[color=gray][color=dimgray][i][color=silver]"You're going to get all of us killed,"[/color] Thomas yelled. [color=silver]"You're so singularly focused, that you're neglecting all the good we can do elsewhere."[/color] He produced a folder from his backpack, slamming it on the table between Chuck, Makarios and himself. 

[color=silver]"Lauren Stills mugged and assaulted while we were staking out the lieutenants left at Locke's casino,"[/color] Thomas explained pointing to the first case file. [color=silver]"Eduardo Cruz was shot during gang-related violence while we were tracking who was now using Locke's limo. Kyle Hitchens, his house was broken into and he was killed during a home invasion while we were watching the Mayor and Locke's last piece of ass play golf."[/color] He paused, letting out a heavy sigh. 

[color=silver]"This obsession only leads to death,"[/color] Thomas added, his tone laden with disappointment and resigned defeat before he reached into his bag and produced another folder.

[color=silver]"And let's not forget this one,"[/color] He snarled, [color=silver]"Nathan Broc-"[/color]

The name had barely left Thomas' mouth before Chuck sucker-punched him across the face. Thomas didn't react, he took the hit while Chuck cradled his hand. The Enochian's living armour retracted from where it had appeared to defend from Chuck's attack.

[color=silver]"That was ill-advised,"[/color] Thomas stated dryly. 

[color=silver]"You don't get to use Gecko against me."[/color]

[color=silver]"His name was Nathan,"[/color] Thomas snapped back, [color=silver]"Nathan Brock! And he shouldn't have had to pay for your mistakes with his life. Whose life will you use as penance next, are we nothing but meat shields to you and your narrow-minded crusade? You can't even refer to him by his name, Nathan Brock was nothing but another tool to you."[/color] He roared towards the shorter man. 

[color=silver]"He was my friend!"[/color] Thomas' voice cracked on the word friend before the blonde young man quickly regained his composure.

[color=silver]"We followed you because you had a plan, you had it all figured out. You brought the Mavericks together. But you're just as lost, just as hopeless as either of us were when we started out."[/color] Thomas' tone had turned venomous.

[color=silver]"Maki and I matured, but you're still a little boy dressing up in his dad's leather jacket."[/color] He spat, the words hanging over the room as Chuck's gaze threatened to sear a hole through Thomas. 

[color=silver]"It's time for us all to move on and end this."[/color] Thomas dropped the backpack to the table and turned to leave.

[color=silver]"I [b]quit[/b]."[/color][/i][/color]

An eerie stillness seemingly fell over the city for a moment before a shiver travelled the length of IllAdvised's spine, a cold wind suddenly cutting to his very bones. From his perch atop a radio tower, the hooded Maverick continued to survey the streets below as another gust of the Northerly winds whipped the tails of his long coat into the air. 

The streets felt differently than they once had. When Locke had been the reigning crimelord in New Lilith, the corruption had been evident, constantly bubbling to the surface, rearing its ugly head to provide the Mavericks with a target to attack. But now, the infection was hard to isolate.

New Lilith was still rotten at its core. But for the past year, Chuck felt he had only been attacking its symptoms and not isolating the ongoing cause of the city's infection. He had tried to branch out and recruit new vigilantes to his cause. Makarios had dubbed them 'Thrillseekers' rather than actual Mavericks, both as a point of pride in retaining a separate title but also because these new vigilantes were cut from a different cloth. Chuck, Makarios and Thomas all had a personal mission, an investment in cleaning up New Lilith. These new heroes though, were adrenaline junkies chasing a high and ultimately lacked the conviction required to make a true difference.

[color=darkorange]“You know, you could have at least checked to see if the kid was alright.”[/color]

[color=steelblue]"I had a feeling you were back in town,"[/color] Chuck replied from beneath his hood and cap. Ignoring the well-meaning scold, he continued to speak. [color=steelblue]"It hasn't been the same out here each night with you. I always appreciated having someone I could trust watching my back."[/color]

Thomas and Chuck had butted heads numerous times over the years, but the night that Thomas quit was by far the worst. The pair were as thick as thieves from day one, both overly eager to take the fight to New Lilith where Makarios had taken more time to come around to the idea of joining forces. Numerous times Angel and IllAdvised had fought back to back and won against seemingly overwhelming odds. They were brothers both in and out of battle. Perhaps that was why Chuck had taken Thomas' resignation so hard.

His eyes scanned the night sky, a buried part of his heart hopping to see the familiar wings beating towards IllAdvised and Feral. But Chuck knew full well that Thomas and Tiffany had packed up and left New Lilith for the nearby rural community of Kilbride. He had settled down on a small farm, hanging the wings up and focussing on his relationship with Tiffany.

The woman that Chuck had introduced him to during their freshman year of college. Makarios had officiated the wedding while Chuck had been Thomas' best man. Thomas' absence had left more of a void in Chuck's life than he could admit, and Makarios knew it. Even nearly two years late, the former leader of the Mavericks still bore weight of a wound as fresh as the day it was inflicted.

[color=steelblue]"New Lilith has a way of pulling you back, it's a constant vacuum, a black hole,"[/color] IllAdvised mused aloud, talking so that Feral could hear him, but not directly to the other Maverick.

[color=steelblue]"An abyss."[/color] He added before sliding down the tower to stand beside Feral.

[color=steelblue]"The kid was going to be just fine. He'll learn from tonight and he'll get tough. Next time he'll pay attention where he's going."[/color][/color]