[hr][i][h1][color=skyblue]Wendy Emily Lucker[/color] & [color=lightseagreen]Rowan Campbell[/color].[/h1][sub]Written in collaboration with [@Mr Allen J][/sub][/i][hr]
[i][u]Faircrest Woods, Roseview.[/u][/i]


The two students were going toe-to-toe against each other, soaring over the trees as each made their ascent. It was almost beautiful, but Wendy couldn't take in the scenery. She was on a mission, and there was nothing that was going to stop her. While Rowan was using his newfound trick he practiced, she was riding the air currents to transport her in the right direction. Thankfully, she had the power of GPS! 

Once she was a mile away from her destination... she flew to the ground, beneath the treeline. Before she looked at her phone, then looked forward. She saw the large warehouse that looked pretty up to date. She didn't see any activity in there... but, so far, she doesn't have any reason to mistrust her contact.

Now, was the matter of getting in. Wendy walked up to a door inside the warehouse, and saw that it was locked with a padlock... which should be trivial for Rowan. "Rowan... would you do the honors?" Wendy asked - before she added on. "But, try not to break it, it's best that we leave as little traces as possible that we were here...."

"Yeah, yeah..." Rowan said, before tightening his fingers around the lock and concentrating hard, until a very faint click could be heard and the lock came loose. "Better than before."

"You're the best, Rowan." Wendy said, flashing him a smile as she slowly opened the doors to the warehouse. The place was dark... too dark to see anything. So, the first thing Wendy did was whip out her cellphone, turn on her flashlight app, and shine it into the darkness. The first thing she saw was a large room, with many shipping containers. She wondered just [i]why[/i] they were here before shrugging off the thought because it was dark as balls in here.

"Rowan? Do you have a light?" Wendy asked.

"Uh...." Rowan fumbled around in is pocket for a moment, eventually withdrawing his own phone and switching on the flashlight. "Just this." It wasn't much, especially on the phone that he had, but it was better than nothing.

"Good enough, keep your eyes open." Wendy said... there [i]has[/i] to be a light in here, but she didn't want to attract too much attention. Especially when [i]this[/i] could be the one day where the base sees activity, and the two get sprayed with bullets. With that out of the way, Wendy began walking through the small maze of crates... before she doubled back and just went around it.

The hard concrete floor made her think of the advantage that she had in this area. All they have to do is find a computer, and get a little bit of information out of it. Eventually, the two came across a wooden stairs... this must lead [i]somewhere[/i] because Wendy knew they couldn't search every inch of this warehouse without the Academy realizing they aren't there and sending out a search party. And the last thing that Wendy wanted was to be locked in a damn jail-cell.

"So..." Rowan said, with a hushed tone, "What're we looking for?"

"A computer." 

"That helps." Rowan remarked.

"I'm hoping that it's up here... but, it might be...." Wendy trailed off, before just shaking her head and climbing up the stairs slowly. The first step creaked lowly and made her stop, and look around as if she alerted anyone. Not hearing a sound [i]other[/i] than the two of them, she proceeded to climb up the stairs.

Reaching the apex of the stairway, Wendy and Rowan reached a door. She took in a sigh, and slowly opened the door, shining her flashlight through the crack... and it looked a lot different. It looked like a hangout with a wooden floor, chairs, and even a lightswitch! She was taking a risk here.

... She flipped the lightswitch and the room was instantly illuminated, prompting the two of them to turn their own torches off.

The room did look like a hangout. With all these seats, chairs, and even a bar, Wendy almost felt the need to have a seat. She looked around and saw a bookshelf... and right next to it was a computer. She was quick to skip over to it, and get to work.

"Alright, Rowan," Wendy said in a hushed tone. "Just let me get what I need off the computer, and we can get out of here... watch the door."

"Just do your thing, yeah?" Rowan said, taking up a spot adjacent to the door. If anyone... or anything came up, he was ready to hold off whatever tried to come through, at least long enough for them to get out. He found it somewhat unsettling at the idea the place was normally occupied by people like the ones who'd come after them before, but if it meant Wendy got her sister back then so be it.

Wendy quickly turned on the computer and it wasn't long before a login screen popped up... asking for a password she didn't know! It seems like her contact was keeping his lips firmly shut after what happened in Courtbridge. Wendy would, too. But, if she doesn't, she would just be wasting time. She whipped out her cellphone and typed up a text like a madman.

[quote][code]What's the passcode for this terminal?[/code][/quote]

She sent the text, and patiently awaited the reply....

[quote][code]qwerty12345[/code][/quote]

Wendy raised an eyebrow, looking in confusion.

[quote][code]That was a joke. It's Allfather83458.[/code][/quote]

Wendy was somewhat surprised by the sudden sense of humor her mysterious contact has developed. She was quick to punch in the password, and she was granted access to the entire system. A smile formed on Wendy's face as the computer finally warmed up, and she dug a little bit into the files. There wasn't anything of note... other than a map. But, instead of anything useful, it was covered in vague terms. Such as "Pizza," and "Marlon's" ... Obvious code-phrases. She [i]could[/i] decode them, but that'll take time, and energy.

But, the only thing she wanted to do was grab these files, and get the hell out. She attached her phone's usb-cord to the computer, and downloaded the map... and just as a precaution, she brought along a USB-drive, and saved it there, too. She turned the computer back off, and tried to put the chair back the best she could.

Rowan glanced over his shoulder for a moment and raised an eyebrow. "Is that it?"

"Yeah, let's..."

[hr][hider=Massive Attack - Superpredators][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59rH3rre0ZA[/youtube][/hider][hr]

A portal opened in the other side of the room, and Wendy just [i]knew[/i] it wouldn't bode well for her. Stepping out of it was the armored frame of the Black Hound... and he looked as frightening as ever. He was holding a M23 grenade launcher in one hand that was slung over his shoulder, and plenty of extra shells.

"... My, my, my," The Hound mused in his electronic voice. "This just [i]confirms[/i] it; you are getting help from somewhere." He trailed off, but Wendy could tell the irritation in his voice.

"Oh God," Wendy said... it's time to put that training to good use.

He slapped the grenade launcher into his hand, and continued, "So, let me cut you a deal... tell me who is helping you, and I'll spare the two of you." 

Wendy clenched her fist as the concrete floor underneath the wood was being cracked... one could hear it if they paid attention. "No..." Wendy trailed off, as the Hound's eyes flashed red. "... Let me cut [i]you[/i] a deal - return Diana to me, and I won't kick your ass!" She said, and the ground split, causing a fissue to erupt

"Hmph," The Hound paid that threat little mind. "I told you Ms. Lucker... if you persued my employers, I would have to kill you - and yet, you go and become a pain in my ass...." He aimed the grenade launcher at Wendy, and fired off a round...

Only for it to stop mid-trajectory as Rowan caught it before it could do either of them harm. One thing the scrawny teen had recalled from their last encounter was that asshole's grenades, only this time he had way more practice.

Wendy sighed in relief as was quick to take advantage of the terrain around her. She raised her foot up into the air, and slammed it onto the ground, and caused a small impact that echoed through the area. A chunk of stone the size of a basketball broke out of the ground. She quickly punched it... hurting her hand in the process because she didn't have the control that Ms. Zhao did. The block hit the Hound square in the chest, breaking into pieces on impact, and made him stumble backwards.

"... You've gotten your teacher's power, I see?" The Hound said, "No matter. It won't save you."

The Hound quickly rushed Wendy, and the girl, desperate for a shield, slammed both hands onto the ground. Creating another shockwave that caused a large chunk of the ground to flip upwards. Creating a block between the Hound and herself. She ducked down and hoped for the best.

Unfortunately, that didn't do too much to deter the dark brute... Using his momentum, he swung his fist, and utterly [i]shattered[/i] the upper half of the shield as if it was nothing. It was only a moment before Wendy noticed that there were chunks of stone flying in all directions, and could see the Hound's massive hand reaching for her neck.

Once again, the Hound raised Wendy above his head by her neck. "... You need more practice." He muttered as he put pressure on Wendy's neck.

"Hey!"

That provoked a reaction from Rowan, who concentrated on the metallic plates in the Hound's armour and took a hold of the assassin with his magnetism in an effort to draw his focus away from Wendy.

Wendy took this opportunity to reach behind her, and whip her hand around, and attempt to use what was left of the shield to slam into the Hound. It hit him in the side with immense force, and made him let go of Wendy as he was knocked back.

Hitting the ground, Wendy knew that this was an uphill battle. Even though they trained for a week... they were still up against the God damn Black Hound. They needed a plan of attack before they take him out... and Wendy had an idea. It was a stretch, but what else could they do?

"Rowan!" Wendy shouted as she hopped in the air, and slammed both feet into the floor in an awkward manner. She managed to flip another block of concrete onto the Black Hound and pushed him backwards. It was supposed to look like an attack, but what Wendy was really doing was giving themselves an exit.

She was quick to hop into the empty space, hoping that Rowan would do the same.

Those hopes were met as the scrawny teenager's footsteps thudded behind her.

She flipped the ground right over, and made their exit much cleaner. The Hound pressed a button on his helmet, and turned on the infared... he saw them on the ground floor, and cooked up a quick strategy. He stood right above them, and...

"... Okay, Rowan!" Wendy quickly said. "I have a plan! But, it might be a stretch... try to drop that shipping crate-" Wendy pointed at the shipping crate that was stacked onto two others... which lead to a pretty hefty drop. "-on him! Think you can do that?!" It was the best plan she could come up with - because it's obvious that the Hound has some way to track people long distances.

There was no time for second guessing, or to consider an alternative plan - Rowan quickly nodded.

On cue, the Black Hound's foot burst through the ceiling directly above them, and Wendy looked up in shock. He pulled his foot back, and with one final stomp, he came falling through the ceiling. He remained stiff as a statue as he held his grenade launcher over his shoulder. Wendy dove to the side, and watched him turn towards her.

"Go!" Wendy shouted at Rowan, who began to make a dash across the warehouse floor. "I'll take it from here!" She said.

The Hound aimed down the sights of his grenade launcher at Wendy - but the girl was quick to flip more ground over to shield her. The first grenade that came out blew the shield to pieces, but Wendy had a strategy. She quickly reached into her satchel and touched a piece of paper. In the mist of dust and smoke going in all directions, paper had traveled up Wendy's hand and she immediately exploded into a cloud of paper.

The Hound realized that she had disappeared from his sensors... [i]So, she's pulled that card, huh?[/i] The Hound thought to himself as he turned off his infared vision, and looked around for Wendy to reform. Readying his grenade launcher as he turned back towards Rowan... That should get her to start being hasty.

Wendy turned back into her human form right on the crate she told Rowan to reform. Great. She's going to need a strategy to get him into position, and now he's going for Rowan. Double great. She'll need to do [i]something[/i] to save him. But, to use her concrete powers, she'll need to get on the ground, in sight of the Hound, and her paper powers will only tickle his bodyarmor.

So... why doesn't she utilize that other power of hers?

Reaching into her satchel again, she grabbed some batteries, and pulled the electricity out of them until they were dry. The electricity traveled up her hands and caused immense crackling... before the Hound looked up at her. Wendy was prepared for this, but the Hound shot a grenade at her... and then she was surrounded in an electrical aura as she caught the grenade in mid-air.

She turned it around and sent it flying right back towards the Hound - who could only throw his arm up in vain - and the grenade exploded against his arm. Creating a cloud of dust, and when it settled, it revealed the Hound's armor was blown off around his arm, and flesh, bone, and muscle, were all exposed. The rest of his armor was only damaged slightly.

"... That is getting to be [i]really[/i] annoying," The Black Hound groaned to himself as he moved on as if his horrific injuries were nothing. He aimed the grenade launcher at Wendy one-handed and fired a barrage of grenades at her as he took a step back.

Wendy tried to catch them, but she could only successfully catch one - the rest exploded around her. A grenade hit the ceiling above her and knocked off a large chunk of stone that hit Wendy in the shoulder, and then she loudly yelled in pain as she lost what little balance she had left. She fell off onto the ground with a thud, landing right next to the shipping container.

The Hound slowly approached the girl with the intent of finishing her off... there was dust that didn't even bother the Hound. The girl was lying on her back, clothes stained with blood.

"Ro... Rowan..." Wendy said, as the Hound approached, raising his boot high up into the air... but, then he noticed where her hand was. "... Now!"

Wendy shouted as she turned into paper and zipped off

In the aftermath of his battle with Wendy, the assassin had failed to notice the low metallic hum that had begun to resonate overhead. Before the Black Hound had a chance to realise what was in store, the shipping container that had overlooked the both of them came crashing down in a mass of sparks and ear-piercing screeching, plunging into the Hound where he stood as Rowan looked on from behind, beads of sweat running down his forehead.

Wendy reformed and turned around to see that the Hound was finally defeated... She grabbed her shoulder and let out a sigh of relief. She couldn't recall a single Metahuman that could survive an attack like that. And furthermore, Rowan's ability was incredible. She knew he wasn't dead, but they should get the hell out of here before he gets back up....

Before the girl could've said another word, Rowan was back at her side, tugging at her good shoulder. "Can we go now?!" He asked with an exasperated tone.

"Y-yeah!" Wendy said as she ran for the exit...

... But, there was the sharp sound of metal screeching that almost made Wendy stab her eardrums out. She did the one thing you were [i]never[/i] suppposed to do in a horror movie, and looked back.

She saw the Hound lifting scraps of the shipping container off him, and he stood straight up. His armor was heavily damaged, scarred by numerous visible scrapes and dents, whilst his helmet had been massively dented - which made Wendy curious as to what happened to the man underneath it. His arm was bent [i]backwards,[/i] and was oozing more blood than before. But, this up close look of him told her of his regenative prowress. His gun was destroyed... but, he was still kicking. He took a step, and Wendy's heart skipped a beat.

"... He stops at nothing." Wendy said to Rowan as the Hound marched towards her.

But, he came to a stop when she heard some static-y chatter coming from his helmet. He pressed a button on the side of his helmet, and stopped. He said something under his breath....

"... Looks like I have important business to attend to," The Hound said, casually. "I think the two of you earned a second chance... but, I implore that you stop this crusade now..."

He looked at Wendy, and his eyes shined a bright red color.

"... Because at the end of this hole... is [i]death[/i]."

The Hound took a step backwards as he said, "Zenith." A portal opened up behind him, and he put one foot in. "... I'd recommend that you two leave now. This base will be destroyed very shortly."

Before he stepped in, and the portal closed.

There was something... odd here. Like, now that they aren't risking the Hound killing them, Wendy could think clearly about what happened. Just [i]why[/i] did the Hound show up? Far as she could tell, this base was unimportant. And what did he mean by "you need more practice?"

"Um..." Wendy said, as she grabbed Rowan by the wrist and dragged him off. "... Let's just go, we'll talk about it later!"

With the impending threat of the base exploding... there was little time to chit-chat.

Once they were clear, it gave Rowan a chance to notice the full scope of her injuries. "You look like..." [i]Shit.[/i] Though that part was better left unsaid. "Uh, use your paper thing and hold on, alright?"

"Alright..." Wendy said, as she negated her weight... with her injuries, and exhaustion, it would be foolish to start trying to fly, so instead she grabbed onto Rowan. After he was certain she could hold on, the scrawny teen started concentrating yet again until, finally, they began to lift off the ground. 

Making a steady ascent until they were directly overhead the trees, heading back to the Academy.