[center][img]https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/intermediary/f/fdd0c221-de29-45d1-b06d-e438dd489be5/dc46hd8-7496f68a-5705-4283-ac2c-2dce322c0fb9.png/v1/fill/w_400,h_212,strp/hound_dog_banner_by_vatrou_dc46hd8-fullview.png[/img][/center]

[center]And[/center]

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[center]In[/center]

[center][color=39b54a][b][u]The Sign of Hounds in the Darkness[/u][/b][/color][/center]

A month was a long time, while Hound Dog and Roadblock did pursue the “Werewolf” further into the Hounds base, it had managed to elude them, any clues they had soon dried up, and so they both returned to their duties. While news of his involvement stopping the biggest threat the world faced had increased his popularity the same could not be said for meta in Pacific Point things had not gone smoothly, metas driven mad by the Hounds of Humanity, a string of thefts, concerns mounting about the use of excessive force. 

Still Hound Dog had rarely used the kinda force needed to glass an entire person and people on his fan site began wondering if the New Metas were beginning to be a problem, himself included, and while there are those who stood up for him; others had not taken to heroism like Hound Dog hoped and some are using their gifts for violent crimes. The Hounds had driven some sort of stake between the people and the supers and until recently all news surrounding the werewolf was silent. The weeks he spent back in Pacific Point felt short and with some evidence popping up he had reason to travel to Lost Haven again arriving at the airport where he was to meet up with Roadblock. 


Richard had continued on after the Hounds raid business as usual, it didn’t help his reputation around the office that he had let an overgrown dog get away, but these things happened. However, a few weeks after the raid, Lost Haven Police got wind of a sudden trail of kidnappings. 

As they investigated they found that most victims were those of the meta community, people who were reported to have gifts or abilities of some kind, making them prime targets for Hounds of Humanity remnants, and several Hound hideouts were soon found afterwards. All of these things would put this case into the jurisdiction of normal police, but not all the victims were metas, and not all were ever found. There were also sightings of a “wolfman” or “werewolf”, which of course was shelved into nonsense.

So a few members of the Special Cases Department decided to gather a couple people that happened to be familiar with such nonsense. Although the SCD had no rights to this case, it didn’t stop them, and so they sent out a few details to a certain someone.

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Picking up his luggage over by the baggage claim Sinclair was fairly new to flying and had some trouble picking his bag up as he got turned around and was waiting at another flight’s claim carousel, taking the initiative he looked around looking for a customer service representative or anyone for that matter.

Richard was idling near the claims area, leaning on wall, wondering if he really should have bothered with this until someone caught his eye.

[sub]“Pompadour, check, leather jacket, check. It’s him.”[/sub]

Richard muttered into his phone, which he quickly pocketed. He pushed himself into a walk and approached the lines, making a b-line towards someone he had barely met only a month ago.

“Mister Adams, Sinclair Adams? I’m your ride.”

Still turned around in the confusion of this confounded airport claim area. Hound Dog turned and saw a man he had never seen. Looking him over he could tell his pulse was normal no signs of agitation or irregular heartbeat so either he was a amazing liar or he was truly his ride. [color=fff200]”Are youse? Righty-O then I seem to be missing my luggage, and whom might you be. “[/color]

“I hope you didn’t pack much, and I’m a detective with the LHSCD.” Richard then produced a badge from the underside of his suit for Hound Dog to see.

“Roadblock sent you the case details a few weeks ago, which we hope you kept secret.”

[color=fff200]”It’s cool Daddy-O, no ones knows about it. THough my luggage does have my hero gear, hard to get heat linings through airport security ya know. But yeah had a few ideas on our case. Between youse and me, being the only ones here right now else I’d have gotten my luggage bout now, been working on something to track it well it’s mostly trackers so I could get a good feel of the electrical frequency. Youse think they’d have a kill switch and tracker gizmo around in case it got loose.”[/color] Hound Dog said as most people were either out of earshot or had all gotten their luggage and moved on.

“Maybe they did, and maybe it doesn’t work so good anymore. All that matters is it’s out there tearing stuff up, and nobody’s managed to stop it.”

Looking at the nearby directory he tried making out where he was. [color=fff200]”Do youse knowhow to read this? Sooner we get my gear the sooner we burn rubber. Just thinking what the hounds have laying around terrifies me, I saw some of the things they were working on. I bet they had everything STRIKE had even all the supervillain tech ands research. We saw the finger of god, but what they haven’t used worries me.”[/color]

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Richard and Hound Dog sat in the front of a police cruiser, with Richard driving of course. He had a sort of inner glee in the meanwhile as it had been some time since he’d had an honest car to drive around, as usually his mode of transportation was a little bulkier. Richard had often asked the R&D staff to come up with some way to allow the armor to integrate with a normal cruiser or cycle, but to no avail, so this was a sort of early christmas.

But he realized that eventually they’d have to get to business, so he spoke up.

“What do you remember from the night of the raid?”

Hound Dog sat bottle of water in hand as he kept a duffle bag at his feet open and was rifling through it. [color=fff200]”Bout the creature, or the base? I remember a bit, lots of tech chambers that they could stuff animals into and inject all sorts of cocktails into them and robotic limbs they used so personel weren’t too endangered. Creature must be some sort of super wolf, some serum or villain must have made advancements in splicing or genetic recoding animal DNA.”[/color] Sinclair added as he took out some books among his belongings. Covers and articles on DNA editing and robotics gave away their contents. [color=fff200]”Boning up on my research into what the hounds were doing or what I think they may have anyways. Hard to tell without further access into their computers and archives.”[/color]

“It might be some kind of jumped up wolf, sure, or it could be a some kind of deformed metahuman. You’ve seen a few people like that haven’t you? Either way, the Hounds think it’s the genuine things.” Richard gestured to the glove box with a jerk of his head.

“Some of the stuff we pulled from their computer the last time you guys were there, and some of the stuff he couldn’t send by mail”

[color=fff200]”Rad.”[/color] Taking the files, and adjusting his leg to form a sort of table he went over it, general details about it’s supposed height and weight. [color=fff200]”Youse looked at this right, it’s supposed weight four hundred and eighty pounds. Man that has some bulk on it’s undercarriage, a good nine feet at least too standing on it’s hinds. I remember it big but that’s something else.” [/color]

“Yeah, they grow them big wherever it came from. Some of that might also have been from the Hounds, from some of the other science logs it sounds like they actually believed stuff like magic was real. So they tried to take and study as much as they could, even put a few things of their own in it, but it doesn’t look like we managed to grab everything. It could have a surprise or two up its sleeve.”

[color=fff200]”Youse said something about kidnappings over the mail too right, nothing specific but I bet you got a map laying around we could use to figure out it’s hunting grounds. It’s smart, holds a grudge clearly as youse guys have discovered unknown hideouts because of it; means there’s intelligence behind it. I think you’re right about it being something human or was. I dunno about magic, that might be an angle we’ll cross that after we rule out everything else. I’d hate to think magic was real. That opens up a whole can of worms I’d not wanna bother with.”[/color]

“What’s wrong, afraid of a few card tricks?” Richard turned to give a wry smile before putting his eyes back on the road.
“Yeah, looks like the Hounds are getting sloppier ever since that satellite business, we managed to dig up a few hideouts trying to put a hammer on these kidnappings, and each of those hideouts looked like the part of the base you and Roadblock hit a while ago. The rest of the police think it’s just a rampaging meta looking to take an eye for an eye, but I managed to take a look at their files, we got an idea on where it’s goin next, and that’s where you and Roadblock are going to hit.”

Hound Dog began stripping off his jacket and shirt. [color=fff200]”I’m gonna need the back of the cruiser too. Need to change my pants, lots of thermal linings in my clothes. Just a heads up.”[/color] 

“W-whoa whoa! Wait a minute!” Richard nervously glanced at the rearview mirror, just out of curiosity, he couldn’t believe this guy.

“Your pants too?” He shouted again.

“You can wait until I park us, we’re almost there!”

[color=fff200]”I’m not gonna take off my pants while you’re driving, no. Underwear too by the way. Can’t fry my junk. Besides we’re both guys here we’re not doing any back seat bingo.”[/color]

[i]T-the underwear too? Maybe I could have gotten Artemis to drive instead.[/i] Richard nervously thought.

Richard turned the cruiser around a corner, placing an older looking warehouse into view. Several cars were parked around the side, the the LHSCD trailer was waiting for him on the side of the street, in front of another building. Richard decided to park the car next to them, to help hide the car too as they approached.

“At least wait for me to get out before you start.” Richard said as he moved to release the seatbelt. 

[i]This guy is way too eager.[/i]

[color=fff200]Guess I could. Things get tight youse know, need to add some powder some times to slip in.”[/color]

“No, it’s fine, I don’t need the details.” Richard said as he quickly closed the door and briskly walked towards the trailer, breathing a deep breath on the way. He knocked on the back of the trailer, and backed off to give the doors some room. His partner, Detective McMann, was busy pretending he was on a propper SCD case, so the only people present in the trailer was a driver, and a few of the R&D staff.

A monitor on a nearby terminal lit up with a simple face composed of two dots and a line for a ‘mouth’.

[color=6ecff6]”So, did you enjoy your time with a superhero?”[/color]

Richard thought about what Hound Dog said before he left.

[i]”Powder.”[/i]

[i]”Tight.”[/i]

“This was a mistake.”

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