[CENTER][sup][h1][center][img]https://64.media.tumblr.com/82fa3fb006e4a85a60530826f3e0fbe1/5ba732607eca068a-39/s400x600/d4a9d9d820de7c97233fbf8c007097f3049db381.gifv[/img][/center][b][center][color=black] S A R A H  M A R I E  K I N G[/color]
[color=orange]S A R A H  M A R I E  K I N G[/color][/center]
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[color=lightgray][sup][i]Inside of The Lucky Noodle, Little Asia; With The Weeping, Madelyne Crane, Julia Kray, Kenzo Yamamoto, and Ken Shimzu[/i][/sup][/color][/CENTER]

[indent][color=orange]“What?!”[/color] Sarah questioned her Sensei’s statement. She cocked her head around to face him as he stepped into the dining room, but quickly snapped back towards the being standing between herself and Maddie. It had wheeled around to face her, and, in a show of malicious hunger, bared a line of knife-edged teeth at her. Sarah took a half step back as the thing tread towards her, and planted her back foot firmly against the tile floor. A whirring of energy vibrated along her arms into her fists; perceptive eyes might have caught a slight disturbance of air around her as she began to channel another blast of Chi. The next one would, or should, have more punch behind it, given the time she had to prepare it. 

The wall of Magic Maddie had erected would shatter against the being’s strike.

Sarah chambered her fists, expecting the creature to come full bore against her. 

When it reoriented itself towards Maddie, Sarah stumbled mentally. When it became clear what was happening, she sprung with the force of her pent up energy. [color=orange]“NO!”[/color] A pointed yell that pierced beyond the threshold of the restaurant’s closed doors and out to the sidewalk carried from Sarah’s lungs. She stepped forward at a sprinter’s pace. In a burst of athleticism aided by thrusting the Chi flowing through her arms against the floor behind her, she hurdled over the table in front of her. Airborne, she shifted as best she could into the approximate pose of a large cat pouncing onto the back of a bigger prey. 

But she had moved either too slowly or too late. The manbeast had lowered itself and Maddie into the floor and into the faint shadow cast by Julia. Sarah landed in an empty space, where she paused, poised as though her would-be opponent might reemerge from elsewhere. As it became apparent that no such thing would happen, she dropped to her knees and slammed her right hand knuckles-first against the floor. [color=orange]“FUCK!”[/color] Her face filled with a visible redness; a white-hot sensation coursed through her. She bowed her head down. Her lungs worked rapidly as she seemed to start into a panic.

[color=yellow]“Please,”[/color] Shimazu said, standing next to Kenzo. [color=yellow]“Call me Shimazu. Hold that thought for a moment.”[/color] He then moved to his pupil’s side and knelt beside her. [color=yellow]“Sarah… Breathe…”[/color] He inhaled a steady, controlled breath, and held Sarah’s shoulder. [color=yellow]“I’m here. We all are.”[/color]

Slowly but surely, Sarah’s own breathing eased. She raised her head to look at Julia, Kenzo, and her Sensei; her face bore a watery sheen. 

[color=yellow]“Will you be ok?”[/color] Shimazu asked. 

Sarah nodded her head, and rose to one knee. [color=orange]“Yeah… I’m sorry, Sensei… [sub]I’m sorry Maddie…”[/sub][/color]

[color=yellow]“Don’t apologize-- Look?”[/color] Shimazu pointed to the amulet lying on the floor where the strange man had been. [color=yellow]“Do you feel it?”[/color]

Sarah shook her head. She tried to focus her senses on the amulet. 

[color=yellow]“Relax your mind. There’s an energy emanating from this amulet.”[/color] 

[color=orange]“I… I sense it… sort of.”[/color] The fog of frustration was thinning, and Sarah’s higher senses grew clearer. She could feel something when she looked at the amulet more closely, and set her mind on actually feeling it. 

Shimazu gave Sarah an assuring nod, and got to his feet. [color=yellow]“It’s true,”[/color] he said, turning to Kenzo. [color=yellow]“The man that was just in this room was most peculiar. A multitude of souls gravitating around a single body… And the body itself still carried a soul of its own.”[/color] He paused pensively and continued, [color=yellow]“what it means, I can’t say. I’ve never felt anything like it. There was a great amount of rage. I have some contacts in Nighthaven that may have a better idea. I’ll make some calls later. For the time being, we have the matter of finding Miss Crane.”[/color]

The door to the shop swung open again. This time, a Paragon City Police Officer entered the shop. [color=yellow]“Yes, officer. The Blue Dragons did cause a stir here. But that’s been resolved; I find myself blessed with the support of a caring community,”[/color] Shimazu gestured to Julia, Kenzo, and Sarah. [color=yellow]“We were able to kindly show them out with little damage or injury.”[/color] 

Shimazu gave the officer a good look. It wasn’t anyone that he had recognized from his time on the force, nor anyone that he had heard of. He sought the man’s aura, and sensed no ill intent. 

[color=yellow]“But as it so happens, we have another issue at hand. One of our own seems to have gone missing on us amid the commotion. I suspect she may have been abducted, though by whom or what, I can’t say for sure. If you could aid us in our search for her, her name is Madelyne Crane. Would it be too soon, even given the circumstances, to file her as a missing person?”[/color][/indent]


[CENTER][sup][h1][center][img]https://c.tenor.com/_dREp7THfQIAAAAd/tenor.gif[/img][/center][b][center][color=black] Z H A N G, T A I W U[/color]
[color=6ecff6]Z H A N G, T A I W U[/color][/center]
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[color=lightgray][sup][i]In the car, Little Asia; With Xiao Feng[/i][/sup][/color][/CENTER]

[indent]Taiwu thought Xiao Feng’s suggestion over for a moment. [color=6ecff6][i]To know one’s enemy...[/i][/color] The wisdom of the Art of War came clearly to his mind. As the car neared the turn off to the city’s main thruway, he made his decision. [color=6ecff6]“If you have no issue entertaining my curiosity,”[/color] he shrugged. [color=6ecff6]“Turn right up here,”[/color] he said to the driver, pointing his finger in that direction. He knew where best to start his inquiry: word had filled the underground of a new syndicate on the rise in Nighthaven. Its leader, so Taiwu had been told, was a formidable sorceress; rather than strong-arming the Mystic Sanctum for their wisdom, Taiwu reckoned this sorceress would be more willing to dispense the knowledge he sought. [color=6ecff6][i]Let us see if the enemy of an enemy would be an ally.[/i][/color][/indent]

[center][h2][b][u]Horace J. Wolfe & Katherine Tran[/u][/b][/h2]
[i]Veridian Technologies Atrium[/i][/center]

[indent]“Diana!” KT gasped in a yell to a whisper as her friend teleported away. 

“Don’t worry Ms. Tran, she hasn’t left us,” Horace assured her. “Trust me on that. And trust that I won’t let anything happen to you. We have reinforcements on the way. They’ll be equipped for this situation; it’s nothing we haven’t dealt with before. For now, we lay low…” He took up his communication device and spoke into it again. “Do not engage the hostile without proper protective gear.” 

“Lay low huh? In that case…” KT spoke under her breath. [i]We should probably keep our voices down then.”[/i] 

Wolfe’s head reeled around at KT. He opened his mouth only for her to hold a hand up, beckoning silence. 

[i]You should be able to speak to me telepathically right now.[/i] 

Wolfe strained himself as he attempted to focus his thoughts into something KT would be able to hear. [i]-- This -- Through?[/i] 

[i]Like radio static, but yeah. I know it feels weird, but you’ll get the hang of it in time. Just keep the thoughts simple.[/i]

[i]OK.[/i] Wolfe wasn’t too sure how true that would be. [i]We shouldn’t stay here.[/i]

[i]Yeah. The outside of the men’s restroom doesn’t scream safety much. Any ideas?[/i]

[i]One… Down the stairwell just across from us… My ID will work… Move quickly… I’ll cover…[/i] 

[i]Lead the way.[/i]

Wolfe unholstered his pistol and prepared his ID badge. Making a break for the stairs leading down to the security HQ would lead them away from the woman zapping the atrium, and from there, he’d be able to get himself and KT to a more secure space from which to support Diana once she returned. He held for a few seconds, banking on the woman being occupied enough by her wanton destruction to notice two people in the distance. 

He and KT both got set to dash across to the door. He gave a nod to KT, and the pair sprinted from their hiding spot towards the secure stairs. Wolfe kept his firearm at the ready, but otherwise did nothing to draw attention to himself or KT. The pair approached a door akin in appearance to those that might protect a bank vault, or a flood door on a large ship; reinforced, and airtight. Wolfe quickly scanned his badge. The door’s seals, operating on their own closed system, were released. Opening it with a narrow gap, Horace ushered KT through and followed her through before closing and sealing it behind them. 

[i]Down.[/i] Horace pointed as he transferred his thoughts to KT. The two started their descent to the sub-levels of Veridien Tech.[/indent]