[center][h2]Alec Velocity[/h2] [b]Six Months Prior[/b] ~35,000 Feet over Dogon Dawa, Nigeria [/center][hr][hr] [b][i]"Approaching 35,000 feet, prepare for HALO Jump."[/i][/b] Came the Venture pilot's voice over the headset worn by Venture's own Atomic Angel. Alec nodded to the assistant pilot, who was visible from the cargo bay of the jet. [b][i]"Verify Assignment Details."[/i][/b] Came the voice a second time. [color=ed1c24]"Touch down north of Dogon Dawa on Niger-Nigerian Border, proceed East towards Target's last sighting, 3 kilometers north of Kaita. Confirm visual on target Babajide Olawale, relay confirmation to Academy POC and recieve further mission details."[/color] Alec replied over the headset, preforming a last minute once-over of the Academy Flight Suit he was wearing over top of his usual garb, made custom by none other than Quinn Pierce. Everything was in place, as far as he could remember from the brief overview Q had given him. [b][i]"10-4, Jump in 3... 2... 1..."[/i][/b] The Atomic Angel tore of his headset and leapt backwards from the jet, turning his body mid-air to nosedive towards the desert sands below him. He kept his legs closed and his arms to his chest to prevent as much wind drag as possible, and with a blink he activated the micro-computer on his mask, allowing his flight trajectory to appear over his left eye, along with an altitude meter. He made small, minor adjustments to his path as he fell by angling his body in a variety of ways, all the while keeping a close eye on his altitude. He spent about 2 full minutes free-falling, reaching speeds of almost 200mph before extending his arms at 600 feet, slowing him down drastically. He angled himself once more, and hit the ground hard. As he slid through the sands, he flipped himself on to his back to avoid sanding his face down a few inches, and waited until he came to a complete stop to shed the flight-suit. He then stood, took in his surroundings, and began to follow the compass hovering over his left eye. [hr] [center][b]Three Days Later, A small village outside Kaita[/b][/center] [hr] [color=ed1c24]"You're keeping me here how fucking long?"[/color] Alec shouted into the public telephone, grimacing at his own volume as several of the nearby civilians looked towards the flamboyantly dressed red-head with an Australian accent. He was standing outside of some sort of convenience store, which had clearly seen better days. Like most of the buildings here, it was run down and decrepit, and most likely completely unsafe to operate a store from. However, a three hour drive to the nearest town meant no building inspector could be bothered to care, let along make the trip. [i]"You'll be conducting this mission for the next six months,"[/i] Came the smooth, collected voice of his handler. The man hadn't given his name, and Alec didn't care enough to ask. [i]"Long enough to thoroughly document the associates, hideouts, and bases of operation for the Hadin Gwiwa da Mutum; Along with identifying Olawale's commanding officers and affiliates."[/i] [color=ed1c24]"The briefing said that Olawale was the only person of interest. If I'd known I was staking out an entire organization I would've brought a change of clothes!" [/color] Alec hissed in response, with a significantly quieter voice. [i]"The mission briefing stated that Olawale was the primary person of interest, Not the only one. Additionally, Venture Academy determined you were the most qualified operative for this mission. We will extract you discreetly if necessary, but it will negatively impact future considerations for missions. Would you like to request an extraction?"[/i] The man replied monotonously, as if he was reading from a script. [color=ed1c24]"No, extraction is not needed."[/color] Alec replied with a sigh. [color=ed1c24]"But I want a 35% increase in my Per Diem, and a 65% increase in completion bonus, consider it Hazard pay."[/color] [i]"I'll see what I can do. Update your report log daily, and contact me in two weeks to confirm."[/i] [color=ed1c24]"10-4. Over."[/color] Alec responded, hanging up the phone. Taking a glance around, he made sure no eyes were on him before entering the convenience store. He'd need something less conspicuous to wear if he didn't want to stand out. [hr] [center]Present Day, Venture Academy [/center] [hr] Alec shot forward from his bed, hyperventilating, with a knife gripped by his white-knuckled hands. His eyes frantically searched his Academy dormitory as adrenaline coursed in his veins, his breath shallow and ragged. Another failed attempt at getting a nights rest, for the last few months, he'd been barely been able to sleep more than an hour or two a week, and the exhaustion was taking an even greater toll on his psyche. Upon realizing where he was, he loosened his grip on the blade and looked down to his torso, where half a dozen fresh scars looked back. He spent several moments normalizing his breath, before throwing off the sheets of his bed and getting dressed. After putting on his singular outfit he walked from the bedroom to his kitchen, turning on the television to a foreign news station to watch the results of the six months he had spent in Nigeria. He knew that Eli had been assigned to apprehend Olawale, and although they had difference in their brands of 'heroism,' Alec respected the man's capabilities, and expected the news report to confirm what Alec figured had happened. The news station droned on in the region's Nigerian Dialect, something he had picked up fairly well during his time spent there, adding to the list of languages he was able to converse in. The red-headed young man turned his back on the television for a moment, pouring himself a cup of coffee. He then moved to the fridge to retrieve creamer, which he mixed in to the mug before taking a sip of the scalding liquid and refocusing on the television. His eyes narrowed in anger as he watched the failure of Eli's mission unfold on the television. [color=red]"Fuck!"[/color] He shouted, hurling the mug at the television. The ceramic cup shattered against the screen, although the glass-encased television was unharmed. Coffee dripped down the wall as Alec stormed out of his dorm, bee-lining straight towards the Preacher's room. A number of students, younger and older, made way for him to pass as he walked quickly through the hallways. The Atomic Angel was infamous for his rage, more so even then his well known field expertise, and better-knowing students knew well enough to avoid the knife-thrower when he was in a good mood. Eli's dorm was a fair distance from Alec's own, giving him time to 'reminisce' over a number of events that had occurred in Northern-Nigeria as he made his way to the Giant's living quarters. [hr] [center][b]Two Months Prior, Unknown Location[/b][/center] [hr] Alec's eyes opened slowly, a throbbing pain echoing throughout his entire body as he took in his surrounding. He was chained, naked, to a metal pole in the center of what had once been a warehouse, but was now being used for something much darker. The building was poorly lit, but he could make out a table in front of him which held his clothing, his knives, and a number of barbaric looking devices. [color=darkgray]"Ah, you're awake. Good."[/color] Came the deep, accented voice of a man to Alec's right. [color=darkgray] "We have much to discuss."[/color] He said with a chuckle, picking up one of the Atomic Angel's blades from the table as he approached. [hider=TW: Torture] The man approached confidently, and without saying a word, he slowly carved a deep gash into Alec's stomach, eliciting a pained groan from Alec's lips. The man then took a step back, and Alec looked him dead in his eyes, a murderous expression on his face. The man took note of this, reaching in to his jacket pockets to retrieve a pair of brass knuckles, and sliding them on to his right hand. Then, with no warning, he backhanded Alec, the metal knuckles scrapping off a small chunk of skin on Alec's cheek. The torturer proceeded to beat Alec, punching him in the chest and stomach mostly, but not shying away from hitting him in the face a few times. After a few minutes of beating, the man took a step back, winded and catching his breath as he spoke. [color=darkgray] "You've been looking in to things you shouldn't be."[/color] the man said plainly, looking over his handiwork. Alec was standing shakily, bruises and blood covering his torso and face from the man's beating. His lip was busted open, and his right eye had already began swelling from the punches. His head pounded from the concussion the man had given him after punching him in the forehead, and a number of his ribs were either cracked or fractured. He knew that much from the pain he experienced from breathing. [color=darkgray] "I'm going to continue beating you, today's goal is to soften you up. If you are wise, tomorrow you will tell me what you've learned."[/color] Alec responded to this by spitting a mouth-full of blood onto the man's face, which the man wiped away with a laugh, before punching Alec once more, causing a loud crack to come from his jaw. [color=darkgray] "You see, I can't trust what you tell me today, you may lie to me to try to make me stop, and I simply can't have that. But by the end of the day, we'll have developed a very special relationship, a bond if you will. By the morning, you'll be elated to see me once more. If not, we'll spend another day building up our relationship, then you'll be willing to speak the truth to me."[/color] Alec spit once more, on to the ground. [color=ed1c24]"Get on with it mate, I ain't got all day."[/color] He replied stubbornly, looking lazily at the man. [color=darkgray] "If you insist."[/color] The man said with a shrug, approaching Alec and continuing his work. [/hider] [hr] [center][b]Present Day, Venture Academy[/b][/center] [hr] Alec continued to storm through the Academy Halls, his blood practically boiling as he continued towards Preacher's room. He was enraged, practically blinded by fury. [i]Six Months...[/i] He though to himself as he shoved a younger student who hadn't stepped out of his way into the wall, [i]Six fucking months spent tracking this asshole, and you let him GET AWAY?[/i] He roared within his own mind, pulling a pair of knives out of his jacket as he neared the dorm. [i]Eight different attacks, 95 innocent lives gone, hundreds of more hospitalized by these fucking terrorist pricks, all because you couldn't seal the fucking deal?[/i] He finally reached the door, and immediately lifted his boot to slam it against the door frame. Luckily for Eli, the doors were much heavier than most, and far sturdier against someone lacking superhuman strength. [color=ed1c24]"Open the fucking door Eli!"[/color] He yelled, stepping back to kick it again, and again. [color=ed1c24]"You've got five seconds before I kick this shit down, then we'll find out just how bullet-proof you really are!"[/color] He shouted, the door beginning to crack and give way to the impact of his boot. Alec kicked the door once more, before giving up. Reaching in to his jacket, he pulled out one of his numerous knives, and buried it into the center of the door. The Preacher would recognize Alec's blade, and with that, he turned on his heels and made his way towards another dorm. He had enough clarity to know that he shouldn't be left alone to boil in his anger, so he made his way towards the one person he was capable of being vulnerable with. He hadn't slept in nearly a week out of sheer terror, however he wasn't comfortable enough with anyone but Hana to explain how much fear was running through his veins. Even in the fortress of safety that was the Academy, he was filled with paranoia of waking up in a warehouse once more, and it did little to help his exhaustion that every time he closed his eyes he revisited the week he spent with that man. Without the fuel of anger, his pace was considerably slower, and more of a shamble in all honesty. He was exhausted to his core, and moved in a haze of semi-awareness as he made his way to the girl's dorm. The various students and staff he passed still made way for him as he walked, but their expressions were more so ones of concern, rather than anxiety. Prior to this last mission, Alec had always walked with confidence and pride, and here he was shambling pathetically down the hallways, it was a change that anyone could notice. It took considerably longer than it should have, but he made it to the dorm eventually, and knocked softly a handful of times before propping himself up against the door frame. With the comfort he was craving so near, he had already began to lower his guard, and his exhaustion was taking a strong hold of him as he began to nod off while waiting for Hana to answer the door.