[table= //////= EXIT'S POST DESIGN v5 =\\\\\\][row][sub][h1][right][sub][sub][sub][sub][sup][color=2e2c2c]_[/color][/sup][/sub][/sub][/sub][/sub][/right][sub][sub][sub][sub][sub][sub][sub][img=/// TOPIMAGE \\\]https://i.imgur.com/XpRmR6R.png[/img][/sub][/sub][/sub][/sub][/sub][/sub][/sub][sub][color=0b0d11][sub][sub][color=2e2c2c][sub]...[/sub][/color][sup][b]▇▇▇[/b][/sup][/sub][/sub][color=2e2c2c]_[/color][sub][color=white][sup]RSF Commander[/sup] T A O X U[/color][/sub][sub][sub][color=2e2c2c]__[/color][sup][b]▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇[/b][/sup][/sub][/sub][/color][/sub][center][sup][sub][sup][sub][color=888888]A [@FunnyGuy] & [@Exit] Collaboration[color=2e2c2c] ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ [/color][/color][/sub][/sup][/sub][/sup][/center][/h1][/sub][/row][row][cell][sup][center][b][color=0b0d11][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][/color][/b][/center][/sup][/cell][cell][color=888888][sub][sub][u][b][color=f1c231]FunnyGuy   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub] Not a word escaped Tao Xu the moment he set his eyes on the scene inside. Observing the aftermath of the successful raid firsthand was not the same as having the battle damage assessment briefed to you in transit or within his office. It’s how he preferred it. To be so close to the action on the ground… To manipulate a scene with your own actions… [color=gold]“Heh…”[/color] He scoffed beneath his mask as he stared down the closed-off chamber used as a desperate escape. He yearned for an outcome that saw the low-life rats who slipped away caught beneath his boot, but he couldn’t help but be overcome with pride. The perfectionist in him would have to settle for this clear victory over those who threatened the status quo. Patience was a virtue, but he would not simply remain passive after a victory like this. A success like this one would be replicated… again and again until there was no place or direction to flee toward. [color=gold]“You there!”[/color] Tao called to the man in the hard hat. [color=gold]“What is this, exactly?”[/color] He motioned a hand toward the red glow of the blocked-off path. [sub][sub][u][b][color=bca346]Exit   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub] [color=white]”Inner chamber, Commander Xu. Sealed off by a cave-in, and considering the clear signs of earthbending here–”[/color] He pointed to where the concrete pathway had been torn up. [color=white]”We can assume the cave-in was intentional. The heat and the red you’re seeing inside corroborate reports of active lava flow in the area. It seems whoever was down here was quite formidable, if the multiple pathways carved into the ground below us are any indication.”[/color] [sub][sub][u][b][color=f1c231]FunnyGuy   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub] [color=gold]“Formidable, yes, but I’d surmise they were as resourceful as they were [i]desperate[/i],”[/color] Tao commented before peering down at what the man was holding. [sub][sub][u][b][color=bca346]Exit   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub] In his hand was a small device. His fingers danced across its flat surface, and a three-dimensional render of a scan of the immediate area appeared above it. Thin, bright red lines described the shallow survey taken of the ground immediately beneath them, but even if the sample was shallow, the network of tunnels visible to them was immense. Numerous paths with open ends that could lead to anywhere and with no rhyme or reason to their position or direction. Trying to map that would be futile. [color=white]”No LSF were present when we arrived.”[/color] [sub][sub][u][b][color=f1c231]FunnyGuy   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub] [color=gold]“Tch!”[/color] [sub][sub][u][b][color=bca346]Exit   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub] [color=white]”We got a body!”[/color] From beyond the cleared path, there was a flurry of motion and dust through which beams of light could be seen dancing in the dark and along the walls of collapsed rock. [sub][sub][u][b][color=f1c231]FunnyGuy   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub] [color=gold]“You heard him! Focus!”[/color] Tao commanded as a brief jolt of exhilaration pulsed through his nerves. There was something to be had, and his troops would not let it go to waste. [sub][sub][u][b][color=bca346]Exit   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub] After only a few minutes, a crew of RSF exited from the rubble, carrying between them a deceased male. The individual was heavily burned and was practically naked, the small pieces of torn and destroyed fabric still clinging to his body a clear sign that the rest had burned off. What [i]was[/i] left of was enough black hair on his head and striking facial features to identify the body of Katakuri Soren. [sup][color=2e2c2c]_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________[/color][/sup][/color][/cell][cell][sup][img=//////SIDE IMAGE HERE\\\\\\]https://i.imgur.com/t8XRFdw.png[/img][/sup] [color=303030][table=bordered][row][/row][row][cell=active][sub][color=white]Time.[/color] Late Night, SE+3 [color=white]Location.[/color] [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4593910][color=303030]The Core in the Underground, Ba Sing Se[/color][/url] [color=666666]____________________________[sub]....[sup]......[/sup][/sub][/color] [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/users/funnyguy][color=white]FunnyGuy[/color][/url] as [color=303030]Tao Xu[/color] [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/users/Exit][color=white]Exit[/color][/url] as various NPCs[/sub][/cell][/row][/table][/color][/cell][/row][/table] [img]https://i.imgur.com/GKv9qBT.png[/img] [h1][/h1] [indent][indent][indent][indent][indent][color=white]“Good morning and welcome to seven o’clocks on Shinobi News. Our top stories this morning…” "Criminal elements in the Underground have been left in ruins after the successful raid by the RSF a few days ago. Led by Commander Tao Xu, the raid saw the apprehending and the execution of Katakuri Soran, a dangerous bender from the Upper Ring who was responsible for the murder of his entire family, and the enigmatic leader of the Dìjī, Hunang. Hunang is widely believed to have been the Kingpin of the Underground and has been responsible for numerous killings, kidnappings and attacks on the City itself over the past few decades. With them removed, the powerful Dìjī have splintered and the Underground as a whole has been left leaderless, leading to a steep decline in organized crime across all of Ba Sing Se." "However, there is concern that with the RSF pulling out of the Underground completely, the opportunity for another radicalized group of criminals to fill the vacuum of power has been left open. Many are led to believe the validity of these concerns due in part to similar circumstances some years ago when the RSF discovered and dismantled a small bending militia that had been growing beneath the City. Despite this loss, Hunang remained in power for many years after." "In other news, the King has not yet recovered from what is now being reported as a severe illness. King Wu, who has not been seen or heard from since his controversial announcement during the Gala, originally fell ill that night to what was thought to have been a mild flu. Although his symptoms have seemingly progressed, there is as of yet, no word on the specifics of his illness. We here at Shinobi news are hoping for his swift recovery and hopefully soon, he can shed some light on his recent decisions.”[/color][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent][/indent] [h1][/h1] [table= //////= EXIT'S POST DESIGN v5 =\\\\\\][row][sub][h1][right][sub][sub][sub][sub][sup][color=2e2c2c]_[/color][/sup][/sub][/sub][/sub][/sub][/right][sub][sub][sub][sub][sub][sub][sub][img=/// TOPIMAGE \\\]https://i.imgur.com/tGW0DKy.png[/img][/sub][/sub][/sub][/sub][/sub][/sub][/sub][sub][color=0b0d11][sub][sub][color=2e2c2c][sub]...[/sub][/color][sup][b]▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇[/b][/sup][/sub][/sub][/color][/sub][center][sup][sub][sup][sub][color=888888]A [@Canaryrose] & [@Exit] Collaboration[/color][/sub][/sup][/sub][/sup][/center][/h1][/sub][/row][row][cell][sup][center][b][color=0b0d11][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] 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[sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][sup][h2][sup]█[/sup] [sub]█[/sub][/h2][/sup][/color][/b][/center][/sup][/cell][cell][color=888888][sub][sub][u][b][color=bca346]Exit   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub] [color=white]”That’s all of it.”[/color] Jack said, stepping away from An’s desk. He turned to look out the window and check on the woman outside. Below them, pacing back and forth in the driveway was Vyska. She seemed focused on the conversation she was having. [color=white]”You wouldn’t happen to recognize any of those names, would you?”[/color] [sub][sub][u][b][color=a63f4b]canaryrose   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub] An leaned back in her chair and sighed, ever so slightly. This was around the fourth time they’d watched the video, trying to catch every small detail they could, but she wasn’t bored. It was just all [i]so much[/i]. She tried to keep an eye on Vyska as she paced the driveway below, but instead, her gaze remained caught on the notes in front of her- on the list of names, enumerated, separate. [i]T.Jin.F.157[/i] [i]X.Hui.W.138[/i] [i]L.Wu.F.201[/i] [i]C.Bai.A.195[/i] [i]H.Xinyue.E.149[/i] [i]Q.Yong.E.210[/i] Each one laid out, stark, in front of her. Deformed. Violated. An could surmise what the letters, what the numbers meant. Benders, each of them. It was unlike her, but she held her right knuckle to her mouth, gnawing on it. She didn’t know what to do with this. She wasn’t sure anyone did. Quietly, she zoomed back, frame by frame, going back to one particular shot. Her eyes didn’t leave the screen. The woman in the selected frame was middle-aged- not old, not young, maybe early 50s, late 40s. Her hair was white, though An knew it was natural, not from age. She was sleeping. She looked healthy, well, even, if not for the thin antlers sprouting from her left brow. An pointed at the screen, getting Jack’s attention. [color=a63f4b]“That’s Lisa Wu,”[/color] she said, her voice betraying her shock but retaining its confident tenor. [color=a63f4b]“Kanna Wu’s mother.”[/color] She let her words hang, the both of them staring at the screen in shock. Absently, An stroked the dark wood grain of her new desk. The office was an extravagance, one not lost on her. It overlooked the front of the Moon estate, the long driveway, the gate, and the street beyond. In the morning, sunlight would stream through the window, warming her workspace, but, now, in the afternoon, she had her desk lamp lit to illuminate her laptop. The office, with the exception of her desk, was nearly empty. Her desk was set in a corner of the room, her computer not visible from the window, and there was a green armchair in one corner, a large plant in the other. There were a few paintings hung on the wall. It was nice. She liked it… but it made her uncomfortable all the same. How long was Vyska expecting her to remain here? She understood the practicality of it all, but it didn’t change the fact that An wanted to go home. An opened another tab on her computer, but left the search bar empty. She glanced at Jack. [color=firebrick] “Kanna Wu told me,”[/color] she said, slow, [color=firebrick] “that her mother died two weeks ago. Was killed. Because she was a firebender.”[/color] An clicked back on the video, and gestured again to Lisa Wu. Her voice dropped. [color=firebrick] “Jack, they did this to her in [i]two weeks[/i].”[/color] [sub][sub][u][b][color=bca346]Exit   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub] [color=white]”Yeah.”[/color] Jack turned back to the monitor and looked again at the still image of a woman trapped in blissful sleep. It was impossible to ignore the unnatural growth sprouting from the edges of her face, but when he tried to look past it at just her features, he did indeed recognize the woman An identified. The story she gave too checked out as he remembered briefly hearing about Lisa going missing a few weeks ago. The thing was, he already knew that disappearances [i]could[/i] mean the Republic removing a Bender. It happened all the time. He never in a million years thought they were keeping them for… [i]this[/i]. And Lisa Wu wasn’t just anyone. She had connections. She was known. She had championed her path forward in life to the top of the Stickball world on her own and even she was not spared such treatment. [color=white]”I liked it better when I thought they were killing them.”[/color] His mind began to wander to thoughts of Vyska and what might happen to her should her secret be discovered. There had been a peace in knowing that the worse case scenario was a quick death. Experimentation was something else entirely and it was clear that status was no guarantee of anything. It also begged the question: Who were the others? [color=white]”The big guy. H Xinyue I believe it was. The only other… [i]thing[/i] I’ve seen with that physique was the agent from yesterday. No one is naturally that large.”[/color] [sub][sub][u][b][color=firebrick]canaryrose   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub] [color=firebrick]“Same,”[/color] An said, and left it there. She had her own person to worry about. [color=firebrick][i]Chu.[/i][/color] Was it possible that she was down there? That she’d never made it out of the city, and they’d just never told her? An knew the thought was ridiculous, so she didn’t voice it, but it stayed in the back of her mind, a worry poking out at her like a stubborn splinter. She drummed her fingers against the desk, another nervous habit of hers, and rewound the footage to where it said [i]H. Xinyue[/i]. He was indeed large. The man was bulging out of his own skin, half of his body out of the frame. Scars lined his skin- surgical scars. [color=firebrick] “The agent from yesterday,”[/color] she said. [color=firebrick]“Maybe they’re making them. The agents.”[/color] It was a dark musing, but not impossible. [color=firebrick]“Maybe that’s [i]how[/i] they made it. It was alive. I heard it breathing. It could’ve been a person… at some point.”[/color] By the spirits, An felt like a conspiracy theorist. She had never been one to question, but this, now, was making her do it. Turning her attention back to the computer, An opened her browser again and tapped a few keys, opening up another program. She typed a password, some keywords, and… well, it didn’t look any different, but she hoped that it would conceal her searches from anyone monitoring her. She had no doubt they were. [color=firebrick] “There’s got to be some record of these people,”[/color] she told Jack. [color=firebrick]“There’s records of Lisa Wu, at least. Maybe this H. Xinyue still has people looking for him.”[/color] [sub][sub][u][b][color=bca346]Exit   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub] [color=white]”We can start with known missing persons. The RSF keeps an updated list, [i]but[/i] considering the amount of people that went missing after the synergy accident, we might be dealing with a needle in a haystack situation. Although…”[/color] There was a small pause as Jack turned his thoughts over in his head. [color=white]”...There’s no way to know for sure, but the numbers [i]could[/i] be chronological if we’re lucky, meaning most of the people we’re seeing here were taken before the accident.”[/color] Jack shrugged. [color=white]”Maybe we’ll get lucky.”[/color] He turned to the window again in time to catch Vyska returning to the house. [sub][sub][u][b][color=firebrick]canaryrose   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub] [color=firebrick]“Maybe,”[/color] An said. Taking a breath, she searched for that list, and typed the first name into the search bar. [i]T. Jin.[/i] She took note of Vyska’s return to the house, but didn’t wait for her. She just pressed Enter. [sub][sub][u][b][color=bca346]Exit   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub] [i]No Results.[/i] There was half muffled huff from somewhere over An’s shoulder. [color=white]“Or incredibly unlucky. Try the next one…”[/color] [sub][sub][u][b][color=firebrick]canaryrose   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub] [color=firebrick] “That tracks,”[/color] An mumbled, under her breath. But really, what had she been hoping for? Of course some of them would be lost causes. She crossed out Jin from her list. Onto the next one- [i]Hui.[/i] The keyboard tapped it out in a staccato rhythm before An pressed enter again. [sub][sub][u][b][color=bca346]Exit   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub] The screen filled with several names: Xiang Hui 79yo Missing for 8 years. Disappeared from her hospice located in the Middle Ring. Preliminary investigation into the disappearances noted a canal system situated just outside the facility beyond a chain-link fence. No body was recovered or person found. Investigation ongoing. Xiong Hui 14yo Missing for 22 years. High school student who was last seen leaving her school campus on foot. No witnesses and no deviation from normal route to and from school according to interviews done with parents and friends. The case was never solved. Investigation has been closed. Xu Hui 36yo Missing for 10 years. Delivery driver for Republic Restaurant Supply Co. Business located in the Lower Ring. Remains of the vandalized truck was found in an alleyway, gutted and set on fire. The driver was never found and the passenger had been shot twice in the chest. Xu was never found and the details of his disappearance are still under investigation. Xun Hui 27yo. Missing for 5 years. Servant for a prominent family in the Upper Ring. A missing persons report was filed by the woman’s family who reside in the Lower Ring. Employers of Xun adamant they have no idea what happened to her. Investigation ongoing. [sub][sub][u][b][color=firebrick]canaryrose   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub] [color=firebrick][i]Goddamn.[/i][/color] There sure were a lot of X. Huis. An, facing an overload of information, clicked back to the video. She was female, which immediately got rid of at least one option. Certainly not 88 years old… which eliminated another. She swapped over to the database again, looking over her options. Xiong Hui, 36 years old now, missing for 22 years. Xun Hui, 32 now, missing for 5. She wrote down both names. She wasn’t sure. [i]22 years[/i]... it seemed unlikely, that they’d have someone for so long, while Lisa Wu had only been there two weeks and was in her condition. Still. [color=firebrick]“Jack,”[/color] she said. [color=firebrick]“Does she look more like the servant? I think it seems more likely.”[/color] An tapped her pencil against the desk, briefly switching between the video and the database- again- to let him see the photos. [color=firebrick]“22 years seems like a stretch,”[/color] she admitted. [sub][sub][u][b][color=bca346]Exit   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub] [color=white]”No I agree. It’s the servant.”[/color] He studied the girl closely. This one had gone under his radar and most likely the radars of everyone besides her own family. And it wasn’t uncommon for the hired help for the more powerful families to be subject to abuse or strange situations and the news rarely covered the controversy unless it was attached to a particularly wealthy family in the public eye. This woman had no such luck. She’d been discovered a Bender and was turned in and Jack was sure there had never been closure for the family. [color=white]”Who's next?”[/color] He asked. As the two of them continued, the dread he’d been holding in was spilling into his gut. He didn’t like any of this. [sub][sub][u][b][color=firebrick]canaryrose   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub] An sighed, and crossed out the name of the schoolgirl. Xun Hui it was. How long had she been there? Had she suffered? An was sure she had. In the video, her skin had been tinged a blue-green- an unnatural color, even for someone as unnatural as a bender. She had to stop thinking like that, An thought to herself, shortly after the thought entered her head. Benders… well, she had been taught that it was wrong, but everything in front of her now was telling her that she was the one who was misled. Still, 28 years of propaganda was hard to shake. An moved a lock of her long black hair out of her eyes, and looked to Jack behind her, and then the door, waiting for Vyska. [color=firebrick] “We know about Lisa. Let’s try and find this C Bai person.”[/color] Again, she turned her attention to the computer and typed in the name. [sub][sub][u][b][color=bca346]Exit   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub] C. Bai fielded no results and so the pair moved on to the next, H Xinyue. Again, a number of names began to populate the screen: Hao Xinyue 35yo Missing for 4 years. Miner at the Northwest Extraction Zones. Reported missing when Hao did not return with his crew from their assigned shaft. Preliminary investigations reported tunnel collapses a common occurrence due to a lack of adherence to safety regulation. No body was recovered and the investigation is ongoing. Huo Xinyue 24yo Missing for 2 years. SynEn Piperunner. SynEn lost communication with their runner and sent one of their own to investigate. Vehicle was recovered. Nothing was stolen from the vehicle and there were no signs of a struggle. Investigation is ongoing. Hu Xinyue 29yo Missing for 15 years. Escort. Last seen leaving a bar with an unidentified man. A missing persons report was filed by the victim’s roommate the next day. No body was ever recovered nor has the man she was last seen with been found or identified. Investigation has been closed. Huang Xinyue 7yo Missing for 40 years. A Huang was registered as an orphan at Lana’s Little Home, located in the Lower Ring. The orphanage was shut down and no further records can be found regarding his or the other children’s relocation after their removal. It is recommended to consult with Lana Cheng for more information. Case has been closed. Han Xinyue 8yo Missing for 5 months. Resident of slums outside of the Lower Ring wall, according to a report filed by the father. Investigation closed. [sub][sub][u][b][color=firebrick]canaryrose   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub] An stared at the computer screen for a longer time than she had before. This one was harder. [color=firebrick]“Not the escort,”[/color] she mused, [color=firebrick]“and not the eight-year-old.”[/color] She almost ruled out the boy who had been missing for 40 years, but something about that gave her pause. [i]Lana Cheng?[/i] Didn’t she know that name? Lana Cheng… the woman at the gala, who had been carting around that little boy? The profession and the name fit, but the Lana Cheng that An had met had certainly not been 50 years old. That was strange. And the other two weren’t promising, either. A piperunner and a miner, both operating out of the city- it wasn’t like the RSF paid attention to those sorts. Piperunners went into the wilds all the time, and the miner had probably just died in some sort of collapse. [color=firebrick] “This one doesn’t make any sense,”[/color] she said, out loud. [color=firebrick]“Jack, look. The pipe runner and the miner, the kid from 40 years ago… piperunners and miners don’t seem likely, but that kid disappeared so long ago. What do you think?”[/color] She flipped back to the video, scrutinizing what little she could see of the man. [sub][sub][u][b][color=bca346]Exit   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub] It was at this time that Vyska stepped into the room, her face fixed although there was clear exhaustion behind her eyes. The lingering conversation in the room didn’t help either. [color=bca346]”I’m already hearing something about a child…”[/color] Jack glanced up at Vyska, noting the way she was still trying to project someone in control. Someone who still had a grasp despite everything falling apart around them. [color=white]”A child that went missing some forty years ago.”[/color] He nodded toward the screen as Vyska stepped around the desk. [color=white]”None of the others really stand out but this one. Not only is he similar to the man we saw yesterday, the potential information we dug up doesn’t make any sense.”[/color] Vyska studied the monitor and then looked down at An’s notes. There were some crossed out names, lines about a girl in the Upper Ring and then a name with a circle around it that was very recognizable. [color=bca346]”Mrs Cheng? Why is she in your notes?”[/color] [sub][sub][u][b][color=firebrick]canaryrose   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub] An turned to face Vyska when she opened the door, trying to assess the woman’s body language. She looked… tired. Scared? Without speaking, An gestured for Jack to drag the armchair over to the desk so she could sit. [sub][sub][u][b][color=bca346]Exit   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub] He complied without skipping a beat, fetching the chair and moving it near An’s and facing the monitor. Vyska gave him a thankful nod and took a seat. [sub][sub][u][b][color=firebrick]canaryrose   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub] [color=firebrick] “Lana Cheng…”[/color] An shook her head, and pulled up the file for the boy again. [color=firebrick]“We found this missing boy while looking for one of the people in the video,”[/color] An explained, showing Vyska the file. [color=firebrick] “We think he [i]is[/i] one of the people in the video, actually. But the missing persons database says this kid disappeared forty years ago… from [i]Lana Cheng’s[/i] orphanage in the Lower Ring. It even says to contact her. But Lana Cheng- well, I don’t know how old she is, really- certainly wasn’t running any orphanages forty years ago. And for this kid to have disappeared, seemingly with no searching, forty years ago and to show up again now as a bender experiment… I don’t know. Maybe Lana Cheng has something to do with it. We should look into Lana’s Little Home and see what we find, look into any other missing kids from her care.”[/color] An then shook her head, yet again, and put it in her hands. [color=firebrick]“Gods,”[/color] she groaned. [color=firebrick]“I sound like some kind of nut job. It’s just all so [i]weird[/i], no? This whole thing is weird. Lisa Wu, all these poor people…”[/color] She trailed off, unable to articulate how awful this whole mess was. [i]Children[/i]. 7 [i]was[/i] the age the bending test became accurate… [sub][sub][u][b][color=bca346]Exit   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub] The breath that left Vyska’s body was heavy, as if the weight of the past few days had built up in her lungs. Lana Cheng had been a bright spot in a dreary world. One of the few bright spots in a position of power and with the means to do [i]real good[/i]. If she too was involved in whatever nightmare was unfolding beneath the city, if a woman like her was involved in the kidnapping and experimentation of children, what real hope was there in trying to wake everyone up. The people behind this were still hidden. The why was still unknown. They could feel some of the pieces but it was starting to feel like putting a puzzle together in the dark. But she knew they had to try. If not them, she knew no one else would and she knew that although it would likely never come to light, her family’s name would be marred by its involvement in human atrocities. Vyska pressed a finger to her temple and turned the information over and over in her head. They had names. They had faces. There had to be a way forward. [color=bca346]”How stupid of an idea would it be to set a meeting with Lana and ask her directly?”[/color] She asked, not really believing in her own idea. The absurdity was not lost on her, but a part of her didn’t want to believe what they were all thinking. [sub][sub][u][b][color=firebrick]canaryrose   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub] An jerked her head up to look at Vyska. [color=firebrick]“Awful,”[/color] she intoned, blunt as a hammer to the head… and a bit incredulous too. Sometimes she forgot Vyska was only 20 years old, so grown-up and authoritative she seemed. [color=firebrick]“If she really is involved,”[/color] An said, trying to ease her tone, [color=firebrick]“she wouldn’t be alone in this. I guarantee you she’s no mastermind. And I doubt she’d want to be found out. They’d wonder why you’re investigating, and…”[/color] An didn’t need to say the rest. She knew that Vyska knew the risks, felt them in her bones. An and Jack could anticipate quick deaths- well, torture first, but quick- but Vyska couldn’t. [color=firebrick] “If you’re interested in Lana specifically, I can try and see what I can dig up… or, if you’re feeling really interested, you could have her tailed, or have someone go to the site of her orphanage. Maybe you could even talk to her yourself… without mentioning it. You and I could befriend her.”[/color] An sighed, and drummed her hands on the table. It was all too much, but she wasn’t really convinced that [i]Lana Cheng[/i] was a central piece in it all. Maybe she was [i]a[/i] piece, but not the central one. She returned to her notes, frowning. [color=firebrick] “Is there anyone else we [i]know[/i] has a hand in all this?”[/color] she asked. [color=firebrick]“We saw the monsters, we saw the strange agents… but Lana Cheng can’t be the first actual name we have.”[/color] [sub][sub][u][b][color=bca346]Exit   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub] [color=bca346]”Mynwa.”[/color] Vyska slumped back in her chair, defeated. [color=bca346]”Which is what I wanted to talk to you both about.”[/color] She glanced first at An to her left and then turned to Jack who was standing to her right. [color=bca346]”It’s been confirmed. Communication with the power plant is down. My father is in the dark.”[/color] Jack shook his head. [color=white]”Shit.”[/color] [sub][sub][u][b][color=firebrick]canaryrose   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub] [color=firebrick] “Mynwa,”[/color] An repeated, slow. Vyska’s father. It was strange that she was referring to him only by his first name- An’s father would have hit her for the same offense. She had only met Mynwa Moon once, and had very little feeling about him. But the way Jack and Vyska had been talking about him the last few days… An leaned forward, her elbows on her knees. An ominous feeling formed in her chest. [color=firebrick]“I think it’s time you two filled me in on this. Are you saying… Vyska, are you saying your father is involved? In all this? What’s been confirmed?”[/color] [sub][sub][u][b][color=bca346]Exit   [/color][/b][/u][/sub][/sub] Vyska turned back to An. Where there had once been a weariness in her eyes, that weariness had turned to uncertainty. She struggled to find the exact words she wanted to say, still not entirely sure where the piece most dear to her fit into the puzzle. More than anything else, she was afraid that saying her thoughts on the matter out loud would make them a reality, but she couldn’t deny the evidence. After what she’d been through that morning, there was only more of it being piled up in front of her. She clasped her hands together in her lap as if she were trying to grab the truth out of the air and took a deep breath. Straightening out, she assumed the role she had been for the past few days. There were things that needed to be done and it wouldn’t help for her to sit and ruminate on something she knew so little about. [color=bca346]”...The news of my father going missing has officially put me in a position I wasn’t yet supposed to be in. And it’s not a temporary position like it was while we thought he was ‘away’. I have all of his responsibilities now.”[/color] She shook her head and took another deep breath. Every conversation she had that morning was repeating itself in her head. Words and voices collided with each other until it was little more than a net of white noise. [color=bca346]”I’ve been in calls all day. Most of it I was expecting but…”[/color] She turned to Jack. [color=bca346]”Whoever these people are that have been contacting me, the people those ‘agents’ work for, they’ve scheduled a face to face with me to work out the details of their ‘ongoing relationship’ with SynEn. With my father.”[/color] She then turned to An. [color=white]”I can’t deny what that means, An.”[/color] An sat with that for a moment, turning it over in her mind. Her father had been [i]involved[/i] with these people. An didn’t feel it necessary to repeat it out loud. It seemed obvious. That was the word they were using, that involved, but it implied so much more… so much worse than simply being involved. [color=firebrick]“I’m sorry,”[/color] she said, finally, looking at Vyska. There was no comforting touch- An could tell, somehow, that she didn’t want that- but there was real empathy in her eyes. How did it feel, to know that your own father had helped murder people who were just like you? [color=firebrick] “A relationship,”[/color] she repeated. [color=firebrick]“Did the person on the phone give you a name? The people who have been contacting you, who are they?”[/color] An turned back to her computer and her notes, turning something over in her head. [color=bca346]”A representative of the [i]LSF[/i], although I still don’t know what that stands for. It’s the same acronym every time though. LSF.”[/color] [color=firebrick]“Something Security Forces, maybe? Like the RSF… but what does the L stand for?”[/color] An thought for a moment before she continued. [color=firebrick]“We could use this,”[/color] she said. Her dark eyes filled with determination. [color=firebrick]“We need information, and if you have this relationship with them- well, we certainly won’t be able to ask them too many questions, and you’d need to play it safe, but we could use it to find out what we can. This,”[/color] she gestured to the computer screen, [color=firebrick]“is [i]something[/i], but it’s not enough. We’re in the dark. Maybe working with them, for now, could get us enough information to achieve our goal. To help people. Try to undo it all.”[/color] [color=bca346]”It’s dangerous, but I was thinking the same thing. It’s our only play, at least until we can get more information and, more importantly, more friends on our side. There’s no way we can solve this and survive it with just the two of us. Oh, and speaking of…”[/color] Vyska got up from her chair and began walking back around to the other side of the desk. [color=bca346]“Kaye Xuoshi will be here shortly. She has something she’d like to talk to us about.”[/color] [color=firebrick]“The three of us,”[/color] An corrected, gentle, eyes flicking to Jack. [color=firebrick]“I agree. Unfortunately… friends are in short supply, and I might not be around to help much longer. It’s dangerous, and it won’t make us any friends, but if it doesn’t get you killed it’ll work to our advantage.”[/color] [color=firebrick] “Do you think Ms. Xuoshi could be a friend?”[/color] She looked pointedly at Vyska. [color=firebrick] “She seemed upset about her brother’s disappearance- do you think he could have turned into a bender?”[/color] [color=bca346]”No he uh… He didn’t turn into a Bender when he was here.”[/color] Vyska answered, realizing she’d never discussed this with An. [color=bca346]”I was meeting with him at the time of the accident, discussing purchasing some of their drones for patrolling the wall. I can imagine there are a few things she wants to talk about, not least of which would be her brother.”[/color] Her eyes froze on An as recent events caught up to her. There was actually a lot she hadn’t discussed, most of it having been buried by everything else that came after. [color=bca346]”Did I tell you I was at the storage facility when it exploded?”[/color] An straightened at this new information. [color=firebrick] “No, you did not,”[/color] she said, curious. [color=firebrick]“I mean, I knew you were at the storage station, Jack told me that’s where those people came to ask about Chu. You were with Reman Xuoshi? Did you…”[/color] She glanced at Jack, and then his holster, meaningfully. There was [i]no way[/i] they had killed him, right? Vyska caught An eyeing Jack and the holster hanging from under his shoulder and smiled. [color=bca346]”He didn’t.”[/color] [color=white]”I tried.”[/color] Vyska nodded. [color=bca346]”Yeah, he did try. As soon as I started randomly firebending he tried to kill everyone in that room but we learned pretty quickly that anything ‘synergy’ was dead. Guns didn’t work. And then we learned that one of my Piperunners was an Airbender and also my operator plays favorites with the runners under her watch. Given the situation and everything that was coming to light, we agreed it was better for everyone if they left the city and Jack and I forgot anything we saw. Reman was the one that…”[/color] Suddenly there was a light in her eyes. [color=bca346]”Wait… I know you were hesitant before to tell me how you got Chu out but who came up with your plan? Where was Chu supposed to go?”[/color] An’s eyes lit up with something resembling hope. [i]Out of the city?[/i] Could it be? Could Chu be with… Reman Xuoshi? She smiled at the thought. It was unlikely, sure, but was it possible? [color=firebrick]“The place they were going was called Tu Zin,”[/color] An said, hesitant to believe it. But her heart was pumping all the same. [color=firebrick]“Kanna came up with the whole thing. She found out about it when she was trying to get her mother out, somehow. I have no idea how she found out, or how she was even planning to get there. We just went, it was the only option. I… do you think Reman and this piperunner were going there, too? Do you think you might be able to get in contact with them?”[/color] [color=bca346]”Tu Zin.”[/color] Vyska repeated. [color=bca346]”Tu Zin was where Reman said they could go to be safe.”[/color] [color=white]”There’s a car entering the driveway.”[/color] Jack said, a finger to his ear as he turned to face the window. Outside, an Aerosato was pulling up the driveway heading toward the front door. One of the staff of the house was already out there to greet them. Vyska nodded toward Jack and began fixing her appearance. [color=bca346]”My Piperunners are probably the only thing from the city that can survive the desert, and if what my operator says about this particular Piperunner is true, then he made it to this Tu Zin. If somehow Chu crossed paths with him, it’s a pretty safe bet she made it too.”[/color] [color=firebrick]“I hope she did,”[/color] An said, able to feel her heart beating in her chest. She felt her cheeks get warm with hope, a smile spread on her lips. It was [i]so little[/i], but it was something. Kanna and Chu might- [i]might[/i], she had to remind herself- be with Reman Xuoshi and this Piperunner. [color=firebrick] “I know it’s a long shot, but if you get in contact with him… ask. Please.”[/color] An glanced to the window as Jack spoke… and looked down at herself. [color=firebrick]“Shit,”[/color] she said. She was not dressed for a meeting at all, in her University of Ba Sing Se sweatshirt and her gray sweatpants. [color=firebrick]“You couldn’t tell me about the meetings you schedule, Vys? I’ve gotta go change, I’ll be quick. Keep her busy for me?”[/color] [sup][color=2e2c2c]_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________[/color][/sup][/color][/cell][cell][sup][img=//////SIDE IMAGE HERE\\\\\\]https://i.imgur.com/00iWeYQ.png[/img][/sup] [color=303030][table=bordered][row][/row][row][cell=active][sub][color=white]Time.[/color] Noon, SE+5 [color=white]Location.[/color] [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4593910][color=303030]Moon Residence in the Upper Ring, Ba Sing Se.[/color][/url] [color=666666]____________________________[sub]....[sup]......[/sup][/sub][/color] [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/users/canaryrose][color=white]Canaryrose[/color][/url] as [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5181677][color=303030]An Tamura[/color][/url] [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/users/Exit][color=white]Exit[/color][/url] as [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5375854][color=303030]Jack and Vyska Moon[/color][/url] [color=white]Summary.[/color] An, Jack and Vyska review the footage captured from the facility under the palace. Using visual clues and recent events, they make some very disturbing discoveries. Vyska learns that SynEn has lost all contact with her father. His sudden absence forces her into his role prematurely. [color=white]Prompt.[/color] Taken from the drone footage: The facility beneath the palace was large and despite the appearance of the exterior, the interior was actually much more clean and modernized. The drone managed to get access to a single large room. There were multiple doors to other areas that remained locked when not in use and none of them had windows, viewports or any way to see what was on the other side. Most of the doors remained unmarked as well. The inhabitants wore lab coats with no markings. The specific area the drone gained access to looked to be where they held their subjects, though for how long it was impossible to tell. All subjects being held were alive and at least from first glance seemed fine. Upon closer inspection however, the drone picked up some interesting details. First off, there were displays next to each person being held. There was a plethora of information regarding their vitals. Numbers, percentages and levels all indicating the variations in their health. Above this data were letters and numbers that seemed somehow important. [color=black]H.Xinyue.E.149[/color] Seemingly male. Long auburn hair. Light bronze skin. Is so large that only the edge of his chin is visible in the window. Although it’s obvious the man has been through a vigorous physical regimen, it’s also very apparent his body has been cut open many times. Scar tissue, although well healed, is seemingly scrawled across the visible parts of his chest. [color=black]T.Jin.F.157[/color] Seemingly male. Bald. Pale skin. Scar across his nose. [color=black]X.Hui.W.183[/color] Seemingly female. Long black hair. Beige skin that bleeds into an odd blue-green. [color=black]C.Bai.A.195[/color] Seemingly male. Short black hair. Umber skin that seems too rough. Jagged even as if it were made of actual rock. [color=black]L.Wu.F.201[/color] Seemingly female. Long white hair though not from age. Light skin with a hint of peach. Sprouting from the corners of her eyes and the edge of her brow, and only on the left side of her face, is what looks like thin antlers. [color=black]Q.Yong.E.210[/color] Seemingly female. Long blonde hair. Pale skin that’s tinged purple and seems slightly translucent. For the duration that the drone was in that room, it observed scientists exiting and entering through the various other doors and using only one of the elevators. At the back of the room was what looked to be a second elevator that was very different from the first. There were no buttons. Only a camera or similar device above it. None of the personnel approached it during the entire video.[/sub][/cell][/row][/table][/color] [/cell][/row][/table]