Yankee

Hi!

Welcome~! I was on Gaia for a loooong time too.

Nocturnal Memoirs: An Urban-Fantasy Mafia Epic

Someone's gonna have to make an artificial beach, we land locked in here :')

Part of Asterion's lil utopia, a faux beach?

Greetings (from the now dead Roleplaygateway)

Hey there! Sorry to hear about your old site, but allow me to extend you a welcome to a different RPG!

Nocturnal Memoirs: An Urban-Fantasy Mafia Epic

For sure. I'm so excited to see everything coming up too!

Also can't believe Khor got got, joining her failboy BFF in getting kidnapped. WHERE ARE THE COPS WHEN YOU NEED THEM

Nocturnal Memoirs: An Urban-Fantasy Mafia Epic

Akula Gun Team Clover

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Music that’s unfortunately not on youtube. Clicky this or image to listen to on Soundcloud!

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Underground, Brewery

_{Mentions: - || Interactions: -}

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Donkey’s elbow tapped Puddles shoulder. “Gun ready. We don’t know what we’ll find today.”

Snaptrap kicked debris along from behind, some falling into the vicious current of the rushing water they walked beside. “Dude we’re under the Brewery. Relax. Aren’t no boogiemen here. Only boogieman you should be worried about is me.” He started to gently rock his hips to a beat in his head. “Boogie so hard bustin’ moves so fresh your old ass will shrivel up at the sight of them.”

Puddle did as he was instructed, shouldering his weapon but leaving it lowered, moving forward slowly to the side behind Donkey who waved his massive machine gun around every corner ready to fire. They continued along until Snaptrap’s frustration began to boil over. “Fuck it, fuck this. Enough of the drill shit man. Throwing me out of bed is one thing but we take R&R so we’re fresh for the fight, you’re compromising us you stubborn old fu-.”

Screaming. Echoing off the walls a distance away. Snaptrap ripped the bolt on his weapon and raised it ready to kill, pushing past Donkey and Puddle, on point where he belonged. Peeking the next corner he soon leant back to Donkey whose eyes didn’t even carry a sense of ‘I told you so’, he just nodded and Snaptrap led under Donkey’s careful gaze, Puddle bringing up the rear whispering. “What the fuck was that? Only Akula’s are down here, right?”

Donkey nodded slowly, eyes never peeling off his sights. “Yeah, that’s exactly what worries me so much about those sounds.”

Snaptrap soon raised a fist. The three kneeled, listening. Footsteps thundering. Laboured breath. Panic, pure and absolute. The trio’s weapons floated over the corner ready to react. A stumbling fall. Akula red and white. The man’s eyes met them and shortly after his rifle. Both he and weapon screaming. Bullets ricocheting wild through the tunnel. The three dropped flat, screaming back. “FRIENDLYFRIENDLYFRIENDLYCEASEFIRE!”

A dead man’s click. The three raised their weapons in shock. The man just kept grabbing at the trigger with no thought to reload. “Stay the fuck away from me!”

Snaptrap was the first to slowly stand up. “Wha- Greaser? Dude Greaser it’s Clover.” He raised his hands with his weapon. “What the fuck are you doing man? What’s wrong?”

Greaser pulled his handgun. Another wild shot. “STAY AWAY!”

Snaptrap instinctively dropped flat. Donkey shouted next. “Settle down or we’ll put you down! What’s going on?”

Greaser looked over the men with wild eyes. “Just stay away, just…” He swallowed. “Mental, Blaster, Hero. They’re fucking dead man, they’re fucking dead. Ripped them apart. The rest of Gopher tore them apart with their bare hands. Hung him with his own guts…” A whimpering. “Fuck why would they do that man?”

Donkey now began to stand, leaving his machine gun on the ground, both hands raised. “I don’t know son, but it’s alright now yeah. We’ll get you someplace safe and you can tell us what happened. Just walk on over. It’ll be alright.” Donkey’s eyes went soft. “Come on now. We’ve got you. We’re Akula’s. We always have each other.”

The pistol in Greaser’s hands shivered, then rested at his side. Heavy breathing, then what sounded like crying. “Ok… ok just. Slow. Please. Don’t rush.”

Snaptrap nodded. “Whatever you need Greaser. We’re right here. Just walk on over.”

Greaser hesitated, then nodded in response. He took a step and went flying to the side. Another body tackling him. The screaming again. “OH GOD NO-!”

Donkey scrambled for his gun, Snaptrap to his feet, running weapon raised at the interloper. “Get off! Get off him motherfucker!”

The two on the ground scuffled. Another Akula. Munchkin. Greaser found his knife. Plunging it repeatedly into Munchkin’s side. Instead of flinching, screaming, dying, Munchkin just replied without tone, calm and cold as ice. “You have to come with me.”

And as quickly as Munchkin arrived he threw both himself and Greaser into the torrential water disappearing into the depths in an instant. Snaptrap almost dropped his rifle. “Fuck, Greaser. That was Munchkin. Where’d Munchkin take him?”

Puddle started running forward while Donkey called out to Snaptrap. “Doesn’t matter, we have to go. Now.”
Snaptrap picked up his pace to the water's edge. “We can’t leave him-, them down here. We need to get them out they’ll drown. Greaser and Munchkin they’re drowning-!”

Puddle dove and caught Snaptrap as he prepared to reach into the water. Donkey soon caught up and wrestled him well back onto the landing. “You reach into that, and you drown with them! They’re Dead! Gone! Nothing we can do.”

Snaptrap stopped resisting, just started trying to blink through the shock. “He was right there we had him. Munchkin. Munchkin was a sweetheart why would he do that?”

Puddle spoke next, standing and raising his rifle to more sounds down the tunnel. “I don’t know but if we stick around we’ll find out a lot quicker than we’d like to.” He crouched down to offer Snaptrap a hand. “Come on. We don’t need to die down here too.”

Snaptrap focussed on Puddle’s hand. Grounding back into reality he clasped at it to be wrenched back to his feet. The trio ran back the way they came. Donkey hardly slowing down to duck and scoop up his machine gun. Long later the trio hunched over panting through respirators, Snaptrap beginning to unravel. “What do we do? Where do we go? Could be fucking cannibals. Worse even. We’re screwed. We’re so fucking screw-.”

Donkey shot out. “Shut up Snap. We’re not dead. We’re still breathing.”

Puddle shook his head. “He’s right though. We can’t keep running like that. I’m fucked. He’s fucked. Your fucked. We don’t find some friends soon we’re all double fucked to hell.”

Donkey. “Good thing we got friends in high places. Misty’s got a rally point. Silverside. We’re almost there boys. Just a little longer. We have to tell her asap. It’s worse than we thought. Worse than we could have ever thought.”

Puddle’s eyes darted to Donkey. “What? What’s worse than us killing each other?”

Donkey waved off a hand. “I don’t have the breath, focus or time to tell you here kid. Short story? Barman fucked us. Antonio fucked us.” He shook his head. “How he has us killing each other though...” The shaking intensified. “Argh this is fucked. Just keep running. Can’t do anything here. Sooner Misty knows. The more Akula’s live. Fight another day. Come on quick double time lets go.”

The three men took off for another dead mans sprint. Tired bodies begging for rest and threatening to fail, but the terror hunting their kind below ensured boots continued to slap down the mortared halls. To slow down was to die, something the trio wasn’t quite ready to accept yet. So, they ran.

It was all they could do.

---

Front Office, Silverside

_{Mentions: Adel, Webb, Various (in passing) || Interactions: -}

---

The day went on. A little later and Misty had arrived. Swift greeted her at the door and led her into the office proper, though she forewent a tour for the sake of getting right down to business. The underground was the Akula's domain, and the canaries would be hard pressed to find them down there, but a few brave men and women had taken to the sewers to see what they could do. The ones that operated above ground had more luck so far, keeping a close watch on any and all Akula cells they'd located already. These reports came back to Swift, who passed them all to Misty, and left the woman to speak with a few canaries who had returned after confirming the status of cells they managed to find. Some weren’t good.

In the meantime, Swift went into another room where three people waited for her. Griffon, Darter, and Eagle. Normally, Griffon operated from the lobby as a glorified bouncer as she liked to put it, but she did technically have an office, and that was where the four canaries found themselves now.

"This is getting weird," Griffon bit out. Her arms were crossed and she was only barely keeping her foot from tapping on the ground. "He should have been here by now, or at least called and bossed some people around."

The longer the day went with no notice, the more concerned she was growing. Swift seemed to share that concern, but the men were less open if they felt it at all. Eagle had taken a seat and was fiddling with the computer at one of the two desks in the room. Now that Griffon had shown him a little more of the system, he figured he could just... well, check where the boss was. He worked on it as the others talked, discussing their theories, their frustrations. Their plans for the rest of the day if Adel didn't show up.

"Hey, I think his switch is offline."

The room grew quiet. Griffon, previously more animated in her concern, had gone still until she turned to Eagle. Her expression was dark.

"What?"

Eagle had only been part of the team for a couple of days, but the change in Griffon still unnerved him. He glanced at Swift, only to find that the shorter woman had the same expression. The other man in the room with them, the one he'd heard called Darter, brought a hand up to scratch at the back of his head.

"That ain't good," he snickered, then let out a hard oof when Griffon shoved him out of her way as she rounded on Eagle. She grabbed the seat Eagle was in and wrenched it away from the desk, sending the man tumbling to the ground as she grabbed the monitor to confirm for herself.

"What the hell, Eagle!" she said, and Eagle got to his feet as he retorted, "What? I didn't shut it off, I don't know how to do that!"

"They don't shut off."

It was Swift who'd spoken, her voice quiet and cold. She brought her hands up to grip both of her arms tightly. "They aren't designed that way. If it isn't transmitting... then..."

Griffon's hold on the monitor tightened, making the colors on the screen twist. She let go with an angry grunt and smashed her hands to the keyboard, typing away at it. Eagle understood what Swift was getting at. The boss' panic switch should show no matter where it was in the city, so if it wasn't then the only explanation was that it couldn't anymore. In other words... it had been destroyed.

He was starting to feel some of the concern that his "co-workers" were, but for a different reason. He had complicated feelings about the Silver Canary, but generally he didn't wish any ill on the guy. However, having just met with Sergeant Luthen and given the mission to keep an eye on and eventually secure the man, then... if Adel was missing he had kind of already failed, right? Which put his chances of getting out of Nocturnia in jeopardy.

"Can you pull up the last transmitted locations?" He asked Griffon. She growled back at him, likely already on it. Darter rubbed at his chest where Griffon had shoved him and snickered again.

"Don't know how useful that'll really be," he said with a shrug. "I'm sure she already explained it to ya new guy. GPS in the switches are delayed, so if some spooky bad guy happens to get into our system they won't be able to see where any of our birds currently are. Security measure I guess. Only sends live data if the panic button gets pressed."

Darter smiled thinly, turning and pointing at Griffon with one hand in the shape of a gun. "And let me guess, Dawson never hit his switch. Never does."

"Can you please shut the fuck up," Griffon said, pressing the enter key violently. Of course, Darter was right. All canaries that chose to work in the field were offered a panic switch for emergencies. If they hit it, Griffon would immediately go to their location. It had happened a few times over the course of the last few years. Adel had never hit his switch in the entire time since they'd developed the system, despite the situations he sometimes ended up in.

Because he wanted Griffon to stand guard at the office, defend Silverside, protect others.

I'm gonna kill him when he shows up, she thought. How dare he put them through a scare like this, really.

"Last locations... North Side of Silverside, really early. Before that in Brewery just across the border even earlier, before that... Waterfront Vale, last night."

Nothing strange, really. Silverside was the Canary's territory. Brewery was his new biggest fan's, or whatever that relationship was. And Waterfront Vale... actually that one was a little more odd. But it wasn't a secret to them that the Lodestar was their boss' current client. Even the times weren't totally out of the ordinary, since Griffon already knew he'd been awake at those hours. So with no suspect activity reported... how did his switch end up broken?

Swift let out a shaky breath. She held up three fingers. Three possibilities that came to her mind.

"One: it was broken by mistake."

"No," Griffon and Darter both said at the same time. Eagle took a back seat, watching the interaction, clear it was something they'd done before. He, too, didn't think that someone like the Silver Canary would lose a panic switch and accidentally break it carelessly.

"Two: he broke it himself."

"Unlikely..." Darter hummed. Griffon chimed in with, "No. If he didn't want us to know where he was, he could have just left it here."

Which was true. And yet, he'd taken it with him even when he apparently hadn't been thinking clearly last night.

"Three... it was broken by someone else."

The four were quiet for a moment. Unfortunately, that was the most likely scenario. It was also the worst one, as it meant someone had gotten close enough to the Canary to take it, understood the device's use at a glance, and quickly disposed of it.

Swift pressed her lips together tightly. It was looking more and more like Adel had been right, yesterday, when he assumed that Blackheart was leading him around. He normally hated being right, pessimistic as he was. Swift was starting to hate when he was right too.

"So what happened," Griffon said, "someone... snatched him or something?"

Saying it aloud, the theory made sense. Griffon's tension grew.

"This guy can't go two hours without getting into trouble," Darter sighed. "Who do we think did it? Those Akula?"

"No. They came to us for help, and are under the assumption he is present," Swift responded right away.

"Cult next door?"

"We've been working together with them, there's no reason," Griffon said, rubbing her forehead with her knuckles. She really, really didn't like this. Technically it was still just a theory, but even so...

"Sure. But their leader is a literal crackhead, so. I wouldn't be surprised."

Eagle resisted the urge to snort. It wouldn't be appropriate. He also did not mention his visit with the military's Master Sergeant, keeping quiet as the other three went on and discreetly pulling out his phone to collect what information he could for turning over to the man.

"I... have to tell you all something," Swift said. She cast her eyes down as though ashamed. "I wanted to wait and speak with Mr. Dawson myself first, but... I think, I should say. It might be important. Yesterday, when I returned from Smoke Risers, he and I discussed the job he'd given me. It was a success. Much too easy. And, I could tell that he'd come to the conclusion that I was... a spy, or a double agent."

She looked up, catching surprise in their faces. "I'm not. I intended to prove that to him without getting anyone else involved. But... now..." she paused to take a breath. "I don't have all the details, but I know it's connected to the boy we spoke with, the one that was on the run from the Dark Aces. The note he had. It is possible the Dark Aces themselves are more involved now."

It would frankly be more suspicious if she did have more information. Their boss was notorious for being secretive, even with those who were among the most trusted of his staff. For the most part they had no idea whom Adel had met with or why, though there was a clear most likely culprit among those listed. It didn't make any of them feel any better.

"Okay," Griffon said, accepting everything Swift told her easily. There wasn't a hint of suspicion for the other woman in her. "Let's not waste any time and get investigating then."

"Yes," Swift breathed. "Darter, you go check around Brewery–"

"Eeck, no," the man said, cutting her off and raising both of his hands at the elbows. "I don't wanna run into any of the sewer people. You're the one that made a deal with them, you do it, Swift."

Swift closed her mouth, giving Darter a hard look. It did nothing, and Darter raised an eyebrow at her. "In fact... why are you giving out orders? Did Dawson die and leave you in charge? I don't think so. A bit weird, right?"

"Darter," Swift said, her voice cold. She knew what he was trying to do, but she didn't understand why. Why did the man always have to be so combative? Even in a situation like this.

"I'm just sayin', kiiiinda strange that the boss thought you were a double agent and now when he happens to not be around, you start trying to take over the place." Darter smiled. "I mean, logically, who should be in charge if he's gone? Gotta be seniority, right? So, m–"

"Me," Griffon said. She was beginning to sound furious. The air in the room stirred dangerously. "Seniority? Don't flatter yourself. You want whoever was here longest in charge? It's me. And now I'm leaving Swift in charge."

Swift glanced at her, but Griffon just stared at Darter. "I don't care what the boss thinks. She's not a fucking traitor. Do what she says or walk the hell out right now."

There was a quiet stalemate as they stared at each other. Eventually Darter clicked his tongue and sighed, resting one hand on his hip. "Alright, alright, calm down. I'm worried about Dawson too, cross my heart," he said. After a beat he added with a snicker, "he's the one that signs my paychecks."

What an asshole, Eagle thought. He had only been around for a few days and he had more empathy for the Silver Canary than some of his own men did. Eagle felt a chill begin to form on his side and he looked over to see Griffon with a hand pressed to her chest to calm herself down. There was a tight swirl of wind around her, invisible but cold and hissing.

"Give me a reason," she said to Darter. "One reason jackass. I will snap your neck."

Swift stepped forward. "Can we... please not fight," she said. "I have to stay here and coordinate with the Akulas. I already sent some people out looking for wayward cells of theirs last night. A few have already gotten back to me, and I'll be sending more. I don't want them to see us like this."

She had made a deal with Misty and she intended to keep it, but she really, really hoped that it hadn't been for nothing. Of course their actions would be helping people, many people, if the situation Misty described was as dire as she'd said, so it wouldn't truly be for nothing, but... what if it was too late to help the one person she wanted.

Swift took a steadying breath.

"Darter, please."

The man eyed Swift for a moment, then he waved his hand dismissively in front of him. "Alright I said."

"Thank you," she said softly. She turned to Eagle and Griffon. "Eagle, can you please head to Waterfr–"

"Swift." Eagle had been in the process of nodding, until Griffon cut in. Her expression was serious, despite her irritation. "Eagle should stay here and hold down the fort. I taught him how to manage everything already. He can call me if someone hits their switch."

Swift's eyes softened. "I don't... you know Mr. Dawson would have wanted you to stay in Silverside."

"Yeah, well, like this creep said he's not here right now," Griffon scoffed, hooking a thumb at Darter. The man just shrugged.

"I'm alright with that," Eagle said, looking between the two women. "But I mean, I'm– I was only given this job a few days ago. I was with Del Guarde. I'm still a soldier. Are you alright leaving me here alone at a critical time like this?"

Everyone looked at him. Griffon crossed her arms, annoyance passing over her face. "Are you planning to stab us in the back, man?"

"No, I'm not," Eagle said seriously. He wasn't, even with the mission the Sergeant had given him he didn't think he'd have to betray anyone, or so he hoped. "You guys took me in. I just wanted to make sure everyone is thinking with a clear head."

Swift was silent for a moment. Eagle made a good point. But the man had nowhere else to go, as he'd said, and the canaries were short on hands. Every one of them could use a gun, or throw a punch, but they were not a mafia, a militia, or a police force. Eagle might have even more combat experience than either Griffon or Darter, given his profession, and one of them should stay here.

"...okay. I'll have a couple people check the north end. Eagle, please stay and protect the office. Let everyone know how things develop. I won't be far if you need me, I'll be moving between the office and our rendezvous points between us and the Akulas. Darter, please investigate the location in Brewery. Griffon, the same in Waterfront Vale. And Griffon," Swift looked at her. "Please don't take what I'm about to say personally."

"Well I guess it depends on what you're about to say."

"Please control yourself. If you don't find anything, come right back here. If you do find something, come back here. We'll all work together."

Griffon let out a derisive snort. "Don't worry, I won't stick around too long. Place might become a warzone too soon if the fighting spills out down there anyway."

"There is one other piece of business. On this topic, I mean. There are many pieces of Adel's business unattended to, but I'll... delegate." Swift sighed. She finally let her grip loosen, but her arms remained tucked into each other. "That is Webb."

"Ah, spider kid," Darter said, interest piqued. "I didn't get to see him yet. Can I? You want someone to get some answers out of him, right? Me and Griffs here can play good cop, bad cop. If I get to be the bad cop, of course."

Another look of annoyance passed Griffon's face, but she didn't actually argue. "I sent him to Riverbend yesterday, didn't tell him when to check back in though. I don't know when or if he'll come back here. We could call him back?"

Swift thought about it. "I think... we have to assume Webb is someone's agent, perhaps of the Dark Aces themselves. Calling him out of the blue may tip him off that we know."

"I'll keep an eye out for him," Eagle offered. "If I'm going to be here anyway, I can let you all know if he comes by, and keep him here if I need to."

"That's probably the best option," Swift said. Meanwhile, Darter rolled his eyes. From their descriptions, wasn't Webb like, six or something? They were acting like the spiderling was some dangerous spy and not a kid that someone had taken advantage of. The kind that were a dime a dozen around Nocturnia, especially the east side.

"If none of us finds anything, we still have options. There is another info broker in Nocturnia, we have the borrowed men from Omakase and the Akulas, and we have our own information network. So... We'll figure out what's going on."

"And if Dawson shows back up, pissed you used all these resources on a goose chase, it's all coming out of your payroll and not mine, 'kay, temp boss?" Darter asked sweetly. Immediately after he ducked as a stapler was sent flying at his head.

"I'll make sure all the money you saved up gets spent on hospital bills instead, asshole!" Griffon screeched.

"Guys..." Eagle sighed, rubbing at his head. He shared a look with Swift as Darter laughed and slipped out of the room, pretending like he wasn't fleeing the woman's wrath.

Not even two seconds later he was back in the room with a wide eyed woman in tow. As soon as she saw Griffon, the woman blurted out, "Ma'am there's something going on downstairs! Some people-"

Griffon blew by her and Darter, sprinting towards the basement level. The others left behind glanced at each other, and the color nearly drained from Swift's face as she realized what was most likely happening. "Wait, Griffon, it's probably...!"

But her friend hadn't heard her, on top of having a head start. Swift hustled after her, stopping only to grab Misty along the way.

---

Office Basement Level, Silverside

_{Mentions: - || Interactions: Swift, Griffon, Misty, Gun Team Clover (in collaboration with @flux)}

---

A door in the basement flew open. A silent alarm blinked in the lights above, constant and suspenseful. Three heavily armed men stumbled through onto the floor heaving, coughing and retching. Snaptrap’s hands slipped under and ejected his helmet before ending up on all fours to throw up. Puddle’s legs buckled as he tried to slap his way along the wall, trying to right himself and catch his breath but seemingly unable to do both. Donkey stayed upright, dropping his weapon while stumbling toward the first people he saw, gasping between words. “You. Misty. Canary. Where’s they? No time.”

"Wh- I- I-" the young woman stuttered. She was in sweats and a sports bra, holding her hands up like the new arrivals were planning to mug her in the gym. It was where the Akulas had found themselves, an actual gym level. The woman's limbs were still though, prepared to fight back when Donkey got too close. Fortunately for her, and unfortunately for the three men, another door in the basement slammed open. The woman, and a few other people in the area, scooted themselves backward with great haste when they felt the rush of wind surge from the stairwell.

A harsh gust slammed into the gunmen, as powerful as a hurricane, scooping them up and pressing them hard against the back wall. It was concrete but covered in dark gray mats, only a little less painful than it could have been. The nearby equipment rattled, metal and plastic shaking at the force of air.

"I am not in the mood," Griffon growled, her gold eyes shimmering with violence. "If you're thieves, walk out of here while you still can ‘cause if I change my mind you won't even be able to walk at all!"

Puddle just splayed against the wall, Donkey slamming back before falling to his knees. Snaptrap spun upward being blended in the mess he just made before bouncing to the floor, a defeated, singular and continuous sob as he laid face down on the floor. Donkey stayed on his knees, chest still heaving. “Traitors below. Need to know. Warn Canary. Warn Misty. Tell them.” His head fell back so his eyes could finally rest on his attacker, pleading for understanding.

Griffon blinked, her hand raised as though to crush the interlopers with her gyft. Or, more likely, dice their bodies to pieces with her cutting wind. She didn't relax at all, if anything Donkey's words pooled even more tension into the woman.

"Warn him about traitors? What traitors? Explain!" she snapped. She was really sick of hearing about traitors already, and Adel wasn't even here. If these guys were just trying to confuse her then she'd have a field day taking out her emotions on them.

Through the door she'd come from, Swift appeared with her heart beating and her breath heavy. Sprinting was not her forte. "G-Griffon, t-these are..." she gasped, trying to get the other woman to stand down.

Misty was the next to appear behind Swift before brushing by in a furious march towards the trio of gunmen. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? Protocols mean nothing to you?” Her fingers flexed as if anticipating a fight.

Donkey choked then forced more coherent words forward with hands raised. “Donkey. We’re Clover. It’s begun. Whatever barman- Antonio had planned. They’re taking over the underground. Killing or kidnapping anyone still down there. We have to warn who’s left.”

Puddle found his feet, stumbling forward and to the side. “We’re not here to cause problems. Even if we wanted to, we're too cooked to cause problems.” Puddle fell to a knee before looking at Donkey. “What did Antonio do? What’s he want?” Donkey waved his hand at Puddle to quiet down, waiting for Misty to request their report or deal with their intrusion accordingly. For all she knew they could be lying. Though Puddle and Snaptrap mightn’t know it, their lives rested in Misty’s hands.

Misty eyed them, weighing their words and state. If they were here to kill, they’d have come in guns blazing. Not like this. Misty rose her head. “What did you see down there?”

Snaptrap finally rose from his own mess. “Munchkin. He took Greaser. Greaser was ripping his ribs out with his knife and Munchkin didn’t even flinch, just said ‘come with me’ before tossing them both in the waterway.” He shook his head as he spoke, still in disbelief of what had happened.

Donkey continued. “Greaser was terrified. Said half of Gopher murdered the other. Munchkin spoke like he was dead. No emotion, just monotone. Didn’t seem to care about anything but what he was there to do.” Donkey looked Misty in the eye. “How many more of us has he got?”

Misty swallowed, eyes shifting as she chewed through his words before eventually nodding. “Not many, thanks to Canary and Swift’s action we got a line on a good few nearby. They know the Brewery isn’t safe anymore and we’re working to warn more. My team Patron is regrouping on me, and Buzzard, the techie kids, offered to help as well, so we have some more manpower.”

Misty turned to Swift. “I know that all sounds gruesome, but this is good. Those influenced aren’t subtle. Their speech sounds like a dead give away and they only act toward their objective. We aren’t going to have to worry about sleepers or such due to whatever Antonio is using to turn them traitor.”

By then Swift had caught her breath. She nodded, her cheeks coloring slightly when she realized she hadn't even considered the fact that while she'd been expecting a gun team, it could have been an infected one that arrived. It was silly, but Adel's disappearance must have been affecting her more than she'd thought. She couldn't even conceal the slight grimace when Misty mentioned his epithet.

Griffon looked between Swift, Misty, and the three men. Of course Swift had told her what she'd learned after meeting Misty at the Palazzo, but it was just as hard to wrap her head around it now as it was then. She closed her eyes, took a few breaths, and the wind that had been cycling through the area began to die down. She dropped her arm with a rough sigh.

Misty went on. “Other reports are suggesting when they’re working together, they operate in perfect sync using tried and true clearance tactics. It’s lethal, but entirely predictable. We can use that to blunt them, or at least sidestep them entirely.”

Snaptrap arose from his mess. “Tactics? Munchkin rushed blind and stupid and then let Greaser stab the shit out of him. He was a zombie, zombies don’t use tactics.”

Misty winced. “Don’t call them zombies. They’re just not themselves.” A sigh. “We’ll find a way to cure them, until then, the only help we can give is a bullet to the head.”

Griffon turned her head slightly towards Misty. It was a brutal way to deal with the situation to be sure, and a call she wasn't sure she'd be able to make if she'd been in the older woman's shoes.

Snaptrap let a hand fall to his side. “Not themselves, find a cure, can only fix their lead deficiency. That’s a fucking zombie.”

Puddle snorted. “Guess we should check if you were bit, Snap. No wait, they never got close because Munch threw himself and Greaser away to drown themselves, lucky you, dumb prick.”

Snaptrap panicked for a moment slapping over his body before coming to his senses, staring at Puddle. “Oh- Piss off! He was one of the best of us, better than you, and better than dead fucking Dave.”

Whatever strength was left saw Puddle swinging toward Snaptrap before getting tangled in a mess of limbs. “Fuck you! He was my friend! I couldn’t help him but we can help the rest. Stop calling them fucking zombies!”

Snaptrap began to reverse the assault, dropping his knee into Puddle. “You saw what he did! How do you save that? You want to think about the fact you're killing your friends every time you pull the trigger, go ahead you dopey cunt! They’re fucking zombies to me!”

The room filled with shouting as Donkey and Misty went to pull the pair apart, Snaptrap spitting at Puddle before Snaptrap was forced face down into the mat. Struggled for a moment before being completely pinned by Misty, he just laid there breathing before beginning to sob again. “Goddamnit it Munchkin. Why would you do that?”

Donkey held Puddle’s arms back, voice stern. “He doesn’t mean it, he’s just in shock.”

Puddle ripped free and just sat on the mat, head low. “Fuck him. Just.” He paused before looking at Misty, voice weak. “What do we do now?”

Misty released Snaptrap who began to try and collect himself. “We prepare for the worst and hope for the best. That's all we can do right now.” She looked at Swift. “If you’re ok with it, we can get Clover on practicing clearance drills of the building as soon as they clean themselves up.” She looked down at Snaptrap. “The distraction might do them some good too.”

"Oh," was all Swift said at first. She glanced at Griffon, who stared pointedly at her. She had just said earlier she was leaving Swift in charge in Adel's absence. After a moment Swift looked back at the Akulas. "...yes, that would be fine. Griffon and Eagle can run them through."

Misty stood up. “If you have any missions requiring something more forceful, Patron will be here and ready soon to act on your behalf. Clover is well proven to defend your office despite this… poor introduction. They’ll fight come hell or high water, you’ll see that in the drills alone.”

Donkey spoke up. “You can rely on us, ‘fortune favours the bold’, and there aren’t many braver or dumber than us. We’ll smack around anyone who wants this place like an angry god. You’ll see, if you’ll have us.”

Despite the uncertainty of the morning, the night before, the question of where their boss had gone and if he really was in trouble or just laying low, the war and the zombie-making master next door, Griffon's mouth curled upward in a small grin.

"Good, 'cause we're gonna need that," she said. She also didn't apologize for whipping the trio into the wall. "You make sure this place is secure and safe for us, and all your friends we find can be safe too."

There was still a thrum of energy beneath Griffon's skin, especially after Misty mentioned force. She knew that they shouldn't disclose that their boss was missing, not at the moment (if word got out then it could make Silverside look like an easy target, and it might jeopardize their deal with the Akulas), but if she and the others came to the conclusion that the worst case scenario they'd come up with upstairs had indeed come to pass, then she would certainly be doing something forceful alright.

Swift glanced at another wall where the people that had been downstairs in the first place watched curiously. She nodded to one of them, gesturing with her head to have them point the way to the bathroom. Or even the locker room showers. Then she set her gaze back on Misty.

"Thank you. We will continue looking until every cell is accounted for," she said. She left off the alive, dead, or compromised part, but it was easily read in her voice. When she continued she squinted her eyes briefly, trying very hard not to make it sound like she was talking about zombies. "And perhaps develop a... way to contain those already... under the influence."

Misty nodded to Swift then quickly instructed Donkey, Snaptrap and Puddle. “Clover, rinse off, take ten, then follow Griffon and Eagle. Full scenario in complete gear. Drill till you drop.” She looked at Griffon with a shrug. “Train hard, fight easy. If they can do it now the real thing will be a breeze.”

Clover complied heading to the showers. Misty turned to Swift and Griffon with a cautious smile. “I appreciate the care, to contain them, I’ve got some ideas we could implement when Buzzard arrives. Overall though.” She took a breath. “We don’t lurk around the underground and sewers half the time we work for fun, it’s the price that comes with being free and fighting for what you believe in. Those Akula’s down with their minds taken? That’s a nightmare scenario for most of us.”

Misty paused, weighing her words. “So we’ll contain where possible to help who we can, but if it comes to it, we do not hesitate to ease their suffering. We prevent them from disgracing and branding themselves. None of them deserve to be remembered as monsters or terrorists, and more people don’t need to die because of one man’s treachery.”

She got to the point. “So if your canaries make unavoidable contact, unless it’s absolute they can contain them, shoot to kill. You might think it callous, but it’s our way.” Her eyes dropped. “It’s what they’d want before being branded.”

"I'm not about to argue with you," Griffon said, raising one shoulder in a half-shrug. She cut a quick look at Swift, who nodded again. "We'll still focus on finding them and keeping track of where they are, what they do. Leave dealing with them to you all for the most part. If we can bag a couple we will. If we have to cap a couple, well... yeah."

She'd probably want to be put down if she turned into a zombie too, it was the killing friends part that would give her pause. She didn't envy the position the Akula Crew was in at all.

She sighed then, looking over towards where Clover had gone. "Hopefully we aren't gonna need the 'real thing' but with the way this week's been going..." she let out another, harsher breath. "I'll work with 'em for a little before handing them over to Eagle. He's ex-military or something, probably more used to doing what these guys do. I'm just a problem."

She barely chuckled at her own joke. "And we-" she pointed between herself and Swift. "-have a couple of important things to go check out. But the plan's not gonna change. Rally up in Silverside and make sure everyone knows what's going on."

Misty huffed a laugh. “We’re Akula’s, we’re nothing but problems. We get you.” She moved for the door. “I better get back to it. I’ll brief Patron when they get here.” She stopped to turn her head. “Anything else I can do for you?”

As much as Swift wanted to just come out and ask please, help us find our missing Canary, but she was of the same mind as Griffon. The less people that knew, the better. So she just shook her head once. "Not at the moment. Please let us know if anything changes. We will do the same for you."

Griffon put a hand on her hip, offering Misty a quick grin while she could. It didn't last long. It would have been nice to talk with the Akulas under different circumstances. "Maybe keep your guys on standby once they show up, lot can happen in a couple hours."

Local moth saying hello

Welcome to RPG!

What Are You Listening To?

World of Light: the Endless Now (The Ultimate Smash Bros Crossover)

The Final Hollow - Vs Consul D

Lvl 14 Ms Fortune (167/140), Geralt, Roxas, Captain Falcon, Therion
Word Count: 2781 (+3x2)

A whole lot more chaos ensued. The most pressing thing Roxas had to deal with was when D cast another Dominus Hatred. But this time, the Nobody knew what to expect - and he even had an answer for it. Using his Phantom Ruby, Roxas quickly generated three layers of virtual cubes above his head arranged in 3x3 patterns. They would absorb the incoming rays of green that fell down from the sky onto him. He was unable to provide similar shielding to his allies, but he was able to use that moment’s reprieve to renew his own Tailwind buff as well as provide one for Geralt and Nadia - but was unable to do so for anyone else due to D swiftly taking action following his spell.

During these moments, D engaged with Roland and then with Nadia. Roxas had to fight the urge to teleport with his StepSword, knowing the Consul’s wolves could still strike at him if he tried that. And before Roxas could jump in himself, the ground started to rumble. From elsewhere in the Final Hollow, the Guardian was undergoing its transformation, the effects of which were being felt even here. So Roxas generated a new set of virtual cubes that he could launch himself along using Flow Motion to avoid touching the trembling ground. But as he was about to be within striking distance, D unleashed another spell. This one created a spherical blast of fire around him that kept the Keybearer from striking as well as pushed him back.

”Again?” Roxas exclaimed in frustration, ”Gimme a break!”

Meanwhile, Captain Falcon had spent a chunk of the fight against A stunned and in not-so-good shape. He along with Ganondorf had taken the brunt of a nasty attack. And as a result he was not only hurting, but stressed as all hell thanks to the Consul’s abilities. He heard Sandalphon’s voice coming from a glyph over Ganondorf’s ear, recommending that he and the others in this fight switch opponents to relieve themselves of the stress being inflicted on them.

She didn’t have to tell him twice.

With determination, Cap staggered back to his feet and began to unevenly run toward one of the other Consuls, D to be precise. Behind him he could hear Ganondorf's roars of fury and found himself feeling glad he was not in the shoes of whoever was going to have to face him next. The trembling ground did not do the Captain any favors, and by the time he was close enough to actually join the fighting, it looked like D was already making his moves.

Geralt nodded at the bounty hunter as he approached, barely taking his eye off of D. Losing the Hateful Flesh had made him incredibly angry, but for the moment he was managing to avoid completely losing his mind. However, between that and the rapid-fire loss of their allies, with Ace as the pinnacle, Geralt was very close to the edge of his rope. D’s speed, strength, and variety of magical abilities didn’t help much, either. Without the Orphan’s eldritch cleaver, he was forced to resort to using his silver sword, though the familiarity of the weapon was a welcome change.

As the Consul swung on Nadia, Geralt stepped in to deflect the blow, sending it upwards and over the feral as he ducked low, lashing out with a kick to D’s knee before stepping back with a wide slash. While the joint didn’t buckle beneath Geralt’s blow, it did halt the Consul’s advance, and when he raised his scythe to deflect the ensuing swing the loud clang signalled the return of both men to neutral.

Roxas, now more injured after being blasted back by D’s Demonic Meggido spell, pushed himself back to his feet - refusing to give up. By now he’d noticed the injured Captain Falcon coming to join them, and the beating some of the other Seekers had been taking from D as well. And so after only a moment’s consideration, a tactical decision was made.

”Heal!”

With a raised Keyblade, the remainder of his MP was fully spent and the Curaga spell was cast. It had a slightly extended range now thanks to the Supernova boon he had earlier received from Apollo. As long as he positioned himself right, Roxas could ensure all his nearby allies would be within the spell’s radius giving them a much-needed heal and hopefully getting them all back in shape for what would inevitably be Round 2 against the vampiric Consul. And then? Roxas vanished.

He no longer cared about the wolves flanking D. He’d try to take him from behind in spite of that risk. Roxas teleported to D’s back and attempted to once again slash at him with his ignited energy sword. But he wasn’t attacking alone. After the much-appreciated heal courtesy of the Keyblade Wielder, Falcon sprinted into action toward the Consul at the same time that Roxas vanished. The bounty hunter leaped and came flying back down at the Consul head-on. ”Falcon Kick!”

Though the destructive power of Demonic Meggido had annihilated his own minions, D was by no means defenseless against Roxas’ StepSword. The boy had already given the game away by abusing his teleportation technique to catch D off guard, so by now the Consul was keeping one eye on Roxas at all times. When he disappeared in a flash, D knew what was coming. He intercepted the blazing blade with style by not even turning around, but catching it with his scythe slung over his shoulder, his left hand behind his back to support the weapon just beneath the head.

If D had planned to enact some sophisticated counterattack, however, he never got the chance. Instead his smirk transformed into a look of surprise as the Captain ignited his flames above him, in the very moment where his focus had been diverted behind him. D attempted to pivot, but in an excess of confidence he’d overcommitted to dealing with Roxas, and now could not respond to the Falcon Kick in time. It slammed into his cheek with a meaty impact, leaving his pallid flesh bruised and seared, but the Consul did not go sprawling. Instead he planted his foot, teeth gritted and growling in anger, to try and power through the blow, as if to make up for the indignity of a hit to the head by showing Falcon how inconsequential it was.

Before Falcon’s balance could make him vulnerable as his momentum petered out, however, Nadia happily took advantage of the Consul’s obstinance. The Captain’s kick was a clean hit, maybe the first one the Seekers landed since the battle began, and one good turn deserves another. “Hell nyeah!” She darted in for a right-hand inward slice to D’s belly with Athame, held in a reverse grip, then came around the other way for a giant left-hand slash made savage by Fluffy Soft. With D’s defense double reduced, she kept up the combo with Tailspin, launched him with Limber Up, kept him airborne with a rotary Wheel of Fortune kick, then slammed him down with a jumping backflip kick. It was a short and sweet combo since D was heavy and liable to drop out easily, but it still got the feral fired up. “Know de-feet!”

With a snarl, D swept himself up from the floor as a swarm of bats, appearing a dozen feet away the next instant. “Finally working together, are you? Pathetic!” His cape fluttered, then split apart, becoming giant bat wings. When he gripped his scythe, the flames around it surged, and the next swing launched a volley of whirling fire sickles at the Seekers. “Die!”

Glad to know that she was being an annoyance, Nadia got moving. Running on all fours, she circled around the fiery onslaught. As bad as things had been going so far, even a little triumph amidst the adversity filled the feral with energy, and not just figuratively. Sparks of lightning danced in her eyes and around her bloody scars, telling her that she was fully stocked up on AP. “I’m fully charged!” she called to the others after narrowly avoiding a fire sickle. “Stagger him, and I’ll follow you up!”

Geralt pivoted around a flaming sickle, now in his Molar Boatworks Fixer Identity. All he needed in this form was a moment of distraction and he knew he could put Nadia in a position to follow up. He summoned Monsoon to attack with his metallic corkscrew technique, timing his Striker’s attack landing and punctuating it with a use of Axii. He knew the spell wouldn’t do much to the Consul, but if it bought him even a second, he’d use that time to launch a charged explosive attack from his pile bunker. If not…hopefully one of the others could use the distraction to get Nadia the stagger she needed.

Just when he thought he was about to get a nasty cut from the scythe, Roxas was actually saved from punishment by Falcon’s kick and Nadia’s follow up. And with Geralt engaging the count after that, he used the moment to establish a Tailwind on the Captain. Sure, he was already blisteringly fast, but now he could be even faster. The Nobody had also been utilizing his silver jackal mask to pay close attention to the cooldowns of his abilities that had them, namely his MP. Right now it ticked to 20 seconds exactly, still a bit longer before he could cast again.

But that wasn’t the only cooldown that was ticking, and Roxas noticed that Poltergeist’s cooldown had now worn off. So he figured it was time to let her shine again. He summoned the Striker, only this time it wasn’t to buff himself. Instead the bedsheet ghost girl played a little Prank on the vampire lord - conjuring a bucket of ice water that she proceeded to dunk over his head for a burst of moderate mental damage that could somewhat penetrate resistances as well. If D wasn’t annoyed by Roxas before? Then he definitely was now. And it turned out that someone else was trying to take advantage of Poltergeist’s distracting Prank.

Captain Falcon was nearby and reigniting his flames. Not in his leg this time, but in his fist. With his speed further boosted by Tailwind he was circling around the Consul’s flank in a blaze of blistering speed as he wound up for his infamous signature technique. ”Let’s turn up the heat! Falcon… PUNCH!” Maybe D could block the explosive punch, or dodge it considering the wind up. Or maybe, just maybe, it could give Nadia the stagger she needed.

For focusing a little too much on his various cooldowns and not enough on his opponent, Roxas took a direct hit from one of the Consul’s conjured flame sickles. It whirled into him repeatedly to slash and burn him, but at the same time, his Poltergeist’s prank took D by surprise, as well. He had used his scythe to try and parry Monsoon’s corkscrew, and while Axii had no apparent effect on him, the attempted mental assault was enough to reduce his riposte to an unremarkable glancing blow. The bucket of ice water that followed was a shock to the system, though, especially with his helmet gone. His long, somewhat foppish hair stuck to his face, D leaving D astonished, eyes alight with indignant rage. That moment was just the opening that Geralt had been looking for. He and Falcon arrived at about the same time, both with powerful short-range impacts that took just a split second too long to wind up. A devilish idea popped into D’s head in the nick of time, and without hesitation he transformed into a swarm of bats. Both strikes passed harmlessly through what had a moment ago been his body, and collided with one another.

In his haste to counter them both, though, D had not considered the ensuing explosion. The blast not only staggered Geralt and Roxas, but sent bats flying in all directions, smoking and charred. When D reappeared amidst the chaos, he was reeling and disoriented, and Nadia struck like lightning. Already bowed down and tensed up on all fours, she wiggled her tail, then burst forward with Charge. The yellow bolt blasted clean through D, and the moment the feral rematerialized she spent her AP on a second Charge that carried her back the way she came. Five times in total she blitzed through him, creating a star pattern of lingering lightning, before finally leaping into the air. “Zappy BIRTHDAY!” She hurled both daggers into his armored chest.

“Hmph!” Though hit in rapid succession, D had not been downed. Somehow he stayed standing, his jaw clenched as he ripped one Athame out and threw it on the ground. Now on the back foot, he knew he had to retake control. He lifted his arm to cast his infernal magic, meteors taking shape overhead.

It was then that Therion struck, the oft-forgotten second thief on the Seekers' roster. He had decided to abandon the battle with A even before Sandalphon's suggestion in order to save himself from ending up like Edward had. The stress that A had put him under was still there, simmering, but his physical state was alright - made even better by Roxas' heal, even if the boy himself hadn't even seen him. Therion had taken a back seat and let everyone else fight, waiting for his opportunity like he normally did, and that opportunity was now.

He took a cue from Nadia and struck with both of his own daggers in hand, one powerful and one laced with poison, as he came up in D's blind spot. He used his Battle Boost only at the very last moment, as the swirl of color would give him away otherwise. The Boost powered him up and boosted his critical damage as Therion sunk the blades one each into both of D's sides, newly exposed thanks to his casting position. With his target’s defenses reduced by Athame, it was guaranteed to do some damage. At the same time Therion used his Energy Thief to sap away as much of D's own mana as he could, siphoning it into himself.

“Hrrrgh!” This was no mere indignation; the pain D felt was very real. Though the Consul would survive what would normally be an excruciatingly lethal attack, Therion’s assassination attempt exacted a heavy price from him, both in terms of life and magic. Nevertheless, D had plenty to spare. Powering through the pain and poison, he began to cast a flame pillar at his own location to burn Therion off, before twisting it into a blood rain around himself. With the Seekers no doubt held at bay by such a perilous hazard, he would concoct even stronger sorcery to spell their doom once and for all.

That may have been the case for Captain Falcon, who was still shaking off his accidental clash with Geralt earlier. But Roxas, who was now recovered for the most part from the flame sickle he’d been punished with? Not so much. ”That won’t stop me!” He shouted as he hurled his Keyblades in arcs that circled around to try and flank D from both sides. And meanwhile Roxas aimed and charged up his RockGun, looking to close in on D with a three-pronged ranged attack coming from different angles. And just for good measure he threw in a cluster of virtual cubes to make it harder for D to dodge without coming into contact with them.

Though he considered taking the time to debuff the Consul while he was close enough, ultimately Therion's self preservation was the stronger instinct. He wrenched his blades out from D and backed off quickly, disengaging as the fire spell fell upon the vampire. It came fast, and Therion could feel the heat scorch at him even though he'd avoided the flames themselves. He kept moving as the blood rain swirled up, making sure he was out of range before he flipped the daggers in his hands, stowing one. He narrowed his eyes at D, his tail flicking. He wasn't the least bit shocked that his surprise attack hadn't spelled the end for the man, but now that he'd gone through with it he knew he wouldn't be able to pull it off again.

Nocturnal Memoirs: An Urban-Fantasy Mafia Epic

Front Office, Silverside

_{Mentions: Adel || Interactions: -}

---

Griffon sat slouched over in her seat, her arms crossed on her desk and her chin nestled in them. She was tired as hell, probably had ugly bags under her eyes but she hadn't checked. She glared at the front door of the offices, the space between the actual office and the gallery, but also nodded to everyone that came or left so they would know she wasn't glaring at them.

She had a feeling something was wrong.

Ever since last night when Adel and Swift had... argued, or whatever had happened, she had this pit in her stomach.

She looked to her left.

Swift was in a spare seat beside her, wedged between the desk and the wall, passed out. She had gotten here even earlier than Griffon had, but wasn't used to all nighters. She also decided not to tell Griffon why she'd been kicked out of the boss' office, wanting to talk things out with the man first. Griffon's eyes went back to the door. She was mad at Adel. Still wanted him to apologize to Swift. But then she thought about how not-okay he'd looked before leaving last night.

She tapped her fingers against her arms.

The boss hadn't been in the office yet.

Technically he could have already come and gone, slipped in and out before she or Swift had gotten in. Regardless, she hadn't seen him. He'd texted her that he was fine some hours ago, in the middle of the night, but that was also the last she'd heard from him. He hadn't replied to any of her other messages, nor the messages of anyone else in the office she'd asked. When she tried calling him, it went straight to voicemail without ringing.

There had been multiple attacks in Nocturnia as soon as day had broken, some right next to Silverside. Information, reports, and requests were piling up on her boss' desk, in his inbox. Yet he hadn't so much as checked in. Wasn't around to take advantage of a situation where he stood to make a ton of money. He hadn't given Griffon any orders besides the vague 'get ready in case of a fight' the day before, even when the rest of Silverside was bolstering its borders, the western side along the river with private guards standing by to ensure the properties of the rich and influential were untouched by the conflict.

Sure, if anyone asked if she and her boss were friends he would probably say no. She might say it depends. But she'd known him for years now, and this just wasn't really like him.

Griffon let out a heavy sigh from her nose, still glaring. She was getting antsy.

Swift stirred next to her. The younger woman blinked her eyes open slowly, looking at the window where the amount of light told her it was already well into the morning. She frowned and looked at Griffon.

"Did he...?" she began, but Griffon shook her head without sitting up. Swift sighed, shifting in her seat. After a moment she stood up, wobbling towards the break room's coffee maker most likely.

"Swift, go crash on the boss' couch," Griffon said. Swift paused to look back at her.

"I don't think he would like that," she said quietly.

"Exactly. If that doesn't summon him nothing else will," she joked. Swift gave her a small smile, but it faded quickly.

"Would you like a coffee?"

"Yeah. Thanks."

Alone in the room, Griffon began tapping her fingers again. She'd sent Eagle out for a practice run at finding and aiding a fellow canary, and Darter, the stupid bastard, was downstairs. Cybersleuthes were tucked in behind their computers in another section, some Omakase men milled around with a few canaries outside of the 'lobby,' and even more canaries scattered across the city, snooping on an individual basis or on assignment from Swift (that conversation had been an interesting one, for sure). There was just one piece missing.

She finally sat up when Swift returned with two mugs in hand, gratefully taking the one offered to her. Swift placed hers on the desk and dragged her chair around to sit across from Griffon. After she sat, she nursed her coffee for a little while without saying anything. Now that Swift was awake though, Griffon filled the silence with one sided conversation. She let her frustration with their boss be known, then her recent frustration with Darter who always managed to get on her bad side. Then she moved on to recapping the latest show she'd been binging, which usually cheered Swift up (or so she assumed as the other woman had never seemed annoyed or asked her to stop), but wasn't really helping at the moment.

"...Ms. Misty will be here soon. We'll have to proceed without him," Swift said eventually, clearing her throat. Griffon let out a heavy sigh, pushing her chair back until it stood only on two legs.

"Well it's not like he can be mad at us for doing it without him since he's still, I dunno, hiding or whatever," she said. She frowned slightly at her own words. "I think he probably would've agreed anyway. "

Swift hummed an agreement. She thought so too, so she didn't feel that bad. Her only hang ups were the fact that the man wasn't around, and that they had parted on such poor terms. For all Swift knew, he still believed her to have betrayed his trust. It didn't sit right with her. Still, she would just have to wait until he returned to clear things up between them. In the mean time, the deal she'd made with the Akula representative Misty took priority.

"As soon as Eagle gets back, I'll collect Darter so we can talk about our next steps. If Misty has arrived by then, all the better."

Both women were clearly uneasy, but being together and having a sort of game plan for the day made them feel a little better. 'Business first' was practically their boss' motto, so they'd focus on that for now, and explain everything to Adel when he got back.

Whenever that happened to be.

---

Riverfront, Silverside

_{Mentions: Adel || Interactions: Martin (in collaboration with @flux)}

---

Martin stalked the waterfront of Silverside. Concealed in a trench coat he reveled in his old cover. A private eye who reappeared after having to go to ground after a ‘bad case’ coming for his blood. His outfit bordered on absurd, his ‘life’ within the city even more so. It just meant few people took him seriously, less so his business, but it meant his wet work often went overlooked.

He found himself gazing across the district. Lights reflecting off every vertical surface in sight. Opulent would be an understatement. There was a sense of functionality here, something that could only be realised by people who felt real pride in their country or state. To Martin that elicited something visceral, something fearful. These people were rallying, coming together to make something more of their circumstances. They were becoming organised, dangerous.

Martin dropped his head down. His next report would suggest posturing a force ready to repel or invade Nocturnia should this trend continue. Even animals could become dangerous when given enough time. He found a bench along his route. Taking a seat he looked over the waterway, spending the good part of an hour just watching the calmness of the flowing water glinting in the morning light.

Letting his guard down he could hear children playing. Not turning his head, just following the sound he also heard parents chasing them down in tow. Nothing sinister, nothing wrong, just a family ready to attack the day. It was a moment of doubt, over his missions, his studies. It happened occasionally within the city. Thoughts drifting to how different his life could be if his cover became a reality.

Then the Gyft. A shout. A rush of energy. Turning his head now the parents guarded their children as someone else in the park began apologizing profusely. Someone who lacked the discipline to control what the city had blessed them with. Someone who could’ve ended another prospective family looking just to live safely. He scoffed. There was no alternative. Control was the only chance these people had for prosperous lives.

His focus returned to the moment, not long after he spotted his target approaching. Martin called out the moment his man passed him. “Private Gonzalez.”

To say that hearing his name came as a shock was an understatement. Eagle - Alex Gonzalez- paused mid-step, frozen for a moment while he thought about what someone calling that name could mean.

He had been on his way back in to work, having been sent out to connect with a canary nearby and confirm their status. And now didn't that just seem so silly, when he was still a soldier at heart?

Alex turned, scanning the area, finding the person who'd called out to him. They looked like an old movie archetype, but upon closer inspection of the man's face... Alex squinted, and then blinked in open surprise.

"...Sergeant? What the hell are you doing here?" He actually smiled at the man, lowering his voice slightly as he approached. "Am I glad to see you, though. I was getting ready to try radioing out soon."

Martin allowed an easy smile. “At ease boy. Take a seat.” He waited for Eagle to sit down before continuing to speak. “It's good to see you made the fall. You got a lot luckier than most, being out on mission in Silverside when it all fell apart.” He paused long enough for Alex to open his mouth but cut him off regardless. “Reports are however that you’ve begun to naturalise into the Canary’s, supporting that fact is that you not only failed to retrieve comms gear but actively declined it.”

He looked to Eagle. “We can still hear what's coming over those, and none of it has been good private.” He paused again, this time without Eagle’s attempt to jump in. Martin smiled. “How do I know you aren’t compromised.”

Eagle's face fell as he took in his superior's words. This was what he hadn't wanted to happen - for his brothers in arms to learn he was alive, but write him off anyway. To make sure his mission in Nocturnia was for life and abandon him here. But he'd figured that conversation, as much as he did NOT want to have it, would have taken place over the radio. Now that he was face to face with Sergeant Luthen, he could explain himself properly. He had to make the man understand that he was the same Private First Class Gonzalez he'd always been.

"I'm not compromised sir," he said seriously, hands gripped tight on his knees. "After the massacre I needed to lay low somewhere, couldn't go back to Yellowbrick with those mafia guys all over it. The Canaries were - I thought they were my best shot at staying alive."

And so far, so good. Adel had even paid for his hotel, shockingly enough.

"I have been working with them, sir, that's true, though with all due respect it's been two days. They're a neutral party. I should have pressed the issue with the comms." Especially since his new temporary boss hadn't done anything with them yesterday. "But if you're here - you didn't come just to relieve me, I'm sure."

Martin nodded, raising an eyebrow. “Resourceful. You're a survivor, I'll give you that, and between us you have my respect for achieving what you have. I see real potential in you. Officials outside though.” He paused again. “You know what they’re like, conspiracy in every corner, contamination in every crevice. They don’t get what war really is.”

Martin cut straight to the point. “So I’ll offer you a deal private. You assist me on my mission and you’ll be out on the first convoy with me when we’re done. You’ll get your discharge papers with honours signed by myself personally if you want, and go back to life outside the wall as a decorated veteran.”

Martin's tone remained the same as before. “If you say no, then you make a life for yourself here on your own. Either way, if you ever sell out your brothers and sisters, I’ll be sure you end up in containment as a control subject for Gyfted studies. Understood?”

Eagle barely heard the threat, he was too focused on the reward. He could get out of this hellhole. He could work with the Master Sergeant himself and get out alive, see his wife and daughter again.

"Sir!" Eagle said, his voice taken by kindled hope. "I would never betray my brothers and sisters, or my country. No matter what happens to me in here, that won't change. Of course I'll work with you. It'd be an honor, sir."

Whatever mission it was, he'd do it. Alex glanced around the area. It was wide open, people went about their business, but no one bothered the plain clothes soldiers. Most didn't even look at them. Even so he asked, "Before I ask about it, is it really alright to talk about all this here?"

Martin showed the first fracture in his composure in a long time waving his hands down at the private. “It is when your not a screaming patriot in fucking public. Jesus.” He calmed the private and himself. He showed enough gumption to survive, but he was still a private, he had to remember that. Once settled Martin returned to Eagle’s gaze. “Yeah it's fine, if anything better. Background noise muffles our words, chatting on a bench isn’t suspicious. Canary’s ask, an old man asked for assistance, thought he was having a medical episode.”

Martin went on. “As for you. Get close to the Silver Canary. Get his trust. I’ll forward you military intel to trade for that trust. Once you have him, we reconvene. If he’s secured outside the wall, then your part is done. I’ll be in contact once I’ve retrieved other survivors. Understood?”

Though Alex had momentarily gone sheepish at the outburst, he faded back into a more serious expression as what the Sergeant was asking him sunk in. At first it seemed that his incredible fortune was continuing. He had survived the assault on Del Guarde, had managed to find a safe place to crash, had learned his current employer had military comms for him to use, and now he'd met with Sergeant Luthen and all the man was asking him to do was cozy up to the guy he'd begged for a job two days ago. If anything he had already planned on getting closer to the Canary, just by virtue of working for him and getting on his good side so he could survive and escape the city.

"Uh... 'have him,' sir?" he asked, a furrow in his brows. Secured outside of the wall? "Why do you need him outside? I don't mean to be insubordinate, I’m just a little… confused."

Martin’s expression hardened having his authority questioned for clarity. He eased back. The private had been through hell. He’d give him a break, just this once. “He’s a subject of interest, both personally and scientifically. So much so we require the security and assets of our facilities to fully dissect. You have your orders.”

Scientific subject of interest? Alex had no clue what that meant. Logically he knew what all of the words meant, what they meant when put together, but... Adel? Subject of interest? It was surprising. Then again, Del Guarde had been briefed on the Silver Canary not long after they arrived in the city; it was how Alex had recognized him when they'd met. Though... 'personally?' Had the Sergeant met the man before?

Eagle could tell that asking more questions would earn him trouble though, and he didn't want to ruin his shot at salvation. "Understood, sir," he said, bringing his hand up to salute but then thinking better of it considering the situation. Instead he moved to stand. "I'll do everything I can."

Martin nodded. “Good to hear. Stay alive private, it would be a shame to die now.” He leant back into the chair. “I’ll contact you when I have further orders. Don’t linger and don’t come back. I’ll leave in an hour or so.” Seeing Eagle’s hesitation he said it in a way he’d understand. “Dismissed.”

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