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-Snip-
I have a character in mind but what's the furthest from the academy they'd be coming from? Do they need to be an Alaska resident?
-SNIPPERINO-
@Mr Allen J

Meifeng and Rose seem to be taking a stroll close to where the Taylor brothers are kicking back. Hmm, I wonder if this means their game of pool is going to be interrupted by a body flying through the window.
So I updated Quentin, Reed and Cass' character sheets to slowly reflect recent events and because they needed it. Also, does anyone know any good music resources for helping setting certain scenes?4

Quentin & Reed Taylor





Quentin shook his head as Sonya and Trevor headed off for the shooting range, chuckling as he drove a palm into his knee to stand up. Damn, he thought as he glanced over the NEST lounge. Never thought I’d be sat in a place like this one day, working with these people. It was strange. When he’d first started working for NEST it had been out of necessity, a means to survive - but now? Working with these people, seeing these sides of them as opposed to the cold, calculating demeanor that had always been presented before was interesting, reminding him of how both Cass and Reed were different people when they were on-duty. Hard as it was to admit but... he liked it.

It was different to before - working security had been a monotonous day job whilst the other business had slowly crept up and into his life until it finally led him to the abyss. And somehow, it was never just about the money - he’d had other motivations for doing what he did, deep down inside.

But this? It made him feel alive. For the first time in a while, even.

And, as strange as it was, he had a nagging feeling at the back of his head. Reed. Something told him he had unfinished business with his younger brother, if not because he was tired of the kid getting on his back whenever they met. They needed to talk - but first, he’d grab something to eat.

As he left the lounge there was a vending machine containing a wide variety of snacks for him to feast upon. Digging out his wallet as he scanned the interior’s contents for a targets, he found a packet of M&M’s to be suitable and quickly popped a dollar bill inside. Of course, the machine had seen better days and had probably seen it’s share of abuse over the years - so it took a while to drop the packet of chocolate and peanut deliciousness.

In the meantime, Quentin whipped out his phone and dialed a number that he’d not logged for a few months. After a couple of seconds of empty dial tone, a familiar voice piped up.

“Yeah, who is it?”

“Hey, it’s me - are you busy, by chance?”

“Nah, I’m off today. Why?”

“Alright, good because... well, I wanted to talk.”

“Seriously? For real, this time?”

“As I said, I wanted to talk. We need to talk. Just me and you, no bullshit - no lies.”

“Alright, sure. Stop by in an hour, if you want.”

Hanging up, it wasn’t until he popped the phone back into his pocket that he remembered he was due some M&Ms...




Driving down to Cass’ old place on University Row, it was strange to see the old neighbourhood again, after what he’d seen and been through. He’d not dropped by in over a year, if not longer - and even then it had been to drop something with Cass rather than paying Reed a visit. Rapping his knuckles on the door, he heard someone shout “It's open,” prompting him to step inside.

For all the maturity and wisdom Cass had, he was still a kid in ways - Quentin noticed the assorted 80’s-90’s action film memorabilia that decorated the house, from the Predator statue standing vigilant on a nearby shelf to an original Terminator 2: Judgement Day film poster with Arnie’s signature on it, framed upon the wall. Yup. Cass definitely lived here. But then again, so did Reed.

Helping himself to a couple of beers from the fridge and taking a seat at the table, he tossed Reed a nod as his brother stepped in. As he sat down, Quentin pushed the other beer across the table as a hint. Reed didn't seem to be taking it just yet, mind.

“What'd you want to talk about, exactly?” Reed was straight to business, as usual.

Quentin shrugged. “It’s… a lot of stuff. About what's happened this past year, how I've.. changed, I guess.”

“You changed a long time ago.”

“I didn't mean that.”

“Oh, really? Because I remember it clear as crystal enough. One day you just started acting different and distanced yourself from us, like that-” Reed snapped his fingers “Like you had something else going on. You kept going dark on us, disappearing for days at a time. Then you had the condo, the job, you had all that set up pretty easy looking from where I was standing. Me and Cass, we both had our suspicions - you leading the kind of life that he did as best he could to keep us out of.”

“I had my reasons for what I-” Before Quentin could get out an answer, Reed cut him off.

“What reasons? What the hell were you doing, exactly? I checked the file not long after you went missing, where they found your bike. Yeah, I know who Alec Lebedev is - or should I say, used to be. Is that what this shit was?”

Quentin didn't answer that time.

“Oh, here we go again. Silence is always convenient for you. God dammit, you're lucky I never took you in. The only thing that stopped me from doing that was because I knew it'd break Cass’ heart and for the sake of our Mom. What would she think if she saw this shit, huh?”

“Mom?” Quentin seethed, “Mom’s dead and she was barely around for us when she was alive. I'm the one who had to take care of things, I did more for you than she ever did!”

It took a moment for it to sink in before Quentin realised why Reed was looking at his balled up fist where he'd slammed it. In the table was a clear fissure in the wood, as if someone had smashed it with a hammer.

“What happened to you, Quent?” The younger of the Taylors finally asked. “I'm not even talking about how you were able to do that-” he gestured to the great crack in the table, “I've never seen you acting like this before. Shit, you're an asshole but… you're still my brother and it fucking concerns me for a reason. Even Cass worries about you too.”

“As I said, a lot of things. Look - you’re probably too young to remember this but things got worse for our family as the years passed by,” Quentin began, sinking back into the chair with a sullen look on his face, his tone finally apologetic, “Mom went from one deadbeat to another, trying to drown her pain through one thing or another. If it wasn’t booze it was painkillers, if it wasn’t painkillers it was booze - it went on, and on, and on. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always appreciated what Cass did for us in the end, and he was there for us, but not all the time - I don’t blame him for that, either.”

Reed wasn't convinced yet. “What’s your point to all this?” He shot back.

“My poin-.. my point is that I grew up before I should have had to and took the reigns all through that. Using the money I made through that life to help out with things and make sure we had something to eat at the same time. It’s always felt like you’ve never got that - never understood it. But, fuck it - that’s in the past. You were right, I never did entirely let go of that life for a time, and I’ve come to regret it.”

“..Thanks.” For the first time, Reed had finally heard it openly from his brother and softened his resolve. “Is that why you wound up working for NEST? Did they offer you some kind of amnesty?”

“Something like that. I kept my name off the register for a long time because... I just wanted to keep it to myself, I guess,” Telling Reed about what those twisted bastards had done was still too raw a wound expose, so instead he kept it brief. “One day I wound up in a situation that changed me, through that I ran into NEST - and they found out that I was a Metahuman and told me that with my background in security, I could still work for them as an agent. I doubt that the alternative would’ve been preferable.”

“So.. is this why you've been acting different?”

“Yeah.” Quentin answered.

A few more minutes passed as the two spoke. Reconciliation felt good, like taking a weight off Quentin’s psyche. Eventually it felt like it was time to head back home, so he pressed a couple fingers against the cracked table to stand, noting “Tell Cass I'll replace the table when I've got time.”

Just before he touched the door, Reed spoke up. “Hold on. You got anything else planned?”

Quentin arched an eyebrow. “No, why?”

“I know a good place downtown not far from here, they run discounts for cops.”

“I'm not a cop-” Quentin got cut off.

“You work for NEST, don't you?” Reed’s tone was dangerously sly.

For the first time in many years, the Taylor brothers grinned in unison.






A couple hours later.

Turns out that Reed wasn't bullshitting. Whilst it was hardly the kind of place you’d see the high-class Knightdale Rows types flooding in, Bermuda’s had its merits. The drinks were good, the prices not too bad and the patrons lively enough to create a decent atmosphere. Senior students often dropped by to unwind and unlearn after a long day at studies, lectures and work whilst other colourful characters dropped by.

In a corner by the pool table, the Taylor brothers sat across from one another with a couple beers beside them. For both of them, this reconciliation was long overdue and, for the oldest of them more than anything, it had been a boon to his psyche.

“Say, how’s that new placement you’ve had these past couple months? Cass seemed real proud for you.” Quentin asked after swigging from his bottle.

“It's good,” Reed nodded, optimistic as ever, “I mean, it's hard but it's fulfilling. Makes you feel like you're making a real difference.”

“Yeah?” Quentin arched an eyebrow, reminded of something he'd meant to say, “Y’know, ever since I started working for NEST, I’ve felt... different. Strange, even. In a good way. I’ve felt like I’m... doing something worthwhile, for a difference.”

A fox’s sly smile formed across Reed’s face. “I can’t believe the words that our coming out of your mouth. Did they... brainwash you, or anything? I know your workplace has those telepathic types, maybe they scrambled your head.”

Quentin chuckled and flipped him off for that. “Hah, fuck you too. Yeah, I’ll admit it - I thinking I’m getting that same buzz you and Cass love to brag about. And it’s had a weight off my chest.” Finally, he’d admitted it. To the last man he’d expected to no less. Though... planting that boot on Heartbreaker’s hand had contributed to reducing the weight, but that was better left unmentioned.

Incidentally, it also reminded Reed of something he'd had on his mind. “Whilst we’re getting things off our chest... you know about that little incident down at the beachside area a couple of weeks ago, right?”

“Yeah..” Quentin answered, having already made himself familiar with Reed’s report a few weeks back, when he'd first heard of it.

“Well... remember how the report - yes, I know you’ve got access to that kind of information - mentions that me and Gabe were helped out by a couple of anonymous kids who left before I could take their details down?”

“Go on.”

“I had the opportunity to speak with them. By the looks of it, they were probably young enough to have parents who’d be pissed if they got caught out on a night like that. So I let them slip for once, figured they'd earned it and keeping them wouldn't serve any purpose.”

“So you’re saying that you, Officer Reed Taylor - poster boy for Verthaven’s Finest - bent the rules? Bullshit.”

“That's Detective to you. And if it weren’t for them, those Met-.. those suspects might’ve killed Gabe and I would’ve gone the same way, most likely. I owed them.”

“No shit. Heh, maybe there is still some hope for you, little brother. Consider your secret safe with me.” Quentin snorted, amused at the notion, before adding “Don’t short change yourself though - you held up pretty well. Better than most in your place.”

“Nah, there was a girl with her friends. Had a mean ability to control water and ice, almost matched her personality.” Reed remembered the girl - she wasn't exactly easy forget. “She and her friends did a lot of the ‘hero’ work.”

Quentin was about to move on when something clicked at the mention of those particular traits. “Hold on. Just out of curiosity, was she asian? Dark-brown hair, ponytail, probably has a scar on her face or something?”

It took Reed a moment to think things through, before nodding, “I think, yeah.”

Quentin burst out laughing at that one. “For real?”

Reed wasn’t exactly in on the funny side of it, answering “Yeah, for real. You know her or something?”

“No shit, it’s a small world.” Quentin wiped a palm across his face and downed another gulp of his drink. ’Damn. Wonder if she has a thing for lifesaving. Who knows, but having worked with her mom - I wager she had her reasons for wanting to be kept out of it.’

“Anyway..” he decided it best to move on, tugging his wallet out of his pocket. “Next round’s on me.”
Working on a post but I need some sleep, will probably finish tomorrow.

Sonya Mayfield, Quentin Taylor, & Task Force RAVEN.
Written in collaboration with @tsukune, @Zombiedude101, @Mr Allen J


Sonya pressed her back against the wall, her eyes peaking around the corner ever so slightly. The rest of her team did the same. The Frog woman managed to spot some cells - Good. It means they are right on track. All Sonya saw was some unconscious scientists... Oh, if they're unconscious, then that means that the prisoners might be, too. That'll make her job a little harder. Okay, their mission should be securing the area, then they'll go get around to getting the prisoners out of here. Sonya couldn't sniff the air - this mask stopped that - so she would have to rely on her sight and hearing.

Quentin looked to her for further, taking slow and steady breaths to make wearing that damned mask as comfortable as possible without giving his position away from the Vader-like respiratory noise it could give off. Somehow, he had a hunch he'd wind up encountering one of the fuckers from that facility again - either the huge bastard wearing the mask or that obnoxious bitch who'd first got the jump on him.

"Swarm Queen," Sonya started off, turning to her team-mate in the back. "Can you get us eyes on the location?"

Nikki nodded. "I'll try." She releashed her swarm of insects, and mentally pushed them into the surrounding area. Their senses were thrown off by the narcotics in the air, but Nikki was able to tag all of the unconscious REAPERs. She put them all over the halls just as reference so they could get around. Otherwise, there wasn't anyone standing. "I don't see any guards or anything - none that are conscious."

"Alright, RAVEN," Sonya said, "Our job is to secure the area, and get those prisoners out of here. Got it?" She asked, and the rest of RAVEN nodded their heads. "Alright, move out." Sonya stepped into the hallway, sticking to the walls. The rest of RAVEN followed right behind here, with Quentin and his shotgun taking point.

After a short trip, they made it to a moderately wide hallway. It was lined with rows of metal doors, and it was long. There were some unconscious REAPERs and scientists lying around. Otherwise, that was it. Sonya felt as if something wasn't right here. Which is why she was hesitant to step into the open like this... a sniper always sticks to the shadows, takes a shot, then vanishes without a trace. An open firefight like this would not be preferable.

However, the real threat came from behind them, and not from where Sonya expected. The group heard ice freezing behind them, and Sonya peaked around her shoulder to spot Snowblind - only getting a second to look before the cyro-witch fired a spear of ice at the center of the ground.

"Behind us, move!" Sonya shouted as she dove out of the way.

It was unnecessary, as Adam swiped his arm across, and created a gust of wind powerful enough to knock the spear into the wall. RAVEN immediately pointed their guns at her - but Snowblind managed to teleport away before they could pull the trigger.

"Bloody teleporter..." Sonya hissed underneath her breath. "You guys know the drill."

Another sound of cracking ice came from the other end of the hallway, and it was followed by another blast of ice, which hit the wall because Sonya managed to dodge. When they looked down the hallway, they were greated with some old friends....

"... Well, well, well." Heartbreaker said as she stepped down the hallway, twirling her revolver around her fingers. "I heard that you joined up with NEST, Quentin-boy, but I couldn't believe it." Heartbreaker laughed from underneath her mask. The sound of her voice was enough to grind his teeth together behind the mask's filter, prompting him to answer that by pointing his 870 towards her side of the hallway and firmly squeezing back on the trigger.

Heartbreaker's reflexes and body-control were so great that she managed to kick an operating table up, and duck behind it. Shooting a shotgun at that range wasn't that good of an idea to begin with - but, hey, she got under his skin there. "... Rude as fuck." Heartbreaker taunted. Coming from one of the side hallways were the Mannequin, and Fig. The Mannequin's eye twitched as he stared down the hallway.

Snowblind teleported right in front of them. Holding her hands behind her back.

"Heartbreaker?" Sonya said, "Damn it. RAVEN, take cover!" They knew that her shooting ability meant that any one of them could get their heads blown off in an instant. Sonya ducked behind an opened cell door with Inkshade and Quentin swallowed his frustration and pressed up against another. While Adam and Nikki stood in the room, seemingly in clear fire of Heartbreaker.

However, Adam called out his own Echo. A golden copy of himself that was easily twice his own size. It acted as a shield - Heartbreaker whipped out both revolvers, and opened fire on Adam's Echo. Bullets slid off it's body. Nikki had summoned her swam of insects, ready to act as a smoke-screen - but she knew that Snowblind and Fig would decimate hem. However, she had some of her bugs push forward, and try to sneak up on them.

Sonya poked out for a moment to shoot at them, but Snowblind teleported out of the way. Quentin, on the other hand, knew he'd be better off saving his remaining shells until he got closer to them and loaded in another.

"Damn it, of course we get the annoying ones." Sonya said to herself. She turned to Inkshade. "We're gonna need..." Sonya looked down at the cannister of Metahuman depressant gas that was hanging off her vest, and Inkshade's. She got an idea.

Sonya peaked outside, and saw that Adam and Nikki were standing there. While Adam's Echo was tanking all the hits. Which would come in handy.

"All-Father," Sonya said. "Grab your canisters and toss it at them." She said. The gas won't bother anyone that's wearing a mask - but it'll definitely act as smoke-screen, and give Sonya and the rest of RAVEN to pull their heads together and create a plan.

Adam nodded his head, and pulled the cannisters off his vest, and Nikki handed him hers. Adam gave the cannisters to his Echo, and he held all of them in one hand. With two fingers, the Echo pierced the cannisters, and quickly tossed them down the hallway. The Changeling Unit, and Heartbreaker quickly scattered - but the gas quickly filled up the entire hallway.

Sonya grinned. They now had the perfect window of opportunity, and Quentin was the first to seize it - pushing forward, passing cell after cell, using the opened doors as cover.

Adam and Nikki started pushing down the hallway, using Adam's Echo as a shield.

Sonya and Inkshade had another idea... They both turned invisible. Using their out of sightness as cover, they both clung to the ceiling. Climbing towards them quickly as they could.

"Damn it!" Heartbreaker hissed, taking steps backwards. She knew that the NEST bastards would be pushing in, which is why she held onto her revolvers tightly. She hated to lose ground to them. Only thing that Heartbreaker thought of would be a good idea is to retreat. She can't shoot what she can't see, after all. "Changelings, fall back!" Heartbreaker ordered, and the group pulled back into one of the side hallways. Snowblind teleported away.

Heartbreaker's order didn't go unnoticed. "Shit, the bastards are pulling back." Sonya said into the comms. "Gotta push in after them. We need Heartbreaker and the Mannequin!" Sonya hopped down, and turned visible. Inkshade stayed clung to the ceiling, invisible.

They went down the same hallway the Changelings did. Sonya, followed by RAVEN, chased after the Changeling Unit. She was following their footsteps - however, she stopped when it came to her that this could be a trap. "Swarm Queen." Sonya said.

"I already tagged them." Nikki said, "They're right down this hallway... they're in some room. Let me get some more bugs in there." She quickly sent down more of her insects, and scanned the room. Placing them on everything just to get a feel of it. Insects didn't have the best senses, but the way Nikki was gathering information, it was like feeling everything in the room to make a map. She felt, armor, weapons... Oh No. "... They're in an armory." Nikki said, worried.

"Why can't we ever have someone with magnetic powers?" Quentin complained over the comms, before finally suggesting "Fuck it - what about the containment foam or something, will that work?"

"... Those poor bastards." Sonya said, grinning. She put her hands on her hips, and shook her head. She had a plan. A perfect plan! She grabbed her cannister of the Metahuman depressant gas. "They forgot that we have, Inkshade, the sneakiest of all the RAVENs." Her tongue flopped out of her mouth - contained by her gas mask. She rolled her eyes. "Boys, and gals, can you give me your gas cannisters?" She put her hand out, and the RAVENs gave up their canisters.

"Alright, here's my little game-plan," Sonya started off, raising a finger up into the air. "I'll toss these down the hallway, and Adam will use his air powers to force the gas into their little armory. If it works, it should fill up their room - or, at very least, cover a great deal of it. While that's going on, Inkshade will slip in through a vent or something, and set off a few explosives. Which should be distraction enough for us to push in, and take them out!"

"That works too, I guess." Quentin remarked. If it worked, it was a chance to get his hands on the bitch hiding inside. If not, they'd have wasted more than just the cannisters, but he wasn't planning on going down that road.

"Ready Adam?" Sonya said with a grin.

Adam switched over to his air manipulation, and took in a deep breath. "Yes." Adam said, preparing himself.

"Now, when we get in there, I can't stress this enough, but don't kill Heartbreaker or the Mannequin!" Sonya said, "They might be our only way to getting to the bottom of this madness! Understood? Alright, go!" Sonya pressed the button on all of them, and tossed them down the hallway. They started dispensing the gas all over the place - but Adam pushed them into the room using the best of his ability. It did fill the room.

Inkshade converted to her liquid state, and went up into the airvents.

"Stay safe, Inky." Sonya said, throwing her wife the peace sign.

Inkshade quickly moved through the vents, and made it to the vent that lead to the armory. Like she had suspected, the room was filled with the gas. She could hear Heartbreaker shouting, and she could get a good idea of where everything is. Inkshade crawled out of the vents, clinging to the ceiling. She changed her color to match the enviroment. Maria came close to the grenades, and created inky tentacles - she pulled the pinn on all of them, and hopped far away as she could - making it back into the vent just as they exploded.

"... What the hell?" Heartbreaker said, "God damn it, Snowblind." She said to her Hands of Science associate. "Thought you said this stupid plan of yours would work!" She grit her teeth. "Alright, we need fall back-"

The explosion was rude enough to cut her off - the sheer explosive pressure knocked Heartbreaker over, and burned her badly. She let out a cry of pain, as she hit the ground. Bloody, and beaten... However, what was worse was that her mask was damaged. The gas that RAVEN filled the room with started pouring into her lungs. Her last sight was seeing that cyrokinetic bitch teleport away, and RAVEN walking up to her.

She had to grin, as they aimed all of their weapons at her. She could barely make out anything. "Ah... damn it..." Heartbreaker said, before passing out.

Sonya quickly looked around - she couldn't smell a damn thing in all this gas - but she saw that the Witch Mother, and Fig were also unconscious. She grinned. "Mission accomplished?" She shrugged.

"Not yet." Quentin had his 870 trained on Heartbreaker from point blank range. He looked ready to squeeze the trigger, yet he'd remembered what she'd said about needing her alive - despite the trouble it had been last time. Instead, he planted a boot on one of her shooting hands and crunched down, knowing it'd be a fun experience for her wake up to. She deserved that, at the very least - from his perspective, anyways.

"Agent Tay- Counterpoint!" Sonya immediately piped out. She knew that Heartbreaker and Quentin had some bad blood, but that was no reason to injure a downed opponent. "We took her down, that was unnecessary!"

Quentin released his boot from Heartbreaker's fingers and looked towards her. "We had her once and she got away, and you've seen what she's like with a weapon. This'll even the odds if she tries anything again." was his excuse, though in truth he hadn't forgotten walking into an ambush with her gun planted against the back of his head, then later waking up to her in that hellhole and the nightmare it entailed.

"... And so will handcuffs." Sonya pulled her handcuffs from her belt as she knelt down and put them on Heartbreaker's hands. Tying them together. The rest of RAVEN put cuffs on the Witch Mother and Fig - followed by power inhibitior collars around their necks. "Agent, you need to stay in line." Sonya reprimanded Quentin. "I don't want you getting hit with a suspension, too." She pointed at him, reminding him of another person who he'd come to respect.

Rolling her green eyes, Sonya stepped off. "Grue, prison wing has been secured - we ran into opposition, but we managed to handle them. Changelings were present on the base. We managed to capture Heartbreaker, Fig, and the Witch Mother - Mannequin seemingly got away."

"Understood. Agents on on route to lend a hand." Dana said. "Good work, RAVEN."
@Zombiedude101 Relax. We just did a separate collab for one half of the raid on the Hands base. There's another collab I wanted to do with you that involved Quentin.


Yeah, thanks. For a moment I thought I'd slipped into a coma and missed a ton of stuff overnight.
Goddammit, did you guys manage to write without me again? I've been constantly checking the collab only to find the same blank page with:


Sonya Mayfield, John Cole Sykes, Quentin Taylor, & Task Force RAVEN.
Written in collaboration with @tsukune, @Zombiedude101, @UrbanEvolution, & @DJAtomika
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