[h2]Ruby Greenfoot[/h2]

And now, she was left with a robot which seemed to be under her control. Yes, things were definitely going to plan - she had intended to use other methods to try and attract Alto Ganze into helping her but if all she needed to do was ask for help then she would do that. Granted, Ruby did have emotions and she would be very grateful if he somehow did manage to drag her out of the Underground  Movement which was incredibly unlikely, even for a Meta of his standing. There were a number of incredibly powerful Metas at her compound and even she wouldn't dare speak out against them. Others, however, like Isabella or Harper, she knew she could toy with.

"Right, can you drop us off at the end of the street." She noticed a small cafe there so that was probably the best place to upload every drop of information that Alto needed on her holding grounds. Once they entered the small cafe, Ruby turned to the more mature looking robot and quirked an eyebrow. "You can drink, can't you?" Once her question was met with a resounding nod, she smiled and pointed him to a table before moving to the dark-haired cashier and issuing their order.

"It feels good to rest." She yawned as she settled down into the chair facing Theo. Once she had stretched a little further, she fixed him with an interesting look. "You can't lie to me? Interesting. If I asked Mr Ganze's motives, would you be willing to discuss or are you not privy to that information?" She questioned as she drew her phone and began taking all the information she needed from her secure data server. Once everything was on her phone, she began wirelessly uploading it to Theo, which was probably a weird experience to him - he was being filled with new information and considering he could feel emotions, she didn't know how he would react.

[h2]The Baiji Oil Refinery, North of Baghdad[/h2]

A huge explosion suddenly rocked the large compound, joining the long list of explosions that had occurred at the oil refinery that day. It started only a few hours prior with a fire that almost seemed uncontrollable, despite best attempts. Said fire spread quicker than anything before, wrapping the refinery in a wall of flames and trapping any workers inside of it.

Various news agencies had already arrived on scene, held back by Iraqi Army officials who stated that the situation was under control. "As you can see behind me, the large Baiji Oil Refinery in Northern Iraq has retained a massive amount of damage but it's easy to tell that the fire is not yet over. Engineers are still working on cutting off the oil supply but until then, we are very certain that this fire will rage on." One particular reporter began, pulling out a small tablet which he held in the crook of his arm. "Sources say that heroes have been dispatched to attempt a rescue but we have yet to get an update on that. Things are rapidly moving from bad to worse here. Back to you, studio." It was just as the camera cut off its live feed that the real show began.

"Overwatch, this is Max Velocity, I'm inbound on the Refinery." Max Velocity was a figurehead of the International Hero movement. He was an SS-Class Meta capable of applying a large amount of force to his body while removing other forces - to put it simply, he was the only Meta who could fly for a long period and reach speeds greater than that of conventional fighter jets.

"Rodger that, Max, everything looks good on the ground. We're sending routes to your HUD now where we think the fire should be low enough to allow you to get in and out. We've readied any staff in there to gather to that point but there may be more around. Haphazard is moving in on the ground and he'll get anyone stuck inside. You focus on those gathered there."

"Rodger that, HQ, Max out." He soared through the air, gradually slowing himself as he neared the mass of smoke that had encompassed most of the surrounding air. Green, dotted lines suddenly appeared on his HUD and he followed them, diving and raising himself up until he found a gap in the flames. Upon entering it, he was met by about half a dozen employees, desperate to escape. Somehow, the very presence of the Meta laid down hope and the men eagerly waited to get out. Once Max had dropped the last one off, the man who seemed to speak good English, turned to him. "There is another inside there. A woman that was behind us." With a quick nod, Max turned and flew up again. The TV cameras were on again and following his every move.

He barely flew a few metres above the ground when three oddly-shaped blades blasted towards him at speeds even he couldn't process. The cameras captured everything as the blades ripped through him, causing him to pause mid-flight as blood began to pour from the large wounds. The blades, guided by some external presence, did a loop in the air and flew back towards him. The killing blow was impossible to dodge as they rapidly rotated to a locked position and drove themselves into his back. Instead of moving straight through, the rammed him down into the desert sand.

Silence engulfed the entirety of the onlookers and not even the roar of the flames could rupture it. Here was one of the strongest and most recognised Meta on the planet who was dying before them. Out of the smoke and flame, an oddly-dressed woman descended. Her clothing was black but lines of silver danced along it, making them look alive. She only stepped down onto land when she reached the writhing body of Max Velocity. "Such strength." She mused, her eyes brimming with a sick excitement as the blades removed themselves before hovering in front of her. Leaning down, she dragged his bloodied body from the sand and held him before her. "You reek of good intentions but your end will be the same." His body glided upwards, freeing the strain on her arms as she reached up to his lips. His eyes, although hazed by pain, spoke lengths of the fear he was going through. "We hunger." She whispered, her lips delicately casting every word as if she had created them herself. "And we shall reap the seed we've sown." With that, her fingers sealed over his lips and his body fell limp as his life-energy ran down along her arm before being soaked up by her body. She allowed her head to fall back, her lips falling open to allow the escape of a small noise of pleasure. "I'll never tire of that."

With that, she allowed his body to drop as she turned and walked back into the blaze, closely followed by her blades. "Max!? Max come in!" Screamed the radio-operator into his helmet but her words were lost - he was dead.