[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/IXuUWbR.png?1[/img][/center] [COLOR=GOLDENROD][INDENT][B][SUP][SUB][H3]M A R V I L L E, O K L A H O M A:[/H3][/SUB][/SUP][/B][/INDENT][hr][/COLOR][INDENT][sup][COLOR=LIGHTSLATEGRAY][B]S U N D A Y, J U L Y 2 9[SUP]T H[/SUP], 2 0 1 8 - 1 2 : 2 4 p m | S H E R I F F ' S O F F I C E[/B][/COLOR][/sup][/INDENT] [INDENT][INDENT]Fingers pounded against the keyboard as an annoyed Barbara sat at her desk, punching in various search terms as she tried to find more information about Marville’s newest ‘hero’. The lack of media in the small town meant that Thor had received significantly less coverage than his peers, and in fact had less opportunity for exposure due to the town’s relatively low crime rate. When Barbara had graduated college she had wanted to go to one of the Nation’s great cities; New York, Metropolis, or even Gotham would have been preferable to the sleepy town of Marville. But Blake had wanted to ensure he could help his parents on their farm between hours at his practice. Given his background and experiences, even Barbara could admit they were better off move to a rural community. And so, Barbara had relented, giving up her dreams of being a big city cop and allowed herself to uprooted and moved to the little town of Marville. Which led her to where she was today, in the day of fiber optic, still fighting with the office’s digital lines to play a video snagged from a cell phone. Blake’s erratic and irregular behavior had started the day that Creel had attacked the town’s bank and while Barbara had originally been willing to chalk his behavior up to a form of post-traumatic stress, she had only noticed him acting further and further out of character as time went on. Which led her to realize that Creel wasn’t the only person to surface in Marville that day. Thor had also appeared for the first time and in fact, to date, every time Thor had appeared, Blake was nearby. The incident at the bank was the first of such coincidences, but then it dawned on Barbara that Creel had come after her to lure Thor out, at first she dismissed it as a misguided scheme due her being at the scene when Thor had first appeared. But Barbara could not ignore the fact that when Blake and Creel went outside to fight, Thor had also appeared. The latest event to arouse her suspicions, of course, was the incident at the McNally’s farm. Blake had responded to a call from the Sheriff and Thor showed up when things went South. Grainy photos and footage from the scene had shown Thor fighting the woman in green, but nothing had shown Blake anywhere near the scene. Taking into account further that Thor sported the same haircut as Blake as well as having recently grown a beard very much like his… [COLOR=STEELBLUE]“[b]OH[/b]. [b]MY[/b]. [b]GOD[/b]!”[/COLOR] Barbara suddenly blurted out as her coworkers stopped to stare at her before she waved a hand dismissively. [COLOR=STEELBLUE]“Sorry, was just reading about the [i]incident[/i] in Central City. Don’t mind me!”[/COLOR] She apologized with a fake smile before closing the tabs on her screen and staring into her reflection in the monitor. [COLOR=STEELBLUE][I]Blake was Thor.[/I][/COLOR] Looking down at the transit pass that Blake, or was it now Thor, had asked her to look into, Barbara realized there was more to it than he had told her. She knew when Blake was lying, so there was no doubt in her mind that meant the girl this pass belonged to was in danger, but it also meant that Blake was intending to go there to pick a fight with the woman had put him out of commission for the last twenty-four hours. And that scared Barbara. Perhaps this is what it was like for Blake anytime she had to respond to an armed situation, waiting to get the call that she had been shot. It was certainly a role reversal that Barbara was not ready for. Picking up the flimsy cardboard pass, Barbara held it between two fingers, staring at it intently as she tried to decide what to do. If Blake really could help this woman, she wasn’t only disappointing the love of her life, but also ignoring the oath she swore when she became an officer of the law by not helping him. But at the same time, she had found Blake in the worst shape of his life after Thor’s last fight with the woman in green, how could she knowingly send him to face her? Her mind wandered as she sat at her computer, contemplating what her best course of action was. Her logic was sound, it even explained all the weird weather around their house and why it seemed to fluctuate as much as Blake’s mood had recently. Thinking back to the first night she had met Blake, Barbara couldn’t help but smile as she gave her head a shake. Perhaps she was overthinking it, but she had said she’d kiss the first man to make it rain and Blake had been the one standing by her when the sky obliged. Had he always been Thor and only the emergence of others like him spurned him into acting on it? Was he even the mythical Thor or just a metahuman with a complex? Barbara had so many questions and yet she wasn’t sure she wanted the answers. Placing the card down in front of her, Barbara clicked several icons on her screen as she navigated to the appropriate database before entering the information off of the transit card. As she figured, it didn’t contain any specific customer information and she would have called it a quits right there if the payment information didn’t catch her eye. The cardholder had paid with credit, which meant that Barbara could at the very least track down the original owner of the card. With another handful of mouse clicks, Barbara found herself staring into a less than flattering picture of a woman’s driver’s license. [COLOR=STEELBLUE]“June Moon.”[/COLOR] Barbara muttered scanning the readout on the screen. Cross-referencing what she found with the Star City Police Department, Barbara couldn’t find any evidence of Miss Moon being reported missing, let alone Miss Moon having any family in Star City. A quick scan of her social media accounts told her that June was a loner. Hitting print, Barbara spun around in her chair to grab the warm piece of paper off of the printer, quickly folding it before tucking it into the back pocket of her pants. Pausing, Barbara’s eyes went to the phone as she contemplated calling the Star City Police Department and instead of giving them the heads up about June and the so-called Enchantress. But her mind kept going back to the wound on Blake’s shoulder, and if the Enchantress had done that Thor, what could she do to regular officers. No, it had to be Thor to go. And Barbara didn’t like it one bit.[/INDENT][/INDENT] [CENTER][sup][h2][color=silver][img]https://i.imgur.com/SXfrcEV.png?1[/img] [sub]°[/sub] [img]https://i.imgur.com/SXfrcEV.png?1[/img] [sub]°[/sub] [img]https://i.imgur.com/SXfrcEV.png?1[/img] [sub]°[/sub] [img]https://i.imgur.com/SXfrcEV.png?1[/img] [sub]°[/sub] [img]https://i.imgur.com/SXfrcEV.png?1[/img][/color][/h2][/sup][/CENTER] [INDENT][INDENT][COLOR=DARKORCHID][B]“But Amora forgot her word.”[/B][/COLOR] Odin’s voice broke through the vision as Thor was brought back to the present. The smell of the palace gardens replaced by pine as Thor’s eyes adjusted to the darker surroundings. The old man leaned forward, resting on his walking stick [COLOR=DARKORCHID][B]“She turned her back on your brother to wage war against me and in retaliation, she was thrown out of Asgard.”[/B][/COLOR] Odin paused, speaking again a sadness filling his voice. [COLOR=DARKORCHID][B]“But not before Loki found her.”[/B][/COLOR] [COLOR=GOLDENROD][B]“What did he do?”[/B][/COLOR] Thor asked leaning forward. [COLOR=DARKORCHID][B]“He cursed her, transforming her something he could keep on him at all times.”[/B][/COLOR] Odin stated. [COLOR=DARKORCHID][B]“A remainder.”[/B][/COLOR] [COLOR=GOLDENROD][B]“She was wearing a necklace when we fought.”[/B][/COLOR] Thor remembered. [COLOR=GOLDENROD][B]“It was a large emerald seated in what could have been a pendant.”[/B][/COLOR] [COLOR=DARKORCHID][B]“Your brother was rather fond of an emerald amulet, he used to keep it wrapped around his wrist. Said it helped him to focus.”[/B][/COLOR] Odin reminisced, [COLOR=DARKORCHID][B]“If the necklace is present, Amora has possessed a host. You must remove the necklace from the host to stop her.”[/B][/COLOR] [COLOR=GOLDENROD][B]“And if the necklace cannot be removed?”[/B][/COLOR] [COLOR=DARKORCHID][B]“Then you must kill the host.”[/B][/COLOR] Odin replied as Thor transformed back into Blake, the weight of the situation making him uneasy as he turned to leave. He shook his head, before turning to look at Odin one last time, his brow furrowed as he spoke. [COLOR=GOLDENROD][B]“I’ll find another way.”[/B][/COLOR] Blake replied as he climbed into the truck. Watching the young man leave, Odin turned as he looked to his left, his outstretched hand petting the nearby raven on its the head before looking to the sky as he spoke. [COLOR=DARKORCHID][B]“I am so tired, my love. The sleep beckons, but our son is not yet ready. Much to learn he still has.”[/B][/COLOR][/INDENT][/INDENT] [CENTER][sup][h2][color=silver][img]https://i.imgur.com/SXfrcEV.png?1[/img] [sub]°[/sub] [img]https://i.imgur.com/SXfrcEV.png?1[/img] [sub]°[/sub] [img]https://i.imgur.com/SXfrcEV.png?1[/img] [sub]°[/sub] [img]https://i.imgur.com/SXfrcEV.png?1[/img] [sub]°[/sub] [img]https://i.imgur.com/SXfrcEV.png?1[/img][/color][/h2][/sup][/CENTER] [INDENT][INDENT]Opening the door, Blake was taken aback by the appetizing aroma that hit his nostrils as the smell of his favourite food wafted through the house. Walking in, he turned to see Barbara standing by the island, her arms crossed over an apron that didn’t even cover the shorts she had changed into. Blake’s gaze followed her bare legs to a tapping foot that implied impatience as she stared at him. Her lips were twisted into a wickedly mischievous grin as her disarming doe eyes looked to the truck that he had just parked. [COLOR=STEELBLUE]“I had better not find a scratch on it, Mr. Donaldson.”[/COLOR] [COLOR=GOLDENROD]“Just mud,”[/COLOR] He replied, hand on his heart. [COLOR=GOLDENROD]“Scout’s honor!”[/COLOR] [COLOR=STEELBLUE]“You were never a Boy Scout.”[/COLOR] Barbara retorted. [COLOR=STEELBLUE]“Your parents didn’t let you out of their sight your entire childhood, both you and they told me as such numerous times.”[/COLOR] [COLOR=GOLDENROD]“Honorary Scout’s honor?”[/COLOR] Blake replied with a shrug as he reached into the fridge, pulling out a Strongbow, lifting the tab as the drink opened with a satisfying hiss. [COLOR=GOLDENROD]“What’s all this?”[/COLOR] He asked motioning to the spread Barbara had somehow found the time to prepare despite barely being off work for an hour. [COLOR=STEELBLUE]“I just know you’ve been having a hard time lately, and I thought I’d surprise you.”[/COLOR] Barbara answered. [COLOR=STEELBLUE]"Kind of like how you surprised me by not being home in bed.”[/COLOR] She added as Blake felt her eyes turn to him. [COLOR=GOLDENROD]“I was feeling pretty cooped up in here, so I thought I’d go stretch my legs, get some fresh air. Feeling much better now too.”[/COLOR] Blake explained in half-truths as Barbara nodded along while kneading the dough in front of her. [COLOR=STEELBLUE]“Why don’t you wash up, I’m about to put this pie in the oven and the grill should be heated up so supper won’t be long now.”[/COLOR] She stated, leaning back to kiss Blake on his way by. He paused to place his lips against hers, she felt him press down harder as she turned into him. Playing along, Barbara lifted both hands to his face and clapped flour onto his growing beard and cheeks, an incriminating giggle causing Blake to open his eyes. Stifled a chuckle of his own, Blake gave Barbara a playful pat on the ass, moving past her as he went to wash up, wiping the back of his hands against his lightly dusted face. Barbara’s drastic change in mood was startling, to say the least, she hadn’t done anything like this in a long time. Which could only mean two things, she had very bad news, or she wanted something very badly. And Blake could only assume it was the former after he had requested that Barbara looked into the transit pass. The sound of sizzling meat echoed from the back deck as Barbara placed the pair of thick steaks on to the grill before shutting the lid. Blake could feel his mouth salivating as the smell wafted through the house, coupling with the earlier aromas that had already been present. Coming downstairs, Blake took a seat at the table as Barbara hung up her apron before walking over and sliding onto his lap as she poked the shoulder that had hours ago been a mess of burnt flesh. [COLOR=STEELBLUE]“How’d this heal so quickly?”[/COLOR] She asked as Blake began to get the impression he was being interrogated. [COLOR=GOLDENROD]“Guess the wound wasn’t as deep as it had felt. Applied some peroxide to clean it up and it sort of took the dead skin off, turned out it was only a surface wound.”[/COLOR] Blake lied as he raked his brain for anything that sounded believable. [COLOR=STEELBLUE]“Huh.”[/COLOR] Came Barbara’s response as she decided to let it go. There had to be a reason Blake wasn’t telling her the full truth, and for the time being, she decided it would be best not to press the matter. But she could tell by Blake’s look that he knew she didn’t believe her and that was all she wanted to make clear to him. At the very least, she might be able to guilt him into telling her. [COLOR=GOLDENROD]“Got to flip the steaks.”[/COLOR] Barbara stated as she shot up and moved to the deck as Blake shook his head in disbelief. She was definitely acting oddly, he just couldn’t figure out why. That said, he wasn’t about to complain as Barbara slid a plate weighed down with a medium rare Porthouse in front of him. Grilled asparagus accompanied the large cut of meat as a loaded baked potato sat to the side, steam caring their welcoming scent right into Blake’s nostrils. [COLOR=GOLDENROD][B][I]If you do not marry this woman, I will.[/I][/B][/COLOR] Blake did his best to not laugh at Thor’s comment as Barbara joined him at the table, placing a freshly baked apple pie at the far end to cool while they ate their main course. [COLOR=GOLDENROD]“This is incredible, Barbie.”[/COLOR] Blake said as he wiped his mouth. [COLOR=GOLDENROD]“You’ve truly outdone yourself.”[/COLOR] [COLOR=STEELBLUE]“My pleasure, Babe.”[/COLOR] Came her reply as she grinned proudly like a cat with a canary. [COLOR=STEELBLUE]“Oh, I got that information you wanted earlier.”[/COLOR] She added, pulling out the print off from her desk. [COLOR=STEELBLUE]“The girl’s name is June Moon, early twenties, struggling graphic artist. Looks like she resides in the Glades.”[/COLOR] Barbara added mentioning Star City’s notorious impoverished neighborhood. She continued to talk as Blake scanned the paper while chewing a mouth full of steak. [COLOR=STEELBLUE]“There’s unfortunately not enough evidence to warrant a BOLO or a missing persons report. I’m afraid my hands are tied here.”[/COLOR] She said as Blake looked at her. [COLOR=STEELBLUE]“What’d you want to do?”[/COLOR] [COLOR=GOLDENROD]“Maybe I’ll try to reach out to her, looks like a phone number here.”[/COLOR] Blake answered pointing to the paper before pushing it away from his plate. [COLOR=GOLDENROD]“But for the time being, I plan on spending the night with my beautiful girlfriend and enjoying this delicious meal.”[/COLOR] [COLOR=STEELBLUE]“I hope you save room for [I]dessert[/I].”[/COLOR] Barbara replied innocently as Blake nodded towards the pie at the end of the table. [COLOR=GOLDENROD]“Trust me, there’s no way I’m letting a fresh pie go to waste.”[/COLOR] [COLOR=STEELBLUE]“I was thinking of something a little different in your mouth.”[/COLOR] She replied as Blake paused, looking at Barbara as he put down his fork. [COLOR=STEELBLUE]“Oh no you don’t, you know as well as I do that steak sucks reheated.”[/COLOR] She chided as Blake laughed. [COLOR=GOLDENROD]“You make a fair point, but the pie can wait.”[/COLOR] [COLOR=STEELBLUE]“The pie can wait.”[/COLOR][/INDENT][/INDENT] [CENTER][sup][h2][color=silver][img]https://i.imgur.com/SXfrcEV.png?1[/img] [sub]°[/sub] [img]https://i.imgur.com/SXfrcEV.png?1[/img] [sub]°[/sub] [img]https://i.imgur.com/SXfrcEV.png?1[/img] [sub]°[/sub] [img]https://i.imgur.com/SXfrcEV.png?1[/img] [sub]°[/sub] [img]https://i.imgur.com/SXfrcEV.png?1[/img][/color][/h2][/sup][/CENTER] [INDENT][INDENT]Barbara gasped as Blake laid her out on the bed, his mouth moving down her neck as her shorts were pulled off her ankles, her legs braced against his shoulders. A firm hand pulled her panties aside as she moaned, her thighs wrapping around the head between them. Her hands clenched the sheets as the sound of Blake’s belt hitting the floor causing her to quiver with excitement. [COLOR=STEELBLUE]“Oh my god! Yes, [B][I]fuck[/I] yes![/B]”[/COLOR] She cried as Blake grabbed her hips, picking her up off the bed, lifting her body parallel with his. Their mouths frantically meeting as lips, tongues, and teeth intertwined. Placing a thumb to Blake’s mouth as she cradled his chin, Barbara managed to speak. [COLOR=STEELBLUE]“Handcuffs, get my handcuffs.”[/COLOR] Laying back on the bed, Blake watched Barbara, her back arched as he struggled against the cuffs to touch her body, the denial of his touch fully enhancing the experience. She suddenly collapsed, panting as she laid her face against his chest, her skin glistening with fresh perspiration. [COLOR=GOLDENROD]“So,”[/COLOR] Blake asked with a grin as Barbara lifted her head. [COLOR=GOLDENROD]“Round [I]two[/I]?”[/COLOR] Barbara smiled seductively back at him, biting her bottom lip as she undid the handcuffs freeing Blake. Satisfied moans echoed through the house as Blake sprung into action.[/INDENT][/INDENT] [CENTER][sup][h2][color=silver][img]https://i.imgur.com/SXfrcEV.png?1[/img] [sub]°[/sub] [img]https://i.imgur.com/SXfrcEV.png?1[/img] [sub]°[/sub] [img]https://i.imgur.com/SXfrcEV.png?1[/img] [sub]°[/sub] [img]https://i.imgur.com/SXfrcEV.png?1[/img] [sub]°[/sub] [img]https://i.imgur.com/SXfrcEV.png?1[/img][/color][/h2][/sup][/CENTER] [INDENT][INDENT]Feigning sleep, she lay still on the bed despite the movement beside her. Keeping her eyes closed and her breathing shallow, Barbara felt Blake rise from the bed. She knew exactly where he was heading as she laid there, listening to him quietly dress before exiting the room. Sitting up in the bed, Barbara held the sheet over her bare bosom as she placed her feet on the cold hardwood floor beneath the bed. Walking to the window, Barbara watched as Blake climbed onto his motorcycle, a single strike to the bike’s kickstart turning the engine over as it roared to life. The headlamp illuminated the laneway as Blake made himself comfortable in the saddle. Barbara felt like there was a pit in her stomach as she watched Blake lift his feet to the pegs before twisting the throttle. A sad smile came to Barbara’s lips as she watched him ride away, her worst fears confirmed as she quietly spoke. [COLOR=STEELBLUE]“Go get ‘em... Thor.”[/COLOR][/INDENT][/INDENT] [COLOR=GOLDENROD][INDENT][B][SUP][SUB][H3]S T A R C I T Y, C A L I F O R N I A:[/H3][/SUB][/SUP][/B][/INDENT][hr][/COLOR][INDENT][sup][COLOR=LIGHTSLATEGRAY][B]M O N D A Y, J U L Y 3 0[SUP]T H[/SUP], 2 0 1 8 - 1 0 : 0 8 p m | T H E G L A D E S[/b][/COLOR][/sup][/INDENT] [INDENT][INDENT]The city had an entirely different feel than the town of Marville, even at this time of night, it was alive and vibrant. The town would have been asleep by now but the city seemed to be just coming alive as the crowded sidewalks were filled with the city’s youth lining up for the various bars and clubs. Watching as the light turned from red to green, Blake rolled the throttle on the motorcycle as he guided the back around the corner, following the signs towards the Glades. There was a noticeable difference in the city the further Blake traveled along this stretch. The flashing billboards and energetic lights were replaced with trashy neon and aged signs with faded words. The club goers replaced with the impoverished, sitting on the sidewalk trying to find a vein to inject their next hit into. Gunning the bike, Blake changed lanes on the wide road before taking the next left as he followed the route up a hill before coming across the Owenstead Apartment building. Even from the road, he could see the police tape over the fifth-floor window, the same floor that according to the print out from Barbara, June lived on. Bringing the motorcycle to a stop, Blake dropped the kickstand as he disengaged the engine. Pocketing the keys as he dismounted, Blake walked towards the front of the building, opening the door and holding it as an elderly woman with a small cart pushed her way wordlessly by. Entering into the lobby, Blake scanned the intercom for ‘Moon’ before entering the appropriate four digits as he buzzed her apartment. The line rang until it timed out, a click letting Blake know that no one had answered on the other end as he walked up to the door. Preparing to pull on it using Thor’s strength to break the lock, Blake found himself rather unsurprised to learn that the lock was already broken meaning he was free to enter. Taking the elevator to the fifth floor, Blake departed as the doors open while he searched for June’s apartment. Following the signs that led down the carpeted hallways, Blake paused to verify the number as he stared at the bronze ‘520’. Knocking heavily, he placed an ear to the door as he listened for any sound of movement inside. Hearing nothing but the howling wind coming through the broken window, Blake knocked again. This time, a slight cough echoed back from within the apartment. It grew louder until eventually, Blake heard the girl vomit through the paper thin walls as he twisted the doorknob, pushing his shoulder into the door as both the lock and security chain gave way. Throwing the bathroom door open, Blake paused as June looked up at him, a single word coming from her mouth as she wiped her chin. [COLOR=SPRINGGREEN][B]“YOU!”[/B][/COLOR][/INDENT][/INDENT]