Young Bloods(IC, Reboot Open)

[The Republic of Atria]

Sina

He needed to work on his social graces, but given how few people he spoke to on a regular basis until recently it was probably the best it was going to be for awhile. Sina confirmed that several members of her team had been killed, likely in retaliation for something that they did. "That's horrible..." He sighed, glancing over to see her chomping down on the food he bought for her. Turns out she wasn't really interested in going to N'Toak without someone to show her around, and he was apparently the only one she trusted. Which he had mixed feelings about. On the one hand, she was a murderer, on the other hand she was clearly not aware of just how dangerous what she was doing until now.

"Believe me, I want to get you out of here, but I've kinda flaked on my team enough as it is." Though he'd be lying if he thought it was solely for her own safety, a large part of it was ensuring that she wouldn't be running out tearing humans apart just because she thought it was fun. Some part of him was... happy? Happy that Sina got a taste that what they were doing wasn't a game? The little amount of smugness that he got from that, coupled with the fact that she admitted he was right only bolstered it. Then she turned right back around saying that she shouldn't even bother being sad because "it was just a bunch of scaleless." "Just a bunch of scaleless, huh? Sina, if that were really the case, you wouldn't be so broken up about them dying." She clearly cared about them to some degree, even if she wouldn't admit it.

Her rambling about what happened, something about the Mafia, some people named Sebastian and Alexis and a mansion? "You spent quite a bit of time around them, and you cared about them. You're really trying to not show it, but it's okay to feel sad about what happened." Hopefully she wouldn't go into detail with it. He slightly shuddered at the thought of gore. "Your friends, and don't try to deny that they weren't your friends, people you did care about, are gone and you feel there wasn't anything you could have done about it." If nothing else, at least she wasn't nearly as much as a sociopath as she implied she was. "I just. I'm sorry for what happened. Really." He reached over and put his hand on her shoulder. "As for ideas. Well... Uh. You're noooot technically the first of our kind that I met. I met a brother and sister who were living here. They're the ones who got me and my family into N'Toak."

It was probably best to leave out any details that had to do with Kaban. Lest she start fondling over how his inane choices caused a huge amount of trouble. "They lived in a house a good bit away. The sister, her name is Onu, enchanted the place to the moon and back. I don't know the specifics, but it should be more than enough to keep you safe and hidden until..."

She wanted a joke? Okay. "We... Well. We kinda started a war with Warwolf last night."

[Finland SSR]

Wyatt

The Mad Lass, Sina As'tari!

August 2nd

---

"What? I-I'm not broken up, where are you getting that from?" Sina spoke up in response to Bael's comment that she was feeling sad for what happened in the bar last night and she shouldn't try to keep that hidden. The vigilante slightly raised her voice, the tone turning defensive - before Sina's face slumped back into her hands once again. "I mean... it's definitely terrible that we just lost two valuable teammates and all... but like you said, this is a dangerous line of work and I shouldn't be broken up about it, right? Alexis would probably want us to move on instead of... this... I'd imagine."

No, no, no, Bael's definitely saying something dumb and inane again. They were her teammates and all, yeah... but they were still, in the end, just two scaleless vigilantes she had known for a grand total of a week, with some change, before losing them. Grieving for them just wouldn't make sense, right? And she's been one shoe slip away from a mass murderer, at least according to Bael, ever since she arrived to San Diego, so...

Sina twitched slightly in shock upon feeling a hand touch onto her shoulder and perked up, her train of thoughts broken apart by Bael assuring her that he's sorry for what happened. Though struggling somewhat, the vigilante forced out a smile, speaking:

"...Thanks. You shouldn't feel sorry, though, you played no part in what happened... It was all just me, really."

After a little bit of explanation that she wasn't the first Dra'Quinni he had met and that he knows a brother and sister pair who have enchanted their house to keep it safe and can transfer people to N'Toak, Bael suddenly, out of the blue, stated that they went to war against Warwolf. Sina blinked for a few seconds, not sure on what her peer meant, then her mind suddenly went towards something loosely related.

"Speaking of other Dra'Quinni and Warwolf... maybe you'll know who this is?" the vigilante spoke up, pulling out her smartphone, unlocking it and navigating across a couple of menus inside. It might appear as if she had already gotten the hang of how these things work in such a short amount of time, but, really, Sina was still as clueless as always and just trying to replicate the lucky swipe which got her to a specific video. "I found this while heading here, it must have been recent, I had never seen this before."

Bingo! Sina thought to herself as she raised her phone at Wyatt's face, showing a video filmed by an unnamed bystander with somewhat shaky cam, a large and muscular Dra'Quinni using a some sort of spell to create an earthquake between a group of Warwolf soldiers and then finally standing alone against a Juggernaut - though the video was filmed from too far away to catch any of the dragon's individual words, there was an air of confidence pretty much emanating from him the whole time.

"How could I not have noticed this guy before, he pretty much just oozes awesomeness!" Sina spoke up, the usual energy behind her voice suddenly rebuilding itself. "Strong, confident, and, honestly, really handsome too... Do you know him? Is he an Elder like you?"

[Solisian Union]

August 2

Yasha the Marksman

She stood in front of what used to be a bar called the Four Roses. What was left of it plus the bodies strongly reminded her of Zamboanga and the other parts of the country she left; it reminded her of the conflicts she had to fight for the government against the Muslim separatists and the communist insurgents.

Yasha frowned at it and just listened to Jill as she spoke, the two walked the perimeter of the crime scene.

Yasha, of course, was armed. She never let her rifle go, staying attached to the sling around Yasha’s body. She also had kept her pistols in their holsters, extra ammunition in the pouches or within the pockets of the vest or the belt.

The Filipino agent of the DMI thought that the bar owner might have been the one who tipped the mafia off and, therefore, associated himself in the mess. Perhaps it was thanks to that, the Outriders were able to escape.

That made her think… Was Catarina one of those Outriders? Was that cannibal from South America one of those vigilantes? It reminded her of the state her country was in…with drugs and criminals. She kept herself in one piece as she walked and observed and listened to her partner.
She trusted her to guide her through this. After all, this was American, this wasn’t Filipino. Though it was sort of like the crime scenes that the police and the NBI did, this was obviously different.

She never saw this kind of devastation except for very high-profile scenes or, as a soldier, for what is left of a city block after weeks or months of conflict.

After Jill suggested that it was a retaliation, Yasha made her own comment.

”I agree however it seems too much of a mess for it to be a simple retaliation. They have not succeeded in it too.”
When they reached the CSI investigator, Yasha was not shocked to see a pool of blood and no body. She suggested when the CSI investigator and Jill made their statements.

”That or someone came along to help the person out. It reminds me of the time that some of those Moro bastards would come and take their wounded out of the area.”

She turned to the investigator and made a suggestion.

”If it’s all right with you, you probably should try to see if there is a trace of that person who moved the body…if that person exists.”

Afterward, she paid her ears' attention to Jill and nodded. Checking out the car was a good idea. Another good idea was talking to the witnesses. But just like in the Philippines, some witnesses wouldn’t be too happy to help.

Yasha answered her, “To explain why else they might have moved the body, it’s perhaps they found out the person was still alive. So maybe they tried to help? Maybe they tried to finish her off. But if they did try to finish her off, why not do it there instead of moving it out of the crime scene. It’s too much energy wasted and too suspicious. So I must guess that it is probably the former. That person must have been moved by someone else who wanted to help them.”

She looked at the pool of blood for just a moment then turned back to Jill.

”I know that there are no drag marks. But metahumans are metahumans and they might have done something to conceal that. That or they are just very, very good at getting rid of such marks.”

She sighed as she turned on her feet and faced the crime scene again. She rested one hand on the butt of her rifle and another on her hip as she said, “Either way this goes, for a crime scene, it’s too clean for us to say that this is over.” Yasha turned her head to Jill again and asked, “Mind if I report this to my superior? She’s going to want to know something about this.”

---

Catarina the Sorcerer of Blood and Bone

---

August 9
Before Isaac did what he did…

For once, as they left for the safety of another place, Catarina was docile. She seemed…uneasy with the silence and the absence of Vendetta and Sebastian. She saw them die. She saw Seb like there, blood around, his body no longer metal. She was sure of it. But was Vendetta also as dead as Seb? Was the attack going to be one of the last attacks on the Outriders? Were they going to be attacked again?

Catarina felt lost, scared and…she didn’t know! She just didn’t know! What should she do??? She couldn’t talk to anyone! Vendetta was not there anymore to help her! To protect her! To…to guide her!

The Colombiana whimpered sometimes along the way. The wounds that renewed thanks to her use of blood and bone were healing. Her claws had shortened. Her heart beat slower and she was calming down. But she still felt scared. She showed it with her clinging on to Edward, hoping the knight wouldn’t drive her away just because she hated Catholics and just because she was a…monster.

Did the Outriders hate her and fear her BECAUSE she was that monster? Because she ate those who deserved to be punished? Catarina questioned herself harshly, head down and with her teeth gritted, having bit her lips.

She whimpered again and whispered close to Edward and Isaac, her voice truly regretful “Lo….Lo siento…” she tried to speak in English, butchering the spelling, “I….I am sury. I no want Doña Vendetta to…dee…por favor, lo siento.”

She tried to look up to Edward and to the rest of the Outriders. She said, with whatever courage she could gain back, “I want them…back. Amigos, we save them. Por favor, no go. No leave them to dee…”

She immediately felt her courage retreat and she withdrew behind Edward, another whimper left her lips as she said no more and tried to force her body to transform into something more normal.

She became aware of her filth and injury and became disgusted with herself, her fingers picking at scabs and at bandages that still clung to her.

[Segral]

Carter Graystone
July 29th

Wow, were they really that upset about seeing Casimir naked and coated in fake gore? Carter found it quite amusing. Hilarious. Chuckle-worthy. Positively goofy. Heck, he even cared enough to save a beautiful memory on his phone! Well...he supposed a girl, especially someone who wasn't in a relationship with the guy, would be kind of freaked out upon seeing a naked dude who looked like he was taking a page of Darth Maul's playbook. She seemed quite the innocent, probably hasn't seen a naked dude in her life, whether in flesh and blood or through...other means. But Viv?! She was Casimir's girlfriend for fuck's sake, shouldn't she be very aware of Casimir's body? What was she freaking out for? Eh, didn't matter. The point was, the mission was a success, and that was all that mattered.

Mizu seemed to be energized by Carter's attitude, claiming they should celebrate. He liked the sound of that, he was starving. He didn't care what he was eating, he just wanted some food. A great occasion for a splendid lunch! "Now that's the spirit!" he exclaimed, side-hugging Mizu and giving her a sympathetic pat on the head, one that turned out more like a boom. "What do you guys say, lunch out on town and a city ride-around of San Diego for Mizu? I'll pay too...for most of it anyways." he offered, smile wide on his face.

---

Lana Graystone

Sam soon came bustling down the stairs clenching his bag full of Chinese, looking quite exhilerated for someone who went upstairs to meet a delivery driver for some takeout and much-needed college kid tips. Apparently, what with a bunch of well-disguised hoodlums running around the streets, no restuaraunt would take delivery orders farther than ten minutes away. Granted, she wasn’t exactly sure how they could check that without leaving someone on the line for five whole minutes as they scrambled to check on some tinpot GPS, but whatever, the point was, food was here, and it smelled delicious.

Soon, everybody was seated around the table, digging into their containers, which were surprisingly good, a cut above the usual Chinese takeout fare. Hell, the kung pao chicken had actual spice to it. Quite refreshing indeed. They all sat in silence for a while as they ate, nobody seeming willing to break the serene silence, until Sam piped up, opening up some small-talk. Turns out he was a theater nerd. As another theater nerd, Lana highly approved. Although, it seemed like Sam’s credidentials extended far beyond her own. Doing acting around various theater shows, making some costumes and masks for Hollywood. No wonder his masks and uniforms were so detailed. Guess it was a pretty useful skill too, especially if you were in the superhero-ing business.

Doug soon piped up about his own daily life, which involved some form of manual labor he didn’t really elaborate on. And archery. You would figure, considering the bow was probably the most unique aspect about him. And the all-black getup, but the bow stood out. She wasn’t really sure if the bow actually had some kind of special power or some other quirky feature around it, or if it was just a very clumsy attempt at being edgy and unique. Either way, it still looked pretty cool.

And soon, Doug directed the conversation towards her, what she did when she wasn’t training her madman of a cousin or, as he put it, retrieving purses and rescuing puppies. With a snicker, she responded in good cheer.

“Heh, I suppose so.” she started, placing her water bottle back down. “For my daily grind, I drive trucks around for UPS. It pays pretty well considering how few of us are left in the business, and I’m a fast driver, so they’re not willing to let me go anytime soon.” she said with a smirk, leaning back in her chair. “It’s pretty relaxing stuff honestly, helps keep my mind off the ninety-nine other things I have to do in a day. When I’m not driving around, I usually default to tinkering on my bike a bit, or going out to expand my collection of spirits. I’m a responsible drinker though, don’t worry about it.” she finished with a wink, going back into her food with a very unwieldy chopstick grip. She definitely wasn’t as proficient as Sam, but she could manage, albeit somewhat awkwardly. Sam seemed quite interested in the bow, particularly Doug’s resentment towards it. A little odd, now that she thought it over. Looks like the bow did give him powers, which seemed like a great deal all things considered. Or maybe the deal wasn’t that great. Maybe he was in a nasty contract for some mythical item? It wasn’t impossible, given how many darn magicians exist.

“Yeah, what’s up with the bow?” she asked, now curious as well. “I don’t see anything that irksome about it, except for how it makes you look like a bad medieval cosplayer. Did you have to go through some really nasty ordeal or contract for it, or something like that?”

[The Republic of Atria]

Sina

Sina vehemently denied denied that she felt any sort of friendship towards the people she lost, though her tone and tripping over words told a different tale. "Denial is one of the steps of the grieving process." He shrugged. "You should definitely feel something if your friends wind up dying. And you obviously do, or did, care about them at some level. It'll get better. Probably in some time when you've accepted it and the shock wears off. But you're a worse liar than me if you think for a second that I believe you don't feel bad that they're dead."

She had a strange reaction to him touching her shoulder. Kind of a jolt or twitch, but she did thank him. She mentioned that he had nothing to do with it. "I'm giving you my sympathy. I understand that you lost people you cared about, and acting as another friend to help you get through this." He explained, hoping it wasn't as futile as the last time he tried to explain something to her. But apparently his non-sequitur and attempt to move the conversation along backfired a little bit. Sina brought up the video of "Kaban" and Amir last night, fighting Warwolf. It only had the bit with the Juggernaut and a little before, but not what happened after.

Wyatt took a deep breath. There was no way in hell that he was going to convince her that the Dra'Qunni in the video was actually him in disguise. "I... Well. You won't believe the truth, so... Yes. I do know him. His name is Kaban and no. As far as I know, he's not an Elder. His sister is just really good with magic." Nevermind the fact that Kaban hasn't been in the city for about a week now.

He felt... Weird? Not the good kind, when she mentioned that he was "handsome." He wouldn't know whether or nor Kaban was attractive, since he was neither female nor gay. "He's older than you and I put together, so I don't think you're going to be going on too many dates. Even if your personalities are pretty much the same. I can't imagine you and his sister would get along that well on top of that. I can introduce you if and when we get the chance to go visit." He offered.

"I'm going to tell you what really happened in the video, but you're going to laugh at me and tell me that it's not true. That wasn't really Kaban. He hasn't been in San Diego for probably a week, and I know for a fact that there's no way his sister would let him come back unsupervised. That was me, the human right there is one of my friends. We dressed up as to hide our identities so we could pick a fight with Warwolf and rescue our friend, who was kidnapped by them a few days ago. Alright, go ahead. Laugh and say that it wasn't me."

[Vanquaria]

This is a collaborative post between Vanquaria and Confederation of the Equator

---

The night was cold, almost supernaturally so. Heating himself up, Bu gazed down at the criminal hideout, his mind both processing what he was seeing and using that information to help him visualize his attack. It didn’t take long for him to be ready. The fast-twitch fibers of his legs instinctively tensed in anticipation of what the mind had envisioned for them. Yet, once again, just as it had been in the bust with Mizu, a single, unexpected variable was thrown into the mix…

Bu’s eyes widened behind the binoculars as he chanced upon a figure on the roof of the target building.

“What the hell?”

He played witness to the dark figure entering the second floor of the building via a rooftop entrance. Perplexed by what he was seeing, he quickly pulled out a hand-held radio, eyes looking through the lenses of his binoculars, and turned it on. Connecting to the police network, he tuned in to nearby frequencies...none mentioned the street his targets were on. There was no raid planned against this particular gang.

“So why did I just se-”

The shots were abrupt and ended just as quickly as they had begun. Bu jolted upwards, shock fueling his body. There was no plan anymore. He acted on pure instinct, pouncing down the ladders until he hit the ground. Then he bounded forwards in the direction of the gangster’s hideout, the music that had boomed from the place feeling less lively in his ears.

Meanwhile, the masked vigilante was all but done with the man inside. He’d gained a lot of information - the name and place of the one directly responsible for executing the ambush at the Four Roses. At that point, there was no arrogant expression on the crime lord’s face - only pure terror. The face of a man that had finally reaped all death and corruption he had sowed in his entire life. Isaac knew that man was done for and had outlived his usefulness.

“This is for Vendetta.” He said calmly as a final gunshot broke the silence.

And then, with smoke was still wafting from the gun’s barrel, Bu appeared in the doorway, his face contorted in an expression of raw anger. Walking through the hallway, stained with blood and littered with corpses, would have been a harrowing experience for a person. For Bu, the grim sight brought back memories of his past life, a life that haunted his memory.

Glaring at Isaac, Bu spat out his words, fists clenched so tightly his palms bled, “Who the fuck are you?”

The masked vigilante was visibly surprised to hear a voice coming from the doorway. So much so that he instinctively began to take aim with his pistol, only to stop halfway through. That bald head… It was quite clear he was one of the Young Blood rookies, from what he knew. Isaac put his pistol away but kept the newcomer within sight. “...this got nothing to do with you, ‘hero’. Step the fuck away.”

“It’s got everything to do with me, stranger,” Bu retorted, standing his ground, “I can’t let you leave, especially not after what you’ve just done. You’re going to stay put until the cops come.”

The vigilante actually laughed at the hero’s response, not being able to hold back. “Sure, I guess I been caught by one of the yeebees. How unlucky of me.” Without waiting another minute, Isaac drew his pistol and fired a shot that would just narrowly miss the stranger’s head, using this distraction to charge towards the bald hero and attempt to get him away of his way out.

The bullet that passed mere inches from him did not elicit even a twitch from Bu. He had predicted where the shot would hit with absolute certainty. And so, as the Outrider charged at him, Bu responded in kind. Lunging forward, he performed a forceful push-kick towards the vigilante’s body.

The lack of reaction from the hero’s part to the bullet that just barely missed his face was a rather unwelcome surprise, but still, the vigilante had to find a way to push that guy out. As the hero began to perform a kick that would use Isaac’s own momentum against him, he responded by moving to the side with what was superhuman agility, and took yet another couple of shots meant to steal the hero of some of his attention as he charged towards Bu’s side with a fully-committed headbutt at his opponent’s head, aiming to use his hardened gas mask as a way to force him to give ground.

A sudden maneuver by the masked man to evade his kick caught Bu by surprise. He believed it impossible for such a side-step at the very last second but the Chinese teen did not have the privilege to wonder if his opponent was another superhuman for he was quickly beset by a series of rounds fired by the new enemy. The blink of an eye later, the masked man’s face was hurtling towards his own.

“ACK!” Bu reflexively closed his eyes as his face collided with whatever heavy material the man’s mask was composed of. The hardened composite material would make its mark on his skin with blood swelling in his face, the humble beginnings of a bruise.

As he stumbled backward from the impact, the blinded Bu threw a right-hook at where he instinctively knew the man’s head to be.

Isaac immediately looked at the hallway for an escape route as soon as he could finally exit the room. The vigilante never thought he’d ever be so eager for such a thing, and didn’t notice that the hero was already back to some of his senses before it was too late. As the right-hook of the superhuman met the vigilante’s mask, he was thrown back a bit into the hallway, his ears buzzing from the sheer impact as a small crack appeared on the mask.

“Fuck… Ya’ fucking shithead, this is brand new!” The vigilante said as he regained his balance and created even more distance from the hero, sprinting out through the hallway and aiming to get back in the lounge where several criminals lay dead, where at least he would have more room to fight if he had to. “I’m doin’ your fuckin’ job for you, but at least I do it right!” Isaac shouted out.

Bu bounded after the masked gunman, teeth grit. His fist was bleeding, he had punched the man’s mask as a normal human and the consequent pain made his hand throb.

“As much as I’d love to send the bad guys to hell, it's the wrong fucking thing to do in this country! In the eyes of the law, you’re as much a murderer as these fuckers!”

Catching up to the vigilante, Bu pushed forth from the floor and spun towards Isaac, his legs twisting mid-air.

“I don’t want to hurt you but you’re not making it easy for me!” he shouted as he launched a series of aerial kicks from multiple angles at the vigilante.

“The same law that locked up one of your own?!” Isaac replied in the same tone as he finally reached the lounge, right as the chasing hero spun towards him and attacked from several angles. While he focused on the defensive and dodged several kicks, the vigilante was caught by one of the last strikes, whose pain he felt despite having some actual armor on. He quickly moved deeper into the lounge and created more distance between him and the hero.

“I don’t wanna hurt you either, but I might just have to kick your fuckin’ ass.” He threw a glance to a series of larger windows that gave the lounge most of its aesthetic, and realized their potential for a escape route. However, he knew he wouldn’t have a shot at running as long as the bald guy stood in his way.

Isaac then charged at the hero, feigning a left hook moments before he stepped to the side in the same manner as before, held onto the nearby couch arm, and performed a spinning kick from the opposing side in what was a variation of a capoeira move, enhanced by the vigilante’s own agility.

“Good point! But can you really compare that to killing someone even if they are a criminal?” Bu replied, his arms locked together to absorb the impact of the vigilante’s improvised attack. Grunting in exertion, Bu pushed back Isaac’s kick then reset his stance.

“Good move!” he remarked, “But if that’s all you got then there’s no way you’re gonna be taking me down tonight!”

Bobbing his head low, he slowly advanced, hands up in a guard. Without warning, Bu pounced forward and unleashed a combination of varied punches and kicks, mixing heavy-weight boxing with an assortment of high knees and low kicks that sought to dismantle the incredible movement Isaac had displayed thus far.

“The fuckin’ law fails as much as anyone else! Lock ‘em up in a prison, and they just kill each other there! And you ‘heroes’, with all your fame and fans, all you do is make criminals seek attention by confronting you!”

Isaac braced for whatever was coming as Bu approached, and was forced to give ground as the hero now restricted the vigilante’s immediate mobility. There was a clear distinction when it came to martial arts, and while Isaac had clearly improved a lot when it came to that, he was facing someone who’d already mastered it and was far beyond him.

That didn’t mean the vigilante would patiently wait for an ‘honourable’ loss.

As the vigilante just barely avoided and deflected the hero’s attacks and had the initiative taken from him, he suddenly reached for his utility belt, taking a strange object in his hands at the same supernatural agility he’d shown before. Soon, some sort of mist began to erupt from it. Tear gas.

“Scum must know that nothing more than a coffin awaits them.”

Isaac threw the tear gas grenade on Bu’s face, the vigilante himself not being affected thanks to his gas mask. As soon as the first opening came into existence, Isaac retook the initiative and launched a combination of punches and kicks at his opponent’s joints and limbs, movements that sought to hamper the hero’s mobility and perhaps give him enough time to flee the scene.

Again, Isaac surprised Bu again with his displays of incredible control of motion. With his attacks narrowly glancing past his opponent’s body, it occurred to the Young Blood that the masked vigilante might possibly be more than meets the eye.

However, the moment he realized that the tide of the battle suddenly shifted. His sleight-of-hand had been so fast that it confirmed Bu’s suspicions of Isaac’s true capabilities but by then, it was already too late.

The vigilante clearly knew what he was doing for he targeted the parts of the human body that governed the direction of motion. Bu recognized Isaac’s intentions, he wanted to disable his movement! But Bu was unable to counter his opponent’s attacks. Tear gas is one of the most potent, legal chemical weapons in the world. Bu’s eyes and lungs felt like they were being stabbed by a needle slowly and painfully. The Chinese teen found that he couldn’t control his body, all notion of motor control had been taken away from him by the chemical agent.

Bu had played right into Isaac’s hands, his body completely incapacitated by the chemical weapon and exposed to the full force of the vigilante’s powerful, precision-based attacks…

Waiting for the right moment to use that tear gas grenade had been the right thing, but now Isaac’s ace was gone. The vigilante threw one last right hook to the hero’s face before immediately turning to the large windows he’d noticed before. There, he quickly drew his pistol and fired a few shots at them, clearing the way for him to finally leave.

“You can tell the cops whatever happened here.” He said mockingly before turning to the building right across the street from the second story they were in, and using the grappling hook attached to the right forearm of his gear to launch himself towards it, climbing to the rooftop in a matter of instants. There, Isaac sprinted off, trying to get as far away from the scene as he possibly could.

His body sprawled on the floor, his eyes red and his nose bleeding, Bu could only see the blurry image of Isaac jump out of the window and successfully escape the crime scene. He could not move a muscle...his lungs were on fire...his eyes were tearing up....and...and…

He was pissed off.

Billions of neurons began to coalesce within his mind. A great spiral swirled. Then, in an instant, they all flashed simultaneously.

Bu pushed himself off the floor then ripped his hoodie to shreds. Gas was pouring from his mouth, his body expelling the entirety of the tear gas that had wreaked havoc inside. His skin was red, the pores sweating profusely, also expelling the chemical compounds of the agent. Bu’s entire body was steaming. Steaming hot.

The tranquility of the night was disturbed in the most audacious way. An entire brick wall of the building’s 2nd storey suddenly exploded outwards and rained down onto cars parked below, causing car alarms to resound throughout the neighborhood. A second later, Bu shot out of the building and fell onto the concrete ground below.

BOOM!

Unfazed by the landing, he sprinted forwards only to be beholden by the wall of the large building from which the rooftop that Isaac had flown onto rested atop. Snarling, his eyes burning red, he contorted his hands into dragon fists and without hesitation, slammed them into the solid brick wall in front of him. His fists embedded within, he began to scale the building at tremendous speed, resembling a bug more than a human. In mere seconds, he had climbed atop onto the roof of the building. Narrowing his eyes, he saw the figure of the fucker that had maced him. With all restraints shook off, Bu would erupt into a chase after the masked vigilante, his speed and power greater than even champion Olympic athletes as he closed the distance between him and Isaac.

The vigilante ran, and ran, and continued running. He’d done it, he’d solved that all by himself, and he could finally go back to his teammates with information on who was behind the ambush at the Four Roses. But then, a loud boom erupted from the street he’d just left behind, alongside a repeated pattern of tremors.

Each time the entire building shook, the source got closer, and as the vigilante neared the other edge of the rooftop, he threw a glance to his back to witness something he really would rather not have. Bu looked like an animal - shirtless, with a feral look on his face, his eyes almost glowing red. It would be really hard to see that man as a hero at that moment. Worst of all, the bald man looked really, really pissed.

As his pursuer began to once again give chase, Isaac picked up his pace and leaped on the rooftop of the building immediately after, the vigilante quickly approaching the border of the Condemned. The Outrider was very far from a lifter, but he was definitely a runner - and was perfectly capable of keeping up with that for as long as needed.

Eventually, there was an end to the chain of buildings, and soon Isaac had to quickly climb down, all the while a feral-like hero was hot on his heels. There, he finally stood out in the open of a Condemned street, and in the dead of night. Sina’s fire, Brianna’s strength, any help from his teammates would definitely be vital for him at a moment like that, but he had decided to go there alone, maybe blinded by a wish for revenge. “Perhaps this was a fuckin’ mistake,” Isaac muttered to himself as he prepared for what was to come.

Bu had been hot on Isaac’s tail for a while. His skin was flushed under the gaze of the moon above, his eyes still red but without pain. He leaped down from the building, his landing causing the ground to tremble.

Walking out of the deep crater he’d created, Bu stared at Isaac. Cracking his knuckles, he grinned ominously, the endorphins in his system stimulating his senses.

“To go to such lengths to escape me...to even use a chemical weapon on me...I can’t say I particularly enjoyed the experience,” he said, walking closer to Isaac. He stopped when he was mere meters away from the Outrider.

“Take that stupid mask off,” Bu gestured to the cracked gas mask Isaac was wearing, “I’ve killed lowlifes before. But it was always personal for me...that’s why I killed them.”

He then began rocking back and forth sideways. His movement belonged to a martial art whose roots lay in bloody street fights.

“Was it personal for you too? Or did you kill them out of a sense of misguided justice? Let us speak through action,” Bu motioned for Isaac to come at him, “Show me your capoeira, show me why you deserve to kill those who deserve to be killed.”

Isaac just chuckled in return. “Why? Havin’ my face around ain’t gonna help me, I’m no hero. Unless you wanna build me a fan club, come and take it.” The vigilante replied sarcastically as he began mirroring his opponent’s moves, adding what looked like triangular footwork, which would allow him to make full use of his agility. To beat someone who was clearly superior to him when it came to martial arts, the vigilante had to capitalize on whatever advantages he had.

“These fuckers killed some of my friends, but that ain’t the point.” The vigilante charged at the hero, keeping the same deceptive footwork as before. “I woulda’ still done it ‘cause it’s the right thing to do. To keep the streets safe from that scum.” Isaac’s movement suggested an overhand punch, but in the same manner as before his stance changed suddenly and in rapid motion as he closed in on the hero, performing an uppercut with his other arm.

The gloved fist of the vigilante glanced against Bu’s chin, knocking the Young Blood’s head backward. Pulling the rest of his body with him to not lose balance, Bu returned to a stable position, facing Isaac.

“The children of those men...without a father in their lives, they too shall take to the streets as their fathers once did. Then masked criminals like you will gun them down and refresh the cycle of death all over again.”

Placing both hands on the ground, Bu launched himself across the road towards Isaac and swung his legs out like whips at the teen vigilante. Bu’s capoeira was flawless, his technique the epitome of perfect. Yet, his capoeira was a copy. He had never used the Brazilian martial art in actual combat before and his attacks reflected that. They lacked the savage, street-fighting nature of the art...they lacked the intent to kill.

“As far as I know, you’re just another hitman on the streets, a masked killer under the warped illusion that you’re doing society a favor by killing other killers! The irony! Were you hired by the Russians? Hired by the Japs? Maybe your so-called ‘friends’ deserved to die after all!”

“Their children are gonna see reason and not do the same thing! It’s all ‘bout showing what happens when you go down that way, and none of ya’ ‘heroes’ do that.”

Isaac watched as his opponent switched his fighting style to a style of movement he knew too well, a martial art that looked like textbook capoeira. The vigilante’s own style of fighting came from a street mix of BJJ, Muay Thai, and capoeira, and so he was rather impressed at how the hero could so easily change his way of fighting to something so different. He intended to continue their “dance”, but only until the hero spoke words whose effects were simply... indescribable.

It threw him back to his days in La Paz, where he’d lost his comrades...due to his fault. It threw him back to that fateful night at the Four Roses… His fault. That last line by the hero visibly affected the vigilante for a moment, who stopped for a brief second. He was pissed, more than he’d ever been before.

Within the blink of an eye, the vigilante went from a balanced approach to a fully offensive style as he closed the distance once more. For a moment, he even considering drawing his gun at the guy and ending it there, hero or not. He was saying that Alexis and Sebastian, two of the people that had actually given him a new purpose in life, had deserved to die?! That wouldn’t stand.

“DON’T YOU FUCKING DARE!” It was almost like his mask was no longer there, and it would surely feel like the hero could see the expression of pure rage on the vigilante’s face. “Stop playin’ hero, stop PRETENDING that you actually DO something for this city!”

Isaac quickly went low on the ground by his right side to avoid the incoming barrage of capoeira kicks by the hero, a position known as the negativa, and launched his instep in the same agile manner as he’d shown before towards the rough area where his opponent’s liver would be, aiming for an incapacitating blow.

Bu saw his enemy’s intentions and rotated his torso to absorb the inside attack with a downward elbow thrust. The Chinese martial artist was wary for he had learned the hard way to respect the vigilante’s physical capabilities. His enemy’s fearsome speed and agility combined were knockout weapons in close-quarters combat, they forced Bu to consider his angles of engagement against Isaac.

And the tempo of his opponent had just been upped. Upped dramatically.

Establishing a defensive sphere around his body, Bu kept moving around the battlefield in the ginga stance of capoeira for he knew that being stationary meant opening himself up to the lightning-fast strikes of the vigilante.

His mouth curved upwards as he taunted the Outrider, “Aw, did I hurt your feelings, Mr Killer? But...I thought you said scum deserve to die? Were your friends not scum too?!”

The vigilante continued trying with a streak of attacks that were just nullified by his opponent’s defensive stance. He was acting more on impulse than anything, and eventually regained his balanced posture, ceasing his offensive for a while. As the hero continued with the taunts, Isaac just clenched his fists, teeth gritted, and constantly reminded himself not to act on pure emotion. The last thing he’d want to do was throw away whatever principles he had left due to a Young Blood.

“Scum?! The fuck do you know? They were actually committed to makin’ this city a better place, not caring about how they’d be viewed by others. They did the right fuckin’ thing.” He mirrored Bu’s movements, trying to find an opening. “Not like any of ya’ hypocrites would know what that’s like. The hell do you wanna do, hand me over to the fuckin’ authorities?”

The vigilante drew one of his bowie knives and charged straight at the hero in yet another sudden motion, feigning an attack with the blade on his right hand right before attempting a kick on his stomach instead.

“So they sent fuckers to hell out because of their own, warped perception of justice...admirable, I must admit,” Bu concluded aloud.

Parrying Isaac’s hits away, Bu said, “What I wanna do is my job. I ain’t no hero but I am Young Blood!”

Bu took Isaac’s kick to his midsection, his hardened abdominals bearing the brunt of the impact. Recognizing the danger the vicious-looking knife gripped by Isaac posed, Bu quickly lowered himself further on the ground and swiped his legs against Isaac’s own, targeting the vigilante’s balance-points.

“Then I gotta kick your ass either way!” Isaac replied immediately.

The vigilante found his balance threatened by Bu’s strike, and stumbled back several feet in order not to fall. Having regained his composure, he charged again, this time closing the distance as much as he could while avoiding any further attacks, no fancy movements involved, before throwing a right hook at the hero’s face.

Standing back up, Bu awaited Isaac’s attack with near absolute certainty that that bowie knife he was holding would be used under the cover of a right hook. He was merely a talented novice of capoeira, he knew not of any capoeira techniques that could be used to disarm an armed assailant. So he steeled his body, preparing his mind to utilize his own style of martial art to repulse the coming knife attack. But as Isaac stepped into his sphere of influence and the airwaves from the pressure of his punch touched upon Bu’s cheek, the Chinese teen realized that...Isaac did not really want to hurt him.

Gritting his teeth, his mind unsure what to make of the entire fucking world around him, sick of the unpredictable nature of life, Bu circled his right foot to the front. Straining every fiber of his muscles, he lunged into Isaac, the vigilante’s right hook brushing past his back-hairs. He looked into the Outrider’s eyes, trying to sense just what kind of man he had been fighting all this time. Then, he closed his own eyes, and pressed a palm to Isaac’s chest.

8 trigram palm. It was the name of a powerful technique created by the Shaolin monks. By relying on the rotation of the upper torso and the placement of one’s feet, an open palm thrust into the place where a person’s heart was could stop their beat, essentially killing them.

Bu drove his momentum into Isaac’s body, drilling his palm into the vigilante’s chest, the force of his attack pushing past the Kevlar fibers of the vigilante’s vest until the Chinese teen felt the flesh of his opponent.

“ARGH!” he roared, his body exhaling in total synchronization with his movement. Sweat covered his hands and his body shook from the effort. Bu averted his face downwards, in a silent apology to the one who’d taught him the technique...for he had not aimed for his enemy’s heart.

It’d taken very few instants, yet the vigilante had seen it as an entire year. From the moment the hero seemingly stared through his mask and at his eyes to when he first felt the thrust of his opponent’s attack tear through his kevlar, Isaac knew something was definitely wrong. That man was not just some martial arts expert with some feral abilities, but he also had something of a mystical aura to him.

The force of Bu’s attack was enough to send the vigilante away several feet, a hole punched on his armor and his shirt, revealing some of his dark skin. It was an entirely new tide Isaac would be up against, and the vigilante knew he couldn’t take any risks beyond the ones he already faced. From the opponent he was fighting to the sirens that began to emerge in the background, to the people who quietly watched from a few nearby windows.

It soon became clear that he had overstayed his welcome.

Isaac stood up and reached for something on his utility belt, the sleight of hand as fine as the one Bu had previously seen. The vigilante then dropped an object that looked like a grenade on the ground, a mist of smoke quickly taking over their surroundings. That was his ticket out, but before he left, however, he had to use the one last trick up his sleeve.

The vigilante turned around, the cloud of smoke behind him, and began preparing to follow through a newfound escape route. He dropped yet another object on the floor, a small flash blinding and almost deafening those unprotected in the smoke cloud’s immediate area as the flashbang detonated.

“I’ll see you around.” He said with the usual sarcasm and through some panting, as he once again sprinted away into the Condemned, the sound of a grappling hook launching being the last thing anyone nearby would hear as Isaac finally made his way out of the scene.

When the smoke had finally settled and the pervasive ringing in his ears had disappeared, Bu warily opened his eyes. The masked man was gone. Bu stood there for a while, staring off into the distance. There was no feeling of pride. There was only confusion. His head pulsed and ached. The night sky was beginning to break for dawn.

He slowly inhaled then slowly exhaled. He wanted to think about what he’d just experienced. He needed to think about what he’d just experienced. Had it been empathy? Maybe it had been empathy...Bu winced. His mind was too tired for thinking. And his cute yellow hoodie...had been ripped to shreds by his bare hands…

Bu walked off down one of the street’s paths. His destination? He couldn't care less about where he was going. At that moment, the only thing he desired the most in the world was the opportunity to lie down and rest. A damn park bench would do.

[Finland SSR]

Wyatt

The Mad Lass, Sina As'tari!

August 2nd

---

Kaban, then, that was his name. Perhaps it should be quite a shocking coincidence that Bael knows him personally, but, then again, there were only a few of their fellow Dra'Quinni in this city, right? If Bael has contacts with their community and it's supposedly so small, then it shouldn't be anything surprising.

"Aw..." was all Sina muttered once her peer added that Kaban was far too old to go on any dates, even if the two of them shared personality traits, in a slightly defeated voice. Now this would be a man her parents would be proud to see brought to their home. He and Dad would probably find much in common, I'd imagine. Though Dad would definitely be the brains in their duo. How's he doing out there, by the way? The drifting thoughts got Sina to lean back in her chair, her eyes staring to the open sky and ears almost missing Bael moving on to a completely different point.

As it turns out, she wasn't seeing Kaban in the video at all. Bael asserted that it was him, just in a disguise, alongside a scaleless friend lighting up Warwolf soldiers - all while vehemently believing that Sina is going to just laugh it up and deny it. The vigilante slightly tilted her head in confusion and spoke up:

"Bael, that's just no fun. Where's the point in laughing if you so adamantly expect it?"

Sina folded her arms and released a faint snicker, her eyes staring into the looping video and trying to grasp where her peer was trying to fool her from, but her mind reaching a brick wall with each attempt. "Yeah, sure, I believe ya, Bael. But only because if that were a joke, I'd be honestly quite sad for your sense of humor, and I hold you in a bit higher regard than that, you know? You're gonna have to explain a lot of things, though. Why is your team having problems with Warwolf all of a sudden? Why aren't you brave enough to just use your real selves if fighting Warwolf was so important to ya? And what happened to you, too? You weren't... like that when we met."

---

Carter Graystone
July 29th

Mizuma Ishiwara, the Lunarian Illusionist!

July 29th

---

"Yeeah! Where are we-"

Before Mizu could finish asking, Carter suddenly pulled her in closing, locking down the shocked purple-haired girl in a side-hug and, in what was even more shocking news, placed his hand on her head for a surprise head pat. Mizu instantly froze in place, her pupils shrinking to miniscule sizes and a visible blush forming on her cheeks. The girl remained frozen for a few seconds, before she finally broke herself out of the trance - quite literally, her body shapeshifting to have a miniature pickaxe-armed Mizu punch open a hole in her forehead from within her skull, then scale down the girl's face like the side of a mountain to tap on her eyes to get them to work again.

"I-I-yeah, that sounds like a great idea!" Mizu suddenly exclaimed, cleaning up her face by brushing across it with her hands, pushing the mini-Mizu back in her head and the forehead repairing itself in an instant. "You're... um... going to have to show me around the town, though, I'm new here y'know. Where would be the best place to have lunch, ya say?"

[Bentus]

July 28th

---

This is pointless.

The sorcerer questioned his presence in this place. It made no sense. There was no benefit to be reaped from this, and yet, here he was this night, heading deeper into the mountain range to the east, which remained mostly unspoiled by human hands. Mostly, because the asphalt of the road beneath his feet was not placed there by the wildlife around him, and the large, extravagant mansion that dominated the hilltop in front of him had certainly not been built under mother nature’s edicts.

The luxurious Beaux-Arts style building, with its characteristic flat rooftop and rusticated walls, was surrounded by a well-maintained garden dotted with topiaries in a myriad different shapes and delimited by tall hedges - the young man easily spotted poles with security cameras hidden amongst the foliage, intended to guard the house against unseen intruders by alerting both the local authorities and the mansion’s private security detail.

The schemer simply scoffed at the security measure, walking closer to the mansion without paying it any mind. As soon as he moved into the camera’s field of vision, an arcane symbol etched onto the back of his trademark dark green jacket flared to life. Neither the guard in charge of keeping an eye on the cameras nor the personnel in charge of checking the footage several hours later were able to see the white-haired young man that made his way towards the mansion, thanks to an old magic trick he had learned while on the run from the Brotherhood: an ignorance rune, modified to amplify its effectiveness to an absurd degree. The effect could only be sustained for brief periods of time, but it was able to fool even the keenest of magical senses.

By the time the rune’s light petered out, his calm stroll had taken him close enough to the estate that the outer security cameras were no longer a concern. A sweeping glance at the area around him revealed that there were only a couple servants working on the garden and a security guard making his rounds around the building, accompanied by a hound. At this, the intruder scowled, clicking his tongue. Animals may not have the gift of intelligence, but their instincts cannot be underestimated…

He quickly ducked behind a pawn-shaped shrub to avoid being detected while his rune recharged, and his hand instinctively went down to his belt, but he hesitated, more conflicted thoughts of disdain crossing his head.

A waste of time.

He stood deathly still for several moments before finally retrieving an ornate hand mirror from his belt. The shaft and the back of it were completely covered in arcane symbols, and when he peered into it, what he saw was not his own face staring back at him, but what he wanted to see. At the moment, that was a window on the wall of a luxurious mansion that looked very similar to the one he was currently going through the trouble of infiltrating. He stared at the image, and at the locks of hair he was able to glimpse through the window, for longer than necessary before putting the mirror away and carefully poking his head out of his hiding place. The gardeners were completely focused on their task, and the patrolman was nowhere to be seen.

Perfect. The sorcerer thought, before glancing at the wall in front of him: it too bore a window, one that was identical to the one he had seen moments earlier, but the room that could be seen beyond it was not the same. The other side of the mansion, then. He pursed his lips. Inconvenient.

With the utmost care, he swiftly moved between the shrubs, remaining unseen by the staff working outside. He soon reached the back of the building, where a luxurious swimming pool was being cleaned up by several retainers. Initially, his focus was on the pool itself, unwelcome thoughts making their way into his head until he suppressed them and turned to regard the servants, all of them obstacles in his path.

Faen!

Seeing no other choice, the young man dropped into a running position and then darted forward in a dead sprint across the backyard as the sigil on the back of his jacket lit up with an arcane glow yet again. None of the servants saw him as he raced past the pool, all too conscious about the fact that his time was short. As the spell’s power faded away yet again, he ducked behind a bush in the shape of a bishop, quickly looking around to make sure he was safe while forcing himself to steady his breath. Astrid, you’ve earned my respect again.

After resting for several seconds and getting both his breath and his heart rate under control, the intruder scouted out his new position: the pool had been left behind, and this side of the garden seemed to be completely empty, with no one working on it at the moment. He breathed a sigh of relief upon realizing this.

Walking up to the wall of the building, he positioned himself directly below one of the windows and took out his scrying mirror, which now showed an image of the same wall, but at a different angle. A fugacious smirk crossed his face as he saw himself in the reflection, only to be quickly replaced by a veiled expression, the young man pursing his lips as more conflicting thoughts warred inside his head. He stared at the mirror for several moment before letting out a sigh, having reached a simple conclusion, something he’d told himself many times in the past.

I don’t have a future. I might as well live today without regrets.

Putting away the mirror, he turned around, looking at the wall in front of him. Fortunately, the rustication provided him with plenty of handholds and footholds to use in climbing up to the window, which was open so as to let the cool night breeze inside. Seeing this opportunity, the sorcerer jumped inside with no more hesitation. Landing deftly on his two feet, he looked up with a smirk as he felt a surge of triumph at his successful infiltration. However, his expression faded to a small scowl as he was greeted by the unexpected sight of an empty room. A look of confusion spread across the young man’s features as he glanced around the lavish furnishings of the bedroom. Surely even one of the drawers was worth more than the abandoned manor that he resided in, but the sorcerer had stopped caring for material wealth a long time ago.

Recalling his earlier efforts to scry the room from afar, Adrian tried to pinpoint where he could have gone wrong. Perhaps he had been too eager, his all-too-human mind playing tricks on itself?

No, it was here. I’m sure of it - but then where could- The sound of a soft footstep broke the silence of the room. He immediately made to turn around to address the potential threat, chastising himself for being caught off guard. Too quickly for him to react, he felt a trio of threads wrap themselves around his torso tight enough to force the air from his lungs, before picking him effortlessly off of the ground and slamming him back-first into a nearby wall. Wincing at the impact, the sorcerer opened his eyes to see the amused smirk of his attacker.

Wearing a pair of long pyjama pants and a matching Captain Quake t-shirt, Marionette continued brushing her teeth as she looked over the stranger that had broken into her parents’ mansion. She had one of her hands extended forwards, the threads flowing from her fingers seeming to wave and squirm in the air like a swarm of snakes that eagerly awaited the chance to feast on their prey. Realising the unfortunate predicament that he had stumbled into, the intruder opened his mouth to try and defuse the situation, but was cut off as one of the threads coiled around his mouth in the shape of a gag. Refusing to lose his calm, he tried to resist, but quickly desisted upon finding that the binds were too strong, and that he could utter but indecipherable grunts.

A minor setback.

Tilting her head as she assessed what she assumed was an ill-fated, would-be-thief, Marionette calmly removed her toothbrush from her mouth, clearly in no rush to bring the encounter to a rapid end. “You know, I’ve never seen anyone make it past mother and father’s security before. You either have to be really lucky or a professional to have made it all the way to the house.” The girl paused for a moment, visibly considering her options on what to do with her newfound company. “It’s probably luck, though. You’ve got no idea how lucky you are that I found you instead of one of the guards - they would have riddled you with holes in an instant! But that’s what we pay them for, I guess.”

Suddenly, Lisette blinked as a thought crossed her mind. “Oooh, wait! Are you a thief or a hitman? I’ve never caught a hitman before, although father likes to say that there’s always a risk.” The girl offered the sorcerer an apologetic smile. “If you are here to try and kill my parents, then you just missed them. I thought they were going to be back from Brazil today too, if it’s any consolation - but the staff told me that they had decided to extend their stay.” Adrian let out a grunt, drawing Lisette’s attention momentarily away from her idle rambling and back towards the thread that was holding back his voice. “Oh, oops! I’m being such an awful host,” the girl wagged a finger towards Adrian as if as a warning, “but you better not be one of the beg-for-your-life types. That gets so old after a while.” With a flick of her index finger, Lisette caused the thread silencing the young man to fall loose around his neck. “So, what do you have to say for yourself?”

Rather than respond immediately, the sorcerer continued to stare in silence at the girl for a few moments, his eyes regarding her not with anger or fear, but curiosity. The differences in her behavior now compared to the previous time they had met were striking, yet it was so obvious that the person in front of him was the same as back then. Despite the fact that he was currently at the girl’s mercy, he felt less agitated than he had during the brief journey leading up to his current predicament, and so, he allowed himself to smile at the amusing contrast. Not wanting to risk depleting his captor’s patience, however, he finally spoke.

“Beg for my life? How droll. It’s not in the nature of someone such as myself to beg.” The sorcerer began with aplomb, a confident smile still on his face. He was now in an unfamiliar element, under risk that was not calculated, in a scenario where he did not control all the variables, but even so, if there was one thing he had learned while on the run from the Brotherhood, it was that going into a situation with anything other than pluck was pointless - either things would work out, or they wouldn’t, and for someone who regularly put their life on the line, neither outcome merited further worry.

“I would much rather negotiate with it, you see. I think you would be interested in what I have to offer. After all, it was certainly not mere luck that has brought me here, nor am I a vulgar thief or a hired gun in search of blood and money. Don’t you want to know who I am?” He offered - he would’ve made a theatrical gesture at this point, were his arms not tightly bound by the girl’s thread. “I believe it’d be best for me to show you rather than tell you, and easier, too. I assure you also that you need not worry about me trying to harm you. Even if I wanted to, your powers would surely suffice to protect you, and with but a shout that security of yours will be here in an instant to riddle me with holes.” He feigned humility as he spoke, only to promptly smile again. “So, how about it?”

[The Republic of Atria]

Sina

"Yeah. He's... Nice. Mostly. He did help me out of a jam awhile back, and taught me how to fight. Picked a few fights with Warwolf, got whipped by them, then left the city for N'Toak with his sister as soon as he was able to. That was... A week or so ago, I think." He explained. "They got me and my parents all set up. I'm glad they're out of the city. Kaban was being a pain in the ass and I was worried about my parent's safety." They were probably concerned about his as well, but he'd be fine.

She then got on him, saying that laughing at him wouldn't be fun because he would have expected it. She said that she believed him, but there was skepticism in her words. "Well, part of it takes the power away, and the fact that sometimes the truth is far more unbelievable than a lie. Especially since... well. I'm not as... Outgoing as you or him. But there's a perfectly good reason as to why." She asked for an explanation, with several questions as well as mentioning that she held him... In higher regard? Whatever that meant. "Alright, alright. Slow down. Here's what happened. In order of you asking."

"First. My team has always had problems with them, though until recently, they've gotten much worse. First, my team was helping them track down some supervillains who were robbing some place. And according to all the videos and word of mouth I saw, Warwolf blocked them from finishing off the fight with a victory, and caused the bad guys to get away with what they came for. Of course, my team was blamed for it, despite them not being at fault." He started. "Second, a few people in my team went off to get some information on some extremely messed up crap Warwolf's done. Turns out they were scouting the same place and one of them got kidnapped."

"Which leads to my second point. We had to get rescue her. She's... Well, she's not human, and Warwolf really doesn't like you if you're not human. Go figure. So to break her out, we couldn't just go start making a mess as... Ourselves. For several reasons. One, if we did that, they'd immediately figure out that we were trying to pull something and reinforce where they were holding her. That would have made rescuing her even harder than it was. Second. We do actually have a semi-decent following. It would make us look pretty bad if we went around and starting beating them up. They are technically the law..." Now that he said it out loud, it did make him out to be a little bit of a hypocrite. "We didn't kill any of them obviously. That would be a nightmare, and I'd be trying to get out of the city as fast as I could."

"As for why I wasn't like that when we met... I don't really know what what you mean. I'm still the same guy, I just..." He glanced over at the video. Sure it was of "Kaban", but he remembered doing all of it. "I absolutely hate that I'm quoting you. But it... Was kind of a rush. I'd be lying if I said it didn't feel pretty damn good to get back at them. That, and I did have to at least act like I was him. Kqban had been messing with them for awhile. Nothing too serious, but enough that he definitely had a reputation among them. Which would help in drawing their focus away from where she was being held and onto me and him. The other members of my team got her out, and we just kinda laid low for a bit. Hence why I'm glamoured today."

N'Toak

The pair mostly relaxed in silence, occasionally stirring only to adjust themselves so the heat would get both their front and backs. There was something to be said about just chilling on magically heated rock. He hadn't relaxed this much in quite awhile, if ever. It felt as if all the piles of stress that had been sitting on his head had just fallen off and he could take a break. His eyes were closed so he couldn't see how silly his looked. His wings, instead of being folded neatly across his back, were spread out, albeit limp, laying across the rock and a little off. He'd roll over if he could muster the effort and willpower required. Sadly, he couldn't and just remained on his stomach for the remainder pf the hour that they had.

He was abruptly awoken by Kaban shaking his shoulder a little rougher than he needed to. "Wake up." He spoke. "Our time's up. Let's go."

Bael slowly climbed off the now cooled rock, still drowsy. "But we just, oh. I fell asleep." He chuckled, rubbing his eyes.

"You are a very hard sleeper, you know that? If I couldn't wake you up that way, I was prepared to just drag you out." Kaban said, a little teasing in tone. "But I think you deserve it. Even if I don't understand your attachment to the humans, you work your tail off to help them. I'm sure someone other than me finds that admirable."

Bael was much too lethargic to understand what Kaban was trying to say. "Uh... Thanks? Lets go. I should spend a little time with my parents. I haven't been able to be around them much with everything happening." He replied, finally starting to get back into his normal state of mind. Kaban seemed to agree and the pair left, thanking the female clerk on their way out. They got to the roof of the building and flew off. "Hey, I wanted to apologize for thinking you were going to drag me to something... Not good."

"Mmmmhm." He muttered. "Your parents and Onu would never let me hear the end of it if I did. Besides, I have better things to do than aggravate you and everyone I know."

"That's fair. I just felt I should say something for assuming the worst about you."

"People do it to me all the time. It doesn't bother me. Now you know that I'm not a liar." He finished as they arrived. "I'm glad to be away from the humans. I don't know what it was, but something about them just makes me angry."

"I bet it's the hair." He joked. The grumbling that Kaban responded with was impossible to hear, but he didn't outright deny it. "Anyways, I'll see you later." He said as he went to his new home. As he entered, he Heard Kaban shout to Onu to "open the door" because he had forgotten his rune.

Thankfully he didn't. And entered to see his parents, Orro, and two others talking to each other. One of the two strangers was wearing what seemed to be full suit of elegantly designed body armor. There was a dark green female, who stood to his side at attention while he spoke. "Is everything alright? What's going on?"

"Bael." His mother spoke. "Sit down with us... We... We're talking with..." She stammered. "Someone who claims to be your biological father."

He blinked a few times in response. "Excuse me, what?"

[Absolon-7]

Carter Graystone

Mizuma Ishiwara, the Lunarian Illusionist!

Carter Graystone

Mizuma Ishiwara, the Lunarian Illusionist!

Viviana Couture July 29th
Viviana turned from the embarrassed Mizu to the suddenly appeared Carter proclaiming that the operation was a success. Technically, that was true. They hit all their objectives and requirements for the prank to be fulfilled but that one last SNAFU was all on their lack of foresight. What would he know of how embarrassed they are of seeing a naked dude! Carter saw a naked dude all the time he took a shower! He wouldn't know how girls like them would feel about it. She crossed her arms across her chest and her bright red face pouted at him in a grumpy glare. Before she could let Carter have a piece of her mind Mizu spoke up about getting a victory lunch. As did Carter, although he wanted to go a step further and take her to a full city tour which did intrigue her as she wasn't too familiar with the city's highlights either. Such a bright and sunny city was just waiting to be explored out there!

Viviana piped in with a faux British accent, "Paying for most of it? How gentlemanly of you Carter," She got her phone out from her shorts' back pocket to quickly search something. She took a glance upwards and saw Carter giving Mizu a side-hug and pat her head. Such an action surprised her but the more glee spread around the merrier they'd be. The Mini-Mizu coming out of her forehead and tapping her eyes made her double take suddenly. Oh right..illusion powers. "There's this great smoothie place not far from where Wonder Island's bridge connects to the main land. Would be a nice pitstop and afterwards the city will be ours!"

From beyond the hallway, a very loud very angry buzzing could be faintly heard. Viviana blinked in its direction. "For Carter's sake let's make it double..."

Renata Martinez, the heroic Stella!

Warwolf Reinforcements

Viviana Couture August 1st
"You say it sister! I'll bring the Molotovs to yer riot if they don't," declared Viviana pumping her fists. Well she might not have dine as much as she could have this mission yet again Viviana could appreciate this little moment with Renata. Who knew bonding over the relationships of fictional characters could so much fun? A small frown rested on Viviana's face as she sympathized with Renata's apparent embarrassment over yelling at Alexis. Checking in what happened inside might not be the best idea since they might still be busy and all she'd do is interrupt their hard work. Her fingers clasped around the cold railing she was sitting on and a deep sigh swirled out of her mouth.

"So how did you and Casimir meet each other, then? Did you fall for each other immediately or did it take you a while to get going?"

Viviana scrunched her eyebrows as if in deep contemplation with her eyes focused down on the ground. As if a metaphorical lightbulb went off, her expression bounced back to a jolly smile. "So before freshmen year started, the highschool we were gonna go to held an event for incoming alumni to get to know the place and stuff. They had lots of activities and games and such and everyone was split into groups. Well, me and Casi were paired up and we went with a group playing a game were one would be blindfolded and the other would walk around with them around school and then switch later on. I led him around first and when it was his turn he almost made me fall some stairs by walking too fast! And yeah, not really love at first sight. Twas more a slow burn kind of deal. "

Chicle nodded along to Renata's response but a low rumbling of engines could be heard halfway through. She hopped off the railing and spun around forming one hand to a giant frisbee in front of her but the sheer amount of their reinforcements made her take a step back. This was it. The moment of climax where everything would be decided. With her free hand she fumbled around with the telecom before activating it with her voice quivering at the start.

"Makeshift! Chicle reporting in. A buncha humveess with reinforcements just dropped by the front and even a jugg! I think they got suppressors too!" Chicle turned off the comm device before turning to Renata. She bit her lip and harshly jerked her head to see the pink haired girl. "I think we gotta scram inside....there's too many of them!"

Carter Graystone

Casimir Herman August 1st
Casimir's eyebrow twitched at Carter emphasizing his fake name for this operation. This this second-rate trying to mock him? The airhead was already on thin-ice after the blood shower incident and it seemed every following encounter was one more aneurysm for Casimir. As the aeromancer left to comply with Casimir's plan to deal with the juggernauts he couldn't help but give the last space he was at an intense glare. He made an annoyed tch sound at the empty space but before he lept off to deal with the patrol truck he squatted down to be face to face with Harley. He stroked the top of the dog's back rhythmically as he took one last glance where Carter used to be.

"Alright, Harley. I need to you follow Carter and keep an eye on him but make sure to stay behind the juggernauts. That sonic bark of yours is gonna come in handy for a surprise attack," Casimir stood up and cracked his knuckels, "But don't use it until I say so. Showtime."

As the trio of juggernauts chased after Carter, Casimir made a run for it past them towards the Warwolf truck that was slowly incoming. His legs vaulted him upwards and he latched onto the top of a street lamp but what he saw far off made him curse under breath. The warwolf truck with its dented and smoking front from the impact with a juggernaut had made a turn and was now going who knows where. Repairs maybe? Nevertheless it didn't change that they could possibly be going back to base and reinforcing them.

Casimir aimed his wrist at a nearby building to shoot webbing at it and after letting go of the street lamp he swung his legs forward while letting go of the webbing as well. He landed on the street with a roll covering himself in loose gravel and pavement but after a somersault he broke into a run and caught up with the WW truck in a blur of speed. First thing first, he squatted down and with his stressed leg muscles he catapulted himself at the truck's side denting it and making it veer side to side. As its screeching brakes came to a stop the first door began to open but he flicked his wrist out to release a wide open webbing to pin the door shut. Casimir leaped over and repeated the processes to the other side and in just an instant the truck full of Warwolf grunts was trapped like a can of sardines.....except the driver's seat. A single grunt kicked open the door and pointed his rifle at Casimir shouting all sorts of obscenities at him.

Casimir ignored him and focused his gaze at the rifle's barrel like a falcon at a hare. It would a gamble on an untested aspect of his power but what better way to test it then a game of life and death. Like a switch of the light Casimir blinked and it was as if he could feel his webbing power turn off. In a mock agreement he put his hands up on his head as the grunt ordered him too but with a belly deep breath he exhaled and another switch in his mind clicked this time he could feel as he was a housefly. It was as if his his legs were wings and his arms were halteres in a smooth transition of movement. The previous tingling sensation at the back of his skull from previous uses of his Fly power faded away to an almost trance state of mind.

Casimir took a step forward and the grunt fired. The blare of the rifle echoing throughout the street but a sudden jerk of Casimir's torso to the side no selled the bullet. The grunt gritted his teeth and began spraying the rifle fire all across Casimir's direction but in almost unnatural looking burst of movement and speed his body pushed him out all their trajectories. He wanted to move forward and clobber the guy but it was as if a mental lock kept him from moving forward. His body's energies far too valuable to waste attacking. This macabre dance continued on in a crescent around the Warwolf grunt his eyes could barely keep up with the black clad blur of movement.

click.click

"Run out of steam bub? It was just getting fun," sneered Casimir and with another breath the lock went away. As the soldier began to reach back to search for another clip Casimir's legs exploded in force and he rocketed at the grunt fist first at the foe's stomach. The impact sent the fool an entire body length away and with a careless flick of the wrist he was ensnared against the road with a tight layer of webbing. Casimir strolled towards the Warwolf truck's battered and smocking engine. He tilted his head observing it but not too long after he raised his clenched fists high in the air and like duel hammers he brought them down on the hood caving in the metal and forcing the engine to stick out from its cavity and hit the floor. Casimir swiveled around and dusted off his gloved hands. Now for the climax....against three juggernauts.

Casimir blinked in a blank stare forward for a few seconds as a light breeze passed by. He shook his head and immediately broke out into a run. He checked in with some insects that were watching over Carter he couldn't help almost growl as the blonde had somehow gotten inside a Trader Joe's with three juggernauts almost inside. "Just great" huffed Casimir as he vaulted off in greater bursts of speed in search of the aeromancer.

Jill Colson/Peacekeeper-August 2nd

Casimir Herman August 2nd
All in all things got off on a good foot. Peacekeepr clearly had her head on right as she right away recognized him as all in the city should by now. Hell she was even impressed and rightly so! The great Kabuto dropped along with her as he let go of the fire escape and he nodded along to her saying to keep quiet and to just watch. Normally he'd protest being ordered but this was a hunt for criminals. And as a tiger beetle makes no mention of its presence hunting lower insects so shall Kabuto not let these lowlives have the honor of prematurely know of him. He carefully observed her sneak her way to some scum's car and place a tracker beneath it. A classic indeed but he preferred something more low tech and less detectable like a good ol' cockroach.

Kabuto didn't know what these scum where up to but if Peacekeeper thought they were up to something who was he to let them walk away. Doubtless she would brush him off as some useless teenager but little did she know he'd bring down the hammers of justice on them and aid Peacekeeper! For he was the almighty Kabuto!

"So, are you coming?"

Once the scum had left in their car Peackeeper had gone to her own vehicle and had surprisingly invited him along. Well things looked to be getting better and better. And who was he to refuse such an offer? He confidently walked towards her and flashed a thumbs up with his gloved hand.

"Count me in," said Kabuto grinning below his helmet, " I call shotgun."

[Finland SSR]

Wyatt

The Mad Lass, Sina As'tari!

August 2nd

---

"So I suppose you agree that you took away all of the fun on purpose," Sina poked once Bael explained that a part of the reason why he was so adamant that she'd laugh it up was so he'd 'take the power away'. What followed was her peer explaining in detail on the problems which his team were having with Warwolf - presumably, the scaleless soldiers clad in metal and bringing giant cars with them while patrolling across the city, whom Vendetta warned her to stay away from like her life depended on it - and how the two forces entered open conflict. Which ended with the team attacking a Warwolf base while Bael, alongside a few of his human allies, served as distraction while the rest rescued their friend held in custody.

That honestly sounded kind of fun. Screwing around with some scaleless soldiers to help a friend in need. Sounds like something Sina would much rather be doing now instead of reeling back after losing two of her team members. Anything to relieve that pressure. After that description, Bael move on to asserting that he really wasn't any different from what he was before, though he did feel an unfamiliar high after playing the role of Kaban last night. Apparently, though, he did not like quoting her at all - which got the vigilante to perk up and tilt her head in confusion and faint scorn.

"Hey!" Sina exclaimed. "Why'd ya say it like that?"

The vigilante wrapped her arms behind her head, leaning back. "I mean, I know that you ain't much of a fan of what I'm doing, but there's nothing wrong with feeling a high when you're doing something good, is it? It's not a crime to do good things and extract fun from it - if you were grumpy all the time, then you'd hardly summon the enthusiasm to help people out even if you can save a million of them, right?"

Sina stared to the sky for a few more seconds before she continued again: "So, now that you've saved your friend and broken the law, what are ya planning to do now? Just keeping low and hoping everything will blow over probably ain't a chance anymore, if Warwolf was already so negative towards you folks. They might just bust your door open and spray ya with bullets or something. And our base isn't large enough to have room for all of you, eh?"

---

August 1st

Viviana Couture August 1

Renata Martinez, the heroic Spectrum!

August 1st

---

Viviana's answer to Renata's question was fairly simple as far as couples getting together were concerned - they met together in freshman year in an event for incoming alumni to get to know each other. Right, nothing too explosive or climactic, just two classmates playing games together which, after years, blossomed into a romance.

"Freshman year... and now you are..." Renata wondered to herself, tapping her finger on her lips as her eyes glanced across the ground. "...recently graduated from high school. Jesus, that's as long as I've been a hero."

The heroine's eyes turned to the sky as more and more thoughts brushed across her mind, manifesting as muttering underneath her breath. "So it was a slow burn type of relationship, then... You got to know each other as just classmates, friends, until eventually you drifted closer and closer, and now this is where you are... no need for pulse pounding action, or hiding that you are together, or your heart being placed underneath a hydraulic press each morning as you worry that he might be dead, or worse..."

Renata took a deep sigh, her voice turning somber. "Just a normal, every day relationship, why can't I have that..."

Thankfully, the heroine's chain of thoughts was finally broken by the sound of buzzing wheels - although, as soon as Renata realized exactly what had entered the fray, it turned out that there was nothing to thank for at all. Warwolf. Warwolf reinforcements are here. Viviana seemingly went into panic mode, scrambling to find her communicator and promptly informing Alexis that they've got company - Renata, on the other hand, remained stern, adrenaline rushing into her veins as she activated the Spectrum Gauntlet yet again, immersing herself in the familiar green-clad suit of the Courage Mode.

There were a lot of them, they even had a Juggernaut alongside them, and something told Renata that the light released by the Spectrum transformation informed the incoming soldiers of their presence. But she... she has Spectrum and Stella by her side, at the same time? And what has she always said to herself about risking your life to save that of others?

Which is when the question of retreating arrived.

"Chicle, retreat! I'm going to-"

And then Renata suddenly stopped.

You're right... that'd be a really stupid way to go out.

Just in time, a message from the facility reached both of their communicators. "Stella! Chicle! Retreat inside immediately!" That was Alexis, speaking from within the facility. Renata took a yet another sigh. Angering her teammate even further by disobeying orders would be a bad idea even if she suddenly managed to manifest the powers of God and Satan combined to wipe the incoming reinforcements off the map.

Well... the least I can do is this. The pink-haired heroine stretched her gauntlet-wielding right hand forward, a hardlight construct of a small, but sharp line of road spikes manifesting itself a meter in front of one of the incoming Humvees. The least she can do is blow the tires of one of those things to delay the column before they blow the team to oblivion.

"Then let's go, Chicle!" Renata exclaimed towards her teammate and immediately ran towards the facility in her usual, blistering sugar-rush pace.

[The Republic of Atria]

Sina

He huffed a bit, with a small smile. "Yeah. I did. You wouldn't laugh at me if I told you I knew that you were going to laugh at me, because I was certain you wouldn't believe me because... Well, I'm me. Big old wimpy Bael." He sighed. "But it's the honest to goodness truth. Are you just surprised that I don't act that way around you?" He couldn't imagine acting like that when he wasn't on the job. It was weird to see, from an outside perspective, the differences from his behavior when on mission and when he wasn't. Mission Bael was confident, strong, and probably other positive qualities he couldn't think of on the spot. Normal Bael was meek and awkward, and yet they were the same person.

Sina apparently didn't take what he said about quoting her nicely. Though she seemed more halfheartedly offended than truly offended. "Well, you said it yourself. I'm not a big fan of what, or rather how, you go about what you do. And even though I partly kinda sorta used your preferred method. I don't want you getting the idea that I approve. Or that I should do it more often or something. This was, hopefully, a one time thing. And even then, despite out skirting of the law, we still didn't kill anyone. You do that and you're going to get killers looking to add your body parts to whatever sick collection they've got going."

He was silent for a few moments when Sina mentioned that there wasn't anything inherently wrong with enjoying his job. Which was true. "I know. And I get that. I'm just kinda scared of... enjoying it too much I guess? With my... Thing. You know what I mean. I should probably be trying to avoid all of this violence rather than jumping head first into it. I really don't want to end up like the other two." Dead, and wishing she was dead. "Power's a big responsibility. And..." He trailed off, not sure whether or not to tell her that one of the Elders was still alive. Albeit barely. Thankfully there was more for him to answer. And she'd find out soon enough.

"As for what we plan to do... Well, they're not just gonna kick down our door and start shooting. Them shooting a bunch of teenagers isn't going to make them look any better now that they're already being questioned. So don't worry, you guys don't have to worry about us taking up space in that junk hole you call a base. Right now our plan is to figure out how they're going to react, and then react to that. What that entails is still up in the air, hence why I'm staying close. I am one of the stronger members if the team and in the event we need a bunch of firepower, I want to be right there to help them."

N'Toak

"I'm your father." The armored Dra'Qunni spoke again. "Your biological one, of course."

There were a few good moments of silence before Bael figured out how to respond. "H-How did you find me? I just got here a few hours ago."

"We check through all those who arrive in the city. There was no information about you at all. That and..." The helmet to his armor retracted back into the suit, revealing his head which was almost identical to Bael's own. Minor differences in color and body shape, but it was clear as day that the two were related. "We have quite the resemblance. And I happened to be missing my son when the city arose from the ground. Though he was supposed to be a hatchling." He finished, approaching Bael he stepped back. "Your parents and spoke while you were out. From here out you live in my home, with them of course. So long as we can get to know each other better. I assume you have questions-"

"Yes. I have a lot." He interrupted "First. Why are you wearing armor now? It's weird. Second. If you're my father, then who is my mother? Third-"

"Calm down. I can't answer if you keep asking." He replied. "The report that you had been found was sudden, I didn't have time to change out of it and I was excited to see my son. In this case I believe that to be perfectly understandable. As for your mother. She... Is no longer with us." He spoke, some hurt evident in his voice. "Before we continue, I want to make it clear that I have no intention of breaking up your family. I realize that your adoptive parents love you just the same as I do. I pray that some day, you will see me in the same light. One thing I want to ask you. I am aware that we are no longer the people people on our world."

"You mean the humans? They're fine, mostly. I'm friends with a few. They know about us, and are okay with it, I think."

"Hmmm, I see. They have been attempting to contact us for some time now. I suppose that we should return their attempts. Your and your parents speak their language, which will make things much easier."

"Oh, uh... I don't plan on staying here permanently. I mean, I do intend on going back. I have friends who rely on me." Bit of a stretch, but he wasn't going to abandon them regardless. "I'll still come by often."

"Yes, I'm aware. Your parents were very thorough with explaining what you were doing. And I have to say that I am proud of you for taking that initiative. However, we do need to discuss your... Condition. I know what you are, and I understand why you're-" He cut himself off when he saw how Bael looked extraordinarily uncomfortable. "What's the matter?"

"How did you find out?" He asked. "We tried our best to keep it a secret."

"Detecting an Elder is actually quite easy. We've specialized equipment for measuring magical talent and innate skill. Think of magic as a light. The more you practice with it, the brighter it glows. When it comes to Elders..."

"It's really bright?"

"It's more akin to comparing a light fixture to the sun. I understand why, you don't need to justify yourself to me. I realize you're afraid, and that's reasonable. What I intend to do is, whenever you are willing, to allow me to help you understand this power. I would rather you understand and control it as much as possible. Though you seem to have made progress on your own, you seem to lack finesse. Now, you and your parents come with me. I'll ensure that you are given much more proper living quarters."

"Okay. One last question. What's your name?"

"My name is Yharon, Bael." He replied, placing his hand on his son's shoulder. "Though I hope that you'll see me as your father one day."

[The Rebel Alliances]

Nicholas Fletcher/Smoke-NPC-New OR Base, Abandoned Police Station, Condemned District-August 9th

Nicholas sat in his chair in the what was most likely the old Captain's office of the police station. He did not claim it as a symbolic claim to leadership. Rather it simply had the best set up for his new computer which he had received by trading some coke for it. Was a solid deal too, the desktop was a good model. The loss of the base had really brought the Outriders down a few pegs. They had to essentially start from the bottom again and acquire new gear. The large office also was closed off which did wonders for Nick's desire for solitude. Never the most sociable of people even on good days, good days had become hard to come by the past week. He had barely seen Catarina, Edward or Sina at all and only saw Isaac a handful of times including watching him storm out in search of answers. Silently Nick wished him luck, Isaac may not believe it but he wanted answers as much as anyone else. But he had to take things carefully. It was his discovery which sent the team to attack the restaurant, and in the time since from as far as he could tell. Mob operations did not seem to slow much at all. He had yet to tell anyone this but, Nick began to suspect that the entire thing from the restaurant to the bar was a set up and that they did not remove the heads from power as they believed. Aside from visits from Brianna, he had pretty much shut himself down. Why? Because everyone, if they would admit it or not was now looking to him to lead this band of vigilantes.

And he hated it.

Before everyone expected Vendetta to call the shots, and she would never shy away from making a decision. Even a wrong one. She just did not back down from a challenge. It's what had drawn him to her, and he suspected many others in the team as well. But behind the scenes he knew that Vendetta had relied on him heavily in order for her to lead. She knew her weaknesses and trusted Nick to make up the difference. But those meetings were almost always behind closed doors or with Brianna as the only other witness. How it worked before was that Vendetta would set a goal and all Nick had to do was come up with a way to achieve it without getting everyone killed. So, Nick never before had to full responsibility for what happened. If she were here now, she would surely sound the horn for a counter attack and all he would be required to do would be to find a way to make it happen. But now...everything is on him. Should the ORs go on a suicidal offensive? Should they simply hide and wait for things to die down? Should they try to recover their losses in men and equipment? Hell, maybe even ask the Young Bloods for a alliance?

It's all up to him. And even more, what if the rest of the team decides he is not fit to lead? What if he gives an order eventually and they say screw it and split up?

For the past week Nick had played things cautious. Advised that they regroup and see about replacing their lost stocks of equipment. Most either agreed, or at minimal did not object.

The last embers on his cigarette began to die down as he sat hunched over in his chair analyzing a local group whom he had his eyes on for a couple days now. Finally his eyes rested on the screen as he snuffed the life out of his silent addiction and exhaled.

The San Diego Militia.

On the surface it looked like nothing more than a overly conservative gun lobbyist group of soccer moms and suburban dads to hold onto their precious 2nd amendment rights. But as he dug deeper into the association for the last couple days. Scouring their blogs, studying every line of their manifesto. Some may question why he was spending so much time researching group of gun advocates. But Nick knew that more than weapons what they really needed...

Were allies.

No one may want to admit this. But Vendetta set her sights too high too soon. The group had essentially just formed and they set their target in a big way. And now they were on the receiving end. They needed help simply put. A way to level the playing field. And if what he was reading in the Manifesto was any indication this group of gun nuts may be just the thing they need right now. He was almost certain that they had undocumented arms and munitions. Which would be great considering that they needed to restock their entire supply. And if they were lucky, maybe they would even be willing to contribute reinforcements.

And it looks like they are having a rally in a old convention center tonight. Well, seems the time has finally come to act.

Nick opened a new window to the SDM chat room he had been in the last couple days. And sent a private message to someone from the organization he had been talking with for the last day. He had not revealed that he was essentially leading the Outriders but they had talked about the topics of crime, heroes and vigilantes in San Diego. And he seemed to be receptive to what the ORs were trying to accomplish.

It's me, I think you sold me on the SDM. I would like to gather some friends of mine and meet up at your rally tonight at the Convention Center. Want to see what the SDM is all about in person. Think you can introduce me to a chapter leader or something when we get there?

Nick rolled his chair away from the screen for a moment as he finally relaxed a bit. He finally took the first steps to hopefully salvaging their whole operation. Now all that he needed to do was gather the team and let them know they were going out tonight, himself included. He called Sina and left a voicemail to get back to the new base as soon as she could and he suspected he could find Catarina, Brianna and Edward waiting somewhere in the building. All that was left was to call Isaac and he knew Isaac had his doubts about him.

He got a voicemail with Isaac too and left a message.

"Chameleon, I have a lead that can hopefully get us back into the fight. Meet back at the base as soon as you can."

Hanging up Nick tossed an empty pack of cigarettes to the floor and flicked off the office lights. It was time to move.

[Confederation of the Equator]

[minecraft villager sound]

[Zarkenis Ultima]

July 28th

---

The side of Lisette’s mouth crept upwards as she couldn’t help but chuckle at the intruder’s confident ruse. Anyone with half a brain would have been suspicious of his overture, no matter how much flattery he layered over it. Even if she was certain that she could make quick work of him if she wanted, what kind of villain would she be if she fell for such mundane tricks? It would just be poor form. And yet, the girl couldn’t help but feel her curiosity piqued at the corner of her mind. Despite being caught off guard, the young man wasn’t surprised by her powers in the slightest, which meant that he was either insane or already aware of her alter-ego.

Staying silent as she considered her options, the heiress’ gaze studied her prisoner carefully, as if trying to peer through his features in order to discern exactly what she was dealing with. Something about the man was eerily familiar: the way he held himself aloof and spoke each word with a deliberate care. Suddenly, the girl’s eyes narrowed as all the pieces began to click together in her head. Looking to confirm her suspicions, one of her threads reached unopposed into the intruder’s jacket pocket only to pull out an immediately recognisable mask.

“Hex?!” In an instant, Lisette’s threads retracted and dropped the sorcerer to the floor. Unable to mask her initial surprise at the his presence, along with her confusion at why he had come, the girl quickly planted her hands on her hips in irritation. “You big dummy, what are you doing here!? Do you have any idea what would happen if you got caught? I could have killed you!”

Adrian pushed himself off the floor with a groan after falling flat on his back, and then looked up at the PJ-clad villainess in front of him, his gaze alternating between her and the black rune-covered mask still held up by the girl’s threads, its mystical properties now nullified. Taken by surprise by this specific turn of events, he continued to stare for a moment before letting out a disheartened sigh. This is... disappointing.

The intruder then promptly stood up, dusting himself off as he spoke. “My dear Marionette, if I was even remotely afraid of dying, I would quite likely be dead already. It is not practical.” He said with a light shrug of his shoulders. “Though I suppose it would still have been rather unfair if it had come to pass. I am not your enemy, after all. As for your guards, they were never a concern - few people exist that know how to keep one such as myself from going where I please.”

Having explained himself, the young man held out a hand which was quickly wreathed in glowing arcane symbols, their power resonating with the runes on the mask - in an instant, it vanished from its place amidst Lisette’s constricting threads and appeared in Adrian’s grasp, with him calmly placing it back inside his jacket. With that done, his straight face was replaced by a friendly smile. “But that’s quite enough about me. I’m sure you’ve figured out by now that your parents are not why I’m here, Marionette. Or should I call you Miss Aveline in here instead?”

He paused briefly before continuing, expecting no answer and receiving none. “I heard you didn’t have much success at the Hilton, although you escaped shortly after being caught.” He explained, hesitating for a brief moment as his characteristic, surefire confidence seem to waver. “I... thought of coming here to see you and hear more about what happened. Just in case.” There was a brief pause, which caused Adrian to scowl inwardly before he caught himself and the self-assured smirk returned to his face. “You might be content to hear that we were more prosperous - your request was fulfilled with little issue.”

Lisette was about to lambast the other villain further when his sudden hesitation caused her to pause and blink in surprise. Did he just say that he was here to see me? The girl’s words seemed to have been stolen from her throat as she scanned the sorcerer with a mixture of confusion and suspicion while trying to figure out what kind of game he was playing. Everything had happened so fast, she hadn’t thought of trying to get in touch with her temporary collaborator after breaking out, and she was surprised to hear that he had been following along with what she was up to. Her blank stare and extended silence may have drawn on just a bit too long when Hex’s final words caused her face to light up.

“Wait, you did it?” The sorcerer nodded in confirmation, his smirk turning into a pleased half-grin, and a wide smile spread across Lisette’s own features as she pumped a triumphant fist into the air. “Haha, that’s awesome! Oh my God, I wish you could have seen the look on the Mask’s face when I told him what we had in store for his precious little princess. After everything that bastard’s done to me it was great to see him get what was coming to him. Hex, you’re the absolute best!”

“I am.” Adrian replied, but the girl didn’t seem to notice. Giddy from confirmation of their success, Marionette couldn’t wipe the smile from her face as her earlier confusion seemed to dissipate. She had to admit, it was nice of the sorcerer to come and tell her in person. “And I heard that all of you team made it with your own prize too, although I can’t wait to find out what it is you’ve got planned with all that serum.” The girl winked at Hex, offering her own congratulations before a brilliant idea dawned on her.

Reaching out, Lisette grabbed Hex’s hands as a glimmer shone in her eyes - he seemed rather surprised by the action, his confidence again wavering for a moment, but the villainess paid it no mind. “You know what? We should totally go out and celebrate! I bet you haven’t been able to just let loose in a while, huh?”

“...Celebrate?” The sorcerer repeated, almost as if the word was an alien one to him. It was not that he was a stranger to the concept, certainly, but with how busy he had been preparing for their big night and how exhausted he had been afterwards, the thought hadn’t once crossed his mind. Ironic, perhaps, that the mastermind was the only one who hadn’t indulged himself after his success - his teammates certainly had.

“I…” He hesitated, unsure of how to respond to the proposition. On one hand, he was inclined to agree - why refuse when he was already there? - but on the other, he couldn’t help but see it as another waste of time. After a moment, he shook his head, though he made no effort to move his hand away. “...I’ve no need to let loose. It’s just needless distraction. Something like that would go against the way I’ve conducted myself to make it this far.” He stated with remarkable determination, despite being fully aware of the fact that even the act of coming here had already been a distraction, and an unnecessary one at that.

Pulling her hands away from Hex - and seemingly oblivious to his reciprocating her grasp - Lisette placed her hands on her hips as she rolled her eyes. She feigned a yawn in response to Hex’s words. “Oh come on, you can’t be serious. Don’t tell me you’re actually all dull and boring under the mask?” Smirking, Marionette grinned mischievously at the sorcerer. “What’s the point of all this if you are afraid of having a little bit of fun? I think you deserve it, anyway. Do you even remember the last time you did something just because you felt like it? No grand scheme, no cunning plan, no overarching goal? Just ’cos?”

As Adrian heard the villainess call him a bore, it was his turn to roll his eyes in disdain. This is why you got caught. He criticized her, though he opted to keep the thought to himself and instead listened as she turned from insults to questions, asking about the last time he had acted on a whim. “What, today?” He said with a small shrug - he realized his admission a moment afterwards, however, and, with a scowl still on his face, decided to continue instead of falling silent. “What do you even want to do, anyway?” He asked, uttering the next few words with some surprise as he only just realized the truth behind them - and what it meant for his little incursion. “We don’t exactly know a lot about each other, why are you so set on celebrating with me?”

Oblivious to Hex’s irritation and internal discomfort, Marionette chuckled at his response. “Well duh, of course we don’t know a lot about each other. That’s the point of hanging out, you dummy! Besides, I think that you’re pretty interesting. Way more so than those other two sheep who follow you around, at least.” Pausing for a moment, the girl pondered the question of what exactly her idea of ‘celebration’ could entail, before she snapped her fingers with an eager grin. “You know what I really enjoy?” Marionette held her breath for a moment, imagining a short pause would build up the anticipation. “Shopping! We can go out to the mall and see what catches our eyes.” The girl practically squealed in excitement, clearly ecstatic at the sudden change in her plans for the night.

Adrian was, on the other hand, not smiling nor excited - his face went from an expression of surprise, to confusion, to finally settle in mild irritation, a stark contrast with Marionette’s glee. “...Shopping?” He repeated, the word rolling out as if its utterance was a disgusting taboo. He blinked as if trying to assimilate the proposition. “You criticize my partners in crime for being sheep, but your idea of fun is to run to a place literally designed and built to milk the masses?” The sorcerer questioned her with a raised eyebrow, folding his arms in front of himself. “I am unimpressed, Marionette.”

With the idea having quickly spread its roots into her mind, and her excitement having dashed any thoughts of going to sleep, Lisette rolled her eyes. “Come onnnn, it will be fun! You do remember how to have fun, right?” She gave the boy a playful shove before she grabbed his hand to pull him forcefully towards the exit, taking the young man by surprise and rendering him unable to protest. Without a moment’s hesitation, the girl thrust open the door and stepped out into the hallway with the young villain being dragged behind her. Glancing up and down the corridor, her eyes settled on a tired, middle aged woman dressed in the curt, formal attire of the estate’s staff.

“Candace! I wish to go out tonight since mother and father were unable to make it to dinner. Have a car and a driver be ready at the garage in half an hour, ok?”

Hearing her name being called out, the servant’s shoulders seemed to slump before she turned around to address the heiress. However, when she saw who was accompanying her, she seemed to practically jump out of her skin. Trying to recover her composure, the woman glanced wearily at Hex before turning to her charge. “Ms. Aveline, I am sorry but your parents were quite clear when they explained the rules regarding visitors to the mansion. If you wanted to go out with your…friend... at this hour, then you should have asked your father for permission.”

Pausing at the unexpected sign of defiance, Marionette’s smile wavered as she seemed to really look at the staff member for the first time. The cold glare in the girl’s eyes nearly caused Candace to shiver, but by the time she spoke, Marionette’s usual happy tone had returned. With a mischievous glimmer in her eye, the girl reached out to wrap her arm around Hex’s waist and pull him in close.

“Actually, I think you’d rather reconsider that. See, I would hate for you to have to call up father and explain to him what his darling daughter is doing at home with such an uncouth young man in her room.” At Lisette’s words, Candace’s face seemed to drain of colour. Satisfied with the effect of her threat, the girl immediately returned the distance between Adrian and herself. “So unless you would rather call father and disturb him during his trip, then I would be sooo happy if you were to do what I say, alright?”

For a few seconds, the new servant’s mouth opened and closed as if trying to formulate a response. Eventually, her shoulders slumped and she seemed to admit defeat. If the girl wanted to go out and do whatever it was she wanted, then that wasn’t her problem: she couldn’t risk losing this job yet. “O - of course. Pardon my manners, my lady. I’ll have the car wait for you downstairs.”

As Candace turned to carry out Marionette’s instructions, the girl grinned as she stuck her tongue out towards the back of the servant in triumph. Looking back at Hex, she offered him a friendly wink. “Easy peasy. Just follow her down to the garage and I’ll get changed and meet you there, ‘kay?”

The sorcerer returned Marionette’s wink with a glare, but a moment passed and the girl was already scurrying back to her bedroom. Adrian clicked his tongue and shook his head. “Uncouth… you know what’s uncouth? Blackmail.” He mumbled to himself before glancing at the hitherto unknown area of the mansion he now found himself in. It was practically drenched in luxury, and the young man found himself feeling out of place amidst all the material wealth around him. It felt like a world completely different from the one he now spent his days in.

Why am I even going along with this nonsense? He asked himself without words. I have better things to do. Ultimately, however, the simple truth was that, as conflicted as he may have felt about it, no one was forcing him to do this - he was doing it because he wanted to. Sighing at the realization, he turned to follow Candace to the mansion’s garage.

Let loose, huh…

[Finland SSR]

Wyatt

The Mad Lass, Sina As'tari!

August 2nd

---

Bael's ever so present worry about going too far with his powers got Sina to strike a faint snicker, the vigilante folding her arms. True, there was plenty of real darn logical reasons why he'd be afraid of going too far... but, well, this world ain't the same as the one which Naligura and Taurac left a warring mess, right? And Bael certainly didn't strike her as the type to go crazy with his powers, anyway - if anything, he wasn't crazy enough with them!

"Well yeah, that's obvious, but, you know, going too much to the other side ain't healthy either." Sina spoke up in response. "If acting more confident and playing around like that yesterday left this much of a pit in your stomach, then you're probably the last person who should worry about going unhinged - but you were still acting responsible, weren't you? You did the right thing, like the team needed; you didn't kill anyone, like you want; and you were also enjoying yourself - so, as long as you remember to do all three of those things, what's wrong with pulling it off more than once?"

Bael's brief explanation of the team's plan for the next few days followed. Lacking anything to add, Sina merely nodded along. If what Bael holds is true, then they'll have a few intense days to deal with - though her peer was convinced that Warwolf would not try to attack them directly. The Four Roses Bar and all that happened there was still fresh in Sina's mind and that sparked some doubt, but the vigilante did not vocalize them.

And instead leaned back, speaking:

"Y'know, speaking of all your Elder shenanigans and stuff... have you ever considered naming it differently? Since, well, you're probably the only Elder in existence, so nobody's gonna oppose you on it, and you're certainly no older than me."

---

Nicholas Fletcher/Smoke-NPC-New OR Base, Abandoned Police Station, Condemned District-August 9th

Isaac Fernán, the Chameleon
August 9th, back at the new Outrider Base

---

The Mad Lass, Sina As'tari!

August 9th

---

"Guess ya didn't get to blow off some steam on anyone after that yeebee beat ya up, huh?" a voice rang out across the room from above.

Sina was hanging off the ceiling, her tail latched onto a pipe gaping out of the unrepaired ceiling, and looking down at Isaac and Nick - the Dra'Quinni had slipped into the building through one of the windows a minute prior. Even from up above, the vigilante could tell that her Bolivian teammate was not having a good time - the way they spoke was harsh and sprinkled in with scaleless curse words, that alone gave it away. Not that it was shocking or anything - all of the Outriders were coping differently with Alexis's loss, Isaac's anger and desperate search for answers was the path he had chosen.

Nick took up the mantle of team leader. Sina, on the other hand, had grown increasingly estranged with the team during the past week - pretty much only using the new base as sleeping quarters and spending her days away from the team, flying across the city, trying to find something to do and rarely, if ever, answering the team's calls. Her ending up in the police station today after Nick's voicemail message was surprising even to her.

Letting go of the pipe, Sina dropped down to the floor, landing on her hand and immediately pressing back to leap into the air, this time landing on both of her feet.

"Back in the Rockies, I'd cool off after losing prey or getting pissed off my my brothers by picking up a spear, going to the nearest creek and stabbing a few fish. Good afternoon snack and really relieving." the vigilante offered her advice, then turned towards Nick. "Whatcha needed me for?"

[New Finnish Republic]

Brianna

---

August 9th

Pain.

Anger.

Grief.

Loss.

These were emotions Brianna was far from unfamiliar with. Not only had she herself expereinced these as a mortal so many centuries ago, but she had seen these feelings play out in the minds of warriors countless times. Whether it was a matter of her status as a Valkyrie at the time or simply becoming used to it after seeing it played out thousands of times was unknown to her, but for the longest time these feelings had become absent from her mind. Even after she was sent down to the mortal realm several decades ago due to her actions, she hadn't felt anything so drastic that she felt that there was nothing she could do to make things better. However, as she sat alone on an empty beach, she felt...empty.

She had heard the gunshot ring out as her and Isaac had continued fighting against the horde of enemies that surrounded them. She had heard her screams, only to have them drowned out by her own as she tried to run towards her, only to be held back by the remaining members of their team and forced to run away. Had it not been for the fact that their battle had drained every ounce of strength left within her, she wouldn't have hesitated to fight against her own allies just to reach her.

But even now, days after their loss, she barely seemed to find the strength to even stand up on her own two feet. The remaining Outriders had tried to talk to her, but every time they tried to talk to her, she merely responded to them with silence. Eventually, she refused to even leave her room, simply laying in the darkness for hours upon hours. When Nick had tried to enter her room, she threw her spear into the wall merely inches by his head, a clear indication that she didn't want to talk. Although he seemed reluctant to oblige, he eventually left, and since then no one had tried to talk to the grieving valkyrie.

What hurt her, probably more than anything, was the fact that she had failed not only Alexis and Sebastian, but her family as well. Odin had promised her a chance to return to Valhalla should she find a warrior fit to join his halls, and yet when both of her comrades fell, she had remained here in the mortal realm, a sign that her task had not been completed. She could only reason this by saying that it had not been their time to go yet, that there had still been battles that had needed to be fought. It was only because of her inability did they not have the chance to prove themselves to the Gods, and that hurt her more than anything.

And thus, Brianna remained at a loss. She didn't know what to do, and although the others on the team may have wanted to, she knew that the others could not help. While she may have failed Alexis, she knew that there was still one other person she knew of that she still had a chance to save not only herself but her family as well.

Which is what brought Brianna to where she was now. Glancing over the water in front of where she was sitting, she stared at the island that rested a few hundred meters away, the large tower structure in the middle of it towering high above the skyline around them. She had no idea how she was going to get there, but she knew that this was her last chance. She knew she would never be allowed to fight by his side, and nor did she want to. However, she knew at the minimum he needed to know of Alexis's fate as she knew that the two had some sort of connection, whether or not the two would have ever admitted it. After what seemed like an eternity of contemplation, Brianna finally let out a soft sigh as she slowly got up from the sandy beach below her.

"Óðinn vísa mér."

[Vanquaria]

---

"The Global Slavery Index estimates that on any given day in 2016 there were over 3.8 million people living in conditions of modern slavery in China, a prevalence of 2.8 victims for every thousand people in the country."

---

__________________________________

That Day
__________________________________

An Extract from Bu's Journal

---

The place I lived in wasn't exactly the most comfortable place to live but it was still home. The walls were made of grayish-white brick and plaster and the wood below my feet was creaky and dusty, the corners would collect mold and the smell always wafted over the rest of the house. At least it made for a good thief detector!

A day did not go by when our house wasn't afflicted by God's tears but that day had been particularly bad. CRASH and BANG they went against the rusted metal roof over our heads. Some nights I would huddle under my cushion, so afraid I was that that the whole damn thing would come crashing down on my little patch of black hair. Back then, I used to like my hair because the kids on the street next to mine would come and tell me that it made me look good. I would always tell them their hair made them look good too but the little version of me never meant those words. I thought their hair was greasy and icky, their heads shone from the oil that had accumulated upon them. Little did the little me know that my hair was also greasy and icky just like theirs. So then why did those kids come up and tell me that my hair was nice? Maybe my hair was less icky than theirs?

My legs were nowhere as long as they are now. The legs I have right now are like tree-trunks. The legs I had when I was little were like those short, fat twigs you would pick up from the ground and chuck at the dog. And it was because of those baby legs that I had trouble waking up in the morning. The sleeping bag I had was kinda torn and worn because it was a hand-me-down from one of the cousins whom I had never met and still have never met. To get out of it, one would have to push off from the floor and use the momentum from the push to force their body out of its tightness. But it was hard for me to do because of my baby legs so I would spend a good couple or so minutes doing that alone. When I was finally out of my sleeping bag I would allow myself a few seconds of rest. And dread the journey I'd have to make to the toilet. See, the floor was cold and sometimes damp from the rain so I pretty much ran as fast as my little legs could carry me across the hallway. Oftentimes I fell down. I fell down that day.

Anyways, so after brushing my teeth and trying to get the oil out of my hair with a bottle's worth of water, I wasn't allowed to use a lot of water, I would go to the dining table. On top of it was a small bowl of cold rice and lettuce. Cooked by Mom the night before. I had to eat it cold because we didn't have a microwave but since Mom cooked it I tried my best to pretend it was warm. Mom always said she loved me.

After breakfast, I would wait outside my house in my raincoat for Teacher Guang. The old man always came right on time. Under his umbrella would be my peers. There weren't much of us. In fact, you could count how many were in our class by holding up both hands. But for where we lived, it was the biggest class in the area. Then again, the biggest classes are always composed of the really young ones. Mom told me that the older one would get, the more likely they'd ditch school and become a miner like their parents. Or become a bad person. I promised her that I'd never ditch school. She made me promise to Teacher Guang as well. He had a big smile on his face when I told him that.

Even though I had talked the talk, I struggled to concentrate in class. The characters were just so damn tedious to draw and I could not have given less of a shit about Mao's Revolution no matter how many times Teacher Guang slapped his cane against my wrist. It was only out of class that I looked forward to for Teacher Guang would show us what we all wanted to see: kung fu!

Teacher Guang was my first sensei. And even though I realize now that he was far from being a master of the martial arts, I still hold a place in my heart for him for introducing me to the only thing that would save my life countless times in the years to come. Teacher Guang practiced Wing Chun, also known as 'beautiful springtime'. It was surprisingly good for us kids to learn because of its emphasis on having a relaxed body when performing techniques. It was the gentle stream of Wushu whereas forms like Shaolin were the crashing rivers. I took to Wing Chun like a bird takes to flying. I was a bundle of nerves when I threw my first punch. Was I doing it right? Why didn't the wind make that WOOSH sound it makes when Bruce Lee punches? Did I have to scream like a girl for the wind to go WOOSH? Or maybe I had to make the WOOSH sound myself? But when Teacher Guang told me that I was flawlessly copying his moves, I laughed in joy and kept kicking and punching just as how he'd kicked and punched.

The first lesson of Wing Chun had not even ended when Teacher Guang told everyone else, "Look at Bu Sun! Because he has paid attention to my words and actions, he is now performing the basic techniques perfectly! Be more like Bu Sun! But not in class, no, never be like Bu Sun in class!"

Everyone around me said I was pretty good at kung fu. Teacher Guang even told my parents about it. I remember Dad coming to watch me one time. No one's parents ever came to visit the school so it was a big occasion for me. Dad watched me practice the Wing Chun routines Teacher Guang had taught me. He didn't say anything but he stayed back to walk home with me. The other kids got jealous because my Dad had come to see me perform so they started practicing their kung fu even after classes had already finished. I did the same, after all, I didn't want them catching up to me. Knowing I was good at something made me want no one else to be good at it because otherwise I wouldn't be special anymore and that meant Dad would stop coming to watch me.

Our parents didn't have much time on their hands. There was a big mine nearby and our shanty town had been built to accommodate its workers and their families. It had always been there, the mine, even before I was born. Mom and Dad were miners like most of the parents and they worked long shifts. I was always happy when I saw them because I didn't see them often. They would come home just before midnight and leave before dawn. I always did my best to stay awake for them. Occasionally, they would be with me for a few hours in the day, like for my birthday or Mom's birthday! And sometimes, only sometimes, Dad would have one of his rare breaks since he worked in the deepest levels of the mine which was the most dangerous place to work in.

That day was one of the days Dad came to watch me do kung fu! And although they tried their best to hide it, I saw that the other kids were jealous! I always did my best to impress Dad and that day was no different. I punched as fast as a tiger and kicked as fast as a crane. I was Bruce Lee incarnated and I let everyone know it!

"HIYAA!"

"KYAA!"

"YAAAH!"

But Dad had never smiled at me when I was performing. He had never congratulated me, never complimented me, nothing. In fact, I don't recall him ever smiling at anything. Mom, on the other hand, would have whatever fun we could manage to have when she had spare time. Fun for us was looking up at the full moon and the stars that dotted the vast night sky. Nothing could compare to moments I spent with Mom on top of the town's highest hill with her, just being wrapped around her warmth and to listen to her voice soothe me to sleep. So, even if I told Mom and Dad I loved them both, the soft spot of my tiny soul would always be occupied by the woman I loved.

However, Dad finally smiled at me after I had finished practice that day.

"Good job, Bu," he said.

I was beyond happy. I was beyond joy. Words cannot do justice to the feeling warmth that diffused all over my heart at that moment. To have the man in a boy's life tell him that they have made him proud would be one of the most memorable moments in the boy's life. It was one for the little me. So overwhelmed with happiness I was that I couldn't speak, I struggled to push the words out of my mouth and I instead nodded at Dad, my eyes conveying how I felt to him.

Grinning down at little me, he said, "Come, I'm going to take you somewhere."

"Where we going, Dad?" I asked him.

"You'll see," he simply replied.

So I followed him through town, my chubby legs struggling to keep up with his long, adult strides. We walked far, very far. We went into areas of the town I had never been to. It was exciting for me at the time for I believed I was invincible as long as I had Dad near me.

Eventually, the surroundings became darker and not just from the setting of the sun. Shadows pranced along the edges of corrugated iron walls, the dark shapes shifting forms in and out, daring little me to throw a punch at them. But I didn't.

"I'm cold, Dad."

"Its okay, Bu, we're almost there."

"Where are we going?"

Without sparing even a glance at me, my Dad said, "You'll see, be patient."

So we continued walking. My hands were freezing, mittens were a luxury for people like us, and my skin was growing pale. My raincoat was doing the bare minimum to keep my body warm, my fingers gripping its cuffs and rubbing against them to generate whatever magnitude of friction I could manage.

Dad stopped abruptly and I followed suit. There was a white van in front of us, its headlights casting an illuminating cone that enveloped our ragged figures. There were 2 men sitting in the front seats. When they noticed us, one of them got out. He was a big burly man, his most noticeable feature being an elaborate dragon tattoo whose head began on his right shoulder and snaked down to his finger-tips. The little me thought it looked pretty cool, at least at that moment it was cool for me.

"Is this the boy?" the strange man asked, his accent identifying him as someone from one of the cities.

"Yeah," Dad said.

"Aight, here you go," the strange man handed Dad a bundle of notes then offered his hand to me, "Come on boy, it's time for an adventure with Uncle Quai, heheh."

I was confused. I instinctively looked at Dad. His lips were tight and his brows furrowed but he gently pushed me forward to the strange man who grabbed my arm and pulled me with him towards the van.

"Dad?"

He didn't say anything. A feeling of dread rose up from within me and I suddenly scratched the man's bare arm, causing him to yelp aloud in pain and release me.

"OI, YOU FUCKING BRAT!" the man shouted.

I ran up to Dad and latched my arms around his leg, tears beginning to well up in my eyes.

"I don't want to leave you, Dad!"

Dad looked straight ahead and said, "Go with the man, Bu."

"WHY, DAD?"

"BECAUSE I SAI-," he hesitated for a moment and closed his mouth. When he opened his mouth again, he spoke to me in a lower, softer tone of voice, "He's going to take you to a place where you can become the greatest Wushu master of all time."

My wet eyes widened. Oh, how gullible I was as a child.

"Really?"

"Yes...and when you become a master you will come back and show me and Mom what you've learned."

"Wow!" I sniffled, my chubby hands wiping away my tears. I believed him. Why would I not? After all, he was my Dad.

He placed a hand on my small shoulder and pushed me forward again, saying, "Now go...go make your parents proud, Bu."

Little did the little me know that that day would be the last day I'd ever see Dad again. But he wasn't wrong, I was, eventually, taken by the tattooed men to a place where I could Wushu. A dark and terrible place known as the world.

[Finland SSR]

Hellfire Road Trip, Part 1!

August 8th

---

What better place is there to spend a pack of cigarettes you just took by force from a gangster than on one of the many rooftops of San Diego, glancing over and admiring the unfolding landscape before your eyes? Truth be told, the panorama was nothing new to Floyd at this point - and yet, there was still something strangely relaxing in just sitting down and dangling your feet off the roof and into the busy street five stories below. Even someone like himself, who cannot go through a week without heart-pounding action, couldn't say no to even a second long break.

Besides, it's not like he's got anywhere to hurry. To say that everything in Floyd's life went at a very casual pace would be somewhat of an understatement. There's always going to be tomorrow, right, and it's not like all the interesting opponents could just vanish one day.

After releasing a yet another puff of smoke, the swordsman quickly noticed that something was not right. The puff immediately dissolved itself in an unnatural patter, as if ripped up from something from behind. The wind suddenly picked up, flapping Floyd's red cape around like the useless piece of cloth that it was and disrupting the trail of smoke from the cigarette in his hands. Alright, something is definitely not right. Pushing himself off the rooftop and standing back up on both of his feet, Floyd quickly went through the possible options of what he was about to deal with. He couldn't discount this being the possibility of a superhuman encounter - hell, the Young Bloods even had an aeromancer, right? It wouldn't improve his opinion of them if they interrupted his cigarette break, but-

Upon standing up and turning around, Floyd witnessed that he was about to deal with something a lot more... ominous. The spinning bright pentagram before his eyes, a fire motif surrounding it, and finally something resembling a crack in reality in the midst of it all indicated that he was standing before a portal to Hell. More or less the exact same sight which his depressed, nigh insane self had witnessed in his apartment about ten years prior - at that time, teen Floyd was completely and utterly frightened by the sight, but now, the swordsman only tapped his foot at the ground, awaiting the long sequence to finally end. Obviously, a rush still went down his spine, but he had already witnessed the horror which was about to come out through the other side, so what's there to fear.

And, soon enough, a demonic looking hand clawed itself through the rift, followed by the rest of the twelve foot tall mountain of a body. Beelzebub. One of the seven Princes of Hell, manifested itself in this reality and looking down upon him.

"Oh, hey, you're not in that disgusting fly form of yours anymore, that's a plus," Floyd opened up. "Police helicopters start swarming the area upon the sight of a literal building sized demon in 3... 2... 1..."

"You are the only mortal in this city who can see my presence, I manifested myself as an illusion." Beelzebub suddenly shut his unknowing agent down - only for a few seconds, however, as Floyd instantly continued:

"What a pity. You Hell denizens could learn a lot about torture from our law enforcement bureaucracy." The swordsman folded the burnt up cigarette bud in his hands and tossed it to the street below, then pulled out another one. "I'd offer you a cig, but Hell really ain't about pleasure, is it? If ya could light it up for me, though, I wouldn't mind..."

Beelzebub remained unwavering at Floyd's antics, remaining straight and looking down at the swordsman - but his facial expression, however barebones it was, betrayed that the demon was lightly surprised at how much the human's act had changed since the last time they met. He didn't seem desperate and grasping at straws, nor did he betray even a hint of worry about witnessing someone who could, at will, lock him down in eternal agonizing torture. Someone as self-satisfied as him would definitely not be willing to sell their soul right now.

And all of that was a good thing regardless. Because the way how Floyd self-fulfills him was in Beelzebub's interest too. Every person he puts to his blade instantly becomes a new addition to the growing population of Hell, after all...

"Though it may appear so, I am not here to just check on your existence, Floyd Tolson. I have descended down upon you for a very important matter."

"Figured as much, it's quite rare to see demons just take a casual stroll around San Diego on Tuesdays."

"In accordance to our contract, Floyd Tolson, you are obligated to join the forces of my army in Hell whence necessary, and this necessity has risen."

This finally broke Floyd out of his casual shell.

"...you wot." the swordsman spoke as he blinked a few times, a wince forming on his face. "That wasn't in the deal."

"It was."

In a burst of fire, the set of documents which Floyd had signed for his soul transfer appeared above Beelzebub's hand and promptly floated down to the swordsman, the tiny words highlighted at the bottom of one of the pages, stating exactly that. Floyd looked down at the page for a few seconds, then back at the demon, trailing from one to the other a few times before finally stating:

"You could have just written this post-factum."

"My demonic pact powers do not allow me to do such."

"Man... You could have said 'I am altering the deal, pray I don't alter it further', and I wouldn't have even been mad," Floyd looked down at the pieces of paper in his hands - at least until they poofed away in a cloud of fire the same way they had arrived. "Hiding such important shit in small font and not telling me about it, even more proof that this planet's just another circle of hell..."

Beelzebub did not even bother to respond at this point - he found his agent in the mortal world and informed him on what he was needed for, that's all he needed. The massive demon waved his hand across the air, preparing a teleportation spell - a highly decorated glowing pentagram formed into existence beneath both of their feet, something Floyd immediately noticed and spoke up:

"Before you send me off to do something completely stupid, what the hell does a demon like you need me for?"

"There will be time for explanations soon." was the laconic answer he received. Soon enough, the San Diego panorama around both of them warped and twisted into something completely unrecognizable, before turning into what appeared to be a shower of blood red light, everything around them bright, imperceptible and nigh-blinding aside for each other and the pentagram beneath their feet.

"Okay, the hell did you do now?"

"Nothing, just transporting both of us to my realm."

Floyd leaned back, finding out in slight surprise that the shower of light behind him was actually as tangible and durable as a wall, and folded his arms. "You can't even teleport?"

"Breaching the dimensional barriers between the mortal realm and Hell is not an easy task, Floyd Tolson. It was not a coincidence that I manifested myself upon you during your cigarette break - you were stationary for a long enough time for my illusion to teleport without you wandering off."

"What a bloody pathetic limitation..." the swordsman muttered beneath his breath. "Okay, since we clearly have different perceptions of what teleportation means, can you explain now what you are throwing me into?"

Beelzebub folded his illusionary arms. "You may be aware that I am but one of the seven Princes of Hell, alongside my fellow fallen angels cast away from heaven eons ago. Though, to you mortals, we may appear as a uniform group, in truth, relations between us are far from perfect. Though Lucifer has long since been recognized as the ultimate Lord of Hell, the second of the Princes of Hell is a position all of us fight fiercely to claim. For the time being, this burden falls upon my shoulders, but my brothers are rallying the demons beneath them in a coalition to try to evict me from the post. For the first time in hundreds of years, my position is threatened, and I've had to dig for any power and support I can possibly scrape."

"...Right. Demon politics. I should have figured that Hell's not immune from those, it's Hell for a reason," Floyd commented in response. "What's the point in bringing me, though? Or even rallying any demons at all? Any one of you 'Princes of Hell' or whatever you call yourselves, you could wipe me off the face of this dimension before I finish my first quip. So just fight your battles yourself, no need to get me involved."

"None of the Princes step into the fight themselves. For safety reasons, to ensure that the dimension of Hell does not get destroyed in the process. Instead, the fight is done through rallying lesser demons, to show which one of us has more prestige among our fellows, and through agents, mortals who we've binded our power to and can use as a way to safely channel it. And, because of the demonic pact which you signed, you count as one."

"Really now? An agent? You speak of me like I was just a tool."

"Demons may be lords of lies, but so far I have only stated the truth."

"...There's a person attached to this sword, you know..."

The teleportation room stayed silent for a few more seconds, before Floyd opened his mouth yet again:

"So what happens to the business when demons go to war? Do all the damned boiling in tar get a day off?"

"You mean those who are not forcefully turned into imps or lesser demons? That would be one way to put it, correct. Though, it highly depends on which field of torture we are talking about. Those frozen in blocks of ice don't feel much of a change, for example."

"Right. Guess I know what I'll be spending my time on when I end up here. Commenting on politics while getting pitchforks stabbed through my chest over and over."

"If you are worried about your years of eternal damnation, then you may start also learning the layout..."

Right on cue, the giant demon and his mortal agent touched down on the, obviously, hellish and fiery landscape of the dimension of the damned.

[Auropa]

Mike Mathews
August 1st, Warwolf facility
Beneath a pile of rubble and a thoroughly unconscious soldier, one thought steadily passed through Mike’s mind.
‘…ow.’
After the fighting, taking at least a dozen hits and over using his powers again, all he really wanted to do was curl up and sleep for a week. Some corner of his mind admittedly did still manage to go on about how he had to keep moving and that he couldn’t rest here. But after everything that had happened, his head’s once deafening shouts didn’t sound much louder than a whisper to him anymore. In the end, after the briefest moment of resistance, Mike gave in to his exhaustion, closed his eyes and began to let his mind go blank.

As he slipped into unconsciousness, he found himself walking through a place that seemed familiar yet foreign, before long, he was passing through the hallway he had crossed with Mars only a few short minutes ago. Once again he followed it to the end, he knew it led to a group of waiting soldiers but he din't have the energy to try and deviate his course. When he opened the door though, he found himself back in his room on the team's island. It was barren and empty of even the few possessions he kept there, he didn't know how long it had been like this but the heavy layer of dust across the table gave him a rough idea. The only thing standing out against the place's stillness was another him sitting on the bed and staring back at him.
‘Bad day?’ It asked to himself.
‘And what’s this all meant to be?’ Mike answered somewhat frustrated at himself for interrupting his rest.
‘A wake-up call. The fight’s not over yet, so get up and go help the others.’ He said calmly.
‘And why the hell should I? Mars is safe, the others got Kiris and there are plenty of exits. I was only meant to hold the stairs. And what did I do instead? I rode a juggernaut, helped fight a small army, watched Elle and the ice queen get overrun, got shot at, charged into a room full of soldiers, dropped the roof on them to buy time and still helped secure the stairs. I did my part in all this, I’m done.’
‘Yeah, you did your part and you did it a while ago. So why did you do any more? You could have left Elle to deal with the soldiers alone, you didn’t have to try and incapacitate the juggernaut and you certainly didn’t need to cover Mars. So why do any of it in the first place?’
‘…’
‘Yeah, no point saying what we already know. Come on, we can sit here and play out this pointless back and forth or we can skip to the ending we both see coming and go straight to doing what we need to. The fight’s not over and that idiot almost definitely didn’t leave. So shake this mess off and get up, or are you just that desperate to not go back to that big empty house we call a home?’

Before Mike could get in so much as a retort, the room started to light up, getting brighter and brighter with every second until he couldn’t see anything but a blinding wall of whiteness. Then, bit by bit, the world began to come back into focus. The returning pains of bruises and fractures made it clear he was awake again but the lack of weight on his chest was a thankful surprise, the figure lifting him to his feet though, was not.
“Do you ever do what you’re told?” he muttered between ragged coughs as Mars helped him up.
“But you’re right. We need to leave before-” He began to say before realizing the room was significantly more destroyed than how he had left it and that the remaining Warwolf soldiers were now scattered around and thankfully knocked well out of commission. Adding to the scene, was the teams very own magician happily standing in the midst of all the destruction.
“Huh, well, I guess that takes care of that then.” He said as he tried to take a step forward only to stumble and nearly fall under his weight.
“Don't! I'm good, I'm good, just a little winded” He called out before anyone could comment or offer help. Then, after sucking down a lungful of air, he started to moving forward once more gaining a little more balance with every step.

As they made their way to the exit though, a worrying announcement came over the comms regarding a new wave of enemies outside. And while he still couldn't hear or see anything new, it didn’t take a genius to guess that at least some of the soldiers would come to the staff exit. Another wave to fight was already bad news but considering how the group was faring made it only that much worse, Mars still had a bullet in his shoulder, both Tad and Elle had been fighting nearly non-stop and he could barely hold himself upright,
"Anyone got a plan on how to get out of here?” Mike asked the group as he leaned against a wall for support.

[The Republic of Atria]

Sina

He looked annoyed when Sina snickered at him for mentioning his qualms with his powers and what he did yesterday, but she seemed to be at least a little understanding in her reply. Saying that yes, he should be careful with them, but not so much so that he leans too far into the other direction, and that he can act confident without going overboard like he did last night. She had a point, he would begrudgingly admit. "I guess you have a point. I guess I just have to get more used to using them like that. Honestly, the was the first chance I got to really do something with my team. So that might have been part of it." There were other factors. Like, who he was doing it for, and who he was fighting against, but doing it was still kinda fun.

Sina changed the subject a bit, suggesting that he change the name from "Elder" to something else since no one would stop him and it implied he was old when he was barely an adult. He smiled and shrugged. "You're not wrong. But then what would I change it to? Super Dra'Qunni just doesn't roll off the tongue as easily. Though the more I think about it, the more I think it's a bad idea. Change the name would be like trying to hide the history. Sure, they've done some terrible things, but they also did a lot of good. Humans say that those that don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it. So I think I'll keep the name as is. For all the good and bad that comes with it."

[Tomia]

Frost Bite
A minute or two after Alexis decided she could activate the sprinklers, a small thudding noise could be heard from the ceiling as the emergency sprinklers appeared and started pouring water down on everyone in the building. Angelica immediately felt a surge of power that was almost overwhelming. She could hardly focus as water poured around her. She forced herself to concentrate on the water that was surrounding her body. Soon massive blocks of ice started to form around her as Angelica started to get control of her powers. She threw the massive blocks of ice at nearby Warwolf agents, knocking them both to the ground. Feeling more confident, she clenched her fists and suddenly the water on nearby guards instantly turned into ice, freezing them into place. "Everyone, I'm going to make a path for you, get to the plane as fast as you can." She said before preceding to turn to the exit. She focused once again and shot massive block of ice after massive block of ice at the gathering warwolf forces, forcing them to scatter to avoid them.

[Finland SSR]

Hellfire Road Trip, Part 1!

August 8th

---

Hellfire Road Trip, Part 2!

August 8th

---

Floyd did not get much of a chance to witness the tools and fields of eternal torture, as almost immediately after the swordsman and the illusion of Beelzebub tagging alongside him, he got led towards what seemed to be a floating, towering fortress in the midst of a giant fiery pit, several bridges and beams leading towards the spire. The first two things which Floyd noticed as he went, ignoring the building up stench and pulsating heat around him, were the screams, cries and wailing of millions of damned, prideful souls underneath, clashing with the roars of an utterly massive amount of demons gathered in the hellish plains around them. The former was standard procedure for Hell, while the latter, as Floyd correctly presumed, was Beelzebub's demonic army. Thousands upon thousands of hellish creatures were awaiting for the order to rip apart everything in their path - some of them looked like muscular humanoids with horns, standing upright and wielding various weapons, not too dissimilar from your usual depiction of demons, while others looked deformed, incomprehensible. Some resembled animals with bones and spikes protruding from their flesh, others appeared more like floating wraiths, spawns of sentient venom, hulking behemoths...

"Must be quite a day off for them, I imagine," Floyd muttered under his breath as his head turned from side to side, before fixating back on Beelzebub. "Oi, shouldn't I be joining them if you want me to serve in your army or somethin'?"

"I'd advise against it." the illusion spoke up in response. "These demons do nothing all day but look after tortured victims, war to them is entertainment and they'd rip apart anything in their path in a frenzy. They can recognize each other, as demons spawned from the same Prince have the same aura, but throw anything else in their ranks and they'll turn it to mush."

"What, so I don't count?"

"My essence in your body is muddled by your human soul. A demon could recognize you as one of my own after a double take, but expecting your average imp to do something as complicated as thinking would be asking for too much."

"Fair enough, so my role is..."

"You will not fight side by side with all of those demons, no. But you will have a mission on the battlefield regardless, Floyd Tolson. Alongside some of my more sentient underlings, you shall seek to eliminate the lords and lieutenants among the enemy ranks - demons may be spawns of destruction, but they are nevertheless alive and follow orders, and if they see that their superiors who are handing out those orders are felled, their will to fight is bound to shatter."

"Mhm... Sounds like fun, but I suppose 'fun' is not in your dictionary."

Beelzebub said nothing, just continued walking forward across the bridge, much to Floyd's chagrin. There was still a bit of distance between them and what seemed like the gate leading inside, so the swordsman spoke up again:

"So... I was wondering... Over there in our circle of Hell, we like to write a lot about what your dimension and what we imagine it to be like. Do you guys ever do, like, reading nights or whatever where you laugh and how hilariously we misinterpret the afterlife?"

Beelzebub said nothing.

"What's the most accurate depiction of your home, in your opinion? Divine Comedy? Twilight Zone? Little Nicky?"

Beelzebub's illusion vanished as Floyd stopped in front of a highly encrusted and decorated fifty foot tall gate. The swordsman sighed and muttered:

"Alright then. Keep your secrets."

The gate opened up automatically and the swordsman stepped in, met with a misty, hazy and far from welcoming environment spread across a tall and narrow hallway, resembling something ripped straight out of a Gothic style cathedral. The rotten, ash-filled and sulphuric smell of the air outside was completely gone, though the intense heat lingered on. Floyd stepped forward without much hesitation, hands placed in his pockets and eyes shifting from side to side on occasion. Hell's usually just a massive barrel of metaphors, isn't it? Wonder what all of this is supposed to mean, then... The corridor suddenly shifted into a wide, massive and seemingly empty hall, the ceiling vanishing into the mist above and anything more than a few dozen meters in front of him obscured. If it weren't for the stone floor beneath his feet, his eyes would start thinking he was suspended in an eternal and endless haze. What is he even supposed to do he-

Halt.

A faint scratching sound reached Floyd's ears. It was not audible enough to be heard by the average person, but the swordsman's superhuman ears registered it without a problem and forced his body to come to a sudden stop. Clearly, he wasn't actually alone.

Well then...

Floyd closed his eyes and turned off all of his senses except for hearing, then promptly snapped his fingers, listening in on the returning sound waves. Immediately, the swordsman could discern that while the room was more or less circular, there were several twitching blobs of various sizes on the other side. Absolutely correct. Returning his senses back to their normal state and clenching onto the handle of his sword, hanging on his back, Floyd suddenly exclaimed:

"Alright, ya wankers, hide and seek's over, whatcha want from me?"

Surprisingly, his words had been heard, The haze slightly receded, giving way to several murky silhouettes in the clouds. Though Floyd could not yet see them in their full mutated glory, he could tell very well that he was dealing with several demons slowly heading his way. One silhouette appeared like a giant horned centaur carrying a massive scythe, another - like a fifteen foot tall goliath wielding a giant club and carrying two heads on his shoulders. There were several more human-like demons dispersed all around, too - and in total, there seemed to be eight of them.

"Lovely..."

Was this gonna be his test to prove his worth or something like that? Floyd certainly wouldn't have said no, and since the demons on the other side of the room were inching closer and closer, the swordsman started to slowly pull out his weapon in preparation to go ham. However...

"That's enough, he's clearly not afraid."

As if someone had turned on the lights, the haze across the room vanished in almost an instant, revealing the entirety of the vast dome-like spire and pushing the demons who had been approaching Floyd to an instant halt.

"Dammit, could you have waited until- Gah!"

A giant, fifty-foot tall fly hovered suspended in the center of the spire, its hundreds of eyes spread across the entire body all looking down upon Floyd and each of its eight sharp, metallic legs holding a bleeding, impaled victim. The sudden sight of such an uncanny horror got the swordsman to step back for a second before he quickly realized that this was, in fact, Beelzebub's true form.

"Well then..." he muttered, placing his hands on his waist. "At least I can see why you can't go out there and deal with your brothers yourself - those human kebabs won't skewer themselves, I imagine."

"Those are eight great conquerors of your human past, each one afflicted with the sin of pride," an approaching feminine voice from behind suddenly called out towards him. "All of the Seven Princes of Hell have prestigious victims to personally manage. Lucifer, for example, forever mauls Judas, Brutus and Cain."

"Well, at least the Divine Comedy was kinda right on one thing, even if Cain wasn't-" Floyd spoke to himself, commenting on the tour guide as he turned around, only to witness that the person in front of him, who had apparently emerged from the same corridor as him and dispersed the haze, was not a disgusting hulking demon at all. Instead, they were clearly a succubus - Floyd did not receive even a single thought that this might be a human stuck alongside him, the wide wings on the demon's back and the unnatural claw-like hands served as an immediate giveaway of who he was dealing with. Despite that, as he pushed his hands into his pockets, the swordsman let out a faint whistle.

"Floyd Tolson?"

"That's me."

The demoness raised her hand, all the other demons across the room standing down immediately and beginning to move towards one of many exits dispersed across the dome, a few burbles and complaints coming out of their mouths as they went.

"Lemme guess, these are the guys I'll be teaming up with in this commander destroying mission." Floyd opened up, to which the demoness responded with:

"You'll have to excuse them, my siblings have been getting uppity ever since the forces of the enemy coalition haven't arrived to besiege us in time."

"Ah, it's a'ight, I can understand them," the swordsman replied and immediately turned towards one of the departing demons, the four-legged one who looked like a horned centaur going through an edgy phase. "Hey! Buddy! What's your name?"

"Eat a seraph's ass," was the answer he received, in response to which Floyd shrugged and turned back towards the demoness.

"I already like those wankers. Straight and to the point, now I just need to tell one of them to go to hell and get told that we're already here. How about you, Tits McGee? What's your name? Or should I actually call you that?"

The demoness glared towards Floyd with a stare which looked like it was designed to kill people. Beelzebub told me that this 'Floyd Tolson' will be a lot different from the average demon... but is this really what a mere mortal could act like in front of demons three times taller than him? And a Prince of Hell himself?.. Make jokes, fool around and act all casual?..

"Meridiana. Meridiana is my name. Not... whatever you just made up," she replied after a few blinks. "And you, Floyd Tolson, are going to need protection."

"Really now? For a succubus?"

"From fire. And brimstone. And everything else which gets thrown around in battle like crashing tidal waves. That piece of cloth of yours is not going to help."

"...I can't go back to the other one, can I?"

[The Rebel Alliances]

Jill Colson/Peacekeeper-Old District, August 2nd

Kabuto only took a moment to ponder my invitation before accepting it. As he stepped over to the car I listened as he called shotgun postion and smiled beneath my cowl. "It's better than riding in the back." The joke was not the most effective as this was not actually a police car, but a rental. I have a contact with a local car renta company who lets me use the cars there as long as I bring them back without a scratch and a full tank of gas. No paperwork attached or anything. It's a good thing to because a police car kind of stands out and I am certainly not using my private vehicle which leads back to my home address. When you are both a hero and a parent and have an address that is not on a fortified island these are things you have to consider. As we followed behind the tagged mob car I turned down a side street as the target vehicle continued straight.

"We already have the car tracked so we do not want to risk being spotted. Best to just keep nearby than in constant visual view if you can help it. If they make any unexpected turns we will know about it." I explained, tapping the GPS screen. If I was going to take Kabuto as a ride along, I may was well show him the ropes.

"When we get in front of these people, follow my lead alright? We do this by the book and no one should get hurt. I am just trying to get some information from a contact who has been quieter than I would like lately." Looking back at the GPS I saw that the car finally stopped. It was at his apartment suite. Great, it's thirty five stories up. And I certainly do not feel like scaling thirty five stories up. I do have some casual clothes in the bags in the trunk, I could perhaps bluff my way in there and then change in the bathroom and let Kabuto in. No one would suspect a thing. Or...maybe this is a good chance to see what Kabuto can come up with.

"Listen, my contact is holding himself up in the top floor of a thirty five story apartment. We can do some light recon when we get there but in the meantime, you have any ideas on how we could get both of us up there without knocking down the front door?" I was actually rather curious what the teen hero would come up with as I turned the last corner revealing the high rise apartment building in the distance.

Four Roses Bar, Condemned District-August 2nd

What a strange thing to say. That a crime scene with more than a dozen mob dead bodies, a burned down bar and at least one confirmed Outrider dead. But, with the one body seemingly missing I suppose I understood why she said what she did. There did not seem to be at first glance a lot of evidence left behind that we could use to track the Outriders. Not to mention my new partner was a soldier by trade from the Philippines. She has probably seen far worse than this. "Go ahead and call your boss. Once we finish up here you can file a full report." I stood up as I thought about her suggestions. Sure it seems very possible that someone simply moved the body but if thats the case who did so and why? Why would the mob go through the trouble of moving a dead body when they are only trying to make a statement? It could have been an ally, which is a possibility but something feels off.

I stood up dusting my hands off and faced my partner.

"I am going to check check the car out see if I can find anything."

I walked around the charred remains of the building and caught sight of the car. The last time I saw it was at the restaurant and it brought back unpleasant memories. The car was covered in bullet holes and shattered glass. Moving into the driver side I began to search through the car. Surprisingly the car was rather clean if you ignored the signs of battle. It looked like the original owners took care of the car when not in battle. Looking through the glove box and center console and floor boards I did not come across anything of value. No papers of ownership or insurance on the car which was unsurprising. Telling me it is likely stolen. I was just about to leave the car when I found a cell phone. Picking it up and going through it I quickly realized that this was a solid lead we could use. I went through the photos and it became clear that this phone belonged to Alexis Cain.

I then began to go through the contact list and from what I could tell we had a whole new list of witnesses to look into. I breathed a sigh of relief. My eyes scanned down the list of names and I would need to see if I could connect any of these to the photos stored on the phone.

Finally leaving the car behind I called Yasha over and then showed her the phone.

"Looks like we have a new list of witnesses. I bet money that at least some of these are other Outriders. Perhaps some friends or family. We will work our way down the list and see what turns up. What did you find?"

Downtown District-August 12th

"So how is your new partner?" I answered while stirring my coffee. "She is coming along well. I expected a soldier to have more issue following the lead of a cop, but she seems to know her skill set very well. I always said it's important to be honest about what you can do. She knows she is not an investigator so she seems fine with letting me show her the ropes. She is a quick learner though." Paul was back at home now, having been released from the hosptial a few days ago.

"Thats good to hear. Sure you don't miss me yet?" I gave a slight chuckle still enjoying my break.

"Actually if she sticks around you may need to find yourself a new partner." I could hear him feign hurt on the phone as I sat in my car across from the bank.

"That's cold blooded Colson. Anyways, keep in touch now." I assured him I would and then hung up. Going back to my own lunch. Yasha was filing one of her reports back at the station. And I had just left Wonder Tower to question a one Austin 'Red' Flannigan, but it seems that he is on leave somewhere. No one could tell me. I brefly entertained the thought that perhaps the Young Bloods were in league with the Outriders, but its far more likely that only a few of their number have come in contact. If they were in league, I would think that the Young Bloods would be far more active in helping the Outriders against the mafia. And it seems that none of the Young Bloods came to their rescue when two of their own were killed.

No, there is no question that Alexis and 'Red' have some sort of relationship but it isn't one that includes their teams. Friends? Allies? Lovers? Who knows. But the timing is strange to be sure, just days after Alexis dies Red just drops off the radar? Either way, not much more I can learn until he returns. I'll need to have a discussion with Red to see exactly what the relationship was.

It seems most of the other contacts were likely Outriders as they were no where to be found. And certainly did not answer calls. Not that Red has answered any calls either.

My contemplation on the case was interrupted by the sound of a bank alarm. The very bank which sat across the street. Dammit. I thought, I always seem to be in the wrong place at the right time. I drew my service pistol and jumped from my car and approached the entrance of the bank. Knowing that the alarm would have more units here in less than a minute.

All I need to do is keep anyone from entering the bank and wait for-

"Get the fuck out the way!"

I was thrown from the entrance by a large bald mutant looking human. Carrying a large bag filled with valuables over one shoulder and hastily grabbing me with his other arm by the neck in which I quickly brought my foot up in a kick directly to his face where he staggered enough to drop me.

"Fuck lady, just need a hostage here!"

Panting I raised my 9mm loaded with rubber rounds while taking three paces back.

"I am a cop! There is no way you are getting out of here hostage or not. Drop the money and get on the ground!" If there was a a silver lining here he did not seem to have any weapons on him. He probably uses pure strength for his crimes. No telling what his durability is, he certainly looks tough but I don't have any of my Peacekeeper gear.

All I could do is try and hold him here until some back up arrives. Hopefully this guy isn't too aggressive.

Nicholas Finch/Smoke-NPC-August 9th

Nick ignored Isaac's verbal jab. He was upset and he understood that, but Nick was fairly certain that Isaac knew what Nick's role in the team was. What was even more surprising was that Sina showed up. Nicholas had believed that she had low key left the team. She had barely been seen at all. Catarina shuffled in as well and Nicholas paced over to her openening a new pack of cigarettes pulling one out and passing one to Catarina and lighting it with his own lighter.

"Good to see you moving about more." Nick had managed to pick up that Catarina was deeply hurt just like everyone else by the deaths of Alexis and Sebastian. He had also noticed that Vendetta seemed to have developed a soft spot for the tribal woman near the end of her life. No doubt he was sure she still was creeped out by her more...feral aspects Nick knew that she would want someone to look after her with her gone. And he knew that no one else on the team would never look twice at the girl.

To be sure, Nick wouldn't either had he not felt a obligation to Vendetta to do so. Turning back to the team he began to enter a wheezing fit, blood coated his hand as he covered his mouth. Dammit, Nick thought to himself as he wiped his hand on a towel. He would rather of not had his allies see that. But what can he do except focus on the task at hand. After all, it is not like he has time to waste.

"I have been looking into a new group known as the SDM, the San Diego Militia. If we are going to take back the offensive in our little war we are going to need some back up. I have made contact with a local member and we are going to attend a local convention of these guys. With any luck we can get some real weapons and possibly even back up in on this. And of course, I will be going as well. Before we do anything to strike back against the mob we need to cover our basics first. We have a good base here but we still haven't replaced what we lost in our old base." His eyes then connected with Isaac's.

"Now, you said that you discovered some information?"

[Aidannadia]

[…]
"Anyone got a plan on how to get out of here?” Mike asked the group as he leaned against a wall for support.

El Hechicero's knuckles turned white. His expression was partially obscured, but it was obvious he that he was starting to panic. Seeing the soldier march towards the compound, trapped his teammates like rats. He remembered the soldiers walking in from the edges of town al those years ago. The fire. The screams.

He took a deep breath. We can't walk out. If they're going to push us, we need to retreat. The only retreat available is to-

"We could head further into the building. Hold out. Buy time. Regroup and teleport out. It'll take time to set up the necessary preparations, but with more of the group present we should be able to buy enough time to set it up. Or if anything goes south, we can bust a hole in the perimeter with a bunch of our teammates." The magician nodded at the rest, touched the ground in the hallway and filled the path out of the building with large briars. It would buy more time for the rest of the team.

As if on cue, he heard orders go out from the communicators. "Stella! Chicle! Retreat inside immediately!" Tadeo nodded at the others and they headed further into the building. Just as they were turning the corner, the group saw Stella and Chicle down the hallway, heading further inside. The wizard didn't hesitate, first switching his own position with Stella, then grabbing Chicle and teleporting with her to catch up with the others.