[hr][i][h1][color=skyblue]Wendy Emily Lucker[/color] & [color=lightseagreen]Rowan Campbell[/color].[/h1][sub]Written in collaboration with [@Zombiedude101][/sub][/i][hr]
[i][u]Academy 61, Roseview.[/u][/i]


Thankfully, the two could retreat back into the Academy before anyone could notice them.

Rowan lowered the two down, right back where they were previously. Wendy felt relieved that she could finally adopt her weight back as she finally hit the ground with a graceful swoosh. She let out a sigh of relief as she looked up into the sky... oddly enough, the sky was always so [i]terrifying[/i] to Wendy. Whenever she looked up, she always felt so small, and the world felt so [i]big[/i]. She didn't know if it was her anxiety, her child-like wonder, or if she was overthinking it. What she needed to get off her chest was... what the hell happened back there? Now that she was away from the Hound, she could finally form some theories! And, oh boy, the Lucker girl had some. She sat up, and said to Rowan,

"...Don't you think that was a little weird?" Wendy asked. "Like, my contact said that place was unimportant, and then the Hound shows up out of nowhere!"

"It's weird," Rowan agreed, when it occurred to him that neither of them had met her contact and was was about to voice his skepticism about whether or not they were entirely reliable when she pushed herself up to her feet and continued her rant.

"And what was with his attitude there? Like, when he said "you need more practice," didn't that sound super suspect to you?!" Wendy asked.

"I guess, but..." Rowan trailed, before shrugging it off. Maybe the Black Hound had his reasons for sparing them earlier and trying to give them advice, or maybe not. Maybe it was a ploy. He'd seen the old man manipulate his mom before, along with his so-called 'Pure' friends regurgitating anti-metahuman bullshit to draw in more people on their side - but he wasn't sure about the Hound. 

At least not yet. Whatever the case, he wasn't about to let it get to Wendy. "... I've got a shitload of paper back at my place, you need to heal with some? You look like shit," He said, before realising his blunder and going off on a slight stutter, "I-I mean not like you look like [i]shit[/i], I mean you got beat on pretty bad."

It seems like Rowan want to discuss it, but, Wendy was still onto the Hound, and her contact. While she may be the only person who seems to give a shit that her sister was kidnapped by the Family, she knew that her contact must have their own reasons for helping her. How could she be so blind to it!? It was foolish... but, Wendy knew that there was only one way to get Diana back, and it was through her contact. For now, Wendy was going have to focus on getting patched up. Using Lihua's concrete powers has left oozing cracks all over her body that left obvious red marks... and they [i]stung[/i]. Damn it. She was going have to get used to that for the sake of Diana.

"...Y-yeah, thank God I can switch powers now," Wendy said.  "...But, we really need to discuss the Hound."

"Alright, sure..." Rowan said, albeit with a reserved tone, "Sorry, by the way. I should've dropped that thing on him sooner, maybe he wouldn't have beat on you so much."

"It's fine, Rowan," Wendy said. "There was nothing you could have done to help it... and if you dropped it sooner, it would have fell on me." Wendy laughed awkwardly.

"Guess so." Rowan said, with an equally awkward chuckle. "Wanna go get that paper?"

"Yeah..." Wendy trailed off, looking at her wounds. "...Bleeding to death here."

In the distance, a large boom rang out, and Wendy's head darted towards it, and she could see the mushroom cloud from the warehouse they were just in exploding.

"...Oh." Wendy said. "I guess the Hound wasn't lying..."


[hr][i][h1][color=gray]Quentin Taylor[/color].[/h1][/i][hr]
[i][u]RAVEN/DOVE HQ - Hospital Wing[/u][/i]


[i]Hospital food. Hospital TV. Hospital bed.[/i] Quentin found his time in the hospital wing to be closer to incarceration than it was recuperation. He felt like a train had run into him head on, yet he wanted nothing more than to get out there, but nope - at the insistence of Reed and several others he was here until Jade said otherwise. He wasn't even allowed to leave the building and had been impeded in his movement by the damned IV stand he'd been hooked up to the past day or so. [i]Conductive to the recovery process[/i] was what the doctors had said, though it meant little to him save as an annoyance. Especially when heading down to the bathroom just down the corridor, as was the case in this instance.

With an irritant grunt, he stepped out of bed and stretched his legs for a moment, ready to leave, yet on his way out, the IV stand got caught in the door. Quentin let off a low growl and started tugging at the metal frame, but it was caught - and he couldn't reach around due to the line getting in his way. [i]God-dammit.[/i] He thought, then paused for a moment, then tugged again. Still nothing.

"God dammit..." He repeated, yet again. Fortunately enough - or maybe not, Quentin found the whole ordeal to be an embarrassment - a nurse who'd been making a round of the Hospital Wing saw his predicament and had rushed on over to see what was the matter.

"Is it stuck?" She asked, her gaze shifting to the stand caught around the frame in a rather awkward position. A sharp nod from Quentin gave her enough of an answer and so she started tugging at it with him, too - yet the damned thing wouldn't budge, its implacability growing as much as the RAVEN's impatience. Eventually he decided enough was enough and outright asked her for what he [i]really[/i] wanted. "Can you remove this thing? It's not gonna budge."

"No need, I'll just get some assistance." 

Quentin wouldn't have taken no for an answer. Especially not in this case. "Trust me, it's fine, just get it out."

It seemed to go straight over her head. "Please, just hold on a moment, I'll get someone to help you."

"No, just disconnect this thing, [i]please.[/i]" Anyone who knew the RAVEN could tell he was trying to keep up a calm front. "It won't kill me to take it off for a couple minutes."

"I'm afraid not, I must insist that you leave it in." Her tone was curt and polite, though Quentin could sense her disdain in the conversation. He felt a little guilty; there was something intimidating about trying to corral a [i]RAVEN[/i] of all people, but he was having none of it and that was enough to push him over the edge. "Look, fine, I'll do it myself..." Quentin tugged at the line, then twisted with an irritant grunt.

"Wait! you're not supposed to-" [i]Too late.[/i] Quentin pulled his arm free of the IV stand, still stuck in the door where it was. The nurse was left speechless, though before she could speak up again Quentin was already marching off. 

"I'll be back in a minute." The exasperated RAVEN said, before he marched off down the corridor, oblivious to the hilarity of the sight of him storming off in a hospital gown.


[hr][i][h1][color=forestgreen]Veronica Emily Davis[/color].[/h1][/i][hr]
[i][u]Lower-South Royer Town, Prince-Edfield.[/u][/i]


After her encounter with Max, Veronica went straight home. There wasn't much left for her to do. She could go on a bar crawl, but she didn't want to garner suspicion in case Max sees her. So, she retreated back into her apartment in Lower-South Royer Town. She quickly prepared to enjoy the rest of the night to herself. She stripped down to her bra and panties, sat down on the sofa, grabbed the remote, and turned on Crunchyroll. Preparing herself to enjoy a night of watching anime - a childish habit of hers, but no one sees what happens behind closed doors...

... Her cellphone rang, and she was annoyed that she was being called. Veronica looked at her phone, and saw Blake's name. Oh boy, did that egomaniac finally stop jerking off to his reflection?

Veronica walked over towards her balcony door. She didn't have an luxurious, high-rise, apartment. But, instead, she had a rather large studio-apartment. It was enough to enough to raise eyebrows whenever she brought a guest over... whether or not they were apart of the job. She just loved this little piece of luxury, bought with the money the Family practically showers her with for killing their marks. Or gets information. Or plants evidence. Et cetera, et cetera. The woman kept the phone pressed up against her ear as she stepped out, barely dressed in more than a bra and panties. You'd need a telescope to see all the way up here... and it didn't matter to Veronica. She enjoyed the breeze again her skin - and it was beautiful up here.

"So, what's tomorrow's assignment?" Veronica said, staring at her nails.

"I believe you are aware of the Liu family?" Blake asked.

"Unless you're virtually ignorant to Metahumans," Veronica said with a cheeky smile. "You'd [i]have[/i] to know who Jiao-Long Liu is, and his work. But, isn't he your obedient little pup?"

"Well, the Blessed Three have reason to believe otherwise."

"Then go call his little mommy to whip him into shape." Veronica chuckled.

"However," Blake said. "The Blessed Three have decided to give him little wiggle room to come up with a plan... we need him for our machine, and we need him [i]now.[/i]" Blake said. In such a tone that made Veronica think he was joking. When his words are stern, harsh... but, Blake was a strange one indeed.

[i]The machine...[/i] Veronica kept hearing mention of the machine, but was too afraid to ask. All she knew was that it was the [i]big thing[/i] the Blessed Three were working on, and needed people for it... the mere ambiguity around it was what made it frightening to Veronica.

"That is why I have decided to attend his son's birthday party... and hopefully [i]convince[/i] him."

Veronica has certainly heard of the newest Liu. While Jiao-Long and his wife were trying to stay hush-hush about him so the Pro-Meta groups wouldn't flay the bastard alive, anyone important has heard of him.

"What I want you to do is..." Blake started off, laughing a little. "...[i]Accompany[/i] me to the party under the guise as a secretary. That way, you can assist me."

Shaking her head, Veronica made it clear why she thought it was a bad idea, "Blake, Blake, Blake..." Veronica trailed off, repeating herself. "Have you heard about the famous - or infamous - rivalry between the Rory family and the Lius?"

In the science world, the rivalry between her father's company, and the Liu family was quite well known... only because of the fundamental differences in philosophy between Jiao-Long and Alec. The former was kind, gentle, and understanding. The latter was rough, brutal, and unforgiving. The two butting heads were obvious as they were aiming for the same goal, but with different means... and it was funny, because Jiao-Long only reached that goal because Alec was put down.

"...It would be foolish for the daughter of the infamous Alec to show up at a Liu celebration..." Veronica trailed off, looking off to the side. "Especially one for their little-bastard."

"Well, Veronica, I thought you were a master of stealth and subterfuge, correct?" Blake asked, but got no answer from Veronica. "I could use some assistance in the matter... and besides, have you forgotten who else is at stake here, my loyal employee?"

That's what made Veronica's eyes shoot wide open. "...I swear, if you lay a finger on t-"

"You'll what?" Blake casually said. "In case you forgot, they are already under my care... and let me let you in on a little secret...."

Veronica could only clench her fists in rage, as she listened to every word that came out of this damn phone.

"...The ZODIAC Project is [i]so[/i] far along that your sisters are, as of now, [i]completely expendable,[/i]" Blake said, following it up with cocky laughter. "And let me tell you another secret; our machine needs [i]fuel[/i]. And [i]people[/i] are the fuel. [i]To achieve a perfect world, Veronica, you need to make sacrifices.[/i]"

Those words almost made Veronica scream into the phone out of rage, but she had to stay calm... Blake would get his...

"If you play along, your sisters will come out of this alive, Veronica." Blake assured her. "You just need to come with me, and everything will work out."

"Alright Blake..." Veronica clenched her fists.

"Splendid!" Blake said. "Make sure to bring your best outfit!"

Blake then hung up the phone.

Veronica screeched in anger as she tossed the phone right back into her room... She was going to kill the Blessed Three one day. They might think she's an obedient little pup like the Hound, but she was going to make sure that their empire burned before they got thrown into the gallows.

She would save her sisters, regardless of the cost.

[i]That was a promise.[/i]


[hr][i][h1]Makoto Koda.[/h1][/i][hr]
[i][u]Strongriver Plaza, Hedgemount.[/u][/i]


Going under the Family's nose was not a good idea, especially when there's talks of a mole.

But, this was important. Makoto slipped into the an empty night club. The sign said Club Neon, and it was one of the many clubs forced out of business by the White Spider Society. It was purchased by the Society the very [i]second[/i] it went on the market, but then they couldn't immediately move in due to bureaucracy getting in the way. It was the perfect meeting spot for Makoto and her little friend... she was holding a metal briefcase as she slipped inside. The building was dark, but not completely decrepit because it wasn't [i]that[/i] long ago. She whipped out a flashlight, and walked inside... until another flashlight was activated, and placed on a table. Makoto skipped over to her contact like a schoolgirl, and noticed he was sitting in a booth.

Sliding in like a boss, Makoto put her metal case on the table, and looked at her contact... Oh. Contacts. One of them was so big that she hid the other. She looked at them very closely with the shine of the light surrounding her. Her first contact was someone who stands at in a crowd... being nearly seven feet tall, muscular, African-African, and almost literally an Amazon! She looked quite masculine... Makoto looked down, and saw that rather hearty rack of hers! The woman was wearing a sweater, and a long, ankle-length, modest skirt. She had a powerful presence indeed. Especially since she was a former NEST Agent. Rumor has it that she swore off the whole organization when it was revealed that they were working with the Hands... and the Verthaven disaster didn't help.

The other was a man, African-American, and well-dressed. He wore a suit-vest, with a cyan-blue tie, and suit-pants, with some of the fanciest shoes that Makoto has ever laid eyes upon! He looked like a high-roller with his fedora on that had that matching cyan band. He had rounded facial features, and was quite shorter than his partner. They were an odd couple, alright! But, the man was cute to Makoto nonetheless.

Pushing the case towards them, the man grabbed it.

"...I told you this mama could recover a sample." Makoto said with a cocky smile on her face.

He opened the case, and was assaulted with a yellow light. He saw a glass syringe full of a yellow liquid, and raised an eyebrow.

"How did you get this?" The man asked.

"How?" Makoto asked, honestly perplexed. "[i]How?[/i] Jaden, do you know who you're talking to?"

Jaden raised an eyebrow.

"Makoto Koda, master spy!" Makoto laughed.

"Keep it down." The woman said, with her rugged, but low voice. "We don't know who's around..."

"Oh, yeah, Michelle," Makoto said.

"So, this is what they used to create the Beast?" Jaden asked.

"Yes." Makoto said... The Beast, his rampage through Prague was unlikely to be forgotten anytime soon. Especially by those who got their families massacred by the flaming bastard. She just could [i]feel[/i] the silent rage of the Czech Republic. "It was hard to recover, but I got us this one."

"I wonder how..." Michelle trailed off. 

"Ezekiel kept it hidden in his room... and during his org-"

"Okay, that's enough."  Michelle said, the last thing she wanted to know was Makoto's perversion.

"Mind briefin' us on what the Family is doing?" Jaden asked.

"Well... for starters; they're going to crash the MIP-Savior rally," Makoto started off, with a casual shrug because that was obvious. "But, the Family is working on a machine... I dunno what it does, but they need to feed people to it."

That's what caught their interest.

"And I [i]know[/i] it's in Baybridge. I just gotta find out where..." Makoto said. "I hope I can find it before it's too late."

"We gotta' find it, and destroy-"

"Sorry, Michelle," Makoto said with a wink. "But, this is something I'm gonna have to do. Alone."

She trailed off.

"As you know, the Family has resources that we can't even [i]dream[/i] of having. It won't take long for them to put two and two together..."

She sighed.

"And let's be real here, I spent so long in deep cover - even snatching this glowing piss bullshit was a risk - that I'm probably the best chance we have for taking them out." Makoto passionately said, and it was true. She could use their trust to get in close to the Three, and catch all of them off guard. But, there was so much that Makoto could do. Killing one of the Blessed Three would be a miracle in all but name... but, killing the other two? She would get [i]destroyed.[/i]

Michelle nodded her head. "Very well, we'll get this back to James."

They both stood straight up, and walked off... then stopped and looked over her head.

"And... I want you to know something..." Michelle said, pointing a finger at Makoto. "...No matter what happens, or what the Family makes you do, you're a [i]Philosopher.[/i] Through and through. And nothing will change that."

Makoto started laughing.

"But, you know, without the two of you, the Philosophers just wouldn't even be [i]worth[/i] staying in!" Makoto said with a smile as they left the building. She kicked her feet up on the table and just sighed.

"...What am I going to do?"


[hr][i][h1]The Next Day... 12:23 PM.[/h1][/i][hr]


[hr][hr][i][h1][color=red]Meifeng Zhao[/color], [color=aqua]Jennifer Marissa Caspin[/color], & [color=springgreen]Cindy Keagan[/color].[/h1][/i][hr][hider=Gorillaz - DoYaThing (Outro)][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9nC1jUzAnA[/youtube][/hider][hr]
[b][u]Lower-South Royer Town, Prince Edfield.[/u][/b]


"[i]Ugggggggggh[/i]...." Cindy groaned as she finally regained consciousness. Her head was [i]banging[/i]... like someone slammed a frying pan square on her head, and shit on it. Okay, first thing's first; what in the fuck is going on? Her vision was blurry, and all she could smell was the acrid alcohol scent... She looked down, and saw that she was lying down in a puddle of a light-orange vomit. That was creamy, and mixed with the food that she ate the last day. She looked at her arm and hair, and realized that she was covered in it. And it was seeping into this beautiful dress of hers. She cringed - if she didn't evacuate her stomach earlier, she would have done so right now. "Oh. My. [i]GOD![/]" Cindy said in sheer shock. She looked around, and saw Meifeng sitting on the couch, with her arms crossed.

"...Well, rise and shine, ya' lil' bitch." Meifeng taunted, wearing a [URL=http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-thing?.out=jpg&size=l&tid=149243362]white dress[/URL] , and some matching dress shoes (because like [i]hell[/i] she was going to wear heels when she's going to fight evil). This dress showed off her rather well-toned legs, and arms, really well. This was the best dress she could find that allowed as much freedom of movement as possible. Because if she's going to put this shoe up Biyu's ass, she's going to need a [i]lot[/i] of leg room.

"Mei..." Cindy said, grabbing her head. "... What the hell happened last night?"

"Well, for starters," Meifeng switched from sitting, to lounging. "You drunk two bottles of fuckin' bourbon in less than an hour, got drunk as [i]fuuuuuuuck[/i], and turned into a racist nymphomaniac."

Cindy facepalmed. "Oh my God, it's all coming back to me..." The night before flashed before her eyes, and they shot wide open. "Meifeng, help me. Help me stop it." She begged her friend to no avail.

"...[i]Yuuuuup.[/i]"  Meifeng said, laughing.

"...Yeah, Cindy," Jennifer chimed in, wearing nothing but boxers, and a bra, she had a towel slung over her shoulder as she scrolled on by them. "You were [i]pretty[/i] drunk," Jennifer agreed, "You sexually harassed like three people. That's more than two."

"Even Jenny agrees!" Meifeng said.

Right when Cindy was going to tell her to shut up, but then she noticed her missing hand. She reached up, and pointed at it. "... Your hand."

"Oh?" Jennifer stopped, as she looked at her missing hand for a moment. "...I didn't tell you right?"

[hr]

After Cindy had brushed off some of the vomit, she and the other girls were gathered in a circle on the floor (because she sure as hell wasn't going to attract the slightest hint of vomit on her furniture). Jennifer had taken the time to explain her time as Missy Baroness. The girl who had taken the place of Jennifer for awhile. Her time roaming. Searching for truth, as she distanced herself from her past. Then her encounter with Lily Santo and the Coven that changed everything. Both Meifeng and Cindy were listening intently.

All while Cindy was sending hungover texts to her friends. Mostly "I'm sorry," and "Please forgive me," for her drunken debauchery. She should be listening... but, God damn the girl couldn't hear a single thing right now with this raging hangover. Next bar trip, and Cindy was going to lay off the alcohol. "Yeah... that's definitely a fucked up story, but I'm interested in who this Coven is..." Cindy said.

"I... don't know." Jennifer shrugged. "They disappeared as fast as they appeared..."

Then the [i]headaches[/i] came back. It was a sudden pounding on her cranium, as her vision was instantly distorted as if she was a computer. Purple overcame her vision as it was stretched, distorted, and warped. She grabbed both sides of her head and then fell. 

"Jen!" They both shouted in unison as they tried to catch her.

"...Yeah, I'm fine." Jen said. She then looked at her hand stub, and kind of saw a new hand growing it... just a little small stub. Though, her encounter with Shizuka told her that there was nothing physically wrong with her. Which made Jennifer terrified - because what if it's [i]mental?[/i] She wouldn't put it past the people she's come across. "I just got... just got... a headache, yeah."

"We really gotta get that checked out, Jenny..." Cindy said, grabbing her head. "... But, later, what time is it?"

"Like, two something...." Meifeng said with a cat-like grin as a growing panic reached an utter peak inside Cindy. The woman looked down, before she nearly hopped out of her dress. Throwing it on the floor, and exposing herself to her two ladyfriends as she ran straight for the shower. Letting out a crazed scream as she did so.

"[i]I gotta call Jade for a favor![/i]" Cindy shouted. Because like hell she's going to be stumbling into the MIP-Savior rally hungover.

"...Well, this is the second time I saw her ass in the span of twenty-four hours," Meifeng said, leaning back, laughing. "...Not that I'm complaining!"

"Yeah..." Jennifer said, and looked at the mess on the carpet. "...I'm going to try to get the vomit out of the carpet... I think I'm going to need to get an industrial flamethrower to get the [i]smell[/i] out."

Meifeng hopped up, and walked over to Jennifer, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you, Jenny," Meifeng said, "But, I gotta' head out..."

"Your cousin's birthday party?" Jennifer asked.

"Yeah... but, it just got a [i]lot[/i] more complicated to say the least."

"Oh."

"Don't worry, I'll share all the details when I get back..." Meifeng said as she walked towards the door. "...Just stay safe."


[hr][hr][i][h1][color=red]Meifeng Zhao[/color], [color=dodgerblue]Lihua Zhao[/color], [color=cornflowerblue]Shizuka Takashiro[/color], [color=forestgreen]Veronica Davis[/color], [color=a36209]Abraham Gene[/color], Jiao-Long & Mika Liu.[/h1][sub]Written in collaboration with [b][@tsukune],& [@Spoopy Scary][/b][/sub][/i][hr]
[b][u]Greenflower Garden, Silver Hills.[/u][/b]


"Okay, boys and girls..."

Meifeng said to everyone inside Jiao-Long's office room as she walked in holding a bag. Everyone was there, Lihua, Jiao-Long, Mika, Chunhua, Shizuka... except for Meifeng who had to make one stop before she went north to Silver Hills, a very important stop. She put the bag on the big table, and quickly unloaded it. Revealing several firearms, and RAVEN gadgets that could be useful.

"This is the best I could get out of Headquarters," Meifeng said, as she finished spreading out all the trinkets. She brought items that could be useful in this situation... but, easy to conceal at the same time. She had three glocks spread across the table, and next to them were clips - but not of bullets, they were each loaded with taser rounds. Far as she could tell, both Shizuka and herself had brought their own pistols with live fire, but this was in case they didn't want to turn the party into a shootout. Meifeng had also put one canister of containment foam (...and no sprayer), and a canister of Metahuman suppressant gas. Of course, she also brought three power nullification collars.

"So, these are our tools and trinkets to assist us in capturing Biyu!" Meifeng said as she clapped her hands together. She grabbed earpieces... the subtle kind the RAVEN used for the sneaky-beaky missions. She handed it to Lihua, Jiao-Long, Shizuka, and Mika. "These are the James-Bond level spy earpieces... long as you're not stupid, we can chat us up a storm."

She laughed.

"But, I got something else to show ya'."

She excitedly said as she reached into the bag and pulled out one last trinket.... it looked like a pistol, but the barrel was square, and looked like it was modified to shoot something. She presented it to the group.

"This right here is my plan B," Meifeng said. "It's a tracking device launcher... in case something goes wrong, like we get the timing wrong, or Biyu catches onto something, I'll shoot her in the ass with this, and we'll at [i]least[/i] be able to follow her... long as she remains in Baybridge."

"Hopefully, it won't come to that," Jiao-Long said, nodding his head.

"But, it always helps to have a backup plan... and a backup plan [i]to[/i] your backup plan," Meifeng said, looking over to Shizuka. "...Which I hope you have, because I am honestly lost in case this plan goes tits up."

Shizuka glanced at Mika before he looked at Meifeng again. "...That will depend on how the situation goes." He had a loaded Ruger LCR with him, and even kept a survival knife nicely concealed in the back just in case... which he really hoped that he didn't have to use them at all, not with Mika in tow (he knew about her powers, but he doubted she would ever stand a chance against those trained soldiers they were bound to sneak into the party). He picked up a suppressant collar and gave it a quick check before pocketing the device.

She shrugged, before she continued, "Because she'll probably teleport away from the containment foam - and any Meta gas - before it can even touch her."

Yup, this was going to be tricky, because if the first plan fell through, then they're going have to wing it - and if Biyu was cunning as they say, it's not going to be a cakewalk.

"Then why did you bring these...?" Mika asked as she grabbed one of the canisters and looked at it.

"Put that down!" Meifeng said to Mika. "They're for everyone [i]else...[/i]"

"Hm?" Mika curiously looked at Meifeng.

"What did you say before, Jiao-Long?" Meifeng asked her uncle.

"Oh yes," Jiao-Long said. "There will be many members of Polaris and the Founding Family attending... which will make Biyu's capture all the more difficult."

"Uncle, you want to know what's [i]annoying?[/i]" Meifeng asked, and caught the attention of everyone in the room. "That Polaris and the F-F turned my little cousin's [i]birthday[/i] into a fuckin' circlejerk." She rolled her eyes up into her head.

"Whatever." Shizuka shrugged at her. "Just focus on getting this job done if you want the party to go smoothly." The pressure was on him ([i]again[/i], just like the hostage incident at the mall a week ago), that it was down to him to make sure they succeed in capturing Biyu without messing up their cousin's big day, and he had only one shot at it. He let out a sigh; he would just have to put his faith into Mika, hoping that she wouldn't complicate things unnecessarily.

"Yeah, yeah..."

"Oh, I have something to contribute," Jiao-Long said, as he walked over with a black binder - with Grand Ceremonial Ballroom on the front - and put it down in on the table. He quickly opened it, and switched each page until he found the page with a bird's eye view photo of the garden behind the Ballroom. The maze. Where they were going to pull their plan. He pointed at the fountain in the middle. "...I do not think this fountain is a good place for the trap... too open." He mused. "It makes more sense to lead her through here..." He traced his fingers off to the side. "Where you not only have the most cover, but... the only problem is that Biyu will get suspicious if you're in the area."

"Hmmm..." Meifeng thought about it, before the light bulb started shining in her head. She turned towards Mika and asked, "How far can your telepathy reach?"

"According to my instructors at Academy 2-1-8," Mika nodded her head. "Around thirty-two meters."

"Good, you'll just use your telepathy to keep tabs on Uncle-Jiao and Biyu!" Meifeng said as she clapped her hands. In which Mika nodded her head. "Now, we need to review our plan... just so we're all on the same wavelength. Uncle, would you do the honors?"

Jiao-Long nodded his head as he stepped over the table, and took position in the center of the room. "We are to arrive at the party in an hour, the Liu Family first - with Mr. Takashiro - followed by the Zhaos. Everyone will mingle and blend in while I search for Biyu. Do [i]anything[/i] to blend in. Sister Lihua will keep an eye on the door."

To which Lihua nodded her head, she grabbed an earpiece, and stuck it into her ear... it's been [i]ages[/i] since she had one of these in her ear, and she wished that she never have to shove this uncomfortable hunk of metal in her ear canal again after this. After making sure that it was perfectly fitted, she said, "I don't know much about the Family... but, I'll give rough descriptions."

Acknowledging his younger sister, Jiao-Long continued. "Once I find Biyu, I'll lure her to the garden under the pretense of agreeing to the Family's insane terms. Mika and Mr. Takashiro will follow, and Meifeng will be in the area to provide a distraction for any Polaris or Family members in the area. After I get her in position, I will distract her, and Mr. Takashiro will put the collar around her neck, safely insuring that she cannot get away. Afterwards, we'll restrain her, and transport her away from the party to the Liu estate, where we'll interrogate her after the party."

He folded his hands behind his back.

"Any questions? Are we all clear on the plan?"

Meifeng raised her hand. "Is there anything special about the building you know of? Like basements, or an attic?"

"Far as I can tell, there [i]is[/i] a basement." Jiao-Long answered.

"Good, good, good," Meifeng said, before looking over at Shizuka, then at Lihua. In case the plan went horrifically wrong, they'd need a stable escape route where they could avoid an absolute hail-fire of bullets. Though, she didn't like two things. One; there's potentially going to be a [i]lot[/i] of Polaris, and F-F members, attending. Two; there's no [i]real[/i] backup plan. She grabbed her chin, and thought really hard about how [i]badly[/i] things will go if it goes down that route. If one member of those two organizations catches on, then they're going to have trouble. Meifeng was [i]hoping[/i] to get through this without a gunfight breaking out. But, they had little choice if they were going to get any solid leads on the Family or Polaris.

"We got this in the bag." Meifeng nodded as she grabbed as much of these trinkets as she could inconspicuously stuff into her purse (and a little bit into Lihua's purse). Which was a glock loaded with taser darts, and a power nullification collar. Thank God she's bringing a [i]giant[/i] purse, or some of this stuff would stick out. She'd keep her phone handy, just in case she'd need to call RAVEN for backup. She grabbed the canister of containment foam, and threw it in the air, and then caught it. Over and over again.

"...We just need a little faith."


[hr][hider=Full Metal Alchemist OST - Dancing][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tEj6gXA_eA[/youtube][/hider][hr]
[i][u]Oakdell Harbor, White Coast.[/u][/i]

After the planning in the Liu estate, it was about time that they put this plan into [i]motion[/i].

Jiao-Long had arranged for a limousine to transport the Liu Family to the [url=http://venues.puffnstuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Ballroom_Exterior2.jpg]Grand Ceremonial Ballroom[/url] in White Coast. It was a massive building with a glass dome top, and the rest of it looked like a mansion unlike anyone's dreams. The building was guarded by a large gate, and had a long drive way leading up to the building, and at the end was a parking area for vehicles. All the fancy vehicles were lined up. Leading up to the door were beautiful marble stairs, with stone railings, and the door itself was massive, and intimidating. It had guards at the doors, making sure that nobody undesirable got inside. 

Around the building was a [url=http://imgc.allpostersimages.com/images/P-473-488-90/38/3839/2QIYF00Z/posters/westwater-nedra-garden-maze-portugal-europe.jpg]beautiful garden maze[/url], just as Jiao-Long said, with a fountain in the middle. The [url=http://finleycatering.com/wp-content/gallery/ballroom-at-the-ben/finley-catering-ballroom-ben-gallery-28.jpg]the interior[/url] was large and beautiful. With a small dance floor, which was surrounded by fancy tables and chairs. There was a glass dome ceiling above them that showed the night sky. There were buffet tables with some of the fanciest foods (a mixture of Western and Eastern cuisine), and a fully stocked bar.

Most of the guests had arrived before the Liu Family... so they could make their grand entrance. Wearing an expensive black suit, Jiao-Long pushed open the doors with his family behind him, and had a grand smile on his face. 

"They're here!" Someone shouted as they turned their attention to the Liu family, and they were met with cheers.

Jiao-Long was pushing the youngest Liu - dressed up in a matching suit as Jiao-Long. While each of his daughters were wearing red dresses. Shizuka was in an equally expensive black suit as Jiao-Long's (it's a mystery how they got him a fitting one in just [i]one[/i] night), and he had Mika's hand in his arm. Deep down he hated himself for being too used to grand parties like this, that he could slip into and act out this partner role so easily (he had more than enough experience with such kind of event when he was on trips to Asia). They moved in, and eventually moved over to the fanciest table in the entire ballroom where Honghui was placed at the very end. There was a giant birthday cake in the middle of the table. He had a bright smile on his face.

A few minutes later Lihua - [url=http://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/21/05/03/210503e3a6c31823d01b8c14735248f1.jpg]wearing a rather lavish blue dress[/url] - and Meifeng walked side by side as they entered behind them. The last thing that they wanted to do was walk with the Lius and get immediately noticed. Though, Meifeng's face was quite well known for her actions in RAVEN (Especially the shitstorm in Prague). There were so many rich people here... and each of them could be a servant of the Founding Family or Polaris. Which meant she had to be on guard.

"Okay, I guess we'll just chill for a little bit as Jiao-Long finds Biyu." Meifeng said, putting her hands on her hips.

"...I'm hitting the bar." Lihua said as she stood long strides over towards the bar

"Hey, hey, hey!" Meifeng said. "Is alcohol the [i]only[/i] thing on your mind?"

"Well, between the obvious [i]supervillains[/i], and the rich people... there isn't much for me to do here, other than have a drink or two." Lihua shrugged. "I'll just keep an eye on things from the bar." She said as she walked over towards the bar, where she intended on spending the rest of the day.

"I'll just, I don't know..." Meifeng shrugged as she looked around. "Keep an eye on Jiao-Long."

That made the most sense.

[hr]

Ah, it felt [i]so[/i] good to have a date to bring here. Since before, Mika was the butt of jokes for her weight, and how the other rich girls told her "Oh, you'll never find a cute boyfriend", and "You might as well marry a pig." Ah, a bunch of idiots. Mika had so much potential to attract a suitor. Those insults cut deep into the soul of Mika as she decided to defy them (...as much as she'd like to tell herself that she didn't need validation from them). Mika was the type to flaunt.

"Oh, Shizuka," Mika turned her head towards her "date," and smiling, "Wouldn't it be conspicuous if we sat here all celebration...? How about we dance? It is a ballroom, after all."

That was the part that Meifeng heard, as she approached, and she might as well get a [i]little[/i] laugh out of the two. It would divert [i]suspicion[/i] after all (or something stupid like that, she didn't know). She slid in real close, and used her hand as a shield as she whispered something into Shizuka's ears. The words to live by. A motto for life. A [i]creed[/i] to pass down for [i]generations[/i].

"...You gotta make her [i]pussy[/i] wet, not her [i]eyes.[/i]"

Shizuka knew that Meifeng was trying to rile him (and he was getting annoyed at her stupidity), but he wasn't going to give her that satisfaction - not when he had completely switch himself to the mode of being Mika's partner, and this wasn't the time to make a scene and blow his own cover. "...Is that so?" He gave her a polite smile. "How about I try that out on [i]you[/i] first, and see if that actually works?"

"Ehhhhhhhh..." Meifeng groaned, giving him a disgusted look. "Whenever I think of you, I turn into the god damn Sahara... [i]No offense[/i]." [i]Actually, total offense. I hope I offend you soooo hard.[/i]

Shizuka merely raised an eyebrow. "That's good to hear... because honestly I'd never want to do that with an [i]ape[/i]." Then he ignored her and took Mika's hand. "Shall we?"

Mika stared at Shizuka's hands for a moment, honestly losing herself in how [i]gorgeous[/i] they looked. Before she replied, "...Yes."

"Kay, have fun making a fool of yourself." Meifeng cheerfully said in response as they walked off... Well, that was fun, but she has to keep an eye on uncle. Just from a distance.

They walked over to the dance floor, and Mika just patiently awaited Shizuka to take the lead... to wrap his beautiful hands around hers, and [i]amaze[/i] her with his dancing skills. He did, even bringing her closer to him and lowering his head next to her ear... and then he shattered her illusion of him.

"Hate to disappoint you, but... I'm afraid that you'll have to lead me on this. Being good at fighting criminals doesn't make me good at dancing, unfortunately," he murmured in the best disarming voice he could muster. He did know some basic moves he had picked up from all those irritating trips to China, but he was well aware that he would never be at the same level as these rich - and spoiled - princesses who were being trained to dance since the moment they could walk on their own feet. The last thing he wanted was to get on her bad side by making a fool out of himself for lying about something so insignificant - and disgracing her in front of so many people. She was crucial for their plan to work, and he couldn't afford to deal with [i]another[/i] girl's problem (he didn't need another 'Jennifer' to get on his nerve). Besides, he wanted to spare some of his concentration to watch out for the people on the dance floor. One could never be too careful, not when too much was at stake here.

[i]How ungentlemanly.[/i] Mika thought to herself, before she remembered that she was dealing with a [i]commoner,[/i] after all. "Well, you should have good balance and coordination, correct?" Mika asked with a smile as she locked fingers with Shizuka, and used her other hand to put Shizuka's hand on her back. "Keep your hand here." She then put her hand on his shoulder... this was going to be awkward, yes? Dancing with a man who didn't even know how to. Well, long as Mika's leading him, everything would be going [i]swell.[/i]

"If having a black belt in judo means anything," he answered with a sheepish smile, allowing himself to be guided by her.

"...You're not too good at this, are you?" Mika asked playfully (I.E. rhetorically) as she lead Shizuka along... they weren't doing anything other than walking around the dance floor in this position. But, in technical terms, it's [i]dancing[/i]... only technically.

Shizuka looked into her eyes. "...I do know the basics, if that's what you mean," he replied truthfully. She could easily read his mind to know that; why would he want to lie to her about something so trivial as this?

"Also..." Mika trailed off. "...I am not reading your mind, by the way." She teased.

Shizuka returned her with a wry smile. "...Really." It was impressive that she could still keep tabs on him on top of Jiao-Long and Biyu. Well, that was the least of his concerns right now anyway (he didn't expect her to trust him so readily, since they were still... strangers to each other, for now); besides, he had his own way to counter cerebral Metahumans, having been dealing with them so often that those people had learned to stay out of his head for good... the [i]hard[/i] way.

"No."

This time, Shizuka merely continued to smile at her and said nothing, letting the girl to steer him across the dance floor, occasionally allowing his eyes to take a quick glance at the dancers around them, to watch out for anyone suspicious.

[hr]

Meanwhile, another car was driving up to the front of the building. About as fanciful a black limousine as all the others that had come before it, but fashionably late. The driver got out of their seat and walked to the passenger's door and opened it up, and a tall and young-looking African-American man stepped out of the vehicle, dressed in a tasteful suit and tie underneath the black wool peacoat he wore while the valet shook his hand.

"Here you are, Mr. Gene, and what time would you like us to retrieve you?" The older valet asked cordially.

"Please, call me Abe." He responded, but he didn't seem happy. There was a slight groan in his voice as he held his head. "I can't say right now, but I'll call the hotel and wait for you to arrive. Here's what I owe you..."

Abe traded him a generous sum of cash in exchange for his valet's service. They only briefly bid their farewells before they parted ways, and Abe strolled his way into the Grand Ceremonial Ballroom as though he lived there himself! The noise and lights were terrible for his hangover. He should not have drunk so much of the wine last night. However, this was a familiar hunting ground to him, and most expensive venues he found himself visiting were sorely lacking in all the traditional services and decor - but Liu seemed to spare no expense. The setup here was on par with the kind of upbringing he was familiar with as a small child! Everything from the floors, to the chandeliers, the food, the dress... and all for a birthday party for a little brat! See, those were always the best kinds, since they meshed together formal and casual styles to make the event both tasteful and entertaining. Rarely could any party pull of [i]both[/i] - but appreciating the atmosphere was not the reason he was here. He had to find his [i]friend[/i], and after he strikes a deal with them, [i]then[/i] he could waste his time with having fun. No doubt Liu could be caught in either mingling with all the guests, meeting each one, before retreating back where head honcho can get a good look at whole affair without being bothered by hordes of sycophants. Abe cracked a smirk, for he should know. He lived this life before.

As he invited himself in, he casually lifted a glass of champagne from a server's tray and took a gentle sip of the champagne as he slipped through the crowds, eyeing the drink in his hand carefully. [i]'Not tonight, Satan, I've got work to do.'[/i] Most people just cleared a path for him as he walked ahead. He was tall, and perhaps it was how he walked with such purpose that they simply supposed he was important or had work to do. Not exactly the best way to remain incognito, but he reckoned that gambit would fail horribly the moment he starts talking to Liu. He climbed the stairs, eyeballing all of the people attending this party. He may have walked like he parted the seas, but with a man such as Liu, with his fingers in as many pies as he did, it was doubtless that most of these people were more than bundle of posh pansies looking for favors or political influence. To think they all gathered at a birthday party for a child. The building was really one accident away from a bloodbath.

He leaned against the railing on the second floor, overlooking the ballroom, scanning the crowds. From this vantage point, it was easy to pick out Liu Jiao-Long from the crowds; just look for a mass of people slowly moving around the ballroom, and Liu was right at the center. Liu's family also caught his eye. They were standing off to the side, but two Chinese women in particular stood out to him. Most particularly the older one walking to the bar, in a pretty blue dress. Lihua Zhao. She was one of REAPER's most wanted. What was her relationship to Liu if not... [i]oh.[/i] This rabbit hole digs deep! Liu certainly had fingers in every pie, alright! And the resemblance is simply uncanny.

And of course, the Hero of Prague. An ostentatious title, really, and Abe knew ostentatious. She has quite the bloodline before her! Had to wonder if she knew how far in the center of the storm she was in. He smiled. Girl would be quite pretty were it not for all the ugly scars. But she is RAVEN, so who knows, imagine the stamina! Still, he needed to keep his thoughts in order. Study the crowd until Liu sees and recognizes him. That should light a fire under his ass. He and his father might know each other, and even he may know him - but Abe only ever met with the man himself during... ah, [i]business matters.[/i] Abe figured himself as a black cat. Crossing paths with him usually meant bad news. With Liu... it's been a while. The last they've met, Abe was on a mission where he had to take out a rather powerful partner of Gulf oil with very vocal opposition to the Hands. In fact, as Hands himself, there was even a time where Liu needed someone dead! He thought, at least. Whatever. Regardless! Blood was Abe's currency, so needless to say, there was reason to worry that Liu won't be fully receptive to his requests.

Eh. Maybe threatening his hot niece would be enough leverage.

[hr]

There was no sight of Biyu, Jiao-Long was getting concerned. When he was shaking hands with people, he was constantly scanning for Biyu... he knew the woman well, and she was the subtle-type. She wouldn't make a grand entrance inside the party, but would have slipped in. She was small, and unnoticeable at first glance - on second glance, you would feel the aura of dominance that the woman had. Jiao-Long loved the woman as much as any son could - but, deep down, he was hoping that he could sway Biyu to the right path. 

No one is irredeemable, after all.

"...Jiao-Long," A woman said to him, and made him whip around to see a short woman with brown eyes, and a head of short, ruffy, black hair. She had European facial features that Jiao-Long immediately recognized.

Tabitha Crest.

Wearing a black dress, and an expensive pearl necklace that fit the CEO of the Intelligent System Designs. She smiled at him. "Looking for someone?"

"Oh, just observing the crowd." Jiao-Long casually said. "There's so many people here - all to celebrate my son."

"But, you still look weighed down by something," Tabitha said. "Remember Jiao, we're friends and all that. Despite my company being one of the "rival" organizations to the Saviors."

"Well..." Jiao-Long said... Tabitha was a close friend of his. Though, she could very well be with the Family. "I am searching for Biyu, my mother."

"Hmmm..." Tabitha crossed her arms, and tilted her head as if she thought about it. "I haven't seen her around, but I'll be sure to tell you."

There was something else on her mind, however. She turned her head towards Lihua at the bar, immediately recognizing her. And noticed Meifeng sitting not too far away. [i]Oooh.[/i] Tabitha knew of Meifeng Zhao, and everything she did in Prague - including what happened in Verthaven. Everyone believed that Maximilian and Task Force RAVEN (the precursor to RAVEN itself) were the heroes of the Verthaven Disaster. But, it was people like Tabitha that wanted to know the full story, and she knew that Meifeng and many more were in the middle of that disaster. She could only grin. She was a hero in many ways, but how long could she keep it up?

"Your sister's here?" Tabitha said, putting a hand on her hip. "Here I was thinking you two hated each other."

"Not hate...we  just found it difficult to reach an understanding - but, I think we've finally done it."

"That's excellent."

The doors opened again, and Jiao-Long turned his head, hoping for it to be Biyu - but it was someone worse, far worse. His jaw dropped, and his eyes went wide, as he looked on in fear.

[i]...Why is he here?[/i]

[hr]

"...Ah, this is a lovely celebration, wouldn't you say, Veronica?" Blake said as he scrolled in wearing an expensive pinstriped suit that just screamed [i]expensive[/i]. It perfectly fit around Blake's frame, and one could see that he was fit underneath the suit. With golden buttons, and cufflinks, he looked at his prime at all times. He stepped in with a smile on his face that was rather carefree.

"Eh, it doesn't make me any difference," Veronica shrugged. "It's for a little bastard that'll be using his daddy's money to snort cocaine off a hooker's ass in about a decade - so I don't see why everyone's acting like he's so [i]special[/i]..." She bitterly said.

A [i]big[/i] part of Veronica was jealous of the boy, and another part of her was nostalgic. It has been years since Veronica had one of these own parties, and it brought her back. All the lights, the food, the people dancing... she longed for those days. The days when she was just a rich girl that had the world in her hands... Before she realized that the world was in the hands of someone else. Someone more powerful than her. But, she was going to try her best to make the most out of this celebration. Even though she was jealous, there was a part of her that didn't want to ruin this for the boy - but, Blake seems hellbent on getting Jiao-Long to work on the machine, so hopefully big daddy will play nice. Lest they have to get violent. Speaking of violence, Veronica was packing a little bit of weaponry under this bright-red dress of hers. In her sparkly purse, she had a pistol hidden away in a secret compartment, and she had knife holsters strapped to both of her thighs. 

She was going to go for the knives first. Silent, but not as quick as a bullet to the skull.

"Ah, don't be that way, Veronica," Blake said, laughing. "Everyone's [i]youth[/i] is special - in their own little ways, of course." Blake explained. "The Liu family just want to let their son know that he is one step closer to excellence!" He chuckled lightly, but Veronica largely ignored him.

"So, tell me if you see anyone you recognize?" Blake asked. "That's why I brought you here, after all."

Yes... He brought his deadliest assassin to assess the threats. W. The first thing that Veronica noted was that there were quite a few members of the Intimidation Unit here. What was Blake planning...? And what could she add - then it hit her, she was likely one of the more cunning members of his army of assassins. They were just expendable as they come - bloodthirsty, and hungry for a paycheck - while Veronica had another motive. A reason why she would [i]have[/i] to be at her best, and exceed even that.

As she walked alongside Blake. She looked around for familiar faces, people on the list, but the only person she figured would be here would be Meifeng Zhao... who she didn't see quite yet, but a quick glance at the bar at the tall frame of Lihua Zhao told Veronica that she wasn't that far behind. Hmph. That old fart has definitely left her prime, and she's just a bag of bones waiting to die somewhere. Thank [i]God[/i] she resigned, and the Family lost all interest in her. However... they shouldn't underestimate her because this [i]is[/i] her brother after all. She heard that the woman has a [i]real[/i] hard on for family. That concrete power will be a pain in the ass for Veronica to fight.

As they approached the dance floor, Veronica saw that fat cow [i]Mika[/i] dancing with someone... She didn't care for Mika, even though she never even met the girl. Mika let wealth turn her into a cow, and that was disgusting. Veronica wondered what desperate-for-money asshole would be [i]dancing[/i] with her. He was probably only slobbering over that fat wad of cash she had - oh, or she hired a [i]prostitute[/i] so she could keep up appearances... then, the two spun around, and she caught sight of just [i]who[/i] she was dancing with. And was, quite honestly, surprised.

Shizuka Takashiro. The Phantom, and rather high on the Family's List. His intangibility was going to be a pain in the ass, because she couldn't touch him... unless she pushed him to his limits, and made him ash. It wouldn't be the first time Veronica did that to a person, and it wouldn't be the last. But, with the [i]awkward[/i] look on his face, Veronica thought that he was hoping she wouldn't notice his [i]boner[/i]. How the hell did he find his way into a party like this? And how the hell did he score with Jiao-Long's daughter... well, given that she was the fat cow, that wasn't saying much. She couldn't say he was here for security, because she heard that he was relieved of duty for his [i]fantastic[/i] job saving the mall.

"...Shizuka Takashiro is here." Veronica whispered into Blake's ears.

"Oh?" Blake said, turning his head to briefly look at him. Before he shrugged. "He won't be a problem... he has nothing to do with the Liu family, after all."

To that, Veronica shrugged.

"Now, now... I'll handle Jiao-Long," Blake said. "You just keep an eye on things, blend in!"

He leaned in, and whispered into her ear.

"...But, be ready for the plan [i]if[/i] Jiao-Long doesn't play ball," He walked away from Veronica towards Jiao-Long, turning around halfway to wave at her. "Have fun!"

Veronica kept her purse held tightly in her hand as she stared at him. Oh well. 

She might as well enjoy the shrimp.


[hr][hr][i][h1][color=springgreen]Cindy Keagan[/color], [color=darkslateblue]Reed Taylor[/color], [color=fff200]Alice Barrett[/color], and... .[/h1][/i][hr]
[b][u]Regal Square, Prince Edfield.[/u][/b]


Regal Square... it wasn't a place where Cindy went often.

Except when the mayor wants to yell at her, or if she wants to make a public appearance. Today, it was the latter, since Deborah and Shannon were afraid to step out of Headquarters out of fear the Hound would show up. Cindy was standing near a wall of the building where the Savior-MIP debate will take place. It was called the "Baybridge Peace Center." A large brick building, with a glass entrance, but it was a coliseum (or in other words, a stadium of sorts) where political debates were held. The last usage was a presidential debate, and today will be. Inside of the building was a massive room, with an "arena" that was surrounded by elevated chairs. In the middle of this arena was a stage that had many seats.

One said "Savior Foundation," and the other said "Metahuman International Party."

Surrounding the stage were many cameras, as everyone was watching on from the stands... it wasn't particularly crowded, as people were afraid of the Hound showing up, but the diehard (I.E. foolish) supporters of either organization were there. Though, the MIP were on one side, and the Saviors were on the other.

What Cindy was hoping was that the Family decides to leave this place alone. Even as she leaned up against the wall, and looking at the glass structure that was the entrance. Not a lot of people were hanging around. Great. Wonderful. Less people to get killed when this turns into a bloodbath. She was watching the door with a clipboard held in two hands. Wearing a DOVE sanctioned suit, and feeling pretty good. She managed to convince Jade to remove [i]this[/i] hangover in exchange for a favor. While she doesn't mind owing Jade something so she do her job despite her bad decisions, Jade has never asked to "cash in" any of those favors. And Cindy's like, at the eightieth favor over the last five years.

Little did Cindy know, Jade was saving up a hundred favors so she could make Cindy her love-slave.

"This is Agent Greenbird, by the entrance," Cindy said as she pressed her earpiece, looking around. "What is everyone's positions?"

"Shortcut, present. On overwatch."

"Taylor, here," Reed answered with a hushed tone as his earpiece brought the voice to life, eyes firmly on the crowd, "I'll keep you posted. Assuming you're not still hungover." He chuckled a little at the notion, before clearing his throat and passing his gaze from one side to another.

"[i]Reeeed[/i]..." Cindy hissed. "Not. One. [i]Word.[/i]"

"My lips are sealed, [i]Greenbird[/i]." Reed remarked.

"Agent Cooper, reporting from the stage itself," April spoke into the comms. "Would loooove to hear about your night at the bar."

"And you never will. Because- know what? I'm going to head inside for a closer look." Cindy said as she scrolled on inside.


[hr]

"...Foundation Woman, I am in position."

The Phantasm said as he sat on the rooftop, leaning up against an air conditioning unit with a good view of the building... He stared at Cindy through binoculars, and grinned from behind his mask. Armored and wearing a black cape over his shoulder with the emblem of the snarling dog. He held a CheyTac Intervention in his arms as he awaited the orders from the Foundation Woman. To think... they were still hosting a debate in a city that was slowly being turned into a warzone. Foolish. Or were they trying to keep morals up? Personally, the Phantasm had no business with them, but he had to follow a plan. The deaths of the debaters wasn't even necessary to the plan... Just the recovery of the target.

When he didn't hear the Foundation Woman reply, the Phantasm got worried.

"Foundation Woman?" The Phantasm repeated. "I am in position."

"...Oh, sorry, Phantasm." The voice of Julia O'Sullivan speaking in the place of the Foundation Woman caught the Phantasm off guard for a moment. "The Foundation Woman is out at the Liu party. To keep up public appearances so that nobody gets [i]too[/i] suspicious. I'm taking over her role since Blake is at the same party, and Ezekiel is working on the Machine."

The Phantasm was about to protest - he doesn't serve the Blessed Three, he serves the Hound and the Foundation Woman - but he knew it was best not to anger the Blessed Three. He knows how touchy they are.

"So, are you in position?" Julia asked. "Because, you best proceed with the plan now, Makoto is in the crowds-"

"Hey!" Makoto spoke in her earpiece from the corner of the room, far out of sight of anyone. She was standing with the stage in her sights. Wearing a black button-up shirt, and jeans. "Someone could be listening in, I don't want my [i]reputable[/i] name tarnished."

"Reputable?" Julia teased. "You've killed fifty people in one month. How is [i]that[/i] reputable?"

"Hey, Julia," Makoto playfully answered. "At least [i]they[/i] didn't know my name."

The Phantasm was ready to turn this sniper rifle on himself if this banter continued on.

"...Can we focus on the mission?" The Phantasm seethed.

"Buzzkill," Makoto playfully said. "You know, I always wanted to know what you're hiding under that armor, Phantasm."

The Phantasm had enough.

"Has the debate started yet?" 

"Yeah, yeah, baby," Makoto said as she looked at the stage. "They're coming up now."

[hr]

Walking from one entrance of the room, a brown-haired woman with her hair in a sharp bobcut, with matching brown eyes walked up. Wearing thin-framed glasses, and a professional blue business suit. She came dressed up like she was a politician. She had a confident aura around her, being the representative for he Savior Foundation, she absolutely had to be. She had two burly, bald-headed, bodyguards at her side. She was Faith Avalos, a Mexican-Caucasian mix that had a light-brown skin, and rather American facial features. While she approached the stage... she caught wind of her politic rival and could only turn her nose upwards in disgust.

They sent a rather interesting pair of individuals to represent the MIP. To address the elephant in the room, Carter White - a big name in the MIP - was a Metahuman himself. A Bestial-type, taking after the Gorilla. He had a body of silver fur, a gorilla's mouth, and rather muscular arms. He was pretty gigantic in size, and had the intimidating frame of one. He wore a pair of fancy squared glasses, and a suit as he walked in with his arms behind his back. At his side was a woman with a wild pixie-cut, wearing a similar suit to her rival. Lucia Li was her name, and she, too, was a Metahuman.

The two took the stage, and got in their respective seats. The moderators, Gabriel Corey, Payton Good, and Katie Isaacs, were in their own seats from the beginning.

"Welcome everyone... to the rather impromptu debate," Payton said, being a short African-American woman. "This is Faith Avalos, a Board-Executive for the Savior Foundation, and a rather vocal Anti-Metahuman Supporter."

There was a bout of cheering as Faith merely shrugged.

"And these two are hailing from the Metahuman International Party, we have Carter White, and Lucia Li," Payton introduced them, and the gorilla-man waved. Before Payton turned towards the crowd. "Let's get started."

Gabriel, a mixed African-American-Caucasian male with a rather intimidating figure looked over towards Faith.

"Faith, Carter and Lucia have some things to say about the Savior Foundation as a whole," Gabriel started as he noticed Faith didn't even flinch. She put her fingers together, and listened. "Carter has called the Savior Foundation's "mindset" toxic, and is of itself a self fulfilling prophecy. He said that by spreading hatred of Metahumans, the Foundation is indirectly creating the problem."

Faith merely grinned.

"The Savior Foundation has the interests of the world at large, the every day people that cannot [i]possibly[/i] protect themselves from Metahumans," Faith started off. "We peacefully advocate for the governments of the world to enforce tighter laws on Metahumans, and assist those who have had their lives ruined by Metahumans by providing stable homes, valid medical care, and extensive therapy."

"...For normal humans, only." Carter chimed in, his voice was deep and bestial. "You are treating Metahumans like they are a menace upon humanity, when they also have the potential for great deeds, and many Metahumans are children trying to find themselves."

"That is not what I'm saying," Faith said. "Many Metahumans I've met are the most well-behaved people I've ever met, but you have to acknowledge the potential for people to misuse their powers... that is the fault behind the MIP. They advocate for peace, and removing the line between Metahuman and Man, but also refuse the dangerous Metahumans such as the Black Hound, the Devil of Verthaven, the Changeling Unit... And the list goes on..."

[hr]

"...Aaaaaaaand it's the [i]same[/i] shit." 

Makoto spoke into her earpiece as she rolled her eyes up into her head. This is like the nine-thousandth time this argument was had! When will these Savior-MIPs realize the sexual tension and fuck already? Makoto, for one, couldn't care less about redundant Metahuman rights at this point. She's a Philosopher, a woman of science, this argument is [i]beneath[/i] her... and she was starting to feel the need to murder them herself!

"But, isn't Faith cute?" Makoto jokingly asked. "I bet Ver would want to bang Carter, hehe..." She laughed.

"I know, right?" Julia agreed over the comms. "Faith would make a [i]great[/i] secretary for me... Er - [i]Ezekiel,[/i] I mean." 

"Suuuuuuuuuure." 

"...Can we keep the idle chatter to a minimum?" The Phantasm groaned.

"Oh, yeah, right," Julia said... and the Phantasm could hear her filing her nails into the comms. "Remember, Phantasm, you're the star of this show... make sure that it starts with a [i]bang[/i]." 

She followed it with laughter. The plan was simple; Julia was going to have the Phantasm go in the place of the Hound, shoot up the place, scare everyone, and then maybe kill one of the debaters. Long as everyone felt like nowhere is safe, then it didn't matter. After all was said and done, the Phantasm was going to kidnap the target in the middle of all the chaos. Then mission accomplished! Long as they got the target, it didn't matter what else happened.

"I would get started now... if you need help, Bonecrusher is on standby."

"Hmph." Like the Phantasm would need that brute. He was personally trained by the Black Hound, his protege... he was going to live up to his master's dark legacy. If the Family wants this world drowning in blood, the Phantasm was going to kill as many people as necessary to appease the Hound. The Phantasm grabbed his CheyTac, and held it tightly. He focused on the rooftop of the peace center. He had the plan perfectly memorized, and he was going to enact it. The Phantasm was surrounded with a dark, wispy, smoke as he was quickly thrust from his current position on the rooftop, to another one, to another one. In a linear pattern until he had teleported all the way on top of the Peace Center.

He quickly activated his dark sense... which sound became [i]darkness[/i]. He focused on the building, and noticed where the politicians were, right in the center of the room. He slung his rather expensive rifle over his back, before he grabbed the UMP45 that he had on him. He quickly grabbed a cluster of tear-gas grenades that he had prepared for this occasion. The Phantasm pressed his earpiece, purely to warn Makoto.

"...I'm breaching in five... four.... three... two... one..."

On cue, he turned intangible, and phased through the roof he was standing on. Surrounded by smoky darkness, he began his descent... the fall always felt so [i]welcoming[/i]. 

"...What's that!?" Someone in the crowd shouted as they noticed the Phantasm... and they could only assume the worst as he threw his tear-gas grenades into the crowd and caused a panic as the smoke consumed them. The Phantasm immediately teleported to the ground, and aimed his UMP at the debaters, opening fire... only to get a nasty surprise when he realized that a transparent blue shield had surrounded the stage that was hexagon-shaped. When the bullets hit the shield - they were seemingly destroyed on contact. And the Phantasm was so caught off guard that he could only tilt his head in surprise.

[i]"...That was not in the briefing."[/i] He muttered to himself.

"Let's go!" Carter said as he fell to all fours, and grabbed Lucia, hopping off. While Faith was quickly escorted out by her bodyguards...

Hm. The Phantasm could only go after [i]one[/i], and quite frankly, it didn't matter. Whatever would have the biggest impact.

He heard the cracking of glass, and quickly turned intangible when he noticed three diamond-shaped chunks of glass flying at him. They passed through him, but he couldn't help but look at the person responsible.

[i]Cindy Keagan.[/i]

Standing in the other doorway... she knows he can become intangible.

Just what is she hoping to accomplish?

Before he could continue that line of thought, another gunshot rang out as one of the other DOVEs took a shot at him; Reed.

The bullet passed through the Phantasm... before he was pushed to his own limits and had to turn tangible. The black smoke retracted as it revealed his black armor. He was quick to teleport into the air, instantly appearing falling down. He aimed his UMP at Reed and let loose an entire clip of bullets, forcing the DOVE to dive for cover.

Alice had been watching from her own position, a darkened, empty press booth with a good view of the arena. She'd been careful not to pick the best position, thinking that would either be already occupied, or surely the first target for any potential hostiles, but had chosen one a few less ideally placed. She saw the Phantasm appear, a compact submachine gun in his hands, but Cindy reacted before she could, and he vanished a split second later, she searched for a sign, then snapped her head around as his UMP roared again. In that moment she was already gone, appearing beside the figure in black and slamming the heel of her palm into his gun, knocking it up towards the ceiling.

The bullets harmlessly hit the ceiling, and merely caused a little dust to fall down. Alice's arrival was unexpected - the Phantasm didn't have the scanners that the Hound had. So he had to rely on his vision, and his vision alone. But, Reed and Alice weren't the targets here. They were just a diversion. The Phantasm was quick to slow down his descent, and slam his elbow into Alice's face. Which would be a bitch because of the armor-pads on his shoulder.

Alice had no way of slowing her fall, which was fortunate, she was moving in the same direction as the Phantasm's blow, so what should of broken her nose simply sent her tumbling. Towards the ground, and she landed in a heap with a curse.

After that action, the Phantasm was quick to teleport again. Launching himself through the void between worlds, and appearing in the doorway in which Faith had run off to. Not wasting another second, the Phantasm teleported off again.

"Damn it," Cindy hissed. "How the hell are we even supposed to keep up with that guy...?"

She quickly ran over to Alice, and offered a hand.

The blonde agent, allowed herself to be pulled back to her feet, looking around uncertainly. "You're not going to like it. Which way did he go?"

"He's going after the Savior chick - hurry up, let's go!" Cindy said as they followed after him. There wasn't much they could do to stop the Phantasm, but the last thing Cindy was going to do was stand around with a thumb up her ass waiting for everything to be over. They just had to come about it... in a less direct way. Like Lihua said, everyone has a weakness.

Alice didn't let go of the other agent's hand, instead, holding it tighter as the world around them appeared to turn inside out. They were in the doorway, then beyond...

...And Cindy still hadn't gotten used to that.

[hr]

As he pulled himself back to his feet, Reed found himself left behind in the ballroom as Alice and Cindy teleported away. [I]Shit,[/i] he thought, before he took off in the direction that Faith and the Phantasm had been seen heading towards. [i]Guess I'll take the long route.[/I]

Passing by a few panicked people who hadn't yet fled, he shouted at them to get to safety, then spoke into his comms piece on his way through the corridors. "This is Taylor, we need a response team ASAP - we've got an armed gunman with intangible abilities!" [I]God-dammit[/i], he thought again. Right about now, Shizuka's presence would've been a lifesaver, but the outcry after the attack at the mall had led to the stupidity that was his suspension.

For now they'd have to settle for what they had. Nobody was untouchable. The fate of his ability's original owner was [I]proof[/i], if nothing else was.