Estylwen

Baybridge™: Era of the Old/New Gods™ [COMPLETED]

So... something like this?

Baybridge™: Era of the Old/New Gods™ [COMPLETED]

---

Veronica Emily Davis, Rhea Harlow, & Makoto Koda.

_{Written in collaboration with @Mr Allen J}

---

Old Raygate, Prince Ed-Field

The dead haunted Rhea's dreams again. Glassy eyes, half-submerged corpses, pools of crimson. This time, the horror did not take her. Walking through red water, she placed a white rose on each of the dead. A brilliant light escaped their bodies as the souls broke free, and the scene evaporated.

A blue sky with clouds materialised above her, and beneath her feet lay flat sand. A light breeze caressed her skin. The Black Hound stood 15 feet from her, hands clasped at its back. Its suit was in perfect order, a rifle strapped in between the shoulders. They eyed each other, unmoving.

"I'm not afraid," Rhea said. The Black Hound gazed at her silently, unflinching. The sand shifted, dissolving as the dream faded.

~*~

Sitting with a protein shake and a banana, Rhea stared blankly at her laptop as the search reached 98%. She was dressed in her gray track gear, hat and all. Sure, she didn't actually courier for a couple more days, but spy work put her on edge. It was best to dress appropriately, she figured.

In a proper state of mind, Rhea shook her head at her actions earlier. When do I ever sit at a cafe? She normally considered it boring, but after her traumatic experience and a lack of sleep, she must have felt out of character. Enough so that she'd sit and idly chat.

Well no, it wasn't entirely small talk with Malik.

The screen flashed as it completed its search. Results from the surface web came up with nothing more than Did you mean Founding Fathers? With the dark web results, however, Rhea found a lead. The page was plastered with ‘Founding Family’ and filled with cryptic messages. Rhea snapped a screenshot and printed it, mulling over the paper with a pencil.

She sighed. No, it doesn’t make any sense. There must be some kind of code…

Rhea stuck the page to her whiteboard, scribbling notes beside it with a felt marker. Having also caught up with the news, images of the Black Hound and the masked, grotesque behemoth were also tacked to the board. From the stories, both had used some kind of teleportation. Both mainly targeted Metahumans. As Malik told her, the DGMHS girl who disappeared was likely also a meta. If she pretended they were all connected, she assumed the ‘Founding Family’ had some deadly fascination with Metas. Or it was just an ‘instill fear in the masses’ tactic.

Rhea made an annoyed face. For now, we treat them as separate entities. There’s not enough evidence to say otherwise. She leaned back and stared up at the whiteboard, idly sipping her drink.

---

The two assassins made it to the general area of their mark. They got out of a simple sedan that was supplied to them by the Black Hound. It had no tags, nor anything to track it to anyone.

"Old Raygate..." Makoto said as she stepped out and put a mask on to complete her outfit. "Ain't this place full of nothing but druggies and hookers?"

"That's what concerns me," Veronica said as she got out of the vehicle herself, her sharp green eyes went left to right as she searched for any possible threats. There was a homeless man that looked a little eager until Veronica shot him a gaze so sharp that he was forced to retreat. "What sort of gutter-trash knows about our boss?" She said as she slid on her own mask.

"Ooooh, gutter-trash," Makoto playfully teased. "You sound like a British woman!"

Veronica rolled her eyes.

"Just shut up and grab the bag," Veronica said, and Makoto reached into the backseat and pulled out a black gym bag that wouldn't be suspicious if it wasn't being carted around in the dead of night.

"Sure that we even need this?" Makoto asked. "With my chains, and your knives... Anyone would have trouble fighting us."

"I don't like to take risks... especially when the other side may be packing a handgun at least," Veronica said.

Shrugging, Makoto just grabbed the gym bag and slung it over her shoulder.

"Let's get a move on."

The two were brought to the middle of a field... and that's when Veronica started to get a little concerned. She approached the fence, and quickly glanced at her phone, and was tracking whoever was tracking them here... Okay. This place looked like a hold-out by some gang or something. Which lead Veronica to assume they're packing heat.

"Makoto," Veronica said, gesturing for the bag. "I think we're going to need our little help."

"Oh yes," Makoto smiled as she knelt down and put the bag there, too. She unzipped it, and pulled out a metal case - taking that case out, she opened it to reveal their "help." A fully loaded MP5SD3. With an attachable stock, and silencer. Both of which Makoto were quick to attach. Makoto held the submachine gun in both hands.

Veronica was wrapped in a green aura as she pulled throwing knives out of her secret compartment hidden in her sleeves. "Let's hope we don't have to use this...." Veronica said.

Makoto waved her hand and tore the fence open with her metal manipulation. Nodding their heads, they approached the train car with their heads down. Proceeding towards it quickly as they could, but crouched down. When they were within a few meters of it, Veronica gestured towards Makoto and said....

"We don't know how many people we're up against," Veronica said. "Or who... I personally want to scout around a little bit, but I don't think we can have a peak in there without attracting some attention."

"How about we roll a flashbang in there?" Makoto suggested. "Run in, tell them to put their hands up, then get some information."

"That could work... I honestly don't see more than five people being in there," Veronica said as she reached into her pants and pulled out a flashbang... she keeps one on her at all times just in case she needs a quick getaway. She'll just have to rely on her smarts from here on in.

She made the flashbang float in her hand.

"You open the door, I throw it in, then you hold it shut," Veronica ordered.

"Aye, aye, sweetheart," Makoto cheerfully said as she got in position.

Veronica groaned as the flashbang fell right into her hand, and she started walking over towards the door, ready to toss it in with telekinesis.

Makoto extended her will to the door, subtly pulling the door open with her metal manipulation.

"On three," Veronica said. "One... two..."

Makoto nodded her head when Veronica looked at her.

"...Three!"

Makoto pried the door open swiftly, and Veronica tossed the flashbang in at blinding speeds with her telekinesis. Right when the grenade went in, Makoto slammed the door shut and sealed it tightly so their target can't escape.

The grenade exploded loudly and brightly inside the train car. It would be sensory hell on everyone in such a close area.

A cocky grin formed on Veronica's face as she pulled the knives out of her sleeves again.

"Let's go," Veronica said as she quickly moved in before the effects would wear off.

Low voices interrupted Rhea’s thoughts. Normally she didn’t pay much attention to what happened outside the paper-thin walls of her safe house, so she wrote it off as some kids finding a place to get high. Moments passed, then she heard two sets of footsteps crunch on the dry dirt outside and pause. Murmurings.

What the hell? Rhea crept to the wall, pressing her ear to the metal.

"On three," She heard a voice say. A countdown. Nothing good ever happens with a countdown.

"One... two…”

“Shit!” Rhea ran from the wall, scooping up her bug-out bag in the corner as she crawled up a ladder to the emergency hatch.

An alarm went off as the sliding door was ripped open. She heard an object clatter against metal as her hand punched the ceiling hatch. Rhea scrambled out with her body half on the roof as the flashbang exploded. She laid there a moment on the hot metal, absolutely deaf. Slowly, wincing in pain, she got to her feet and evacuated the train container. Tapping into the batteries within her backpack, Rhea empowered her run, aiming to hide in the warehouses. There was just an empty field to cross first...

"Hmph," Veronica said as their target made a break for it. Turns out there's only one person. That makes this much easier... but, she apparently has bloody superhearing or something, because how else did she notice them in that metal box of death? Doesn't matter how, but they had to stop her. She brought these throwing knives out for a reason. They glowed with a green aura, as she cocked them back to throw. Veronica made sure to use her deadeye to line this up perfectly.

With one toss, she threw five knives at Rhea's legs... fully intending to injure her legs enough to catch up with her bony ass. Or leave a trail of blood.

"... You know I can just, you know..." Makoto got really close to Veronica and whispered. "... Teleport over to her... you just gotta give me a second."

"Oh..."

Rhea was roughly 20 feet from the warehouses when a searing pain ripped through the back of her legs. She collapsed, looking down to find small knives embedded in the muscle. The two footsteps she heard earlier were standing outside the container, staring at her. Two women, armed and dangerous. With gritted teeth, she tore the knives out and stumbled into the nearest warehouse.

Who the hell are they? She wondered, limping up a ramp to the highest level in the building. Her healing abilities had scabbed over the wounds, but the muscles within were still quite torn. She wouldn’t be running for a while. Her options were limited to hiding or an ambush. Maybe both.

Finding a dark spot within the warehouse that had a full view of the door, Rhea pulled out a pistol from her backpack. She aimed it at the ground floor, then at the broken windows, and stayed very quiet.

Tracking the blood trail was easy, Veronica and Makoto merely followed it as they chased her into the building.

"Perhaps it's time for me to flaunt my teleportation?" Makoto said. "Just to see what she's packing."

"Very well, then," Veronica said as she leaned up against the wall. "I have an idea before you go charging in."

Veronica focused on a random rock, and lifted it up into the air... she focused on one of the windows off to the side of the building that wasn't quite broken.

"On my signal, you go in through the other side," Veronica said.

Makoto nodded her head as she focused on the past, and the memories that came with it. Until she was able to channel a power using past memories. She was surrounded with a black smoke, and she focused on the building.

"Ready."

Veronica tossed the rock through the window, causing a violent cacophony as it shattered what was left of the window. It would be enough to give the already jittery Rhea a spook, but that was to cover Makoto's entrance.

She disappeared into a slight "pop" of black smoke, and appeared inside the warehouse. She leaned up against a warehouse crate and peaked around cover. She had no idea of where Rhea is....

Rhea's pistol snapped to the sound of shattered glass. A stone skittered across the floor, rolling to a stop. She breathed, loosening her grip. It wasn't a person. A distraction, perhaps. Rhea slowly shifted her weight, creeping across the metal ledge. Her eyes squinted in an effort to penetrate the darkness. A distraction for what?

Her foot snagged a rusted piece of metal and it snapped, tumbling down to the ground. The sound held a faint echo. Rhea sweated, frozen in place. Shit. Grimacing, she continued to move stealthily, tempted to just run.

That was enough for Makoto to pin her location. She looked right at the girl - her gun reflected a light that Makoto was able to track. She grinned... tempted to just start shooting, but she needed this mark alive long enough to question her. She was engulfed in the black smoke yet again, before appearing again behind her.

"Hello there..." Makoto said, trying to startle her even more.

A single gunshot split the air as Rhea spun around, firing at the shadowed figure. She didn't take the time to line up her shot, so she had no idea where exactly she was aiming. And if she didn't reveal her location before, she definitely had now.

Makoto had quickly teleported in front of her when Rhea spun. Knowing exactly what she was going to do next. "Don't telegraph yourself so much, sweetie," She said as she shoved the MP5 in Rhea's face, pressing it against her skull. "Now honey... you're going want to drop that little peashooter there."

The cold metal against her forehead sent chills up Rhea's spine. Even in the darkness, she knew how much lethal force was pointed at her. God dammit... they got me. Growling through clenched teeth, Rhea tossed her pistol to the side. It made a satisfying clatter as it fell to the ground floor.

"Thank you," Makoto said in a cutesy, mocking, tone. "You can come in now, Ver- Terror!" Makoto shouted as a signal for Veronica to come in.

"... Amazing," Veronica sarcastically said as she strut her way in, twirling her knife around her fingers. "You apprehended her without even needing my help... I guess there's a reason I keep you around."

"Other than my pretty face, of course. Haha!" Makoto laughed.

Veronica rolled her eyes as she walked up. She pressed the flat of the blade against Rhea's throat in a threatening display. Just to keep her compliant.

"Makoto, search her for anything else," Veronica said as she kept Rhea's head firm with one hand, and the knife against her throat with the other. "Stand up." She said as she pulled Rhea to her feet.

Makoto slung the machinegun over her shoulder as she cracked her knuckles. She patted Rhea down starting with her pants, then moved upwards before her hands hovering over her chest.

"... What a pancake." Makoto mocked before she continued to pat Rhea down. Before she reached around and pulled that backpack off. She quickly searched it and found all sorts of things. Such as a baton, batteries, a phone, and some food. If Makoto were to take a guess, this broad was a hacker or some kind of street rat hired to get some information.

And ooooh boy she kicked the hornet's nest with this one.

"She's clean," Makoto said, prompting Veronica to begin.

"We're with... ah..." Veronica trailed off for a moment. "Ah, doesn't matter does it?"

Veronica grinned.

"What we're interested in is your suspect search history..." Veronica trailed off again, narrowing her eyes. "Mostly, this nonsense about a Founding Family? Funny, ain't it. Ah, what do you know?"

The sugar-coated mockery was somewhat disarming. It relaxed Rhea's nerves enough that she began to breathe normally, despite having a knife to her throat. Rhea remained compliant as she was searched, silently studying the two women. The 'Makoto' dressed in an oriental mask and cloak, while the 'Terror' boasted a long coat and metal mask. Both appeared athletic, and both seemed at ease with their... job? If kicking her ass was a job, who ordered it? Who's toes did she step on?

I've run packages for White Spider, a couple low-key gangs, and DOVE, but Hallmark is on good terms with all of them... Unless... Unless this isn't about work. She briefly saw Malik's frantic face in her mind, how he demanded she not get involved. These women... they're connected to the Founding Family, I'll bet.

The Terror spoke in her ear, confirming Rhea's suspicions. "...Mostly, this nonsense about a Founding Family?..."

Rhea supposed these 'investigators' weren't complete assholes, although she was royally pissed about being at their mercy. Her options were severely limited, and if Malik told her anything useful, it was that the Founding Family made people disappear. The less she said, the better.

“I don't know anything,” She spoke her words carefully. “I was just tipped off.”

"Tipped off?" Veronica said, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah, right, like we are going to believe that." She started laughing. "You better start talking, because if not, I'll just slash your throat and move on - for wasting my time." She pressed the blade against her throat a little harder.

Rhea trembled, attempting to shrink away from the razor. There was no wiggle room, just the muscled arm of Veronica keeping her pinned.

“Terror, if I may,” She used the name Makoto called Veronica, “No one knows about the Founding Family. I only heard about it earlier today, and it’s my job to know shit.”

My job? Well great, let’s just tell her all about that, mm? Rhea gritted her teeth. Her fear was making her mouth run. Evidently, the last thing she wanted was to waste The Terror's time.

"It's my job to kill people who "know shit," sweetheart." Veronica said with a cocky smile from underneath her mask. "From whom did you hear about the Founding Family?" She hissed. "Don't make me ask again."

Within her power, Rhea refused to sell out Malik. If she could spin a story in a way they would believe it, she’d be able to keep him anonymous. He’d be free to find that girl, which was the least she could do. Rhea had to pull herself together, just this once.

“I swear I never got his name, we were just two strangers having coffee. He told me his friend went missing and he dropped the ‘Founding Family’. I was curious.”

"Well, you better start telling me when, where, and what-"

Veronica was interrupted by the sounds of sirens approaching... She turned her head and saw police lights approaching the field. It was that damn flashbang. Probably sounded like an explosion.

"Oh," Makoto said. "What are the odds of them stumbling up here, Terror?"

"Enough for us to move, damn it," Veronica hissed, she pressed her earpiece with her other hand. "Foundation Woman, we're bringing that target of yours back to base for further interrogation," Veronica started off. "Have Zenith extract us."

"Oooooh," Makoto excitedly said. "We get to have more fun with her - and she's actually kind of cute."

A blue swirling portal opened up behind them, and Veronica took a step back, putting her knife away. However, Makoto pulled that MP5 out, and aimed it at Rhea.

"... It's in your best interests to step inside, girl." Veronica said.

Rhea’s mouth hung agape at the swirling blue energy. This is the portal. The one the Black Hound uses. But that means… She eyed the gun pointed at her. I’m really not gonna like where we’re going.

“Not every day I walk through freaky energy...” Rhea said, putting her hands in a gesture of surrender. She held her breath and entered the portal.

"That's a good doggie..." Veronica mockingly said as she followed in after Rhea, then Makoto stepped in.

After they were gone, the portal closed, and other than the discarded gun, there were little signs they were even here.

Baybridge™: Era of the Old/New Gods™ [COMPLETED]

---

Rhea Harlow

---

Old Raygate, Prince Ed-Field

I'm a damn liar. Rhea scuffed the dirt with her shoe, wandering into the abandoned parts of Old Raygate. She was evasive with Malik, only because he became frantic at her insisting to help. Her mind was set the moment he said 'Founding Family', partly for curiosity's sake. Not that she knew what close bonds were like, but if Malik was crossing the world in search of his friend, he was serious. How could she be idle?

Hallmark, her boss, had access to all kinds of gadgets exactly for data-mining. About 15% of the jobs in the workplace were from their own spies, and that stuff sold for millions. If anyone knew where to start, he would. Rhea pulled out her phone and manually dialed the company headquarters. 

As she put the phone to her ear, Rhea's heart froze. What am i thinking? Immediately, she quit the call. If this was as dangerous as Malik alluded, she couldn't risk Hallmark knowing. If she was discovered, she needed an unassociated third-party to help cover her ass.

Stopping by the train container, Rhea tapped in the code from a hidden flap and snuck through the sliding door. She fetched her watering can, filling it at the sink, and headed back out. Her path went by several abandoned warehouses and through a large field of dead grass. At the end, a small patch of dirt bloomed with plant life. Her little garden.

"Hey fella's." She cooed, pouring water over them. 

As she inspected each of the beans, tomatoes and flowers, she found the strawberry plant. The one she thought died a week or so ago had, incredulously, grown a baby shoot from the dirt. It hung on to dear life, withering in the sun.  

Rhea gave it a confused look, then started to laugh. "Well! A chance to redeem myself."

She tore out the old plant, plucked the fresh shoot, and pressed the stem an inch into the dirt. Squatting in front of it, she held her hands as if in prayer. Charlie, you're right. It's not good of me to stand idly by. 

As she slowly pulled her hands apart, transparent, glimmering energy appeared suspended in the space. She offered this to the shoot, and it immediately began to wriggle. The leaves grew in size, hissing as water collected like dew at the tips. From new shoots, buds turned into small flowers.

Rhea stood, figuring the plant would be twice it's size by tomorrow. For smaller bodies to utilize all the energy she could augment, it took time. She turned and walked the length of the field back, entering her safe house once more. Leaving the watering can and her bag near the door, she collapsed into a metal chair by the table.

"...I'm exhausted." She mumbled, leaning her head back.

There was one thing she wanted to start before going to bed. Her laptop worked exclusively with *Tor, meaning all her signals tunneled through other computers before being completed. Perfect for anonymous work. She flipped the lid, pressed the power button, and the moment it was connected, she brought up a search program and typed in the following keywords:

Founding Family_

Rhea set it to crawl through the surface and dark web, which would take a few hours. She sighed, pushing up from the table. She rinsed her face with a damp cloth and laid down on the bed, not bothering to undress. With a clap of her hands, the ceiling lights went out.

*What is Tor?

Baybridge™: Era of the Old/New Gods™ [COMPLETED]

Maybe it's an ability that has to be consciously exerted, or maybe it has a small dome-like area of effect around them, like 5 feet. Or maybe only one person can be negated at a time.

Funny, I was just contemplating Power Negation for a charrie. o-o

Baybridge™: Era of the Old/New Gods™ [COMPLETED]

@BlessedWrath

Baybridge™: Era of the Old/New Gods™ [COMPLETED]

His characters will be the first to be murdered. \( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)/

@Mr Allen J

If possible, I think it would be nice to have Rhea involved. I'd like her and April to have one more conversation before April's certain demise.

Baybridge™: Era of the Old/New Gods™ [COMPLETED]

WizardLizard left. lol

@Mr Allen J

Oh. News to me. :P

Baybridge™: Era of the Old/New Gods™ [COMPLETED]

@TheWizardLizard, @DreadPirate: I mentioned April and Charlie in my post, lemme know if it's all good.

Anyways, I've been meaning to ask; what is everyone's thoughts on the roleplay thus far?

@Mr Allen J

The RP is beginning to bloom. The enemies are developing deliciously, I feel included, and most everyone is active. The amount of collaboration posts here is a huge plus. I enjoy how there are reoccurring theme songs going on.

Baybridge™: Era of the Old/New Gods™ [COMPLETED]

---

Rhea Harlow

---

Old Raygate, Prince Ed-Field

Lifeless faces. Eyes open without seeing. Bodies fallen, left in the stained grass without ceremony. And hovering over it all, a masked face. Silent, menacing. The sky transformed to a deep, bloody red...

Rhea bolted awake, breathing heavily and covered in sweat. She looked over at the clock, reading 5:09am. She sighed, hiding her face with two palms. Having woken up six times through the night, Rhea had perhaps an hour of restful sleep. It was the same as the previous nights after the festival. When the shit went down, Rhea stayed calm. But as the threat waned she beheld the loss of life in the clearing, and wept bitterly. 

Fresh tears escaped her eyes. That damn festival... Rhea dragged herself from bed, had a sponge bath, and pulled open a metal dresser. She donned a tank top, crocheted sweater and sweats, casting her eyes around her house. The inside of a train container was converted into her safe house, with mostly everything made of steel. Even her laptop on the table had a metal casing. 

From a drawer she pulled out a new phone from the many spares. The kids from — God damn that festival — ran to safety with her other phone, which held one contact: Charlie. She had memorized the number and plugged it in as a new contact, also sending a text:

This is Rhea. Are you doing okay? After we said bye, the night went to shit.

Rhea quickly created another contact. April and her had exchanged information, mostly so if April needed any statements or information, Rhea would be easy to get ahold of. From their encounter, Rhea was grateful to know the RAVEN force had such a talented, good-natured person.

Slipping the phone in her bag, along with her wallet, baton and a few cartons of 9V batteries, she slung the bag on her shoulder and pressed the wall button near the door. It slid open, she walked through, and it shut automatically behind her. From the outside, her house looked like an abandoned, rusted container. She gave it a tired glance, then headed out of the power plant. She asked for three days off from work, and Hallmark gave her a week. Time for healing, mending. Rhea decided to walk the streets of Baybridge until she felt more herself. Shake off the doom and whatnot.

Baybridge™: Era of the Old/New Gods™ [COMPLETED]

---

Rhea Harlow

---

Havenfield Market, Roseview

“I’m being quite serious here. You got shit for staff. Absolutely brutal toward paying customers.”

Rhea stood with her arms crossed, cape waving in the breeze. The narrow-framed man behind the glass in the security building scowled, waiting for her stubbornness to wane.

“Miss, we can’t be held responsible for the separate companies catering to the Harvest Festival. If this did indeed take place, which I very much doubt, you must take it up with their manager.” He said.

“I watched a minor get slammed in the face over a small misunderstanding. Had to take him to the First Aid tent. How do you explain that?” Rhea’s chin jutted out defiantly.

He squeezed the bridge of his nose, drawing out a loud sigh. “Evidently, this minor was in a place they were not allowed. So, they had it coming.”

“Excuse… me?” Rhea bared her teeth.

“They, uh.” He coughed. “Miss, you’re holding up the line. If you don’t have a real problem, I’m going to ask you to leave before I call security.”

Rhea threw up her hands in frustration. “You can’t even do your job. Fine. I’m going.” She marched off, muttering to herself. As absent-minded as she was, it was only when some speakers grew in volume that she realised where she wandered to. The DOVE speech was in full swing, their leader at the podium. She snaked her way closer to the stage, a smirk forming on her face. The company of charismatic metahumans tended to put her in better moods.

For the briefest moment, Rhea saw the same group from the nightclub. The three women and beast appeared among the faces, then like a ghost they melted into the crowd. Rhea’s curiosity was quickly replaced with adrenaline when gunshots and red smoke shattered the peace...