[CENTER][hr][h1][color=556B2F][b]T A R I Q[/b][/color][/h1]
[sub]New Lilith | [i]Shasta Basin[/i][/sub][hr][/center]
The Basin is a relatively small district in the grand scheme of the CrescentTriad but had one of the worst records for crime and poverty in the metropolitan tri-city. Home to working class dock workers and fishermen, crime was used frequently as a "get rich quick" scheme, armed robberies and subsequently the murder rate has steadily risen. An unfortunate place stricken with poor luck and impoverishment, a stark contrast to the beautiful city that surrounded this scar within Eden. The media was certainly lacking when it came to coverage inside the Basin and no one really cared about what happened to people inside. It was like a small community, away from the high-life and bustling streets that wrapped around the water district. It was the perfect place to lie low and stay hidden, organised crime was basically nonexistent aside from smaller groups of ruffians and this meant that a vigilante could do their work without being in the centre of attention all the time. 

It was here that Tariq had set their base of operations in. An old decrepit warehouse sat near the edge of the Basin, sat in a row of other warehouses like it. Once used for the booming fishing markets that thrived here, now abandoned and left to rot because of Eden's sudden loss of interest in fishing. Apparently, once city officials started gathering millions of dollars a year from tourism alone, the fishing industry suddenly became obsolete. There was no need for government funded fishing, no need for the large and expensive fish auctions, no need for a market that rivalled the hustle and bustle of the Japanese Tsukiji Fish Market. Money left the area and so the Basin was forgotten, turning into a neighbourhood now used mostly for freights, water deliveries and small-time fishing by underfunded companies. The warehouse that they had set up in was once alive with people, dozens upon dozens of humans inspecting various fish from the day's catch, now left to the tinkering of a vigilante.

Having arrived three weeks ago, Tariq had set up a secure perimeter around the small warehouse. The rows and rows of warehouses created a suitable maze and they had made sure that the chosen warehouse's exterior did not differentiate from the others. They had spent two solid days memorising the different routes, pathways, narrow alleys and dead-ends that were contained in the layout of the complex. They had gotten lost more than once and often had to ask a local to find the coast so that they could work back to their main base from there. They had also made sure that the garage for their 2015 Ford Mustang, a relatively new but popular car in the streets of Eden District. Old surveillance cameras were also tapped and wired to the large array of monitors within the HQ, several newer and more discreet ones also being bought and placed around.

With enough time, Duos could probably make this place a trapper's heaven with enough high-tech gear but that was lower on the priority list. If you were to enter the HQ, you would be met by a wall of crates and old freight containers stacked on top of each other, similar to the other warehouses surrounding it. However, if you were a particularly strong human and able to push very hard against the wall of one of the containers, you would be able to push a secret door. You would then be greeted by another door and an eye scanner. If you weren't Tariq or authorised to enter the premises, you would be shot repeatedly with a pop-up experimental LSAT Light Machine Gun armed with rubber bullets. If you are still standing, lethal rounds would be loaded and you would be warned.

Tariq had set up rows of weapons for their armoury, a wall filled with monitors flickering between main Eden District cameras and the warehouse complex. Their computer was in the corner of the room, wires tangled around messily, shining brighter in the shadows of the room light. A black table with a holographic projection of a map of the city sat in the middle of the room along with a bed and some pillows strewn on the floor. The room is largely occupied by crates and unopened boxes filled with equipment, things that Duos had yet to set up. It was here that we find our unlikely hero (heroes?), donning their robes and equipment.

[color=olive][i]'Al, you sure you've got everything? Sunscreen, lotion, a snack on the go? Are you bringing spare clothes? You might dirty your clothes from all the blood. I just cleaned those you know!'[/i][/color] Annoying, intrusive but familiar thoughts filled Tariq's mind, most of them unnecessary reminders and suggestions that came from Human. Alien had mastered the art of blocking thoughts that were technically his own, pushing the Human out of the forefront of their mind and focusing on the task at hand. He grabbed small but sharp knife on a table and shoved it into his boot. With their pistol strapped to their hip, a metal staff mag-clamped to their back, knuckledusters in pockets. He looked like some sort of black and white futuristic version of a desert bandit, the red holographic interface placed over their right eye only adding to the intimidating appearance.

Tariq flexed their muscles, releasing a breath of air in a slow relaxed manner. Alien had taken control for the first time in three weeks and he was getting used to the sudden overload of the senses. When you existed merely in a conscious state within the mind,  your five senses were too numb to truly feel the outside world. Now that he was out, he could finally do simple things like breathe air, taste food and feel the clothing hiding their alien body. It was almost overwhelming at first. [color=olive][i]'You're enjoying yourself a little too much Al, it's like your preparing to have a quick rub of our-'[/i][/color]

[color=olive][b]"Human, I swear that if you finish that question, I will mentally castrate you in a sickeningly creative way armed with a rubber ducky and a spoon."[/b][/color] Tariq's mind was silent once more and now they could focus at the task at hand. Over the three weeks since their arrival from Saudi Arabia, they had stuck around the Shasta Basin and parts of New Lilith, having little time to explore the city. Now that they had finished truly setting up headquarters, it was time for some research into the hotspots of crime and any noteworthy locations. Normally, they would conduct this research in casual attire but the increasing crime rate meant that this research patrol could quickly become a look-out for crime. Especially with their new police wire-tapping headset, they could listen in on 911 calls or police radio chatter if there was anything of importance.

They confidently walked out of the warehouse towards the one opposite, making sure that everything was secure and the security protocols were in place. It was strange, having such a small base. Duos was a name revered in Saudi Arabia as a national hero, starting and securing an age of safety within a country that would have fallen without their help. It was why they were cautious in going out in their full get up, they had gotten some worldwide attention after their actions during a hostage situation within Abu Dhabi. Tariq hoped that they weren't as famous here in the West than they were in Human's home country, it started to get difficult fighting crime when the media was there all the time. Besides, the government was more stable than it has been in years, local law enforcement was funded by their offshore banking accounts and the country's crime rate was at an all time low.

The rain that fell on Tariq once they stepped outside was thankfully stopped by the waterproof clothing. The water would have a slight affect to their superior eyesight but it was minimal at best. As Tariq entered into their parked 2015 Ford Mustang, slightly worn from use. It was their car of choice after all and old Betsy, as the Human affectionately called it, followed wherever they went. Placing their staff in the back seat and revving the engine of the car, they felt the roaring engine startle to life. Tinted windows giving a little privacy, they hooked their headset to the radio, making it blare out any transmissions the headset could pick up. They gripped their steering wheel and grinned collectively. [color=olive][i][b]'It's been far too long.'[/b][/i][/color] He drove out, eager to explore the cities beyond Shasta Basin. Excited for new possibilities and new crooks to conquer. This would become their metropolitan, their domain, the warrior without peer.

The radio crackled to life, a 911 call coming through announcing the arrival of suspicious policemen in the Spires. Seeing that the call was very near to their position, Tariq stepped down on the accelerator and speeded down the roads towards Old Lilith. It seemed as though that luck was on their side, their first mission in a new town. Even now, as they weaved through the traffic, they checked the calls that flooded from this particular spot of the city. [color=olive][i]'Well, this seems easy, seems like a buncha thugs Al. Nothing we haven't dealt with before.'[/i][/color]

This would be an easy first job, right?