting in the distance, but she otherwise, paid it little mind as she focused on leaving the base than whatever the hell was going on. Standing at the door were the very people Wendy was looking for in the first place: Jess, Kai, and Ellen.
"Guys!" Wendy announced as she ran up. "Thanks for waiting for us!"
"Well..." Jessica said as she tipped her hat, "Even if we wanted to... we couldn't leave, anyway."
"W-why?"
"The tunnel's busted," Jessica answered, as she pushed the door down to reveal that the tunnel had collapsed. Tons of concrete, dirt, and more, were blocking the way. "Can't slip nothin' past that."
"S-shit..." Wendy said, as she put her hands up. "Maybe I can..."
Kumiko put a hand on her shoulder as she said, "Don't." She affirmed. "You'll only end up killing yourself if you try moving all of that... and you need all the energy you got if you're going to their headquarters."
"Headquarters?!" Wendy said.
"Well, that's the only place for your sister to be," Kumiko said. "If we're lucky, we can get there and back before the Blessed Bastards get back."
"If we can't leave through there, were do we try leavin'?" Jessica asked, raising an eyebrow at the mysterious woman. "Whoever you are."
"Kumiko, and trust me, I'm a friend..." Kumiko answered. "I have an idea... but, trust me, you're not going to like it."
She looked up at the ceiling... which was still shaking due to all the chaos going on above them.
"Are ya' crazy?" Jessica asked. "...It's God damn World War Seven up there!"
"We don't even need to get involved... all we need to do is break a window and leave..." Kumiko rebuked... knowing that if this exit was closed, the other one would most likely be as well There's no point in trying to race to the other end of the base when they could use one of the many secret ladders and stairs in and out of the basement... Only thing was that she was hoping those weren't exploded either.
That would suck.
"Well, let's not haste." Kumiko said.
Ellen nodded, "That machine looked nasty, and I don't want to be even near the next fight if that's what they're like..."
She was swaying now, and clearly fighting to keep her eyes open. "I haven't got much juice left in me, I'll just... slow you guys down, you go... I'll find somewhere to sleep..."
"Hold up, baby girl," Jessica said as she grabbed onto Ellen's arm, propping her up. "If you stay here, you might as be dead."
"Yeah," Rowan agreed, recognising just how exhausted she looked, "This shithole might collapse whilst you're still here."
"Even if you fall asleep, I'll carry ya'," Jessica said with a grin. "Don't worry, I'm strong enough to carry everyone here, run a kilometer, and come back." She bragged.
"You don't have to fight my battles, Ellen," Wendy said, as her hand hovered in front of her chest, clenching tightly into a fist. "But, I'm at least going to get you out of here, and finish this fight myself."
"Ummm... hey?" Jessica said as she put a hand on her hips, whilst Rowan couldn't help but shoot either of the girls a glance.
"...And with friends." Wendy said.
Ellen nodded hesitantly, clearly not convinced, but not having the energy to argue.
"There's a ladder nearby, don't waste time," Kumiko said as she lead the group down the hallway with a mere gesture of her hands. It wasn't too far away, and that was because it was kept close to the secret entrance so goons could discreetly get in and out of the lab. In case they didn't want to be seen walking out of an ISD lab, or somewhere people would start questioning. To be frank... if Julia would blow up her own damn escape tunnels like that, then it wouldn't be that much of a stretch that Julia didn't want this base. Crazy bitch was probably going to blow up the base with everyone in it. That's why Kumiko (and company) needed to get the hell out of here fast as possible.
Quickly, they made it to the end of a hallway that had a metal ladder leading to a metal hatch above the group... it loudly rattled whenever there was an explosion, or crash above them. Before anyone could do anything, Kumiko threw her hand hand - gesturing for them to hold up, and using her metal manipulation to throw the hatch open.
"Alright, ready up, children," Kumiko said as she sauntered over. "I'm going to see if the coast is clear... then you're going to follow me."
"There's no one beyond the hatch," Haruka, who had been silent as he watched Wendy's reunion with her friends, finally spoke up. "Um... Sorry, I didn't get your name."
Kumiko was torn between winking and raising an eyebrow (she would try a weird combination of the two, but she wasn't going to try to visualize how that'd look). Thankfully, whoever this young man was, didn't recognize her Makoto Koda alias... and the less people know that the better. So, Kumiko settled on winking at the boy.
"Kumiko," she said. "It's great to meet you... under such terrible circumstances, but it's still nice." She smiled.
Though, she was wondering how he just knew that. Was he a Metahuman? Probably packing some weird Cerebral ability. Kumiko was going to subtly find out!
"Say, young man, what's your power?"
Haruka nodded in response to the greeting, then introduced himself. "Haruka. Nice to meet you too, Ms. Kumiko." Pleasantries aside, even if the teens seemed comfortable with this lady and she had saved everyone here, he couldn't help being wary around her. "...Clairvoyance," the lie that came out from his lips sounded so natural that he would probably believe in his own words without much thought. Besides, what he could do with his power was pretty limited in such confined areas, so it didn't matter if he told her the truth or not.
"Alright, cool," Kumiko didn't really pay too much mind to the possibility that he could be lying. She's got more important things to deal with. Like escaping this hell-lab, and getting into the Family's Headquarters with a good four hormonal teenagers... Hey, maybe it'd go well. "Don't call me 'Ms. Kumiko'... makes me feel old," she said. "Just Kumiko."
...And she's getting off track here. Jesus, she felt like she had the attention span of a four-year-old. She looked up at the entrance, as she said, "I'm going to trust that you're not pulling my leg, Haruka. Let's go... stick close to me."
Kumiko threw one of her chains to the hatch, and it hooked on the edge. She pulled herself in, and ended up above the hatch, poking her head through the hatch to one again gesture for the kids to climb through the hatch. They all had one way of getting up there: climbing. Wendy was annoyed that she didn't have any paper to use to switch back to paper manipulation ability. Well... maybe she could use the exercise. She walked up to the ladder, grabbing onto the bars and putting her feet up it, quickly climbing to the top of the ladder. Jessica climbed up with ease, since she wasn't even close to tired... while the slower Kiri had a bit more difficulty climbing up the ladder. Haruka, who brought up the rear, was last.
The first thing Wendy saw was... the inside of a janitor's closet. A mop, a shelf with cleaning supplies, and this was probably where the janitor would get high.
"...They're not that creative with their hiding spaces." Wendy muttered... before she immediately realized there were more important things going on. Like the warzone outside the door. Her heart dropped... She wasn't prepared to run head first and get killed by crossfire.
"Okay, I know this might be a little scary, but trust me-" Kumiko tried to reassure them.
"...You keep saying that." Wendy near-hissed.
"Well, when you're dressed like a soldier, you kind of have to," Kumiko was refraining from saying that she was an assassin in front of so many people (because that'd have gone really well so far as trust went). "But, that's not important right now; what we gotta worry about is getting through that. Like I said, it's scary getting shot at, but the last thing we need is one of you spazzing out, and falling behind."
Kumiko first explained. "I know this base like the back of my hand... there's a nice little window I'm going to break that we can all climb through."
With a nod of her head, Kumiko tried to assess everyone's emotions that had to be running wild... but, then remembered they were seven people stuffed into a tiny ass janitors closet, that smelled like spilled chlorine and weed. The only emotion they would be feeling would be vivid discomfort (if that was a thing).
"We're all going to follow behind me. Clear?" Kumiko first said, before repeating, "Clear?"
"Clear." Rowan echoed with a low voice, the first of them to do so.
"Yeah." Wendy followed behind him.
"Yeah, darlin'," Jessica said.
"...Y-Yes," Haruka replied, trying not to gaggle over the mixture of horrid smells in the closet.
Putting a thumbs up, Kumiko turned to Rowan. "Hey, Magneto," Kumiko was coming up with cute nick names with everyone as she spoke (and had even cuter ones in the works)! "Mind stopping any stray shots for us? If it isn't too much trouble for you."
"Huh?" Rowan asked with a somewhat dumbfounded look, before he realised what she'd meant, " Oh, I never, y'know... tried it before, but I'll do it."
"Don't worry, sweetheart," Kumiko said. "What's the worse that can possibly go wrong?"
All the things that could go wrong began to vividly flash within Wendy's mind's eye. Almost as if it was a vision... Wendy just shook her head as she contributed, "I could help... but, I need electricity."
"Good, we're heading out in three... two..." Kumiko said as she slowly opened the door with her metal manipulation. Slowly turning the doorknob as tension built in everyone. "...One."
The door was thrown open, and Kumiko was the first to come rushing out with her hooks in her hand. She stood in the hallway which was laced with dead bodies... She was hoping Wendy and the others wouldn't be too freaked out by it, but they all need to focus on the task at hand. But, it seemed that RAVEN and the IU were fighting elsewhere. "C'mon!" Kumiko shouted, beckoning for them to come out as well. "Don't focus on the bodies - Focus on me!"
Wendy was the first person to come charging out of the cramp-ass supply closet, turning around to make sure everything was alright with Rowan and the others. It was definitely scary hearing all these gunshots. Her scrawny friend was right behind her, eyes darting across the room as the bodies caught his eye. Haruka wasn't freaked out at the sight of corpses that lined the floor as someone of his demeanor would typically be, having experienced an incident just as bad in the past. He did as Kumiko had said, and stepped over the bodies with disgust to follow after the woman.
Like Kumiko said... there was a set of windows not too far away from the entrance. Looked like careful planning in case everything went wrong had paid off! Kumiko came to a skidding stop. For once, everything was going fine. The IU's attention was elsewhere... though, she was personally wondering why Lord Julia didn't send the IU after them. It was a gut feeling that something was cooking in that woman's head... and given that she was one of the most sinister and intelligent women on the planet, Kumiko couldn't take any chances. She pulled out her chain even further as she ripped metal off the dead members of the IU and RAVEN that were littering the floor. The guns and whatnot floated up into the air, until Kumiko compressed them all into an orb. It transformed into a wrecking ball at the end of her chain. Ooooh, Kumiko loved this part.
"Stand back, children!" Kumiko shouted with a look of devious glee on her face that worried Wendy. "This is gonna be messy."
At that point, Wendy had already taken a few steps back, and so did the others. The wrecking ball floated up into the air, and Kumiko spun it in a circle above her head. The chain rattled in an intimidating manner... which made Wendy wonder why she didn't just break the damn window already. Everything came together when Kumiko swung the wrecking ball in an incredibly wide arc, and slammed into the window so damn hard that the glass didn't even have a chance. It was reduced to shards... and Kumiko dropped the makeshift wrecking ball off her chain, which went right back to sitting on her hip.
"After you," Kumiko presented the new entrance to them.
Wendy didn't have any reaction other than nodding her head, and quickly hopping through the window. Followed by Rowan scrambling over, then Jessica barreling through it, and Kai carefully climbing through. Ellen followed, barely avoiding cutting herself on the remaining fragments of glass. Haruka didn't have much trouble clearing the window to the other side thanks to his small stature, ignoring a glass shard that had ripped a hole in his left sleeve. The last through was Kumiko, making sure the flank was clear.
Though, when she looked up... she saw the shield that was over the base that she didn't notice in her haste to make it outside.
"Oooooh?" Kumiko said, as she ran to the shield, followed by Wendy. "Oh, damn it."
Kumiko placed her hand on the shield... it was pretty damn hot, so she pulled her hand back.
"...I guess that explains why the Mistress-" Kumiko said in a very sarcastic and bitter tone. "-didn't send her goons after us..."
"...Because we were already trapped from the beginning." Wendy said as she looked up at the shield.
"Well, that's bullshit." Rowan complained, with an exaggerated grunt.
"Oooookay, this presents a lot of problems," Kumiko said. "We can either hope the Family is nice enough to drop it, or..." Kumiko was about to add "or blow up with the rest of the base," but that wouldn't be helping.
"Know a way to drop it?" Jessica asked. "Wait, hold up, let me try..." Jessica said as she took a few steps back, and put her shoulder in front of her body. Making it pretty obvious what she was going to do next.
"Wait, Jess, no," Wendy tried to plea.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Kumiko also tried to stop her.
But, none of their words even reached the headstrong Jessica Rosefey as she charged the shield hard as she could, slamming into the shield... and doing absolutely nothing, but hurting the hell out of her shoulder. "Oh, lord!" Jessica said as she dropped to the ground. "...I should not have done that."
"...Nope, I think you made it budge a little," Kumiko said, putting her hand on her chin. "Maybe you should try again." She dryly said.
"Can't we head under it?" Rowan suggested, well aware that it was via an underground tunnel that they'd broken into the base. Maybe they could've broken out the same way?
"...That's it!" Wendy excitedly said. It was probably going to fail miserably, but it would work better than standing here with a thumb up their ass. She stuck her hands up in the air, and tore apart a nearby pathway. Breaking it into brick-sized chunks, she willed them to float in the air. Her wounds were already oozing blood, but she'd worry about that later (or possibly when blood loss kicked in). The concrete formed into an improvised drill of sorts... that was hard to keep together, but still pointed at the end. "I'm gonna drill under it!" Wendy said, oddly energetically.
"Oh," Kumiko said, putting a hand on her hip. "Here I was thinking you were going to throw it."
Ignoring the comment, Wendy put the drill into the dirt, and made it turn. Awkwardly at that, but it was the best someone so inexperienced with this ability could do. Slowly, she dug the drill into the ground, making a tunnel large enough for them to get through. It was incredibly hard on Wendy... the shield was breaking apart, only being held together by Wendy's incredible focus and patience.
Slowly making them a path to freedom.
This was the first time Haruka had heard - and seen - Wendy being able to manipulate other elements than those he remembered from the market incident months back. He shrugged off his curiosity about where she had copied them from, and chose to concentrate on getting out of here in one piece instead. "I... will just keep a lookout, since that's pretty much all I can do now."
"Eh, don't worry," Kumiko flagged him off. "The IU are probably off picking fights with more important targets... that's their style, after all."
"Except... didn't one of their bosses try to kill us?"
Ellen had sat down against the wall, her head nodding gently as she fought to keep her eyes open, "I mean..."
"Pfft, that's just Ezekiel," Kumiko said with an idle shrug. "He tries to kill everybody."
"Not anymore," Rowan added, with a grunt.
Speaking of Blessed Three... "That Ezekiel man might be dead, but there's still another one alive and around," Haruka said, which made him thought of Jennifer again. "She knows that you have betrayed them, so what if she's going to come back for you?" He gave Kumiko a sideways glance.
With a sigh, Kumiko turned her head towards Haruka, and then said, "I knew what I was getting into the moment I chose to help Wendy," She started off. "Which means I have no choice but to destroy the Family... or, preferably, help someone more important do it and let them take all the credit." Someone more important being RAVEN.
Above all else, she'd have to kill the rest of the Blessed Three at any cost. Even if the kids got Diana out of there, it wouldn't be a happy ending. Since the Mistress knew the kids killed Ezekiel... well, it'd be no stretch that the Family would go after them. Probably just wipe the whole lot of them out. Kumiko looked at Wendy as the drill's tip appeared on the other side. The girl was already pushed to her very limits. After they get Diana out of there, Kumiko was going to finish the fight on her own.
These kids had bright futures ahead of them, and a future without the Founding Family was a perfect one to her.
At the last moment... the drill crumbled into pieces as Wendy's arms dropped. She panted... but, her labor paid off. There was a nice hole that went completely under the shield, and she smiled. "I... did it." Wendy said, weakly raising a finger at it. "Let's go!"
"That won't crumple down on us, right?" Jessica asked.
"No, just go!"
After a moment of hesitation, Rowan descended through, followed by the rather fearless Jessica, the stumbling Ellen, and Kai (turning into her ice form to grant herself a chance of surviving should Jess' fears come to light) tailing behind her.
Haruka could taste the bitter smell of exhaust fumes in the air from outside that rushed through the hole. He then recalled Shizuka's briefing before the misfit team came here. "...Those should be RAVEN's vehicles," he mused out loud, before he shrugged and followed the teens out of the crude tunnel.
Wendy looked at Kumiko for a moment, before the latter said, "Go on, I'll take point." Wendy nodded her head, before she hopped through.
Kumiko looked over her shoulder for a moment... she was surprised that everything went as smoothly as it did. But, the fight was not over yet. They still had to get to the Family's headquarters in Regal Square, and get Diana out of there.
What better way to get the lay of the land (or in this case, a drowning Fag base) than wearing the sheep’s clothing? When the opportunity presented itself, Aislin and Ryu found two individuals from the Intimidation Unit in similar stature. Two shots from a tranquilizer, and they were dragged into the women’s washroom. Aislin couldn’t help snickering as she donned the IU uniform, knowing there were two naked people hidden in the last stall.
Ryu’s collar wasn’t hidden by the armor and seemed out of place. “I’d say keep the scarf,” Aislin said. “Protocol is the last thing on the Fags mind right now.”
Ryu shook his head at Aislin's suggestion. "The scarf is still mighty suspicious," he reasoned, while trying to get himself more accustomed to the IU suit - which was a little bigger than his actual build, and a trained soldier like him knew very well how an ill-fitting armor might cost one's own life in a gunfight, especially when they were still deep in the lion's den. Still, it felt so much easier to move around in than the coat he had been wearing all this while, and the suit was able to cover most of his skin without the need to put on extra layers of clothing (not to mention, stifling warm after running around for some time). "...I have a better idea."
Tugging at the loose turtleneck of the suit, he pulled it up and tucked the hem into his suppressant collar. Unless someone paused to squint hard at his neck, the slight bulge of the collar should be able to go unnoticed to most passing glances. He flashed the CID agent a satisfied grin. "Ta-da."
Aislin had adapted their comms to act as Pilots — the language barrier wouldn’t stop them. That meant Ryu understood every bit of ogling as they passed the lunch room. A massive bag of cheesies sat unopened on the counter, and Aislin had to wipe a bit of drool from her lips.
“The base is going up in smoke, they wouldn’t care if it went missing... I’m kidding, I’m kidding.” Aislin said, giving the cheesies a last look before moving down the hall.
"I wouldn't eat them if I were you," Ryu commented with a note of amusement. "Who knows if the Family has drugged the food here with similar addictive substances like the one that got the Marcelle person in deep trouble. This is a research facility, after all."
Aislin gasped, “My God, you’re right. Shit, well. I hope they haven’t developed it to be airborne. I left my gas mask at home.”
Ryu was grateful to Aislin for loaning an extra Pilots piece to him - while it obviously wasn't as accurate as actual human translations, but good enough to still be able to understand each other. He couldn't rely on the Takashiro twins all the time, and weigh them down with his inconveniences.
Unfortunately, the brief lighthearted moment amidst the rumbling explosions that shook the whole base from somewhere above them was rudely interrupted by an abrupt neck choke as Ryu was walking around a corner. The Japanese agent instinctively crouched down to use a floating hip throw to shake off his assaulter. It worked - the sudden shift in his center of mass distracted the attacker momentarily, giving Ryu the chance to escape from the arm locked around his neck. He turned to face the person who tried to strangle him...
And he couldn't believe his eyes.
"...Holly-san?"
Aislin lowered her tranquilizer gun, recognizing the assaulter. “Jesus Holly, is that really how you treat the goons around here?”
Holly was as surprised as Ryu was when she recognized their voices, but she continued to stare at the armor warily. "With all the explosions and fighting going on upstairs, I wouldn't be surprised if I start shooting first and leave the talking for later."
Malik and Rhea were behind the RAVEN agent, and they both seemed fine. Holly's suspicious glare prompted the Asian man to remove his mask, before he began to explain, "This is just a disguise. Ai-chan's brilliant idea." He readjusted the turtleneck to make sure his suppressant collar was still nicely hidden before gesturing at Aislin to translate his words to the RAVEN officer, then he gave her a sheepish smile. "We must be doing a great job to have you guys fooled like that."
“I wouldn’t say ‘brilliant’, but with Holly's stunt this get-up must be convincing,” Aislin said, then repeated what Ryu said to Holly before adding, “You wouldn’t believe how hot it gets in one of these things.”
Rhea held an uncertain grin on her lips. It was just like Aislin to think up a tactic like that. Her acting skills were good enough to pose as an IU, though a part of Rhea hated to see anything to do with the Unit. Unwillingly, the image of a blood-soaked festival resurfaced in her mind.
“I’m glad to see you two doing so well for yourselves.” Rhea said, sarcasm in her voice.
Holly let out a tired sigh - with her senses all strung up high after Malik's reckless charge at Julia, she was running low on patience watching out for the lightning duo not to do another crazy stunt and get themselves killed for their stupidity. "I apologize for attacking you just now, but I can't help being cautious, especially after what he did a moment ago." She tilted her head in Malik's direction.
Aislin chuckled at Holly’s dry remark. “You know how it is with storms,” she teased. “They can never sit still.”
Following Holly's instructions, Malik went through the halls of the base. He felt stupid for rushing off after her... but, he got the answers he was looking for. Though, he had a feeling that they wouldn't take "she gave it to me because she was feeling generous." What the real question was: why she gave it to him so easily, and who were "those women" she mentioned? There was something wrong here, and Malik just could smell it. Either way, he was going have to regroup with the others. He kept moving down the hallway until he crossed the group... and raised an eyebrow up into the air as he noticed Ryu, and Aislin, wearing the Intimidation Unit uniform.
"Uh, hello friends." Malik said, waving at them.
Malik’s face had conflicted feelings written all over it. “Well, how did it go?” Aislin asked. “Was your contact right about Marcelle?”
Rhea frowned, speaking up first. “Mr. Morris… was wrong. Marcelle isn’t here. Malik bolted after one of the Blessed Three, surviving the encounter somehow.” She glanced at Malik, unsure. “And…”
He was unsure of how to put this... he wasn't sure if Julia was right. He wasn't sure if she was just locked away in a cage somewhere. Well, if all his answers are in this USB drive, he might as well tell them. He raised the USB drive in the air. "...I have the last of Marcelle's logs... maybe this will tell me where she is." He was glossing over his encounter with the Three for now.
Unfortunately, Holly wasn't going to let Malik's bizarre luck of fortune to walk away unscathed from a member of the Three slide so easily, not at the sight of the USB. She couldn't help frowning at how he was able to get that from the redhead without so much of a struggle. "Before that, isn't there something more you need to tell us about? What exactly happened when you confronted that red-haired woman?" Ryu was also staring at the African man with a quizzical look.
"Well, I..." Malik said, before trying to deflect. "I asked her if she knew where Marcelle was... and she told me nothing useful so I attacked her. She had these weeeeird powers."
Holly obviously didn't buy what Malik was saying - the way he was trying to avoid the topic with a bad excuse only served to make her even more suspicious, that he was clearly trying to hide something. However, instead of outright dissing him for lying to them at this crucial time where any info might affect the outcome of their mission, she simply responded with, "Oh, really." The hint of disbelief in her tone was loud enough to spell that she was not one bit pleased with his antics.
"Look, we need to get a move on," Malik said, before he realized he earned an incredulous look from all of his friends. "Fine... I'll come clean... she made a deal with me."
It was hard saying that he was lying to them, but he might as well remove any and all doubts while he's here. What's the worse that could go wrong? Them turning against him? After everything they'd been through, that wasn't even an option at this point. "She was feeling generous because her ego was stroked, or whatever. Told me to have this if I get out of her hair... but... she also told me that Marcelle was dead..." Malik said, unsure of whether or not she was lying... or he was just in denial.
Holly perked up when Malik mentioned a deal with the Blessed Three woman, but she highly doubted that he meant by selling them out. Not after they had come so far, and she wanted to believe that his emotions for his friend were real. That was confirmed when he went on with his story. As she had thought, something was really fishy about all this. "Sounds like she is a real hurry that she's got not time to deal with anyone in her way," Holly mused out loud. "Or that we're no more than mere flies to her, which works for us."
She had one more thing to add on - the most important one of all. "As for Marcelle's status, we're not going to strike her off until we've checked the other base in Regal Square." She gave Malik a small, but reassuring smile.
Ryu shared the same sentiment with the RAVEN - well, it wasn't hard to tell that the African guy didn't tell them the truth at first, but it was better for him to leave the talking to Holly, who could converse with the rest directly in English, than him troubling Aislin to translate his words to the rest. The conversation turned out well in the end, and he was more than happy to have everyone back on board. Besides, they would need to find a computer to access the log in the USB. Glancing around to make sure the coast was clear, he darted to the door of the nearest lab room. Peeking in and seeing that it was empty, he signaled for the others to follow in, before he locked the door shut behind them.
The room was no different from a standard, professional laboratory - tidy, and obviously well-maintained. Apparatus were cleaned and neatly kept away in the respective trays on the shelves, bottled chemicals were all clearly labeled with their chemical formula and arranged in the order of their pH value, and agar plates were stored in an incubator with a see-through door. A few heavy-duty fridge-like cabinets lined the far end of the lab, some with the hazard symbol pasted on the front. As the group walked through the mess of biotechnological machines, Ryu spotted a laptop next to a centrifudge, and waved at Malik to come over.
Well, time for the moment of truth. The day he would find out whether or not he came to America for nothing. He pressed the USB drive into the port, the files slowly loading with an odd intensity. When the files loaded, Malik looked at it, and noticed that it was no longer an audio file, but a video file. Two clicks from the mouse, and it was opened.
The video began with Marcelle adjusting the camera that was built into the monitor of her laptop, her hand obstructing the view of the room. When her hand moved, a clear view of a destroyed room (that had to be an abandoned building somewhere) she resided in was given to the viewer... along with a look at Marcelle's face. Her sharp and bulky facial features that Malik undoubtedly knew were Southern African... but, she looked... bad. Her eyes were bloodshot, her face was bony, and the woman just looked horrible. Like a ghoul. His childhood friend being in such a sad state was something that made him clench his fist tightly.
"M-Marcelle's final log..." Marcelle started off. "This is... I... the Family is closing in on me as I s-s-speak, so I'll be quick. I have information on both the Family's mind... control, and the m-machine-"
That's when the video was roughly cut to darkness for a few seconds, making it more than obvious that Julia had altered the video.
"Damn it!" Malik said as he pounded his fist against the computer table. To him, she might as well smash-cut to a still image of her middle finger.
"--This information has to reach the governments of the world... I cannot... will not let th... the Family's atrocities go unheard... " Marcelle finished the log with a sigh, her hands reached towards the computer to close it. "Now, I have to get out of here while I sti-still... have time..."
The door was kicked down, and Marcelle whipped around with her pistol in hand - but, wasn't quite quick enough to stop the immediate pistol shot that hit her square in the shoulder. She fell down out of sight of the camera, and a slender woman with a metal mask that Malik almost immediately recognized came into sight in between the door frame.
"V-Veronica?!" Marcelle said in a thick French accent.
The IU assassin didn't even reply, she merely walked over to Marcelle with the revolver in hand, aimed as Marcelle screamed, "No!"
And fired the shot that splattered blood all over the floor.
"Hmph," Veronica groaned, narrowing her eyes... She then muttered something to herself that was impossible to hear. Another group of footsteps came running up.
"Jesus, Vero," Makoto said, with her eyes shot wide open, making it clear what she thought of Veronica's brutality. "You were supposed to flush her out, not kill her."
"It's better this way," Veronica said, putting a hand on her hip. "With what Julia was going to do to her... she's better in a bag."
She offhandedly scoffed as she looked at her nails. "Mistress Julia will be a little pissed... but, such is life. Now grab her, grab her damn laptop, and let's get a move on. The cops are going to be here any minute, and I doubt they'd take too kindly to us." Veronica ordered as she pressed her earpiece and said, "Zenith."
A swirling blue portal opened behind Veronica, and she stuck her hand out, willing her telekinesis into Marcelle's body. The woman's body floated into the portal as Makoto grabbed the laptop, closing it. Thus ending the video.
For a moment... Malik didn't even move. He stood there frozen, with his eyes wide. Tears began running down his cheeks as he loudly began to choke. Even the more experienced agents were at loss for words - Holly cringed at the moment Marcelle was shot dead, then with regret as she watched Malik going emotional once more at the fate of his friend.
Ryu, on the other hand, was more reserved. He just couldn't help thinking that something didn't feel right about the video. The most obvious was the period of blackout right after Marcelle began to talk about the mind control and the Machine, and before she was about the end the recording when her attackers burst in. Knowing that this video was given to them by a Blessed Three member, he wouldn't be surprised if they had altered this to cut out the information disadvantageous to the Family's schemes. The other one, the less obvious clue... He reached out to the laptop and replayed the video from the beginning, then hit the pause button at the scene the figure whom Marcelle called 'Veronica' put her hands on her hips.
"Don't you guys find the reason why this woman killed your friend somewhat... strange?" he asked. "We know that Marcelle is still under the influence of Julia's addictive drug, which makes her a valuable test subject to the Blessed Three. It sounded like those two were sent to bring your friend back to Julia for further experiments, but what they were doing was pretty much defying her orders... to give Marcelle a less painful death. Why would they do that?" He turned to Aislin to help translating his words to the rest of the team.
Malik didn't even respond. He was so caught up on the footage that he just couldn't take it anymore. His quest to save Marcelle was all a waste - a God damn waste. He just couldn't take it... the Founding Bastards took away his best friend. Slamming his fists on the computer table, a thunderous smash filled the room as Malik transformed into his storm form. Which was followed by a mighty burst of wind shooting outwards in all directions - strong enough to knock over the computer tables. Followed by rain... and thunder. Malik let out a loud yell as he fell to his knees.
The abrupt stunt from the African man's storm power to vent his emotions startled Ryu, so much so that he misunderstood Malik's rage and thought it was directed at him. "H-Hey, wait, sorry I didn't mean--" The Japanese agent raised his hand in frantic defense, but Holly shook her head at him (even if she didn't understand a word he was saying without a Pilots device like Aislin, she could make an intelligent guess from his body language).
"I don't think he's angry at you, or has even heard whatever you were asking just now," Holly said, pulling Ryu away from Malik's localized thunderstorm. "But, you've got some good points there... Thanks to your prompt, something just feels wrong about the whole video. Other than the head-shot part, there's also the blackout portion the Family had cut out." She narrowed her eyes. "It's possible that this entire footage has been heavily edited and given to Malik, to turn him against us like this..." Which meant the Blessed Three had been anticipating them coming to this base all along. Though there were a few hiccups here and there, everything was still within their calculations so far.
Once Malik reverted back to human form and was on the ground, she turned to him. "Until we see Marcelle's physical body with our own eyes, it's too early to give up now," she began in a firm tone. "Also, we need to get a move on, in case someone has caught wind of your storm just now. Take the log with you, and let's go."
A sigh escaped Malik's lips, the rage within him dimmed. He turned back into his human form, and realized how foolish he acted. He could have gotten them all killed. "...I'm sorry." Malik said to his group. "But, you're right, this is Julia we're talking about, right?" Malik asked... rather rhetorically, before he walked over to the computer and grabbed Marcelle's 'final' log, putting it in his pocket and leaving the lab with the rest.
Mapping out the place was going surprisingly smooth. They came across more laboratories, conference rooms and whatnot. But their tour went for a spin when a room they passed spilled a yellow glow from the entrance. Aislin offered the rest of the team a shrug, her mask hiding the curious light in her eyes. Together, they entered the strangest laboratory yet, and possibly the most dangerous.
The laboratory was a pristine network of hallways that had clean white tiles. The entire place was silent, save for them. The rooms were labs that were dedicated to Mistress Julia's many projects... many of which have curious looking pods full of liquid and other materials. Though, the place was mostly cleared. Given that the location was meant to be destroyed, everything valuable was removed from the base. Anything that was left were expendable files, and biological materials that Julia could afford to lose. But, at the very end of the hall was a large metal door that lead into the parts of the lab that Julia reserved for her... special projects. Which included the room that had the Beast... and Blake Schmidt putting the finishing touches on it.
The quintet crept through the lab with utter caution and silence. To Holly, there was an odd familiarity about the strange yellowish glow that was getting brighter as the group moved closer to its source, but she couldn't quite understand why... She pushed the thought to the back of her mind to focus on their current situation as a huge metal door loomed before the team. She signaled them to stop and stay where they were, while she crouched towards the door alone. Then she rose to the window slowly... but what she saw almost made her knees gave way to the horrifying scene beyond the glass.
The Family's new Beast... It was finally a twelve-foot tall monster that looked almost identical to the one responsible for destroying Prague and enabling the spread of anti-Meta sentiment across Europe! It was a glowing yellow humanoid that Blake was just about finished with. He prided himself on the design since it was him that set the framework (Ezekiel provided the technology, and Julia made sure the damn thing wouldn't fall apart, again). The body of the Beast was incredible muscular with no eyes... but, a large mouth that curled upwards into a devilish grin. All Blake needed was a few more minutes, and what was left of RAVEN would be wiped out, along with a large chunk of Baybridge, and hopefully... anyone stupid enough to try to help them.
Blake pushed in the last needle, followed by a tube that pumped in the last bit of liquid from their reserves.
Without wasting any more time, Holly crouched down again and returned to the rest of the team. Not giving them a chance to question the grim look on her face, she simply gave them the hand sign to get out of the room as quickly and quietly as possible. Once they were far, far enough from the dangerous laboratory, the RAVEN raised a hand to her comm-piece, "This is Holly here. We have located the Beast, currently with the third member of Blessed Three, Blake, in the largest lab on B1..."
"Okay, stay out of sight," Meifeng added in the comms, as she peeked around a corner to see two guards that were walking past her. She was in the labs with the rest of them. "I'm almost there."
"Charges are planted," Quentin's familiar voice announced to them over the comms, "Confirm when you're ready. And do whatever you can to make sure we put that thing down."
Meifeng's hand lingered on the earpiece once she heard the last of Quentin's words. Since these fuckers killed Lihua, Meifeng was not going to pull any punches.
"...Affirmative."
Back in the lab, Blake was... oddly delighted to see his creation come so close to completion. He put on a gleeful smile, and clapped his hands like a schoolgirl, oddly excited for someone of his status. Now, only thing left to do was wait. Once all the chemicals were pumped into the Beast, the damn thing would finally begin its rampage through the base, then (hopefully) the rest of Baybridge. According to Julia, they had already succeeded in their main objective; buying time for the Machine to finish. At this point, it doesn't matter whether or not they kill the Beast. But, he'd truly hate it if his art was destroyed without making a grand show just like in Prague. Speaking of which... Blake knew that the Blessed Three better get the hell out while there's still time! Being a member of such an illustrious group was already dangerous enough!
"Blake," The Foundation Woman directly contacted the man.
"Oh, Foundation Woman," Blake said, with a wide grin on his face as he leaned up against the nearest table. With his hand on his comm-piece, he replied, "What can I help you with?"
"I'll be brief," The Foundation Woman immediately piqued Blake's interest with one sentence. "Mistress Julia has been heavily injured by Project Lazarus... and we need to extract the remaining members of the Blessed Three."
"Oh, that Julia!" Blake exasperatedly said. "I told her that her little lab project is going to blow up in her face! Playing God tends to end that way..."
"Irrelevant." The Foundation Woman said with a bit of contempt that didn't go over Blake's head as much as he merely ignored it for the time being. "What is the progress on the Beast?"
"Almost finished!" Blake said, "All we need to do is wait..."
"...And we don't have time to wait," the Foundation Woman said. "Zenith can't teleport you out with that shield up, and the technique that lets her punch through the barrier takes so much effort, that I don't see us doing it again."
"Fine, my loyal Foundation Woman! I will leave one Secretary behind to monitor the Beast," Blake said, as he turned over his shoulder and pointed at a blonde-haired male with green eyes. "You, finish my work."
"Yes... Master Blake..." the man said with rather dead eyes.
Well, now that's over with...
Blake merely scrolled out the room with his Secretaries in tow... He wondered how Jennifer was able to wound Julia so badly that it called for an immediate extraction. Then he thought...
I wonder where is Ezekiel, by the way?
Meifeng snuck through the halls of this lab... Part of her wondered just how many people had died here at the Hands of the FF, then another part of her realized that the answer was "far too damn many." She could smell the sterile cleaning solutions, but that was a familar smell that she would rather ignore in favor of getting to the damn Beast fast as possible so they can smash their machine before their "world domination" plan ever inches near fruition.
Her back was pressed up against the wall the very instant that she heard a group of hurried footsteps approach. Shit. At this rate, she was going to get spotted - and given that she didn't have a damn clue about what she's up against... not the best idea. Fortunately, there was a supply closet she could duck into. The RAVEN wasted zero time in opening up the closet, and hopping inside, leaving it slightly ajar to see who was coming by in such a hurry.
Then she saw the muscular frame of Blake Schmidt, surrounded by his legion of Secretaries, as they went somewhere. They were in such an obvious hurry that they completely glossed over the slightly ajar door. That meant two things: the Beast was complete, and Blake was clearing, or the Beast was killed (unlikely, but the world's full of strange things). While Meifeng felt the urge to try to kill Blake... she knew that she didn't have any time to waste picking fights. This was something Meifeng definitely should report. Creeping out of the closet, Meifeng said,
"I have visuals on Blake Schmidt... he's fleeing the scene," Meifeng started off as she hopped out. "How's it look on your end, Holly? I'm almost there with the charges." She asked as she quickly proceeded down the hallways, crouching.
With the shield up to trap everyone in this base with the Beast that would soon be unleashed, Holly knew they couldn't escape from ground level. It didn't help that Julia had some of the underground tunnels blocked, which forced the group to take a longer route (and time) to bail out. If only Shizuka was here... but rather than thinking about such useless things, they would just have to do whatever they could to get out of here as quickly as possible. "We're almost there - to regroup with the RAVENs outside," she breathed into the comms as she led her team towards that one tunnel out of the building that someone else had kindly informed her. Unlike the overprotective silver-head, Holly knew that Haruka could take care of himself.
Meifeng arrived, and just couldn't believe her eyes when she poked her head through the window. It was the splitting image of the same creature that almost destroyed Prague earlier this year. If it wasn't for Meifeng and the others pulling through, then... it would have been way worse. She doesn't want what happened to Prague happen to Baybridge (or anywhere else for that matter). Meifeng had to get started. "I'm here... the room is empty... save for one lone person.
"I'm setting the charges now," Meifeng said in the comms as she attached the C4 device to the wall, and pressed a few buttons to arm it. Long as she did this right... the Beast would be disabled, or dead. Long as he wasn't rampaging through Baybridge, they would have the same result. "What's your status?" Meifeng whispered.
"Still in position," Quentin's voice advised, "Once your charges are set, we'll set the timer."
Meifeng nodded her head. "Affirmative."
It wasn't long before each of the charges that Meifeng brought along were set outside of the room with the Beast. The sheer explosive power would be enough... enough to kill the Beast. Meifeng planted the last charge, and nodded her head. "Charges set," Meifeng said over the comms. "Heading out now, meet all of you topside."
Meifeng quickly turned the other way and headed out the way she came fast as she could while keeping her head down. "Holly, suggest you and your team clears the area now. The charges are set, and in fifteen minutes... Well, I'm not taking responsibility for anything after that point." She coldly said, as she cleared the blast radius.
"Likewise here," Quentin spoke up once again to warn them, "Timer's set. Keep people clear of those positions, topside too."
"Understood," was the curt reply. By then Holly and her little team were sprinting towards the makeshift tunnel that Wendy had drilled moments ago. Haruka was nowhere in sight - he had probably escaped with the group of teens he had encountered and witnessed Ezekiel's dead body. The ruckus going on in the base had dialed down, and the chloropathic agent thought she could hear a distant roar of helicopters. She wasn't sure if they were backups from RAVEN or from the Family, but anything would be better than being trapped in this lab of doom. Without wasting more time to ponder further, she ushered Malik and the rest out of the tunnel.
After that message, Meifeng didn't want to waste any time lingering around here. With all the thick concrete this base is made out of out... the blast radius wouldn't be traveling that far away. All Meifeng has to do was leave the laboratory. Well, with the security and the Blessed Three clearing the base, she didn't have a whole lot of security to worry about. All she had to do was to hope that the blast was able to kill the Beast. In the amount of time that has passed... Meifeng went back to Lihua's body. Kneeling down, Meifeng slipped two hands underneath her body, and used all of her strength to lift up her mother.
On cue... the bombs went off. Meifeng was keeping mental track of all the explosives in her head. The shockwaves rippled through the base. The Beast that was Blake's pride and joy was blown to pieces, it died with an inhuman, almost bestial, roar that echoed through the entirety of the base. Along with the shield generator going down in flames... It fell off the side of the base, and crashed into the ground as the blue shield that was keeping RAVEN contained faded away.
Footsteps pattered behind her, but when she turned she found an old comrade at her back. Quentin paced towards her, shotgun at the ready. "I told Al to head back topside and clear a path, we still need to-" Something caught in the veteran RAVEN's throat as the light reflected on the lifeless body that once belonged to Lihua Zhao. "...I'm sorry. I should've been there to back you up, but we need to get moving. Those bastards could have rigged this place."
"It's... okay," Meifeng said, in response to Quentin. "There's nothing any of us can do now but remember her." She started walking forward, carrying Lihua all the way out of here. The mission was complete, which meant they had to focus their efforts on the F-F's main headquarters. Their machine. The only way they were going to save the world from their insane plan was to head there now.
"...Hello, can anybody read me?" A very familiar voice spoke through the comm-link, and made them both stop.
"Wait, Maximilian?" Meifeng replied through the comms.
"Sorry I'm late," Maximilian said through the comms. "But, I came soon as I could... you're the one that put out the call for reinforcements right?"
Meifeng didn't reply.
A fleet of RAVEN vehicles quickly approached the base in Silver Hills - from the ground, and even a few commandeered helicopters of both RAVEN and other government agencies. All were reinforcements gathered by Maximilian, approaching the base in massive numbers. With Maximilian himself approaching via chopper. Wearing the standard RAVEN body armor, Maximilian opened the door and hopped out of it. He free-fell downwards towards the ground before he changed his momentum and direction upwards so he was flying towards the base.
On top of him... a glowing golden light appeared as an orb, before taking shape. A shape that mimicked Maximilian's form exactly before it expanded twice his size. With a confident grin on his face, Maximilian said,
Thankfully, the tunnel didn't collapse on them. Wendy stepped through the tunnel, and the first thing she saw was a group of RAVEN vehicles assembled outside, still unaware of just what would be coming out towards them. Guns were pointed at the group, until they realized that they were just kids.
"Wait, it's just some kids!" One of the RAVENs shouted. "Lower your weapons!"
Kumiko was about to step out of the tunnel, but upon seeing RAVEN, she immediately dipped back inside. She would be more receptive of them, but she was currently wearing IU armor... it was questionable enough with the kids here! She sighed as she took a few moments to recall a past event... that would allow her to switch fuper floors of thebuilding," Veronicq first explained' "Let's find the machine first."om her metal manipulation to teleportation. A small part of her felt bad about doing this, but she knew that Wendy's a clever kid. If she could outsmart the IU, then RAVEN's no problem! Her body was surrounded by smoky black darkness as she disappeared.... She'd be around.
Wendy let out a sigh of relief, but, she definitely knew where this was going. With RAVEN detaining her and the others for the time being... and she couldn't let that happen. Because, it was the final hour of the battle, and Wendy hadn't been any closer to her goal than ever before. With Ezekiel dead, it was proof that the Blessed Three weren't as perfect as they'd like to believe. Which meant Wendy could defeat Blake, and the last member (presumably that red-haired woman).
"Are you kids okay?" One of the RAVENs asked.
Jessica kind of realized there was... little room for them to weasel out of this one. Well, best she could do was give Wendy the chance to get out of this. "Yeah, a little roughed up, though."
"Come with us," the RAVEN said. "It isn't safe here."
"Hey, hey, Wen," Jessica whispered. "Hate to say it, but I think you're gonna hafta go on without us."
Wendy quickly looked over her shoulder and didn't see Kumiko there... A part of her saw this coming from the beginning. In the end, it was just her... and Rowan. Wendy merely nodded her head.
"I know you can do it, Wen-Wen," Jessica added on. "If you were able to last this long against these bastards, then I trust you can finish the show, and come back with Diana."
"I know you can do it, I've seen you do incredible things before," Kai added on. "You can do it again."
"Alright," Wendy said, before she grabbed onto Rowan's arm and focused a bit.
"Wait, before you head out," Jessica smiled at them. "...I barely know ya', but when you get back here, I promise ya' earned yourself a spot on our road trip. Your little buddy there, too."
"Just come back alive," Kai added on.
Wendy smiled. "Right."
"...What are you kids talking about?" the RAVEN asked.
She quickly latched onto Rowan's arm, and turned into paper, channeling her ability into him. The two of them turned into a cloud of paper, that quickly zipped to the side as the RAVENs loudly protested, leaving behind Kai and Jessica.
Haruka watched Wendy turning herself and the Caucasian boy into paper to escape from the RAVEN officers who were closing in on them. He had heard bits and pieces about Wendy's sister the whole time he had been with the teens, and he could empathize with Wendy's determination to save her family. He willed the air to give her and Rowan a slight push to get out of RAVEN's clutches, also as a silent goodbye to the girl whom he shared many similarities with... but would never get the chance to know each other beyond polite greetings.
Besides, he had other things in mind - someone he was more worried about.
While the RAVENs were busy fussing over the remaining teens who didn't go with Wendy, he took the chance to slip out of their custody (it wasn't difficult - all he did was mentioning his twin's name, and they let him go without another word). The was no sign of the Beast even after the explosions had stopped, which meant that the bombs had neutralized the Family's diversion plan... and the mission was a success.
Which also meant that there was nothing else to stop him looking for Jennifer. He just hoped that she was okay...
The wild whirl of paper came to a stop in an alleyway not too far away from the scene, before Wendy and Rowan had fully regained their forms. With Wendy panting for air. An awfully convenient wind had given them a lot more speed, but Wendy knew that any RAVEN worth his salt would be hot on their trail (if they hadn't decided that they had bigger fish to fry). She wasn't the type to take those chances, so the very instant she regained her breath, she gestured for Rowan to come along with her.
Appearing in front of her was a wispy black smoke... which heralded the arrival of Kumiko. The woman smiled as she put a hand on her hip. "You were going to leave me behind?"
Looking around, Kumiko added on, "We don't got time for this... I know a quick way to the base... it involves hotwiring a car, but, I'm certain that we can gloss over any moral issues that may arise."
... ...
The trip was far from a comfortable one, but then it was hard to blame them for it - their driver had spent little time behind the wheel in his life and even that had been from self-taught joyrides in the old man's pickup. More than a few times, the scrawny teen nearly stalled or grinded on the clutch and he could've sworn he'd heard Kumiko muttering beneath her breath that they should've chosen an automatic. But given what little time they'd had in their hands, beggars couldn't be choosers - Rowan had spied a '97 Ford F-150, old enough that it would've been easy enough to bust into and hotwire.
Wendy was silent, she was sitting on Kumiko's lap (which was much more awkward than it sounded). Rowan was a good driver, yeah... She couldn't help but stare out the window. She could see Baybridge burning. It was probably the riots that were overtaking the city. She wondered if the wounds dealt to Baybridge would ever heal. Sadly... she just can't see that happening any time soon. But, Baybridge at large wasn't her problem - as selfish as that sounded. It was a job for the police, and whoever else was heroic enough to return peace to Baybridge.
"Alright, kids, yeah... give me a second to figure out how to pull this off." Kumiko said, very uncomfortable because she was stuffed into this cramp pick-up truck. But, hey, beggars can't be choosers (a phrase Kumiko would learn to hate). That wasn't important right now. They had to discuss the plan, because if Kumiko was correct, every single member of the IU should be in Headquarters. As strong as the three of them were... there was no way they'd be able to take on that many grunts. They'd be going up against the Hound, Bonecrusher, Phantasm, and their army of grunts. Slipping past them would be even more of a hurdle when their destination is Blake Schmidt... yeah, it'd be one hell of a hurdle, but Kumiko would find a way. Last plan was to wait for RAVEN to push in.
"First, just like the other place there's a secret entrance - attaoched to a nearby warehouse - it's probably our best bet in getting in there." Kumiko explained. "All we have to do is find Blakey, I'll nab your sister, then we haul ass out of there, clear?" She was making it a lot more simple than it really was, but what other options did they have?
"Yeah," Wendy answered.
Their driver simply acknowledged them with an approving grunt.
"Good, Rowan, take a right here," Kumiko said as they arrived at the main street of Regal Square. "I know just the place..."
Not too far away from the foreboding Founding Family headquarters was a little warehouse. It was a nice looking warehouse, not quite the first place that'd pop to mind when you say "warehouse." It was made out of nice smooth stone that had a pretty good paint job. Along with a few other fancy tricks of architecture, but that wasn't important. Rowan's vehicle rolled up by the loading docks as Kumiko instructed, but she barely wasted any time in teleporting away.
"I'm gonna check the building." Kumiko quickly said before she turned into a wisp of black smoke, and disappeared. It happened so fast that Wendy merely fell down a few inches, looking around. Uncertain of whether or not it'd be a smart idea to get out of the vehicle. It was barely even a few moments before Kumiko appeared on the hood of the car again, giving all of them one hell of a spook. "The building's clear, let's get a move on." Kumiko said, and the two teens quickly scrambled out the car, into the building (Kumiko had opened one of the loading docks to let them in without wasting energy with their powers).
Lead by Kumiko, they went through the desolate base (which Wendy guessed was empty because all their forces were concentrated on the base) as they moved to the hatch - located in the main hall with most of the crates. Wendy stopped for a moment there, only to question something. "You sure it's a good idea to go in through here?" She said, raising an eyebrow. She didn't have a whole lot of confidence in the tunnel, given that the last one exploded on them. "I mean, they could be laying a trap for us in here."
"Got a better idea? Because all I got are worse ideas," Kumiko answered, crossing her arms.
"Well... I kind of do," Wendy said, awkwardly putting her hands together and shifting her legs. "But, we're going have to get inside one of the nearby buildings first..."
It was definitely hard to sell Wendy's idea, but, given that the tunnels were probably trapped to no ends... they would risk Wendy's idea, or the tunnel that could possibly explode at any given moment.
Her idea... yeah, she wasn't as confident in it as the tunnel, but at this point, she was more than willing to take a chance.
It started with scaling a nearby building... which had, fortunately, long been evacuated. The blackout over Baybridge had worked in their favor as Wendy and her friends broke into a nearby office building, in perfect view of the "Oasis Research Headquarters" as the Family called it. When Wendy knew the true purpose of the place.... what "research" that had happened there an affront to humanity. That wasn't important, the three of them stood on top of the office building with Wendy in the middle. This was a stretch... taking one person with her when she transforms into paper was challenging enough. But, she was going have to push herself to her limits.
"Yeah, I can teleport through glass just fine..." Kumiko said, grabbing onto Wendy's hand. "...You'll just need to clear like ninety meters!"
"I can do it... Rowan, are you ready?" Wendy asked as she turned to her friend.
"...Yeah, let's get this over with already." Rowan nodded.
"Wait a sec," Kumiko said, as she pulled Wendy back a few feet - well, Wendy mostly let herself be dragged backwards - and extended her chains to each end of the rooftop. The hooks dug deep into the concrete. "This will give us a bit more of a push."
"Alright, three... two... one..." Wendy said, and the second the last word left her mouth, she turned the three of them weightless, which gave Kumiko plenty to work with as her chains launched them through the air right at the Family's headquarters. It was all on Wendy... using her powers like this felt like a massive weight on her body, but she had to no choice but to bear it. Because to give up now, would mean giving up on Diana. Thanks to Kumiko's boost, they were already halfway through, but she felt like they were losing momentum. With one will, she turned into her paper form, and the three of them turned into a storm of paper that cut through the air as Wendy pushed it.
The storm of papers formed a ball, as Wendy desperately tried to keep them in paper form until they could clear the distance, but alas, she had pushed herself past her limits, and had to turn back into flesh. Desperately gasping for air, Wendy felt like she... failed them. She was still applying the weightlessness like a piece of paper... all while Kumiko was smiling.
"This is close enough, sweetheart, let's go!" Kumiko gleefully said as a wispy black smoke engulfed them. In a moment, they all appeared inside of the headquarters, and Wendy immediately dropped to her knees panting. Regaining her breath after that massive trip of hers, she looked up. A mere hallway that had many windows on one side, and doors on the other. If Wendy had to guess, this was an office of some sort.
Indeed, true to form came an awkward thunk from behind them as Rowan pulled himself to his feet, accidentally knocking over a monitor in the process. The scrawny teen hastily picked it up and set it back where it was, acting as though there'd always been a crack along the screen.
"Heh," Kumiko said, putting her hands on her hips. "That was some kind of plan of yours... they probably have no idea we'd come from this angle."
Finally regaining her breath, Wendy stood straight up and said, "Let's not waste any time."
"Yeah, yeah... we gotta find Blake," Kumiko said as she walked past them. "I got an idea of where he might be, if not, how we can find him. So come on."
Julia was placed on a stretcher to make it easier to transport her around, and her Secretaries made haste in quickly transporting her to the secret extraction point. Whether RAVEN had thwarted the Beast or not was irrelevant; they had also stretched their combined resources so thin that it would be difficult for them to breach into the Family's main headquarters. On the other side of the room was a blue shield. Secretaries grabbed the thermic lance-like objects with glowing tips as they breached the front of the shield, splitting it down the middle. Julia was too out of it to realize what was going on, as inside the split a swirling blue portal appeared, and she was about to be pushed inside.
"...Ah, I hate to say that I told you so," Blake said as he took slow steps towards Julia, clapping gently. "But, I told you so! Hahaha!"
Julia didn't even reply, which gave Blake ample time to looking around. Only to notice something.
"...Where's Ezekiel?" Blake asked.
"I'll discuss that later... let's go," Julia said, before pointing forward and her legion of Secretaries carted her through the portal with ease, and Blake, while worried about his comrade, figured it would be best if he cleared the base fast as possible. He stepped in.
The moment the both of them were through, the portal closed, and the breach in the shield they had created did the same.
Regal Square, Prince Ed-Field_
Julia was immediately dragged to their hospital's medical wing, and she was brought before one of the Family's healers. Melting the ice so the healing ability could do its work, Julia was placed on a medical bed while her Secretaries catered to her every whim. All while Blake walked into the room, crossing his arms, leaning up against the other wall.
"So, now would be a good time to discuss Ezekiel, yes?" Blake casually asked.
"I... went to the conversion chambers and..." Julia turned her head away - whether it was out of guilt or shame, was irrelevant - and merely spoke to Blake, facing away from him. "...I found Ezekiel dead, metal driven through his back... in a room full of our enemies."
The words made Blake seethe in anger. Clenching his fists tightly as he stepped off the wall, body partially turning into stone... and what was left caught fire. "What?! How could anyone defeat Ezekie-" In the middle of his rage, he realized that Ezekiel more than likely was bested because he got overconfident, or his many mental issues got in the way. "Who?!"
"...It was Lucker, and her friends."
"That girl..." Blake ground his teeth together as he lurched towards Julia. That whore... she was the biggest pain in his ass whom he had the displeasure of coming across. And now that she killed Ezekiel... he realized she couldn't be allowed to live. She has committed a sin like no other. "I should have simply killed her when..."
Then he turned towards Diana, the woman that Wendy was so desperately chasing after. Blake grinned.
"Oh, I just got the best idea, Julia."
Jennifer Caspin, & Haruka Takashiro.
(collaboration between @Mr Allen J, and @tsukune) Hailey Boulevard, Silver Hills_
Climbing out of the base was not the easiest of all tasks when you were burned.
Fortunately, not to the bone, but Jenny knew that feeling!
All apart of her time as Missy Baroness, but that'd be a discussion for another time. It's funny, even as Jennifer limped out of these tunnels, holding her quickly regenerating arm, a part of her felt fulfilled. Now, the doubts that had plagued her are all gone, and she felt like a new woman... but, that was not the end of it. To put it simple; Jennifer had to kill Julia O'Sullivan for her life to know peace. There's also the many other people that Julia and the other Blessed Three had given hell, they were not far away from Jennifer's thoughts. If any, they were just another reason to kill Julia.
That whore O'Sullivan was probably off licking her wounds... the wounds that were the product of her arrogance. All Jennifer had to do was finish her off.
And this time, Jennifer was going to remove her entire head.
Getting to ground level, the shield and the Beast presumably were both killed, as RAVEN units were scattered all over the place, Jennifer made it her mission to avoid them. Because if she was going to get to their headquarters, it was going to be on her own, or with the help of her friends - it didn't matter to Jennifer at this point. They were means, and Jennifer wanted the ends so badly she was willing to give up everything for them. Merely by heading out through a back hallway, Jennifer made it outside.
...And came face to face with Haruka. The worried look on the young man's face immediately turned into relief when he recognized her. "Jennifer? Thank goodness!" He wanted to give her a hand, but decided against it. Partly because Jennifer looked like she didn't need any help from him, partly because he would need to confirm something first. "...Are you alright? Did that Julia woman do anything to you?"
Fortunately for Haruka, Jen's eardrums had regenerated to such a degree that she could vaguely hear what Haruka was saying. Vaguely. She managed to pick out the parts about Julia. Her whole body was burnt, and regenerating, but she was going to withstand the body-pain for just another few moments, while she focused her regeneration into her ears, until she could hear enough to maintain a conversation with Haruka.
"...She tried to put me under her mind control, but I punched my ears out so I couldn't hear her..." Jennifer said a bit loudly. "I caught her off guard, and put a hole in her... She ran off to lick her wounds, but that doesn't matter."
She took a step towards Haruka, and put her hand on his shoulder, staring him square in the eye. "I cannot be any more certain than I am right now; I have to kill Julia. That's the only way I can have a normal life..."
Haruka watched Jennifer for a moment. He could clearly see the blaze in her eyes - of determination, hatred, and vengeance - and he knew there was no stopping her with her mind firmly set to finish what she had come for, once and for all.
"I won't stop you, because I want all this to end as much as you do." He sighed. "Though, if you don't mind, I suggest we regroup with Holly and her team first." He gestured at Jennifer's current state. "It will be difficult for you to go there on your own like this... and besides, Holly told me that they're going to the main base for Julia also. Why not hitch a ride with them since we are all heading for the same target?"
"Yeah..." Jennifer said. "I don't think I should be running in there headfirst without some friends, anyway." She scratched the back of her neck.
Then a small smile appeared on Haruka's face. "Don't worry about convincing her to take us. According to Shizu's intel, the Regal Square base is where the main IU force is, so they still need our powers to get through the tight security." The other part was using Holly's position as a RAVEN to help keep them out of the custody of other RAVENs.
"We should get a move on, then." Jennifer answered, as she started walking. "Where is Holly, anyway?"
"Just a call away," was Haruka's response as his hand went up to the comm-piece in his ear. He wasn't trying to joke, but he couldn't help trying to lighten the mood, even if was just a little... to distract himself from everything that had been going on so far. After a brief chat through the comms, he gave Jennifer a thumbs up. "Told you that she's cool. I'll show the way."
Meifeng Zhao, Alice Barrett, Quentin & Reed Taylor.
Meifeng had expended every ounce of her strength to carry Lihua out, alongside Quentin, she saw a familiar sight. RAVEN had succeeded over the IU yet again. She winched just for one moment, before she took a few steps forward. In front of her was the RAVENs securing the main room of the building. Members of the IU had their hands behind their heads, on their knees, as Meifeng walked past them outside... it was raining. Really fitting. She barely even noticed it as she pressed forward. Wordless, and emotionless.
"Meifeng, it is goo-" The massive body of Maximilian Cornell descended from above, Echo at his side. His blue eyes rested on what she was holding, and his jaw dropped. "Ms. Zhao?" He asked, he saw the gaping hole in Lihua's chest. "I..." Maximilian put a closed fist to his mouth. "I truly am at a loss for words, Meifeng."
Meifeng sighed.
"...Then don't say anything." And she scrolled on past them.
It took another couple of moments before Quentin broke into the pause in conversation. "Look, she made sure that thing those bastards created is dead, we won't have another beast, devil or whatever you want to call them on our hands."
Maximilian crossed his arms. "Then, can you give me your honest opinion on the situation thus far?"
"Look, I'm sure you've figured we're at a breaking point." Quentin's jaw tightened so hard that it looked as though his teeth might shatter. "Now I dunno if the powers that be have actually bothered this time to look from their ivory towers, but HQ has been trashed, prisoners escaped, our people dead, more who've been injured or sent running. Now with RAVEN, we're down to just a few people coordinating this shitshow, that's counting me and Mei among them. And, with her Mom..." For a moment, the veteran RAVEN's gaze flickered towards his colleague and the lifeless body beside her. "She has other priorities, you know. And DOVE, I'm not sure on the specifics, but it was Cindy handling most of the groundwork on their end, and now she's been taken hostage by those bastards and something done to her. Reed's been trying to compensate, what I heard, but you're better off asking him."
Maximilian sighed. The situation was dire indeed, but that was why Maximilian's here. He came here fast as he could in order to give what little RAVEN was left. "I understand the situation is severe... which is why I've gathered RAVENs from all over to help. Because this situation is far more out of hand than I thought - and I take responsibility for letting it reach this point."
Now, Maximilian had to ask Reed for his assessment of the situation, he pressed his earpiece, before he said, "Agent Reed Taylor, this is Maximilian Cornell." He paused for a moment, "How is the situation looking on your end?"
"We're getting what support we can," Reed began, "But both our people and BPD have been stretched thin with this power outage. Nobody's said a word to us on whether the National Guard are being pulled in to assist. We're doing what we can."
"I haven't received word either... which is what I find questionable about this whole situation," Maximilian said. "Either way, we are standing alone, against this massive threat that is known as the Founding Family... but, I'm confident we can pull through. If we managed Verthaven, we can manage this."
Maximilian once again sighed... they had to be hopeful in these dark times. They had to remain strong. Or what happened to Lihua was going to happen to many more people... and, as a RAVEN, he couldn't let that happen. "Either way, Dana has pinpointed their location, and is currently assembling a force." He turned turns Quentin, as he spoke on the comms. "And I need everyone there... The vehicles are ready, we'll regroup at Headquarters."
Maximilian nodded his head at Quentin. "It is great to see you again, Mr. Taylor, but I have to do something." He looked towards Meifeng, whom was currently ignoring everyone as she carried her mother off into a vehicle. Declining help from everyone around her.
Maximilian floated over towards her, just as she was placing Lihua's body onto a truck... The sight was sickening. Lihua was a proud and powerful woman... she deserved more than this. He gulped loudly as he said, "Meifeng..."
"Save it, Max, I'm not in the mood..." Meifeng trailed off. "I'm going to help, just... let me get her somewhere."
Maximilian nodded his head. "Understandable."
Ultimately choosing to leave the emotionally fragile agent alone... it was a risk bringing her along, but she was one of the best. He took a few steps away, and pressed his earpiece. "Alright, RAVEN, pack up and get ready to move out."
The Black Hound, Foundation Woman, & The Phantasm.
The Hound stood in the widow of the Family's headquarters. Staring at the streetlights beneath them, as the cars sped back and forth past the building, with the rain over-top of them as a filter. Unaware of the dark purpose that the Family has set up for the place. He couldn't blame them... the things that the Family have done, they were irredeemable in his eyes. Yet, the time for them to account for their actions was coming soon. The Foundation Woman walked into the room behind him, and he looked over his shoulder.
"Foundation Woman..." the Hound said.
"C'mon, Abel," the Foundation Woman said. "Refer to me by my real name for crying out loud... we've reached a point where our codenames won't apply anyway." She laughed.
"Yes... the day when years of planning finally pays off," Abel said. "Phantasm..."
"You know that I am loyal to you, and only you, Abel..." the Phantasm said from underneath his armor. "I will follow you all the way."
"Good," The Hound said. "Because tonight... we end this nonsense ourselves."
Veronica Davis, & Shizuka Takashiro.
(collaboration between @Mr Allen J and @tsukune) Regal Square, Prince Ed-Field_
"Oh, sorry, Takashiro," Veronica whispered to her brand new partner who was walking alongside her. Disguised in a particular version of the IU's uniform. "But, I just couldn't find any body armor in your size." She found plenty, but she got the female armor to get back at Shizuka for that mouth of his. It probably didn't bother him at all, but, hey. It was funny to Veronica, and if he decided to become a drag queen, then she'd gladly help him.
Shizuka gave Veronica a look when she handed him the female armor, even more annoyed when it actually fitted him well. He had a feeling that she was doing this on purpose to take out on him but shrugged off in the end, refusing to allow himself to stoop down to that bitch's level of stupidity. Besides, they really had no time for childish, petty things like this. As long as he didn't talk to anyone in this facility (well, he intended to leave all the talking to Veronica anyway), it would be less conspicuous for him to pass off as her female partner than getting stopped every now and then by jealous guards to answer for those huge tiddies hanging off her front - and also because of his short height (he actually stood as tall as Veronica).
However, that was merely a brief distraction, something to help Veronica keep her nerves as she led Shizuka through the tunnels of the base... trying to recall the path she took to the Machine. Problem was, these tunnels tended to look the same after awhile - and that's probably the purpose. To make sure idiots that wandered down here would get lost, and never leave with any secrets. Though, these tunnels were surprisingly well furnished for being, well, tunnels. There were wooden floors, rugs, walls plastered with pictures. It was all so redundant... like everything the Family did. Either way, all they had to do was find the damn Machine, then take out the Blessed Three, and everything else they built up. It'd be one hell of a challenge, but Veronica long realized that. It just made her all the more focused on saving her sisters from this hell.
"...RAVEN has already taken care of the Beast," Shizuka muttered to Veronica, after making sure there wasn't anyone around them to eavesdrop. "They will be moving here anytime soon, so we better get your sisters out before this place turns into a warzone."
"They're in the upper parts of the tower," Veronica whispered back. "Let's wrap up what we're doing down here, shall we?"
Veronica was silent for the rest of the way; it was probably for the best. She wasn't known for being the most chatty of all the IU. With that, she pressed on through the lit halls of the IU's tunnels. They came across a point where the hallway split off into a T, and Veronica was wondering which way she could go. This place was a damn maze, after all. She'd probably end up in the Blessed Three's BDSM dungeon before they find the Machine. Veronica turned down the other hall, and this was the part where Veronica felt like her plan was going tits up. Her teeth were thoroughly grinded upon seeing Blake Schmidt, and his band of mind-controlled dollies scrolling up. He looked rather... annoyed.
So annoyed, that Veronica couldn't even see the bravado, or that affable demeanor that Blake had practically trademarked. He didn't even waste time in talking to Veronica - or even giving her more acknowledgement other than a quick glance. Before going on his merry way. Veronica couldn't help but crack a smirk (because outright laughter would get her bitch-slapped by Blake's lava hands).
Veronica leaned in, keeping that smirk on her face like she was a schoolgirl gossiping, "I know that look, something didn't go little Blakey's way, and now he's having a hissy fit." She snickered. "But, that isn't important right now... Want to, uh, follow him? He might lead us to the Machine." It was a better idea than what they were doing now; wandering around like a pair of tools. To which Shizuka could only reply with a silent nod - he couldn't risk blowing his cover at this crucial moment.
There was little time to waste, RAVEN was probably on their way here as they spoke. She trusted RAVEN to keep the meat of the IU busy while she would be getting her sisters out of the way. Keeping a healthy distance away from Blake, it was finally time for them to put their plans into motion.
Walking through the halls of Blake's glamorous tunnels was simple, he knew the place like the back of his hand!
He made it to the very place where his machine was located, hidden behind two massive metal doors, and the Family's legion of Intimidation Unit soldiers at the front doors. When Blake approached with his hands behind his back, all it took was one raise of his hand for his security forces to step aside, and for the intimidating doors to part. The doors closed behind him, as he gazed upon all the excellent work he, and his "loyal services," had done! It really brought to a tear to his eyes!
The Machine, the pride and joy of the Family, took the appearance of a nuclear reactor core, but glowed a vibrant green color. Infused with Metahuman energy that was ready to put everyone on equal footing with each other. All he needed to do was make a few check-ups... Blake walked over to the terminal at the base of the Machine, pressed a few keys, and brought up the progress of the Machine.
STORAGE AT 98%...
UNABLE TO FULLY CHARGE...
Oh, for the love of... They were just short of their required amount of Metahuman energy. Probably when that brat killed Ezekiel, and freed all those candidates... now, they have to waste even more time, when the Machine could have been long finished by now. Unfortunate, but the situation would have been far more dire if Blake hadn't gathered more candidates than necessary, in case a situation like this arises. He had to make haste, or else his enemies would be on his doorstep before he even had a chance to do anything! Now, all he had to do was send a few people to the conversion chambers - no more than a dozen - and then activate the Machine so it'd fully charge. First offers that came to mind were the many, many, bottom-line cannon fodders.
In the middle of his deep and complex line of thought, one of his Secretaries approached, "Master Blake, sorry to interrupt you," the same shape-shifting Secretary that Blake used to spy on the brats spoke, with an odd and lifeless smile on her face. "But, RAVEN is approaching."
Oh, they were much faster than expected. No matter, there was one ace in the hole that'd buy Blake plenty of time to finish charging the Machine.
The same ace in the hole he employed in Silver Hills, in fact.
"...Activate the shield of light."
Veronica Davis, & Shizuka Takashiro.
(collaboration between @Mr Allen J and @tsukune) Regal Square, Prince Ed-Field_
The two managed to follow Blake all the way to the doors of the Machine room - Veronica stopped right before she saw how tight security was, instead choosing to press her back against the wall, and look over her shoulder. She, ultimately, decided to keep her distance. It might seem suspicious if she appeared in a place vital to the Blessed Three's plans without a good reason. When the doors opened, Veronica caught sight of the Machine, and grinned.
"Yeah, that's the place," Veronica whispered, "Now... that's a lot of security... I'm surprised the Hound isn't present, but he's probably going to be leading the charge against RAVEN."
That wasn't relevant right now, Veronica had a question for Shizuka.
"Do you think we should try to get a closer look?" She, again, whispered. "Might be risky... but, it might be worth it in the long run."
Veronica, far as she could tell, was still in the Blessed Three's good graces... or at least they think she's an obedient little doggy until they least expect it.
"Otherwise... we can go find my sisters in the upper floors."
Shizuka thought for a moment. RAVEN would be here anytime soon, but hearing Blake ordering his Secretaries to put up the 'shield of light' would mean that they still had a bit more time before RAVEN stormed in here and wreck this hole, just like what the IU did to the West Coast Headquarters the day before.
"...Wouldn't hurt to sneak a peek at the Machine first, then we go get your sisters," he finally replied in a low tone to Veronica, his eyes watching Blake and his zombie slaves to make sure they wouldn't catch him and the double agent gossiping behind their back. Besides, RAVEN could use more intel on the Machine... which was also one of the objectives he was here for.
Then there wasn't a second to waste as Veronica stepped through the metal doors with Shizuka behind her. She would have to hope that IU doesn't gun her down on sight, but she should be strong enough to save both of them from a barrage of bullets (well, her shields stopped worse in the past). Right when she approached, a burly member of the IU walked up.
"Veronica..." the man said. "What are you doing down here?"
Veronica put her hand on her hip, and loudly scoffed. "We're Blake's security, we got separated from him because God these tunnels are a maze..."
"Hmph, some guards you are..."
"We're doing work miles above your paygrade," Veronica hissed, she poked the man in the chest to make her point quite clear. "So, are you going to get out of our way, or do I have to move you myself?"
Veronica might seem as if she's being... overly aggressive, but that's how she interacted with the rest of the IU. With absolute contempt! It would simply be out of character if Veronica decided to start playing the role of a pup.
The man grumbled as he stepped aside, and the two stepped inside of the massive room. Veronica stepped in, and looked up at the Machine. It was gigantic, and the Machine was quite threatening. The Machine needed to be destroyed, or the already powerful Blessed Three were going to get a lot more powerful (and, thus, an even bigger pain in the ass). While saving her sisters was Veronica's true goal in all of this... she acknowledged that, if RAVEN failed, then there was nothing stopping them from taking Veronica's sisters back, and killing her.
She shook her head.
The urge to kill Blake here and now got far more intense, but she realized that would ruin the mission (and the fact they couldn't take on an entire army). She relented... but, Blakey didn't even realize that they were there. Probably too caught up with his Machine to pay his surroundings any attention.
Beneath the mask, Shizuka narrowed his eyes at the Machine up ahead - even at this distance, it was an intimidating sight. However, seeing how Blake was on the verge of pulling his perfect hair out of his sorry scalp, he couldn't help breaking out a smirk. Everything the Founding Fags had built up was starting to fall apart... Once they got the biggest threat in front of them out of the way, they could finally put the not-so-Blessed Three (Two, now that Ezekiel was confirmed dead as he should be) to where they truly belong.
But before that, they would have to get Veronica's precious sisters... and the scientists out of the way, first. Among the figures in white lab coats working restlessly on the Machine, he spotted Meifeng's uncle, Jiao-Long, and whatever was left of Hands of Science, Dr. Cross and the Mannequin. They all seemed fine, if not for the haunting look on their face, a sign that they hadn't been sleeping well. (Who could, anyway?) A random thought popped into his mind as he wondered how Jiao-Long was going to take the death of his sister once all this was over.
"...Ugh! Where is the Hound?!" Blake loudly exclaimed into the comms as he whipped around, and started walking towards the exit. Veronica and Shizuka dipped behind nearby cover, watching as Blake walked by. "No matter... I need to get to the conversion chambers fast as possible, and get the Machine ready!" He said. "Tell the Hound he's on thin ice! Very thin ice!"
Shizuka had seen enough to bail out of here and leave it to the main RAVEN force to deal with this Machine once they breached the shield. They had other things to do than getting themselves killed by the already mad man brisking nearer towards their hiding place. "Let's go before he really sees us here," he whispered to Veronica, giving her his hand.
Veronica didn't say a word, merely took Shizuka's hand as the two quickly left through the walls. Veronica wasn't going to waste time in fooling around down here anymore. It was RAVEN's job from here on forward, and if those jarheads couldn't do one simple job, then, well...
...It might as well be her that would bring of all this bullshit to a fitting conclusion.
Unfortunately, RAVEN didn't have a whole lot of time for planning. They had a map of the base, and a lot of RAVENs ready to bring this madness to an end at last.
Meifeng was seated in the back of a RAVEN truck, staring at a photo of Lihua as she waited for them to reach their destination. The lives she'd lost... there were no words to describe it. She sighed as she longingly stared into the photo and asked herself questions. Was there something that Lihua hadn't told her yet? What about Lijuan? How will she push on without her guidance? And truthfully, those were all valid concerns in her mind. Right now... she knew that she had to stop the Family, and bring Biyu, and whoever the hell else was behind this, to justice. And most importantly, save Cindy from their mind control. Guess all I can do is save what I have left.
"Alright, RAVENs, our goal here is simple," Maximilian broke the comm silence. "We are to destroy the Founding Family's Machine, along with the capture of their leadership, and the liberation of any prisoners. This will be a grueling battle, and I am glad to lead you into battle."
"Hmph," Meifeng grunted out loud. She couldn't pay Maximilian any mind right now.
"We're approaching the base now," Maximilian said. "We'll be splitting into three squads once we breach, each with a different task within the building. Team Alpha, lead by me, will be keeping the main IU force busy. While teams Delta and Epsilon, lead by Captains Zhao and Taylor, will be going for the machine. Team Zeta, will be led by our DOVE correspondent Reed Taylor and will be responsible for the recovery of any hostages that the building may contain, and getting them to safety."
Simple enough... Meifeng couldn't help but feel a little bit of bias on Max's part towards her. Didn't matter.
"Wait..." Maximilian said, as the building came into view. Panels on the sides of the building opened up, and glowing blue rods were erected. These rods fired off a beam into the air that formed a transparent bubble shield around the building. The RAVEN vehicles came to a skidding halt in front of the Family's first defensive measure, but Maximilian wasn't deterred. Meifeng got out of her vehicle, and gazed up at the bubble shield that was much larger than the one employed in their Silver Hills base. It reminded her of Verthaven... but, fortunately, they had something that'd render the whole thing obsolete.
"...Want me to get the lances, Maximilian?" Meifeng said. Thankfully, they scrolled on past to where Maxine's (God rest her soul) informant had told them where to pick up the shield disruption technology. In the RAVEN truck were the lances that were explained to be able to cut a hole in the shield.
"Yes," was Maximilian's short and sweet reply.
Meifeng hopped back into the truck, and grabbed the case with five of the shield piercing lances. She hopped out of the truck with the tools, and put it on the ground, and opened it up as Quentin headed over to see what kind of equipment they were dealing with. She reached inside and handed each of the RAVEN's the high-tech tools until eventually all that was left to do was manoevure into position.
"Alright," Maximilian said with his arms crossed. "Once we get started, there's no turning back. So, is everyone ready?"
"Epsilon's ready to push in on your cue, Praetorian." Quentin's firm voice hailed in over the comms, as Meifeng's own team assembled adjacent to his. The two would be responsible for covering each other's backs where needed in addition to their intended destruction of the machine.
"Delta is ready," Meifeng said.
Finally came Reed's assuring voice, "Zeta team, ready on cue."
"Alright," Maximilian called out his mighty Echo, who stood behind him. "...It's time, all RAVENS, push in."
The explosions that were going on in the base were the perfect cover for Meifeng's small team to make it to the elevators. However... it would be fairly stupid to take the elevators themselves. Meifeng had another idea. She had her team pry open the elevator doors with a crowbar, before her team set up rappel lines on the ground. Firmly attaching the tools to their waists, Meifeng nodded her head, and signaled her team to continue down the elevator shaft until she hit the bottom. The doors were promptly pried open, as she stepped inside. Guns were ready, aiming forward, as she proceeded forward with her team.
"Counterpoint, your status?" Meifeng asked.
"Found a maintenance shaft separate from the elevators, we're pushing down as we speak. No contacts as of yet." Quentin replied as his own team prepared to make their own descent. A brief inspection of the shaft had brought up nothing suspicious, no traps, nothing - but to be sure, the veteran RAVEN had them toss a flare downwards. Still, nothing - and so he too had himself and the first few members of the team rappel downwards for a rapid strike, giving the others a chance to make a descent down the ladders without fear of being ambushed.
"Delta squad has already pushed down into the base," Meifeng said. "We won't be proceeding until we get your team down here."
"Don't worry, we're not far behind you," he advised as the first of them made their advance, rappelling down to the lower levels. It was clear, giving the others the opportunity to follow up behind, "Keep moving."
"Roger that, we'll push in." Meifeng said, she figured that they had wasted enough time here.
Besides, her old friend wasn't far behind.
Every RAVEN who'd been armed with the lances punched through the shields, breaching it just as Veronica had told them. With the shields pierced, all of RAVEN merely just rushed through the opening. Meifeng lead team Delta on the charge, with team Epsilon not too far away. Maximilian, however, was leading the bulk of RAVEN into the building, with Team Alpha. He made a note to have the highest profile as his team came in guns blazing. Opening fire on the IU almost immediately. Causing a battle to break out between the two groups that Maximilian was determined to win.
A pair of IU guards scrolled by, as Kumiko, peeking around the corner, was essentially the guide for Wendy and Rowan.
Thankfully, most of the guards are concentrated in the lower levels of the base near the Machine. Unfortunately, that'd be where Kumiko and the crew would have to go if they were going to have any chance of finding Blake. Going straight into the mouth of the beast. It was vexing, yes, but they came this far, so they were going to follow through with this. When the guards were clear, Kumiko ran across the hallway to an elevator, and willed the door open with her metal manipulation. She stared down at the dark expanse of the elevator shaft... before she peeked back upwards. The elevator was, fortunately, above them as she could see the metal contraption going back up.
"Hey, Wen," Kumiko said, turning to her daughter, "This shaft should take us to the little underground tunnels underneath the building... only problem is that it's one hell of a drop."
Kumiko chuckled.
"Can you work your magic again?"
"Yes..." Wendy said, then she presented her hand to Rowan and Kumiko. "Grab on tight."
Rowan quickly hooked an arm around one of Wendy's shoulders, then Kumiko followed likewise - then Wendy took in a deep breath as she hopped into the elevator shaft. Any other person would be terrified of these heights, but Wendy couldn't fear such things. They fell as a group. Wendy was going to hold off on using her weightlessness, because it made zero sense to float down the shaft at five miles an hour. Instead, she was going to time it just right...
"Huh?!" Wendy abruptly shouted.
It was there that Wendy realized that her grip of Rowan was slipping. She wasn't quite as ready to hold onto two people, going at terminal velocity, as she thought. "Ro-Rowan!" She desperately tried to grab onto Rowan's wrist, but the scrawny teen's limb slipped apart from hers as the hard brake of concrete and metal loomed in closely below.
Yet contrary to the grim sound of meat slamming hard against the ground came a strange metallic groan and an awkward thud. It was too dark to see, however, until finally Wendy and her remaining passenger descended further down the shaft, following a trail of warped metal and cracked concrete until they could just about make out the bottom, where a scrawny figure awkwardly levitated just a few feet off the ground.
"I'm o-okay!" Rowan called up, albeit a little shakily.
Wendy had already activated her weightlessness, and the force that her form had built up had been negated. The two touched the ground, and Wendy had almost broken out in tears.
"Holy shit..." Wendy said. "Ro-Rowan! You're alive! I'm... I'm so sorry for letting go of you like that! I-I could have killed you."
"Y-yeah, I think I'm okay, don't sweat it but uh..." He trailed off for a moment as he tried to steady himself enough to touch down, only to find himself dry retching as his feet touched solid concrete.
"It's all good," Kumiko said. "But, seriously, keep it down, Wen. Remember? This place is crawling with the IU."
"Oh, yeah, sorry." Wendy said.
"Let's get a move on," Kumiko said. "There probably won't be a lot of people using the elevators... so..." Kumiko explained as she willed the doors open to reveal the small section of the tunnels which had the elevators. There was nobody nearby, so she merely stepped out and gestured for the teens to come along. "Make sure you keep your heads down at all times."
"Mhmm..." Wendy said, following Kumiko. The latter of which was in awe of how tight the security was. Fortunately, a team of three was able to slip through here just fine. Kumiko was glad that Wendy dumped the extra weight (not that she hated them... she would have asked them to stay behind anyhow, there would have been far too many many to make sneaking an option). Either way, they would have to avoid the key areas like the plague if they didn't want to be spotted. At the same time... the key areas were where Blake's mostly likely going to be. God damn it, if only she didn't practically out herself with the defeat of Ezekiel- She looked at Wendy for a moment, before shrugging off that thought.
What she gained in return was far greater, so she'd have to make do.
For now, she would have to keep moving regardless with the teens behind her. She heard some people walking up, and she gestured for the teens to head into a side room (one of the currently vacant lab rooms - though, to Wendy, it looked more like an operating room, which made sense as to why it was desolate). Kumiko peeked out the door frame, before she saw Veronica and an IU member scrolling by... Oh yeah. Ronnie! That was the perfect way to find Blake! Only problem was that Veronica was probably going to be as receptive to Kumiko right now as anyone else in the IU.
"Alright, kids," Kumiko whispered as she kept her eyes on Veronica... switching to her teleportation powers, while grabbing onto her chains that were hanging off her hips. "I'm going to do something risky and stupid, sit tight! Anything goes wrong, I'll buy time for you!"
"Huh-" Wendy didn't have time to question anything before Kumiko teleported over to the two.
She was in perfect position - her chains raised in the air, completely silent - to strike. Even with Veronica's reflexes, there was little she could do when Kumiko merely just brought the chains down around her neck, and kept them nice and tight. Afterwards, she grabbed her pistol (a Glock 17) and pointed it at her IU companion.
"Hey, Ronnie," Kumiko said, as the woman grit her teeth at Kumiko. "Tell your friend not to make a whole lotta noise, please? I just want to ask you a question." Not like she had to, anyway - sure, Shizuka could easily walk over and free Veronica from those chains, but something in their looks at each other told him it was best that he stayed out of their business. He merely stood motionless with his hands raised, watching the two women quietly.
"Ma... Makoto!?" Veronica hissed, realizing that there was no way to telekinetically pull herself free as she couldn't get a good line of sight on the chains. "What are you doing?!"
"Hey, don't give me that, Ronnie," Kumiko replied. "I just betrayed the entire Family, and far as I can tell... you want to kill me... Uh, do you?"
Wait... was she the member of the IU that Shizuka told her about? The one that killed Ezekiel? "...I don't." Veronica said, with serenity.
"I knew you didn't after all the good times we had," Kumiko said... slowly removing the chains around her neck, and letting Veronica off. While the latter would normally kill someone for doing that... she had little to no time to waste on idiocy when there was so much more at stake. She merely massaged her neck. "Sorry for being rough, Ronnie."
"...Yeah, yeah, what is your damn question? We don't have a lot of time here." Veronica asked.
"I need to find our favorite master, Blake," Kumiko said. "It's... urgent."
Veronica pointed backwards. "He's down that way, but I heard him mention."
"...Anything more precise?" Kumiko asked.
"Hell if I know," Veronica said. "This place is a damn maze... but, I'd be careful. That place is locked down tight..."
"Yeah... Thanks, Ronnie." Kumiko said.
"This encounter never happened."
Veronica figured they wasted more than enough time here, and merely powered on past Kumiko, with Shizuka in tow. Kumiko grinned as she just took the challenge. She walked back down the hall to the lab, and threw it open. "Alright kids... that went better than expected."
"Who was that...?" Wendy asked.
"...Ehhh, it's better that you don't know," Kumiko answered with a chipper smile. "But, we got to worry about Blake... I think the only thing that'd be locked down that tightly would be their little magnum opus..."
"And that is?" Wendy asked.
"I'm not sure what it is, but whatever it is, the Family's got the biggest hard on over it."
"Magnum what?" Rowan asked, oblivious to the meaning.
"Masterpiece, Rowan," Wendy answered, looking at him. "It means masterpiece."
"That isn't important right now... you two gotta be ready for a little fightin'." Kumiko said. "It's a lot in asking kids to fight, but if we do this just right RAVEN will hopefully keep the main force occupied, and leave us with the stragglers... but, I know you've came this far." Kumiko said.
"Yeah... let's get a move on." Wendy said as her group moved forward.
Even this deep below the base, Kumiko could hear the explosions. It was no large leap of logic to say that the IU noticed as well. 'Course, that also meant they were going to be ready for the party to get started down here. So, they were on high alert, and were probably going to shoot anything that didn't look like it belonged down here on sight. Kumiko thought about just grabbing some IU gear, but that'd have been too big of a waste of time, especially when Blake was heading to the conversion chamber. Hopefully, Blake wasn't doing what she thought he was. Worst of all, Veronica's "directions" were as shitty as they come, but beggars couldn't be choosers.
Going in the direction Veronica pointed her in was easy. The teens were oddly composed... they were confident in Kumiko, and she could see that. Though, that composure would dissolve away in an instant if they get spotted, and shot full of bullets. Kumiko was hoping that RAVEN would be louder down here.
One hallway they were stepping into was splitting off in two directions, stopping immediately when she saw how fell guarded it was, and Kumiko could only shake her head. Great, just great. This was probably what Veronica was talking about...
The soldiers suddenly held their guns up, as they saluted someone, stepping aside to let Blake Schmidt and his posse through, and Diana came in full view. Wendy moved forward a bit as if she was planning on acting rashly, but was stopped by Kumiko's hand almost immediately.
"Only fools rush in, Wen," Kumiko said. "That said, I have an idea... but, it'll require you two to double back and look for another way into this hall."
"Yeah," Wendy said. "What's your plan?"
"Make em' think RAVEN showed up early... Don't worry about it, just don't get caught!"
At that moment, something that could only be described as a dangerous expression formed across Rowan's face as he furrowed his brow. "Got it."
"Yeah," Wendy said.
"Once you find a spot, throw a paper airplane or something down the hall... I'll sit tight here," Kumiko said. "You'll know when you see it, just make sure you turn into paper and haul ass down the hallway."
Part of Wendy wanted to say something snide, but right now, she couldn't find the nerve to. Instead, she kept all her attention on the halls in front of her, keeping her head down the whole way. It must be awfully important down that way, and Kumiko must have one hell of a plan if she was going to divert all these guards away. Either way, Wendy could turn into paper if spotted. Just disguise herself as paper, maybe they'd pass it off as scientists dropping it in a hurry to leave - wait, no one but a fool would fall for that. Wendy kept moving with Rowan in tow, and praying that they wouldn't get lost or worse, separated. Just to ensure that, close to the ground, she left a dot with ink, before she continued onward.
Before long, they made it to another pathway to that hall. Wendy wasn't sure whether or not it was the only hallway there... but, Kumiko said find another way around for whatever stunt she was doing. Wendy pulled a paper slip out of her hand, and formed it into a piece of paper. Actually, she wished they got walkie-talkies, or something that'd let them actually communicate. Either way, Wendy was overthinking it a bit, and instead focused on sending the paper airplane down the hallway. She used all of her will to push it down the hallway.
It flew over the heads of the IU agents, but it didn't go unnoticed. Several IU let out a "Huh", or a "What's that?" before the paper came into sight of Kumiko. The woman grinned as she got firecrackers that she kept in her armor (for... diversion purposes). Once she got the signal, it was time for Kumiko to give them a signal of her own. While the kids were off doing their thing, she was looking for the wires that go through the house. She, currently, found a power box, and grinned widely. She quickly went back, and saw the paper airplane in the nick of time.
Time for the fun to begin.
She used her metal manipulation to pull the power box off the wall, and the lights in the area went dead... specifically the hallway. Breaking one power supply wasn't going to take out the power in the whole basement... but it definitely was going to knock the lights out here. Once the lights were out, Kumiko was surrounded with a jet black smoke that signalled her teleportation ability. She prepped some firecrackers, and teleported throughout the hall, throwing them around wildly. There was chaos in the hallway as the IU had no idea what was going on. Kumiko was gone before they could get a lead on her. Some even started shooting at each out in sheer paranoia.
By the time the lights went out, Wendy already caught onto the meaning, and grabbed onto Rowan's wrist. "Hold your breath!" Wendy whispered as the two turned into a mass of paper, and flew down the hallway. It went unnoticed among the firecrackers, and friendly fire that was going on.
The two made it to the end of the hall, and Wendy transformed the both of them back into flesh upon seeing the massive doors of the conversion chamber. It was unguarded... and with doors like these, they probably didn't need guards to begin with. They had to be quick, so Wendy turned to Rowan and said, "Rowan, we don't have time, you gotta break it open."
Without addressing her, the scrawny teen clenched his fingers into a fist and drew an arm back, wrenching the doors apart with a great metallic screech until there was just about enough space for them to slip through.
They caught sight of a room similar to the one in Silver Hills - round, white tiled, full of the same pods - and the scene was eerily similar, too. The pods were full, and across from the room was Blake and his posse of Secretaries, who merely grinned.
"Oh, hello, Ms. Lucker, you're here," Blake said as he walked over with his hands in his pockets. His powerful presence could be felt from the other side of the room, but Wendy had to be strong. "...Close the door behind you, we can't have anyone interrupting us."
Rowan gave him a scowl as Wendy shook her head, but Blake merely snapped a finger and a Secretary that was hiding behind the pod quickly pressed a switch on the wall and the door was slammed shut.
"You know, Ms. Lucker, you amaze me," Blake said. "Not only did you survive this long, but you've managed to do the impossible... I was correct when I said there was just something about you, Ms. Lucker."
He tilted his head downwards as he stared at Wendy, whom was silent the entire time. She noticed that Blake's Secretaries were blocking the view of a pod with their bodies.
"But, you've gone too far this time... too far to allow me to continue these little chit-chats, and playing around," Blake said. "...And by that I mean you've slain an associate of mine... Ah, does Ezekiel Anagnos ring a bell?"
"...That man was a monster, and so are you." Wendy replied rather curtly, making it clear where she stood on the matter. "I don't care, I don't care about any of this. If you wanted me out of your hair so badly, you knew exactly what needed to be done."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Ms. Lucker," Blake shook his head. "I did know what needed to be done... but, you turned me down so harshly, and now...? I've had a change of heart."
He put his arm down, and it was surrounded with an orb of molten lava that took the vague shape of a fist, his other hand reached into his pocket and pulled out a remote.
"So, here's how this is going to go; I'm going to kill you, but first, there's something you need to see," Blake stepped aside, and so did the Secretaries... revealing Diana in the pod they were blocking.
"Diana!" Wendy called out, putting her hand out.
"...You brought this on yourself, Ms. Lucker." Blake pressed the button.
"No!" Rowan growled, outstretching a palm towards the pod and clenching his fingers, hoping to pry the hatch off before Blake could do what he thought he was about to do.
But it was far too late, the moment that Blake pressed the button, all the pods in the room were activated. Every single poor soul (many of which were Secretaries that Blake decided to feed to the machine) was converted into pure Metahuman energy. Wendy had to watch in painful detail as Diana fruitlessly pounded against the glass in a desperate attempt to break free... only to give up, saying something to Wendy, before she finally faded away just like all the others.
Wendy immediately dropped to her knees, as she broke out in tears... Diana... everything she fought for here, was all pointless. Diana died just like all the others, and Wendy... was just frozen in shock. She couldn't move.
All while Blake looked at his clock as he did calculations in his head. The Machine should be fully charged... in about ten minutes, then it'd fire in fifteen. Hard work pays off, doesn't it? Blake thought to himself as he thought nothing of Diana's death. It was just means to an end.
For a few seconds Rowan was left speechless. They'd seen friends lost, kidnapped, but never killed, nothing like this. Fresh hatred sparked across his mind as he turned his sights towards Blake yet again as Wendy mourned her sister.
"...You want Ezekiel's killer, asshole?! Come fucking get me!"
"Gladly." Blake said as he charged Rowan with his fist, red hot with magma, and swung it overhead to the ground with such force... No one could walk away from that.
Only, the scrawny teen hadn't walked, so much as dove out of harm's way, thanks to those plates slipped into his shoes and the metal bands he wore underneath that hoodie of his. Lights flickered inside the room as Rowan's magnetic interference began to disrupt the electrical supply, strobing like a disco as the teen continued his verbal tirade, backing up against the doors.
"You know how he died?!" he shouted at Blake in a half jeering, half infuriated tone, "C'mon, guess!"
"Do you want to know how you'll die?!" Blake shouted as he dropped to his knees, and slammed his hands onto the ground. He created a cascading wave of stone that went flying towards Rowan. "Getting crushed to death seems fitting, doesn't it?!"
The lights flickered yet again as stone smashed against stone, yet as the dust cleared in Rowan's place stood a battered slab of metal, the hatch to what had been Diana's pod, finally torn off in the heat of the moment as the boy's one saving grace.
"You ever had a shard of metal stuck in you?!" Rowan defiantly shouted back, voice resonating off the metal, "Ezekiel only got the same as what he did to me, except he was pathetic!" As he spat that last word out, he pushed his improvised shield back towards Blake with all the force he could muster, gesticulating wildly with his arms.
Blake swung his flaming fist at the projectile shield and the earsplitting sound of metal clashing with stone filled the room. He'd punched clean through it... but, there was still more to his intentions. "Enough talk, child! Before I reconsider making this painless!" He bellowed.
More metal debris was pulled into Rowan's reach, surrounding him in a sphere pattern.
"Painless?!" He asked, spitting the words out at Blake, "You assholes don't know what pain is unless you're causing it."
Emphasising that word was a portion of the shield being hurled at Blake. "Ezekiel got it painless, he got off easy!" Another chunk of twisted metal was pushed against the man's Olympian form.
There wasn't anymore for Blake to say to this child... Because it was time for action. The only thing Blake needed was to kill this child, nothing about this sound nonsense. He raised his lava-infused fist up into the air, and slammed it down with such colossal force that the ground shook. A tremor was sent forth from the ground they stood on. Cracks in the ground formed that glowed with a vibrant orange light as the air danced as raw heat filled the room.
The same trick that he'd used to defeat them earlier had yielded similar success, forcing Rowan to move as fast as his already trembling legs could carry. Knowing they couldn't stop, he yanked a distraught Wendy up to her feet and dragged her alongside him, "C'mon!" he yelled, trying to snap her out of it, but another tremor from Blake's blows to the ground made him lose his footing, pulling the both of them to the ground. "Get up, c'mon!"
Wendy just couldn't believe it... her sister.... reduced to ash in an instant. All because of Blake's overwhelming arrogance. Not only did he kill Diana, he had the audacity to gloat about it. It was... it was too much. Wendy was practically shaking, but she didn't realize that she was losing control of not just her emotions, but her powers. As she drug her hands into the ground, she carved deep marks into the concrete. Blake... he went too far this time...
...And he was going to pay dearly.
Wendy loudly screamed as she pounded her fists against the ground - but, her voice seemed to carry a supernatural distance. What followed was the stone in the room wildly being launched in all directions. The Secretaries and pods in the room were obliterated by Wendy's barrage, and it was enough to make Blake stop in his tracks. He leered his head around at Wendy, and bared his teeth. Almost like he was annoyed that Wendy had killed his Secretaries. Well, not for long.
The ground flipped over, and Wendy was launched high up into the air as she loudly screamed. When she hit the ground... a cascading wave of concrete shot upwards and hit Blake, before continuing through the wall. Blake was sent flying because of the sheer, unrelenting force. He went barreling through some confused members of the IU (crushing them) before he finally hit the wall, and stopped. His body leaking lava because of the wounds dealt to his body.
Wendy let out one more scream, body oozing blood, as she jumped up in the air, and kicked both legs onto the ground. Sending another wave of concrete at Blake that sent him barrelling down the hallway.
At either side, another few members from the IU who hadn't been crushed by Wendy's wrath had pushed in, training their sights on the girl, but before any of them could open fire they felt their own weapons acting against them, the triggers remaining firmly in place as some other force seized control of them. One man who realised just what was about to happen frantically reached for his sidearm, but in a matter of a few seconds his own weapon turned over to face him and its trigger squeezed back firmly, painting the wall behind him with blood and brain matter. "Walk away or you'll end up like him!" Rowan demanded, tailing Wendy as she trailed between them. None of them wanted to face the same fate as their colleague and backed off as soon as they saw an opportunity. Soon the two teens were free to focus on Blake.
"Cowards..." Blake painfully said as he picked himself back up. He stood straight up with his chest puffed out as Wendy screamed, sending another wave towards him. "If you..."
Blake could only grin at this girl's sloppy form! Rage could do that to you. Fortunately, it would be her final mistake. He cocked his fist back, and punched the cascading wave with an impact so deep that it could be felt throughout the underground section of the base. The wave was reversed, sent back towards Wendy and Rowan. There were few things that could get in the way in the way of such an attack, and Wendy could only desperately hop out of the way. However, the moment Blake knew he'd got her on the move, he slammed a foot into the ground, which raised spikes where Wendy was about to land. The girl tried her damn near hardest to stop herself from getting impaled... but, she let out a loud hiss of pain when hit the ground.
And suddenly, that rage melted when she saw a stone spike through her hand. The girl's first response was to scream. "Oh, shit!" Rowan exclaimed, turning his focus back towards her.
Yet instead of trying to finish her off, Blake went for the scrawny teen, knowing that he'd try to save his friend. He drove a fist into the ground, and it split beneath their feet and upwards towards Rowan, who's already battered knee knee gave out under him at just the moment the fissure opened beneath his leg, pulling his foot under, a sharp yelp erupting from him as agony shot upward from where it enveloped him.
"Finally!" Blake loudly said as he lunged for Rowan's neck... with his hand covered in lava, it would had been an instant death. Right before he closed those last few meters, chains wrapped around his leg, and utterly destroyed his momentum as he fell forward. Cracking his face on the ground was the most disgraceful part of this fight. He knew exactly who it was, and focused on the ground around Rowan's foot so he could rightfully kill him....
Only for Kumiko to teleport in, and teleport the both of them out, before Blake had a moment to process it. He turned to Wendy, before realising that she had disappeared, as well.
Kumiko had teleported the two far away from Blake... and for good reason. Blake would have killed them, and while Kumiko could understand Wendy's rage, she was being incredibly rash and emotional right now. Now... the three were inside a massive library of some sorts. The whole damn place was gigantic... there had to be centuries of knowledge here. No guards, or anyone tending to this place, either. This place was probably not thought to be a strategic target as the Machine would've been, and any information in there was probably expendable to the Three... but, not to a certain someone in here.
"...Diana!" Wendy loudly cried out as she fell to her knees, crying... ignoring the horrible wound done to her hand. "I... should have been faster!"
Rowan had slumped against one of the index shelves of the library, clutching the leg that Blake had managed to pull beneath the ground. Despite being saved from the worst of Blake's wrath, he winced as he rolled up the torn sleeve of his leg to reveal some nasty bruising, then a sharp gash along the side, where the stone had bitten into it. By all accounts, he was lucky it hadn't taken a major artery. "I'm sorry, Wendy..." He muttered, angry with himself not just for failing to save Diana, but also because he'd let that asshole get the drop on him.
"Wen... as shitty as it sounds, there was nothing you could do," Kumiko said. "Blake... he's a monster to his very bones. All of the Blessed Three, and there ain't no changing that." She said, turning her head away.
"I... I can't believe she's gone! After all these years, just killed just like that!" Wendy said.
"...I understand what loss feels like," Kumiko somberly said. "But, you gotta remember, it isn't the end. Far from it. While most people will just express pity, and turn their heads, you'll have to deal with it forever... you just gotta remember that, long as you keep your loved ones in your heart, their memories will never die."
"I... guess." Wendy said. "I think... I think it's best that we just go now..."
"Yeah... this is RAVEN's fight," Kumiko said, before she smiled warmly. "And you have to get out of here... for Diana."
"Wait... I..." Wendy said, wiping her tears away. She looked around. "...I want some of these books."
Wendy could just feel Rowan groaning, though one couldn't tell if that was because of her interest in such literary treasures or because his leg had taken a couple beatings too many tonight.
Kumiko groaned as she rolled her eyes up into her head. "...Fine, hurry up." Kumiko said. "This place is going to blow any minute."
The first thing that Wendy did was gather up all the paper she could when she raised her hand up into the air, and a swirling mass of books formed above her. She wasn't above cannibalizing these books to heal herself - because, one; bleeding all over the place would make it hard to escape, and two; having a giant wound in her hand was not a good idea to begin with. Fortunately, her paper manipulation allowed her to regenerate. The individual pieces of paper were torn off from the books, and they funneled into her wound - her hand turning into paper as the paper filled her wound. When she shifted back, there was not a trace of the wound aside from some lost blood.
Wendy, despite all of her grief, didn't waste any time here. There were millions of books here, it'd be impossible to sort through all of them. Especially if this place was an archive of sorts. Though, there was a small area which had some chairs, and tables. Which Wendy figured was the place where the Blessed Three reviewed anything in the archive. The furniture was ignored in favor of the pieces of article that were presently there. The books... it looked like someone was reading something, or giving their books one last look before putting it in the library. Wendy marched over, and the first book that caught her eye was the Lord of the Rings book that she saw when she first infiltrated Ezekiel's base in Courtbridge.
It was an eyebrow raiser, but she shifted through it... and it was all of Ezekiel's notes. Hmph, part of her wanted to burn it, but she felt it sufficiently insulting that Ezekiel was so hell-bent on getting it back, that the children that killed him take it instead. She put it underneath her arm, there's not much room for her to carry any books, so she was going to take two. The other book on the table were also notes.
Dr. Rosier's Research Notes.
Well, Wendy just chose to snatch it just to save time looking for a second book. With both books underneath her arm, she ran back to Kumiko.
"Okay, I'm ready." Wendy said, prompting Rowan to suck in his breath, clench his teeth and drive a palm into his good knee to stand. It took him a few moments to steady himself, but after a little bit of testing his weight on it, then clenching his fingers inwards, he braved it as best he could.
"Let's..." Kumiko said as she turned towards the door... and a portal opened right in front of it. The same swirling portal employed by the Hound and co. "No..."
The Hound stepped out, and Kumiko cringed as she realized that none of them were in any state to fight the Hound of all people. The titanic man in black armor stepped through with his M60E4 slung over his shoulder. Everyone appearted to be filled with dread as the red-eyed man stepped through... and reached into his armor...
...Only to throw the phones of Rowan, and Wendy at their feet. The two teens looked up at him, the former casting him a threatening glance nonetheless.
"...I mean you all no harm," The Hound somberly said. "I came here to offer an explanation... and an apology."
"Huh?" Wendy asked, still ready for anything to pop off.
"I never meant for... any of this to happen," The Hound said, shaking his head. "The goal was for you to recover your sister, and liberate any prisoners to slow progress on the Machine... at least that was according to the Foundation Woman's calculations."
"W-what are you talking about?" Wendy hissed. "You kidnapped her in the first place."
"...And you have every right to hate me for it," The Hound said. "But, it was orders... and for my true goal to reach fruition, I would have to appear loyal to my masters..."
"Orders..." Wendy hissed.
"You could've led the cops into it, or DOVE or RAVEN or whatever they're called," Rowan found the words pouring from his mouth, spitting venom with every tone, "Why'd you pull us into this bullshit?!" His fingers clenched and for a moment the Hound could almost feel a certain constriction, ever so slight as it was, from the metal plates of his own armour. At least, until he realised the assassin still had something to say, and his temper abated.
"I could have indeed, but..." The Hound put both hands on the bottom ends of his helmet, releasing a few locks, before slowly pulling it off. He revealed his face to the group... and if it could be called a face. The Hound, underneath all that armor, was vaguely human at best. The man had many tiny eyes covering the left side of his face, while he had a large, freakish, red eye on the other. His mouth was full of sharp teeth, and the skin around his cheeks had eroded to reveal even more of the monstrous man's teeth. Wendy had to winch a little. He pointed at a metal plate on the side of his head, explaining,
"If there was even the slightest sign of rebellion... my masters would have killed me with this bomb implanted in my skull," The Hound said. "I had to appear loyal... or else... but, that doesn't matter anymore, does it?"
Kumiko narrowed her eyes, she didn't buy the sad puppy act one bit.
"And it was the Foundation Woman who truly pulled you into this," The Hound answered.
"Who's this Foundation Woman, then?" Wendy asked.
"My associate, and the general for the Blessed Three, in essence," The Hound's eyes focused on Wendy. "And our goal from the beginning was truly..."
The Hound put his helmet back on slowly.
"... The utter destruction of the Founding Family and all their assets... she believed that you two would play a part in their destruction."
"And how?"
"Her power... but, we do not have much more time," The Hound stepped aside from the three. "RAVEN has already infiltrated the base, and with your distraction of Blake... they most likely couldn't coordinate a proper defense of the Machine."
He pointed at the exit.
"You need to leave, and once you are gone... the Foundation Woman will give you all the answers... Believe me if you want to... if I really wanted to kill you... I would have done so by now."
Wendy was conflicted... but she instead took her phone back, and took his advice to leave the base fast as possible. If she would get to converse with this "Foundation Woman" after all of this, she might as well not have wasted any time. Wendy was the first to go past him, giving the titanic man an off glance... he was still responsible for Diana's death by starting all of this. She couldn't forgive him so easily...
Rowan came limping past next, all the while glaring at the assassin. Part of him wanted to crush him in his armour right now, but... there were more important things to do, maybe there was some degree of truth in his words, even if he didn't trust the creature that stood before them.
Either way, both pushed through the doors, and decided to go for the elevators they came from. It took a bit of backtracking... this base looked absolutely trashed, but once they made it to the elevators that were pried open, Wendy was the first to start climbing up the elevator... she thought on the Hound's words the whole time.
Even though she'd failed to save Diana... did she play a part in the fall of the Family like the Hound said?
Julia O'Sullivan vs. the Misfits, & Veronica Davis.
(collaboration between @Mr Allen J and @tsukune) Regal Square, Prince Ed-Field_
While Blake was at work with the Machine below, Julia went up to the tower.
On the way to her destination, Julia looked out the window and saw their enemies at their doorstep. It was sad that it had come to this point, but if Blake and Ezekiel had followed her advice, the Family would still be a mystery. And none of this would had happened in the first place. Oh well, such was life, and nothing was going to improve by just complaining about it. Fortunately, a little birdie informed her of how all of this would turn out, and she took necessary precautions to ensure that, after all of this, when the ashes cool, Julia O'Sullivan would be the last one standing. Her legacy would be world renown. But, there was one last loose end to tie up, and it was fairly simple.
Her secretary opened up a door, and two children were revealed: Sophia and Quinn Davis.
They looked at Julia, and Julia smiled.
"Hello, children," Julia said. "Would you come with me?"
Getting there before RAVEN was such a trivial matter that some would find it laughable.
They just immediately beelined for the "Oasis Headquarters," which wasn't a challenge. The Family enjoyed flaunting their "status" in everyone's faces. It irritated Jennifer, but her anger bred something she hadn't quite felt in a long time.
Hope.
Hope that she'd rid the world of these bastards, and hope that everyone who they wronged would find peace. Not just Jennifer - the rest of the team wore equally grim looks on their face when they arrived outside the Family's main base. Ryu had changed out of the larger IU armor for a more fitting RAVEN stealth suit, which he was happier with that he could move with more ease and still able to take his usual precaution to keep his power out of the way. They had left Aislin behind, who had an injury when they were trying to escape from the Silver Hills base as fast as they could. Holly had exchanged for Aislin's PEN-integrated comm-piece so that she could communicate with Ryu directly without having to constantly rely on a third party for translation (namely: Haruka, this time).
The next problem was sneaking inside the building. Again, going in as a giant group would be utterly foolish. So, again, they chose to split up into smaller teams, and regroup in the building. Though, Jennifer would rather take this alone. It was best that she went in and killed Julia, rather than just bogging down Haruka and the others.
When the groups split, Jennifer went with Haruka and Ryu, and they merely floated in through a window that Jen (painfully) opened with her powers. With her feet on the ground, Jennifer nodded at Haruka. "We just gotta find Julia in all of this..." Jennifer said, part of her wondered if Julia would die in the battle, and all of this would be rendered redundant... she would have to make sure that whore was dead.
"But how?" Haruka was the first to address the big question. "She could be anywhere within this huge building, for all we know."
"She wants me," Jennifer said, looking at Haruka, but chose to keep the part about how vital she was to Julia's plan a secret, at least for now. "After all, I nearly killed her, she probably wants some payback."
Something in Jennifer's eyes made Haruka opened his mouth to say something, but in the end he shook his head. Even if he pushed her now she was probably not going to tell him much... and maybe the answers would present themselves in the upcoming battle. Ryu, though, had his mind on the task before them rather than whatever Jennifer might be thinking - or even hiding - from them.
"Hmm... Didn't this lady told us that she had injured Julia?" Ryu responded to Haruka with a thoughtful look. "We can at least rule out the possibility of her being anywhere near the Machine, because tending to her wounds should be her top priority, if she was as intelligent as she had seemed." After checking to make sure the coast was clear, he beckoned the two younger adults to follow after him. "According to Shizuka's latest intel, the Machine is located beneath our feet... which means we'll have to go the opposite way to look for our target. Maybe in one of her private quarters high up this skyscraper." The last part was laced with a hint of sarcasm.
"...What are you two saying?" Jenny asked.
Haruka then turned to explain to her, "He's saying that we'll have better chance of finding Julia if we go upstairs. She's probably not going to hang around with the Machine if she has been badly wounded by you."
"Right," Jennifer answered. "Let's go."
"Let's use the elevator," Ryu suggested, which made Haruka stared at him in disbelief as he translated the words to Jennifer. He then chuckled at the younger man's skeptical expression. "Most of the IU forces should be concentrated below ground to guard the Machine, so chances of us encountering a firing squad upstairs is slim. I know what you're thinking, but it's not what you're expecting. Just trust me on this." He winked at them before he led them towards the lift area.
At this point, Jennifer was past going on about plans. All she wants to do is finish this, and leave. Simple as that. She merely nodded her head as she moved towards the nearest elevator, hoping that the others caught her message. Before long, the trio piled into one of the available elevators, and began to ascend towards their goal...
Veronica and Shizuka made their way back up to ground level through the elevator shaft... RAVEN started their attack, so it's time for Veronica to leave that to them for now. She hoped she could get her sisters out beforehand, but it looked like she would have to do this another way. The two rode on top of an elevator until they were three quarters to their destination, then they climbed the elevator shaft. Because she didn't think taking the elevator with a warzone going on was a good idea... they didn't know what they'd end up running into. She looked down, the elevator was, thankfully, below them, and Shizuka was climbing behind her.
"Could lift ya' love," Veronica said as she climbed up, "But, I got to save all the strength I have... we still don't know where Julia is."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," was Shizuka's bored reply. It was the same for him too - he could use his power to make this climbing a hell lot easier, but like Veronica he'd rather save that energy for later, for the time he really had to rely on ghosting his ass out from all this alive. (He could think of a less troublesome way to go up, but Veronica's paranoia was justifiable, especially after the little episode just now.) "Let's just focus on getting to the top ASAP. If your sisters are as expandable as you've said... then we don't have much time to waste."
Veronica chose to stay silent, and continued since they were nearing the top of the building. The very moment they reached the top, Veronica raised her hand up into the air and it started glowing green... before it faded. She looked down at Shizuka, and asked, "Psst, can you poke your head through these doors and make sure there isn't a firing squad waiting for us?"
Shizuka shrugged at her but still did as told, except that he chose to poke his head through the the wall rather than the door (because it's obviously a stupid thing to do when there could be someone guarding at the door). Thankfully, Veronica's guess was wrong... but instead of an IU army, these people posed an even bigger problem for them. He pulled his disembodied head back before anyone inside could catch sight of him, and he turned to face Veronica.
"No IU," he removed the helmet that had kept his identity under the cover all this while for a breather as he started off. "But it's crawling with the Secretaries, and there can only be one reason why it's them in there."
"You know what we have to do if they get in our way..." Veronica sternly said as she raised her hand up yet again, and it started glowing green. Soon, the doors were also glowing with the same wavy green color, and they were pried open with her telekinesis. She quickly grabbed her pistol and floated to the top of the elevator shaft. Planting her foot on the floor, Veronica realized that they had to be quick, and not alert Julia that she was here. Though, she stopped for a moment, looked over her shoulder, and waited for Shizuka.
"Right." Shizuka didn't waste any more time to put the helmet back on and quickly followed behind her with his gun out, all ready to back Veronica up on whatever crazy plans she might have.
Once Shizuka was ready, Veronica kept the weapon held tightly in both hands. Proceeding forward without a single care, if the IU wasn't up here, they were busy down there. Defending more "important" targets as the Family building was reduced to flames.
"...Ms. Davis," The dead voice of a Secretary spoke to them. "What are you-"
"No time." Veronica aptly said as she pointed her hand at the Secretary, and fired a blast of telekinetic energy that hit the woman in the head and knocked her out. It'd be better this way than firing willy nilly. "Follow me, I know exactly where to go."
After the two fought their way through the hordes of Secretaries, Veronica felt that she was getting close. All they had to do was take a right through this foyer, and then they would get to her sister's quarters.
"...Oh, hello there," The two were brought to an abrupt stop when they looked above them at the upper floors. Leading against it quite lazily was Julia O'Sullivan... the bitch who was the start of all this. Veronica eyed her sisters right next to the woman, and right when she was about to shout something, Julia raised a device in the air for all to see, "Ah, ah, ah... Dead man's switch."
It only took Veronica an instant to realize the collars around her sister's necks, but they were hidden behind Julia, so she couldn't get a good view at the collars.
"You bitch!" Veronica bellowed in anger.
"I'm so sorry that it had to come to this, 'Ronica," Julia started off, rather casually. "But, it had to come to this..."
"I swear to God, if you hurt them..." Veronica said.
"I don't intend on... they're my ticket out of here. Because... just look, RAVEN is pushing their way up the building as we speak, and destroying everything in their path... and I just ensured I won't be in the crossfire with your sisters. Convenient, huh?"
Both Veronica and Shizuka kept their eyes on Julia as the villain continued on.
"And I know what you two must be thinking 'Oh, what happened to the Machine?' and to tell you the truth.... Ezekiel, Blake, they were really children in all of this. Playing with their little toys, and talking about what was best for humanity... and the only reason why any of this is happening is because the two of them outvoted me." Julia snickered like a schoolgirl in the middle of their speech. "Honestly, they're the only two reasons you're alive here right now - I was personally voting to have the Hound kill you the second we took your sisters... but, the two saw use in you."
Julia rolled her eyes up into her head.
"You were just another pair of tits for the two of them to enjoy, that's all," Julia started off. "And another thing... they thought that your sisters were really just expendable, something to keep you in line... which is mostly true with Project ZODIAC being finished, but I've always saw another use for them. But, the problem was you..."
Julia laughed again. "...If you were just killed, then you and your little bud Makoto wouldn't have lead RAVEN to us, and I could do as I please with your sisters."
"Since I've already won, I think I can spare a little conversation... but I think you've had enough idle talk, yeah?" Julia said. "Let me just get to the point; I'm going to walk out of this room, and you and your friend aren't going to do anything as I go hide in Africa, or somewhere."
"...Can't let you do that, Julie," Veronica hissed. "And I think you know exactly why..."
"Oh, Veronica, pretentious as always," Julia laughed. "You always thought you had all the cards just because you had a pretty face, and a rich daddy... so, let me remind you..."
Julia raised the detonator in the hand.
"...I hold the cards, and I always have. So, unless you can magically take this out of my hands without setting off the bombs, then... this is the last time you'll lay eyes on my ass. Haha..."
Veronica bared her teeth as she couldn't help but acknowledge that Julia had a point. There was nothing that Veronica could do, but risk it... but could she really? Sophia and Quinn... they're her everything, and she sure as hell couldn't lose them now of all times. She loudly groaned as she tried to come up with a plan, because Julia was walking over to the stairs quite leisurely.
Shizuka narrowed his eyes at the departing Julia, his pistol still trained on the despicable female among the Blessed Bitches. Even if he could cook up a million possible plans in his brilliant mind to turn the tables around, none of them was without some risks involved, especially to Veronica's sisters. He couldn't get anywhere near the two girls and defuse the collars around their neck without alerting Julia - his power wasn't able to render him invisible - and there was nothing around them they could use as a diversion--
At this point, doors were swung open with a violent wind, as the cloudy body of Malik Jakane came in, landing knee first. He looked around, and laughed awkwardly as he stood up. Rhea came in behind him. He looked up at Julia, and narrowed his eyes as he turned back into his human form.
"Julia!" Malik shouted. "I came for answers, what really happened to Marcelle? Where is her body?"
"...And the plot thickens." Veronica muttered to herself.
"Wasn't it obvious from the video?" Julia said, laughing, before she pointed at Veronica. "Your little friend Veronica killed her, and that's all the answers you need."
Veronica obviously winced as Malik's eyes fell on her.
"No, I'm not listening to any of this until I see a body," Malik answered, completely negating Julia's plan of turning him against Veronica. "But first..."
Malik turned back into a storm, as he slowly (and dramatically) pointed at Julia, the winds around him raging.
"...I've come to defeat you," Malik said with passion and vigor. "Even if Marcelle is dead... you're the reason... you're the root of all these problems in the first place..."
"Noble," Julia said, before she shook the detonator again. "But, I have two hostages, if you lay a finger on me... it won't end well for either of them."
Even as his hatred for Julia burned brighter than a million suns... Malik couldn't help but power down. He groaned as he looked over his shoulder.
"I'll be leaving now..." Julia said as she slowly made her way down the steps, with Veronica's sisters right behind her. "Have a nice life, you all. Don't follow if you know what's good for you."
Those words burned into Veronica as Julia reached the bottom step, and soldiered on past them with a smug look on her face. It was annoying, Veronica clenched her fists in anger... if only she got a good look at that damn detonator, she could... She just had to let things go as they would... but she kept her eyes on the detonator
As much as hurt her pride... she would get another chance at Julia's life.
Julia opened the doors... it was a shame that she had the Secretaries hold off the many intruders in the base. That meant she had to open her own doors-
Right when the doors were open, she came face to face with quite an unfortunate sight: Jennifer Caspin. The girl that almost took her life a few hours ago. And, she definitely wasn't briefed on the whole "hostage" situation thing, because the first thing Jennifer did was retract her bone blades, and start swinging. Julia let out a surprised gasp as she ducked underneath the blade-
And let out another yelp when she felt her hand around the detonator tighten around it with such external force that she felt like it was going to break. A quick glance at her hand, and she saw the wavy green glow that she knew belonged to Veronica.
It was an act of desperation, as Veronica used every bit of her telekinesis to ensure that Julia wouldn't let go of the detonator. In hindsight, she could have done that from the beginning, but the mere possibility that her sisters could die if she didn't act seemingly made her brain work faster. She was desperate, thus, her hold on Julia's hand wasn't that good. But, she had one thing to say,
"Shizuka! Do something! Anything!" Veronica shouted.
Shizuka didn't even need Veronica to scream at him - this was the distraction he had been waiting for. He had already turned intangible and threw himself off the stairs before the woman could yell an order, lunging for her sisters the moment Julia was distracted by Jennifer's appearance, then disappeared below the floor with the girls all in a blink of an eye, only leaving the collars clattering on the ground behind Julia. Everything just happened so fast that nobody, not even the almighty Julia, could react and press the button on the damned detonator still crushed in her hands by Veronica's telekinesis.
He finally spoke into the comms a couple of minutes later, "Your sisters are perfectly safe with me. Or you need them to make some noise for further assurance?" Apparently the sudden free-falling through the floors (all the way to ground level) had shocked the girls into complete silence... and too stunned to even take notice of the somewhat deeper voice beneath the mask of the 'female' IU traitor who had just saved their lives.
"No... just get them out of the way." Veronica said, as she cocked the gun. "It's time for a little payback." She grinned devilishly as she swiped her hand forward, and sent the explosive collars towards Julia, before she released her telekinetic grip over her hands. Unfortunately, there was no satisfying explosion. She raised an eyebrow.
Meanwhile, behind Jennifer, Ryu stepped out of the elevator with a handgun pointed at Julia, followed by a rather confused Haruka behind him. "...Is this the 'surprise' that you're talking about when you suggested us to take the elevator?" Haruka asked, looking from Julia to Jennifer, then to the Japanese agent.
"Not really," Ryu admitted, his tone light with amusement watching how the event was unfolding before his eyes. "I simply made an educated guess... I guess we just showed up at the right time, eh?"
Malik took advantage of the situation when he turned back into his mighty storm form, and in an instant, he was in the air. Doing aerial flips, as he kicked his leg at Julia, followed by a mighty wave that only the mightiest of storms could. While Jennifer aimed a bonespear right for Julia's throat. "You get back up fast!" Jennifer hissed.
The esteemed member of the Blessed Three encased herself in a block of ice, which rendered all of their attacks redundant. Jennifer's blade was caught in the ice, so she desperately tried to pull herself free. The desperate shield was also a sword, as the ice capsule cracked in millions of tiny places. It finally broke down in an explosive attack that sent deadly ice chunks flying in all directions. Malik and Veronica simply used their abilities to whip it out of the way, and block the ice, respectively... Jennifer had to take the brunt of it given that she was a few inches away. Ice shards tore her body up, and disgusting bruises quickly formed on her body.
Julia kept it up... She quickly dropped the temperature in the room to unbearable levels. All she had to do was drag out this fight... and everything would go according to plan.
...Or so she had thought until she felt a sharp, searing pain in her head, and the sound of gunshot that followed after made her put the two and two together.
Ryu had to roll out of the way with Haruka in tow when Julia turned her ice shield into shards and blasted out at them. As Julia was trying to freeze the room, Ryu was unaffected thanks to the high-tech RAVEN suit he was wearing (which seemed to come with the ability to keep the wearer warm) and crept up behind her silently, before he fired his gun at the back of her head at point blank. He didn't stop with just one shot, and continued to pump more bullets into her brain and other vital organs until the he had emptied the cartridge, pausing only to reload the gun.
Even if his disgust towards the Blessed Three wasn't as strong as the hatred the others in the room that harbored towards their evil deeds, he shared the same sentiment as all of them: none of the Three should be allowed to continue living in this world, and get away with all the bullshits they had done to many innocent people all for the sake of stoking their own swollen ego.
As anticlimactic as it was, the battle between them came to an abrupt end with the end of Julia's life. Fitting.
"...That was anticlimactic." Jennifer said, retracting the blade, she couldn't help but smile - grim as the situation was - because her life finally began anew. The wound healed over with ease, and she let out a sigh. "Thank you, Ryu." Jennifer said. To which Ryu gave her a merry wave off with his free hand, while the other with the gun was still trained on the fallen Julia for a bit longer until he was certain she was dead as she should be.
"It's for the best," Veronica said, before facing the rest of the group. "Okay, you all up for some heroics?"
Jennifer raised an eyebrow... the sentiments of the group were no different. Malik weakly nodded.
"Good, love your enthusiasm. This place is probably rigged to explode, and have you seen these lovely drones marching about?" Veronica asked. "They're mind-controlled... kidnapped from plac-"
"Yeah, we know that deal." Jennifer said.
"Good, then just help me get them out of here... If they resist, just say... Mechanized Memories, release - and they'll be playing along just like that." Veronica smiled oddly... probably unnerved everyone since she was one of the bad guys last time they checked. "Good? Good. Get a move on."
"Wait, there's something I have to ask you," Malik said, and Veronica sighed. "...Did you really kill Marcelle?"
Oh... oh... this question. Veronica's demeanor changed a bit as she looked over her shoulder at Malik, a man who would stop at nothing to get his answers. Maybe she should just level with him.
"Yeah... I did." Veronica said, anyone with the slightest amount of people skills would notice the regret in her voice.
"Wh... why?" Malik asked. "Why would you kill her in cold blood...?"
"Look, Jakane," Veronica said. "I didn't want to... but, I really had to. It was an act of mercy."
Malik kept quiet.
"After what the drugs did to her body and mind... mixed with what Julia was planning on doing to her... there would have been nothing to save but a shell. So, I just chose to put her out of her misery..." Veronica said, being frank as possible. "And before you get angry at me... you have most of her logs, yes?"
Malik was fighting back tears. "Y-yeah."
"Then you would know her fall from grace," Veronica put her hand on her hip. "Can you answer an honest question for me?"
"Yeah..."
"...Did you really think you could save her?"
Malik couldn't honestly answer that question... he hoped he could, but at that point, realistically... he couldn't. But, Marcelle died a hero's death. Without her they wouldn't have gotten this far.
"No... and... I honestly can't hold any of this against you. Marcelle... she was my closest friend."
"We have many more people to save here," Veronica said. "Don't let her hard work exposing the truth go to waste."
"Yeah... let's go... I'll mourn later." Malik said.
"Yeah, let's hurry," Haruka finally spoke up, holding the elevator door open. He had exchanged information with his twin over the comms while Veronica and Malik were sorting out the dispute between them. "We need to round up all the Secretaries on the level below and get them to Shizu quickly. He has the Metahuman who can reverse the mind control with him and the RAVENs outside the building." He wouldn't have never imagined Veronica's female partner was actually Shizuka in disguise if Veronica didn't shout out his brother's name...
There were many people with a stake in fighting tonight.
Reed Taylor wasn't one of them. A cop through and through, he and his team had another mission in mind - the recovery of any and all prisoners that had been kidnapped by the Founders. Among them was a colleague of his, and a good friend - Cindy Keegan. Last he'd heard from Mei, those bastards had done something to her, something that had made her turn on her own colleagues and try to kill them, and had succeeded with at least one of them.
Bile had built up on the top of his tongue just thinking about it and for the sake of the job, he found himself forced to set the thought aside. Cindy had killed Max and tried to do the same to Mei, but it wasn't her fault. It couldn't have been. The only people responsible for it were the Founders, not anyone else. Definitely not Cindy. And so he pushed onwards, leading his team into the depths of the facility.
It was strange to think of all that had happened to them over the last seven years. At the start of this madness, he'd just been a cop, a rookie one at that, considering he'd still been an Investigator when Verthaven had gone to shit. Then he'd found himself in the ranks of DOVE, where that same job title had found its way to him, only this time he wasn't a rookie. But he'd never expected to wind up leading anyone. Why Maximilian had chosen him, of all people to lead the rescue team was still a question he had chosen not to answer, at least when he thought about all the other bodies in the force that could've been in his place. Regardless of why, there was still the matter of what they were going to do.
Pushing through the labyrinthine passages of the facility, they met no sign of resistance from the depleted paramilitaries of the Intimidation Unit and had embarked on a bloodless journey, until Reed's gut instinct (and years of seeing people trafficking dens and hiding spots) led them an improvised cell block of some form, interspersed with what could've only been described as a medical laboratory. Some heavy duty security had gone into keeping the place locked down tight, complete with heavy-duty doors and specialised locking mechanisms. A
"Alright, Zetas Two and Four will keep our flank secure, Zetas Three and Five are with me on this, everyone else I'm gonna need working on these cells. We're gonna check for what else is in front of us."
Whilst a couple secured the rear and others started focusing on cracking open the cells, Reed gestured forth with a few more of his own men towards another junction in the passage which seemed to steer right. After taking a moment to stack up against the doorway and tossing a flashbang down the corridor, the three-man team (Reed included) pushed through, unsure of what they would find. Yet from the moment they stepped forth, they were barraged with a hailstorm of glass-shards shaped like triangles from around a corner, which forced him to move forwards, behind the cover of a metal girder.
"Contact!" Reed yelled, hugging close to the metal as the two other men under his command attempted to return fire in the dim confines of the space. "Keep your positions," Reed grunted over the comms, his voice already wavering amidst the interference of radio use this far below ground, "Covering, focus on cracking those doors open!" After a pause, the DOVE Investigator-turned-team leader peered out from behind cover and fired off a few, successive shots towards the source of the glass shards, instinct blinding him to just who they might've been from. Back across the gap, he caught a glimpse of his team , who had already cracked open at least a dozen of the cells with maybe another dozen yet to go.
However, Cindy was ready from the moment she attacked. She had a thick, bullet-proof wall of glass resting in front of herself. It absorbed the force of the bullet as if it was nothing. Cindy had a good use for the glass shield as she sent it in the middle of the RAVEN group at high speeds. It separated a lone RAVEN in armor from the rest of his group... and what a blow to their morale it would've been if one of their own was killed right before their eyes as they helplessly watched.
One of the RAVENs realised just what was about to happen and tried to put a boot through the glass, yet the blow failed to leave little more than a web-shaped imprint in the semi-transparent surface. "Extract them!" Their isolated team leader grunted yet again, firing another volley of shots downrange into the rogue DOVE's shield. "Now!"
With the message received, the rest of Zeta team focused on their primary objective - extracting the prisoners - whilst Reed continued to put some fire downrange. The barrage of glass projectiles had begun to intensify and were it not for the goggles he wore, Reed would've had his eyes wounded already just from the debris alone. Only then he realised that his attacker was just toying with them, trying to draw their focus - he learned that the hard way when his assailant turned their focus of attack downwards as he peered out for another volley of gunfire, sweeping him out from under his leg with a barrage of shards. Even with all the padding and armour he wore, nothing could've disguised the pain from the sharpened projectiles as they slammed into him from beneath, tearing through fabric and flesh like tiny, but nonetheless razor-sharp teeth.
Cindy didn't relent even for a moment... not even against a close and personal friend of hers. Instead, she got even more intense as she forgone the shards for big orbs of glass, which she sent towards Reed's center of mass with surprising speed and force. His ballistic vest shielded most of his body from any penetrative debris that the orb might've wrought upon him, but the sheer kinetic energy of it being slammed into him threw him off balance before he had a chance to regain his footing. Zeta team watched as their would-be leader received the full wrath of the woman who'd been amongst their best and brightest just a few weeks before. A crimson hue had begun to soak through his clothing by this point, settling aside any doubt that he'd been dealt some punishment.
Cindy merely stepped over to him and pointed her palm at him, before a large spike of glass appeared and came flying out of her hand, and was driven into Reed's back. After 'executing' the man, Cindy turned her attention to the others... the glass wall exploded into massive shards and pointed at the group. Ready to kill. The remaining RAVENs had just about finished forcing entry into the cells and were about to withdraw, but they were still caught in her sights. Only...
A gloved hand found its fingers clamped around her lower leg, just above her foot, and pulled back with all the strength that it had. Cindy's elemental grip was released when the glass fell to the ground, and she desperately tried to fight back against Reed, kicking against the ex-cop as he pulled her back beneath him. She twisted around and tried to drive a shard into his face, but instead his own gloved palm took the shard clean through, giving him a window to get that suppressant collar he'd been clutching in his remaining palm around her throat. The glass shards that had been driven through Reed's back and palm by his colleague crumbled to dust, and soon he'd managed to subdue what little fight was left in her and zip-tie her wrists together.
"Wish it didn't have to be this way." The DOVE investigator muttered to himself, hoarsely, as he brushed the dust off his clothes.
Cindy didn't say a word... merely growling at Reed as she tried to break free, only to find herself restrained far too tightly for any free movement. He hated the thought of doing this, but knowing just how easily she'd turned on RAVENs, let alone hearing of what she'd done to Max, was enough to remind him that it was for her own good. Any damage that had been done to her was beyond his help.
Clasping his wounded palm tight, he gave an odd sigh of relief as he saw that the flesh was already starting to knit itself back together.
Team Zeta were quick to release the various prisoners. The ones that weren't going to be sent to the Machine, but instead were going to be kept to be subjugated under the effects of Mechanized memories, or whatever other nefarious goals the Family had for them. One by one, they were released from the cells... until Zeta Team came upon a particular cell. There was a young man in the back, the light had died so they couldn't get a good view of him.
"Hey," A female RAVEN said. "Hey kid... gonna get you out of there."
The boy raised his head, before nodding gently as the RAVEN pried the door open. The boy stepped out, revealing himself in full detail. How he was easily six-one with shaggy black hair, green eyes, and sharp facial features... wearing some raggy clothes as he was a prisoner, after all. The RAVEN noticed the power suppressant collar around his neck, and quickly pried it off.
With the collar off... the boy could feel his power return to him. He phased out of thought as he raised both hands until he was staring into his palms. His left palm was encased in ice, while his right burst into flames as if it was a torch.
"...That's nice," The RAVEN said sarcastically. "But, we don't have time for this."
"Oh, yeah, right."
"What's your name, by the way?" The woman asked.
"...Daniel Forsythe." Daniel answered.
After Cindy was... handled and sent up with the rest of the liberated prisoners, Reed and the remainder of Zeta moved upwards towards where the information passed to them through Max said the Cultivators were. According to that log, they were hand-trained to be the next generation of Founding Family scientists, soldiers, and servants... many of which were Metahumans... they must be recovered no matter the cost.
Once they arrived at the large room... were double doors that were marked with "Cultivator Quarters," they opened the doors, and it was like they'd stepped into a mansion of sorts. Expensive wooden walls, tile floors, and a massive chandelier on the ceiling.
Reed couldn't help but feel a certain sickening sensation at being present in this place. Indoctrination of children in an environment like this, to be groomed into the role of self-proclaimed demi-gods, he grimaced at the sight of such opulence, aware of the filth and corruption it concealed.
Of course... the scene was not exactly idyllic, not even with the building collapsing. The Cultivators - children of several different ethnicity and ages - were being herded into a dark-red portal that looked like a rip in space-time itself. Surrounded by strange people... the person that caught everyone's eye was a woman that was over six feet tall, and wore a wide-brimmed hat that covered most of her face, and a rather dark, robe-like, outfit that covered most of her features. Her skin was fair, and her hair was a jet-black color. The woman turned towards them, and raised her hand up into the air.
"Stay right where you are," Reed shot the command at her with a cop's authoritative tone, as weapon sights trained on her central mass. After all, they had no idea just what kind of force they were dealing with this time.
Only too late did her hand begin to glow in a red aura, then each member of Zeta team felt a force pressing them against the wall with telekinetic force... then she walked over to them.
"Apologies," the woman said. "I know who you are, and what your intentions are... and in a way, we are on the same side."
"... .If that's got any truth to it, you'll release my team." Reed sharply pointed back at them, the crimson stains across his uniform highlighted by the glowing hue as he fruitlessly fought against the force pinning him to the wall. "Who are you?" he demanded, until he recalled what she'd said about knowing who he was. "You want me, is that it? Fine, but let these kids go, god dammit. Don't you think they've had enough, being denied a chance at a childhood?"
"I am denying them nothing," The woman said. "I asked them what they wanted in their lives... Freedom, servitude to the Family, or joining me..."
She looked over her shoulder. "...As you can tell, they chose wisely."
"But, ultimately," she explained, "These children are better off with me... I hope you understand - but, if not, we'll never encounter each other again."
The women kept them pinned against the wall as she walked over to the portal.
Y"ou don't have the right to decide that!" Reed shouted back, but this time the woman ignored him.
"Hurry up, Verschlinger," The associate of the Verschlinger said, whom had bestial features consistent with bears - fur, ears, claws - but her claws were far more pronounced than ever. "The portal will close soon."
The Verschlinger looked over her shoulder, then released RAVEN from the wall the very moment that the last of the Cultivators had crossed the portal's threshold. She stepped inside behind them, and the portal closed.
"...Fuck." Reed cursed lowly, beneath his breath. Hell only knew where those kids were headed, or what kind of lives they had ahead of them, but his gut told him it wasn't something he or any of his colleagues would've ever approved of.
With his talk with Wendy concluded... it was time for the Hound to make RAVEN's job, much, much, easier.
He stepped through a portal, and appeared right outside the gate to the Machine... Rowan was right, he could had stopped this much earlier, but he chose not to. It wasn't a tactical decision, at least that was what the Foundation Woman told him. Either way, he stepped into the bulk of the IU defense force, and they looked at him... with eyes of fear. That was what the Family built him as - a symbol of fear. But, now... it would change today.
"Lay down your weapons." The Hound spoke through comms, and earned himself a look from the rest of the Intimidation Unit. "And pull out of the area."
"S-sir... that'd go against orders-"
"Have you forgotten who really gives out the orders here?" The Hound said, his voice clearly irritated. "It is I... as the Blessed Three are no more."
This earned gasps and other sounds of surprise.
"RAVEN has disposed of Julia and Blake the same way they killed Ezekiel," The Hound said. "Therefore, it is no longer viable to defend this position - instead we will retreat and regroup."
Most of the IU were more than willing to abandon their position, and listen to the Hound. The battle going on upstairs was savage... and the IU members there were quick to jump out at the first opportunity to leave. Not to mention a majority of the IU weren't as loyal as the Blessed Three liked to delude themselves.
"Zenith will transport us somewhere we can regroup and discuss our next course of action-"
"Forget that," A member of the IU said over the comms. "I'm loyal to the Three... I'd rather die defending their masterpiece than run away."
"...Then you'll die." The Hound said, as he stepped through a portal, and a majority of the IU both underground, and above-ground, did the same as they called for Zenith.
The tremors and electromagnetic disturbance did not go unnoticed by RAVEN... but, Meifeng ultimately decided to ignore it for now. Because they had to push their way through the base.
They were being subtle, but every member of the IU that was in their way was killed. Meifeng's orders, specifically. They didn't have time to get into extended firefights and other foolishness. They beelined straight for the Machine with their weapons and explosives ready. They hadn't encountered the Hound yet... but, as they proceeded it became clear that the IU were... pulling out? Escaping through portals.
"Epsilon. this is Captain Zhao, the Intimidation Unit is pulling out of the area," Meifeng reported. "Do you think it's an ambush strategy?"
"Possibly," Quentin's voice answered, "Stay on your guard, whatever you see."
"Affirmative...." Meifeng said, as she lead the group forward. According to Shizuka, Uncle should be in there... Oh God, she had to explain to him what happened to Lihua. Even though they never had the best relationship, they did care about each other - even if Lihua had shown it in her own special way - and wanted to see the best for each other. Not to mention what would happen to Lijuan, and the Liu Family now that their mansion had been burned to the ground.
Either way, it wasn't long before they reached the vast complex leading up to the Machine by the virtue of the guards all seemingly abandoning their posts. All that was left was a small, but still very threatening force of IU Soldiers. Yet... No Bonecrusher, no Phantasm... no Hound. The place was practically unguarded, and that made Meifeng wonder what was really going on. Still, they had to break through the doors to get to the Machine, and the IU soldiers probably wouldn't be receptive to them.
"Counterpoint," Meifeng spoke over the comms. "The entryway to the Machine is in sight, but it is guarded by a sizable force. Your advice?"
"How many contacts, minimum?" Quentin asked, his team not too far behind hers.
"Around two dozen." Meifeng replied.
"They're expecting an offensive, but we've still got an advantage. Can you hold place until we're in position?" She got another query shot her way by the veteran RAVEN, who wanted to minimise any casualties on their part where he could. Losing Max and Zhao had been enough for one op.
"Of course, will hold position." Meifeng answered.
Quentin was affirmed, for now. "Understood, we're close behind you."
It didn't take long for Epsilon team to find their way to the section of the facility preceding where the Machine was kept. Whilst Meifeng's Delta team were already positioned on lower levels, poised to strike like a coiled snake, Quentin's team had opted for an approach from the maintenance access routes, taking a series of walkways which ran overhead. He assigned a few men to handle overwatch for Delta team below whilst the rest of them would push forward along the catwalks, clearing out any of the paramilitaries that would've ambushed Meifeng from above. "Epsilon's in position, when you're ready."
"Ready." Meifeng answered, before signalling for her own team to strike. Having already scouted out a few lurking around the corner, one of her subordinates primed a flashbang and cast it into the dim confines of which a few lay in waiting. The moment they heard that pop, another two pushed forward to clear the corners, squeezing off a couple of shots at the paramilitary soldiers as they blindly searched for targets. Even with all the equipment and training, morale had been reduced enough that most of them had figured it for some kind of suicide mission - hence why those remaining weren't so much mercenaries as they were loyalists to the Blessed Three, the rest having deserted with the Black Hound or gone their own ways.
Distant shots signaled Quentin's team to push forward, taking advantage of the darkness just as their opponents on the catwalk had done. With the best equipment that Maximilian's influence could've bought, it was a matter of using some cleverly adapted thermal imaging equipment to seek out their targets, mitigating what little advantage the black-clad paramilitaries held. The familiar boom of Quentin's 870 resonated as another slug punched into the body armour of one such man barreling from one end of the catwalks to another, throwing him off balance and giving another one of Epsilon team an opportunity to put a few more rounds inside him. Back below, Meifeng had already realised she had a guardian angel of sorts overhead as one of Quentin's agents on overwatch put a round through a would-be attacker's throat as he peered out from an otherwise excellent ambush point.
While Quentin's men were coming from above, Meifeng was doing what she did best as her team laid down fire on the IU. The only problem was that much of the IU were hidden behind barriers, and shields. Meifeng had a perfect idea...
"Give me your grenades," Meifeng said, as she gathered her water into an orb. RAVEN threw their grenades into the orb as Meifeng manipulated the water to pull the pins off from the grenades. "'Nade out." In an instant, she shot the water forward like a cannon, and the grenades were all launched towards the IU formation. They panicked as their barriers were rendered useless in an instant as they all desperately tried to run away (some trying to throw the grenades). It was all in vain, as the grenades exploded and the tiny IU defensive formation was reduced to pieces. Those that ran out were shot up with bullets from RAVEN, and those that managed to survive were quickly disposed of by the RAVEN ambush.
It was over quickly as it started. Meifeng had her rifle ready in case there was another IU defensive position beyond this door, approaching quickly. The Zhao woman was hoping that everything was okay, and they could just plant the charges and get out of here... though, when she walked over to the door, a RAVEN addressed her.
"Captain Zhao?" A RAVEN by the terminal said. "The door's open."
"Probably a trap... where all the IU went," Meifeng said. "They're waiting for us to open, then they'll light us up."
"What do you suggest, then?" The RAVEN said. "We got the thermic lances... but, wouldn't that make no difference?"
"It won't... so here's what we're going to do," Meifeng said. "We're going to get from out of line of fire of the door, then open it... at least we'll have a better chance of surviving whatever they throw at us. So, get in position."
Meifeng held her assault rifle with both hands.
"Affirmative." The RAVEN said, as he did the same as many other RAVENS got in the hallways in the side, and in the catwalks above them... they were completely out of the line of fire, so they wouldn't get destroyed immediately upon opening the door.
"...So, who's going to open the door?" The RAVEN asked. "Do you want me to get the straws-"
"You, since you brought it up. Just haul ass to the door and back." Meifeng said, and the RAVEN groaned as he moved over to the terminal, and pressed the terminal to open the doors, then quickly ran back.
Upon receiving the signal, the two frightening metal doors opened widely, and RAVEN were prepared for anything... before nothing appeared on the other not. Not a single IU soldier, or trap. Only the frightening Machine in full view, and the few enslaved scientists.
"Huh...?" Meifeng said. "...Move in slowly. Don't take any risks."
That went double for those pushing in from overhead. "You heard the woman," Quentin addressed the others with a hushed tone, "Stay on your guard, we don't know what we're dealing with."
The RAVEN squad slowly entered the massive room... and the first thing they did was clear the left, then clear the right. Once everything was safe, they proceeded in. Meifeng immediately crossed off the possibility of a bomb. Because they wouldn't let a bomb anywhere near their precious Machine... everything felt too easy... Meifeng kept her guard up.
"Clear," Quentin's team confirmed, "Delta, what's the situation downstairs?"
"Clear," Meifeng also added. "... They obviously jumped ship."
She looked down at the bag of explosives her fellow RAVEN was carrying. "Alright, start setting charges...."
"Alright, we'll head down to join you." Quentin couldn't help but pass his gaze across the complex yet again, scanning for anything else that warranted suspicion as he started making a descent. "But we'll keep overwatch whilst your team does their work... what about the scientists?"
"Working on it," Meifeng said as she immediately went for her uncle... she glanced at Dr. Cross, and Ignatius, whom were keeping their distance. With the power suppressant collar around Ignatius' neck, he won't be a problem. "Uncle..." Meifeng spoke to Jiao-Long.
"Oh, Meifeng, you're here," Jiao-Long smiled. "I knew you would come... the Machine is almost finished chargi-"
"We know... just don't worry about it," Meifeng said. "Where is Chunhua?"
"I am not sure... she is being kept with the other prisoners."
"Then a friend of mine should be handling that one," Meifeng said, before she pointed at the other RAVENS. "Hurry up, they'll escort you out of here."
Jiao-Long nodded his head.... He didn't even ask about Lihua - he probably thinks that she sat this out... Oh God, it was going to be hard telling him about what happened to Lihua.
"How's those charges looking?" Meifeng said as she marched towards Dr. Cross.
"Almost set."
"Set them to twenty minutes," Meifeng sternly said, before she looked up at Dr. Cross. The two were silent as they stared each other down. "How was your taste of freedom?"
"... I, for one, enjoyed it." Ignatius snarked, and got a cold glare from Meifeng.
"Well, the two of you are getting sent ass-first into the Vault," Meifeng mentioned the famous RAVEN prison... that made criminals cringe at the thought of it. She pointed at the RAVENS. "Now, turn around-"
"No Mannequin?" Quentin's voice was heard before Meifeng realised he was already at her back.
"Oh? The Mannequin?" Ignatius grinned at the veteran RAVEN, who returned a sharp, disgusted glare. "By the way; hi Quent." He laughed before he got to the point.
"Our little Mannequin-friend jumped ship... he left through one of the maintenance ducts the second the fighting started," Ignatius laughed. "He's probably on the Brave-Water bridge by now. Ha..." Of course, that wasn't the full story, but a very convincing lie.
"Fuuuck..." Meifeng groaned, before she focused on the two. She reached for her handcuffs. "We'll worry about the Mannequin later... for now, turn around with your arms behind your back."
"What not going to kill us like all the others?" Ignatius taunted Meifeng as he did as she said. "Or did the little Hero of Prague grow a heart-" A firm backhand caught Ignatius over the back of the head just as he was finishing that remark, but Quentin's effort did little to keep the man quiet.
"Ah, this is why I miss REAPER so much...." Ignatius said. "... We were the perfect group to put you bastards in your place."
Meifeng kept her lips sealed as she put handcuffs on both the former leaders of The Hands of Science... as disgusting as they were, they were the only leads to the other members of the Hands that went under the radar. The second the cuffs were applied, the RAVEN Captain pointed towards the door... but kept a gun against their backs as she escorted them over to the entrance to the Machine room.
"Charges have been set," A RAVEN spoke into her ear. "Give me the signal when you want to time them."
"Let's ensure all our-" Meifeng said... before her eyes rested on the man standing before them...
It was annoying seeing Wendy and Rowan slip out of his grasp again, but he would hunt them down like dogs at the first opportunity!
For now, he needed to tend to the Machine... and the first thing that Blake wondered was wrong was the fact that his security force was gone. The place should be full of Intimidation Unit soldiers, and where are they? It wasn't possible that RAVEN killed all of them so quickly. He kept running, and running... until he made it to the doors, to see that his Security force was dead, and RAVEN was all over his Machine. Blake couldn't believe his eyes! He grasped both sides of his head, and watched as RAVEN put their hands all over his Machine.
Meifeng immediately aimed her rifle at him, as Jiao-Long hid behind the RAVENS in fear of the man.
"Blake Schmidt..." Meifeng said. "If you were smart... you would get on your knees, and put your hands behind your head."
And disgracemyself? No, I am too esteemed for that.[/i] Blake narrowed his eyes at Meifeng as he thought to himself... then he realized that, after his fight with Wendy and Rowan going sour, he barely had enough strength to take on RAVEN. Perhaps... he should retreat. He turned into stone immediately, and earned a few gunshots from Meifeng from the other RAVENS in the process. His stone form was able to resist the firearms with ease. He merely raised his foot up into his head, and slammed it down hard as he could, as he sent a shockwave through the area that knocked the entire group of RAVENS off balance.
Then he turned around and started hauling ass.
"After him, don't let him get away!" Meifeng said.
Not far away, Quentin could be seen vaulting over one of the nearby apparatus in pursuit. "You heard the woman!"
Blake was running for his life from commoners, it was disgraceful enough that his Machine and hard work went to waste! Blake immediately pressed his earpiece as he shoted, "Zenith!"
Only for no portal to appear.
"Zenith! I said Zenith, God damn it!" Blake loudly shouted.
"Oh, you want Zenith?" The voice of the Foundation Woman appeared in his earpiece. "Sorry, Blakey... but, Zenith had a change of heart... all of them."
"Foundation Woman?!" Blake shouted as he picked up the pace. "What is the meaning of this?!"
"Isn't it obvious, Blakey?" Foundation Woman started off. "It's about time that your actions finally caught up with you... after decades upon decades of crimes against humanity."
"You can't do this to me?! I built the Machine! I built up everything you own from the ground!" Blake shouted.
"What? Things aren't going your way, little Blakey?" The Foundation Woman said, in a very mocking tone. "Are you going to cry...? But, believe me, this was a long time coming, and I do have to thank you for giving me all these resources... For what you ask? I'm going to do something greater than stroke my own ego about how much better I am than everyone else."
Blake didn't respond.
"... But, let me spare you the rhetoric... The Zenith line is on my side now, and all you have to do is be a good little dear... and die." The Foundation Woman laughed. "Alright, bye-bye, Blake. Best of luck to you!."
That's when the line went dead, and Blake pulled his earpiece out, and crushed it in his hands. Damn her, damn all of them. Blake had to run.
Footsteps were pounding hard against the concrete floors behind them, the faint voices of RAVEN's assault force pushing through the darkness.
Blake stopped - pounding his foot against the ground as he pivoted - he erected a wall of stone to give him some distance... but, there wasn't much he could do exhausted from his fight with Wendy. He turned down a side hallway... before he came across the Secretaries that survived.
Then he got an idea.
"Shit!" Meifeng shouted when the wall was erected. She turned her head down a hallway, then whipped her head around to the other hallway. "Quent, you and team Epsilon go down that hall, we'll take this one."
Meifeng said as she took the left hallway.
"We'll try and head him off," Quentin nodded, signalling for his own team to press down the adjacent corridor. One way or another, the veteran RAVEN was determined to ensure that this time there would be no escape. They'd bled enough fighting this monster already. Soon, as Epsilon team pushed down the hall, they could make out the sporadic, desparate footsteps of Blake Schmidt. All it took was a turn down a hall to come face to face with Blake. The man came to a stop, and raised his foot up into the air one more time....
And felt an overwhelming force slamming into his mid-section, a slug fired off from Quentin's 870 that caught him off balance and caused him to stumble backwards until he slumped against a wall.
"Don't move, limbs where I can see them!" The veteran RAVEN barked as he pumped the weapon's action, the words coming out of his mouth as though he were on autopilot, but another threatening gesture from the fallen olympian prompted him to squeeze off another shot, one which punched through that layer of volcanic stone which had formed his skin and left a bleeding rupture in its place, the hard, cracked surface decalcifying around it.
"You... bas..." Blake tried to say... before he fell to the ground, leaving a puddle of blood as his life finally faded. Epsilon team advanced forward just to confirm he was dead and it wasn't long before Meifeng approached, drawn by the gunfire. She looked down at Blake's body, and narrowed her eyes. "... Good riddance."
She pressed her earpiece. "Okay, set the charges, and let's go." She stared at Blake's face and nothing something a little off... but, she shrugged it off as being exhausted.
Bullets rang outside a massive wooden door as they were pushed open by the frame of a thin, tall, woman.
On the other side of the door, were many stands that were occupied by various men and women of various races and genders almost like a stadium how it looped around the room. Each and every one of them were looking down at the person who just walked in.
"Hello... Elders, I've come with an offer," The Foundation Woman said, as the Hound walked into the room alongside her. Slinging his smoking machine gun over his shoulder as the Foundation Woman spoke. "You know the precious Blessed Three? Each of which you've hand-chosen and trained? They're all dead, and I think the Family isn't far behind... unless..."
The Foundation Woman crossed her arms. "...We abandon it while we have the chance, and build up something new under my leadership."
"Tabitha, what is the meaning of this?" One of the elders - an older Arabic man - said. "Just think about what your father would think of this treachery - he gave you everyt-."
"Ah, ah, ah," Tabitha raised a finger up into the air. "That was the problem with the Family... you were so concerned with ascribed status, and genes... too concerned. And that's why we're here... your headquarters about to be burned to the ground..."
She shook her head as she tucked that raised finger underneath her arm.
"Nonetheless," Tabitha said, "I'll give you one choice, and one choice alone - join me." Tabitha snapped her fingers and a portal swirling portal appeared not too far away from the door.
She pointed at the door.
"I don't care what reservations you have about the fall of the Family, if you have two brain cells, I suggest getting in the portal."
Each of the elders laughed in a hellish melancholy in the most mocking tone possible.
"We're fine, Tabitha," The Elder said. "We'll revive the Family on our own - we always have new candidates for the Three lined up."
Tabitha shrugged, "...And that's what I was afraid of, sadly," Tabitha started off. "Okay, I tried to make you come to your senses, but it's becoming increasingly clear that the whole lot of you are beyond helping..."
She snapped her fingers, and the Hound aimed his M60 at them.
"Unfortunately, for you all... there's no way I can let you live - not with the information you hold," Tabitha shrugged. "Like you said... you can revive the Family on your own... and I cannot have that."
"Wait, Tabitha-"
Was the last word out of his mouth before the Hound sprayed the elders with a barrage of machine gun fire. It was an absolute massacre... By the time the Hound stopped firing, there was nothing left but slumped over bodies. He pressed a button on the side of his helmet and turned on a sensor, before he walked over to the bodies. He has to confirm that they're all dead, and alongside him came Tabitha.
"...Ms. Crest..." A female Elder said very weakly, as she put her hand out. "F-forgive me... I'll join you..."
"Hmph," Tabitha said. "Sorry hun."
The Hound raised his boot over the wounded Elder's head.
"...But, the offer's ran out."
The Hound slammed his boot down hard as he could and crushed the woman's head like a grape, and even damaged the floor they were standing on.
Wendy's group were in the distance... on top of a nearby building in full view of the Founding Family's skyscraper. They watched as the building exploded, and collapsed from a safe distance.
Wendy couldn't help but cry as the weight of Diana's death fell on her shoulders. Everything she did was in vain.
"This... this is hard..." Wendy said. "I've done so much to save her, but... I couldn't. I failed short."
It had taken some time for Rowan to process it too. Even though he'd not known Diana so well, she'd still been a friend to him, one of the only friends he had. "...That's bullshit, Wen'. You did what you could."
Kumiko could only shake her head as she embraced Wendy. "Just let it all out... it's all over." Kumiko said. "With the Blessed Three dead, and their headquarters in ruins... I doubt we'll ever hear from the Family ever again."
"Right..." Wendy said, as she pushed Kumiko away gently, and looked at the Family's headquarters as rain began to fall... it didn't bother Wendy even in the slightest, as it just enhanced this somber moment.
"So... I think it's time that I start comin' clean," Kumiko said, putting her hands on her hips as she stared at Wendy. "From here on in... I'm going to be there, for you."
Kumiko said, as she realized her own mission had distanced herself from her daughter... what she had left of a Family. Damn, the girl hadn't even met her until this day. That says something about Kumiko.
Wendy didn't know what to honestly say... all because she couldn't take what Kumiko said at face value, but as a measure of good faith, she nodded her head at Kumiko. But, had a question.
"...Why weren't you there for me?" Wendy asked. "What were you doing that was so important that you had to leave me for so many years?"
Kumiko sighed as she reached down, and played with her hooks a bit - a nervous gesture of hers - as she walked over to the edge of the rooftop. Before she dramatically looked over her shoulder.
"...Like I said, you have every reason to hate me... It was my own inability to let things go that lead me to you... so, let me start from the top..." Kumiko turned around, and faced Wendy. "...You had three brothers."
"Wait? I have brothers?" Wendy asked in shock.
"Had. Had... had, that's the key word here." Kumiko raised a finger up into the air. "Let me start from the top... I was born in Japan, that was obvious enough. Daddy was a big shot in the Self-Defense force, and my big brother was the star of the family... and I was just the weird little sister. Didn't make me any difference as I just... lived. Not going to bore you kids with my life story. I went into university to become a Biomedical Scientist, met the love of my life... got pregnant during my last year." She sounded a little embarrassed when she said that, but continued.
"Needless to say; my family wasn't happy... very unhappy, they wanted me to get an abortion..." Kumiko started off, as she faced the building yet again. "But, my daddy came around after learning he would have three grandchildren, and we just agreed to keep everything under wraps as we got married, the three of em' were born, I finished university... and..."
Kumiko smiled. "Everything was great... we got ourselves a nice house, and lived happily ever after." A tear ran down her eye was hidden by the rain around them. "Turns out... each of them developed superpowers, and that was another thing that we had to keep a secret - since Metahumans aren't very fondly thought of in Japan. But, it wasn't a problem... until... she came..."
"Until what?" Wendy asked.
"Well, there was a Metahuman in Japan... one of them ancient ones that were around for awhile," Kumiko started off, trying to keep herself composed as possible. "Three of them were going to school one day... and this woman attacked them. Right there in broad daylight... she had the power to sap lifeforce out of people, so that's what she did to them. Nobody could really stop her, and she just disappeared in thin air..."
She sat down on the edge of the building, and looked down at the streetlights below them.
"When I found out what happened... I broke down for awhile... Hell, I don't even know how long," Kumiko said. "But, when I got out of that... I just... couldn't continue living in Japan, at least after what happened. So, the hubby and I decided to go our separate ways - I got a visa, and went to America to start again, so to speak. Just... forget about everything that happened..."
"And that's when you met my father?" Wendy asked... she didn't know how to really respond to Kumiko's story thus far. The shock of having Diana dying on top of learning she had siblings that were dead before her time... it was... a lot to pile on her at a time.
"Yeah, Euan... met him at a club," Kumiko laughed a little bit. "He was so dorky dancing like that I just fell for 'im, and you were the result... to be short."
Wendy nodded her head, she knew the story well. "But...?"
"I was going to settle down with Euan, start a family with him, and get back in touch with my family back home in Japan since I've been giving them the cold shoulder for ages..." Kumiko started off. "But, my brother found a lead on that Metahuman that killed them... like I said, I could have just let it go... but, there was a part of me that wanted to tear that bitch who killed them limb from limb... so I ended up heading back to Japan looking for her..."
In the middle of her speech, Kumiko reached down to her chain, and held it up by the hook. "By then, my power had developed... I went back home, and copied all my kids powers - then went for the woman. Hunting her down to the most rural parts of Japan. I confronted her... and understandably got my ass kicked by her, even with three different powers to use."
Wendy wondered if her own power was the result of Kumiko's power replication... it was an interesting concept that she would look into at another time.
"But, I wasn't the only people trackin' the bitch... these nice people called the Philosophers were also hunting her down.... they saved my ass, Wen," Kumiko said. "We de5feated her, and the nice people gave me a nice explanation as to what in the hell is going on... that's when I learned two things..."
Kumiko raised two fingers in the air.
"The existence of the Founding Family, being this big conspiracy group that ruled the world from the shadows... and the death of the triplets was no random attack," Kumiko narrowed her eyes as she clenched her fist tightly. "You know that thing your sister was put under? The woman who killed my children was under the same spell... Mechanized Memories, they call it.... you see, the Founding Family had a little grudge against my daddy, because they couldn't get him to bend. So, they just went for the triplets, and did it in such a way that it would build anti-Metahuman dissent in Japan..."
Kumiko couldn't help but morbidly laugh. "...And they sure as hell accomplished that. Metahumans there are treated as powder kegs instead of people, and most don't even admit they have a power to anyone."
Not that much different from America. Wendy thought to herself. "Then... let me guess... you went undercover in the Family?"
"Correct, smart girl," Kumiko said. "I went undercover to destroy the Family by any means necessary... putting on mask after mask... ugh, I rather not talk about it."
Wendy nodded her head again... then Kumiko looked up at the building.
"But now... now I guess the triplets have been avenged... It doesn't feel like it." Kumiko curled up into a ball. "It just feels like I played lacky until it was inconvenient."
"But, I got to meet you after so long, Kumiko," Wendy said as she sat down alongside her mother. "I can't possibly hope to understand everything you lost... but, I at least want to get to know you."
Kumiko smiled. "Well, that makes me feel a little better," She stood up, as she looked at Rowan. "I think it's time for us to leave... I'd rather not get caught by RAVEN wearing the IU armor."
"Ye-yeah, agreed-" Right as Wendy finished, her phone began to ring. She wondered who in the hell was calling her at this hour... before she glanced at her phone to see that it was the number of her contact. Whom she had memorized. "It's... my contact."
"Well," Kumiko said. "Might as well give it an answer."
Following Kumiko's advice, Wendy pressed answer, and she heard a woman say, "Put it on speaker, please."
Wendy did as told, and said, "You're on speaker."
"Good... good... hello Ms. Lucker, Mr. Campbell..."
"...I know that voice," Kumiko said in a hushed voice to the two. "That's the Foundation Woman."
"I believe I owe you an explanation...?" The Foundation Woman said.
"Yeah, a long one..." Wendy said. "Your Hound said that you would give me all the answers... so if your damn goal was the destruction of the Family, and you guys are actually - what? Some misunderstood heroes? - then why did you drag me into this... why did you kidnap my sister if you hate what the Family did?" Wendy's tone was getting louder and more aggressive by the moment. If she was face to face with the Foundation Woman, she would tear the bitch's throat out.
"Truly, I would never had gotten you involved if I could help it... but..." The Foundation Woman trailed off. "... the orders to kidnap people of pure Metahuman energy came from the Blessed Three, yeah... but, the specific order to take your sister came from me."
"What? Why?!" Wendy loudly shouted into the phone as Rowan's face contorted with disgust.
"You know of Deborah Javuant's ability? How it's considered one of the strongest of the Cerebral-class?" The Foundation Woman said, letting her words hang in the air for a moment, as she answered her own question. "My own ability is up there in strength... I have the ability to see possibilities, chance, casualty... and using those ability; I can deduce what is likely to happen, and what isn't."
"Using my ability, I managed to find out many people that will be instrumental to the fall of the Founding Family - I could go into who, but you probably have the slightest clue as to who they are," The Foundation Woman said. "...Two of those people were you and Mr. Campbell."
"And why us?" Wendy asked.
"The winds of fate blow in strange and unpredictable ways, Ms. Lucker... I couldn't give you the answer to that question even if I wanted to," The Foundation Woman said. "But, think about it, will you? You two played a huge part in the fall of the Family. Just by killing Ezekiel, and keeping Blake busy. If you didn't do what you did... I doubt the destruction of the Machine wouldn't have gone as smoothly."
"But, what about my sister?" Wendy asked.
The Foundation Woman was silent for a few moments.
"...She was destined to die from the beginning, Ms. Lucker. There was no saving her."
"Bullshit!" Rowan exclaimed, refusing to believe it.
"So, you just kidnap my sister and feed her to that Machine just to get me to end this shitshow?" Wendy asked, every word laced with venom. "From the way I see it; you're responsible for her death, and everything bad that happened to us."
The Foundation Woman was quiet yet again.
"I'm not denying that, nor am I offering any excuses," The Foundation Woman said. "I straight up used you, and your sister, to meet my own ends... I am truly guilty for killing her."
Wendy clenched her phone tightly.
"I'm going to find you, the Hound, and whoever the fuck else was involved... and bring you to justice for what you did to Diana...." Wendy hissed.
"And she's not the only one." Rowan near enough growled into the phone, infuriated at the admission that they had been used.
The Foundation Woman sighed.
"...So be it."
Wendy's grip on her phone was so tight that she practically was about to break the phone.
"But, before you go, let me offer you a word of warning that you should take very dearly..." The Foundation Woman said. "Despite all of their... flaws, the Founding Family served a vital purpose in the world at large; they kept many groups in check. And now that they're gone these groups will have free reign to do as they please. The Coven, Polaris, the Philosophers... to name a few. They're going to cause some chaos in the coming years, and I strongly suggest that you watch your back. Because you could be dragged into their insane plans."
Neither of them said a word.
"That said... I know it's not going to help you get over the grief of losing your sister, but I left a little gift for you not too far away..." The Foundation Woman started off. "I'm sending you the coordinates now, whether or not you take it doesn't make me any difference... but, it'll make a homeless man very happy if you take too long."
Wendy kept quiet as anyways.
"That is all, Ms. Lucker..." The Foundation Woman sighed.
"...May we never meet again."
The line went dead as the Foundation Woman hung up the phone. If Wendy had tried calling her again, she would find out that the number was no longer in service... as the Foundation Woman wiped all loose ends. Wendy's phone buzzed, as she received a text message with the coordinates.
Much to the surprise of all three involved, it was Rowan who broke the silence that came after that phone call, the frustration in his tone seemed to shift towards one of uncertainty. "So... is that it? 'Thanks - but fuck you, come again'?"
"... I'm going to find her." Wendy said, clenching her fists tightly. "We're going to find her."
"Uh, Wen?" Kumiko chimed in. "The Foundation Woman is probably the most mysterious out of all of them... no one except for the Three know who in the hell she is. For all we know, she could be an AI or somethin'."
She put her hand on her hip.
"Wouldn't put it past them."
Then, Rowan recalled another matter that needed their consideration. "And look, even though she screwed with us... She said there was a 'gift' or something, right?"
"Yeah... maybe we should give it a look?" Kumiko said. "Perhaps it might be worthwhile... I doubt it's a bomb, however."
"Let's at least give it a look."
"Yeah, let's check it out."
The three found their way over to a construction site not too far away, Rowan prying open a gap in the fencing so that they could pass through. According to the coordinates provided by the Foundation Woman, and her instructions that it was hidden in trash. They were lead to a small temporary office in the outskirts of the construction site. This part of Prince Ed-Field was practically abandoned due to the threats of the Family, even by homeless people. They found their way to a trashcan outside of the office. Opening it up, and digging through it revealed a package wrapped in brown paper.
Wendy used her paper manipulation to pry it open, and...
"Holy shit..."
Money.
Lots and lots of money. Wendy dug through it, and it was a package containing lots of twenty dollar bills. Had to be half a million in here.
And it was all for them.
"This... holy shit," Wendy said. "I can't form a sentence right now, this is... this is just..."
She wasn't the only one who'd been completely knocked to the floor by the discovery, if Rowan's reaction had been anything to go by. "It's more than I've ever seen, shit..."
"Well, this looks like the Foundation Woman's version of reparations...." Kumiko said to herself, before she had something to say. Something important to say. "... You kids know what this means right?"
"What? We have to split it?"
"No... we have to keep quiet about this... about your involvement in all of this," Kumiko said. "In case the Family does come back looking for blood... they're definitely going to want a piece of the two of you. In addition, you two showed you sure as hell were strong..."
Kumiko trailed off as she added on.
"...And strength invites challenge."
Wendy nodded her head. "Then... we should get a move on, let's worry about the money later."
"You kids been though a lot of shit tonight, yeah," Kumiko said. "How about you spend the night at my house?"
"Y-yeah," Wendy said. "Rowan, can you grab the money?"
"...You sure?" The scrawny teen paused for a second, realising that this money wasn't just his to take.
"...I trust you." Wendy quickly answered.
"Alright, sure," He nodded, before taking a knee beside the paper package and pushing the bills back inside, folding over where he could, "I'll pull it together... wish I had my bag, still..." A slight groan of discomfort slipped past his lips as he drove a palm into his knee to stand up again, reminded of just what kind of abuse he'd been dealt tonight, his leg especially. "Let's get your place, then."
"Good work, RAVEN," Maximilian Cornell's voice appeared in the earpieces of all the RAVENS nearby. "We lost a lot of good men and women fighting in this battle, but we succeeded, the Founding Family's base was destroyed... But it's not over yet. We still have much work to do out here, and we have to search for survivors."
RAVEN cleared the base pretty quickly after the battle, and anyone with a brain would do the same. Unfortunately, there were many who were unconscious, dead, or on the verge of dying.
RAVEN and DOVE vehicles were all over the place; as the building collapsed, they had to look for survivors. Fortunately, they evacuated the area before the whole battle began. Hell, it was a mess out here, with few people to clean it up. There were Secretaries, prisoners, injured, and dead, being hauled around, and it was a train wreck to deal with. Not to mention all the liberated Secretaries... Meifeng didn't want to be the one to deal with this mess, so she made sure to beeline for Uncle. She had much to talk to him about. He was sitting on the back of a RAVEN van, with his wife in hand. When he looked up at Meifeng, he jumped to his feet, and shook her hands.
"Thank you, thank you so much for saving my wife," Jiao-Long said.
"I did what was right..." Meifeng rubbed the back of her neck as she looked off, avoiding eye-contact with Jiao-Long.
"Meifeng..." Jiao-Long immediately picked up on her hesitation. "...What is wrong?"
It was time to come clean.
"My mother... your sister... is dead," Meifeng finally said. "Biyu killed her."
Jiao-Long's eyes went wide as his heart started racing. "Wait, B-Biyu...?" Jiao-Long said, before he bowed. "Please forgive me, Meifeng. I could have stopped her--"
"Don't, Uncle," Meifeng stopped him. "There was nothing you could do... and there's no point mulling about the ifs..."
Jiao-Long nodded his head. "I am still sorry... I will do all I can to comfort and help you."
"Just be happy in knowing that the Liu Family is okay..." Meifeng said as she stormed off. She just needed to be alone right now... but before she could mope, she had plenty of work to do. She pressed her earpiece. "Quent? What's the status of the scientists? More importantly, I want to know how our Hands friends?"
"Under wraps," the veteran RAVEN reassured her, a little more confident about things this time. "We'll be questioning them soon enough, though I suspect more than a few were working under the same circumstances as your Uncle. As for our friends, I'm personally making sure those two remain in our custody, complete with an escort."
She paused for a moment as she added on. "...And Reed, is Cindy okay?"
It took a short while before she got an answer, though the Investigator-turned-de facto representative of DOVE's field agents was somewhat more reserved if his tone was anything to go by. "Short answer? Yeah, she's in one piece, but... look, we'll talk about this in person, yeah? No need to jam the comms."
"Right, your position?" Meifeng asked.
This time, she got her answer almost instantly. "Just by the perimeter."
Meifeng immediately nodded her head as she went over to Reed. Wading through all the chaos was definitely a challenge; adding in the rain... Meifeng found Reed quickly, and crossed her arms. "Well, here I am," Meifeng started off. "She's under the mind control that was mentioned in those logs that Shizuka gave us... it has to be. There's no way that Cindy would betray us - betray everything that she stood for and believed in at the drop of a hat."
"No shit.. this isn't something that can be reversed in a few days. Whatever they've done to her, I'm not a psychologist but I know it's going to be a long road ahead for her, and that's assuming we can remove any control they might've had over her."
"For Cindy... I'll do whatever the hell it takes," Meifeng said. "I'm not going to lose her..."
Meifeng shook her head. "Where is she now?"
"Don't... right now, this isn't something you should see." He knew more than anyone else tonight that it was the last thing she needed.
"Fine... I'll take your word for it," Meifeng said, letting out a sigh. "Know what? I think I need to be by myself." Meifeng said as she turned away from Reed, and marching off. Marching away from the RAVEN perimeter... disappearing into the darkness of the city. It was desertion, yeah, but Meifeng had enough.
It was a challenge getting everyone out of the FF base... but, Malik and 'Team Spy' - as Shizuka had called them - pulled it off.
Afterwards, the group watched the destruction of the Family's base (hey, did the Machine's explosions travel that far up the building?) from the safety of a distant rooftop. Malik sat down on the edge of the roof with his legs crossed, as he watched the base go up in flames. Malik just sighed somberly. The woman who killed Marcelle apparently split off from the group... and perhaps, it was for the best. Malik had to find it in him to forgive her... not now, but maybe in years. Heh, it's funny, Marcelle and him were never romantic, but just very close friends. Losing her felt like losing a lover.
But, instead of getting hung up on her death, Malik was going to see this as a new opportunity. With the Family dead, it was the start of a new era! Perhaps it should be a new Malik... happier and chipper than ever!
Instead of mopping, Malik was going to make conversation with the others. He hopped up to his feet. "While it's sad that Marcelle really died... I think she died for a good cause," Malik said, as he got close to Rhea. "Without her, we would have never have gotten this far... so, I'm going to try to stay positive about all of this."
He walked over to Rhea. "But, I have bad news, and good news, friends..." Malik said. "Bad news... I'm going to be leaving America, soon."
"Really, Malik?" Rhea asked.
"Yes, it is true... there is... nothing more for me here in America," Malik said as he looked at the expanse. "And I have another promise I have to fulfill... buuuuuut..."
"'Buuuut'?"
"...How about some of you come with me?" Malik said as he pulled his friend into a close hug. "I think everyone should leave their country once..."
"I don't know..." Rhea said.
"It doesn't have to be for long... Remember, it'll be our world adventure." Malik said. "...Platonic world adventure." He had to say, making Rhea chuckle.
"Either way... I don't think there's much more we can accomplish by watching a burning buildin'," Malik said as he extended a hand to Rhea.
She took it, and Malik turned into his storm form and flew off into the distance... while Marcelle is dead, this was going to be a new beginning.
After the destruction of the base, Veronica made sure to split off from the group.
There was nothing worthwhile to gain from hanging around them. Especially since Malik found out she killed his friend. Veronica stood in the shadows of an alleyway, as she watched the frantic RAVENS and DOVES try to piece this disaster together. Well, Veronica could not give a shit about the others - as she already helped by liberating the Secretaries - and instead focused on her sisters. Damn. A part of her wished that she fled with Shizuka, at least that way, they could be in her hands... But, this was for the best.
The sisters were denied a normal life for far, far too long, and honestly, it was probably Veronica's fault that they got pulled into this in the first place. Veronica stepped back behind into the shadow of the alleyway and shrugged. If anyone was going to save them from a life of servitude, it would be DOVE. Honestly, Veronica should just stay out of their lives... it was almost like she brought misfortune to the lives of anyone who got close to her. She grinned as the prospect made her chuckle a bit. It was finally here, the death of the Family, and she couldn't be anymore happy.
Now... now, she had to abandon her old life in favor of a new one.
Veronica walked over to a nearby dumpster, and took off the IU armor piece by piece, until she was in nothing but a tank top, and cargo pants. She threw it all in the dumpster, save for her weapon and ammunition... it was going to be a long walk home.
"...Ms. Davis," the voice of the Hound spoke from behind her, and she immediately whipped around with her pistol in hand. "I mean you no harm."
"Then you won't mind if I keep this locked on you?" Veronica asked, only to realize that tiny bullets like this wouldn't do a damn thing to him, and she lowered the weapon.
"Good..." the Hound said, as he kept a healthy distance. "I want to say that I knew from the beginning... Your intent to betray the Family."
Veronica narrowed her eyes at him.
"Your subtle acts of insubordination... It is why me, and the Foundation Woman, argued against killing you for so long," the Hound said. "Because we, too, wanted to destroy the Family."
"So, that's all you had to say, Houndy?" Veronica asked, rolling her eyes. "If you--"
"--But, it's not over yet," the Hound said. "Me, the Foundation Woman, the Phantasm, and Bonecrusher, are going to build something new... a means to a new end. And we want you in it."
Veronica sighed as she turned around. "Sorry, Houndy... but, I'm done with playing soldier for everyone and their stupid goals. As of now... I live for myself, and fight for myself."
"Very well..." the Hound said, as he stepped back into the portal. "...We have come to terms."
The portal closed, and Veronica kept walking away.
She meant what she said - she was now her own woman. No longer a tool for the Three's insane ends. She was going to make life great for herself.
Cindy Keagan, Jennifer Caspin, Haruka & Shizuka Takashiro.
(collaboration between @Mr Allen J and @tsukune) Regal Square, Prince Ed-Field_
Leaving the troublesome logistics for the unfortunate low-ranks to do had always been Shizuka's usual job routine (he had already changed out of Veronica's retarded joke and was now in a long-sleeved shirt and comfortable jeans). One could say that he didn't want to deal with the aftermath, to clean up the huge mess left behind all thanks to the Family's madness, and he would use any means just to slack off from such mundane work.
Only that this time, it wasn't about his own procrastination. There was somewhere else he had to go, someone else he had to attend to.
Whatever that was left of the BPD, the DOVE and RAVEN forces that Maximilian had summoned over to their aid were all scuttling around some were hauling whatever they could recover from the ruins of the fallen Family Headquarters, while the others were trying their best to restore order around the area, keeping curious onlookers and frenzied reporters at bay. Holly was doing a good job regulating the mass of victims enslaved by the Family's mind control, where one of Veronica's sisters would then reverse the effect and liberate them from their mindless state. the two girls would be under DOVE's custody; maybe even be placed under the protection program, especially after what they had been through.
As for the freed Secretaries, they were led to the RAVEN vehicles in groups, where they would be transported to the BPD building (the only law enforcement office that was miraculously unharmed, and also the nearest) to sort out the administration matters before they could be sent back to their homeland in batches.
Strolling through the barking officers and running medics, he reached his destination: at the end of the chaotic scene was a tent guarded by two burly RAVEN officers. They both gave him a stiff salute, which Shizuka waved it off. "...How's she?"
"She's been behaving herself so far," one of them began, eyeing Shizuka's defenseless state with an raised eyebrow. "But better be careful. Agent Keagan is probably one of the strongest Metas among all of the DOVEs and RAVENs in Baybridge."
Shizuka rolled his eyes at the warning. "Who d'you think you're talking to?" Without waiting for a response to his rhetoric question, he walked through the flaps.
Cindy was sitting in a chair, with her arms cuffed behind her - if Shizuka were to take a good look, he would see that Cindy's legs were also bound to the chair that she was sitting on.
"Hey," Shizuka kept his eyes fixated on the cuffed agent as he greeted her. "It's been a while since we last saw each other, huh?"
Cindy hissed, "Don't mistake us for being friends, Shizuka. I always thought you were a deluded idiot... I serve the Three, not stupid 'friendships'."
Shizuka let out a mirthless laughter, unfazed by her act of defiance. "...Right. So, what did those Three Fags promised you with that you're so willing to turn your back against everything you've been working so hard to protect?"
"A better life... a better world... and so far, under their liege, I've had both." Cindy said. "And don't refer to them out of name. Call them the Three."
Shizuka continued to watch her closely. "Really, that's all they're going to pay you for killing your best friends? That's really a cheap bargain... to throw away the people most precious to you for something that doesn't even exist. You're pathetic."
"And you're stupid for resisting change."
Shizuka let out a low whistle. "How loyal... But what if I tell you that your beloved Three are all dead? Will you kill yourself to join them in the afterlife?"
"I will avenge them." Cindy said.
Shizuka shook his head and straightened up. Even Cindy, whom many of those in DOVE and RAVEN admired her as a strong woman and leader, could be easily reduced to such pitiful state with that ominous mind control ability. Seemed like she was only exploited as a mere pawn for her superpower and position within DOVE to keep the good guys busy, nothing more. Part of him wanted to record all this to show it to her later... but he decided against it.
"...Mechanized Memories, Release."
It took a moment to register - her eyes went completely dead for a few moments - before her eyes reverted back to usual. Shizuka watched as his friend slowly came to her senses; Veronica wasn't lying about this, but it only made him wonder how she knew about the keywords. No matter - they were only acquaintances with a common goal for that short moment, and now that both of them got what they wanted, he could care less about that slut.
"H-huh?" Cindy said as she looked around, rather groggily as the mind control wore off. She tried moving her arms and legs, only to find out that she's bound. "...The fuck?"
She swore as she looked up at Shizuka.
"Shizuka, why am I tied?" Cindy's eyes went wide as she came to another conclusion. "Oh God, did I get drunk again? Please tell me no one's dead..."
"Well..." Shizuka rubbed the back of his neck, breaking eye contact with her. "If only you were just drunk... but it's a hell lot worse than that." He then gave her a very short brief about the mind control, how she killed their own people... and even tried to kill Meifeng.
"...Reed was the one who incapacitated you, and then you're brought back here under watch, which is why you're tied down like this."
"Oh my God..." Cindy didn't have any words for what she had done. "I... I killed all those people?" Cindy weakly asked.
"You were under the influence of the Family's mind control when you massacred the forces under your command back at the HQ," Shizuka started off, still not looking at her. "But it won't change the fact that you're the one who killed them all."
He finally turned around to face her again. "We can't undo what's been done, so... uh, well, don't be too hard on yourself about this." This was one of the rare occasions that Shizuka dropped his usual smug attitude, and showed a bit of empathy for someone other than his twin brother, his own family. "No one can truly blame you for what you did, because it's not out of your own free will - you were controlled by the Family."
"You're right..." Cindy groaned. "But I need a little bit of time to myself... if you don't mind."
She looked down at her binds. "...Also, unbind me, please."
Shizuka let out a sigh. "Your personal space can wait. First, we need to remove that mind control from you, permanently." He reached out a hand to her shoulder. "Ready?" Phasing her out of the restraints was much faster than removing them one by one.
Freed from her bounds, Cindy massaged her rather sore wrists from being bound for so long... She nodded her head at Shizuka as she said,
"Thank you."
Shizuka filled Cindy in with the news about the downfall of the Family as he led her out of the tent, then kept his mouth shut for the rest of the walk. Many things had happened, but they all built up to such an anticlimactic end... which really explained a lot about the Founding Fags and their so-called perfection. He couldn't help rolling his eyes at that thought.
As they were nearing the tent where Veronica's sisters were kept, Holly walked over to greet them, though it didn't hide the tiredness on her face. "This way," she waved at them to follow her, leading them away from the crowd to a more deserted route. She then turned to Shizuka. "So, anything new?"
Shizuka shook his head in response. "Where's Haru... and Jennifer?"
"You'll see them soon enough."
She showed them to the back of tent. Inside, Sophia had pulled a glowing blue orb out of Jennifer's head... it was like a bubble. Definitely a strange sight to walk in on, as Cindy, without context, raised her eyebrow at the scene. In fact, Sophia was removing Mechanized Memories from Jennifer. Causing the bubble to explode, fading away forever. Jennifer smiled.
"Shizu!" Haruka went over to his brother the moment the silver-head had entered. He peered around Shizuka's shoulder and saw Cindy. "Um, hi. Are you feeling alright?"
"...Yeah." Cindy weakly said.
"These girls--" Shizuka explained as he gestured at Veronica's sisters, "--are the ones responsible for the mind control and the other shenanigans, but they were being imprisoned by the Three to do their bidding. They can reverse the mind control on you, like what they've just done for Jennifer." He then gave Cindy a slight push on her back. "Go on."
Cindy nodded her head... everything was being thrown at her at once. While Shizuka's intentions were pure, his methods weren't the best (then again, she had to remind herself this was Shizuka she was talking about). She sighed as she walked over to the teenage girl, the black-haired, green-eyed, girl.
"Come here..." Sophia said... as she vividly remembered applying Mechanized Memories to this woman.
When Cindy got close, Sophia put her hand on Cindy's forehead, and a glowing light appeared as she pulled a small bubble out of Cindy's head... the same with Jennifer. The bubble disappeared into thin air, as it was destroyed with ease.
"There, it's all gone." Sophia said.
Cindy sighed, "...Thank you."
"I'm so glad that you are okay, Cindy," Jennifer said, smiling. "I didn't even know that something happened to you until it was all over... if I had known..."
"It's not anything that could be helped." Cindy shrugged.
"But, there's something I have to tell everyone..." Jennifer said, looking between her group of friends that she was hoping would include Meifeng - but for now, she would tell her later. "Julia told me something about... about me... during that little encounter I had."
She didn't cry, or show hesitation. It was almost as if that was gone after the death of Julia, and the loss of her Mechanized Memories.
"You know during those few years after Verthaven? Before I showed up in Baybridge?"
"Yeah?"
Jennifer sighed... realizing the time wasn't now to beat around the bush.
"I... actually died in Verthaven. When the Devil pulled me under..."
The twins exchanged looks with each other, but Haruka was the one who voiced out the elephant in the room, "...What?"
"Julia revived me for some reason... she said I had a part in her plans," Jennifer said. "I wish we didn't kill her before I had a chance to ask her what plans... but, she blurted out that my old boss Megan had a part in it."
Jennifer nodded her head.
"And even though I died... I guess I'm going to make the most of my second chance," Jennifer started off. "Finding out and defining a new me... and finding my old boss, and getting answers out of her."
"I'll help you," Haruka blurted out before his brother could stop him. "I mean, I want to be of more help to you."
"Hold on," Shizuka turned on his twin. "You're not even--"
"You need to stop babying me," Haruka shot him down. "I didn't have the chance to tell you this with all the Family madness going on, but I've already quitted college." In actuality he was kicked out of the course to shoulder the unjust blame for the hostage incident, but none of that trivial details mattered now.
Shizuka narrowed his eyes at the older twin. "...Right. But what does that have got anything to do with going off to get yourself killed for nothing?"
"I've finally accepted the offer the Academy gave me that time when I was about to graduate," Haruka said. "To join DOVE. But now, schooling and all can take the back seat when there are more important matters to deal with." He glanced at Jennifer. "Like helping a friend in need."
"I mean... I'm not really in need, I just think I should..." Jennifer stammered out the words as if she was socially inept, before it finally hit her. "Oh... thank you anyway, Haruka. I promise, if you help me, I'll repay you any way I can."
Shizuka didn't want to let his precious brother go - he opened his mouth to protest, but in the end he could only let out a sigh of resignation. Haruka was right, he had to stop being so overprotective of him. They were both technically adults now, and Haruka was the older of the two. If the Academy and DOVE could see Haruka's true potential, he could no longer keep lying to himself that they had to stick together for the rest of their lives. "...Fine. I know a losing battle when I see one."
As he watched his twin walking over to Jennifer, he could only say, "Look after him for me," before he turned on his heels and left the tent.
That was surprising coming from Shizuka of all people. So surprising that Jennifer lost her composure for a moment. Eyes going doe-eyed, and her hands feeling weak... by the time she collected herself, Shizuka was already gone.
"Y-yeah... I will," Jennifer said, before she turned to Haruka. "...While I am determined to find my boss... find Megan... I still think there are things here we need to take care of first." She scratched the back of her neck.
"Such as... picking up the pieces of what happened here..." She started off. "...And being there for Meifeng."
Haruka was equally amused at Shizuka's reaction, but grateful that his twin was becoming more honest with himself. "Yeah," he agreed with Jennifer. "We still have work to do here. Let's go." He gave her his hand, but he didn't forget about Cindy. "How about you? Now that you're free, what are you going to do from hereon?"
"Um..." Cindy said. "I have to think about a lot of things..."
Haruka knew the sign of someone who wanted to have some personal moment for themselves. "Oh, okay. I guess we'll take our leave first, then."
As he was exiting the tent with Jennifer, Holly poked her head in. "I just saw Shizuka storming off to a distance. I hope everything's alright?" In which Haruka only shrugged in response.
Then her green eyes fell on Cindy. "Ah, Agent Keagan? If you're already done here, we'll need to get you to the hospital to get you checked and make sure you're okay." She pulled the flap further up to let Haruka and Jennifer through, then waited for Cindy to come over.
After the fall of the Family, a large chunk of Prince Ed-Field remained evacuated due to the dust and debris caused by the fall of the Founding Family's "Oasis" headquarters. News of the Family and their actions reached a worldwide level. People were horrified by the kidnapping, human experimentation, and brainwashing. Now, it's a global effort to relocate the "Secretaries" that were men and women kidnapped from places all over the world. Along with the authority of the world hunting down what's left of the Founding Family. This was not a problem.
It was a hard few days after the fall of the Family... power in the city was turned back on, as everyone tried to piece everything back together after the destruction of the Founding Family.
Wendy and her friends were no different. Even though the world may never know about her struggle to destroy the Founding Family, she still lost something that she'd never get back. Wendy had to break the news to father... he damn near broke down on the phone. And he was ready to pull Wendy out of the Academy Program - even though she had to complete it as part of her DOVE punishment - but Wendy had to reassure him that everything was fine. Even though it really wasn't. She fought to the death too many times to count.
Now, they had to break the news to Jessica and Kai - who managed to slip out of RAVEN's grasp on the account of it being a complete and utter mess at the moment. They all met in the middle of the Faircrest Woods... where the nearest person is miles away. Where they can talk to each other in peace. Jessica was leaned up against the side of the RV, with her arms crossed, and her head tilted downwards... as Wendy explained everything to her.
"I just can't believe it... I mean, Diana was one of my closest friends at the Academy," Jessica looked towards Kai. "Our friend. I mean, she was an asshole when we first met...."
"She's like that." Wendy said.
"...But, the three of us? We were inseparable," Jessica said. "Now that she's gone... Hell, I don't know what to do anymore."
"I doubt any of us do, anymore," Wendy said.
"Wish I could have done more."
"I believe we share the same sentiment. But, we have done all we can," Kai said, slowly. "All we can do now is remember... remember Diana, and everything she meant to us."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"Well, in that case..." Jessica put back on her trademark chipper smile as she put her hands on her hips. "How about the two of ya'll join us on our cross-country road trip?" She tipped her hat.
"Oh, us?" Wendy said. "I can't really leave the Academy without DOVE permission - and I'm here because of a deal..."
Rowan awkwardly scratched the back of his head and nodded. "Uh, yeah, I dunno what they'd say about it for me, either."
"Eh, who cares if you break a little deal after everything that happened?" Jessica said.
"C'mon, Wen," Kumiko added on. "You been though hell, just enjoy a little bit of fun."
She shrugged. "And besides, I doubt DOVE is going to give a shit about tiny things like this until they get back on their feet - if you're fast enough, they won't even notice that you're gone."
Wendy nodded her head as she looked at Rowan. "I'll only go if you go, so what's it going to be?"
The scrawny teen seemed to hesitate for just a moment, before deciding on what he wanted. "Yeah, screw this place. I'm in."
"Cool!" Jessica loudly slapped her hands on her hips. "Now we can have ourselves a good time!"
She looked off in the distance... she could see Prince Ed-Field from here. "I'm honestly in a rush to get out of this city."
"Yeah, let's get ready." Wendy said as she turned towards Rowan. She leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Hey, can we have a talk in private?"
"Uh, sure." He nodded with a look of uncertainty on his face.
"Then come on." Wendy grabbed onto Rowan's hand, and pulled Rowan into the bushes.
Maximilian Cornell, Dana Alcott, Deborah Javuant, Shannon Balore, Meifeng Zhao,Reed & Quentin Taylor, & Shizuka Takashiro.
Maximilian stood in the destroyed lobby-room of RAVEN headquarters. The bodies were cleaned up, but it'd be months before RAVEN is able to repair the entire base. Not to mention the loss of life... and the loss of respect that the world had for RAVEN. The former, to Maximilian, was irreplaceable, while the latter could be regained. For now, Maximilian sighed as she crossed his arms.
He heard the creaking of Dana Alcott's wheelchair slide up alongside him. "Hello, Maximilian." Dana said with a smile. "Can you help me get to the meeting room? The elevators are out of operation."
Maximilian smiled as he got behind Dana, and pushed her by the handlebars. He pushed her throughout the base, all the way to the destroyed meeting room. Well, it wasn't as busted up as the rest of the base, because there were no present meetings going on at the time of the attack. Only damage the room really sustained were the bullet holes, and rubble from distant explosions - and that was cleaned up. Fortunately, the table had sustained minimal damage.
Maximilian liked that table.
At the table, many members of RAVEN and DOVE were gathered, including Meifeng Zhao, Deborah Javuant, Alice Barrett and both Quentin and Reed Taylor. Even Shizuka, who was supposed to be still on suspension from his post, was called back to show his face (after all, he played a huge part in dragging the Family down to hell, to where they truly belonged). Maximilian sighed as he pulled a chair out for himself - Echo quickly appeared and pulled out a space for Dana, and she slid up. Before the Phantasm version of Maximilian disappeared.
He loudly cleared his throat.
"Hello, RAVEN, we have much to discuss today," Maximilian said as he sat down. "Yes, it was a great victory for RAVEN here in Baybridge seeing the Founding Family destroyed... but, at the same time, we have undergone some heavy losses, so I think that's what I think we should address first.
"We have lost many RAVENS, and DOVES, including high-level leaders," Maximilian said. "...And given the losses we've sustained here today, I doubt there's going to be suitable replacements."
"So what's your plan?" Reed spoke up to raise his question, "I know my word isn't much, but.. I don't think anyone can just replace people with agents from outside Baybridge. DOVE needs people that know this city."
Maximilian looked over towards Deborah, before he spoke,
"I've been talking to Deborah lately, and we have came to a unanimous decision to hand out promotions to the agents here," Maximilian said. "You are correct in that we need agents that know the city, but there's only so much we can do. So, I am offering promotions to elevated positions in both DOVE and RAVEN. You don't have to take them."
"So, that's how it works now?" Meifeng rolled her eyes as she spoke underneath her breath. "Sorry, Maxxi... but I'm happy where I am. So, I'll be passing on this offer."
"I'm sorry to hear that, Meifeng," Maximilian said.
"Yeah... I just think now's not the right time to be accepting promotions..."
"Anyone else?"
Alice shook her head. Meifeng was right, at least to Alice's mind, they'd lost too many good people for Alice to simply step into a position she did not deserve.
It took a few moments before Quentin spoke his piece. "Max, neither of them are gonna say it, so I will. Shizuka's stuck his neck out for us on countless occasions, even after the folks in their ivory towers decided to throw him under a bus and he's the kind of agent we need if we're going to keep fighting these people. If anything, he's earned a place among our best. And that god-damned suspension better be stricken from the record."
Shizuka gave a nod to Quentin to show his gratitude to the agent for speaking up for him.
"I was against the suspension from the beginning... but it worked out in the end," Maximilian sighed.
"I actually don't mind the promos," Shizuka shrugged at Maximilian as he finally opened his mouth to say something. "I'd be lying if I say I don't care about ranks and positions, because I'm painfully aware how little I can do to help without the necessary clearance." Besides, he had to stop relying on Holly too much for intel. It would make his job much smoother if he had a high enough rank similar to the likes of Meifeng and the Taylors, to get the essential things done faster than waiting for the chain of commands to finally reach him.
"I'll gladly give you a promotion," Maximilian said. "And wipe this suspension."
The veteran RAVEN took a moment to breathe, giving the twin a look for just a moment before shifting focus towards his own brother.
"Call me full of shit because we're family, but Reed here is a good field agent, probably better than me. He's reliable and dedicated to what he does and he's got the history to prove it, hell he wasn't even thirty when they made him an investigator at VPD. After what happened at HQ, it was him that kept things smooth between us and the BPD, him who chased up whatever lead he could. If that doesn't merit some recognition, I don't know what will."
"I was thinking that Agent Taylor here gets a higher position under me," Deborah chimed in. "Like you said, he's reliable, and held DOVE together when me and Shannon were incapacitated... So, here's the four-one-one."
Deborah took in a deep breath. "In the attack of Headquarters, the regional Director, Vincent Goldman, was killed."
She smiled.
"...Would you like to be the Director of the Baybridge branch of DOVE, Reed?"
"I..." The DOVE Investigator had found himself floored by such an offer.
"You should just take it." Shizuka's face broke out into a grin at him. "If there's anyone in DOVE who deserves the job, it's you."
"Yeah," Meifeng said. "Think about it, you'll be the new face of DOVE... just what we need right now."
"I'll... It's just that I'm a kind of hands-on guy. There are people working here who've been around since the NEST days, far more senior than me, are you sure? I honestly appreciate and thank you for the offer, but I don't know if I'd be cut out for the job yet. I don't want to put that weight on the people who'd be working under me." Reed wasn't yet convinced of his worthiness for the role, but nonetheless didn't want to disappoint.
"If I took this offer, would it be possible if I could be taken under a trial basis? Just to give everyone peace of mind."
"Of course," Deborah agreed. "Quite frankly, I don't think anything will go wrong... I just know this stuff."
"In that case... I'd count myself a grateful man," Reed remarked, reaching forward over the table to shake Javaunt's hand, "Thank you, everyone."
Everyone clapped, as Deborah took Reed's hand, and smiled.
"...Welcome aboard, Director."
She said with a wide smile.
As Reed found himself enveloped by applause, he felt an elbow firmly nudging at his ribs. "Just remember which one of us is the oldest, huh?" Quentin cracked a smile, a genuine one at that - in truth he was proud of what his brother had become and he knew that the old man would've been even more so.
Deborah was sitting, watching the scene unfold, before she heard the voice of Jade West in her earpiece,
"Ms. Javuant, we have a problem." Jade spoke in a hurried tone.
"...I'm starting to hate that phrase." Deborah said.
"Agent Keagan was resting in the infirmary... and now she's gone," Jade said. "The window has been blown open by her power... I don't know where she went."
"Affirmative."
Deborah understood that Cindy was feeling the harsh effects of her mind control. Deborah sighed, she would have to break the news to the others.
"I have something to report about Cindy..." Deborah said, as she stood up. "Agent Keagan has fled from the hospital wing."
"What?!" Meifeng said, as she hopped to her feet. "Where did she go!?"
"If we don't stop her now, we'll lose her." Reed practically launched himself from his seat, "Javaunt, have they said where she was last seen? We might have a chance to head her off."
Shizuka didn't seem too surprised at the news, but he couldn't help muttering "that dumbass" under his breath.
"According to agent West; she was last seen in the infirmary..." Deborah said.
"...Guys, hate to say this..." Meifeng said as she stood up, putting her hands on the table. "...But, I think we should give Cindy her space."
The air went silent.
"...She had a lot dumped on her at once, and she's still coming to terms with things... so, maybe it's for the best that we leave Cindy alone."
She sighed, before she raised her head.
"She'll come back on her own."
"She's not wrong, you know." Quentin broke the silence, fully aware of what kind of hell she must've been going through. "Give her time, is all I'll say."
"I hate to say this, too, but..." Meifeng said. "...We have more important things to worry about."
After the fall of the Family, many things need to get done. Starting with the rise of a new generation...
Deep within the most desolate parts of the world was a secret facility. One hidden underground, underneath the nose of the world. The same place that the Hound and the Foundation Woman called - in the most sick and broad term - home. The large metal doors opened, revealing the two - the Hound without his famous helmet - as they walked into the dark and desolate chambers that were full of pods. Inside these pods were the "replacement" to the Intimidation & Undertaker Units. Project ZODIAC... a project so important that only the Blessed Three knew about it.
Now that they were dead, Tabitha and Abel practically own the base.
The two walked to the central control station where most of the wires lead to. A massive computer that the Foundation Woman used for many of her projects.
"Now, Abel... the day we both dreamed of is here," Tabitha said, sitting down at the computer, "Are you ready for the next step?"
Abel grabbed onto the helmet that was hanging off his belt... then crushed it in between his hands.
"For so long... I played the role of my master's loyal hound," Abel started off, his voice sounding demonic even after tearing off his helmet. "But now... I am no longer following masters who are fools... I am deciding a directive for myself."
As Tabitha kept typing away, the pods opened, and people began falling out of them.
"I am now taking claim on something new a... Sovereign," Abel said, as he let the pieces of his former helmet crumble to bits. "Yes... that is who I am. I may still be a heartless killing machine in the eyes of the world - but to myself? I am no longer the Hound of the Family.... I am the Sovereign of ZODIAC...."
The men and women that were released from the pod looked up, as she stood on their own two feet.
"And now, I will lead ZODIAC to greatness... inducing great change in the world," Sovereign said. "Not guided by arrogance, or a pretentious view of how the world should be...but instead, honor."
Tabitha grinned.
"...May our conscience be as clear as our actions."
"...I'll be keeping my codename, however." Tabitha playfully remarked.
Meifeng Zhao, Jennifer Caspin, Reed & Quentin Taylor, Haruka & Shizuka Takashiro, Maximilian Cornell, Dana Alcott, Jiao-Long, & The rest of the Liu Family.
Close family and friends were gathered in the venue, after following a hearse through the city. Jiao-Long offered to pay for everything out of grief and despair for his lost sister. It was a short time before they reached Lihua's burial. It was a private event, in which not many people knew about.
Everyone was gathered around Lihua's grave, as the coffin was being lowered into the grave. Meifeng couldn't be bothered paying attention to the people saying good things about her... it all just felt so empty. The scene was gloomy as it looked, Meifeng was just quietly standing there as she held Lijuan's hand tightly. She wore a dress, the most modest one she could find. Both of them were. Meifeng hated this. She hated this so much. Why did she have to die? Meifeng thought to herself as she had to try to suppress her tears.
This felt like Verthaven all over again. When everyone was standing in the field to bury Trevor, Sonya, Cass... and Jen. Meifeng turned her head to her friend, wearing a modest black dress (not the best dress, but the best funeral clothes she could gather on such short notice)... she remembered her casket being empty.
Lihua was... not the best person in the world, Meifeng would admit that. She, at her worst, was a monster to her core - and took glee in hurting people all because of the power that came with it. Afterwards, she was an arrogant something that still cared far too much about her own status, and far too little about everyone else, and what she had to do to get there. But, in the end, Lihua did care about her daughters - Lijuan and herself. She had mellowed out over the years, and became the best person she could ever be.
In the end, she was still a troubled soul. One that was responsible for things that was inhuman.
But, that was okay. Meifeng knew Lihua was ultimately her mother, no matter what she did. Just like she told her in Verthaven, right before the battle that changed everything...
"...If I die, I want you to hold my deepest and darkest secrets above all else, and judge them."
Meifeng sighed.
I never judged you for a moment... I loved you for your good, and your bad.
That was something no one here understood... and would never know. Meifeng was trusted with Lihua's greatest secrets. She gazed at everyone here... starting with the distraught Lijuan, who was crying the whole time. Just hiding it. Lijuan was as strong as Lihua and Meifeng, she just didn't realize her potential yet. Meifeng pulled her closer for an embrace as she patted Lijuan's back. She looked to the side, to confirm Jennifer's position not too far away. Jen looked as mellow as everyone else here - which was strange because she and Lihua never quite got close. Personally, Jennifer was just there for Meifeng.
Meifeng took a across from herself to see Jiao-Long with his face in his hands. This was hard for Jiao-Long, too. Since he felt personally responsible for Lihua's death... which is funny, given that the two of them only recently got along after seeing past each other's differences. Probably because Jiao-Long noted the similarities between them. The Liu Sisters stood by his side, each facing the ground with her hands together. It was hard having their precious "auntie" die as well.
At another side stood both the Taylors, both wearing formal attire for the occasion. Reed had stood forward to say a few words of his own, of his respect and admiration for Lihua, but the truth was that he'd never known her as well as Quentin had. The elder brother himself had been silent, for the most part, his gaze occasionally flickering between Meifeng and Lijuan. The two of them had the utmost respect from Meifeng... being close and personal friends of the Zhao family. She couldn't help but grow much fonder of the two just with their presence.
She looked off to the side, and saw the tall, well-built, frame of Maximilian Cornell between some headstones. He kept his hands together, as Dana stood at his side. Maximilian was also a close friend of Lihua... but, Meifeng had to drop the truth about whom Lijuan's father is to him. Meifeng was pressing Lihua to do it for years now, and Lihua kept declining it out of shame. Well, now Meifeng would have a long talk with Maximilian after all of this.
The Takashiro twins, though, were an odd addition to the rest who were present; in particular Shizuka, who pretty much despised Lihua ever since they first met. Even if their relationship improved slightly much much later on, the said person was no longer around to testify how they were slowly coming to terms with each other. There was also another matter, of how much he knew about the Zhaos' - and the Lius' - secrets more than any other outsiders should. He was far too deep in their family's business to keep his distance from them anymore.
Haruka's presence made a little more sense - he was a former student under Lihua's guidance when they were both in the Academy - but that didn't stop him from sticking out among the people gathered here. The twins might not show their emotions on their impassive faces, but Haruka was grieving for the death of his former mentor on the inside. He clutched onto Shizuka's sleeve as he tried hard to keep his sadness under control, which the silver-haired counterpart returned with a reassuring pat on his trembling hand.
Worst of all; Cindy wasn't here.
It was finally time... the body was lowered into the ground, and as it slowly disappeared, Lijuan asked, "...W-why are they putting Mommy in the ground?"
At that point, Meifeng couldn't help but let the tears trickle down her cheeks.
After the funeral, Meifeng stayed there for awhile with Lijuan. Even after everyone else has left.
They were probably off living their lives... but Meifeng felt stuck. Without Lihua... she had no guidance. Not to mention the only parent she had left.
"...Meifeng," The voice of her uncle came from behind with his hands behind his back. Hunched over slightly, and a rather pained look on his face with his wife at his side. "May we have a word?"
"Yes, Uncle," Meifeng replied.
"I still feel very responsible for the death of Qiaolian..." Jiao-Long said, "If I had just blown the whistle on the Family like I thought I should have..."
"And you would have put a target on your wife, your daughters, and your son," Meifeng said, shaking her head.
"I am aware... but, there's one thing I can do to help, Meifeng," Jiao-Long said, before he bowed his head. "Let me take Lijuan under my wing."
Meifeng's eyes went wide, as she was taken aback by the request.
"Please... it is the best I could do for sister. I have talked about it with Chunhua, and my daughters, and they all agreed with my idea."
"I don't know... Uncle," Meifeng said. "The Liu Estate was destroyed... and... I don't think Lijuan wants to be far away from her sister..."
"That's no problem," Jiao-Long said. "I promise I'll find a new home in Baybridge... she'll never be far away from her sister, but I know you are a busy woman, and dealing with grief yourself. So, please, let me take Lijuan into my care."
Meifeng hesitated for a moment as she considered it, before she finally broke down and said.
"...Yes, Uncle."
"Thank you, Meifeng." Jiao-Long widely smiled. "You will not regret this decision."
Meifeng nodded her head as she got on her knee... getting on eye-level with Lijuan, and put her hands on her shoulders.
"Hey, Li," Meifeng said to her. "You're going to go stay with Uncle for awhile, is that okay?"
"...W-will I see you?" Lijuan weakly asked.
"Yeah, of course," Meifeng answered, smiling. "...I'm here to stay."
Lijuan nodded her head as she walked over to Jiao-Long, who took her hand.
"Goodbye, Meifeng." Jiao-Long said, as he walked off.
"...Bye, Big Sis."
Meifeng let out a sigh as she turned around... going back towards Lihua's grave. She got down on her knees, putting her hands against them... staring at her tombstone.
LIHUA ZHAO.
1972-2022.
"Heh... you know, your favorite time of the year was just around the corner," Meifeng couldn't help but morbidly say. "...You know... when it snows and all... y-yeah... you loved the snow."
Eventually, she heard a familiar voice from behind. "Want to talk? You could use a drink." Quentin asked.
"Y-yeah..." Meifeng said, as she stood up. "I've been sitting here for too long."
Wendy dragged Rowan over to the clearing far away from the others. The second they were in the middle of the clearing, Wendy let go of Rowan, and took a few steps away from him.
Before she faced Rowan.
She held her book tightly with both arms, keeping it clutched against her chest. She smiled at him.
"I have to say... it was a hard month..." Wendy started off, awkwardly shifting her feet. "We tried our best, and in the end, everything I did was in vain... everything we did was in vain. Diana died anyway... I lost her for good. And while we never saw eye to eye sometimes, she was the person responsible for making me into everything I am today. She gave me confidence, she showed me that the other people in the world are worth it..."
Wendy turned off as a cool November breeze came by and blew her dress around.
"...And she wasn't wrong. You're worth it."
She smiled widely as she looked off in the distance.
"Even though Diana is gone... I will not give up. I'll live every moment of my life in memory of her," Wendy put her hand up, and she turned the palm of her hand into paper. The paper flew up into the air. "In a way... I'll always carry a piece of her with me wherever I go. Some people say that your superpower represents your soul... I thought they were silly, but with what we know, are they really that wrong?"
She asked, before she continued.
"...I can't just break down because she died, and everything I did was pointless. Nor can I let hatred consume me. The Family is gone, and they're never coming back... and..."
Wendy laughed, much to Rowan's clear surprise.
"...If they do, we'll be there to kick their ass."
A tear fell down from Wendy's eye.
"For everything you've done..." Wendy started off. ".... Thank you."
In all his years, Rowan had never felt as much appreciation as he did right now. "Well... you're the first, maybe the only friend I've had in years, y'know? And I'm sorry about Diana, if I'd tried harder I could've stopped her, I know it. Could've done a lot of things..."
From there, whatever had come to mind in that moment started pouring out of him. "After they stuck me in the academy, I didn't know anyone and they didn't know me. Most judged me or ignored me."
For a moment, the scrawny teen's expression seemed to crinkle and darken.
"But you didn't. And since we met, you helped me with my power so what happened before won't happen again. I can do so much more, but I wouldn't have been able to without your help. So really, I think it should be me thanking you, I guess.. ah, shit, I'm not good at talking about this stuff." He felt awkward right now, if how he spoke to her was anything to go by.
Wendy didn't reply, she only embraced Rowan in a hug, surprising him even more than she had be. Both hands wrapped around him tightly.
"...You're perfect at it."
Wendy released Rowan with a chipper smile on her face.
"You know... before we go get ready to go, I have something to show you..." Wendy said, awkwardly shifting her feet. "But you have to trust me."
"...Okay?" He said, curious as to what she meant.
"C'mon, it'll be fun." Wendy said as she grabbed Rowan's wrist, and pulled him off back towards the Academy so she could recover her moped.
Regal Square, Prince Ed-Field_
Prince Ed-Field (specifically Regal Square) had been closed off because the building collapsing left a ton of rubble all over the place. Along with looking for survivors, and other work... but, that wasn't important. Wendy could finally do something she always wanted to do without someone yelling at her. Well, someone was probably going to yell at her, but it was worth it. For this one time.
The one thing she always wanted to do.
It was a challenge getting prepared... gathering a lot of paper, sneaking it into Prince Ed-Field, getting on top of this skyscraper, and finally... convincing Rowan to come along.
Wendy threw open the doors to the rooftop, and a storm of paper came following from behind her. She quickly made it take the shape of a giant paper airplane - large enough for both of them to get on. She did just that as she smiled, as she looked back at Rowan..
"This is something I've always wanted to do, Rowan!" Wendy excitedly said. "Now that Prince Ed-Field is empty... we can finally do it"
She put her hand out for Rowan.
"...Will you try it with me?"
The scrawny teen clutched her palm without a moment's hesitation.
"How far do you think this thing can go?"
"I bet it'll take us back to Roseview."
Wendy held his hand tightly as the two of them stepped on the giant paper airplane. She took Rowan's actions as wholeheartedly receiving the green light.
"What about Brookacres?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Brookacres is right around the corner... we'll get there in no time," Wendy said.
"Uh... can we make a stop? I've got something I need to do, before I leave town."
"Yeah, sure... but, we'll go wherever the winds take us!"
Without a second warning, both Rowan and Wendy went weightless as the paper airplane flew off the roof. It took a sharp nose-dive towards the ground, and they were utterly assaulted with rough and unforgiving winds. Right before they hit the ground, Wendy turned the paper airplane upwards, and they started flying alongside the buildings.
It's just as cool as it is in the movies... Wendy thought to herself as her hair flowed wildly in the wind. They flew off towards the lake that Baybridge is built around, getting to Brookacres should've been easy.
Ah, today was a good day. That whore of her daughter was dead... and she recovered what she wanted for years now.
You see, Biyu's allegiance was never with Polaris, or the Blessed Three... both organizations were full of fools. Especially the former. The organization that she built up with her own two hands fall from grace... there was no saving them. They would die like dogs, just like the Family... but, that was none of her concern. It was time to build up something else, one free from fools. Like many others were doing - but, Biyu had one goal before she starts.
She raised a finger into the air, and created a light that illuminated the room. Revealing a group of other people with dragon masks on.
She may have become an outlier, a criminal, but she has the means to make that better.
"Do you have it?" One of them asked.
Biyu revealed the various books that she had underneath her arm.
"Of course, of couse... that whore Julia took her eyes off it in the midst of the fall of her precious empire."
Biyu snickered as she revealed Shane O'Sullivan's notes.
"Shane was a genius in every sense of the word... he had knowledge that would change everything," Biyu started off. "Too bad he was an idiotic man that focused far too much on his lineage, and genes, to make good use of it."
Biyu laughed some more as she opened it up, and skimmed a finger through it.
"He couldn't even empart the useful knowledge onto his daughter before he died like a dog. What a useless man..." Biyu said, "But, nonetheless... we will make good use out of this."
Biyu closed the book, and put it underneath her arm.
"You know... you never asked where that money came from, back in Verthaven." Quentin said, nursing a glass in his hand.
"After all that bullshit," Meifeng said, as she took a sip of her Cinnamon Whiskey... she needed something raw. "I couldn't care less... and I still don't. Money's money." She shrugged.
The two were sitting in the apartment that Meifeng shared with Cindy, and Jennifer... well, Meifeng had an idea that the former wasn't going to be around for awhile, so just Jen. Jennifer went somewhere with Haruka, so it was her apartment for the rest of the day. She was probably going to end up finding a whole new place with Jen.
"Maybe so. But... I feel I owe it to you to explain."
Meifeng listened closely... she might learn something new about Quentin.
"Before this, before we met, back in Verthaven all those years ago. I made a profit from buying and selling powers to people. Not the obvious psychotics, but that doesn't change what I did."
Hearing that... Meifeng wondered if any of the people Quentin sold powers to would ever come back to bite RAVEN (or the world at large for that matter) in the ass. She narrowed her eyes at Quentin for a moment as she opened her mouth slightly as if she was about to speak... then closed it as she held her tongue.
"The night the Hands... when they got me, I'd thought I was on my way to meet a business contact. Your mom, she had her suspicions, but... I think by the time she figured it out, she realised I would've been wasted outside of NEST. Funny how things end up, isn't it?" He remarked, a little bitterly.
"Yeah..." Meifeng answered.
"All these years, I had this thought creeping up on the back of my head after each time we were dealing with the next rouge meta, 'did I sell to this one?' And I've wanted to undo the damage I've done."
Meifeng was silent, because she already went over those thoughts.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry about your Mom."
She sighed as she said, "... It's okay, Quent." Meifeng started off. "It's best that we stop worrying about the past."
"Look, I know this doesn't make it any easier, but.. I know what it's like to lose the only parent you've known. I was older than your sister when my Mom... when she passed, but I was still a kid, y'know? Lijuan, she'll come back from it - it just takes time. If you look at Reed, how he turned out thanks to Cass? She'll be okay, you've still got a good Uncle who cares about you. And if that isn't enough, you know me - I'll help wherever I can." He planted a palm on Mei's shoulder for just a second. "As far as I'm concerned, you're family, too."
Meifeng looked up at Quentin the very moment he said that she was his family, too. "I... I feel the same way... I've felt the same way for ages now."
"Good to know." Quentin offered her a warm smile, then slung his arm around her shoulder in an odd sort of fraternal embrace, before reaching back over to gulp down more of his own drink.
"Either way... Lijuan is going to be staying with Uncle for now... I feel a bit bad for giving her up like that, but I think it's for the best that she lives in comfort with him, instead of struggling with me..." Meifeng said as she took another sip of her whiskey.
"As I've said, that little brother of mine didn't turn out so bad. No offense, but your Uncle has the means to provide everything she'll need - a home, an education, and she has you. Don't sweat it, just... take things one day at a time."
"I'll still see her whenever possible... even though the Liu estate was destroyed... they're not leaving Baybridge."
"This was a nice talk, Quent." Meifeng said, as she drunk more of her whiskey. "The night's almost here... and I have a lot more drinking to do. I just need a break from... all of this."
"But... I'm not leaving Baybridge anymore, I promise you that," Meifeng voiced. "Even if I get another offer or whatever."
"You're thinking of settling down?" Quentin asked, a wry look upon his face. "I'd caution you not to go soft on me, but honestly? Don't wait until it's too late, you're still young."
"Settling down?" Meifeng asked, giving Quentin an equally wry look. "I was... thinking about it. I gotta continue the Zhao family... but, I'll never settle down."
Meifeng chuckled.
"Just gonna continue the adventure... with a friend."
"Any ideas in mind?" Quentin asked, before remarking, "Isn't Shizu, is it? I mean I know you Asians like to stick together, but I thought the Chinese and Japanese didn't mix?"
Meifeng narrowed her eyes.
"No offense to Shizuka... but, the two of us just don't mix," Meifeng said, scratching the back of her neck. "...I just need to find someone who works with me."
That solicited a chuckle from her drinking companion. "Just screwing with you. Anyway, whoever it turns out to be, you'll figure things out. But don't make the mistake of leaving things until you're my age."
"Yeah... I have a lot of thinkin' to do." Meifeng said as she put the bottle down.
It wasn't the first time Haruka had to leave a place he could call home behind, setting out on another journey and going back to the nomadic lifestyle he was so used to throughout his childhood days.
Only that this time, it wasn't with Shizuka.
Tying up the loose ends with his family before leaving for this big trip wasn't as complicated as he had expected. His twin wasn't around, probably busy with his promotions and sorting out the aftermath - the responsibility that came with more authoritative power - but with Holly at his side to keep his lazy twin in line, he didn't need to worry about his brother too much. He also heard that Ryu might be staying in Baybridge for a bit longer, joking about how Shizuka still owed him a certain favor. Most would assume that the Japanese agent was referring to the Family's case; Haruka didn't know the details either, but he could guess there was more to that story.
He was already used to Shizuka being oddly secretive and, well, just eccentric as ever.
Luckily for Haruka, Akemi wasn't back from Japan yet, which saved him from another earful of well-intended but annoying lecture from the equally worrisome aunt. Still, he left her a note just in case, and he felt sorry for his brother being the next available substitute to receive the nagging (in his mind, he could already imagine what she might say).
Adjusting the strap of the backpack on his shoulder, he walked towards the building where he would pick Jennifer up. Maybe he was doing all this on impulse, but he didn't regret making this decision. Everyone had their own problems; Meifeng and the passing of her mother, and there was Cindy trying to come to terms of the things she had done while under the Family's mind control. Both of them had so much on their mind now, so much burden to bear... It was best to leave those two alone to sort out their own inner turmoils. Given Jennifer's personality, that was what she would most likely do... and repeat the same cycle of self-seclusion (and destruction).
Which was why he was going to be there for her. It was better off for him to go with her to make a difference for himself and others than constantly hiding in the shadow of Shizuka, being the Achilles heel of his more successful twin. Maybe he had been giving himself too little credit for what he was really capable of.
Someone else was also aware of whatever he had been hiding... and it was also the last person he wanted to deal with.
"Leaving so soon, hmm?"
Haruka immediately whipped around at the familiar voice. "...Why are you here?" he hissed with narrowed eyes.
Stepping out of the shadow, Xing Huo revealed herself from around the alley bend. Her wardrobe was as classy as ever - she was completely decked out in branded clothes and accessories, bringing a whole new meaning to Haruka's understanding of vanity. In fact, she could easily put any supermodels to utter shame, and shove all those designer clothing companies under her ass while still looking drop-dead gorgeous.
The Fire Spirit of Polaris returned the hostility with her usual sickening sweetness. "For the well-being of my precious children, of course!"
"I don't have time to play games with you, Miss."
"Now, now," Xing Huo chuckled at the tense young man before her. "I'm well aware that it's going to take some time for you to feel the warmth and love from me, but I'm a patient mother, especially for my favorite twin boys."
Moving closer to Haruka, she dropped her smile - and her voice low enough for only the Japanese before her to hear. "I hope you still remember the little warning I gave you before we parted ways."
"'The world of old will perish, and the order of new shall rise; a blessing is a curse in disguise.' There's no way I'd forget a cryptic poem like that." Now that the lady had to remind him about it, he decided to take the opportunity to get more out of her. "I've been meaning to ask you about it..."
"Good." Xing Huo seemed satisfied with his response. "I'm happy to know you've got that ingrained into your head... and always keep what I've told you in mind. Always."
That only made Haruka even more confused, so much so that the irritation on his face shifted to pure curiosity. "What are you trying to tell me?"
"This isn't the end - not yet. It's only the beginning," Xing Huo smirk widened. "Do not drop your guard, not even for one millisecond. You're an intelligent person, and I'm sure you're aware of the signs. Only a fool is going to believe that everything is going to be fine and dandy with such a retarded ending." She paused to let out a dramatic sigh. "Well, I shouldn't have expected too much from such a lame cast, so I'm counting on you to put up a better show than this disappointing nonsense."
Haruka continued to lock his gaze with Xing Huo's dark eyes. He had his reservations - something just didn't feel right about the way things had come to end like this - but it was nothing more than an intangible suspicion, a strange feeling he couldn't explain or comprehend. It seemed like he wasn't going to get anything more concrete out of someone who simply couldn't stop talking in weird riddles to him, so he decided to change his tactic. "But... why me?"
"As far as anyone else is concerned, you're a pathetic, worthless 'Mr. Nice Guy' who don't even have the guts to kill an ant," she snickered at him. "None of those snotty idiots would bother to pay any attention to you. To them, you're too easy to be a target worth wasting their time and effort on... which is what make you my ideal choice for the upcoming play. You're the perfect shadow in your brother's light."
"I'm not your... pawn," Haruka glowered at her, stopping himself just in time before he broke his usual demeanor.
"I don't care how long you want to keep up your prissy image," Xing Huo sneered at him. "You can't keep that monster inside you caged up much longer. There's only so much mere human beings like all of us can keep something like that bottled inside ourselves before all hell breaks loose." She giggled at his raised eyebrow. "You think you can keep that little secret of yours hidden forever, to let that Zhao bitch take it down to her grave? Well, not like she'd bother to remember such trivial things, anyway."
That made the young man not only narrowing his eyes at her, but anyone who looked into them would feel the strong killing intent burning in those dark eyes.
"Yes, I do know about the... incident at the Academy," Xing Huo seemed pleased to get her revenge for the time this cute boy had owned her back at the cafe a couple of weeks before. "That woman might think she got you covered, but as the saying goes: 'Paper can never keep the fire wrapped up forever.' Ah, you might want to remember that line, too."
Leaving Haruka to seethe at her, the Chinese woman straightened up and turned away, giving him a cheery wave before disappearing into the shadows once more.
Cindy Gabrielle Keagan.
Leaving Baybridge Fast_
It was a bullshit move for Cindy to pull... but, she honestly needed it.
Cindy sat on a train that was leaving Baybridge rather quickly, staring out the window as the train went around the mountain pass. She sighed... The guys were going to hate her for this, but she just couldn't return to DOVE like everything was hunky-dory... especially after what had happened. Even if it was a well-kept secret, Cindy did kill all those people that she used to call friends (even brutally murdering a friend of hers).
There was also something she needed to see... someone she hasn't talked to in a little while.
She looked at her train trickets, and shook her head.
Damn, it's a pain in the ass getting to the Verthaven memorial...
A woman was brushing her hair, sitting in the middle of a dressing room of some expensive place. Most likely a theater of sorts. She was the only person in the room.
Brushing her brown hair nonstop.
Until the phone rang next to her, and she answered it.
The woman's eyes went dead for a few moments as she stopped completely. Almost like she had shut down. Before she came back to life... and smiled as she heard the man speak their special code.
"...I was wondering when you would contact me," The woman said as she kept brushing her hair. "I was getting lonely."
"Apologies my mistress... but, I had things to do," The man said. "Such as getting away from those troublesome RAVENs."
"Did the girls go into the hands of DOVE? Are they currently 'curing' all the Secretaries and whatnot?"
"Yes, madam..."
"Good, that means we have all the cover we need..." The woman laughed.
"How are you adjusting to your new body?" The man asked.
"Not as good my last... but, I'll make due," The woman answered. "What I'm hoping for is that stupid girl doesn't remember this particular request of mine..."
"It was ages ago," The man answered. "And the Blessed Three had her power applied to many different people... it'll probably all became a blur at some point."
"I guess you are correct..."
"What are your orders, Mistress?" the man asked.
"Lay low... we don't have any reason to do anything so quickly and expose ourselves all over again." The woman started off. "Long as Jennifer is alive... everything will go great."
"They still think the only thing we did to her body was revive it. Ha." The man laughed.
"Affirmative, Charles, and l doubt that she'll die anytime soon."
"So, I'll let you get used to your new body..." Charles said.
"Hey guys..." Wendy said. She had spent the last while looking through Ezekiel's notes, and the man was a genius... but there was something in the book that she had to talk about. So, she gathered both Kumiko, and Rowan, and took them to the Faircrest Woods outside of the Academy. It was the place she thought of going.
"I found something in the book... this book..." Wendy said, as she held Ezekiel's notes up for them to see.
"What'd you find? The Ramblings of a Madman II?" Kumiko teased.
"Well, first..." Wendy said as she used her paper manipulation to pull a few pages of the book out. She shifted through the pages, as she held it in front of her face. "...These are detailed instructions on how to create another Machine. Supposedly to go to his apprentice, but..."
The paper was telekinetically shredded into a powder, before it was thrown into the wind, carried away.
"...We can't let this information get out."
"Good choice... but is that all?" Kumiko asked.
"No... there's a line in his notes that stand out," Wendy traced her finger over the notes, reciting Ezekiel's notes, "The concept of the Machine was born from many factors... first and foremost, the fact that every Metahuman is a low-yield reality warper. Subconsciously able to alter reality on a person, or impersonal level. The Metahuman energy is seemingly an innate connection to what composes the world... reality itself."
That made Kumiko raise an eyebrow.
"For the sake of everyone, everywhere... the Family has been suppressing this information for decades now, along with one simple fact that, if spread, could cause some major detriments... Every man, woman, and child..."
Wendy paused for a moment.
"...Has the potential to become a Metahuman, as everyone on Earth has the Metahuman energy inside them."
