[hr][i][h1][color=skyblue]Wendy Emily Lucker[/color], [color=cornflowerblue]Shizuka Takashiro[/color], [color=lightseagreen]Rowan Campbell[/color], [color=fff200]Alice Barrett[/color], [color=gray]Quentin[/color] & [color=darkslateblue]Reed[/color] [color=gray]Tay[/color][color=darkslateblue]lor[/color].[/h1][sub]Written in collaboration with [@Zombiedude101], [@tsukune], [@Fernstone], & [@Nosuchthing][/sub][/i][hr][hider=Massive Attack - Danny the Dog][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPkHMPlRKkk[/youtube][/hider][hr] [i][u]Eastgriffin Ruins, Roseview.[/u][/i] It had been thirty minutes... Consciousness slowly began to return to Wendy Lucker, and all she could feel was the pain in her face. From the brutal blow dealt to her by the Black Hound's grenade launcher. To her, that sensation was stronger than the blinding light that was overcoming her. She was face down on a dirty floor, in a building that was as much of a health hazard as it got. Her memory was hazy... she looked off to her side, and saw the crushed canister of the gas that only [i]RAVEN[/i] should have access to. Then the vivid image of the Black Hound holding her by the neck flashed in the back of her head. She still didn't understand what happened, why the Black Hound - a known ruthless terrorist - had decided to spare her. [i]Diana.[/i] The thoughts of her blonde-haired sister had appeared in her head, and Wendy was filled with a new invigoration as she pushed herself up to her feet. Her ears were still ringing, and her vision was blurry as shit - because of the damn Black Hound. He seemed to be gone - if he wasn't, then she was in for one hell of a fight because if she barely had the strength to take him at her best, then she most certainly couldn't take him now. Wendy limped her way right up the stairs, and went back into the room where she found Diana... she nearly fell forward, and had to brace herself on the doorframe. She looked down, and wiped some blood off her face with her sleeve. After raising her head, Wendy scanned the room - but couldn't find Diana [i]anywhere[/i]. Did she limp off? [i]Wait, how long have I been out?[/i] Wendy asked herself, and she reached into her satchel, pulling out her cellphone. It's been thirty minutes since she last checked, which was a little while. Did the Black Hound take Diana like he took the others? God damn. She... she didn't know what to do... "...[i]Rowan![/i]" Wendy loudly said to herself. She had to find Rowan, last she recalled, Rowan wasn't taken. She used all of her strength to climb down the stairs (the last thing the injured Wendy wanted to do was overexert herself, and kill herself). She left the building, and climbed down the stairs. Wendy stepped out the door, and was realized that a rainstorm had begun. It utterly soaked the ground, but Wendy didn't mind one bit, she stepped out into the soothing rain, and ran through it. Now all Wendy had to do was find... she saw Rowan on the ground, the same place. She immediately knelt down, and started shaking Rowan. "C'mon, Rowan!" Wendy shouted. "Get up!" The rain should be getting him back to consciousness by now. She hoped the Black Hound didn't kill him. Damn it! There was something that Wendy could do. She reached into her satchel, and desperately clawed for her cellphone, and called Cindy's number. She launched the phone against her ear, and said, "Come on, pick up... pick up..." [hr] "...And where did you get this from?" A curious forensics worker said, raising an eyebrow at Cindy, and she awkwardly smiled. Before she nervously peered over at Alice. The other agent shrugged, giving Cindy a 'you're the senior agent here' look. "...Found it." Cindy said. "Can you just get it to a lab? It's a dangerous, and possibly explosive, substance made with the Metahuman energy." "Right..." He said, as he took the suitcase, and carried it off. Well that was easy," Alice spoke as the tech moved out of earshot. So, they've managed to avoid running into any trouble, [i]and[/i] they got rid of this troublesome ass suitcase. Cindy shrugged. [i]What now?[/i] Cindy thought to herself. Perhaps it was time to catch up on some paperwork. Even though her focus on taking out the Founding Family, that doesn't mean she has to drop everything. She has cases that she needs to work on, people she needs to help... and so on. Honestly, Cindy was hoping that the rest of the day goes uneventfully as possibl- Cindy's phone rang, and she was quick to give the caller ID a peek... [quote][pre]WENDY LUCKER.[/pre][/quote] "Oh boy," Cindy said to herself as she stared at the phone. She just couldn't wait to hear what this girl did this time. Cindy put the phone up to her ear. "Cindy Keagan, spe-" "Cindy!" Wendy shouted into her phone. "Rowan... he n-needs help! We're at Eastgriffin, and - and..." "Yo, Wendy, you gotta calm down," Cindy said to her. "Slow down, and explain to me what happen." "It was the Black Hound, he attacked us-" "Wait, what?!" Cindy shouted almost immediately. "The Black [i]Hound?[/i] What..." Alice began reaching for her own phone. "Shit..." "I was trying to show my sister and her friends a mural I helped work on..." Wendy trailed off. "When the Black Hound came out of nowhere and attacked us - he took my sister and all of her friends - but he left Rowan and me... and Rowan was gassed and I don't think he's getting back up!" When Wendy spoke, Cindy was wondering what in the hell had happened. Why did the Black Hound attack [i]them[/i] of all people? That made little sen- Honestly, Cindy stopped herself there, and just decided to do what she joined DOVE to do. "...Wendy, stay right there, I'm coming right to you with some help." "Okay." Wendy said, nodding her head. Cindy pressed her earpiece, and made an effort to contact all of her friends. "Guys, we got a problem," Cindy said. "One of my cases was attacked by the Black Hound in Eastgriffin, apparently a friend of hers has been gassed and needs medical attention." "Son of a bitch," Meifeng said, angered that the Black Hound was attacking kids now. "Alright, I guess you want us to suit up and head straight there?" "Yes, I'm heading there," Cindy said. "But, I definitely need some back up, we don't know what the Black Hound is after, and with that teleporter, he can appear from [i]anywhere[/i]." "I'm not as powerful as whoever they are, but I can at least get you close." Alice obviously had a more limited range than whichever mysterious portal metahuman was assisting the Founding Family, but if she could get a heavy hitter like Meifeng or Cindy close enough quickly enough, then they might stand a chance. And that was the one thing that pissed Cindy off the most. He has a very powerful teleporter working for him, basically allowing him to make a surprise entrance anywhere, then disappear just as fast. And worst of all, they had [i]no[/i] way of countering it. "Everyone gear up." [hr] The sight of Quentin's pickup pulling up at the end of the road leading into Eastgriffin signalled the arrival of DOVE and RAVEN. Once Cindy had hailed them over the radio, he'd turned the truck around and made a straight course for the ruined community, knowing fully well what kind of backup she'd have needed if the Hound was there. That bastard had done enough damage, he knew. In this case, he'd quickly slipped a tactical vest on , grabbed his Remington 870 from the storage compartment and loaded up on slugs for good measure. As he quickly surveyed just what was going on ahead, he caught a glimpse of what looked like the two kids that Cindy had spoken of - one looked to be down for the count while the other was just barely walking. Another scan of the perimeter caught a gap in the fence where the metal had been viciously torn away - and that was enough to prompt him to head in first, consequences be damned. Cindy arrived via car with Meifeng, she wore a tactical vest, and brought her pistol with her. Now she [i]really[/i] wished that she had practiced with an assault rifle - from the reports, nothing short would do anymore than tickle the Black Hound. Meifeng had come armed with an assault rifle, and immediately followed Quentin's lead. "I just hope they're okay..." Cindy said to herself as she followed behind Meifeng. A quick hand gesture from Quentin was enough to indicate where he'd spotted the teens. He glanced back over his shoulder for a moment, hesitant to startle them. "Cindy, you know these kids? Might be better if they see your face before mine." Tact was not entirely lost to the veteran RAVEN. "Yeah, yeah, got you," Cindy said as she ran on past Quentin through the rain. She shouted, "Hey! Help's here!" "I'll keep you covered," Meifeng spoke into the comms. "Just in case the Black Hound shows up again." It's raining balls right now, so Meifeng wouldn't be short of any ammo in case anything goes wrong. She knew her usual attacks would only tickle him... but perhaps she could slow him down. Quentin slowly followed up behind her, keeping his wits about him. His gaze constantly darted back and forth across the ruins, scanning buildings for any sign of someone watching them. Wendy raised her head, and looked up at Cindy. "Heeeeeey!" Wendy said. "Rowan's not getting back up!" "Shit," Cindy said as she knelt down and grabbed his wrist, she checked for a pulse - and thank [i]God[/i] he was still breathing. Still, she couldn't do shit out here. She pressed her earpiece, and said, "We need a medical team at Eastgriffin-" Then she thought of something, "-Wait, Wendy?" She looked up at the girl. "Do you know what the gas looked like?" "It was the red gas that RAVEN uses... it knocked him out." "Shit, he might be having a bad reaction to it," This just makes the fact that the Black Hound is using the Meta-suppressant gas [i]more[/i] disturbing. Cindy hoped that they could save Rowan, but the time the medical team gets here, his condition could have gotten worse. "Quentin, Meifeng, give me a hand!" She shouted into the comms. "On it, [i]boss,[/i]" Meifeng shouted as she ran over to Cindy, she knelt down, and grabbed onto Rowan. "Get him to my car, we're going have to get him to Headquarters ourselves." From the looks of it, he'd taken a full dose of the gas, enough to take down one of the strongest metas, let alone a teenager. Quentin had seen it enough times, but still... Slinging the shotgun, he took a knee beside the scrawny teen and helped lift and carry him back to Cindy's car, laying him to rest in the backseat. With that done, he glanced back towards the other teen, Wendy. "Cindy and Mei will get him back before us. He's in safe hands. As for you, I can take you back." Wendy nodded her head, and got up. She wordlessly followed behind Quentin as he climbed into the pickup. [hr][i][u]RAVEN/DOVE West Coast Joint Headquarters.[/u][/i] It was a long and terrible way to spend Wendy's evening. Getting her ass handed to her by an international super terrorist, then realizing that one of her friends could die... yeah, not the best way to spend her day. Worst of all, she was [i]terrified[/i] for Diana. Something inside the girl was driving her to get up and go find Diana. Yet, she didn't even know where to look, and, more importantly, should she? She had already lost one fight, could she afford to challenge him again? Or what if there were [i]more[/i] of them? Honestly, Wendy didn't know what to do. Except... She looked around, and she was in a interrogation room by the entrance of the headquarters. The doctors fixed up her nose and face - which was happily bandaged - and asked her to wait here on the request of someone named... Reed Taylor? That name was familiar to her... yet, she couldn't piece it together. She couldn't have done anything wrong (other than go into Eastgriffin Ruins... a known no-go zone), she knew that they wanted to prod her about what happened in hopes that they could find a lead on the Black Hound. Wendy herself couldn't honestly think of what they could do to stop him. But, [i]why[/i] did he attack her? What did he want from them? These were questions that she could only get out of the Black Hound... and she wondered if she should even try. The door to the interview room let off a slow creak as the handle twisted and it opened. Inside stepped a Reed, wearing his typical jacket, shirt and pants - a DOVE badge displayed on his belt. "Miss Lucker, is it?" His tone was relaxed, though the professional demeanor was still there. Gripped in his palm was a notepad. "Y-yeah," Wendy affirmed his question with a nod, and remembered just who this man was. Reed... he helped her way back at Havenfield during the very first overload incident. "Look," Reed had picked up on her nervous tone and wanted to defuse it quickly. "For the record, this isn't an interrogation. You're not under arrest, you're not being detained and you're [i]not[/i] in trouble. I'm just here to ask a few questions, okay?" Nodding her head, Wendy said, "Okay ask away." She knew that this part was coming, so it came as no surprise as Wendy. Maybe they could help get Diana back. Which was why Wendy's going to be cooperative as possible. "Alright, good. I'm Agent Reed Taylor; you're familiar with a couple of my colleagues." He unclipped the badge from his belt and pushed it towards her, to show her his identity. Awkwardly peering over, Wendy saw that he was in fact Reed Taylor. She was wondering where Cindy was - since the woman was her case worker - but she was going have to trust her. She nodded her head. "Yeah, I remember you... you're from Havenfield." "Do you prefer Wendy, or Miss Lucker?" "Wendy." She briefly said. "Alright, Wendy - call me Reed, if you want. I'm gonna start by asking, what actually happened? I need your perspective of the events that happened at Eastgriffin." "Okay, it started when I took my sisters and her friends to Eastgriffin to show her the mural I worked on..." [hr] Shizuka watched Wendy through the one-way mirror - he had chosen to stay at the Headquarters instead of going out [i]just[/i] to bring two injured kids back here. Unlike Cindy's paranoia, he felt that these teenagers were left behind on purpose, but he couldn't understand why the Black Hound would do that: attacking a bunch of Meta-kids to kidnap them for who-knows-what, but leaving Wendy and Rowan to inform DOVE and RAVEN about [i]this[/i]? What the hell was that guy - or the Founding Family - planning? It wasn't long before Cindy and Meifeng joined Shizuka behind the two way glass. Meifeng was quick to cross her arms and lean up against the wall, having a red apple in hand, but Cindy walked up to the glass. Like Shizuka, she was trying to make sense of all this. However, she couldn't find a reason why he kidnapped only a handful, but left the rest. "...I know what you two are thinking," Meifeng chimed in, winking at them. "And [i]my[/i] theory is that Rowan and Wendy here didn't meet a criteria of theirs." Meifeng took a bite out of her apple after shrugging. Shizuka raised an eyebrow at Meifeng. Here it was - one of those rare occasions that she could actually say something intelligent for a change. Max silently joined the other three behind the glass, just after Cindy and Meifeng. She'd stayed in Headquarters like Shizuka because she was in the middle of moving her shit back to her desk. Still, with that sorted it was a good idea for her to know whatever the hell was going on. "Still... something doesn't add up," Cindy said in response. "The Black Hound goes from assassinating British politicians out the ass, terrorism, and dealing illegal superdrugs to [i]other[/i] terrorists to kidnapping kids?" Meifeng couldn't help but shrug again. "Honestly, we're better off looking to the Black Hound's employers for the answer to [i]that[/i] question... after all..." Meifeng smiled slyly, "...He's just a [i]cog.[/i]" "But..." Cindy said. "What's also throwing me off is his failed assassination a few days ago." "...What if that 'failure' is a [i]staged[/i] fail?" Shizuka shrugged. "Even with Deborah's ability, the whole incident felt like everything had been planned beforehand - within their own calculations, completely under their control." "That's what I was thinking, heh," Meifeng said as she chomped her apple again. "They must really gearing up towards some really evil shit." She shrugged as she threw the apple into the trash. "But, why...?" Cindy thought to herself. "All I can think of is that they're misdirecting us out the ass." "Possibly just fooling us into thinking we're making progress against them, while they're working on something else," Meifeng coolly said. "Besides, we only got the grunts, and it's obvious that the Black Hound, being the Founding Family's favorite bulldog, knows they're expendable compared to - well - the Black Hound [i]himself[/i]." "Mei's right," Shizuka sighed, turning his attention back to Wendy. "Let's see if these kids can give us the answer to some of our [i]burning[/i] questions..." [hr] "...And the last thing he said to me was "while I'm sparing you, my people are powerful, if you come after me, I will kill you..."" She awkwardly finished her explanation. Folding her hands together. "...Then he crushed the canister, and I blacked out." Reed had sat there, attentively, taking note of every detail and nodding along with her. "You're certain who it was, who attacked you?" "It... had..." Wendy trailed off as she recounted what happened. "It had to be. He had the same armor... you know, the one with the snarling dog? And he had that same strange voice... and..." She trailed off as she scratched the back of her neck. With the big craze the Black Hound had caused in Britain, who [i]wouldn't[/i] have? She honestly wondered why he of all people would target them. "It's fine." Reed said, with a soothing tone. He felt bad for the girl; the Hound was one tough bastard, if the reports were anything to go by. Hell, the man had almost gotten the better of Quentin of all people and it was only due to Cindy's intervention that he was still standing. It was no surprise to him that there were shitty odds when it was just bunch of kids going up against such an opponent. "Your friends - I'll need descriptions of them." No doubt there was something on file there, but it was worth checking. "Oh!" The thought immediately popped up in Wendy's head as she reached down into her satchel, and pulled out her camera. She fiddled with the screen in the back until she had the picture that she took with Diana and the others the first night. The big selfie they took in front of Jessica's RV. Kiri, being the tallest, was holding it above the group, and everyone was posing and smiling. She slid the camera across the table to Reed. "The one holding the camera is Kai Anaru... she's Polynesian. The red-haired girl is Jessica Rosefey, I think she mentioned she's from Texas? And finally, the blond-haired girl is my sister, Diana Lucker. They're all from Academy 2-1-8, so I can't imagine it'd be too difficult looking her up." "That's helpful, thanks." Again, Reed made another mental note to check into that lead, see if there were any files that could've helped find or ID them. "I'll put out a notice to keep an eye out for anyone matching their descriptions. If we or BPD find anything, we'll know." Reed scribbled a few more notes down and continued. "Have you, your sister or any of your friends had any encounters like this before? Anything that might be connected, anything you know would be helpful to us." "N-no...." Wendy said. "This is literally the first time something like this has happened to me before... but, I'm not super sure about Diana or her friends." "I see. Cindy mentioned that you took a photo of the suspect a while ago? Did he see you then, at all?" "I'm... not sure..." Wendy said to herself. "He could have, but he was focused on Cindy... and... I'm just not sure." She shrugged. Another idea buzzed in his head. "Do they have cellphones? Have you got their numbers?" Reed leaned forward. If they could put a trace on them, there was a slim chance of finding just [i]where[/i] the girls had been taken to. Hell, even if they were switched off now, if they had GPS enabled they might've been able to send out a signal, giving away their last position. "Unfortunately, I only got Diana's number," Wendy shrugged. "I guess I just don't know them well enough..." "Sure, go ahead." He gave a subtle nod to the mirror in the room, hoping it'd prompt the others to work on it ASAP. Wendy reached into her satchel again, and pulled out her cellphone, and quickly looked up Diana in her phonebook. After she found her sister's number, she slid the phone across the table. Afterwards, she had a question, "What about Rowan? Is he okay?" "Don't worry, he'll be fine. We've got him resting in the infirmary." Reed had checked up on the other kid before paying Wendy a visit, just to get a picture of the situation. It looked to be a case of just a [i]really[/i] strong dose of suppressant gas, aggravated by the fact that he'd already been through some rough handling from the bastard responsible. "Can I go see him?" Wendy asked. Reed paused for a minute, before giving his answer. "I'll have to check first, but it should be fine." Nodding her head, Wendy said nothing. Pressing his palms into the table, Reed stood up and headed over to the door. "You want anything in the meantime?" "In fact, I do," Wendy still felt like shit when she was bitchslapped across the face with the Black Hound's grenade launcher - plus all the other times she was hurt by him. Fortunately, she had a regenerative ability. "Can you get me paper? Lots of paper?" She pointed both fingers to her face - specifically the bandages. "I can regenerate using paper. It'll really help me get back on my feet." Wendy explained. That raised an eyebrow for a moment, before Reed finally shrugged, tore a couple empty pages off his notebook and passed them over to her. "Anything else?" "i'll need more..." Wendy said as she put her hand out, and willed the paper over to her hand. Her hand turned paper white as the slips were absorbed into her body. Her nose quickly turned into paper, and flipped and shifted as it was replaced with fresh paper. Before it was turned back into flesh. The wound was mostly regenerated, but she still needed more. "We'll get you some on the way," Reed said, "C'mon." [hr] "Alright, I'll get started," Cindy said into the comms, immediately picking up on Reed's cue. It should be easy enough to find Wendy's sister and her friends on the DOVE databases because of all the information that Wendy gave her. Cindy walked towards the door, and right before she left, she said, "Keep me posted on anything else." "Sure thing, boss," Meifeng said as she saluted Cindy casually. Earning an eyeroll from her longtime friend. She faced back into the two way mirror, and shrugged. "We should probably cut her loose, soon. I'm going to be honest here when I say we've probably gotten everything we can out of her." "Yeah," Shizuka turned away from the glass and moved towards the door. "Storytime's over - I doubt the other kid would've anything new to add on - and I can get the info to Holly to assist DOVE." That was only half true - he had one more thing he needed to discuss with her about. Something personal. With that, he walked out of the room, leaving Meifeng and Max on their own. [hr] "...That's good to hear," Holly said after Shizuka passed her the file and gave her a brief about the teens assaulted by the Black Hound. "I'll contact Cindy if I've found anything useful that might help the DOVE side." Shizuka set down his coffee, reclining back into the hard and uncomfortable chair in the mission control's pantry. "I think you know that this isn't the only reason why I'm dropping by here - in person." "Ah, yes, of course." Holly nodded, and pushed the other folder towards her junior across the table. "I do understand your concern for Haruka's safety, but it would've been easier if he's the one working on this case." She shook her head. "If there's one thing your older brother has inherited from Mrs. Takashiro, I'd say it's their flair with poetry. Your translation notes are really helpful since I don't understand much Japanese at all, but meanings are often easily lost in translation - especially between English and Asian languages - due to cultural differences." She took a sip of coffee before she went on, "That aside, the mysterious Asian cult mentioned in your mother's poetic diary is certainly interesting." "[i]Hokuto Shichisei[/i] - [abbr=北斗七星]Beidou Qixing[/abbr], or 'Polaris'," Shizuka muttered, skimming through the folder. "Records about them are scarce, but it's believed that the organization was founded as early as during the Chinese Civil War, secretly assisting the Chinese Communist Party to overthrow and exile Kuomintang to Taiwan. It's possible that some of the top government officers in the communist party today may be descendants of Polaris." "Since then, their influence has spread beyond China to the other parts of Asia," Holly continued after Shizuka. "The identity of the cult leaders remain unknown till this day, but it's rumored that the structure of this shadowy group goes by some form of feng shui principle - Yin and Yang at the top, followed by [abbr=五行, Five Elements][i]Wu Xing[/i][/abbr]. They are said to worship Metahumans as heavenly beings, and perform 'rituals' - possibly inhuman experiments - producing powerful Metahumans that have effectively put the Asian underworld under their absolute control." "While the West has the Founding [i]Faggots[/i], the East has the Polar-[i]shit[/i]," Shizuka scowled, then drained his coffee. He recalled the Chinese lady he had saved back at Havenfield during the overload incident. Polaris might be looking to expand beyond Asia, to sink their claws into the Western community. Holly was thinking along the same line as him. "I'll try to dig further, to see if we can find a way to use this information to our advanta---" "Or," Shizuka cut her short, narrowing his eyes. "They might be working together towards something far worse than whatever we can imagine." He was also curious about his mother's connection with Polaris: how - and why - did she know about them? Also... [i]Where the hell is she now?[/i] [hr] As the light filled Rowan's sight, he found himself coughing up what traces of the gas had left inside his lungs, the taste of it still lingering in his mouth. When he blinked again, he realised he was on a bed in a place that held little familiarity for him, with an older man in uniform stood nearby. Still disoriented, he lurched forward, words forming on his tongue. "W... what.. where am I?" He rasped, his throat feeling tight and swollen, as though someone had grasped it like a vice. The uniformed man's gaze snapped towards him, a muted calmness in his tone. "Relax, you're okay, it's safe here-" But a look of abject horror formed across Rowan's face when he finally recalled what had happened; the mural, the Black Hound and what had happened to Wendy and her friends... [i]Wendy![/i] Maybe this was where they'd been taken, why the Hound had attacked them. "Wh.. where's Wendy?! What did you do?!" He lurched further forward, rolling off the bed in his disorientation and when he hit the ground he felt his chest as though it were being set alight. "Don't-.. she's safe! You're at the DOVE Central Headquarters... Rowan, is it?" It was only when he saw the badge pinned to the man's chest that he realised he was telling the truth. When he was finally offered a hand up, Rowan reluctantly took it, pulling himself to his feet. "Now please, take a seat. There are a few things that you should know..." The doctor gave him a rundown of what had happened; Wendy had woken up, called the cops, they'd been picked up and taken back here. Rowan, for his part, had been in for a rough ride - there'd been swelling in his throat from both the gas and from where the Hound had grabbed him, then there was the bruising along his torso from where he'd been shoved to the ground with such intense force. Compared to some of the old man's beatings, it was nothing, but it still felt like being dragged behind a train, even after the doctor's injection to reduce the swelling in his throat. It wasn't too long after that another face walked in; a dark skinned agent wearing a DOVE badge on his belt. "Say, Nick, he good for visitors?" "Should be.." The doctor glanced over his shoulder, as if looking for Rowan's approval. A hesitant nod affirmed him. "Need him back afterwards, just to check up a couple other things." "I'll bear that in mind." The agent headed back out for a couple moments, before returning with a face that [i]was[/i] familiar. "Rowan..." Wendy trailed off as she stepped into the room. She was glad that he was okay, but she felt awful that he got hurt while trying to protect her. "I'm so glad you're okay..." "A..are you.. y'know, okay?" His attention was drawn to Wendy's own bruised and battered appearance. "Yeah, I'm fine... perfectly fine." Wendy lied badly, as she looked off to the side with both of her hands together. "Are you okay?" "Me?" Rowan asked, rhetorically, his voice still a little rasping, "I'm okay. Thanks for pulling me out of there." He gave a shy smile. "I guess... it kinda makes you a hero I guess." "A... hero?" Wendy didn't know how to think of the word. While she was all about doing the right thing, she would never call herself a hero. In her heart, she is Wendy Lucker. A student. A book lover... She's going on about rhetoric. "Um, nevermind. You're welcome. I just did what was the right thing to do, I guess." "What? That's full of shit," Rowan interjected with a harsher rasp, "I got my ass beat whilst you saved me, that's some pretty heavy stuff. Seriously, thanks..." He leaned forward for a second, as though he were going to say something else, before hesitating and reclining backwards. "Don't mention it, I guess." Wendy said, scratching the back of her neck awkwardly. "I'm just glad you're okay..." She was seconds away from tears, but she had to stay strong. Stay strong for Diana. "I..." Wendy was about to say something herself, but she kept her mouth shut. "I... think I'll go back to the Academy now... I just don't know anymore." She turned back to Reed. "Are you taking me back to the Academy?" "If you're ready to go, I can take you." He nodded. Part of him was curious why he hadn't asked if Cindy could take her, but he figured it was best to drop the mater. "Yeah..." Wendy replied, awkwardly. "Alright, guess we'll head off now, then." "Save some paint for me, Wendy." Rowan said with a wry grin, one last time before she left. That almost brought Wendy to tears as she walked out. [hr][i][u]Academy 61, Roseview.[/u][/i] Today was awful, but Wendy was feeling awful for Diana. She wondered if it was going to look up for her. Wendy leaned up against the wall of her dorm, and slumped down on the floor. Rowan's injured. Diana's been kidnapped. And right now, Wendy couldn't feel any worse than she does right now. Tears started running down her face... as she thought of the inhuman frame of the Black Hound. Why wasn't she strong enough to stop him? And it sounded like RAVEN and DOVE had no means to stop the Hound. Her phone ranged, and Wendy wondered who it was. Possibly Rori? She hadn't talked to her that much. Flipping open her phone, she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, [quote][pre] I know you've been crossed by the Black Hound, but I can help you. I can help you get your sister back.[/pre][/quote] The last part of the text message was what caught Wendy's attention, she was quick to reply. [quote][pre]Who are you? How did you get this number?[/pre][/quote] [quote][pre]Doesn't matter. What matters is that I can help you. I know where they're storing everyone they've kidnapped. And I know an easy way for you to get in. You can trust me or not, but you definitely want to get her out of there soon as possible.[/pre][/quote] This made Wendy reluctant... how did this person know so much about the Black Hound? However, her current options were approximately jack and shit. [quote][pre]How can I trust you?[/pre][/quote] [quote][pre]Of course, you can't really, honestly. To you, I'm just a bunch of letters directing you to the right location. You have every reason not to trust me. And let me ask you this: would the Black Hound spare you just to capture you again? If you really don't trust me, just delete this text thread and never send me anything again.[/pre][/quote] She had a point... but, still... [quote][pre]Alright, then. Tell me who I'm up against.[/pre][/quote] It was a few moments before the mysterious stranger responded again. [quote][pre]I'm glad that you're listening to me. I heavily advise that you keep this to yourself, but the Black Hound's a pawn in a greater scheme. He isn't the disease, but say, the side-effect. He works for an enigmatic organization known as the Founding Family, with his goons being a paramilitary group known as the Intimidation Unit... they're out of your league, but if you can sneak past them...[/pre][/quote] [quote][pre]Okay, where do I go?[/pre][/quote] [quote][pre]One of the Founding Family's bases in New Raygate, on the edge of Courtbridge... but, if you go now, you'll get your ass handed to you. The Black Hound is preparing for a big... "event." Where he, and a majority of the forces will be out of the base. This is a perfect time for you to sneak in, and retrieve your sister. And I'll be honest here, I also have a favor to ask of you. That's why I was so willing to give you information that would get me killed.[/pre][/quote] That worried Wendy... she answered with. [quote][pre]What is it?[/pre][/quote] [quote][pre]Get everyone out of there.[/pre][/quote] Wendy didn't even think twice. [quote][pre]I'll do it.[/pre][/quote] [quote][pre]Good, I need you in New Raygate by eight o'clock. I'll give you the signal.[/pre][/quote] [quote][pre]I'll be ready.[/pre][/quote] [quote][pre]And one last thing: I advise that you keep your RAVEN friends in the dark. If the Family gets a whiff of law enforcement, they'll blow the whole place to hell before you even get a chance to save her. That is all. Delete these messages immediately.[/pre][/quote] Complying, Wendy nodded her head. She deleted all of the text messages, and sighed. Was it the best idea to trust a complete stranger? No. It definitely wasn't. She was going to get herself killed, but for Diana, she was going to do anything. Even risk her own life. [hr][i][h1][color=Blueviolet]Malik Jakane[/color].[/h1][/i][hr] [i][u]Greencrest Heights, White Coast.[/u][/i] Aaaah, what a great day. It was raining outside, but Malik didn't care. Right above him, the rain had suddenly stopped right where he was walking. Just a simple use of his ability! Though, the rain wasn't lifting his spirits that much. He was pretty bummed that he had absolutely zero leads. He wondered if he should contact that RAVEN lady... or if he should have employed the help of that woman in the cafe. In the case of the latter, Malik just doesn't want anyone getting hurt, and in the case of the former... well, the RAVEN/DOVE agencies arrrrren't really helpful. Oh well. Malik will find something. [i]Hey, maybe I'll trip and fall on a lead![/i] Malik thought to himself. Haha... that's unlikely- [quote][pre]Hello, Malik. You're going to find this hard to believe, but I have a lead on Marcelle. If you're willing to trust me, then I'm willing to help you.[/pre][/quote] Malik looked at the text message with a raised eyebrow. Okay, this sounds too good to be true. He replied in the text. [quote][pre]heeeey, who is thiis?[/pre][/quote] [quote][pre]A friend.[/pre][/quote] [quote][pre]But, how friendly?[/pre][/quote] [quote][pre]Look, all you need to know is that I'm an employee of the Founding Family that thinks they've gone too far, and wish to get help from all sorts of people... you seem reputable enough.[/pre][/quote] The Founding Family... He was wondering if they were trying to lure him into a trap, but, even if it's a trap, it's the only thing Malik has. And he was willing to do anything for the sake of helping Marcelle... so... [quote][pre]Alright, I'm game.[/pre][/quote] This could end horribly, or greatly. Only one way to find out. [quote][pre]Good. I need you in New Raygate by eight o'cock, I'm going to direct you to a base where you can get a lead, and tell you where you can find a lead.[/pre][/quote] Malik read the text messages with a raised eyebrow. [quote][pre]Afterwards, you're on your own - but, I have a favor to ask... it's selfish, and you don't even have to do it.[/pre][/quote] Malik narrowed his eyes. [i]Here comes the catch.[/i] Malik thought to himself. [quote][pre]I need you to rescue everyone you can there. Just get them out of the base. I'll cover for you.[/pre][/quote] [quote][pre]I do fancy myself a hero.[/pre][/quote] Malik responded. [quote][pre]I know may sound hard to trust me, but I have the same interests as you. I want to see these tyrants destroyed....[/pre][/quote] Malik read the text for a second. "Yeah." He said to himself sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "The same interests." [quote][pre]I have no choice but to trust you.[/pre][/quote] [quote][pre]I wish it was different, but that's how it's going to be..[/pre][/quote] [quote][pre]You have your instructions. Arrive at New Raygate by eight o'clock. Delete this text thread, and I'll contact you when the coast is clear.[/pre][/quote] Malik stared at his phone, and read for it for a little while. Contemplating trusting it. He deleted the text messages. [hr][i][h1]Tuesday, October 20th, 8:00 PM.[/h1][/i][hr] The rest of the day went on by into night time. The rainfall came to a stop, and left several puddles all over Baybridge. The night went by with few knowing of what happened in Eastgriffin, and everyone going about their day. However, the nightsky hid new threats that were going to become a terror in Baybridge. [hr][i][h1][color=skyblue]Wendy Emily Lucker[/color], [/h1][/i][hr][hider=Transister OST - Old Friends][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql8K3KJyWgY[/youtube][/hider][hr] [i][u]New Raygate, Prince Edfield.[/u][/i] Just as the Foundation Woman said, head to New Raygate by eight. Wendy left the Academy an hour ago, and managed to arrive in New Raygate in an hour. She was stressed, terrified, but through that fear she reached a new level of determination. If she was going to save Diana, she was going to need it. She brought everything she could, all stored in her brown satchel. Inside of it were several stacks of paper, a few packs of batteries, and a lighter. She had to make an emergency trip to Walmart and spend what little money she has on this. She really wished that she had some hard hitting powers other than her electricity - which only tickled the Black Hound at best. She had to keep her mind on the task at hand, and wait for the information from her mysterious benefactor. It was obvious that the contact didn't want Wendy charging in before the coast was clear, that's why she only told her to arrive at New Raygate at this specific hour. Whatever it takes, really. Wendy was willing to wait. However, one thing that she did was go it alone. She figured that there was no point in dragging anyone into this. Not Ellen, not Rori, and especially not Rowan, who was already beaten enough. Wendy parked her scooter in front of a greasy pizza restaurant, and pulled out her cellphone. Just to pass time, she merely looked at her phone. [hr][i][h1][color=9e0b0f]Charlie Peterson[/color].[/h1][/i][sub][@DreadPirate][/sub][hr] [i][u]???[/u][/i] After being taken into the portal, Charlie was promptly sedated, and transported into his holding chambers. Which consisted of a cell (with a bed, toilet, and sink), and bars. Charlie was placed on the uncomfortable metal floor of his cell, and was left there. It wasn't long before the sedatives would start to wear off, however... Charlie's body didn't react typically to the sedatives and he woke naseous and confused. He scrambled to the toilet and vomited, voiding a majority of the chemicals from his system. After heaving he turned and observed his surroundings. At least he wasn't dead... yet. "Boy," A voice from beyond the bars spoke. Charlie turned to the bars quickly and quietly moved over to the bars, he peered through looking for the source. "Don't waste your energy," The man said, crossing his arms. He was very tall, had neat blond hair, and wore a black pinstriped suit, and had a blonde-haired secretary at his side, holding a tray. This man held a very important place within the Founding Family. No one is more important than the Blessed Three, after all. "I want to test something...." The man said, grabbing onto his chin. "Would you politely put your hand out?" The wave hit him, he didn't need to concentrate, sticking his hands through was not going to be good. He looked up at the man. Why would he get such a shock to his system? Maybe it was because he just woke. The pukiness in his mouth made him shut out taste for awhile, maybe that was it. Charlie looked in the man's eyes and realized this wasn't a choice he was going to be making if he refused. They would force whatever they want. He weezed and carefully using his remaining strength sat up and leaned on the bars being careful not to hit his ribs. He reached precariously through the bars shaking as his hand passed out. The sense hit him again it was coming from Ezekiel and he knew what he was going to do in that very moment. Ezekiel nodded to his secretary, who presented the tray out to him, and he grabbed a scalpel, he tightly grabbed onto Charlie's wrist, and used the scalpel to scrap a layer of skin and flesh off his arm. He placed the extracted flesh into a dish, and sealed it before it could be contaminated. He placed everything back onto the tray. "Good... I've been meaning to register the DNA of some of our volunteers." Ezekiel said, as he put his hands behind his back. "However, for being so cooperative, I believe I can reward you by answering some of your burning questions." Ezekiel laughed as he clenched his fist. "Mostly pertaining to where you are, and [i]why[/i]." Charlie felt sweat bead down his forehead as his skin was scraped off. He tensed up and decided struggling from the man's grip would only make matters worse, so he clenched his jaw and took the pain. "Those would be a good start." He said furrowing his brow and at the man. He scowled and held his wrist trying not to show the man he was in pain. "Well... you've been selected for a special program by... a third-party-science organization," Ezekiel said, as he paced back and fourth. "Your Metahuman energy is needed for... a project. Currently, you are in our holding cells. Once we are ready for you, we will take what we need." Ezekiel looked at him from an aside glance. "Is that satisfactory?" He asked. The man's eyes seemed to pierce him, true weakness is how Charlie felt as he looked at him. Not regret, or lack of confidence, but genuine lack of hope. Charlie was too terrified to speak his mind anymore. "Yes." Is all he could muster, this wasn't the time to play mind games or began planning escape. He needed information and this man clearly wasn't about to tell all. But if he did want to make any progress and not waste this oppurtunity he needed some kind of start. "What do I call you?" Charlie said in a monotone voice. The gravity of the situation was slowly beginning to set in more and more. "...Your master, [i]commoner[/i]." Ezekiel said, saying the last word as if it was an insult. "All you need to do is sit tight, and wait for your turn on the [i]machine[/i]." With that, Ezekiel walked off with his secretary in tow. [hr][i][h1][color=forestgreen]Veronica Emily Davis[/color], Makoto Koda,The Black Hound, and....[/h1][/i][hr][hider=Massive Attack - Come Near Me][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ump0uNMIkEs[/youtube][/hider][hr] [i][u]Strongriver Plaza, Hedgemount.[/u][/i] The Foundation Woman put out a mark, and It seemed that the Black Hound was currently busy. So they had to send in Veronica. What a pity, she wanted to take another bath to ease her mind. She was stationed on this rooftop in Strongriver against the nightsky. Fortunately, she was normally dressed, but was wearing her black, form-fitting Intimidation Unit armor. It was enough to hide her appearance perfectly. Though, it was boring as all hell waiting for the target to show up. She even pulled out her phone, and started playing a game. It's not like anyone's going to be climbing to the top of a shitty Chinese restaurant. Or the pawn-shop besides it. Or the insurance building... Personally, she wanted to kill her mark, and get a move on soon as possible, but the bastard is taking his sweet ass time- "Your mark's in position." The Foundation Woman spoke, alerting Veronica. Veronica grabbed her sniper rifle - a H-S Precision Pro Series 2000 HTR. Since it was a simple kill, she didn't grab anything fancy. She got to the edge of the building, and put the kickstands down on the side, and peered through the scope. She scanned the area - there was a limousine, with an overweight man stepping out of it, with an uncomfortable girl in his arms. Obviously just some callgirl - they were in front of one of the Society's clubs, after all. A filthy society of European whores, and Veronica couldn't help but loathe the organization as a whole. However, there are certainly some cute guys and gals in their employ... maybe she'd employ one when she starts to feel particularly lonely. For now, Veronica had to focus on the task at hand. From what her briefing told her, this man was a big wig in some local mafia in Baybridge. The Founding Family extended him a [i]lucrative[/i] offer, and he accepted... only to take advantage of the Family's kindness. So, that meant he had to die. It didn't bother Veronica, because this man was an over-gorged scumbag that couldn't even look at his own dick, and she still has to appear like an obedient little pup. She centered the sights right on his chest, and grinned as he was getting ready for a nice long night of hookers, and cocaine. When Veronica pulled the trigger, the bullet blew a nice hole through his chest and sprayed blood all over the sidewalk. The woman screamed (She's mentally scarred for life now!), as the rest of his goons looked for the shooter. Veronica was tempted to take another shot at his bodyguards, but she was given orders to kill [i]one[/i] person. And in an instant, a major player was taken out of the crime game. There will surely be a power vacuum. A single death can change [i]everything[/i]. All because his greedy ass couldn't keep his hand out the cookie jar. "Zenith." Veronica said, and a swirling blue portal opened behind her - right when the men noticed that she was up here. She stepped into the portal, right before a hail of gunfire could even reach her. [hr][i][u]Somewhere in Prince-Edfield...[/u][/i] Back at base, Veronica was taking off this uncomfortable ass armor after getting debriefed by the Foundation Woman. She was in the locker room, taking off her boot she was wearing nothing but a bra, and some pants, and slid the boot clean off. She heard someone walking up, and Veronica lifted her head up and narrowed her eyes. "...Makoto." Veronica said, voice alight with anger. "Oh, sweetheart," Makoto said with a cheeky grin growing on her face that made Veronica want to punch it off. "Don't let me stop you." She said suggestively as she could, as she put her hand on her hip, and winked. That infuriated Veronica, because she was filled with rage whenever the woman made a pass at her. "Makoto," Veronica said. "Get lost." "I just came in here to tell you that the Black Hound wanted to have a word for you," Makoto clapped her hands together. "It's another job... he's working on something big tonight." "It better not be another annoying fetch quest," Veronica huffed in irritation as she sat straight up. "Especially after how the [i]last[/i] one went." "C'mon, sweetheart," Makoto laughed a little bit. "Remember, you're not a mook like the rest of them... You're a [i]spy.[/i]" She leaned in very close to Veronica's face, keeping that cocky grin. For once, Veronica didn't defy her, and let her get close. "You know, you would look really good in one of those spy catsuits," Makoto said, laughing. "You have the perfect bod, and face for it..." For a moment, their contact was almost intimate - before Veronica pushed her away without a word, and took her boots off, and proceeded to remove the rest of her battle-dress. She walked over to her locker, and put on her clothes, which were blue jeans, and a white blouse, and some black high-heels. After she finished buttoning up her blouse, she walked out the door... before poking her head back in to say. "What are you standing around for?" Veronica said. "Let's get a move on already." [hr] The pair walked into the garage of the building, where several large delivery vehicles, and vans were being loaded up with armed members of the Undertakers. They were bringing in the big guns... the Black Hound definitely has something big planned. The Black Hound was standing in the center of the room, with a FN Minimi slung over his shoulder. It was clear he was overseeing this whole operation. That's what scared Veronica the most... the Black Hound was as much as a symbol of fear to the nations of the world as he was to the Founding Family. His intimidating presence was enough to motivate even the worst soldiers. He scared Veronica - for different reasons, however. It was the fact that he was the perfect soldier... light gunfire only annoyed him, and heavier firearms only staggered him. Veronica stared at him with her green eyes trying to pierce through him... yet nothing could. The Black Hound faced them. "Veronica, Makoto," That was another thing that was "scary" about the Hound, his voice... and the fact that he was never seen outside his armor. "You have an assignment." "Lay it on us," Veronica said, putting her hand on her hip. "I need you to investigate something that popped up on our blimps," The Black Hound said. "The Foundation Woman noticed someone was searching the Founding Family on the deep web... and we are curious as to who would know about us." "Are you sure it wasn't an accident?" Veronica shrugged. "We can't afford to take that risk," The Black Hound said. "The Foundation Woman has managed to snatch up enough information to track her in Old Raygate... Get to it." Veronica crossed her arms, and looked off to the side. "... Will we have another insubordination incident, Veronica?" A sigh left her lips as she reluctantly answered, "... No, sir." "Good." Makoto gave Veronica a pat on the back. "... I hope everything is ready," A voice spoke... one that Veronica immediately recognized. She turned around towards the man, and immediately bowed down - as did the rest of the Intimidation Unit. As this man was more important in the Founding Family than any one of them. Ezekiel Anagos. Wearing a black pinstriped suit, and having his blonde-haired secretary at his side. He walked up to the Black Hound, and clapped his hands. "All rise," Ezekiel said. "We can't afford to lose time - we have the operation." "The operation...?" Veronica said underneath her breath "Yes..." Ezekiel said. "We're going to get Dr. Cross back tonight, while also gaining us more... resources, shall we say, for our machine." Veronica had no idea what he was talking about. She heard whispers about a doomsday weapon, or something crazy, and apparently they needed people for it. Which was why they're ramping up kidnapping... What it was terrified Veronica. Almost enough into compliance. Almost. "The Black Hound is going to take a building full of people hostage in exchange for Dr. Cross.... which will [i]ideally[/i] force us into a situation where all outcomes are beneficial." He continued. "I could be of assistance..." Veronica said, trying to get out of this. "No, no, no..." Ezekiel said, shaking his head. "Unlike the Black Hound, you are [i]not[/i] a front line agent... you're our subtle agent that keeps the organization afloat from the shadows." Veronica sighed. Might as well deal with it. "Now, get to work." Makoto got close to Veronica, who was annoyed she was doing the boring work befitting a drone. Makoto grabbed onto her arm like they were a [i]couple[/i]. "...At least we get to spend more time together!" All Veronica could say in response was, "...[i]Kill me.[/i]" [hr][i][h1][color=dodgerblue]Lihua Zhao[/color], & [color=red]Meifeng[/color].[/h1][/i][hr] [i][u]Greencrest Heights, White Coast.[/u][/i] Fortunately for Meifeng, after her shift was over, she took some time off to spend with Lihua and Lijuan. She hasn't seen them in soooo long, and when she does come back to Baybridge, she gets shipped right back off a few weeks later for a good four months! Meifeng knew that, in the end, there won't be no friends or jobs, but [i]family[/i]. So, instead of heading straight back to her apartment, she went to Greencrest Heights. Her motorcycle came to a stop in Lihua's driveway, and she climbed off. She locked her helmet on the bike, and walked up to the Zhao household... Every time she comes here, it always feels like it's been years. All because she was out helping the world, making it a better place... for them, she keeps telling herself. She walked up to the door, and knocked on it. Leaning up against the porch as she waited for Lihua to answer. It wasn't long before her freakishly tall mother, the Zhao matriarch, answered the door. Wearing a T-shirt, and sweat pants. She looked at Meifeng, and smiled, "[i]Hello, Meifeng,[/i]" Lihua said in Chinese as she grabbed Meifeng for a hug. "[i]It is great to see you.[/i]" "[i]Same.[/i]" Meifeng said. "[i]How's Lijuan doing?[/i]" "[i]She is doing fine....[/i]" Lihua said. "[i]I heard you got caught up in the whole festival shitstorm,[/i]" Meifeng said, putting her hand on her hip. "[i]Yes... but, both of us got out without injury.[/i]" Lihua said. "[i]Now that you're here... can you do me a favor?[/i]" Lihua said. "[i]It's... a little selfish to ask of you.[/i]" Meifeng now put both hands on her hips, and leaned forward. "[i]Oh.... Ms. Zhao being selfish?[/i]" She teased. "[i]I can't believe it![/i]" She laughed. Prompting an eyeroll from Lihua, "[i]There's a PTA meeting tonight, and I need to be there... only problem is that Lijuan's usual babysitter is busy, and I don't know who else is trustworthy.[/i]" "[i]Ah, it's not a problem of babysitters,[/i]" Meifeng said, putting a hand up in the air. "[i]But a matter of the cold-hearted Ms. Zhao trusting someone.[/i]" She shrugged. "[i]Will you watch Lijuan, smartass?[/i]" Lihua said, finding it hard not to hiss out. "[i]You know it,[/i]" Meifeng smiled. "[i]You know I'd do anything for Lijuan.[/i]" "[i]Good,[/i] Lihua said as she walked inside. "[i]... And another thing... Jiao-Long is hosting a party for Honghui... it's his birthday next week.[/i]" "[i]Oh yeah... I totally forgot...[/i]" Meifeng said in a more somber tone. "[i]... About Honghui. I was just so busy that I totally forgot about my newest cousin...[/i]" "[i]It's forgivable...[/i]" Lihua said. "[i]I'm going to attend it, of course, and Jiao-Long really wants you there.[/i]" "[i]Remind me to bring a counter.[/i]" "[i]For what?[/i]" A toothy grin formed on Meifeng's face as she threw her arms behind her back. "[i]Oh to countdown until you and Jiao-Long start bickering like twelve year olds. Heh.[/i]" Meifeng walked into the house. Lihua shook her head as she walked up the stairs.