[u]Location: Unknown, Tenebrae[/u]
[i][color=lightgray]Time: Late Morning[/color][/i]
[@Lady Seraphina]

As Eos left, the steel double doors swung open. Chronos walked through, hefting a huge, triple-layer cake in his arms. Wheeled behind him was the IV, tube pulled by his teeth.

Myriad's eyes bugged out. "Oh my god, sir."

She took the cake from him, giggling as she set it on the table. "If you wanted to impress a lady, you know chocolates wo—"

Chronos gave her a look that could burn ice, and she backed up. "I'm uh, sure Phantasm will love it. Right, partner?"

[i]"Isn't that a little bit much? It's not my birthday."[/i]

Myriad simply shrugged, calling the black matter to rest around the length of her arm. In her hands were two sparklers, and she sized up the cake. "Mm, I dunno. It was Mr. Chronos' idea."

Her eyes peered at the black-clad blond. "Is it too much?"

Arc pressed his hand to his forehead. "Why are you asking him when the answer is obvious?"

"I dunno, maybe this time he'll explain himself."

"You know he hasn't for a very, very long time."

Myriad put her hands out, shaking them excitedly. "Oh, but where's your sense of adventure?"

A clearing of the throat, and Myriad and Arc whipped their heads around. Chronos startled, and he self-consciously rubbed his throat.

"She's one of us," he said.

Both Arc and Myriad stood slack-jaw, and Myriad nudged Arc with her elbow, murmuring. "Forgot how nice he sounded."

Arc simply shook his head. "She's a Valkyrie, Chronos."

Chronos looked pointedly, as if Arc had simply repeated his words.

Arc pressed the bridge of his nose, eyes screwed shut. "Chronos. That agreement was [i]disbanded[/i] with the new king."

Myriad placated Arc with a gesture. "Relax, Chronos is just fond of the old queen. I don't blame him. She was a beautiful leader until she, ahm, had to..."

A blanket of silence crept over the conversation, faces betraying a sentimental pain. Chronos slowly took the sparklers from Myriad, face set in a hard line as he pressed them into the top of the cake, zippo flashing out to light them. The sullenness washed away with the fizzling lights in the air, and Myriad's smile grew.

"You're right, Mr. Chronos. We're here to celebrate our new collaborator, not make her cry," she laughed, eyes peering jokingly at Phantasm.

A slice of homemade chocolate cake was pressed into Phantasm's hands. A few minutes passed as Myriad enthusiastically gulped down her own cake, to Arc's clear disdain.

[i]"So, what'd he mean by the chemicals in your fancy snorkel 'activate'. What exactly does 'unsafe' mean?"[/i]

Arc's silver eyes flickered over to Phantasm as he sat with his boots up on the table, empty plate put to one side. "Chlorine gas. It's a by-product of the compound. That kind of stuff will cause acute pneumonitis, which means medical attention."

"Geez, even I wouldn't want to snorkel with that." Myriad giggled, wrinkling her nose.

"The device is safe if used properly, unlike everything else you do, Myriad."

"Still mad?"

"That's certainly a way to put it."

"Well. Cool people like me have a 'get out of jail free card'. And ya wanna know what qualifies as 'cool' nowadays? Getting phased through by hers truly." She gestured at Phantasm, swooning theatrically, "Ah, like the electrifying touch of a Tesla globe."

Chronos seemed to stifle a laugh, to which Arc grimaced at. "Come on, man. Who's side are you on?"

It was a few minutes after everyone finished their cake that Arc gave a nod to Phantasm's briefcase. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I'll, uh, give you a call when the mission is ready to start."

Myriad seemed to pout, but Arc held up his hand. "No, Myriad. I'm sure Phantasm wants to be back home, and you have a lot of work to do before tonight. Plus, you and I have to talk on this whole 'leaving without consent' thing."

Myriad's grin grew wide, "Sir, I can happily inform you that won't be changing anytime soon."

Chronos stifled another laugh. Arc rolled his eyes, gesturing to Myriad with a loose hand. "Alright, alright."

Myriad nodded. "Yes, sir." She nudged Phantasm with her elbow. "What do you think? Wanna head out?"

The black ball was already in her hand, and she shot it behind them, opening a gateway. Rays of sunlight slipped through the grey sky, painting the mirror of Cloud Gate.

—

[u][url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/15/Chase_Tower_in_Chicago.jpg/514px-Chase_Tower_in_Chicago.jpg]The Institute of Meta Sciences[/url],[/u] [u]situated between[/u] [u][url=https://g.page/Ivanruedalawyer?share]Ivan Rueda Law Office[/url][/u] [u]and[/u] [u][url=https://goo.gl/maps/3tERJEDFAdBP7t7eA]City Sports[/url][/u]
[i]West Town, Tenebrae
[color=lightgray]Time: Late Morning[/color][/i]

Footsteps began to slow as the alarm shut off, and a sense of calm poured through the hallways. The familiar white light from the side-mounted lamps banished the remaining chaos, and the scientists, smiles on their faces, began to resume their work. And no one, for better or worse, noticed the disk laying in the middle of the hallway, sending off a clear signal.

[hr]

[u][url=https://goo.gl/maps/FpH6B4XGad6hC8ic6]Love Street[/url][/u]
[i]Lincoln Park, Tenebrae[/i]
[i][color=lightgray]Time: Late Morning[/color][/i]
[@Blizz], [@Lady Seraphina]

[i]”So- hear n’ything interesting around town lately?”[/i] 

"They're calling the explosions on Halsted Street at the James & Sons jewellery store a meta-terrorist attack. The Humanists are having a heyday with the press, and a lot of metas are scared of the backlash." She shrugged. "I mean, more scared than usual."

She set a fresh drink down in front of him. She didn't hold back with this one; Her specialty was making drinks that pleasantly had patrons rolling in their booths halfway through the night.

She brushed the hair out of her eyes, lips pursed in thought underneath her black silk veil. "Mm... if scandalous thievery is more your thing, there are rumours that a golden-finger meta is loose on the town. Just swallowed up the to-be-unveiled crown at the old museum last night."

"And more locally, there was quite the stir here the other night. Word is, it was some sour deal with a spy and a Valkyr—" Her voice trailed off, eyes flicking up.

A hush settled over the bar as a lady in black leather sat by her patron, speaking to him on familiar terms. The bartender read the atmosphere well enough that she began preparing another drink, and she placed a Vesper Martini near the newcomer.

"On the house, ma'am," she said dutifully, dropping her gaze to a glass in her hand. She idly polished it; The bartender's way to look busy.

[hr]

[u]Jade Arts Emporium[/u]
[i]Oak Street, Near North Side, Tenebrae
[color=lightgray]Time: Daytime[/color][/i]
[@Shu]

[i]”Hang on to the diadem for now. I’ll… think it over. But expect a ‘no’ just a heads up. And keep me updated on that dragon statue.”[/i]

"I'll refrain from wearing it, but I can't say the same for the Madame," he teased.

Scarlet Shadow prepared to leave. [i]“Thanks for the time and treats, Shen.”[/i]

"I'd be honoured to walk you out, Miss Shadow," Shen said. He opened the back door, the dazzling displays of the showroom greeting them. When they reached the shop's entrance, he unbolted the latch and stuck his head out, scanning the streets.

"Madame's still not back," he said, giving Scarlet Shadow a torn look. "I know you were looking forward to seeing her, but even with all her shifting tricks, she still can't be in two places at once. I'm sure she'll rendevous with you another time, she does love to share her secrets."

Shen reached into the sleeve of his hanfu, procuring a wadded-up envelope, bound shut with a rubber band.

"This is for you, my dear." He pressed it into her hands, brows furrowing. "I just, I wish I could do more... You must let me know if you need anything. I find myself worrying more these days, especially..."

He lightly coughed, brushing his face with the hem of his sleeve. "Well, mm, consider it a deposit on the jade dragon. We can finalize the remaining amount another day, but ah"—concern flashed across his face—"I know business is slow, and I wouldn't sleep well knowing my best client hasn't seen a dime for months of hard work."

He pressed the door open for her, ushering her into the plaza. "Now off with you. Wouldn't want to keep you from your big debut," he said, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Shen watched Scarlet Shadow slip into the streets unseen, his easy smile slowly fading. The door to the Jade Arts Emporium shut, sign flipping over to the 'closed' as Shen ambled further into the back. The web surrounding this city, he could feel it tightening. An exponential rise in his personal connections disappearing, unexpected faces, and from what Madame Fauxpaw procured that morning, [i]their[/i] plan was taking a turn. And that meant one thing only: hard times for everyone else.

A storm. Clouds thick as pitch, were descending over this city.

—

Shortly after, Scarlet Shadow heard a call coming from her [i]other[/i] phone.

[code]"Good evening, Scarlet Shadow."[/code] The same voice as last time. Silver-toned, pleasant.

[code]"Shall I send a car for you, or would you like to meet us at the warehouse on the waterfront?"[/code]

Little did she know that, waiting up ahead in the shadow of the alley, was a Triad with his own mission. To the uncultured eye, he was just a punk wearing gold. But the tattoos peeking out under his collar told a different story.

He pushed off the wall, eyes sizing her up, a white hankerchief in hand. Despite the years, he half expected her to charge him right now like she did the day his boss, Mr. Jiang, met his end. But there would be time for all that.

"Long time, Kara."

[hr]

[u]North Side Apartments[/u][sup]™[/sup]
[i]Near North Side, Tenebrae
[color=lightgray]Time: Daytime[/color][/i]
[@Blizz]
[u][h3]Dream[/h3][/u]

[i]”Yeah? What’re you guys-“[/i]

As Dream's 'hello' sat on the tip of her tongue, a familiar tapping at the glass caught her attention. The cat had impeccable timing, but this was exceptional. Twice in one day. It couldn't bode well, especially with what Madame Fauxpaw had to say last time.

[i]”Faux?”[/i] Ellie said, letting the cat in as Dream slid the lock over on Ellie's door.

"My precious, so good to see you," the cat said graciously to Ellie, pawing into the apartment.

"Madame Fauxpaw?" Dream said, stepping into the living room and folding her arms at the small intruder.

"Darling, it's certainly been a long time, hasn't it?" Madame Fauxpaw said, to which Dream merely narrowed her eyes.

"Who?" the doctor said.

The cat perched elegantly on the coffee table, licking a paw absent-mindedly. "Who indeed, doctor. You should really do your homework."

"I-I beg your pardon?"

Her yellow eyes gleamed mischievously. "The infamous little doctor who ran away from his lover and his benefactor, all on a misplaced sentiment that you could save the world. Oh yes, I know all about you." Her warbled voice was smooth, watching the confusion play across his face.

"I—uh, t-then you know why we're here," the doctor stammered.

She hummed, eyes glancing at the silver case propped against Ellie's wall. "Perhaps. I hope you plan on getting your eyes on that lab sooner rather than later. They make their move tonight, judging from the extensive sabotage."

"Sabotage?" Dream raised an eyebrow.

"Darling, you have your own problems to worry about," the cat said. "If you're lucky, you'll shake them before the mission starts."

Dream stared flatly. "You're kidding me."

"I'm a prankster but I'm no liar. I know, deep down in that heart of yours, you're thanking me." She purred innocently.

Dream paused, a hand passing over her masked face as she grumbled incoherently. She squared her shoulders, eyes glancing at Ellie, "If I'm not at the pier for our coffee date, start the mission without me. You'll be fine with the doc watching your back."

The doctor watched as Dream zipped up her boots at the front door and unbolted the latch. "What's going on? W-w-we—"

"Don't worry, doc. The scuba gear's in the back of the caddy, in case you need it." Dream said, stepping out the door. "Just business I gotta take care of."

—

[u][h3]Takeda[/h3][/u]

As the door shut, the doctor spun on Madame Fauxpaw, exasperated. "w-what's going on?"

She tutted. "Maybe ask her yourself. Speaking of which, have you told Ellie about our unexpected guest?"

"You mean the hydrokinetic?" The doctor said. "Well, yes, uh, of course."

Madame Fauxpaw grimaced, her tail swishing. "Doctor," she said slowly, "Did you consider her history before opening your yap?"

The doctor spluttered. "W-what do you mean...?" His eyes shifted to Ellie, mouth pursed. Their phone conversation [i]did[/i] go off in a direction he didn't expect. 

Madame Fauxpaw raised a feline brow, "Your expression is a tell-all. The man you want to use is known as one of the most dangerous metas alive. If he didn't fake his death, he would have wound up on the military's wanted list."

"Not only that but..." Her large eyes looked up at Ellie. "I don't think him being here is good. I saw him on the port, speaking with the terrible sort in Tenebrae. The same sort the doctor is fighting. I fear what may happen if he finds you."

"So, what do we do?" the doctor asked.

Her canines glinted in a knowing smile, eyes flicking from the doctor to Ellie.

"Walk through the lab's secret door, of course. It's on the sewer maps from over twenty years ago. I'm sure you'll have little difficulty getting there."