[center][h2][color=00a651]Baba O'Reilly[/color][/h2]
Morning Over Grund Way[/center]

[color=00a651][i]Home... Sweet Home...[/i][/color] 

Baba O'Reilly stood high, perched atop a loft overlooking Metro street. She closed her eyes in a gentle musing as a light breeze carried across the skyline. With a feline stretch, she yawned in a low tone; though the first rays of sunlight were only beginning to cut through the smoggy fog that hung over the city, Baba had been awake for several hours already. 

In need of respite from an early morning of prowling and job running, she had made a beeline towards Home. Now, a quick jog across the roofs of the Megacity later, the abode of the Retros Orphans sat a few buildings away. 

She stretch again, touching her toes, feeling the relieving pull in her lower back and legs. Feeling loose, and rejuvenated in the rush of a second wind, Baba strode to the edge of the rooftop, and looked across to the next one over. A twenty-foot gap and a single story drop stood between her and the next landing spot. Her right hand drifted toward the grappling gun holstered on her hip, but stopped short of removing it. Recoiling her hand, she backtracked. Thirty feet from the ledge, she propped herself into a starting-line stance, and broke into a sprint. When she reached the last two feet of solid surface, her legs contracted, and sprung forward from the edge of the rooftop. 

The muscular implants would do their job as intended; the alleyway passed hundreds of feet beneath her, though she had long taught herself not to look down. Her bound easily crossed the gap between the buildings. When her descent reached the next building over, she landed in a smooth tuck and roll, moving seamlessly into a continued run. The roof tops in the Retros' neighborhood were packed tightly; she ran and jumped the distance with trivial effort before stopping at the building next door. As she approached the end of the last roof, a rain of bodies dropped, all tucking and rolling themselves, and running by her; she recognized them immediately as other Retros. 

[color=00a651][i]Weird. Freebird doesn't usually send us out this early.[/i][/color] She took up her grappler, firing it off and hooking to a fire escape attached to the Home building. In rush of air to the face, she zipped across the way and onto the escape landing and climbed her way to the top. 

Home was empty, save for one slender figure standing on the far side from Baba. 

She approached with urgency. [color=00a651]"Yo. Freebird. What's up?"[/color]

"Burning the midnight oil again Baba?" Freebird spoke with their usual nonchalance, though a layer of tension hid under the surface of their words. 

[color=00a651]"What's with the early start?"[/color] Baba ignored her leader's comment. 

"You should really get some sleep." Freebird's tone shifted to a more pointed sternness. 

Again, Baba ignored the commentary. She ducked away into a canvas tent, where she sifted about. [color=00a651]"Is there heavy shit today?"[/color] she called out from inside the tent. She opened a minifridge, pulling out a half-full cup of chicken ramen. She popped it into a nearby microwave. A minute later, she walked back out, slurping up a mouthful of noodles. 

"I'm guessing you're not gonna go to sleep." 

[color=00a651]"Probably not."[/color] Baba downed a sip of broth. 

"Someone from Vale Court stopped by about an hour ago. Said something big went down last night.

[color=00a651]"What kind of big?"[/color] Baba had been out for a while already, and hadn't heard much beyond the normal affairs of the Megacity. 

"Someone from the New Wave cell... dead... gunshot wound.

"The fuck?" Baba nearly spat out a helping of noodles. "Legit? That's some shit right there."

"I don't know if it's true though. So I got everyone out early. Gotta figure out if this is for real. And if it is, get a plan together." 

[color=00a651]"Right."[/color] Baba dove back into the tent. When she emerged, the cup of ramen had been replaced by her jetboard. [color=00a651]"Gonna go down level, Bird. If it's the lowdown we need, I know the guy."[/color]

"Ryker?" Freebird practically laughed. "I don't care much for the guy. If you think he's got a read on things though... Fuck it. Talk to him. But keep it cool."

[color=00a651]"Don't worry bro. I gotchu."[/color] Baba left Freebird with a wave. She slung her jetboard over her shoulders and descended the fire escape. 

[center][h3]======/======[/h3][/center]

Baba's board hovered to a stop after a ten minute ride up the street. Dismounting, she folded the board and slung back onto her shoulders as she entered the old school storefront. Instantly, her ears were met with a catchy, 20th century tune humming low in the background of the shop.

[center]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34ZmKbe5oG4&ab_channel=TheJimiHendrixExp67[/center]

[color=0072bc][i]"Mornin'! Welcome to The Bodega!"[/i][/color]

[color=00a651]"'Sup, Ryker?"[/color] Baba asked coolly, perusing the collection of records in the middle of the store. [color=00a651]"Recovered any good tracks? Been trying to get my hands on some more Floyd."[/color]