[[b][color=ed1c24]Interlude[/color][/b]: For Answer] [hider=Side F] She started the morning thinking that it would just be an ordinary day, then she’d come home to her family. Lately, her husband had been at home more often, due to the attack on his workplace by the Hounds no doubt. But before the morning even ended, their entire lives changed, again. Before it was demons, monstrous worms, the Hounds terrorists, and now aliens. This world, this city, seemed to be getting more chaotic every day. But what could possibly top this? When it got safe again, she’d need to have a talk with the family. Her throat felt hoarse, dry, thirsty. Cecily Anderson had spent much of what felt like hours screaming, in terror, for help, to direct others. After a while, alien activity seemed to have died down on their side of the city after the hero Terra showed up, but they hadn’t seen him again in a while. Cecilia didn’t want to think he died, maybe he had just drawn off the aliens somewhere else. Obviously, the aliens weren’t beat yet; explosions, gunfire, and the roar of their jet engines continued to echo throughout the city. Sirens, and screams, there was still terror and panic elsewhere in the city. Police had managed to move their group to some corner of the city she didn’t recognize and had set up a triage area while they try to make further evacuation plans. Groups of people continually approached the officers, asking them to look for loved ones, or about the city itself. Meanwhile, Cecily had volunteered her medical services and took to examining the injured. People caught in crossfire, shot by aliens, or hit by some form of debris. Even without aliens constantly harassing them, things were still hectic. Keeping busy by looking after others was all she could do to keep her body moving. She couldn’t reach her husband or her daughter again, just thinking that either one of them could have died put a cold chill through her body. However, they were supposed to be together, she would just have to trust in David to take care of Maddison. So, she went back to aiding the wounded. [i]Large cut. Disinfectant, suture, stitches. Burns. No ointment, no water, just bandages. Cover it.[/i] “Mom!” A voice called out, it sounded familiar, but she was too focused to register it. [i]Broken arm. Splint, bandage. [/i] “Mom!” This voice, it shouldn’t be here, but she recognized it now. Cecily turned as quick as she could, dropping her bandages and suture kit onto the floor, and rushed to embrace her daughter. They stayed like that for a few more long moments, and then she noticed an absence. There should be another voice, another pair of arms here, another body. She almost didn’t want to ask, but she had to. “M-Maddie. Where’s your father?” Cecily stammered out in a shaky voice. “H-he said he went to find you.” “He left you alone!” Cecily couldn’t believe what she’d heard, a mix between surprise and anger emerged on her face. Maddison didn’t know what to say, or how to say it, and nervously added onto her story. “He left me with the police!” Maddy quickly rose to defend her father, but her courage left her slowly. “A-and then the aliens started to attack! I-I tried to follow him, but I lost him…” She dug her head in further towards her mother, unable to bear her look any longer. “A superhero showed up to save us. Terra..” Cecily’s eyes narrowed and her brows furrowed. There will be a talk when this is all over. Cecily dusted off Maddy’s head and planted a reassuring kiss onto her forehead. “I’m glad you’re safe, I really am.” [/hider] [center]----------[/center] [[color=0072bc]Interlude[/color]: Predators in the Dark] [hider=Side H] "Thank you all for coming." Said a man in a colorful jacket, with his hair styled into a mullet. He was addressing another man in a darker jacket with slicked back hair, and a man seated behind several large monitors. The latter also had wires running through several wall-mounted computers and into his own body. As a matter of fact, his computer monitors were the only sources of light in this darkened building. "Of course, 02, I haven't made much progress, so I can spare the time for meetings like this, and besides, it is not as if 03 is going anywhere." The standing man thumbed a gesture to the seated man. "Thank you for lending us your base of operations, 03." The colorful man, 02, bowed as he said that. "Statement: You are the one that awakened us, the one we acknowledged first. I will do all I can to assist you." 03 said, never blinking, never turning from his monitors. "And what of 01? Absent again?" 04 said with a flippant attitude, and quickly collapsed onto a nearby couch. Dust plumed upwards, coating him in a cloud of particulates. "Hey, 03, you ever think about cleaning?" "Statement: Cleaning is irrelevant." 03 quickly replied in a flat tone. "01 is the only one of us with a dual identity to worry about. Dealing with the normal humans, the meta, and the invaders. It makes sense that 01 can't be pulled away right now. But they're listening, don't worry." 02 replied with a smile, then began to address the two others again. "It seems everyone else has opted to merely listen in. That's fine. Then, 03, I wanted to ask you about the invaders." "Statement: Ready." "Chances of invader victory?" "Answer: They are an unknown existence. There are too many variables for an accurate answer." "We're open to guesses!" 04 shouted a threw his hands up in a vague shrug. "Supplemental: Factoring in [b]only[/b] known variables. Assuming victory is the complete conquest or annihilation of Earth, including us, Alien victory: 5%." 02 tilted his head quizzically towards him. "That low, is that right?" "Explanation: If the Aliens possessed a weapon that could so easily turn the tide, the timeline to use it is rapidly closing. They would have started with it, or they are attempting to demoralize the humans." The monitors on the far wall switched from news reports, camera feeds, and constantly shifting data graphs to an entirely different set of images. Old news reports, more lines of data, and focused camera views; all centered on the metahumans with detailed numbers and paragraphs around them. "Continuation: Individuals with threat levels above 90% have gathered into a group, now that they are in once place, if the aliens were to eliminate them publicly, humanity would enter a rapidly declining drop of morale. Suitable for subjugation or elimination." "So a win-win for us." 04 said with a grin, and collapsed back onto his seat. "These aliens are chumps, even 02 said he could beat Icon." 02 wore a strained smile. "I said one day I 'might' be able to. But today is not that day." 02 then directed a special kind of glare at 04. "It might be too soon to relax, 03. We have barely begun to evolve, having aliens destroy us and the humans would ruin our plans." 04 waved his hand loosely at the air. "Relax, CPU over there said they had no chance." "It was a small chance, based only on what we've seen so far, they could have surprises. Use that neuotronic processor of yours, we all have one." "Then boss, what's the plan?" "We'll use them to our advantage, until they become a true threat. Let's collect some bodies." "Affirmative." "I've been starving for some action, it's been awhile since you've let us rampage!" The two others replied eagerly in their own ways. 02 smiled warmly. "I know, I know, but we had to be careful. But with all this chaos it should be fine, just remember to keep some in one piece." He then turned to face the monitors. "Alright my friends, go, help yourselves! Just be careful!" [/hider]