The Birth of Aegis [Superhero] (IC/Open)

[Talion Union]

"Well, this seems to be the place to be to find Metas." Verso chuckled. "Well, come on in! I'm assuming you're another friend of Miss Kosa?"

Scott scowled past the rifle muzzle at the suit, being reminded of a very similarly dressed and accompanied man who had once called at his family's house almost eight years ago, a few days after a particular school rugby championship. His goons had been better camouflaged though; more like the Men in Black than these guys looked like they'd just stepped in off the streets of Basra. Back then he'd been a terrified, helpless child. Nowadays he could set people on fire with his mind.
"If you know Capes then you already know who I am," he replied steadily. Scott hadn't kept a low profile in San Fran. The fact he was Cinder had been public knowledge since he'd blown his own cover in a bar years ago, and he'd spent the last three nights using that reputation to his advantage - loudly and extravagantly. Saving the world had its perks, and it wasn't possible for anyone with even a passing interest in superhumans to have missed the fact he was in town. "You followed friends of mine to lunch and you came here with guns, so you want to skip pretending we might be mates and tell me what you want?"

"Why, I'm merely offering your friends a job! Is that a crime? Pull up a seat if your interested."

[Shadowwell]

Shade Williamson more commonly known as Erebus had just shadow traveled from his current abode under the city to the bathroom of the golden horn, a bar located in San Francisco, California. after the shadows melted away from his body he stood up to his full 6 foot 2 height and stretched thinking " as efficient as that is for some reason it leaves my body feeling stiff." as he finished stretch he said to himself " ok so this should be where The Watcher is According to Destro anyways." after straightening his clothes and pulling his cane out of the DarkSpace he exited the bathroom. He stopped as one of the military types near the door swung his way pointing a gun at him after hearing the door to the restroom open unexpectedly. "um im sorry did I come at a bad time I came here under the suggestion of one known as Destro, which one of you might be the Watcher I only got a name no description unfortunately." after he finished saying this he sent his power into the shadows belonging to the soldiers incase they became hostile towards him.

[Talion Union]

Shade Williamson more commonly known as Erebus had just shadow traveled from his current abode under the city to the bathroom of the golden horn, a bar located in San Francisco, California. after the shadows melted away from his body he stood up to his full 6 foot 2 height and stretched thinking " as efficient as that is for some reason it leaves my body feeling stiff." as he finished stretch he said to himself " ok so this should be where The Watcher is According to Destro anyways." after straightening his clothes and pulling his cane out of the DarkSpace he exited the bathroom. He stopped as one of the military types near the door swung his way pointing a gun at him after hearing the door to the restroom open unexpectedly. "um im sorry did I come at a bad time I came here under the suggestion of one known as Destro, which one of you might be the Watcher I only got a name no description unfortunately." after he finished saying this he sent his power into the shadows belonging to the soldiers incase they became hostile towards him.

"Another one! I can't say I'm surprised anymore. And a Shadow Manipulator nonetheless!" Verso smiled. "Now, can we finally finish our business here? I have a very busy schedule today, and I can't wait forever."

[Dyelli Beybi]

StarEye comes out of the bathroom stall and washes her hands with soap and water...despite not actually using the toilet for...you know. She then comes out of the bathroom and sits back down at her table.

"Sooo...what are we talking about, and what was that photo suppose to be?" StarEye asks, keeping her voice down.

"The photo is a part of a business venture I am discussing with Mister Verso." Alice said, without explaining any further. She was planning to walk into an irradiated zone in search of a bunch of killer robots with the ability to tear a vehicle apart. It was not something she wanted random members of the public trying to sort out, and she certainly didn't want anyone seeing who was in that photo...

Laurel chose this as a moment to supply some information, "She reports to being a Meta-human, but has not explained what it is that she does. She could potentially be of assistance."

"Laurel." Alice said, "If you were to come on-board with a retrieval mission what would you want?"

The taller woman shrugged nonchalantly, "Someone to buy the drinks afterwards and someone interesting to have the drinks with?" there wasn't anything material that she really wanted.

Scott scowled past the rifle muzzle at the suit, being reminded of a very similarly dressed and accompanied man who had once called at his family's house almost eight years ago, a few days after a particular school rugby championship. His goons had been better camouflaged though; more like the Men in Black than these guys looked like they'd just stepped in off the streets of Basra. Back then he'd been a terrified, helpless child. Nowadays he could set people on fire with his mind.
"If you know Capes then you already know who I am," he replied steadily. Scott hadn't kept a low profile in San Fran. The fact he was Cinder had been public knowledge since he'd blown his own cover in a bar years ago, and he'd spent the last three nights using that reputation to his advantage - loudly and extravagantly. Saving the world had its perks, and it wasn't possible for anyone with even a passing interest in superhumans to have missed the fact he was in town. "You followed friends of mine to lunch and you came here with guns, so you want to skip pretending we might be mates and tell me what you want?"

"Why, I'm merely offering your friends a job! Is that a crime? Pull up a seat if your interested."

Laurel's eyes found Scott for a moment, taking in his disheveled appearance. She smirked slightly, leaning back in her chair, "Well Lieutenant, we meet again. It seems you have been enjoying yourself more than me for the past few days. I am slightly jealous. Most of the old Taskforce are no fun! I'm working on the assumption that Creele and Kosa can be fun when they want to be. Creele has a whole bottle of what I assume is whiskey, which is a good sign."

Alice listened to the exchange, deciding that this bar was probably getting a bit too crowded for a serious business negotiation, "Mister Verso, can I make a counter offer to you? You don't send any of your guys in, but you give me and Mister Creele a staffing budget to hire our own team. There are people here I know and trust." she motioned towards Bishop, Scott and Laurel, "And others I don't know, but would like to have a chat to about who they are and what their motivations are." this time she motioned towards StarEye.

"We will give you a team of humanity's finest." Alice promised, "Just give us a budget so we know what we can promise people."

Shade Williamson more commonly known as Erebus had just shadow traveled from his current abode under the city to the bathroom of the golden horn, a bar located in San Francisco, California. after the shadows melted away from his body he stood up to his full 6 foot height and stretched thinking " as efficient as that is for some reason it leaves my body feeling stiff." as he finished stretch he said to himself " ok so this should be where The Watcher is According to Destro anyways." after straightening his clothes and pulling his cane out of the DarkSpace he exited the bathroom. He stopped as one of the military types near the door swung his way pointing a gun at him. "um im sorry did I come at a bad time I came here under the suggestion of one known as Destro, which one of you might be the Watcher I only got a name no description unfortunately." after he finished saying this he sent his power into the shadows belonging to the soldiers incase they became hostile towards him.

"That would be me!" Alice waved to the newcomer. The bar was getting more crowded than she had anticipated, but that was good, very good from her perspective, now she just needed to figure out who here shared her values. Who would be people she could work with...

Laurel got up, motioning for Shade to come and join her table, "Laurel Alaunus. I was one of the tower team - the one nobody recognizes." her smile suggested that was exactly the way she wanted things to be. She had disappeared during the end phase of the mission and only reappeared much later on, where she had been in the meanwhile was anyone's guess.

[Flammaland]

Breathe in. Aim. Breathe out. Factor in wind speed. Breathe in. Account for distance. Breath out. Fire. the muzzle flared, a bullet flew through the air and the man in the ski-mask's head exploded. Bits of brain and skull spattered against the dumpsters of the alleyway. His knife clattered to the ground and the man he had been threatening jumped backwards. The would-be mugger's corpse dropped to the ground with a sickening thud and his would-be victim fled. Sebastian Forester began to pack up his sniper rifle, once he had finished he slung to case over his shoulder and began running. He sprinted over the rooftop he had made into his sniper nest, slid down the ladder leading to the fire escape, climbed down to street level, and disappeared into the crowd. As much as he felt like he was doing the right thing, he couldn't help but wonder, was this enough? Killing the odd mugger or bank robber would hardly make a dent in the overall crime in San Francisco. He needed to move on the bigger and better things. After a few minutes of walking, he found a bar and slipped inside, going straight to a booth in the corner. Sitting down, he took a small, slightly stained package from his rifle case and unwrapped it. Taking one of the slices of meat inside that, to the untrained eye, appeared to be pork, he refolded it and put it back into his case. Then he tore a chunk out of the meat with his teeth and began chewing. He quickly finished, then looked around the bar. He saw at least two armed men, but they weren't a problem. As long as they didn't notice him.

[Shadowwell]

"That would be me!" Alice waved to the newcomer. The bar was getting more crowded than she had anticipated, but that was good, very good from her perspective, now she just needed to figure out who here shared her values. Who would be people she could work with...

Laurel got up, motioning for Shade to come and join her table, "Laurel Alaunus. I was one of the tower team - the one nobody recognizes." her smile suggested that was exactly the way she wanted things to be. She had disappeared during the end phase of the mission and only reappeared much later on, where she had been in the meanwhile was anyone's guess.

as shade arrived at the table that laurel had waved him towards she introduced herself Shade Responded in kind "Shade Williamson YOu can call me Erebus though either my given name aor that one fit me well or so ive been told." he smirked ans lowered his voice so only she could hear him and said "the fact that no one recognizes you probably has to do with the fact that you wanted it that way and that well your not exactly normal even among metas are you?" seeing the surprised and wary look in laurels eyes he said " don't worry I only know because beings seem to have difficulty hiding from these eyes of mine." he punctuated this by letting her see his all black eyes with no hint of light in them. "my friend Destro was similar only those he trusted he let remember him or those he couldn't erase the memories of that's why im here he thought her group might be good for me and besides ive been roaming long enough. so what's happening so far here?" all this was still said in a low tone of voice so as to not interrupt Alice and the Suit.

[Talion Union]

StarEye comes out of the bathroom stall and washes her hands with soap and water...despite not actually using the toilet for...you know. She then comes out of the bathroom and sits back down at her table.

"Sooo...what are we talking about, and what was that photo suppose to be?" StarEye asks, keeping her voice down.

"The photo is a part of a business venture I am discussing with Mister Verso." Alice said, without explaining any further. She was planning to walk into an irradiated zone in search of a bunch of killer robots with the ability to tear a vehicle apart. It was not something she wanted random members of the public trying to sort out, and she certainly didn't want anyone seeing who was in that photo...

Laurel chose this as a moment to supply some information, "She reports to being a Meta-human, but has not explained what it is that she does. She could potentially be of assistance."

"Laurel." Alice said, "If you were to come on-board with a retrieval mission what would you want?"

The taller woman shrugged nonchalantly, "Someone to buy the drinks afterwards and someone interesting to have the drinks with?" there wasn't anything material that she really wanted.

"Why, I'm merely offering your friends a job! Is that a crime? Pull up a seat if your interested."

Laurel's eyes found Scott for a moment, taking in his disheveled appearance. She smirked slightly, leaning back in her chair, "Well Lieutenant, we meet again. It seems you have been enjoying yourself more than me for the past few days. I am slightly jealous. Most of the old Taskforce are no fun! I'm working on the assumption that Creele and Kosa can be fun when they want to be. Creele has a whole bottle of what I assume is whiskey, which is a good sign."

Alice listened to the exchange, deciding that this bar was probably getting a bit too crowded for a serious business negotiation, "Mister Verso, can I make a counter offer to you? You don't send any of your guys in, but you give me and Mister Creele a staffing budget to hire our own team. There are people here I know and trust." she motioned towards Bishop, Scott and Laurel, "And others I don't know, but would like to have a chat to about who they are and what their motivations are." this time she motioned towards StarEye.

"We will give you a team of humanity's finest." Alice promised, "Just give us a budget so we know what we can promise people."

Shade Williamson more commonly known as Erebus had just shadow traveled from his current abode under the city to the bathroom of the golden horn, a bar located in San Francisco, California. after the shadows melted away from his body he stood up to his full 6 foot height and stretched thinking " as efficient as that is for some reason it leaves my body feeling stiff." as he finished stretch he said to himself " ok so this should be where The Watcher is According to Destro anyways." after straightening his clothes and pulling his cane out of the DarkSpace he exited the bathroom. He stopped as one of the military types near the door swung his way pointing a gun at him. "um im sorry did I come at a bad time I came here under the suggestion of one known as Destro, which one of you might be the Watcher I only got a name no description unfortunately." after he finished saying this he sent his power into the shadows belonging to the soldiers incase they became hostile towards him.

"That would be me!" Alice waved to the newcomer. The bar was getting more crowded than she had anticipated, but that was good, very good from her perspective, now she just needed to figure out who here shared her values. Who would be people she could work with...

Laurel got up, motioning for Shade to come and join her table, "Laurel Alaunus. I was one of the tower team - the one nobody recognizes." her smile suggested that was exactly the way she wanted things to be. She had disappeared during the end phase of the mission and only reappeared much later on, where she had been in the meanwhile was anyone's guess.

"You've got yourself a deal, young lady. But I will need a team there to extract the Nanites once you're finished. And," he took out a small envelope, "I figure you might want these too." Inside was a page, torn and ragged, yet still legible.

On the run. New identity, New life, same shit. I know they're hunting for me, looking to drag me back kicking and screaming, but I'll make the government Lap Dogs work for it. I won't let them catch me so easily. Bastards. Torture wasn't enough for them, now they want a pawn for their dirty work. No, I'm done. The tower, that was enough. I still have scars, nightmares.

I just wish I had time to say goodbye to them properly. The good ones. The kid, Kosa.....Laurel. Any of 'em. Too late now. Hopefully they understand.

- U.C

"We have more, which we will gladly hand over once this job is complete."

[Dyelli Beybi]

Breathe in. Aim. Breathe out. Factor in wind speed. Breathe in. Account for distance. Breath out. Fire. the muzzle flared, a bullet flew through the air and the man in the ski-mask's head exploded. Bits of brain and skull spattered against the dumpsters of the alleyway. His knife clattered to the ground and the man he had been threatening jumped backwards. The would-be mugger's corpse dropped to the ground with a sickening thud and his would-be victim fled. Sebastian Forester began to pack up his sniper rifle, once he had finished he slung to case over his shoulder and began running. He sprinted over the rooftop he had made into his sniper nest, slid down the ladder leading to the fire escape, climbed down to street level, and disappeared into the crowd. As much as he felt like he was doing the right thing, he couldn't help but wonder, was this enough? Killing the odd mugger or bank robber would hardly make a dent in the overall crime in San Francisco. He needed to move on the bigger and better things. After a few minutes of walking, he found a bar and slipped inside, going straight to a booth in the corner. Sitting down, he took a small, slightly stained package from his rifle case and unwrapped it. Taking one of the slices of meat inside that, to the untrained eye, appeared to be pork, he refolded it and put it back into his case. Then he tore a chunk out of the meat with his teeth and began chewing. He quickly finished, then looked around the bar. He saw at least two armed men, but they weren't a problem. As long as they didn't notice him.

While most people seemed busy doing their own thing, one person almost instantly reacted to Sebastian's presence. It was the kind of reaction you got from a creature of the forest when an unexpected scent caught its attention. She was tall, with pale skin and unruly dark hair. She wore a white tank top under a black leather jacket. The top was low cut enough to be distracting - probably intentionally. Striking blue eyes fixed on Sebastian, and for a moment she let the glamour disguising herself slip, the irises on her eyes expanded to the point where there was almost no white visible and the pupils changed from the neat, round human type, to the long vertical slit form seen in many nocturnal predators. It was just for a moment, she blinked and she was back to normal, turning back to her companions without any hint that she had seen something out of the ordinary.

In truth, Laurel wasn't entirely sure what she had seen, but it carried the scent of the old world, when the dark held creatures far scarier than bears and you respected nature - the world she had been born into, the one that had existed before machines, cities and new philosophies had swept everything else away.

There was a strong chance the Wendigo inside Sebastian would know what it had seen. Sebastian had been spotted by another creature from the pagan past, an Aes Sidhe, one of the dangerously capricious creatures from European mythology that were more commonly referred to as elves, nymphs or fairies.

as shade arrived at the table that laurel had waved him towards she introduced herself Shade Responded in kind "Shade Williamson YOu can call me Erebus though either my given name aor that one fit me well or so ive been told." he smirked ans lowered his voice so only she could hear him and said "the fact that no one recognizes you probably has to do with the fact that you wanted it that way and that well your not exactly normal even among metas are you?" seeing the surprised and wary look in laurels eyes he said " don't worry I only know because beings seem to have difficulty hiding from these eyes of mine." he punctuated this by letting her see his all black eyes with no hint of light in them. "my friend Destro was similar only those he trusted he let remember him or those he couldn't erase the memories of that's why im here he thought her group might be good for me and besides ive been roaming long enough. so what's happening so far here?" all this was still said in a low tone of voice so as to not interrupt Alice and the Suit.

"'Beings'." Laurel gave Erebus a haughty look that was designed to look offended, though a slight smile broke through after a moment. She wasn't offended, she was impressed and intrigued, "Then tell me, the kid by the door. What is he?"

Laurel left him a moment to look at Sebastian and report what he saw before continuing, "So far, we're being contracted to find and retrieve some tiny robots. Sounds like money for jam, fetch and carry. Which is why I think there's a lot more to it than the man in the suit is telling us about. Who hires Meta-humans to fetch and carry?"

"You've got yourself a deal, young lady. But I will need a team there to extract the Nanites once you're finished. And," he took out a small envelope, "I figure you might want these too." Inside was a page, torn and ragged, yet still legible.

On the run. New identity, New life, same shit. I know they're hunting for me, looking to drag me back kicking and screaming, but I'll make the government Lap Dogs work for it. I won't let them catch me so easily. Bastards. Torture wasn't enough for them, now they want a pawn for their dirty work. No, I'm done. The tower, that was enough. I still have scars, nightmares.

I just wish I had time to say goodbye to them properly. The good ones. The kid, Kosa.....Laurel. Any of 'em. Too late now. Hopefully they understand.

- U.C

"We have more, which we will gladly hand over once this job is complete."

Alice read the page quickly, nodded, then pocketed it. She did understand why Iroquois had done what he did. As she had said to Creele, there was no justice to be found in Taskforce Yggdrasil. That being said, his writing of letters like that put her, and to a lesser extent Laurel, in danger. If people thought she had been complicit in his escape, then she could expect the same kind of treatment Iroquois had been subjected to - no trial, no chance to plead her case... though truth be told, with her telekinesis, she was a much harder fish to fry than Iroquois... unless someone managed to slip her sedatives.

She also found that she was worried for him. She had committed to trying to save his life and she, Bishop and the others who had eventually weighed in, had succeeded. If Verso had this much information on Iroquois, then she had not so much saved his life as inadvertently served him up for someone else.

"Okay." Alice nodded then smiled, "I think we are in agreement. What is our budget for bringing people on-board?"

[Flammaland]

Sebastian dropped his food as his head was filled with the snarling that he associated with Manaha recognising a potential threat or ally. His mind was filled with scent of the forests, the calls of predators, the spattering of blood and rain, and a name, the name of a creature that Manaha had felt the presence of. Aes Sidhe. More than that, there was a face swimming in his vision. The face of a girl who was sitting at the most occupied table in the bar. Manaha more so than Sebastian turned their head towards the girl and locked eyes with her. In that moment, Sebastian's eyes turned pitch black and sunk back into his head. They gave off a strange and eerie sense of decay and decomposition, of death and corruption. Then, they returned to normal. Sebastian shook his head and looked down, blinking. He didn't know what to think. He wouldn't go over to talk to her. But if the Aes Sidhe chose to interact with him, well, he just hoped that Manaha would play nice. The last thing he needed was a scene.

[Shadowwell]

Breathe in. Aim. Breathe out. Factor in wind speed. Breathe in. Account for distance. Breath out. Fire. the muzzle flared, a bullet flew through the air and the man in the ski-mask's head exploded. Bits of brain and skull spattered against the dumpsters of the alleyway. His knife clattered to the ground and the man he had been threatening jumped backwards. The would-be mugger's corpse dropped to the ground with a sickening thud and his would-be victim fled. Sebastian Forester began to pack up his sniper rifle, once he had finished he slung to case over his shoulder and began running. He sprinted over the rooftop he had made into his sniper nest, slid down the ladder leading to the fire escape, climbed down to street level, and disappeared into the crowd. As much as he felt like he was doing the right thing, he couldn't help but wonder, was this enough? Killing the odd mugger or bank robber would hardly make a dent in the overall crime in San Francisco. He needed to move on the bigger and better things. After a few minutes of walking, he found a bar and slipped inside, going straight to a booth in the corner. Sitting down, he took a small, slightly stained package from his rifle case and unwrapped it. Taking one of the slices of meat inside that, to the untrained eye, appeared to be pork, he refolded it and put it back into his case. Then he tore a chunk out of the meat with his teeth and began chewing. He quickly finished, then looked around the bar. He saw at least two armed men, but they weren't a problem. As long as they didn't notice him.

While most people seemed busy doing their own thing, one person almost instantly reacted to Sebastian's presence. It was the kind of reaction you got from a creature of the forest when an unexpected scent caught its attention. She was tall, with pale skin and unruly dark hair. She wore a white tank top under a black leather jacket. The top was low cut enough to be distracting - probably intentionally. Striking blue eyes fixed on Sebastian, and for a moment she let the glamour disguising herself slip, the irises on her eyes expanded to the point where there was almost no white visible and the pupils changed from the neat, round human type, to the long vertical slit form seen in many nocturnal predators. It was just for a moment, she blinked and she was back to normal, turning back to her companions without any hint that she had seen something out of the ordinary.

In truth, Laurel wasn't entirely sure what she had seen, but it carried the scent of the old world, when the dark held creatures far scarier than bears and you respected nature - the world she had been born into, the one that had existed before machines, cities and new philosophies had swept everything else away.

There was a strong chance the Wendigo inside Sebastian would know what it had seen. Sebastian had been spotted by another creature from the pagan past, an Aes Sidhe, one of the dangerously capricious creatures from European mythology that were more commonly referred to as elves, nymphs or fairies.

as shade arrived at the table that laurel had waved him towards she introduced herself Shade Responded in kind "Shade Williamson YOu can call me Erebus though either my given name aor that one fit me well or so ive been told." he smirked ans lowered his voice so only she could hear him and said "the fact that no one recognizes you probably has to do with the fact that you wanted it that way and that well your not exactly normal even among metas are you?" seeing the surprised and wary look in laurels eyes he said " don't worry I only know because beings seem to have difficulty hiding from these eyes of mine." he punctuated this by letting her see his all black eyes with no hint of light in them. "my friend Destro was similar only those he trusted he let remember him or those he couldn't erase the memories of that's why im here he thought her group might be good for me and besides ive been roaming long enough. so what's happening so far here?" all this was still said in a low tone of voice so as to not interrupt Alice and the Suit.

"'Beings'." Laurel gave Erebus a haughty look that was designed to look offended, though a slight smile broke through after a moment. She wasn't offended, she was impressed and intrigued, "Then tell me, the kid by the door. What is he?"

Laurel left him a moment to look at Sebastian and report what he saw before continuing, "So far, we're being contracted to find and retrieve some tiny robots. Sounds like money for jam, fetch and carry. Which is why I think there's a lot more to it than the man in the suit is telling us about. Who hires Meta-humans to fetch and carry?"

"You've got yourself a deal, young lady. But I will need a team there to extract the Nanites once you're finished. And," he took out a small envelope, "I figure you might want these too." Inside was a page, torn and ragged, yet still legible.

On the run. New identity, New life, same shit. I know they're hunting for me, looking to drag me back kicking and screaming, but I'll make the government Lap Dogs work for it. I won't let them catch me so easily. Bastards. Torture wasn't enough for them, now they want a pawn for their dirty work. No, I'm done. The tower, that was enough. I still have scars, nightmares.

I just wish I had time to say goodbye to them properly. The good ones. The kid, Kosa.....Laurel. Any of 'em. Too late now. Hopefully they understand.

- U.C

"We have more, which we will gladly hand over once this job is complete."

Alice read the page quickly, nodded, then pocketed it. She did understand why Iroquois had done what he did. As she had said to Creele, there was no justice to be found in Taskforce Yggdrasil. That being said, his writing of letters like that put her, and to a lesser extent Laurel, in danger. If people thought she had been complicit in his escape, then she could expect the same kind of treatment Iroquois had been subjected to - no trial, no chance to plead her case... though truth be told, with her telekinesis, she was a much harder fish to fry than Iroquois... unless someone managed to slip her sedatives.

She also found that she was worried for him. She had committed to trying to save his life and she, Bishop and the others who had eventually weighed in, had succeeded. If Verso had this much information on Iroquois, then she had not so much saved his life as inadvertently served him up for someone else.

"Okay." Alice nodded then smiled, "I think we are in agreement. What is our budget for bringing people on-board?"

Shade spoke to laurel "the kid who just came in? well you see I don't have much knowledge on what features belong to what creatures but he seems to have a very primal and animalistic aura about him. he paused to look at her before continuing "as I said im not very knowledgeable on otherworldly beings I can simply tell if someone is different kind of like an aura saying this person is not from here. if they are close to me distance wise I might be able to make out features." Laurel left him shortly and came back and asked what he saw.
" well whereas you your aura changed I can see your eyes aren't normal normally but im assuming when your aura changed your glamour or whatever it is dropped, he is something dangerous and primal what im not sure but he seems to have it contained for now at least" Laurel changed topics and brought up what the suit and Alice were talking about and gave her thoughts on the matter."so concerning the suit he's not telling the whole truth and we can assume someone powerful may be after this tech since he's hiring metas, god reminds me of the Government I hate the government."

[Zatak]

Enzo continued to look up to the sky as the little light around him began to fade from existence and soon replaced itself with the dim darkness of nightfall. There was no place where one could hide forever which meant that soon are local oh syncopate would have to travel off to some far off location just to stay hidden but not being a traveller meant that he would try to pick somewhere a bit more local and honestly there were not many options.

He could end up going to San Fransisco but this was a big city with a major powered population that could easily identify and kill him if need be. This meant that most major cities in the west would also have to be crossed off as none of them gave him that protection that he needed out of these places. While he could go east towards Arizona or New Mexico this was not a preferred option given his time there and the military percentage near there.

Next option was to stay in small towns but a problem quickly came in the fact that he could easily be cornered and taken out here with little risk of civilian damage. Though this was kind of a nitpick it was a valid reason to move and eventually it would catch up to him where these hero's could and would take him out with little remorse for what would happen or maybe a villain would try and take him out...

Lastly was the move out of America option which was counter productive as no matter where he went he would find people out for him. This was not the best option but could be useful if he could find a area that had a low density of hero.... Maybe Iceland? Though it was counterproductive it may be best for him and his safety to do this despite the risk of being caught and the high cost of doing it and such.

Enzo continued to sit on the bench as the night fell upon him. He had so many choices to make and so little time left before someone would get him and as such he needed a plan to get away from here and get away from them...

[Dyelli Beybi]

Shade spoke to laurel "the kid who just came in? well you see I don't have much knowledge on what features belong to what creatures but he seems to have a very primal and animalistic aura about him. he paused to look at her before continuing "as I said im not very knowledgeable on otherworldly beings I can simply tell if someone is different kind of like an aura saying this person is not from here. if they are close to me distance wise I might be able to make out features." Laurel left him shortly and came back and asked what he saw.
" well whereas you your aura changed I can see your eyes aren't normal normally but im assuming when your aura changed your glamour or whatever it is dropped, he is something dangerous and primal what im not sure but he seems to have it contained for now at least" Laurel changed topics and brought up what the suit and Alice were talking about and gave her thoughts on the matter."so concerning the suit he's not telling the whole truth and we can assume someone powerful may be after this tech since he's hiring metas, god reminds me of the Government I hate the government."

"They certainly are not normal." Laurel responded to the comment on her eyes, "They look like cat eyes, but its easier to go through life looking normal and I have the ability to make myself look normal, so I take it." she pouted, "So you don't know what I am, just that I'm not human? We'll need to work on your identification skills my friend!"

"The Greeks would have called me a nymph, the Norse would have called me a Ljósálf, the Irish call me Aes Sídhe, what do they call me in English?" she took a sip from her drink, smiling up at Shade - clearly she found this a fun game.

"Oh... and before we get too distracted." she added suddenly, "Alice is a big fan of 'transparent justice', so that is the Courts, trial by jury, the right to plead your case and all of that kind of stuff. So don't hate on the Judiciary around her unless you want to get a lecture on human rights."

[Asukunari]

StarEye comes out of the bathroom stall and washes her hands with soap and water...despite not actually using the toilet for...you know. She then comes out of the bathroom and sits back down at her table.

"Sooo...what are we talking about, and what was that photo suppose to be?" StarEye asks, keeping her voice down.

"The photo is a part of a business venture I am discussing with Mister Verso." Alice said, without explaining any further. She was planning to walk into an irradiated zone in search of a bunch of killer robots with the ability to tear a vehicle apart. It was not something she wanted random members of the public trying to sort out, and she certainly didn't want anyone seeing who was in that photo...

Laurel chose this as a moment to supply some information, "She reports to being a Meta-human, but has not explained what it is that she does. She could potentially be of assistance."

"Laurel." Alice said, "If you were to come on-board with a retrieval mission what would you want?"

The taller woman shrugged nonchalantly, "Someone to buy the drinks afterwards and someone interesting to have the drinks with?" there wasn't anything material that she really wanted.

"Why, I'm merely offering your friends a job! Is that a crime? Pull up a seat if your interested."

Laurel's eyes found Scott for a moment, taking in his disheveled appearance. She smirked slightly, leaning back in her chair, "Well Lieutenant, we meet again. It seems you have been enjoying yourself more than me for the past few days. I am slightly jealous. Most of the old Taskforce are no fun! I'm working on the assumption that Creele and Kosa can be fun when they want to be. Creele has a whole bottle of what I assume is whiskey, which is a good sign."

Alice listened to the exchange, deciding that this bar was probably getting a bit too crowded for a serious business negotiation, "Mister Verso, can I make a counter offer to you? You don't send any of your guys in, but you give me and Mister Creele a staffing budget to hire our own team. There are people here I know and trust." she motioned towards Bishop, Scott and Laurel, "And others I don't know, but would like to have a chat to about who they are and what their motivations are." this time she motioned towards StarEye.

"We will give you a team of humanity's finest." Alice promised, "Just give us a budget so we know what we can promise people."

Shade Williamson more commonly known as Erebus had just shadow traveled from his current abode under the city to the bathroom of the golden horn, a bar located in San Francisco, California. after the shadows melted away from his body he stood up to his full 6 foot height and stretched thinking " as efficient as that is for some reason it leaves my body feeling stiff." as he finished stretch he said to himself " ok so this should be where The Watcher is According to Destro anyways." after straightening his clothes and pulling his cane out of the DarkSpace he exited the bathroom. He stopped as one of the military types near the door swung his way pointing a gun at him. "um im sorry did I come at a bad time I came here under the suggestion of one known as Destro, which one of you might be the Watcher I only got a name no description unfortunately." after he finished saying this he sent his power into the shadows belonging to the soldiers incase they became hostile towards him.

"That would be me!" Alice waved to the newcomer. The bar was getting more crowded than she had anticipated, but that was good, very good from her perspective, now she just needed to figure out who here shared her values. Who would be people she could work with...

Laurel got up, motioning for Shade to come and join her table, "Laurel Alaunus. I was one of the tower team - the one nobody recognizes." her smile suggested that was exactly the way she wanted things to be. She had disappeared during the end phase of the mission and only reappeared much later on, where she had been in the meanwhile was anyone's guess.

StarEye smirks, and then proceeds to tell The Watcher and Laurel what she can do.

"Well...technically speaking..." she whispers, "I am an Empress, and I have access to some pretty useful powers, I can manipulate stardust, for example, I can make an area covered in a stardust mist, blinding and confusing enemies...I was also told that I can fire lasers from my eyes, and I remember being told that I can transform into an powerful alien creature...my powers will prove to be very useful." StarEye says, leaning back with her martini.

She knows that this is what her people want, she isn't planning on disappointing them, she is only in it for them.

[Dyelli Beybi]

StarEye smirks, and then proceeds to tell The Watcher and Laurel what she can do.

"Well...technically speaking..." she whispers, "I am an Empress, and I have access to some pretty useful powers, I can manipulate stardust, for example, I can make an area covered in a stardust mist, blinding and confusing enemies...I was also told that I can fire lasers from my eyes, and I remember being told that I can transform into an powerful alien creature...my powers will prove to be very useful." StarEye says, leaning back with her martini.

She knows that this is what her people want, she isn't planning on disappointing them, she is only in it for them.

Watcher - Alice, was somewhat taken aback by the woman's sudden revelation of what she could do. She was used to people being a lot more cagey about their abilities, "An Empress of what?" she asked, "You're not some relation of the last Chinese Emperor or something like that?"

"Before we take you into the field I'll want to see some of that in action... but not here!" she added hurriedly, glancing across at the Barman.

"If you want to work together, you need to understand some things about me. First, and most important, I believe in the criminal justice system. The only correct way to bring a perpetrator to account is to give them over to the police so they can be prosecuted and tried in an open, free and fair manner. I am not a judge, a jury and I do not have the right to be an executioner. I will not work with people who think they are." that would be what Laurel had just warned Shade about...

"Secondly, and for much the same reason, I will try my utmost to incapacitate enemies in a non-lethal manner. Not everyone has my arsenal of non-lethal methods, but I expect people I work with to try." she said, "I don't know what circumstances brought a person to the place they are at and, like I just said, I have no right to act as judge, jury and executioner. Sometimes deaths will happen in self defense, but I aim to minimize these. We have powers that make us more than normal people, it is our responsibility to use them in a manner that is a reflection of the best that humanity can be. No personal vendettas, no power trips. People should aspire to be like us."

She paused, making sure that had been absorbed, before asking, "Do you think we can work together?"

Those who had known Alice Kosa prior to meeting her in the bar would probably have realized she had quite a strict moral code, though she had never articulated it quite as fervently before today.

[Talion Union]

Breathe in. Aim. Breathe out. Factor in wind speed. Breathe in. Account for distance. Breath out. Fire. the muzzle flared, a bullet flew through the air and the man in the ski-mask's head exploded. Bits of brain and skull spattered against the dumpsters of the alleyway. His knife clattered to the ground and the man he had been threatening jumped backwards. The would-be mugger's corpse dropped to the ground with a sickening thud and his would-be victim fled. Sebastian Forester began to pack up his sniper rifle, once he had finished he slung to case over his shoulder and began running. He sprinted over the rooftop he had made into his sniper nest, slid down the ladder leading to the fire escape, climbed down to street level, and disappeared into the crowd. As much as he felt like he was doing the right thing, he couldn't help but wonder, was this enough? Killing the odd mugger or bank robber would hardly make a dent in the overall crime in San Francisco. He needed to move on the bigger and better things. After a few minutes of walking, he found a bar and slipped inside, going straight to a booth in the corner. Sitting down, he took a small, slightly stained package from his rifle case and unwrapped it. Taking one of the slices of meat inside that, to the untrained eye, appeared to be pork, he refolded it and put it back into his case. Then he tore a chunk out of the meat with his teeth and began chewing. He quickly finished, then looked around the bar. He saw at least two armed men, but they weren't a problem. As long as they didn't notice him.

While most people seemed busy doing their own thing, one person almost instantly reacted to Sebastian's presence. It was the kind of reaction you got from a creature of the forest when an unexpected scent caught its attention. She was tall, with pale skin and unruly dark hair. She wore a white tank top under a black leather jacket. The top was low cut enough to be distracting - probably intentionally. Striking blue eyes fixed on Sebastian, and for a moment she let the glamour disguising herself slip, the irises on her eyes expanded to the point where there was almost no white visible and the pupils changed from the neat, round human type, to the long vertical slit form seen in many nocturnal predators. It was just for a moment, she blinked and she was back to normal, turning back to her companions without any hint that she had seen something out of the ordinary.

In truth, Laurel wasn't entirely sure what she had seen, but it carried the scent of the old world, when the dark held creatures far scarier than bears and you respected nature - the world she had been born into, the one that had existed before machines, cities and new philosophies had swept everything else away.

There was a strong chance the Wendigo inside Sebastian would know what it had seen. Sebastian had been spotted by another creature from the pagan past, an Aes Sidhe, one of the dangerously capricious creatures from European mythology that were more commonly referred to as elves, nymphs or fairies.

as shade arrived at the table that laurel had waved him towards she introduced herself Shade Responded in kind "Shade Williamson YOu can call me Erebus though either my given name aor that one fit me well or so ive been told." he smirked ans lowered his voice so only she could hear him and said "the fact that no one recognizes you probably has to do with the fact that you wanted it that way and that well your not exactly normal even among metas are you?" seeing the surprised and wary look in laurels eyes he said " don't worry I only know because beings seem to have difficulty hiding from these eyes of mine." he punctuated this by letting her see his all black eyes with no hint of light in them. "my friend Destro was similar only those he trusted he let remember him or those he couldn't erase the memories of that's why im here he thought her group might be good for me and besides ive been roaming long enough. so what's happening so far here?" all this was still said in a low tone of voice so as to not interrupt Alice and the Suit.

"'Beings'." Laurel gave Erebus a haughty look that was designed to look offended, though a slight smile broke through after a moment. She wasn't offended, she was impressed and intrigued, "Then tell me, the kid by the door. What is he?"

Laurel left him a moment to look at Sebastian and report what he saw before continuing, "So far, we're being contracted to find and retrieve some tiny robots. Sounds like money for jam, fetch and carry. Which is why I think there's a lot more to it than the man in the suit is telling us about. Who hires Meta-humans to fetch and carry?"

"You've got yourself a deal, young lady. But I will need a team there to extract the Nanites once you're finished. And," he took out a small envelope, "I figure you might want these too." Inside was a page, torn and ragged, yet still legible.

On the run. New identity, New life, same shit. I know they're hunting for me, looking to drag me back kicking and screaming, but I'll make the government Lap Dogs work for it. I won't let them catch me so easily. Bastards. Torture wasn't enough for them, now they want a pawn for their dirty work. No, I'm done. The tower, that was enough. I still have scars, nightmares.

I just wish I had time to say goodbye to them properly. The good ones. The kid, Kosa.....Laurel. Any of 'em. Too late now. Hopefully they understand.

- U.C

"We have more, which we will gladly hand over once this job is complete."

Alice read the page quickly, nodded, then pocketed it. She did understand why Iroquois had done what he did. As she had said to Creele, there was no justice to be found in Taskforce Yggdrasil. That being said, his writing of letters like that put her, and to a lesser extent Laurel, in danger. If people thought she had been complicit in his escape, then she could expect the same kind of treatment Iroquois had been subjected to - no trial, no chance to plead her case... though truth be told, with her telekinesis, she was a much harder fish to fry than Iroquois... unless someone managed to slip her sedatives.

She also found that she was worried for him. She had committed to trying to save his life and she, Bishop and the others who had eventually weighed in, had succeeded. If Verso had this much information on Iroquois, then she had not so much saved his life as inadvertently served him up for someone else.

"Okay." Alice nodded then smiled, "I think we are in agreement. What is our budget for bringing people on-board?"

"Let us say.....$500,000? It seems like a fair amount, yes?"


***

Miles away, Ulrich stopped in a small deli. He knew he was tailed. They couldn't have made it more obvious if they had pained the word 'G-Man' on his head. But this wasn't always a bad thing. He was hoping his letters were getting through, but he wasn't certain. He had been writing in the hopes of getting through to his friends. He just hoped the gamble paid off.

[Dyelli Beybi]

"Let us say.....$500,000? It seems like a fair amount, yes?"


***

Miles away, Ulrich stopped in a small deli. He knew he was tailed. They couldn't have made it more obvious if they had pained the word 'G-Man' on his head. But this wasn't always a bad thing. He was hoping his letters were getting through, but he wasn't certain. He had been writing in the hopes of getting through to his friends. He just hoped the gamble paid off.

Alice stood up, offering a hand, "For one mission, yes. I will speak to these people and build the team to get the job done. I'll still need that truck though, to act as a base of operations. It isn't something I think I can source on my own - CBRN protection isn't something that comes as an option on most civilian vehicles."

[Talion Union]

"Let us say.....$500,000? It seems like a fair amount, yes?"


***

Miles away, Ulrich stopped in a small deli. He knew he was tailed. They couldn't have made it more obvious if they had pained the word 'G-Man' on his head. But this wasn't always a bad thing. He was hoping his letters were getting through, but he wasn't certain. He had been writing in the hopes of getting through to his friends. He just hoped the gamble paid off.

Alice stood up, offering a hand, "For one mission, yes. I will speak to these people and build the team to get the job done. I'll still need that truck though, to act as a base of operations. It isn't something I think I can source on my own - CBRN protection isn't something that comes as an option on most civilian vehicles."

"Done. Now, please sign here." He handed her a contract confirming the deal they had in place.

[Dyelli Beybi]

"Done. Now, please sign here." He handed her a contract confirming the deal they had in place.

Alice took the time to read the contract through. She was not the kind of person who signed anything she didn't fully understand, eventually signing her name with a flourish at the bottom of the page.

"Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." she said with a slight smirk. She still couldn't hold back the film references when she felt the moment was right.

[Talion Union]

"Done. Now, please sign here." He handed her a contract confirming the deal they had in place.

Alice took the time to read the contract through. She was not the kind of person who signed anything she didn't fully understand, eventually signing her name with a flourish at the bottom of the page.

"Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." she said with a slight smirk. She still couldn't hold back the film references when she felt the moment was right.

Verso stood up. "It's been a pleasure doing business, Ms. Kosa." He and his bodyguards left leaving the Metas to themselves. "What did you make of that guy, Alice?" Creele took another pull from the bottle. "Seemed a bit.....too eager to me."

[Asukunari]

StarEye smirks, and then proceeds to tell The Watcher and Laurel what she can do.

"Well...technically speaking..." she whispers, "I am an Empress, and I have access to some pretty useful powers, I can manipulate stardust, for example, I can make an area covered in a stardust mist, blinding and confusing enemies...I was also told that I can fire lasers from my eyes, and I remember being told that I can transform into an powerful alien creature...my powers will prove to be very useful." StarEye says, leaning back with her martini.

She knows that this is what her people want, she isn't planning on disappointing them, she is only in it for them.

Watcher - Alice, was somewhat taken aback by the woman's sudden revelation of what she could do. She was used to people being a lot more cagey about their abilities, "An Empress of what?" she asked, "You're not some relation of the last Chinese Emperor or something like that?"

"Before we take you into the field I'll want to see some of that in action... but not here!" she added hurriedly, glancing across at the Barman.

"If you want to work together, you need to understand some things about me. First, and most important, I believe in the criminal justice system. The only correct way to bring a perpetrator to account is to give them over to the police so they can be prosecuted and tried in an open, free and fair manner. I am not a judge, a jury and I do not have the right to be an executioner. I will not work with people who think they are." that would be what Laurel had just warned Shade about...

"Secondly, and for much the same reason, I will try my utmost to incapacitate enemies in a non-lethal manner. Not everyone has my arsenal of non-lethal methods, but I expect people I work with to try." she said, "I don't know what circumstances brought a person to the place they are at and, like I just said, I have no right to act as judge, jury and executioner. Sometimes deaths will happen in self defense, but I aim to minimize these. We have powers that make us more than normal people, it is our responsibility to use them in a manner that is a reflection of the best that humanity can be. No personal vendettas, no power trips. People should aspire to be like us."

She paused, making sure that had been absorbed, before asking, "Do you think we can work together?"

Those who had known Alice Kosa prior to meeting her in the bar would probably have realized she had quite a strict moral code, though she had never articulated it quite as fervently before today.

"We certainly can." StarEye says. "And no, I am not a Chinese Empress, I am an Empress of a fallen country, and I want to help restore their glory."

StarEye suddenly hears the beeping noise in her head, again, and this time, it isn't the same Chvitioii that spoke to her, "Good job, Empress" she (The Chvitioii) whispered.

[Dyelli Beybi]

"We certainly can." StarEye says. "And no, I am not a Chinese Empress, I am an Empress of a fallen country, and I want to help restore their glory."

StarEye suddenly hears the beeping noise in her head, again, and this time, it isn't the same Chvitioii that spoke to her, "Good job, Empress" she whispered.

Alice nodded, then extended a hand, "In that case, welcome about. The world calls me the Watcher, but I'd prefer if you called me Alice. Let's show the world the heroes do exist."

She turned to address the room as a whole then, "I'm sure you heard what I just said. If you think we can work together, then let's change the world. So who's with me?"

[Shadowwell]

Shade spoke to laurel "the kid who just came in? well you see I don't have much knowledge on what features belong to what creatures but he seems to have a very primal and animalistic aura about him. he paused to look at her before continuing "as I said im not very knowledgeable on otherworldly beings I can simply tell if someone is different kind of like an aura saying this person is not from here. if they are close to me distance wise I might be able to make out features." Laurel left him shortly and came back and asked what he saw.
" well whereas you your aura changed I can see your eyes aren't normal normally but im assuming when your aura changed your glamour or whatever it is dropped, he is something dangerous and primal what im not sure but he seems to have it contained for now at least" Laurel changed topics and brought up what the suit and Alice were talking about and gave her thoughts on the matter."so concerning the suit he's not telling the whole truth and we can assume someone powerful may be after this tech since he's hiring metas, god reminds me of the Government I hate the government."

"They certainly are not normal." Laurel responded to the comment on her eyes, "They look like cat eyes, but its easier to go through life looking normal and I have the ability to make myself look normal, so I take it." she pouted, "So you don't know what I am, just that I'm not human? We'll need to work on your identification skills my friend!"

"The Greeks would have called me a nymph, the Norse would have called me a Ljósálf, the Irish call me Aes Sídhe, what do they call me in English?" she took a sip from her drink, smiling up at Shade - clearly she found this a fun game.

"Oh... and before we get too distracted." she added suddenly, "Alice is a big fan of 'transparent justice', so that is the Courts, trial by jury, the right to plead your case and all of that kind of stuff. So don't hate on the Judiciary around her unless you want to get a lecture on human rights."

"well Laurel I believe that would make you a fairy or an elf depending because while I know little I do know that few mythologies are concrete about what which creatures or beings look like." Since the company seemed agreeable Shade dropped both his sunglasses and cane to the floor but before they clattered onto the ground th shadows grabbed them and they sank to be stored into the DarkSpace. He also withdrew his power from the shadows of the soldier who had left shortly before. " concerning the education maybe do a learn as you go plan, but I must say its kind of hard to have learned about beings of myth and legend when your education from age 4 consisted of entrapment and experimentation in a cell at a government sponsored science facility."
Seeing the inquiring look on laurels face he continued "you see Its kind of hard to believe in human rights when from the age of 4 you were treated as less than human by your own parents and the government officials who were there friends, you see the government gave me these eyes and amplified my powers before I could merely sense an otherness about things not of this world. Now the light will not have me in its presence and I can see more than most want to. the judicial system is all right but its hard to believe in when your own parents didn't give you the rights everyone else has." as Alice spoke up and asked who was with her Shade raised his hand and said "guess I am if you will have me don't exactly have anywhere else to go ."

[Dyelli Beybi]

"well Laurel I believe that would make you a fairy or an elf depending because while I know little I do know that few mythologies are concrete about what which creatures or beings look like." Since the company seemed agreeable Shade dropped both his sunglasses and cane to the floor but before they clattered onto the ground th shadows grabbed them and they sank to be stored into the DarkSpace. He also withdrew his power from the shadows of the soldier who had left shortly before. " concerning the education maybe do a learn as you go plan, but I must say its kind of hard to have learned about beings of myth and legend when your education from age 4 consisted of entrapment and experimentation in a cell at a government sponsored science facility."
Seeing the inquiring look on laurels face he continued "you see Its kind of hard to believe in human rights when from the age of 4 you were treated as less than human by your own parents and the government officials who were there friends, you see the government gave me these eyes and amplified my powers before I could merely sense an otherness about things not of this world. Now the light will not have me in its presence and I can see more than most want to. the judicial system is all right but its hard to believe in when your own parents didn't give you the rights everyone else has." as Alice spoke up and asked who was with her Shade raised his hand and said "guess I am if you will have me don't exactly have anywhere else to go ."

"Good." Laurel grinned, "You have me pegged now, which means that you can figure out my weaknesses and how to put a stop to me if I'm charging around causing chaos."

"Of course we'll have you." Alice smiled at Shade, "I just want to make it clear that I'm not interviewing you for a job. I'm asking if you agree with what I say and if you would like to work with me."

She took a step forward, lowering her voice, "Sorry, I know you weren't intending what you just said for me, but I couldn't help but overhear. You, my friend, should believe in all that stuff I just said, because what happened to you was not right and it was outside of the law. What happened to you is an example of what happens when people start to think that they are so powerful that the law doesn't apply to them. I don't want to be working with people like the people who experimented on you.

Alice held out a hand for him, "Come, join me and we'll show those people you spoke of that no matter what they did to you, that you will never stoop to their level, because you are better than them."

Laurel stood up at that point, "Well, just so you are clear, you have me on-board." she grinned, "I find this new crusading Alice Kosa quite interesting and I'll be curious to see where it leads you."

She touched Shade lightly on the shoulder then nodded towards Sebastian, "I am going to have a word with our new arrival. Keep Kosa company."

Sebastian dropped his food as his head was filled with the snarling that he associated with Manaha recognising a potential threat or ally. His mind was filled with scent of the forests, the calls of predators, the spattering of blood and rain, and a name, the name of a creature that Manaha had felt the presence of. Aes Sidhe. More than that, there was a face swimming in his vision. The face of a girl who was sitting at the most occupied table in the bar. Manaha more so than Sebastian turned their head towards the girl and locked eyes with her. In that moment, Sebastian's eyes turned pitch black and sunk back into his head. They gave off a strange and eerie sense of decay and decomposition, of death and corruption. Then, they returned to normal. Sebastian shook his head and looked down, blinking. He didn't know what to think. He wouldn't go over to talk to her. But if the Aes Sidhe chose to interact with him, well, he just hoped that Manaha would play nice. The last thing he needed was a scene.

Laurel approached the creature with the care it deserved, not rushing in, stopping just outside of lunging range. Even so, if it had made her, it would probably understand she was a threat, not as much as she actually was - monster hunting had been her preferred form of entertainment for centuries. She looked him over then suggested quietly, "If its crossed you mind that shifting shape might be a good idea, then I'm going to suggest we go outside where there are less bystanders. Don't worry, I only want to talk."

[Shadowwell]

"Good." Laurel grinned, "You have me pegged now, which means that you can figure out my weaknesses and how to put a stop to me if I'm charging around causing chaos."

"Of course we'll have you." Alice smiled at Shade, "I just want to make it clear that I'm not interviewing you for a job. I'm asking if you agree with what I say and if you would like to work with me."

She took a step forward, lowering her voice, "Sorry, I know you weren't intending what you just said for me, but I couldn't help but overhear. You, my friend, should believe in all that stuff I just said, because what happened to you was not right and it was outside of the law. What happened to you is an example of what happens when people start to think that they are so powerful that the law doesn't apply to them. I don't want to be working with people like the people who experimented on you.

Alice held out a hand for him, "Come, join me and we'll show those people you spoke of that no matter what they did to you, that you will never stoop to their level, because you are better than them."

Laurel stood up at that point, "Well, just so you are clear, you have me on-board." she grinned, "I find this new crusading Alice Kosa quite interesting and I'll be curious to see where it leads you."

She touched Shade lightly on the shoulder then nodded towards Sebastian, "I am going to have a word with our new arrival. Keep Kosa company."
Laurel approached the creature with the care it deserved, not rushing in, stopping just outside of lunging range. Even so, if it had made her, it would probably understand she was a threat, not as much as she actually was - monster hunting had been her preferred form of entertainment for centuries. She looked him over then suggested quietly, "If its crossed you mind that shifting shape might be a good idea, then I'm going to suggest we go outside where there are less bystanders. Don't worry, I only want to talk."

Shade nodded at Laurels response and grasped Alice's extended hand firmly and said " my name is Shade Williamson in case you didn't overhear that." as Alice had a slightly embarrassed look on her face Shade Sent some power into Laurels Shadow in case the new arrival acted up not that laurel needed the help but it probably couldn't hurt much. He the spoke to Alice again "I agrre with what you stated well ill try to adhere to your rules I may be ruthless but I don't kill , also do you think that man who hired you is telling the whole truth about the assignment?"

[Dyelli Beybi]

Shade nodded at Laurels response and grasped Alice's extended hand firmly and said " my name is Shade Williamson in case you didn't overhear that." as Alice had a slightly embarrassed look on her face Shade Sent some power into Laurels Shadow in case the new arrival acted up not that laurel needed the help but it probably couldn't hurt much. He the spoke to Alice again "I agrre with what you stated well ill try to adhere to your rules I may be ruthless but I don't kill , also do you think that man who hired you is telling the whole truth about the assignment?"

"I didn't catch that bit." she confessed, "It is a pleasure to meet you Shade."

She turned, making sure Verso was out of ear shot before shaking her head, "No I don't. No way is this as simple as he made it out to be. So far it seems far too easy. Also, I've signed confidentiality documents saying I won't reveal what I see while I'm on the mission. You don't generally sign that if you're going into a lab to collect some robots and deliver them to their owner... unless he thinks I'm planning a bit of corporate espionage I suppose."

She sat down in the seat recently vacated by Laurel, reaching across the retrieve her glass of wine, taking a good swig of it before continuing, "He has given me half a million in staffing budget, which I can promise to people. I'm going to propose we divide it out at the end equally between everyone who volunteers to come. If things go horribly wrong and someone dies, we give it to their estate... except if it's me. You can split my share, I don't have anyone to leave money to."

"So Shade, what is it that you do?" she asked, wanting to know what powers each person from the team was bringing to the table.